The dawning realization that I could have had ANBU armor that fit for initiation begins when I first walk into the storeroom. It's further compounded when the fox masked ANBU hands me a set of armor that actually fits. He snorts at me when I hand him back my ill fitting clothes. "You didn't think we'd give the good stuff to initiates did you?"

Fox then hands me a cat shaped mask with black painted ear tufts and green stripes going from the inner corner of the eye holes down the snout. "Your codename is Lynx." He pushes me out of the store room after that.

The first time I summon any of my lynxes in my mask, I'm going to get a never ending stream of harassment from them. I can feel it.

The five of us that made it into ANBU meet where the second test was held. I slide in next to Teal, who is in a dog shaped mask with longer ears. Boar begins to hand out team assignments. "Jackal, Lynx, you two are on Hawk's team." Oh, Teal's mask is supposed to be a jackal. It's sometimes hard to tell with ANBU masks.

Hawk motions for us to follow him. He leads us to another room where a tall, bulky man in a rhinoceros? mask was waiting. "Rhino, this is Lynx and Jackal. Lynx and Jackal, Rhino. I'm the captain of this team, Hawk. We're mainly a search and destroy squad that dabbles in assassination. Now, they don't usually put two newbies on the same team, but Jackal is slotted for demolitions and we're a good team to put new demolition specialists on."

Hawk motions for Rhino to take over. "I'm going to get the two of you up to snuff in Taijutsu and Kenjutsu during our training week, while Captain works ninjutsu," Rhino says. "Lynx, I'm told you have a base kenjutsu style?" At my nod of affirmation, he continues, "Good. You'll start with me."

We line up on opposite ends of the field and I draw my standard issue tanto. The balance is different from my shadow blades, so I'll have to compensate. Rhino is much stronger than me with a longer reach, so he has the advantage. Speed and maneuverability will be my friends against him.

Rhino makes the first move, charging at me with unexpected speed. I adjust my strategy accordingly and build chakra in my legs. I wait until he's nearly to me, then spring upwards. Rhino's momentum takes him underneath me. I land and shoot towards his exposed back. Rhino blocks my sword with his own over his shoulder.

I'm thrown back and Rhino turns, slashing at me. I drop and propel myself between his legs. My tanto swings out in an attempt to cut Rhino's ankles. He dodges and come down hard on my arm that I don't get out of the way in time. A sharp crack rings through the room as pain sings up my arm. An involuntary cry of pain escapes my lips.

Ok, alright, I'm fine. Breathe, reassess,and move! I launch my legs upward, my arm still being pinned. My legs wrap around Rhino's torso and he stumbles back. The motion sends fresh tinges of pain down my arm, but oh well. I grit my teeth and throw my tanto from my left hand to my right. Oooh, the medinin are not going to be happy with me for that decision.

Rhino gets his hands around my legs and launches me to the opposite side of the room. I feel one of my ribs crack, and damn, that hurt. "That's enough, Lynx. Go see a medic," Rhino commands.

"Yeah, ok," I gasp out. "One question, though. Where are the medics?" I get a bemused look from underneath the mask.

"Down the hall, take a left, second door on the right," Rhino responds.

"Great, thanks," I wheeze as I sheath my blade. I shoot my other two teammates a thumbs up on my way out.

The same weasel masked ANBU who healed me after the second test greats me. "Oh, you again."

I send him a pained grin from underneath my mask. "Nice Seeing you too, Weasel!"

He eyes me in silence before saying "its Ferret. Go sit down."

He heals me then shoos me out of the clinic. Ferret's a fussy one, it seems.

Hawk sits me down in front of him when I get back. "I'm going to teach you how to stop a heart with that electrocution jutsu you know." He then holds out a cage of rats and mice. I wince. Now I know how ANBU gets rid of pests.

"The theory is the same as your redirection jutsu, just externalized into a person instead of internalized. You're not allowed to take a break until you can kill a rat without leaving electrical burns." I can feel him eyeing the scars running up my arm on that one.

Needless to say, I didn't take a break until lunch. Then Boar found all of us newbies and informed us that we didn't get to eat until we found our way out of a genjutsu maze. The real kicker is that we can't use summons.

I was dropped in a dark room alone. Breathe in,mold and dampness, breathe out. Normal scents. I tilt my head, trying to discern a sound that doesn't quite fit. Nothing. I fluctuate my chakra. Ok, no genjutsus yet. I lay my hand on the right side of the wall and walk, checking for genjutsus every one minute. I get to the end without much trouble to find a mouse masked ANBU that sends a small flare of guilt through me as I remember all those poor mice I killed.

"Hey Hot Pink, or Lynx now I guess, nice to see you!" Mouse says.

"You're Sea Green, right," I greet back. Mouse nods.

Boar poofs into existence in front of us. "You two are free to go eat lunch." I walk out of the maze with a feeling that ANBU training is just going to get worse from here.