Naruto: Desert Phantom

Sabaku' hand was in pain. First, the scholar had used a needle far too large to tattoo the ink under his skin—and he hadn't been particularly gentle about it either.

And then, when the cursed seal was fully visible on his hand, it flared to life in a searing orange light, burning itself deep beneath his skin. For a brief moment, Sabaku thought his only remaining hand would melt from the heat.

'That wasn't chakra… the hole tempel and the seal could be older than the shinobi acording to the priests… could this be something like natural energy? Did I just witness something beyond the scope of the manga?'

And he wasn't talking about the massive hidden cavern that looked like something straight out of Batman's dreams. Sure, that had been unexpected, but no. This was something else entirely.

A new energy system.

Something comparable to the natural chakra of the Sage Beasts.

And all this talk of temples made him think of one particular Naruto character—someone deeply religious in his own twisted way.

Hidan and his sugar-mama… or sugar-daddy, Jashin.

'Are there gods in this world?'

He couldn't rule it out.

'There was also that one Buddhist monk… something to do with Asuma. Damn, I can't remember the details! Did this guy say anything about gods... maybe?!'

Sabaku was still lost in thought as he trudged behind the ANBU. After receiving his tattoo, the masked shinobi had been surprisingly friendly toward him. And was talking non stop, about anything coming to his mind. Which made kind of sense in a wierd way. The friendlyness of cource.

They were both marked now.

They both belonged to the ANBU.

Sabaku sighed and finally asked to interupt the nonstop talking, "So, what should I call you? Do we use our real names?"

The ANBU laughed. "Are you stupid? Of course not. Why would we go through all this secrecy just to throw our names around?"

Sabaku grimaced. He had expected that answer. Of cource. He wasn't stupid. It should have been a joke for gods sake.

'This guy didn't get that i made a joke...or did he?'

"But I haven't introduced myself yet, have I?" the ANBU continued. "You can call me Scorpion. That's my ANBU codename. The ANBU directly under Kazekage-sama's command all have animal names. The rest are just numbered."

Sabaku raised an eyebrow. "And what's my codename?"

"You'll get it soon enough—when the Commander assigns it to you. That's also when you'll receive your mask and equipment."

Sabaku nearly asked why Scorpion was wearing a blank stone mask instead of an animal-shaped one like the ANBU in Konoha and the other villages had shown in the anime.

But how the hell was he supposed to phrase that?

'Hey, Scorpion, why aren't you wearing an animal mask like the ANBU from Konoha?'

Yeah. No.

That sounded like the kind of question that got people labeled as spies and traitors.

So, he stayed quiet as they made their way toward the cluster of buildings in the shadows of the pyramid, while Scorpion was still chating the hole fucking time.

They entered one of the sandstone structures, stepping into a long hallway illuminated by flickering torches.

'Seriously? Torches?'

Sabaku's mind short-circuited.

'I still can't get over the tech level in this place! Torches? Are you kidding me?! A few days ago, I was hooked up to an electronic machine that monitored my pulse and who knows what else—in a tent, on the front lines!

And now they're using torches?!

Be more consistent for fuck sake!'

Sabaku shook his head in disbelief, looking expectantly at Scorpion, who seemed completely unbothered by the archaic lighting.

Instead, the ANBU continued walking, his steps confident as he spoke about Sabaku's new "colleagues."

Apparently, Sand Cat and Cactus Mouse were an item. Both young shinobi, sent on only the bloodiest missions. Both as deadly as they were gay.

Then there was Vulture, who specialized in espionage. According to Scorpion, the man had an ice-cold heart—except when he was tasked with observing attractive young women.

There was also Caracal, a young kunoichi who, according to Scorpion description, sounded surprisingly laid-back and almost normal… by Ninja standards, at least.

And then there were Spider, Antelope, Camel (seriously, what kind of ANBU codename was Camel?!), Rattlesnake, and Desert Eagle (that one was super cool, Sabaku would habe loved that one).

Scorpion had stories about all of them.

But Sabaku tuned him out pretty fast.

He was getting annoyed.

After walking in complete silence for so long, it felt like Scorpion was overcompensating with endless chatter.

'God… this guy just never shuts up.

It's all gossip… just gossip… worse than a group of old grannies at a weekly bingo night.

Wait, do they even have bingo here?

Only the bingo- book.... lol...

Fuck i'm going crazy becauce that fucking non-stop talking Motherfucker!'

Sabaku snapped back to attention when Scorpion finally mentioned the ANBU Commander.

"The Commander is called Lion," Scorpion said. "No one knows who he really is. There are rumors that he's been around longer than Sunagakure itself—and that he's held his position since the village was founded."

Sabaku blinked. Now he was hooked.

"He's supposedly as strong as the Third Kazekage," Scorpion continued, lowering his voice slightly. "And fiercely loyal to the village. Camel once told me that the Commander has more of the Village's enemies' blood on his hands than the entire village combined."

Sabaku had to admit—he was really looking forward to meeting this guy.

A powerhouse like that, and he'd never appeared in the manga?

That sounded freaking cool.

And then, finally, after what felt like hours of chatting and propaply bleeding ears on Sabaku's end, they arrived.

Scorpion led him into a circular chamber that almost looked like a small arena.

In the center of the room stood a tall, broad man, his face obscured by a mask covered in intricate patterns.

His golden-blond hair, streaked with strands of gray, flowed like a lion's mane around the edges of the mask.

And when he spoke, his voice rumbled like the growl of a beast, resonating through the stone walls.

"So, you guys are finally here."

Sabaku felt uneasy under the Commander's gaze. And that was despite the fact that he couldn't even tell if the man was actually looking at him from behind the mask.

The silence stretched for several moments before Lion finally spoke.

"I smell weakness and fear in you, newcomer… but that's fine. I've already beaten it out of everyone before you. So you will be no different. Let's begin. From today onward, you are no longer whoever you were until this moment."

His deep voice was steady, unwavering—not cruel, but absolute. A verdict, not a threat.

He gestured toward a long table at the side of the room. Neatly arranged across its surface were several stone masks, each one engraved with a unique pattern.

"Choose one… it will be your new identity."

Sabaku stepped closer, scanning the masks carefully. He assumed that each engraving corresponded to a codename, but he couldn't make any sense of the markings. They weren't simple depictions of animals — each design was abstract, almost ceremonial, as if they carried meaning beyond their function.

Lion must have noticed his hesitation because he spoke again, his voice softer this time.

"Each of these masks is unique. They are older than Sunagakure. They came from my clan. But that was long ago… my clan did not survive the Warring States Era. Even its name has been buried in the ever-shifting sands…"

So they had history. More than just simple codenames—these masks had a legacy.

"Each represents a desert creature. Beasts perfectly adapted to survive here. Their original purpose…" Lion trailed off, as if debating whether to share more. Then he simply shook his head. "Forget it. They are nothing more than remnants of my past now. Choose."

Sabaku took a moment longer before reaching for a mask near the back. The engraving on it resembled a canine paw print, but it was intricately detailed, laced with swirling patterns and elegant curves.

"Interesting choice," Lion remarked. "You are now Fennec. Welcome to the ANBU."

Sabaku rolled the name over in his mind. Fennec. A small desert fox—clever, elusive, surviving where others couldn't. Not the most intimidating animal, but that suited him just fine.

He glanced at Lion's mask again, still trying to decipher the design. He had expected a paw print, maybe claws or a mane. But the closest thing it resembled…

Was the poop emoji from whats app.

No, seriously. He wasn't even trying to be funny. Why did it look like that?

His eyes then drifted to Scorpion's mask.

Nothing. No markings. No engraving. Just a smooth, featureless surface.

"Why doesn't Scorpion's mask have a marking?" he asked, curiosity outweighing caution.

Scorpion chuckled, while Lion simply shook his head, as if the question wasn't even worth answering.

Then, in that deep, rumbling voice, he stated, "Scorpion's puppets all wear blank masks. Only he himself wears the true Scorpion mask. To the outside world… they are all Scorpion."

'Okay. Okay. That sounds way too much like Sasori.'

Sabaku's stomach twisted. Had he just spent the entire evening hanging out with Sasori?!

This guy gave him chills. Was he being watched by him? Tested?

"But enough for today," Lion continued. "You're probably tired, Fennec. Scorpion will show you to your quarters. Tomorrow morning, I expect you in the armory at exactly 0500. We will outfit you properly. After that, you have an appointment with Camel—the team's medic. You are dismissed."

Sabaku swallowed his questions.

For now, he was to tited to care. He had a realy long day. Traveling through the dessert than a hole lot of stress in the kage building.

'I just want to crash in my bed...'