Shinobi Awakening : Rebirth

"Hey, watch it with the attitude, Ryo," Anko said, her voice a low growl that sent shivers down my spine. "You're a team now. You start dissing each other, and you're going to learn a lesson in humility the hard way."

Yumi took a step forward, her posture perfect, her voice calm and collected. "My name is Yumi Saito. I'm a medical-nin, and I'm looking forward to working with you both." She looked at Tetsu, who was still staring at the floor, then back at me. Her eyes were filled with a quiet determination that I couldn't ignore.

Tetsu, on the other hand, took a moment to gather his thoughts. He took a deep breath and finally raised his gaze to meet ours. His eyes were dark, almost black, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of something—power, maybe? "I'm Tetsu Uchiha," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm not... I don't know much about this yet." His shoulders tensed as he spoke, like he was bracing for impact.

The room was silent. You could hear a pin drop. Then, Anko's smirk grew. "Ah, a Uchiha, huh? Well, don't worry, kiddo. I've got experience with your kind." Her tone was teasing but had a bite to it that made me feel like she wasn't just referring to his clan. Tetsu flinched at the mention of his clan, his eyes darting away again.

I cleared my throat, trying to break the tension. "Hi, I'm Ryo. I'm... not really from around here. I'm new to all this ninja stuff, so you can say I'm starting from zero." My voice was steady, surprising even myself. I had to admit, though, I was pretty good at bluffing.

Yumi nodded thoughtfully, her gaze sweeping over me. "Well, Ryo, we all start somewhere. And as a medical-nin, I'm here to help us all stay in one piece. Maybe you could tell us what you're good at?"

Her question hung in the air, and I knew this was my moment. I couldn't tell them the truth—that I'd only ever seen a real ninja battle on a screen. So, I did the next best thing. I lied.

"Well, Yumi, I've studied a bit of everything. I'm particularly good with shadow clones—you know, the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu?" I smirked, watching her eyes widen slightly. "And let's not forget the Rasengan. It's a bit tricky, but I've got the hang of it, I think."

Yumi's nod was swift, her expression a mix of surprise and admiration. "Wow, Ryo, that's incredible. The Rasengan is one of the most powerful techniques in the Leaf Village!"

Tetsu looked up at me, his eyes narrowing slightly. "But aren't those jutsus only taught to the most elite?" he questioned, his voice still barely above a murmur.

Yumi, however, was clearly impressed. "Wow, Ryo, I didn't know you were that talented!"

The compliment didn't last long. Anko's smirk grew into a full-blown grin. "Careful, Ryo, don't let your ego inflate too much. You barely scraped by the academy, remember?"

My chest tightened. How did she know? The room was spinning, and I felt like a kid who'd just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. The smirks on my new teammates' faces didn't help either. "I... I just... I'm saying I've got potential!" I sputtered, trying to recover.

"Potential, huh?" Anko's eyes gleamed with something that looked suspiciously like amusement. "Well, let's see that potential in action, then. Team Ten, you're up first. Your first training exercise starts now!"

The room erupted in whispers as the other teams jealously watched us. Anko turned on her heel and strode out of the classroom, and we had no choice but to follow, the weight of our new team status dragging on us like lead boots.

The academy's walls seemed to close in as we moved through the hallways, the anticipation of what lay ahead thickening the air. We passed under archways adorned with the emblems of past Hokages, and each step brought us closer to the truth of what we were capable of.

Anko moved like a whirlwind, her movements so swift that she was almost a blur. She didn't bother to check if we were keeping up, her confidence in our ability to follow unshakeable. Yumi and Tetsu managed to keep pace, their expressions a mix of excitement and trepidation, while I did my best to mimic their graceful strides, hoping that my new legs wouldn't give out from under me.

We sprinted through the academy's hallways, passing under archways that seemed to stretch infinitely high above us. The walls were adorned with ancient scrolls and weapons, each telling a story of valor and sacrifice. The air was electric with the whispers of those who'd come before us, and the floor trembled with the echoes of battles long past.

Finally, we burst through the double doors and into the bright sunshine of the training grounds. The outside of the school was a sprawling landscape of dirt paths, training dummies, and obstacle courses. Anko was waiting for us, her back turned as she surveyed the area with a critical eye. When she faced us, the sun glinted off her headband, highlighting her signature wild purple hair. Her fishnet top peeked out from beneath a dark blue ninja vest, tailored to perfection. The vest had subtle metallic fasteners that whispered of its combat utility. Grey shorts hugged her legs, and a sleeveless trench coat fluttered around her, adding a dramatic flair to her silhouette. Her shin-high boots were the only thing that kept her feet from touching the clouds, it seemed.

Her sharp gaze swept over us, and for a moment, I felt like a bug under a magnifying glass. But then she grinned, and the world didn't seem so daunting anymore. "Alright, Team Ten," she announced, her voice echoing across the training field. "Your first mission: a teamwork exercise. You're going to work together to complete an obstacle course that I've designed, with a twist."

My stomach plummeted. "What twist?" I couldn't help but ask, already picturing some kind of nightmare scenario where I'd be forced to rely on these two to save me.

Anko's smile grew even wider. "Ah, the twist," she said, her eyes gleaming. "You'll have to complete the course blindfolded."

Yumi's eyes narrowed, and she took a step closer to me. "Ryo, you have to believe in yourself," she whispered, her voice urgent. "We're a team now, and we're going to face this together."

Tetsu, on the other hand, was a picture of stoicism. He looked up, his gaze meeting mine with a silent intensity that seemed to say, 'We can do this.' But his hands were clenched into fists at his sides, and the tension in his shoulders told a different story. He was as nervous as I was, but his confidence in us as a team was unshakeable.

"Alright, let's get to it," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. Yumi handed me a blindfold, her expression unreadable. As I tied it around my head, the world went dark, and my heart started to race.

Tetsu took his place beside me, his brooding silence palpable. "You know, Tetsu," I said, "you really need to stop trying to be like Sasuke. It's not cool."

He stiffened at the mention of his clan's prodigal son. "What do you know about being cool?" he mumbled, his voice low and gruff.

"I know that brooding in silence isn't going to get us through this," I shot back, trying to keep the nerves out of my voice. "We're a team, remember?"

Anko's grin widened at our banter, and she clapped her hands together. "Exactly! Now, remember, you're all blind as bats, so no peeking." She slapped the blindfolds onto Yumi and Tetsu, plunging them into darkness as well. "The twist is simple: you rely on each other. No using your sharingan, Tetsu. This is about trust, not about relying on some fancy eye trick."