Chapter 131: A Sudden Attack
Hundreds of various masks hung in front of Sakura, creating a dazzling and confusing sight.
The mask and the codename were bound together. One mask corresponded to one codename, so Anbu ninja could not casually mix and match masks.
Because the mask and codename were for long-term use and could not be easily changed once selected, Sakura chose carefully. She wanted to pick a mask that was cool and a codename that didn't sound bad.
After excluding some particularly ugly masks and strange titles, most of the remaining ones were actually quite similar. Although Sakura didn't have analysis paralysis, too many choices did make it easy for one's eyes to be overwhelmed. After dawdling for a while, the Anbu ninja waiting on the side couldn't watch anymore and urged, "Just pick one. Why are all women so indecisive!"
Perhaps he was reminded of the scene of going shopping with his girlfriend.
Sakura's face darkened, and she immediately wanted to retort, "I'm still a girl, not a woman!"
However, she still suppressed the urge to complain and casually chose a strange, white, cat-faced mask. A small tag was attached to it, on which was written a codename: Tobi.
"I've chosen," she said, patting the mask and wiping away the dust.
She didn't know what material this mask was made of. It was harder and more resilient than ordinary plastic. Sakura tried to bend it with force and found that it only deformed slightly.
"Don't bother trying. This mask is made of a special material. Besides hiding your identity, it also has some function of protecting your face," the monkey-faced ninja said as he registered the mask the girl had taken down.
"Put on the mask first."
He watched as the girl put on the mask properly, then said solemnly, "When the Anbu are carrying out a mission, you cannot reveal your real name, nor can you take off your mask. This is an iron rule passed down from the Second Hokage."
"However, to this day, this iron rule is only a formality. Every ninja has their own habitual movements and ninjutsu, which can't be changed. Wearing a mask can't hide it either. As long as one is determined to gather intelligence, it's not a difficult matter to find out which ninja is under the mask."
"Just like your team leader back when he was in the Anbu. Even if he wore a mask, as long as he used his Raikiri, or even if people just saw his hairstyle and short sword, the enemy could recognize him as the famous Copy Ninja, Hatake Kakashi."
"So this rule is now irrelevant. The mask is just a marker to identify Anbu members. Its function of concealing identity is already minimal," he said, glancing at the gracefully standing girl. "What's more, for a ninja like you, the ninjutsu you use is probably more recognizable than your face."
A small, awkward smile appeared on the girl's face under the mask.
That was true. Her unconventional ninjutsu was unique in the entire ninja world. Not to mention the Water Gun Jutsu and Ice Style, even if she used other ninjutsu, people could recognize her at a glance. The exquisite aura that permeated her ninjutsu had long since become her temperament.
The ones who truly lasted a long time in the Anbu were those ninja who were relatively strong but had no special characteristics. They all had the "passerby attribute" of being unrecognizable once they put on a mask, which was more advantageous for carrying out clandestine missions.
But no matter how long they worked, there would be a day when they would retire. No matter how much of a passerby they were, they would become famous after working in this line for a long time. A person fears fame as a pig fears growing fat. The Anbu were especially afraid of their members' reputations being too well-known. A ninja who was the same with or without a mask going on a clandestine mission—were they afraid that others wouldn't know that Konoha was up to something?
Such a ninja, no matter how strong, could not be used by the Anbu. So a powerful ninja like Kakashi had retired from the Anbu after working for a few years, and this was part of the reason.
Without a doubt, this monkey-masked Anbu ninja belonged to this type of strong yet unremarkable, passerby-type ninja. He had probably been in the Anbu for three or five years and was a die-hard confidant of the Hokage's faction.
In comparison, Sakura's ninjutsu, which were full of personality and characteristics, were too dazzling.
"So the mask is to protect a ninja like me," Sakura heard the laughter in the Anbu senior's voice, which carried a hint of self-deprecation. "I don't have any self-created ninjutsu, and the ones I use are all common ones. After putting on a mask, even my Anbu colleagues will get me wrong."
He glanced at the girl. "A ninja like you, coming to the Anbu is just going through the motions, to gild your resume."
"Uh, hehe... senpai, you're joking," Sakura laughed awkwardly.
Although this person's way of speaking was a bit stiff, she could probably tell that he just didn't really know how to interact with girls.
He wants to talk to a girl, but doesn't want to seem too fawning, so he can only say these kinds of prickly words... She had judged wrong earlier. This Anbu senior definitely did not have a girlfriend.
The girl understood this feeling very well. She knew that some boys would get tongue-tied when facing a pretty girl, because she had been like that in her previous life. But now, this ailment had been cured without treatment. After all, no one would feel nervous in front of themselves. It was truly a joyous occasion...
"Let's not talk about this. In short, when you're facing Anbu colleagues, it's up to you whether you wear a mask or not. But when you're out on a mission, it's best to wear one. It's the uniform, understand?"
"Oh right, the eye holes on the mask can be dug out and enlarged. If you feel it's blocking your vision a bit, you can adjust it again. Then use chakra to suck the mask tight and stick it to your face, and it won't obstruct your vision," he said in a deep voice.
"Oh, oh."
Sakura quickly took off the mask and began to pick at the two circles for the eye holes. There was a specially designed layer of material in the eye area that could be dug out. Sakura took it upon herself to enlarge it by a circle, then put it back on and used chakra to suck the mask tight, sticking it to her face.
When she had put it on just now, she had been wondering why the eye holes of this mask were so small and so far from her eyes, causing half of her vision to disappear. Wouldn't it greatly obstruct her vision in a battle? She didn't know how those Anbu managed to fight with their masks on. Only now did she have a flash of realization that the Anbu had such a design in their details.
She shook her head, looked around once, confirmed there were no other problems, and then said in a clear voice, "Senpai, I'm okay now."
"Very good. Wearing a mask when carrying out a mission is the first principle of the Anbu," the Anbu senior said, leading the girl out of the warehouse. "The second principle is to only use a codename when carrying out a mission, not your real name. Your codename is 'Tobi.' From now on, I will only call you Tobi, not Haruno Sakura. Similarly, here you can only call me by my codename, Katsura-U, not my real name. Do you understand?"
"Understood."
"Of course, the two rules above were established to protect the personal privacy of Anbu ninja. If you're the kind of ninja with obvious characteristics who will be recognized by others no matter what, or the kind of ninja who is so strong that you don't have to worry about being recognized, then you can also ignore these two rules."
"Next up is the Anbu entrance test," Katsura-U said, opening a rusty lock on a door. Behind the door was a deep, long corridor.
Without waiting for the girl to respond, he strode in.
Sakura took a few quick steps to catch up, walked to the side of the Anbu ninja Katsura-U, and asked, tilting her head, "What happens if I don't pass?"
Her hair had not been cut for some time and was now shoulder-length. When she tilted her head, her soft hair would slide down her cheek, blocking her vision. Sakura very naturally reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear.
"Don't pass?" He glanced at the girl out of the corner of his eye and happened to see the scene of the girl's slender, green-onion-like fingers lifting her beautiful hair. Katsura-U saw that her emerald-like eyes were as calm as water, only occasionally rippling with a faint light. The sound of his voice instantly became even stiffer.
"You'll receive training, then retake the test, until you pass. Only then can you be officially inducted."
They walked through a long corridor. The light bulbs seemed to be broken, and the passage was pitch black.
Katsura-U's voice seemed to become a little sinister in the darkness. "For someone like you, passing the test is actually not difficult. The Anbu test values your strength and vigilance the most. Your strength is very high. As long as you stay vigilant, you can pass the test. Follow me. The location for the test is just ahead."
Walking to the corner up ahead, Katsura-U turned right. The road ahead was also unlit, completely dark. He continued, "The test is just past this corner..."
The remaining light from the long corridor shone on his face, while the other half of his face was merged into the darkness of the corner. His expression instantly looked gloomy and uncertain.
Sakura followed his steps closely and turned right. The road ahead was too dark to see the ground. Katsura-U, who had just turned the corner a few steps ahead, had completely disappeared.
She followed him and stepped completely into the darkness. Katsura-U, who had been just ahead of the corner, was completely gone.
"Katsura-U-senpai?" the girl called out softly.
However, what answered her was a strange and swift kunai that appeared silently from the darkness!
In the pitch-black darkness where she couldn't see her own hand, the sharp tip of the swift kunai was already approaching Sakura's forehead—
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