The first day in ANBU had no ceremonies, flowers, or welcoming speeches. For Shin, it was simply the exchange of a life in the light for one in absolute shadows. The locker room was cold, lit by fluorescent lamps that buzzed like dying insects.
Shin adjusted the gray armor over his small shoulders. The cat mask, white and expressionless, rested on the stone bench. He sensed two presences approaching even before the metal door creaked open.
Two tall figures appeared at the entrance. One wore an Eagle mask, its painted eyes seeming to pierce through the dimness. The other, broader and carrying an air of relaxed authority, bore the face of a Boar.
— So this is the reinforcement the Hokage sent us? — the Boar's voice was rough, laced with amused skepticism. — He's smaller than my stock of kunai.
Shin didn't move. He finished tying the bandages around his wrist, his gaze fixed on the wall.
— I'm the Captain, codename Nara — the Boar continued, crossing his arms and blocking the exit. The other simply nodded: — Eagle.
Nara stepped forward, deliberately closing the distance to intimidate him.
— Listen here, Shorty. ANBU isn't a daycare. If you freeze up in the middle of an infiltration, I'll erase you myself so you don't become dead weight. What can a runt like you do besides take up space?
Eagle let out a quiet sigh behind the mask, expecting an outburst or offended reaction. Instead, Shin picked up his cat mask and stood.
He processed Nara's provocation in milliseconds. The slight fluctuation in the Captain's chakra revealed the truth — it wasn't real hostility, just a test. A game. And Shin decided that if it was a game, he would set the rules.
— Yes, my name is Shorty — Shin replied, his voice flat, devoid of emotion, like something spoken by a corpse.
He stepped forward, entering Nara's personal space.
— My abilities are simple: mind reading and telepathy at the level of synaptic interference. I am proficient in Taijutsu, I command some elemental Ninjutsu, and induction-based Genjutsu. Ah… and I am also a Sensor.
At that exact moment, Shin didn't wait for a response. He released a micro-pulse of mental chakra, tuning into the frequency of both veterans. It wasn't an attack — it was a demonstration.
For exactly one second, Nara and Eagle's bodies were completely paralyzed.
It wasn't a visual Genjutsu. Shin sent a "wait" command directly into their motor nerves — a static signal that froze their muscles in place. Subtle, but absolute.
When Shin released the frequency, the silence in the locker room became suffocating. He saw the immediate physical reaction: Nara's shoulders jerked upward, and Eagle's hand instinctively moved to his sword hilt — the reflex of someone who had just felt death brush past.
— You've got to be kidding me… — Nara muttered, the mockery gone from his voice, replaced by pure shock. He glanced at his own arm, still tingling from the interference. — What the hell was that?
— A demonstration of usefulness, Captain — Shin placed the cat mask over his face, the porcelain surface hiding any trace of satisfaction. — I feel your chakra. I feel your intent. If I'm the "Shorty," then I suggest you get used to having a shadow that knows what you're going to think before the thought even reaches your awareness.
Eagle took a step back, reassessing the small figure in front of him.
— He's not a child, Nara — Eagle said, his voice now carrying deadly seriousness. — He's a monster the Third gave us.
Nara let out a nervous laugh, shaking his head.
— Shorty… you're dangerous. Very well. Let's see if that "paralysis" of yours works when kunai start flying for real.
Shin gave a small nod. He knew he had earned their respect, but more importantly, he had mapped their frequencies. If they ever became a threat to Ino's peace, he already knew exactly where to "switch them off."
— Let's move — Shin concluded, leading the way out of the locker room, leaving the two veterans behind for a brief moment of hesitation.