The early morning mist hung thick over the secluded training ground, where Shorai stood alone, his senses alert despite the calm that enveloped the forest. The soft light of dawn filtered through the canopy, casting long shadows that danced with the gentle breeze. This place, once familiar, now felt charged with anticipation — the stage for the next trial that would test not just his skills, but his very character.
Without warning, three figures emerged from the shadows, moving with the silent precision of seasoned hunters. The ANBU trio — Eagle, Boar, and Cat — had arrived.
Shorai's heightened senses detected their presence before they stepped into view. Their masked faces revealed nothing, but the weight of their experience pressed down like a tangible force. They approached without a word, their eyes sharp and assessing.
Eagle's voice broke the silence, calm but firm. "Shorai, this Phase Two trial isn't about what you've mastered. It's about your potential — your judgment, adaptability, and how you handle pressure. Today, we find out if you have what it takes to become ANBU."
Boar's tone was blunt. "We don't care about your tricks. We want to see if you keep your head when everything falls apart. Can you make the tough calls without freezing? Can you survive when the rules break down?"
Cat's gaze was steady. "You'll face tests that push your perception, your restraint, and your will. Some will be unfair. Some will force you to act without all the facts. Adaptability will be your greatest weapon."
Shorai absorbed their words, feeling the gravity settle deep within him. This trial was not a test of power, but of character.
Eagle continued, "The first stage is a stealth and reconnaissance exercise. You will navigate a course filled with traps, false leads, and conflicting objectives. Your task is to discern what truly matters and proceed without losing yourself in distractions."
Boar added, "You'll be observed at all times. Assume nothing is unseen. And remember — we're not looking for a finished weapon. We're looking for someone who can become a reliable shinobi."
Shorai nodded, his resolve firm. This was no longer about proving himself to others — it was about proving to himself that he could endure what lay ahead.
The trio exchanged a final glance, their expressions unreadable. Without another word, Eagle gestured sharply.
"The test won't be held here. We will move to training ground number four. Let's go!"
They moved swiftly through the trees, arriving moments later at the new location. After a quick survey of the area, the ANBU turned their attention back to Shorai.
"Take this comm device. It's part of the test and lets us monitor you. The course has three routes — fast, mid, and longest — each with its own challenges. Don't assume the fastest is the easiest. You have three hours to retrieve the red markers at each route's end. Use any means necessary." Eagle explained, turning to the other two.
Cat nodded toward Boar, saying, "One of the routes will have a genjutsu as part of it. This illusion isn't meant to probe you, but serve as part of the test. After all, we can't involve more people. So, don't dispel it."
Shorai silently nodded. Three places. Time frame. Traps and a genjutsu... I suppose for guards or something to waste time.
With a final glance at the trio, he stepped forward into the forest's embrace.
He stood still for a moment, setting his hand watch — three hours to complete the trial. Time was a silent, unforgiving companion.
His senses stretched outward, attuned to every whisper of the forest. The faintest rustle, the subtle shift of a leaf, the distant call of a bird — all registered in his mind. With a deep breath, he activated Shunshin, his body moving with practiced grace and silence. Unlike before, this time he refined the technique, making his movements nearly imperceptible, a ghost slipping through the shadows.
At the crossroads, Shorai paused, weighing the risks.
The fastest route promised speed but was heavily guarded by alarms and sensors. Taking a steadying breath, he still chose it.
His heart quickened, but his mind remained calm. He switched seamlessly between Shunshin and Swift Release, knowing that while Shunshin was silent, it might not be enough to evade the most sensitive detectors. Swift Release gave him bursts of speed to cross dangerous zones quickly, while Shunshin allowed careful, quiet movement when stealth was paramount with the least chakra expenditure.
Pausing just beyond the edge of the alarmed zone, Shorai crouched low, eyes scanning the intricate web of sensors. A faint, almost imperceptible thread of chakra linked them—a subtle energy signature that betrayed their connection. A spark of inspiration flickered in his mind. Instead of risking triggering the alarms by approaching directly, he extended a thin chakra thread from his fingers, weaving it silently through the air to hook the marker. With delicate precision, he pulled it free, the object sliding into his palm without a sound.
Nice... One down, two more to go.
Pressing onward, Shorai chose the mid-level path next.
Here, a marker was rigged to a kunai trap, poised to strike anyone who disturbed it. He crouched low, eyes scanning the terrain. His comms crackled to life, voices overlapping — one urging haste, another warning of incoming patrols. The conflicting commands tugged at his attention, forcing him to filter noise from necessity.
After steadying his mind, Shorai focused on the problem at hand — a sealing barrier field trap. Any direct touch of the marker or kunai, an invasion of the zone within one to two meters, or attempts to disarm one of the seals would activate the trap.
So... What can I do... I must disable them all at once before taking the marker, that's the point. Another way... a direct full-on speed mid snatch of the marker... very risky. Of course, triggering the seals and spending time to deactivate the barrier is also an option, but very time consuming...
Shorai kept thinking of his options and how he could pull it off with the least amount of chakra waste and time.
Drawing on the Reality Stone's power, Shorai guided chakra into his eyes, sharpening his vision to detect the faintest chakra signatures of the seals guarding the trap. The subtle glow of chakra threads revealed the seals' intricate link pattern and activation layout. With this newfound clarity, his mind detached from emotion and honed in on strategy, refining a methodical, step-by-step plan to disable the traps swiftly while conserving chakra.
When he was ready, Shorai deactivated the stone, pulling out six shuriken and coating them with chakra.
He allowed himself a brief, crooked smile.
"This'll look good from the sidelines."
Then, with a burst of Swift Release, he vanished.
Woosh!
A distortion in the air marked his sudden appearance above the kunai's spot, his body rotating slowly as he prepared to strike. He gave a calculated note of each spot and released shuriken, adding wind element to speed some of them considerably.
Wheeze...
A fan of six sharp rotating weapons launched through the air. As four made their way toward the obvious targets, the other two made a precise arc around a tree before accelerating for hidden spots. Just as they were about to hit the seals, a precise chakra burst was released, temporarily extending the string out to neutralize them. The kunai trap didn't activate.
That's my chance!
He landed before the marker, removed it, and under Swift Release vanished before the barrier could reactivate or the patrols closed in.
One more... A thin smile appeared on his lips as he moved with blind speed across the forest.
The final path stretched before him — the longest and most perilous. A small shack held the last marker locked inside a chest. The clock showed forty minutes remaining. Weariness crept into Shorai's limbs, and the relentless tension of constant vigilance pressed heavily on his mind.
His comms buzzed again — a warning that the guards had been tipped off about a possible theft. The importance of the marker was emphasized; failure was not an option.
At that moment, Shorai felt the genjutsu field surround him as he entered the vicinity. Although it lacked the invasive intent, he was still prepared to defend himself. He retreated into the shadows, spending precious minutes analyzing sudden appearance of the illusionary guards' patterns and the shack's layout. His mind raced, balancing risk and opportunity. He crafted a plan to distract the guards, slip inside unnoticed, and secure the marker.
The trial was no longer just a test of skill — it was a crucible of patience, strategy, and resolve.
With a final breath, Shorai prepared to execute his plan, the forest holding its breath alongside him.
"Kagebunshin no Jutsu!"
His clone eyed him for a moment before taking out smoke bombs and began rigging kunai with them.
Shorai gave a silent nod, then used Henge to transform into a cat. Keeping an eye on the patrols, he slipped closer and closer toward the shack. Thanks to his silent movement and new smaller shape, he evaded string-rigged traps around the shack before stopping by its wooden wall in a bush. Shorai slowly reached out and looked through the nearby small window.
"Hm... they prepared an illusion even inside... this is trickier to pull off unnoticed... I don't even know whether the chest is trapped or not... and my chakra reserves are much lower now."
Shorai, under the chakra-coating disguise of the cat, stared at his watch. It was about time.
"Ke-ke-ke... Ahooo-ahooo..."
Strange bird-like sounds echoed from the distance in the forest, as leaves rustled in different spots.
The guards reacted, weapons in hand, taking positions to act.
Then, a playful voice came from somewhere nearby: "Knock! Knock! Who's got the nuuuuts?"
"Who's there?"
"Come out and play!"
They stared, combat-ready, as a gush of wind and smoke cloud burst and spread from above the trees downward.
Shorai felt a familiar tick resurface. What the...?
He quickly recollected himself, taking the distraction opportunity to observe the inside.
Looks like there are no visible traps on or around the chest...
Shorai moved toward the door and silently undid his transformation, ready to act. He eyed the backs of the guards and raised a hand.
Moments later, a kunai came flying at the window.
...Now!
Crack!
Shorai acted with lightning-fast reflexes, timing the sound of glass shattering perfectly, and opened the door with Swift Release.
The distracted illusion was staring toward the window as Shorai stabbed through him, dispelling the genjutsu. Without pause, he turned to the chest, hands already taking and unrolling a scroll with a prepared sealing formula.
He made a hand sign with his right hand while sending a chakra string from his left to the chest. As he felt the connection, he pressed his right hand onto the scroll, and the chest disappeared into the storage seal. He immediately rolled the scroll and vanished in the blink of an eye. Everything took less than five seconds.
"Someone targeted the intel! Watch out!"
The guards' voices rang out.
"Huh? Must have been the wind?"
Another playful tone came from somewhere nearby.
Shorai zoomed through the forest at top speed toward his starting location, twitching again from the experience he gained after dispelling his shadow clone.
Why is he like this? Is it some kind of personality disorder? Or my split version of a child mind?