[Private] First the Blade

[Santaru Rin]

"first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn"​

Rin waited in the small cafeteria that served the persistent staff of the Sileo. At this time of the afternoon, very few ANBU were around--a few loitered over cups of tea or coffee, discussing various frivolities with mock gravitas. The place was quiet, due in no small part to the padding on the walls meant to soften unwelcome ruckus. Out of the many hideaways in the headquarters, this one was probably the most respectable--it was still accessible to everyone, but most people managed to respect each others' "alone time." The enforced close quarters of the Sileo pressed everyone into a level of intimacy that would be considered uncomfortable and improper in the rest of the country, and probably only had its counterpart among barracks and perhaps the apartments of palaces and other such hothouse environments.

She had issued one of the newer trainees an order to be here soon. He was one who had joined only recently--of course, Rin had signed off on his induction paperwork, and the kid had received his access seal, but she hadn't actually had a chance to meet him yet. Several trainees had joined recently. To her disappointment, she really had not had time to perform more than the most basic due diligence, and had to count on her proxies to make sure the job was done well.

If it's worth doing, though, it's worth doing myself.

Kogami Ayumu wasn't notable in and of himself, besides being yet another Jounin trainee. Honestly, if I could get away with it, I wouldn't even bother with recruitment until Chuunin rank at least... As far as Rin knew, he didn't seem to demonstrate any of the bloodline limits she knew. She wouldn't be surprised if he demonstrated the same demonic traits as many other members of the village, though.

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

"a quotation here"​

Ayumu laid upon his couch within the quarters granted to him upon joining the ANBU as a trainee. He had been renting a small apartment before his career choice but had made a practical decision to take advantage of the housing offered for those in the branch. At the moment, he was fast asleep, a booklet labeled "ANBU Standard Regulations Handbook" draped over his face to shield his eyes from the dome light above. Not exactly it's true purpose, but in Ayumu's defense he had read a few pages of it before passing out from boredom. He was required to read it, as a trainee, but that didn't mean he had to like it. He shifted slightly in his light sleep and the booklet fell off of his face on to the floor, though it was not enough to stir him. The sudden sharp knock at his door was plenty to jar him awake suddenly, nearly following the booklet on to the floor.

Ayumu quickly sat up, removing his glasses briefly to rub his face before standing and replacing them on his face. He made his way to the door where somebody was waiting and opened it to reveal a staff member of the Sileo. The woman informed him that none other than the Regent Commander, his Sennin, was waiting for him to come and meet her, much to his shock. The thanked the woman at the door and then quickly went to slip on his jacket. He wasn't sure what was appropriate to wear to meet the Sennin, but what he had on would have to do. He stopped in front of a mirror to inspect his black button up vest over a white button up shirt, blue jacket, and dark navy pants. Well, he didn't look half bad if he had to say so himself! He grinned and went on his way.

Coming to the cafeteria, the various reasons why the Sennin herself wished to meet him ran through his mind. Perhaps she just wanted to meet him and size up her new trainee. A bit more pessimistically, maybe she was going to inform him that they would not be accepting his services after all. God he hoped she wasn't going to quiz him on protocol, because that would not go smoothly for him. The speculation would have to end there, because he had arrived, and there she sat in waiting. She hadn't seen him yet, so he stopped for a moment to compose himself and ran a hand through his hair to ensure that it was neat- it wasn't. Too bad, so sad, he couldn't keep her waiting any longer. Approaching the table she sat at (or wherever she was) he stopped and stood up straight.

"Regent Commander. I'm Kogami Ayumu. You called for me to meet you here?" he said simply, placing the ball in her court for her to tell him what the meeting was to be about. He wondered if he should have saluted her, but the opportunity had come and gone. Hopefully she would forgive him; after all, he was still learning! Despite his thoughts, his face did not express any hint of doubts, but more of a curiosity.

 

[Santaru Rin]

"Hello, Kogami. A pleasure to meet you. Please take a seat," Rin replied, gesturing to the chair beside him. She sized him up. Neatly dressed, but a little scruffy. Perhaps tired and uneasy, but he could at least school his expression if that were the case. Again, nothing outstanding, compared to the panoply of bizarre-looking trainees and ANBU of the past. How would he take to some of the stranger characters among the ranks? She wasn't even certain how she should react to some of them.

"It has been my practice to speak one on one with the trainees and operatives... Though recently we've been quite busy." National strife and village politics tended to have that effect. "Think of this as a rather late interview. You don't need to worry about the others. They can mind their own business. Before we start, would you like anything to drink? Tea?"

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Her first words were fairly nice, which served to put him at ease a little. She suggested that he sit, so he pulled the chair out quietly and sat down across from her, leaning against the back and putting one leg up on his other knee while his hands rested intertwined on his stomach. Not a terribly proper posture. At last she stated her reason for calling him there: an interview of sorts. He didn't terribly mind it, but he was still a bit worried she was going to test him on protocols, which he almost certainly would not be prepared for. Before that, however, she politely asked if he wanted anything to drink. He thought about it for a moment and nodded his head.

"I could go for some coffee," he said, hoping that it would knock some of the remaining drowsiness of his nap away. A waiter approached and Ayumu repeated his order to set that in motion before returning his attention to the Sennin once more to address what she had said about the others in the area.

"I'm not worried about them. If they needed entertainment so badly as to eavesdrop on an interview-" he started, but realized that he might be saying too much, so he stopped short. "I'm not worried. Ready when you are, ma'am," he said before starting to wonder if she was the type to hate being called ma'am. He wondered how old she was, but of course that was probably one of the worst possible questions he could ask. Speaking of questions, he wondered what she wanted to ask him. 'Please don't ask what kind of animal I would be...'

 

[Santaru Rin]

She only grinned at Kogami as he stumbled around the idea of eavesdropping ANBU. Of course they would eavesdrop. That's what ANBU did. The kid waved down another passing AiT who, being fresh himself and not recognizing a fellow trainee, stumbled to bring Kogami some coffee... And the Sennin as well, because who wanted to inadvertently offend a Sennin? Rin didn't mind.

"I've been trying out different settings for interviews lately," she said, prompted by nothing in particular. "So let's see how our own common areas fit. Why don't I start by telling you a little about myself... And then you can tell me a little about yourself. I think this is fair."

The newly-dubbed waiter returned with thick, ceramic cups of coffee. "Lovely, thank you. I hope you take yours black, Kogami-san. The civil strife has caused a dairy shortage, so I stopped orders for the Sileo. No sense in letting the merchants get any fatter." She cleared her throat.

"Well... Anyway. You signed up after our last initiation, so you haven't had quite the same amount of briefing as the rest of your class of trainees. I am Santaru Rin," she rolled her eyes, "and your Vice Commander, Takaki Masao, is my husband. With that out of the way... Unlike perhaps half of your peers, I have no particularly tragic backstory. My captain was Santaru Ryuuto. I also fought under his command during the Demon Invasion what, twenty something years ago? His brief reign as the Raikage who succeeded Aion and Takao was declassified relatively recently. He inspired my... Practices... Which you are becoming acquainted with. He also went 'missing,' along with a med-nin, Taji Yuki. The aftermath is now known as the 'October Plot'... Which predates you by quite a bit. It might be ancient history to most of you on active duty these days, but nevertheless, those old events had a profound effect on the Corps in particular. After that, Shinbatsu put me in command of the Corps as a sort of divine punishment. Another decade of that and I was ready to go, so I retired and that was that, or so I thought." She smirked. "It's usually not, though, and so I'm here again at the behest of another Raikage. You've probably noticed the state of our Corps--thin, full of self-marginalized operatives--if your goal is a career as an ANBU, take the lot of our self-loathing types as examples of what not to be."

She sipped the steaming coffee. It tasted unpleasantly burnt. "So. Tell me about yourself--if that's too broad, let's start with your family, and pretend that I know nothing."

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu watched out of the corner of his eyes as a few of those sitting in tables nearby occasionally glanced in the direction. Of course they were interested, she was the Commander. He did not notice if the one he had asked was actually a waiter or not. He had seemed like one, and that was enough. Besides, he was serving the purpose just fine. Ayumu nodded as the Sennin suggested that they trade a little information about themselves. She wanted to get some information about her new trainee, which was understandable. The "waiter" returned with the coffee and Ayumu nodded in thanks, taking the cup but noting a distinct lack of any creamer. That absence was quickly explained by the Commander, much to Ayumu's displeasure. He took the cup and stared at it with disdain for a moment before taking a sip. He grimaced at the bitter taste and set it down once more.

"Yes, no sense..." he agreed, as his hands left the cup entirely and clasped behind it on the table. He began to listen to the Sennin's story as she revealed some interesting details. Of course he knew that she was the Commander, but he had no idea that the Vice Commander was her husband. He wondered how that had happened, but that was another one of those questions that would be a bit awkward to ask so he stifled his curiosity. He received a little insight in to who had shaped the Commander as she was today and also learned that apparently her captain had gone missing. 'October Plot, huh? I will have to look in to that later,' he thought as she went on. Apparently, she also had a wonderful opinion of the current ranks. He laughed genuinely at the remark, and then it was his turn.

"Well, if it helps your opinion of me, I'm quite fond of myself," he began before taking another sip of his coffee without thinking. The taste caused him to cringe before he set it back on the table. It was just as nasty as it was the first time. He would have to endeavor to remember not to drink it again. He leaned back in his seat, preparing to tell her his story.

"My parents are both shinobi. Well, they were. I'll get to that. My father was an ANBU, and my mother was in the Main Branch. I'm an only child. My parents actually met during the demon invasion as part of the same unit. A couple of years later they married and had me. Now, I have been in the Main Branch up until now. I was in the Academy, I graduated... Went through the ranks like normal to become a Jounin," he explained quickly, since he didn't particularly like talking about himself like that. This next part was something he really didn't like to talk about, however. He lowered his voice as he spoke.

"When the Raikage was attacked recently, my father was one of those sent out in pursuit of the culprits. When they found him, he was severely injured. The injuries were debilitating. After that, they had to force him to retire," he continued in a quiet voice. He sighed and picked up his cup to take a sip which he immediately regretted. 'DAMN THIS DAIRY SHORTAGE,' he thought with irritation. He set the cup down once more and prepared to finish his brief history of himself.

"So, I guess that's why I joined. I wanted to pick up where he left off. I'm not interested in personally avenging him, but if I can contribute to the capture of those responsible- that's a bonus," he concluded, starting to reach for his cup but stopping himself as his previous experiences finally caught up with him. He took another quick glance around, half hoping nobody had really heard that last part.

 

[Santaru Rin]

"Ah, a two-ninja household," Rin nodded. Most likely a latch-key child. An only child, so has the eldest child's complexes, but probably lacking the tempering experience of siblings. Should have decent coping mechanisms for stress... But probably need to watch out for any hidden dysfunctions. "My condolences to your father. I hope the pension is serving him well." The ANBU was no place for the crippled, even those disabled in the line of duty. In a way, surviving as a disabled man was worse than dying as a shinobi--too many found the change destroyed their pride. Rin, though, felt differently. One of her sensei had been permanently lamed in the line of duty. What he had offered as a teacher had longer lasting effects than any of his missions.

She took another deep drink of the coffee. Wretched, truly wretched, she noted. If the coffee ever tasted good, she would have to suspect a poisoning plot.

"The capture. Hm." Her gaze fell to the tabletop. Enishi hasn't shown himself since, but I can't believe that that man is done with us yet. ANBU are more ambitious than that. The Raikage's personal guard is more ambitious than that... "Nevermind, I was lost in thought--I'm sorry. Let's continue. So you're making ANBU into a family tradition. If heirs are a concern, I recommend you marry soon. We generally do not live to see our eldest full-grown. Speaking as a former clan head."

When she tested it again, the coffee was still too bitter. Ah well. These things don't change for wishing.

"Enough of that, though. What of talents? Kekkei genkai? How would you characterize your philosophy of arms?" One's favored tactics and overall strategy formed the foundation of a ninja's success and, obviously, downfall. Hearing Kogami's own take on his abilities would help inform her evaluation. Where one placed himself relative to others, where he marked his skills relative to others', could be telling, depending on the level of sincerity extended. These days, they're too prone to playing mind-games.

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu lowered his eyes as she offered her condolences over his father's injury. It was true that to some it was worse than death in battle to be disabled, but Ayumu was glad that his father had come back at all. Still, obviously his father had taken it hard and there were those that looked down on him. That was partially why Ayumu wanted to take up the torch and restore the integrity of their name. Her brief comment caught his attention as she clearly started to think of something related to the event he had spoken about a moment ago. He really wanted to ask, but he understood that he had not earned the trust to be nosy yet, so he allowed the moment to pass as the commander wished. Her comment of heirs made him laugh, despite the small effort he was putting in to be serious. He was sure she was somewhat serious, but he wasn't going to let it bother him.

"Well, marrying early will take some luck on my part I'm afraid, but I don't plan to die young," he said, although in truth he was a bit reckless. She didn't need to know that. Unfortunately, her next question seemed to hone right in on what he was hiding from her! If he were honest, he would describe his fighting style as being a bit reckless. He could be a little less specific than that and still tell her what she needed to know.

"I have no bloodline traits, but my father taught me to use a sword since I was young. That's my primary means of fighting. It's hard to describe how I fight, but if I had to... I would say I try to kill the other guy before he kills me. Huh, that's helpful isn't it... Well... I hit hard and don't pull my punches. That's a phrase, I use my sword," he struggled to explain. It was hard for him to describe his style, because it wasn't particularly stylish in his opinion. Alas, that was how he worked, and it worked well enough for him. He was simple and straightforward in his combat. Hopefully she would respect that.

"But I'm adaptable! I might be doing something completely different if you ask me again later. It's never perfect," he added, which was true. He did have a tendency of changing his style when he figured something out about himself, or fought against a good opponent.

 

[Santaru Rin]

"Many of our best-laid plans go to waste," Rin said by rote. "If your fighting style isn't very defined, that's interesting. I don't usually hear that as a response from a Jounin-rank. Maybe your style is just hard to articulate? If you want to enhance your martial studies, you're certainly welcome to peruse our C-rank archives, and your clearance at the Athenaeum should have been increased. Often times, the path toward true mastery isn't entirely paved in practice and battle. I could give you some titles to serve as starting points, if you're interested.

"However, that's really neither here nor there." She smiled crookedly. Her love of book-learning had come from reading manga and other lies as a child, and not from any studious proclivities. Rin had never been a brilliant student, especially not in academic matters. Her success had come from discipline learned at home and intense focus. Those people who found the academy easy and who found sums and history to be simple matters to absorb always impressed her. She wished she had that type of talent, even after the peak of her career.

"I am, I suppose, not surprised that the matter of your father inspired you to apply to us. Vengeance and heritage are two of the more popular reasons, followed by power-mongering, a misunderstanding of what it is ANBU is mandated to do. Having grown up with one, I suppose our stigma, our reputation, aren't as meaningful to you. I hope in time that the stigma fades and perhaps our reputation goes... Underground. We have operatives who are dissatisfied that ANBU does not hold the reins of village and nation, and from time to time, those types of people like to put together little subversive plans. Kind of cute. They rarely come to fruit, as diseased things often fall from the tree before ripening." She savored more of the awful brew, which was slowly losing its heat.

"That's not a warning per se... More of an observation. Be wary of those who woo you with offers of power, or who try to threaten you into some group. We have a situation of that sort right now in Kumogakure no Sato. I hate to be oblique, but... It is what it is."

She sipped from the mug again. "Damnation, this is disgusting," she muttered, and shook her head. "Well. That was not really a question and it was rather long-winded. What do you see for yourself here, in the ANBU?" So she was a little vague... Quite vague... "Our mission is shrunk for the time being, but as we grow again... I imagine that we will be able to perform more of our functions in very new ways, which you might be interested in or instrumental in creating, depending on your talents and preferences." Good followers were at least as welcome as good leaders, and who said worthy subordinates couldn't also be entrepreneurs?

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu wanted to correct Rin about his fighting style being undefined, but he really could not. He knew it sounded bad, but she he did have difficulty explaining the way he fought with a well-defined style. If she didn't come away from the meeting impressed, he would have to do it with his actions. She suggested that he look in to some reading, although his reading schedule was already booked with the ANBU guidelines. Still, he couldn't deny he was intrigued to see what the ANBU had hidden away in their "C-rank archives". She went on to tell him a little about the nature of ANBU, letting him know a little about what he was getting in to. He appreciated the heads up, as it was not easy to get his father to tell him anything about it. Apparently he needed to be mindful of trusting his fellow ANBU... which worked out, because he was mindful of trusting anybody. He laughed at her comment over the coffee.

"No argument there," he briefly responded before she continued, coming to another question. There was also mention of the fact that the ANBU branch was undergoing some transitions, which was to be expected considering that their numbers had been reduced. Ayumu was one of a resurgence of trainees signing up, so there was hope, especially with someone as amazing as him up and coming. It was his turn to respond, so he decided to touch on a few things.

"Well, first! Now that I've filled you with doubt over my skills... let me try to reassure you, though I am starting late on my training as an ANBU, I am a more than competent fighter. I mean, I know it's not ANBU, but they did make me a Jounin so that has to count for something right?" he said, trying to possibly regain some points with the commander. "I will be sure to take a look at the archives, however..." he said with interest, still curious what he might learn from the ANBU's secret archives... of course he was even more interested in what was above C-rank.

"On to your question! For myself, being a part of ANBU will help me hone my skills as a shinobi, as cliche as that might sound. Being honest, I'm also a bit of a thrill seeker, so I'm sure it will be fun," he responded, although when he thought about it she could take that in a very bad way. He cleared his throat and quickly clarified. "Not that I think any of this is a game... but I do enjoy what I do."

 

[Santaru Rin]

Rin chuckled after he finished stumbling over his defense. I don't really expect anyone your age to be coherent about these things anyway, she thought, but didn't want to offend him by saying that aloud. Back then, what had her style been? Laser beams, paralysis techniques, and Dutch ovening. Hardly an artform, and nothing worth writing about.

"I understand. The hidden village isn't the world for a person who doesn't enjoy a certain amount of risk... And what is ANBU but ultimate risk? But I certainly don't think you're unskilled in battle. No one rises to Jounin without being able to demonstrate enough capability."

She pushed the mug away so she would stop drinking from its wretched (retched?!) spring. I wonder if we could get better coffee by taking on missions for some of the importers... Ah... No time for that, sadly. Maybe she could make some trainees do it, though. They couldn't be counted as part of the regular ANBU force anyway, so their numbers weren't including in standing figures for mission and security deployment. I bet that would piss off Shindou if he knew. She suppressed a laugh.

"You mentioned hunting the attackers... I am guessing you are most interested in joining the Oinin Butai, at least for a while. Is that so, or would you rather work through your apprenticeship in another division? Tell me about your interests--what you think you're good at, what you think needs improvement." Establishing some precedence for openness would, she hoped, yield dividends later.

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Whether she took his reassurance of his abilities to heart or not, Ayumu wasn't sure. At the very least she didn't seem upset over the fact that he had slightly admitted to joining ANBU for fun. As of the moment it had just been about learning protocols, and it hadn't been terribly interesting, but he just knew that ANBU went on crazy missions that were dangerous and thrilling. He wanted one of those missions. He wanted to do something ridiculous like try to land on a train and infiltrate it, find the engine and shut it down. Yeah, that'd be fun. While he was off in his own little world dreaming of big important missions for the moment, she had gone silent thinking about sending trainees, like Ayumu, out to work for some coffee importers. Thanks Rin.

He snapped back to attention as she spoke again, inquiring about what squad he might be interested in joining. He had some idea about the squads, but hadn't fully learned about all of them. Oinin Butai was, if he remembered, the squad that hunted missing-nin and criminals. Given that he had said he was interested in finding who had attacked the Raikage and injured his father, that was not a far-fetched assumption. There was part of him that definitely wanted to be part of the group that would have the most opportunity to find those culprits. For himself, he wanted something that would fulfill him, and he didn't know what that was yet. Hunting criminals did sound like something that could be exciting, however, so there were many pros to that division.

"I can't deny that Oinin Butai is the division I'm leaning towards... unfortunately, I really don't know a thing about tracking, which I imagine is quite important to that division," he said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. He had never really been taught that much about tracking, and it wasn't as if he had much experience with it.

"I'm not bad with stealth, though I'm hoping to perfect it as an ANBU. I can fight in an open conflict, but I need to work on silent assassinations," he continued, pairing strengths with things he wished to improve. There were other skills he had, such as the ability to lie with a straight face, but that might not be the best skill to tell your boss, even if it was useful in the profession. This entire conversation was causing him to think about things he hadn't before joining as a trainee. He wasn't really sure about his direction as a trainee anymore.

"Commander, if you don't mind my asking, what did you do as a trainee? Did you know exactly what you wanted to do? I mean, why did you join to begin with?" he asked, trying to picture the confident, strong woman before him as a new member of the ANBU like himself. It was hard to. He wondered if he would ever become like her, and if so, how. It seemed like he didn't have a perfect answer for anything.

 

[Santaru Rin]

"Well, a quiet end is something we all need to be able to deliver... So certainly work on honing your stealth skills. Open conflict is best avoided." A funny thing for me to say. Rin's brand of subterfuge was a type she had not seen elsewhere--not that she was proud of it, or especially creative, but it seemed that her combination of methods was wholly her own. That is probably for the best. Oh, but politics weren't part of the discussion at hand. She had done her share of covert work, intelligence, infiltration. As interesting as it had been, Rin hated being out in the cold. More than that, she had been unable to trust her handlers in those days. Working in a cloud of suspicion was nothing but hell.

"Me? Well..." She was surprised Kogami had even asked. No one ever asked her about why she'd become a trainee, or anything about that period. Records from that time weren't even very good. "I found that I was cousin to a captain in the ANBU. Imagine, a Santaru--Kumogakure no Sato's very own bloodline, unique in all the world, as an ANBU captain. I suppose I thought that I could be like him, one day, fighting evil with a mask. Super mysterious. So, shortly after I became a Genin, I petitioned to become a trainee. I was just a child, maybe twelve." Her voice softened as she looked back on that time. Masao had been young, and she had been younger. They had joined the ANBU nearly at the same time. Ryuuto's brother, Ryuujin, had left them alone. Ringo had lost much of his strange interest in her, and she had seen him only once again before he died at the Gates.

"Back then, there were two divisions in the ANBU: the Giri Bannin and everyone else. If you weren't in the Giri Bannin, you were nobody, just a faceless shadow. That's how it seemed, at least. As the Santaru captain's trainee, I became part of the Giri Bannin after some bloody initiation rites. The Giri Bannin were essentially... Ah, I suppose it's hard to explain using the language that shapes the present Corps. We did whatever he wanted of us, whenever he wanted it. I was permitted to go my own way, because we were cousins, so I... Wasn't very involved." She had penned their names into the book of instruction herself, transforming comrades in arms to targets for execution should anyone ever see them. What had been done could only be forgiven with death.

"After I gained the mask, I traveled a great deal, infiltrating the retinues or households of targets, remitting information here, and lying low until receiving the kill order. In those days, the main branch was weak. The quality of shinobi there was, on average, low. Opinion was the main branch was for anyone not good enough to be an ANBU or Med-nin. That opinion was, I think, quite backwards. Back then, the leadership would allow nearly anyone into the ANBU. Former nukenin, rogue foreigners, they could demand to become ANBU and if the Sennin was intimidated enough, it would be permitted. Even to captain rank, at which point, the lives of everyone were in their hands. Simply because our leadership was afraid these outsiders would kill them. Sometimes this worked out... Shinbatsu was a defector whom my captain, the Sennin, admitted directly to captainship. But that was just an exception." She looked down at her scarred, maimed swordhand. "The Corps was very different then, but this is... These are things which happened nearly thirty years or more ago."

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Yes, as Ayumu suspected the skill that he currently lacked was indeed an important one for ANBU. It was a concern at the moment, but he was being trained as an ANBU, and stealth was certainly part of his training. He would learn, and he would become an expert in it in time. Although he had asked, he wasn't sure the Commander would be willing to share her own experience. She surprised him when she began, but he made sure to listen, see how it compared to his own experience, and try to gleam some idea from her story of how things might go in the future for him. At the very least he would get a story and a break from the hot seat.

"You had a relative in ANBU as well," he commented, nodding. She too had known somebody, a relative, that was a part of ANBU, though perhaps not so close as Ayumu's father was to him. This man was a captain, however, while Ayumu's father had not quite reached that level before the injury had ended his chances. She talked about how she had imagined herself in ANBU- something like a superhero from the sounds of it. Ayumu smiled at the image, and came to understand that perhaps the Commander was secretly a little bit silly, somewhere deep down. She had become a trainee much earlier than he had, so he guessed her experience was different than his was going to be. Regardless, it was interesting to have some insight in to the Commander's past.

Her division, the Giri Bannin, didn't sound like any of the units he knew of which led him to believe it had been disbanded like several others. From the sounds of it, she was part of the elite division, which wasn't surprising giving that she was now the leader of the ANBU. She talked about when she became a full fledged ANBU, about assassination missions, and the former state of the main branch. Fortunately that opinion was not one she shared, as that would not put him in a good light as a former Jounin. Things had changed a lot since then, it was clear. The thought of rogue shinobi becoming ANBU, even captain, was shocking. Ayumu leaned back in his seat, crossing his legs and staring at his rapidly cooling coffee, lost in thought. ANBU was a much different beast now.

"Thank you for sharing that with me. I guess I'll just have to see what ANBU has in store for me. I can only hope I can handle it nearly as well as you have," he said, looking back up at the Commander. Hearing a story of how she had started out just like any trainee and reached her station felt a bit inspiring. Perhaps he could do something amazing as well. Or maybe he would die. He'd make sure to go out doing something thrilling, if he had to go out at all. Judging by the way she had lowered her voice and was now looking down, it was probably best that he not press her for more if she didn't volunteer it herself. He uncrossed his legs and looked up to the ceiling, adjusting his glasses.

"Presuming you don't want to tell me more of your story... Is there anything else you'd like to ask me, Commander?" he questioned, reluctant to answer more questions. He wasn't one to open up a whole lot so easily, but when it was the head of his branch asking he couldn't really refuse.

 

[Santaru Rin]

Kogami seemed surprised by some of her remarks, as if no one expected the ANBU Sennin to criticize her own Corps. Well, Rin's role hadn't always been strong, and hadn't always been right. I don't know if I can call what I do the right thing. I know what I do is often the expedient thing. But who else, if not me?

She smiled wryly in response to his comment. He meant it as a compliment, she knew, but... Handle it well, huh? She hoped she could give all of the trainees and all of the operatives the tools to "handle it well," but she feared that was a skill learned only by survivors... And not a skill all survivors seemed to learn. At least he seems normal enough. I don't have to worry quite about another budding sociopath in the ranks. His affect isn't flat, and he doesn't seem very concerned with stalking the Raikage or collecting all the corpses. Doesn't seem to be a drunk, at least not yet. On the whole, surprisingly even-keeled for a Jounin. Maybe that should worry me.

"I think I've peppered you with enough questions for now. I don't want you to feel like you're being interrogated. If you have any other questions you'd like to ask, go ahead. About the Corps, training, assignment, whatever. If I can't answer you, I won't, so don't worry about it." She crossed her legs, ankle over knee, and leaned back in the chair. Good thing those things weren't shaky. Kinda hungry, she thought.

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

He sighed silently with a bit of relief as she indicated that she was done asking questions. Although he knew she didn't mean it to, it had felt just a little bit like an interrogation, but that wasn't her fault. He didn't like to say so much about himself, especially not to somebody he didn't know. Being forced to give up so much information was bound to feel wrong. But it was finished. Now the ball was in his court to ask questions if he pleased. He did have a couple to ask, now that she mentioned it.

"Well, I think I can of a few things I would like to ask. First... which squad sees the most action? I mean, which is most active? Has the most deployments?" he asked curiously. His thrill seeking side wanted to know that. Although he might join the hunting squad at first, once they tracked down the two in particular responsible for what had happened to his father, that question would have more influence over his decision of squads. Though nobody would ever know from talking to him, he was a bit cocky, so he didn't worry too much about danger. There was also a matter of his impatience...

"I was also wondering... how long it takes on average for a trainee to make it to ANBU level... assuming they make it at all. And what is the minimum amount of time one has to spend as a trainee before they can be promoted?" he asked as well, probably revealing his haste to rise as quickly as possible. There was no power hunger behind that, but being promoted would give him access to more secrets and better training. He could attend higher-ranked missions, experience more thrills. The benefits were endless! More danger was just a minor detail.

"Once again if you don't mind my asking... how long did it take you?" he added in, hoping to glean just a little more information about the Commander's past, just for reference and comparison.

 

[Santaru Rin]

"Since technically you're all in Training Squad One as a primary assignment... You are all seeing a lot of action right now. One trainee's first ANBU mission was an assassination with me. However, in terms of which divisions are the most active, the Vice Commander's SOD is probably seeing the most work due to the civil war and other issues. Joukuu's "special squad" barely even leaves the Sileo. The Oinin Butai are undergoing retraining, as our list of rogues is happily abbreviated." She didn't mention that the ranks of the hunter-nin had been devastated and had dwindled to the loneliest number.

"On average, it takes a year or so for a trainee to become an operative. The average is not useful, though. We have trainees at all ranks. Some trainees gain their status from passing an exam set for them as students. Others join at Jounin-rank, like yourself. So the time factor is not terribly informative unless it's broken down by rank, by experience--number of missions, exam performance, and so on. That discussion would be more like a thesis. We evaluate trainees by their performance on missions and in squads, along with other information based on their behavior and development," she explained, ticking points off on her whole hand.

"As for me. I was a trainee for six months. My captain had me kidnapped and tried to trick another operative into executing me. He had me tortured and assaulted by another captain. In the end, he forced me to execute another Genin-rank trainee who had been denied a chance at Chuunin examination and was being held back from advanced techniques. That is how I advanced to a full operative." Her recounting of the trials was clinical and detached. "If you wish for a fast promotion to full operative, then that is the type of narrow and steep approach you can ask me for. But if you would rather become a well-developed operative, I counsel patience."

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu nodded slowly as Rin broke down a few of the squads for him in terms of how active they were. First was, of course, the training squad which he was currently a part of. He hadn't been on any mission to write home about since joining, though he would be sooner than he realized. The mention of another trainee's mission with the Commander herself gave Ayumu some hope. She was, after all, head of the training squad, so perhaps he was next. The next mention was of the SOD squad, which Ayumu had heard of already. Sword of Damocles, whatever that meant. This seemed like the squad he most wanted to be a part of, based on the sound of it. Joukuu's "special squad", as she had called it with obvious air quotes, seemed like the last resort to avoid at all costs if the choice was truly his. Finally, the Oinin Butai, with her description of its current condition as being in "retraining", also did not sound terribly exciting. He would not cross that squad off the list, but it was not his first choice any longer. Of course he would have to learn more about each squad before making a decision, but he had an idea now.

"For the time being, I'll hope I have an opportunity to learn from you on a mission as well," he commented briefly before she continued. Addressing his next question, the commander made a good point. The average for all trainees really didn't tell him a lot, as some trainees were truly green and others had quite a large jump start as he did. He imagined that amazing prodigies managed to get through even more quickly. From the sounds of it, his best bet was just going to be do missions and do well on missions until they recognized that he was ready for the next level. He would admit that he clearly had work to do as far as learning the ways of ANBU. He was eager to begin taking missions, training, and learning.

Finally, she responded to his last question, another one about her own history. He was pleasantly surprised about how forthcoming and open she was about this information, but he almost wished he hadn't asked that last question. He was sure that there had been a good reason that the trainee had to die, and he wouldn't have trouble carrying out the sentence if it was just, but it was still unpleasant to think of and he knew she could not have enjoyed it. She didn't strike him as the psychopathic type. Even despite that, her advice had sense behind it he couldn't deny.

"I suppose I would rather be a well-developed operative than a hasty one. I'll heed your advice and just hope my results speak for themselves sooner rather than later," he said, sitting up in his seat and folding his hands on the table. She hadn't asked any more questions, and at the moment he was fresh out of his own, so he expected their meeting would be concluding momentarily.

"I can't think of any other questions at the moment, Commander. Is there anything else you'd like to ask of me?" he questioned just in case, though she had already indicated she was finished. The meeting had been informative for him. He could only hope he hadn't left the worst impression of any trainee with the Commander, lest she convince another to kill him for a promotion.

 

[Santaru Rin]

Kogami backed down at least part way from his rush, which was slightly gratifying. Rin didn't care to see anyone go through what she and Masao had gone through, what their entire generation had gone through as trainees and fresh operatives. The urge to keep perpetuating that violence against her own was ever present, and it rose sometimes like a banked fire fitfully sparking.

"I think we're through for now," she replied. "I wouldn't want to overstay my welcome. If you're interested in provisionally joining an SOD squad, I will notify the Vice Commander. I will also notify the Oinin Taichou. You would benefit from some exercises in that division as well. That's all for now, trainee."

[TLUS]

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

A slight feeling of relief rushed over Ayumu as the Commander informed him that they were finished. He had grown to relax slightly as their conversation went on, partly thanks to Rin's openness about her own experiences, but a conversation with the Commander, as a fresh trainee, was still stressful to him. He nodded as she spoke, glad to hear she was going to help get him moving in the right direction for trying out the squads that had interested him. He stood up straight after she was finished speaking and gave a short bow.

"Thank you, Commander. That would be helpful. Have a good day," he said before turning to walk away. He left the mostly full cup of coffee where it sat on the table, sure that the nice waiter would come back to retrieve it. Now he needed to go back and finish reading the ANBU regulations, in hopes that he wouldn't feel quite as nervous next time he needed to speak to a higher up.

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