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Compass Points North

With just a lover, or just a daughter, Chouichi could perhaps rationalize remaining in ANBU but now he has both, and it’s time answer a crucial question: Who is Chouichi without Genbu? And who will Genbu be, without Chouichi?

#kangaroo writes #my fic #dads au #team hoshi #kanae #chouichi #ryoma #ami #itachi #itachixchouichi #kisamexiruka #mentioned blink and you miss it #itachixoc #naruto #choukari #life changes #when you've been at your job so long you don't know who you are without it #sucks to be kanae

When they're out in public in their normal clothes, do theembers of the Hoshi team have to act like they don't know each other? Also, have they ever done undercover work with their masks off (like in another village)? I admit, I never thought a huge amount about the ANBU teams before.

I think the standard for ANBU is that when you’re behind the mask, you have no identity to regular ninja. You are an ANBU agent and your orders come directly from the Hokage.

(not, as a lot of fics would posit, Ibiki- he’s in Torture and Interrogation, which is an entirely different subdepartment of the ‘sketchy shit we keep in the basement’ section of Konoha’s bureaucracy.)

When the mask is off and you’re not working anymore, it’s a different story. In my universes ANBU agents can totally spend time together outside of work hours (and there’s always the break and locker rooms), but actually SAYING you’re in ANBU is not allowed.

Of course people will know- accident, mission team-up, you’re Gai and you’re chasing after Kakashi- but even if you know, you don’t say anything when the person you know is in front of you in their ANBU gear. They are faceless, they are the arm of the Hokage, you do as they say.

Now, it’s generally fic procedure to not have ANBU ninja call one another by their real names, so it’s become my standard that they call each other by codename- and your code name is the animal your mask is modelled off of. I know there are repeat ANBU masks, so there might be more than one Wolf, Bear, etc in ANBU as a whole but not more than one of that animal in a squad to avoid confusion.

(for those who are going ‘is that why-’ yes, this is why my Suna Puppeteers refer to one another by the ‘stage name’ of their first puppet. A mask’s a mask, whether it’s paint or ceramic.)

So why, if there’s more than one Weasel or Cat or Ram in ANBU, are there only one each of Suzaku, Seriyu, Byakko, and Genbu?

This is because Team Hoshi is special. It was designed by Senju Tobirama as tactical strike force against larger attacking forces. Each member was highly trained in specific complementary jutsus.

The team is loosely based on the Four Celestial Kings or Four Guardian Constellations that appear in both Japanese and Chinese mythology. To become a member of Team Hoshi, you need to fit certain ninjutsu criteria.

Suzaku- Scarlet Bird- a mastery of fire techniques and information gathering. There have been three Suzakus, all members of the Sarutobi clan with specialties ranging from the regular and destructive to the highly creative and annihilating. The current Suzaku is Sarutobi Ami.

Seriyu- Blue Dragon- a mastery of genjutsu, evasion, deception and misdirection. There have been four Seriyus. The curret Seriyu is Yuuhi Kanae, related to Kurenai. The first was Uchiha Kagami.

Byakko- White Tiger- a mastery of tracking, woodscraft, and animal based jutsu. The position of Byakko has been filled three times. The previous Byakko was an Inuzuka. The current Byakko is Shimura Ryoma.

Genbu- Black Tortoise- a mastery of water jutsu, extraction techniques, and defense. There have been three Genbus; the current Genbu is Akimichi Chouichi.

Team Hoshi does a lot of away work for their missions (and yes, they have done stealth work in other villages without their masks.) In general, they are assigned as bodyguards to high-ranking dignitaries or as disruptors for treaties or alliances that wouldn’t benefit Konoha. Occasionally Team Hoshi will perform extraction missions for spies in hostile environments or barring that will eliminate those spies so they can’t talk.

(Chouichi has had tea with Jiraiya. Ryoma swears his jaw was locked for an hour afterwards.)

#kangaroo asks #kangaroo writes #worldbuilding #naruto #anbu #team hoshi #chouichi #kanae #ami #ryoma #chouichi and his ninja pals #ryoma is the youngest #he's sixteen #chouichi is not impressed

hey guys I wanna write some Team Hoshi (AKA Chouichi’s ANBU team.) any prompts?

#kangaroo writes #prompts #chouichi #naruto #team hoshi

“You know,” Byakko said, staring out over Konoha’s rooftops, “Sometimes having you around is handy, Genbu.”

“I’m glad you think so,” Genbu said dryly as he poured Suzaku another drink. They were on the private rooftop dining area of a particularly upscale restaurant. There was no one else- the only other person they’d seen all evening was their server who arrived via a small elevator. It had a panoramic view of the village and the fireworks going off in all areas, from the Lowtown to the Pillar Row. Team Hoshi couldn’t partake in the full festivities- they would go on shift the next morning- but dinner? They could swing.

It would have been a hard reservation to get, even for a well respected ANBU unit, out of uniform as they all were.

It wasn’t hard for the firstborn son of the Akimichi- even if he wasn’t technically Clan Heir.

“This still violates-” Seriyu began, and Genbu finished for her as he filled her drink, “the original desires of the First Hokage, we know, Seriyu.” Genbu put the jug down and shrugged. “It’s not my fault the God of Shinobi never knew dick about economics.”

Seriyu chuckled. “I suppose not. I’ll leave off.”

“Please do.” Genbu said.

“I can see my house from here!” Byakko said, pointing. Genbu ambled up alongside him. “The one with the green roof?”

“Mhm. Mom’s probably already left-she was gonna meet her boyfriend at the river. There’s your compound, Genbu.”

Genbu smiled. “If you look real hard you can probably still see the light on in Chicho’s window. Workaholic.”

“There’s nothing wrong with a strong work ethic,” Seriyu told her teammates as she joined them at the railing.

“I don’t think Chicho has a strong work ethic so much as an ethic perpetual motion machine,” Genbu said to her. “How about you, Seriyu? Can you see your house from here?”

“Maybe,” Seriyu said. Byakko elbowed her and pointed. “Over there.”

“You invited the kid over before me?” Genbu asked, putting one hand to his chet in false shock. “Why I never.”

“He followed me home!” Seriyu countered.

“I did,” Byakko admitted. “And I’m not a kid!”

“You’re only two years older than my little brother, Byakko. You’re a kid.”

“You’re all ridiculous.” Suzaku said. She stood and joined her team. They were a group of odd ducks, for sure- Suzaku herself tall and slender, Seriyu shorter and curved, Byakko looking the age he insisted was not important and Genbu looming over them larger than life.

“There they are,” Genbu murmured as the biggest set of fireworks began going off- set from floating platforms in the middle of the river.

Team Hoshi watched the display in silence.

“Hey, guys?” Byakko whispered between distant explosions.

“Yeah?” Seriyu asked.

“Thanks.” He said.

It was a heavy word with heavy implications, both when they were wearing their masks and when they weren’t. Thanks for looking after me, thanks for accepting me, thanks for giving me experiences I can’t afford, thanks for making sure I don’t go too far down the rabbit hole.

They had all said it, at different times, and it had always meant different things yet exactly the same things.

A crimson firework exploded in a multilevel shower of sparks.

“No problem,” Genbu said when the ash had fallen.

Team Hoshi watched fireworks from a private dining rooftop, shoulder to shoulder, front united.

#kangaroo writes #my fic #naruto #team hoshi #chouichi #genbu #seriyu #suzaku #byakko #working on their team dynamic #the people who have kept chouichi alive #current byakko is newer #old byakko died in the line of duty #current byakko is too damn young but not as young as kakashi was

Of all the many ways Yamato had accomplished a mission, ‘distraction by bar brawl’ was New.

It had been effective, certainly- the target was eliminated, the stolen alchemical ingredients back in the hands of Konoha ninja.

Perhaps it was a Team Hoshi thing, being so...extravagant.

“How did that even work?” Yamato asked faintly.

Suzaku shrugged. “Genbu’s good at distractions.”

“Excuse you, captain, I am excellent at distractions.” Genbu said.

“Did you have to light the bar on fire?” Yamato asked.

“They sold shit food.” Genbu said. “It was a matter of personal principle.”

“And has nothing to do with the fact that you’ve got a cousin looking to build around here,” Byakko said.

“I am nothing if not an opportunist. Besides, you’ve met my cousin. You know she cooks better.”

“A half-blind idiot from your clan would cook better,” Seriyu said. “It’s genetic.”

“We cull the ones who can’t cook at birth,” Genbu said with a decisive nod. “For the good of the clan, of course.”

“Of course.” Suzaku said. Yamato got the sense she was grinning behind her mask. “Come on, let’s go before someone makes us fill out paperwork.”

“What’s this ‘us’?” Seriyu asked. “You always leave it for me.”

“I know I’m not hearing this,” Yamato said.

“Of course not, Senpai.” Genbu said. “You absolutely did not hear that Seriyu fills out all the paperwork.”

“How have you not been disbanded yet?” Yamato muttered.

“Results, Senpai.” Suzaku said. “Results. Team Hoshi, let’s go.”

They disappeared soundlessly from the treeline, leaving the charred ruin of the bar with the terrible food behind.

#kangaroo writes #my fic #team hoshi #naruto #au #yamato #chouichi #chouichi is not doom and gloom all the time but it's hard to write him outside of doom and gloom so I am working on it #with his beloved coworkers #chouichi is the Mom Friend

Chouichi without the angst though

Their mission had been a complete success and Genbu needed to be tattooed.

Again.

“This is getting old,” he said to Suzaku as he sat obediently in the chair. His team leader just shook her head and checked the scrolls and needles laid out on the tray beside her. As leader of Team Hoshi she had been given all the requisite training in applying the ANBU tattoo when it became clear that this was going to be a recurring event, much to the chagrin of everyone involved, especially Genbu.

“Well maybe if some of us didn’t superheat our metabolisms to turn all their body fat into chakra, they wouldn’t have to be retattooed every time they had to punch through a mountain,” Suzaku said just a bit too sweetly.

“I punch through mountains when I’m told to, oh fearless leader.” Genbu replied.

“Point.” Suzaku ceeded.

“How many times is this now?” Byakko stage-whispered to Seriyu.

“Five,” Seriyu stage-whispered back and grinned at the middle finger Genbu tossed her way.

“Hold still and let’s get this done, we’ve got a week off and you promised to treat tonight.” Suzaku said. Genbu nodded Suzaku began.

It took her less than ten minutes to perform the jutsu, charge the needles, and finish the intricate weaving of the identifying tattoo on Genbu’s bicep- a little bigger than the ones on his teammates for Genbu himself was bigger, and proportion was everything.

“You know I think you shaved some time off,” Seriyu said to Suzaku as she finished.

“I’ll have it down to five minutes by the time he retires!” She declared and whacked Genbu on the shoulder. “All done, you big grump. Come on, let’s get out of these masks.”

“Mine’s starting to itch,” Byakko admitted.

“Have you washed it?” Genbu asked.

“Um.”

“So that’s a no.”

Byakko scratched his head. “I mean, I guess, I really-”

Genbu grabbed the smaller ninja’s shoulder. “Meet us in front of the barbeque place on Lantern street,” he said to Suzaku and Seriyu. They agreed and he led Byakko out of the tattooing room and to the locker room.

“Honestly, kid,” Genbu said as he lifted his mask, “what are we gonna do with you?”

It was said affectionately, though if you weren’t Genbu’s teammate it would be hard to tell. Byakko had thought Genbu hated him when he joined Team Hoshi. Seriyu had assured him that everyone thought Genbu hated them.

Which was weird, because beneath his black-marked turtle mask, Genbu was an Akimichi, and Akimichi couldn’t hate anyone.

(well. Okay. Most Akimichi couldn’t. But Genbu was Different.)

“I forgot yesterday,” Byakko admitted, but he didn’t offer an excuse. There were no excuses in ANBU. It had been a hard lesson and he was still learning it.

“I’d give you the gear lecture but I’m not in charge. I’ll let Suzaku handle it when we’re on duty next. In the meantime-” Genbu gestured. “Come here.”

He led Byakko to the sinks, where cleansing agents designed for their reinforced ceramic masks were kept stocked along with brushes, sponges and drying cloths. Another shelf was dedicated to the wax sealers that needed to be reapplied once a year (more often if you were a Duty ANBU constantly outside the village, getting stuck in mud and snow and who knew what else.)

All of these supplies were available to be taken home (stored under the strictest rules, as with all their other gear) but most ANBU ninja just did their mask maintenence at work. It was easier. Fewer questions.

“Show me how you do it,” Genbu asked, and Byakko carefully began cleaning his blue-striped mask with its ‘king’ kanji on the forehead.

“Your technique’s good, but if you adjust how you hold your brush-” with brusque, quick instruction Genbu gave Byakko pointers on mask maintenence.

“How is it a kid who mastered seven animal summons before he turned fifteen can’t handle mask cleanup?” Genbu asked wryly.

Byakko gave a noncommittal shrug. “I’m bad at doing dishes, too.”

“I just bet you are.” Genbu said. “Let’s hustle, tiger. The girls are probably already there and ordering for the both of us.”

“If I was them I’d be ordering too, it’s gonna take them an hour just to make enough food for you!” Byakko protested.

Genbu grinned. “Nah. I warned the kitchen in advance this morning. Pillar Clan perk.”

Byakko’s nose wrinkled. “Oh rub it in why don’t you.”

“Thank you I think I will.”

“Jerk.” Byakko muttered. Genbu patted him on the head and easily ducked the swipe, laughing as he headed for his locker, rubbing one palm absently over his (fifth?) ANBU tattoo.