A ninja who is always hungry

It was Anko Mitarashi!

"Who the hell? Since when is Anko in charge of a team?

Or rather, how did Sarutobi allow something like this given her past with Orochimaru?

Whether in the series or in fanfics, Anko could be considered a pariah among ninjas. Her past with Orochimaru earned her the disdain of many peers and the distrust of the village's higher-ups. Most of her missions were high-risk or even suicidal. Perhaps because of all that, Anko had a, let's say, strong personality, depending on the situation.

And that was the exact moment my suspicions were awakened. Either my butterfly effect is acting in ways I don't understand, or this Naruto world has deviations from what I know.

Wait, does this mean Rob sent me to a faulty Naruto world? I want to file a complaint!

On the other hand, having Anko in charge of Team Eight is… unexpectedly smart?

I mean, with her personality, she can definitely keep Kiba and Akamaru in check and disciplined. Although they might get a few scares until they get used to her way of being. Both deal with animals; maybe they'll find a common ground.

Hinata will have to step up, and if she manages to assimilate even a part of Anko's drive, her clan will stop giving her those disappointed looks. Anko also knows the human body well, so she'd be a great help in improving the practice of gentle fist. She might even set some of the elders straight who keep complaining about everything.

And then there's me, the man of the moment, Tony Akimichi. Knowing she'll be our leader, my goal would be to get her to let me learn about some poisons and antidote creation. Not only that, I'm interested in knowing if I could also sign a contract with snakes to later visit their cave and try to learn their sage mode.

If I have to choose between being a slug sage, a toad sage, and a dragon sage, the latter definitely sounds the coolest. Although I understand it's the most dangerous method.

But I also have some ideas to get the snake sage to help me a bit...

"Well, little chicks, are you ready?" Anko appeared on top of one of the three logs in the middle of the field and looked at us as if we were her new toys. "No questions. I'm Anko Mitarashi and I might be your team leader, as long as you pass my test to officially become genin."

I see Kiba about to respond, and from his expression, I don't think they're going to be kind words, so I cover his mouth with a hand before he does something he'll regret and give him a warning look.

"Two smart ones and one impulsive, huh?" Anko evaluated with a crooked smile. "Since you're so motivated, let's get to the point. My test is very simple: you have to endure. Survive my summoning for, let's say… five minutes? As long as you can stay on your feet at the end of the time, I'll accept you; and if you fail, I'll kick you back to the academy." She looked at the three of us and added something else as if she remembered it at the last minute. "Don't worry, with me here, you have no chance of escaping. Give it your all or you'll die~"

She vanished in a puff of smoke, and in her place appeared a brown snake with black spots, the size of an ox.

[Ding! New mission: Let's have snake barbecue tonight!]

[Task: You and your team must endure for the time stipulated by Anko Mitarashi.]

[Optional Task: Defeat the summoning before time runs out!]

[Reward: Official promotion to Genin + All skills, experiences, and culinary techniques from Shokugeki no Soma.]

[Optional Reward: Interdimensional travel ticket (single-use item).]

[Note: The meat of this snake is edible, very chewable, and poison-free! Enjoy your meal.]

Tony didn't spend more than the time needed to read the objectives, ignoring what the rewards would be because from the moment the mission appeared, it meant the countdown had begun.

"Hinata!" Tony snapped the ninja out of her trance and brought her back to reality. "Can you check if it has venom glands in its body? They should be in the jaws!" Then, without taking his eyes off the snake, he continued and took on the role of leader. "Kiba, protect her meanwhile and watch out for any sneak attacks! Don't let it catch you!"

"Right away!" Hinata didn't question it and raised her hand in a gesture. "Byakugan!"

"Let's go, Akamaru!" Kiba and his dog took positions on either side of Hinata at the same time.

Meanwhile, in the foliage of some trees beyond...

"Only one decent reaction among all of them, huh?" Anko wasn't just waiting for the time to pass; to avoid boredom, she started analyzing the three. "Both have reacted to their orders almost without realizing it. I don't know if they're very familiar with each other or if he has a knack for leadership. Oh? He's put the shy girl in the rear while gathering information and hasn't left her alone; that's already a better strategy than most newly graduated ninjas. What will he do now?"

Back to the fight...

"It doesn't have venom glands or ducts in its fangs!" Hinata reported.

"Then it must be a snake that focuses on strangling and biting," Tony quickly analyzed. "Be careful!"

The snake wasn't going to wait for the trio to come up with a strategy against it, so, after understanding its purpose, its first target was Kiba and his puppy.

"Double fang piercing!" Kiba used his signature technique along with Akamaru and they collided with the snake, causing severe damage to its scales. "Ha! How about that?"

"Be careful!" Hinata shouted. "That's just its shed skin!"

"What?" Before Kiba could react, a tail at high speed hit him in the stomach and sent him crashing into a tree. Akamaru barely avoided being swallowed whole by the snake and regrouped with Kiba.

"Why am I not surprised that he's the first to fall?" Anko commented to herself. "The counterattack was good, but in this case, they should have attacked separately and not let their guard down after hitting. Typical rookie mistake; on the battlefield, he'd be dead. What will the other two do?"

"Hinata, would your gentle fist work on it?" Tony asked.

"It should," Hinata replied. "But it's too fast; my control isn't enough to hit it."

"If I slow it down, will you be able to do it?"

Hinata stayed silent while quickly calculating and dodging the attacks the snake was throwing at her. Although she managed to avoid the heavy blows, she still had some scratches on her skin.

"Yes!" she responded confidently.

"Let's do it then!" Tony shouted as he clapped his palms together and began mobilizing his chakra by forming some seals. I must admit I was a bit excited to finally use this in public.

"Oh? It looks like they have a plan," Anko commented while watching the clock. "They've been at it for a minute and have four more to go. Wait, those seals… I have no idea what technique that could be. Maybe it's an original invention? Let's see."

Tony performed the final gesture and smiled at the snake charging at him with its jaws wide open.