Cat and Zhen looked at me like I was crazy. "You were serious?" they asked with identical incredulous expressions on their faces.
"Yup." I reached into my vest and pulled out two shiny silver bells. "This is about teamwork, right? I need you to eat my lunches. If I tried to put anything in my stomach now, it would NOT stay there. Anyway, if either of you had offered me a bell, I would have told you guys to give it to the other one."
"Why?" they looked at me as though they had never seen me before.
"Well," I looked off and blushed, scratching my cheek. "You guys are younger. You need more fuel to sustain your strength. I can go for days on next to nothing. And...I kinda feel...protective of you guys. I guess it's my maternal instincts..."
"OKAY! IT IS NOW TIME TO MEET YOUR MAKER, THE HANDSOME LADYKILLER OF KONOHA, THE PRODIGAL SON OF THE SANNIN THREE, LORD JIRAIYA OF THE TOAD SAGES!!!!" Jiraiya-sensei appeared in a puff of smoke. "Now, who has the bells?" He looked at the silver trophies dangling from Cat and Zhens' fingers. "Huh? But I thought..." He looked at me, confusion evident in his features. "What happened, Chessy?" He grinned. "Couldn't hold on to the bells? You didn't seem to find Gamabunta too much of a handful, but you couldn't even hang on to two tiny little bells?" His grin slid from his face as he watched me shake my head.
"I gave my comrades the bells. They needed them. I didn't. That's how it works, right? We've got to watch each others' backs best, because no one will look out for us better than our own squadmembers and comrades." I spoke with confidence, without hesitation.
Jiraiya blinked. "Well, well, it seems we have snagged three smart and beautiful ladies for the ANBU...maybe." We looked at him incredulously. "There is one last test. SUMMONING JUTSU!!" Gamabunta appeared. "Well, Bunta, what do you think?" He looked up at the toad expectantly.
"Well, let me take a look." The Chief Toad lowered one great yellow eye and stared at us. "They'll make good ANBU. They have hearts strong enough to take it."
"VERY WELL, THEN, KIDDOS!! YOU ALL PASS! OUR NEXT MISSION IS TOMORROW MORNING AT NOON!! TILL THEN, LADIES!!" He disappeared with a puff of smoke. A second later, Gamabunta followed suit.