Anko-is-Fem!Harry AU.
Timeline:
Anko becomes genin at ten because Orochimaru is interested in her parseltongue and an ability to apparate when her life is in danger. A year later (Anko is eleven) Orochimaru takes Anko to Wave, giving her the curse mark. Because it was a fairly early version, it changed her hair colour to purple-brown. Orochimaru returns to Konoha without Anko; and is kicked out/runs off when the ANBU and the Third Hokage find his underground laboratory. ANBU sent to Wave find one of Orochimaru's labs and Anko lying comatose and half-starved in a cave on the beach. Twelve-year-old Anko is taken back to Konoha and given therapy. Though she is still a ward of Konoha, her supervision is given to Morino Ibiki and the T&I division because her Yamanaka therapist thought it would be beneficial to everyone if they could channel her craziness and trust issues in a way that would benefit the village. At thirteen, Anko becomes chunin and a high ranking officer of T&I as Ibiki's apprentice.
At this point, relations with Iwa are strained and there is a distant possibility of conflict. This is still the Third Hokage's first term of office, but he is seriously considering Minato to be his successor. Minato is just getting acquainted with his genin team (Kakashi, Obito and Rin) and has been dating Kushina for a few months.
"I have to say, these trees are fascinating," McGonagall said aloud, peering up at distant branches while holding up a hand to shade her eyes from the sun. "Giant trees that act as natural anti-apparition wards. Pomona would love them."
"Humph!" Grunted Alastor Moody, his glass eye rolling back and forth, looking in all directions. "I don't like it, it's perfect for an ambush. And there's something out there as well."
"Oh, lighten up Moody!" Grinned Tonks, but her hand slid to her wand holster just in case. "It's probably the local wildlife, that's all."
Dumbledore said nothing as he marched on ahead.
As they neared the main gate, the four grouped together more tightly, with the Headmaster in front and Moody at the back. Dumbledore approached the woman in the toll booth with a well-practiced twinkle in his eye. The woman looked up with a bored expression.
"Passports," she said, merely raising an eyebrow at the motley group. When none of them made any sort of move to produce the necessary paperwork, she sighed.
"No entry without the proper documentation. Unless you can get someone of chunin rank or above, or an otherwise noted member of the village to vouch for you."
"Is there a girl named Potter Heather available?" Dumbledore asked politely, increasing the 'harmless-old-grandfather' twinkle in his eyes. "Black hair, bright green eyes, about fourteen? Once we talk to her I'm sure we'll be allowed in."
The chunin quickly looked down to rifle through the papers under her desk before looking back up. "There is no Potta Hezā registered, so I'm afraid I can't let you in."
She ducked below the booth window as the old man with the beard pointed a stick at her and said 'obliviate'. She pressed the alarm button under her desk as she did so. There were several body flickers, and the ANBU who had been watching the group from the trees as they came down the road materialised. Each of the wizards found themselves with small, diamond-shaped knives at their throats and surrounded by men and women in black and grey body armour donning ghostly white masks.
"Thank you, Vine Weevil," the chunin said as she appeared from her booth. "Some people just don't seem to understand the meaning of the word 'no'."
"Always good to be of assistance, Yoruha-san," the one who was holding a kunai to Moody's jugular vein said, mask decorated with a rectangular pattern of dark brown and black lines vaguely reminiscent of an insect's chitin plating. "I agree. A lot of people seem to have no manners these days. Maybe Morino-san can teach them some."
From what Moody could gather, the masked people were the equivalent of the Unspeakables back in Britain. Personally, he thought that the white masks, that made them look like Death Eaters, and animal code names had a higher intimidation factor than the black hooded robes of the Unspeakables. And now Albus had brought a whole squad of them down on their heads. They had also been knocked out by some sort of gas the masked ones were carrying and now they had been imprisoned in small, dark holding cells.
The squad leader, Vine Weevil, had told them that because their offence was minimal, they wouldn't be strip-searched. Thank Merlin for small mercies. The did, however, seem rather interested in Tonks, who had displayed her metamorphmagi abilities during a panicked attempt to stay awake when they had been knocked out via gas. If they ever got back to London, he was going to give her so many control exercises she wouldn't have any free time for the next five years. Now the masked ones were bandying the phrase 'kekkei genkai' around.
"Well now," a loud, confidant voice announced from the entrance to the holding cell wing. "Vine Weevil mentioned my new volunteers were an interesting bunch, and he was right!"
The man was reasonably young, roughly mid-twenties with tanned skin and a black bandanna tied around his head. He also wore a long black coat that billowed impressively, reminiscient of Snape, as he swept down the row of cells, commenting on each of their group in turn.
"An old woman..."
McGonagall huffed angrily.
"...an old man with no fashion sense..."
Silence, but there was no twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes now.
"...a young woman with a transformation kekkei genkai..."
Tonks stiffened, fingers twitching nervously.
"...and a highly trained, yet badly mangled war veteran with what appears to be a fake byakugan."
Moody scowled deeply at him, the expression creasing the scar tissue around the empty socket where they had taken his false eye. When they had confiscated it along with their wands, it's ability to detect magic flow had sent them all into a right tizzy.
The man grinned. It was not a comforting expression. It reminded him of the face of Bellatrix Lestrange when feeling sadistic and malicious.
"My name is Morino Ibiki, I'll be your interrogator today. Fortunately for you, my apprentice has the day off today, so you won't have to suffer her practicing on you."
Considering that the masked man guarding his cell shuddered slightly at the mention of this apprentice, Moody decided that they were all incredibly lucky. But when he looked again at the smiling Morino Ibiki, he didn't feel very comforted.
On the other side of the village, a lone ANBU cleared the fence that marked out the boundaries of Training Ground 44. Once she was a little way inside, she lifted her mask just enough to reveal her mouth and let out a six-note whistle. Buoyed by chakra, the sound travelled far into the trees. After a few minutes, an answering four-note chakra-laced whistle came back.
Now that she had permission to approach, the ANBU shot off through the trees towards the source of the second whistle. As she neared, the giant snakes that inhabited the forest lifted their heads to observe the visitor, but after tasting the air, laid back down. They knew her, she was a friend of the Speaker who was already here.
As the ANBU continued, she noted that the snakes were more frequent. She even recognised a few now; Kowareta was the one with a chipped fang, Chidarake had a snout that was mostly scar tissue and Akui was the bad-tempered one with one eye.
The clearing up ahead was chock full of snakes of all sizes; not just the giant ones, but small ones hung from trees and branches.
The ANBU noted this, but focused on the girl sitting on the stomach of the biggest snake there. Lifting her hand, she waved. The girl grinned and waved back, before beckoning her over. The ANBU complied with a quick body flicker.
"Hi, Ikue," Mitarashi Anko grinned. "Aren't you supposed to be on duty right now?"
∆Medical leave.∆ Ikue signed with the ANBU hand code. ∆Temporary. Voice strain from practising. Chakra system strain. No chakra or voice one day.∆
Anko nodded in understanding. Uta-Tori Ikue, ANBU Nightingale, had a voice-based kekkei genkai that let her channel chakra into her four separate voice-boxes; allowing her to create genjutsu and precision wind attacks. Originally, the civilian Council had tried to use her to start a new Clan, but being inducted into ANBU on the sly had saved her from the fate of a brood-mare.
Anko frowned. "If you're not allowed to use chakra, then how did you make our secret whistle?"
∆No shinobi listen to healer orders. My chakra fine. Voice strain still.∆
"Hah! That's true. I suppose loads of ANBU ignore healer's orders too. Hey," she broke off suddenly, eyes narrowing. "You did bring it, didn't you?"
Underneath her mask, Ikue smirked. She reached into her black cloak and drew out a white paper bag, tossing it to Anko. The girl tore open the bag and stuffed the dango ball into her mouth with a blissful expression. "Kami, I needed that. You're the best, Ikue."
∆New four prisoner waiting. Attack gate chunin. Knew you want to know.∆ Ikue signed as she pulled a second bag of dango from her robe and sat down next to her friend.
"Thanks. Ibiki can have them though. This is my day off and I'm going to spend it with my friends," Anko said between bites.
A Yamakagashi slithered up to them, chequered black and orange scales a stark contrast to the deep olive green of the giant they were sitting on. It's tongue flickered and it hissed at Anko in a language only she could understand. She rolled her eyes as she tossed it a dango ball. A moment later, and a particularly smug snake had a large bulge in it's throat.
"Even if the scaly ones are unrepentant egotistical beggars," Anko sighed.
The second that the flash of fire in the Hokage's office faded away to reveal four people, the ANBU had blades of varying sizes held to their throats and other vital spots before they could move.
"As much as I appreciate the distraction from my paperwork; start talking before I have my ANBU eviscerate you, the med-nins put you back together and Torture & Interrogation make you talk faster," Sarutobi drawled lazily as he leaned back in his chair, seemingly unfazed. Out of sight, his hand signals resulted in two of the three ANBU surrounding his desk disappearing to check on the T&I Department. The containment breach would have to be sealed, control regained and Ibiki informed.
