Author's Notes: I really need to stop doing this, but since I've gotten a strong response from people I have decided to again expand a one shot into something longer. I have also received numerous complaints about my obvious obsession with Naru / Hina so here; a Naruto story with a different pairing.

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She didn't mean to talk to him again after that one time.

She really didn't. She was just not the sort to go out of her way to help people if it wasn't her job. She was a ninja after all, not a social worker. She was not the friendly touchy feely sort. She was a scary bitch; even to her fellow ninja. It was a reputation she treasured and worked very hard to maintain.

So she knew, knew, it was a mistake. Knew she would regret it. But for some brain dead reason she went ahead and did it anyway.

XXXXXXXXXX

It had been a month since she'd talked to the gaki and given him her little gift. She hadn't seen him since and had pretty much put the whole incident completely out of her mind. She had just returned from a mission and was heading to one of her many favorite bars. By pure luck she just happened to be passing by the park when she saw him.

He was sitting all alone on a swing.

He was looking at the other children who were playing nearby. It was obvious that he wanted to join in. It was just as obvious from the glares the parents were sending him that it wouldn't be a good idea to try.

So he was just sitting there.

All alone.

That is so not my problem. She got going whistling one of her happy little tunes. Nope, not my problem at all. It's a tough break kid, but it's a mean old world and its best if you get used to it. I don't care, not even a little bit.

She continued walking for another couple of blocks whistling her happy tune.

Then she stopped. She stood there for a moment.

"Damn it!" She shouted startling everyone who was walking nearby. "I am such a weakling!" She turned around and headed back to the park. Ok! But this is the absolute last time!

XXXXXXXXXX

"Hey gaki, want a push?"

Naruto looked up and saw the little dark haired girl. His face immediately broke into a wide grin. "Hey Chichi! I was hoping to see you again!"

"Wow, you actually remembered my name. For a gaki like you that's quite an accomplishment."

"Heh, it wasn't hard. Except for the old man you're the only one who has ever been nice to me." He suddenly took on a very sad expression. "I was starting to wonder if you'd decided you didn't like me too."

She leaned over and flicked his forehead.

"Ow!"

"Don't frown so much, it'll give you wrinkles. So do you want a push or not?"

"Uh, yeah!"

She got behind him and pushed. He was soon swinging high into the air and actually laughing.

Seeing someone playing with Naruto a few of the parents sent some dirty looks directed at her. When she spotted them she pulled down the bottom of her eyelid and stuck her tongue out. A couple of them wanted to come over and have a word but were dissuaded by the others. Most of the parents didn't seem to care as long as Naruto stayed away from their children.

She'd only intended to stay there about fifteen minutes. Long enough to push him on the swings for a bit and cheer him. Then it was back to the bar and an afternoon and evening of heavy drinking.

But after pushing him for awhile he'd wanted to go play on the see saw with her. Then it had been climbing on the monkey bars. Then going on the slide. Then he'd wanted to play catch. Then tag.

Before she knew it, it was getting dark.

"That was so much fun!" Naruto said with a ridiculous look smile plastered all over his face. All the other kids had gone home with their parents; they were the last ones in the park. Naruto was sweaty and dirty but seemed content.

He suddenly looked a bit worried. "Do you think your mom and dad will be mad if they find out you played with me?"

"I don't have any family," she told him. "I'm a war orphan." Both her parents had been ninja and had died fighting Grass country during the Third Great Ninja War.

"War orphan?"

Crap! That's right I'm supposed to be seven not nineteen. "Ah, I mean they died when the Kyuubi attacked."

"Oh," he said sympathetically. "My parents died that way too. In fact I was born that night." He then looked at her curiously. "I never saw you in the orphanage; shouldn't you have been there too?"

"Ah… actually I live with a friend of the family. She's a ninja."

"Really! That's so cool! I'm starting the academy in a few months! I'm going to be a super ninja! And then I'm going to be Hokage!"

"Great. Be sure to give me some juicy assignments when you're Hokage then."

"Huh?"

"Nothing," she said with a grin.

"Hey! Are you going to the academy too?"

She shook her head. "No, I've already learned everything they could teach me from my, uh, friend."

"Come on! You're my age! How much can you know?"

Chichi looked around the park to make sure no one was around. I really shouldn't, but the look on his face will be too priceless. "Here, just watch."

She went over to the monkey bars and proceeded to walk up the side and then stand upside down.

"Wow! How'd you do that?"

She laughed. "I got skills." She released the chakra to her feet and performed a somersault as she dropped to land perfectly.

"Hey! Teach me to do that!"

"Can't," she said.

"How come?" He whined.

"'Cause you'd have to stop being gaki first."

"Huh?"

She crossed her arms and took on a lecturing tone. "I mean stop spending all your time moping and feeling sorry for yourself and start training! You say you want to be Hokage. The Hokage is the strongest ninja in the village."

Naruto started laughing.

"What's so funny gaki?"

"The old man's Hokage. He's the strongest ninja in the village?"

Flick.

"Ow! Will you stop doing that?"

"I'll stop doing that as soon as you stop being a gaki and saying stupid things. How do you think Sarutobi got to be Hokage in the first place? Do you think they gave him the job because he was nice?"

"I don't know," Naruto said as he rubbed his forehead. "I never really thought about it."

"The Hokage's word… is … law! He has the power of life and death and every ninja obeys him without question! Do you really believe they would obey him like that if he hadn't earned his title? Old or not he is the strongest and deserving of respect!"

Naruto was looking at her in a little awe after her rant. "Uh… o.k."

"So if you really want to be Hokage stop wasting time and start working! I can see by your muscle tone that you have no physical strength at all."

"Hey! I do so!"

"Oh yeah?" She held her arm straight out in front of her. "Prove it, push my arm down." This wasn't a fair contest of course. Even in her present form she still had all the physical strength of a full grown kunoichi. But it would help make her point.

Naruto grabbed her arm with his and tried to do just that. His eyes widened when he couldn't move it an inch. He grabbed with both arms and grunted with his effort but had no effect at all. After about five minutes he finally gave up.

"Like I said, no physical strength at all."

"So what do I do? I want to be strong like you!"

"Glad to hear it," she said. "You need to start exercising every single day! It's fine to play and have fun, but you have to get your work done first and then play after. By the time I was your age I could do eighty sit ups in two minutes and run three miles in twenty four minutes."

He looked at her blankly. "Uh, aren't you my age now?"

Grrrr. Must remember seven not nineteen. "Well, yeah, that's what I mean. Listen; to start with just do the basics for now. Run, do sit ups, pushups, and if you can swim. Do as much as you can without wearing yourself out and as time passes you'll be able to run faster and do more and more exercises."

"What about the thing with the monkey bars? When can you show me that?"

"Not until you've learned how to tap into your chakra."

"What's chakra?"

"It's the energy inside your body that ninja's use to perform jutsus."

Naruto frowned. "What are jutsus?"

Flick.

"Ow!"

"Your questions are starting to get annoying. Don't worry about any of that right now; just concentrate on getting stronger for the time being."

"Will you help me?" He asked her.

She frowned at him. "What do you think I'm doing now?"

"I mean will you show me other things? I want you to help me get really strong."

"What, you want me to be your sensei?"

"Would you?" He asked eagerly.

"Hell no!"

She saw his face crash and fill with disappointment.

Grrrr, what the hell is wrong with me?! Why do I care? She let out a sigh. "I won't be your teacher or anything, but if you want I'll drop by once in awhile and show you a few things."

His face lit up.

"BUT… there's a condition!"

"What?"

"You have to do everything I tell you and you can't slack off. If you won't do the work there's no point in me trying to help a gaki like you."

"I'll do it! I promise!"

She shrugged and walked away. "We'll see gaki." I wonder if he'll actually keep working at it once he sees how hard it is. Probably not, most boys are just talk.

XXXXXXXXXX

She had just gotten away from Naruto and was about to end her henge and finally hit that bar when she heard an amuse snort coming from a nearby tree branch. Looking up she spotted an ANBU in a dog mask with a little orange book in his hand.

She groaned out loud. Why?! Of all the ANBU in the village why did he have to be the one assigned to watch him?

"That's a new look for you isn't it Anko?"

She dropped the henge and was once again the sexy /scary woman she always was. As was her habit he took a kunai out and began to twirl it about her finger. "Kakashi," she said in a sweet sing song voice. "You do know if you tell anyone about this I will stake you to the ground and feed you to my snakes right?"

He chuckled. "I'm afraid it's a little too late for threats."

She immediately felt her stomach turn to led. "What do you mean?"

"The Hokage is waiting to talk to you. He wants to know just what you're playing at."