Chapter 1: Awareness

Anko awoke slowly, slipping out of the usual nightmares with more than a little difficulty. When I need you, you will comply... Her sensei's last words rang in her ears as the darkness bled into colour, and she opened her eyes. She was startled for a moment when she didn't recognise the inside of her cell immediately, but the memories of the last night's events flooded into her thoughts, and she burst into happy tears. She had been saved from her nightmare. Saved by a knight dressed all in black, a knight who bore the scars of a thousand battles on his face. Her eyes darted all about the room, drinking in the varied colours and patterns that had been missing from her life for so long. A small crib sat on the opposite side of a heavy wooden desk, and she stood up shakily to investigate. Her muscles cramped from misuse, but she held her footing, and the pain subsided after a moment. As she stepped around the desk, she heard some small, unintelligable noises emanating from the crib, and she peered over the edge curiously.

A pair of tiny eyes looked up at her, cool blue orbs that cut right into her soul, judging her silently. The tiny baby boy looked straight through the disshevelled shell of a body and into her tortured mind, and her heart nearly stopped beating in her chest for that instant that he looked through her. Then he smiled and gurgled a happy laugh, and the world stopped. This child cured Anko's wounded soul with little more than a glance and a laugh. Certainly, the problems weren't gone, and they would return to her later on. But in that moment, the little boy made her forget all the horrible things that had happened to her, and she smiled, probably for the first time in months. She reached down with one hand and tickled the boy's nose, making him giggle even more, until he reached up a tiny hand and grabbed her finger, pulling it sharply into his mouth, where he proceded to suck happily on it while Anko giggled a little to herself.

"Well, I see you've met Naruto."

The quiet voice brought reality crashing back down around Anko as she spun to face the speaker. She cursed inwardly as she stumbled slightly, realizing that she'd awoken in a strange room and had not even checked to see where she was. The sudden movement, coupled with the removal of his new favorite toy made the baby, Naruto, let out a cry of such dispair that Anko faltered in mid turn, her heart crying out to help the poor child, and her brain shouting to face the threat.

"You can pick him up, if you'd like."

She blinked once, blearily recognising the voice that had spoken, and everything was all right again. She turned back to the crib, eager to quell the child's cries. "I'm sorry, little one..." She whispered, lifting him up to cradle in her arms. The boy calmed down immediately, glacing around the room excitedly, causing Anko to smile.

"The world is such a wonder to him." The Hokage said, slowly crossing the room to take a seat in his desk chair. She knew the old man from her time as a gennin of the Hidden Leaf village, the leader and strongest ninja in all of the fire country. She also knew him a little more than most, due to her sensei-

Anko shuddered involuntarily, trying to hold in the emotion that suddenly rushed back into her head. Sarutobi must have sensed it, because he was on his feet instantly, guiding her into one of the chairs across from his desk. Even the baby must have felt something, giving a small, upset whine and reaching a tiny hand up to tickle the bottom of her chin, forcing her to smile again. The Hokage helped her to her seat before returning to his own, a look of thoughtful contemplation splashed across his aged features. He watched the young woman playfully wiggling her fingers at the orphaned baby boy, and was secretly glad that they were able to connect through their darkest hours. But outwardly he showed his dispair at the fate of two of his villagers, of his children.

"Anko-chan..." He said softly, making the young Gennin glance up at him. This did not please Naruto, who squealed in protest, making her turn her gaze back to him. "I want to apologise for this whole mess... What happpened to you... Should never have come to pass..." Anko gave another shiver, which was again cut short by her gurgling little distraction. "I've put my best men to the task of tracking down whoever did this to you, and they will be put to the axe, if need be."

The violet-haired youth said nothing for a time, merely rocking the child back and forth in her arms, slowly lulling him to sleep. Finally, she glanced up and nodded sullenly. "Thank you..."

The Professor breathed out a sigh of relief. Now to seguey into the next phase of the discussion... "I will stay on top of this for as long as it takes, Anko. You have my word as Hokage."

She nodded again, her eyes once again drifting back to Naruto. "W-who's child is this, Hokage-sama?" Her voice was barely a whisper, as if she was afraid to interrupt or ask a question.

Sarutobi smiled sadly. "Naruto is an orphan, Anko-chan." He admitted in a gentle tone, hiding a smaile at Anko's indagnant shock. "His parents were lost in a recent attack on the village by the Nine-tailed Fox Demon..." Again, her eyes widened in shock. Just how far underground was she to have missed that thing's chakra? "The demon was defeated by the Yondaime, who sacrificed his life barely a month into his term... And it was sealed into little Naruto here..."

Anko cast one horrified look down at the slumbering baby, and Sarutobi had a flash of doubt regarding her character. It was dispelled, however, when she looked back up at him. "How could someone do that to this poor baby?!" She asked in her horror.

The Sandaime shook his head sadly. "It was the only way, Anko. The Yondaime knew this, and he hated himself for the last hours of his life." He letthe conversation drop off for a while, until he had a few minutes to compose his next few words. "He seems to be quite enthralled by you, however." She looked up at him quizzically, and he explained. "He's never gone to sleep without a fuss before. He's quite the little scrapper." He chuckled. "But he is an orphan, so I'll have to find a home for him soon..."

Anko gave a start, her arms tightening slightly around the blonde baby, but she said nothing. It was too early for her. Sarutobi sighed in defeat. "I've hired a new Gennin team to clean out your old apartment, Anko-chan. You will recieve reparation payments from the state for the pain we have caused you to suffer unjustly..." She nodded sadly again, continuing to rock Naruto in her arms slowly. "Please, come and see me when you get settled back in."

She murmured her confirmation, standing up slowly. The Hokage did likewise, and held out his arms to take the baby from her, which she gave him somewhat begrudgingly. She paused for a time at the door, gathering herself for her first foray into the public eye in several months. She bowed politely to the Sandaime at the door, and left, but only after casting one more longing glance at the dozing child in the old man's arms.

The walk home was uneventful, though Anko could feel the eyes of the villagers on her as she passed. She shuffled weakly down streets she thought she'd never see again for the better part of an hour, hopelessly lost in her surroundings. The worn steps that led to her single room apartment creaked in a vaguely familliar pattern under her feet, and the Gennin that was left to wait for her stayed silent as she passed by him, closing and locking the door behind her.

Anko collapsed onto the mattress that lay in the corner, physically and emotionally fatigued by the change of surroundings. She lay there for a long time, slowly adjusting to the concept of freedom, though not without her fair share of tears. Her thoughts wandered back to the sapphire eyes of the tiny baby she'd awoken to, and she felt a tiny shiver run up her spine. The boy had given her some feeling of normality after so long in the darkness, and the Hokage's words echoed off the insides of her head. Orphan... Home for him...

She settled into her bed slowly, curling up under the covers and bolstering herself for the coming dreams. Tomorrow... I'll worry about it tomorrow...