Chapter 3: Hanging out with Anko

Anko is, as she will happy tell anyone who asks, insane. She's one of the Hidden Village of the Leaf's several pariahs. It's her trademark and keeps people from bothering her. It also keeps people from trying to get close to her.

Thankfully, Anko doesn't really mind too much. She doesn't really like most people, and the greatest pleasures in her life do not include the people who are intensely afraid of her.

As such, Anko has very few friends, and even fewer admirers. Tenten is, fortunately for both the weapon's mistress and the village nutcase, not intimidated by anyone. She's surrounded by crazies already, so one more really doesn't bother her.

When Tenten arrived at her favorite dango stand, she didn't even remark on the presence of the special jonin.

"Lunch time?" Anko asked from branch overlooking the street.

Tenten smiled shouting loud enough for the specialist to easily make out her words, "Yeah. I just finished up training for the morning and I'm starving!"

Tenten happy placed her order for six dango sticks and walked over to the tree to join her friend.

"Training again with those brats?" Anko asked as she munched away on her own dango.

"Yeah. I think that they're getting jealous of each other, though. They're acting weird."

"Sounds like a stupid genius thing. You just attract them like flies."

"Tell me about it," Tenten said with obvious exasperation. The stand owner called her over and Tenten happily retrieved a supply of one of her favorite snacks. Without a word she tossed three of her own dango to the woman in the tree with a weapon's mistress' accuracy. You just didn't eat dango alone when Anko was around. You couldn't be sure what she'd do in retaliation.

"Thanks," the jonin said rather blandly.

"No problem. I know how you get about your dango. And you were one of the proctors for my first chunin exam."

"Heh, almost forgot that you were one of those snot-nosed little kids. You sure don't act like the rest of 'em."

"Sure I do," Tenten said not really paying much attention to the conversation. She really did like dango.

Anko stopped eating for a moment and actually deigned to look down on her favorite kunoichi of the new generation. "I know that you're not nuts, kid. Have you ever looked in a mirror?"

"Every morning just before I leave the bathroom," Tenten said flippantly.

"Great, then you know that you don't dress like the other kunoichi."

"Well duh, I need flexibility and tightness in my form. I couldn't wear that stuff."

"Tell that to your little Yamanaka friend. And what about what I'm wearing, huh?"

"You're a special jonin," she said pausing as she stuffed her mouth with a couple more dango. "I don't think that you can compare the bunch of us newbies to you. No offense."

Anko, the esteemed snake mistress herself, was actually flattered by Tenten. She was of course not going to tell the bunned-girl this. "None taken," she said flinging one of her dango spears at the girl on the ground below. Tenten caught it without pausing in her munching and stuck the stick into the trunk without her eyes ever leaving her treat.

"How's the training with those newbs going anyway?" Anko asked with actual curiosity. She really did want to know about Orochimaru's other little apprentice. Even if she didn't exactly hate him, she still felt a need to watch out for the brat.

"Training with Neji is kinda useless, but I don't think that he wants to hear that."

"Still got a stick up his ass, huh?" Anko said throwing another dango stick as if to emphasize her point.

"Maybe. He's just been weird lately. Lee even called him out on it. Called Neji an ass and everything."

"Gai's student called someone an ass? How'd he take that?"

"Gai-sensei was thankfully not there. I only heard because I was waiting for them."

"Oh, this is good. I can totally get Gai in tears over this," Anko said with a devious smile. She could already picture the waterworks. It'd be great . . .

Tenten, always one to defend her teammates, said nothing to provoke Anko. She instead tossed two of her own dango spears up the tree.

"Hey! Watch it. Alright! Jeese." Tenten said nothing and kept eating.

"So what about the Uchiha? He done anything weird lately?"

"Nah, he's just his usual broody self. I'm pretty sure that he's got his temper under control . . . er . . . somewhat. He didn't charge at me with his usual bravado today when I called him an emotional nutjob."

"That was your exact wording?" Anko asked skeptically.

"Nah, but something like that. He's getting better. Maybe."

"Or he's just getting used to you."

"That too."

They sat in silence for a for moments, finishing off the last of their dango. Anko relaxed against her tree, experiencing the stress-free feelings only possible in a place often frequented. This was her favorite dango seller, after all.

Tenten was meanwhile lost in her own thoughts. "You don't think that they're jealous of each other for other reasons, do you?" Tenten didn't want to sound arrogant, but it really was a strange situation. The boys could be jealous of each other.

"They both want you, what's wrong with that. Just enjoy it. More practice for you."

"Heh, you're right." Anko scoffed in response. Of course she was right. "I am really good with weapons. Neji just is jealous that I'm spending time with Sasuke and not him. Sasuke is probably annoyed that I still spend time with Neji, especially if training with him is . . . sort of pointless."

Anko didn't acknowledge that Tenten had misinterpreted her words. 'Let the girl think what she wants,' figured Anko.

"Sooo . . . wanna go play in the Forest of Death?" Anko asked already anticipating Tenten's answer. Anko happened to be one of the few with permission to enter that training ground whenever she wanted.

"Sure! I've nothing else to do!" she said tossing her final stick into the forest. "I'm done with geniuses for today."