Hey guys! I am back with another, quick update. This weekend has been fairly dull and this chapter was rather short.
Ok so there was one kind of complaint about Naruto being taught the Shadow Clone Jutsu by the foxes. The idea of the foxes having this large library of jutsus and techniques is that they have taken jutsus from other ninja that they have memorized and written them down for later generations of summoners. They WILL NOT be teaching Naruto the Rasengan and I do want Jiraiya to take a major role in Naruto's development. I understand the fear the reviewer had because it does seem like the Kitsune Library is a cop-out, but it will be used as more of resource for Naruto later on. I have a plan. And Hinata will become more bold in the coming chapters.
Anyways with that said please, please, please review with your likes, dislikes, suggestions on how I can improve my writing, especially the interactions of the characters and how they would actually act according to how Kishimoto wrote them. I love feedback.
Now sit back, relax and enjoy!
Chapter 7
In the seediest parts of Konoha, away from the market and clan compounds, sat a building on its last legs. The Rusty Kunai was a dump. Rotten floors and walls held a run down bar. Old chairs circled warped tables with burn and spill marks littering the surfaces. The smell of alcohol and puke always seemed to cover the building. Yet, with all its blemishes and faults, the run down bar was the most popular spot in Konoha.
This was due mostly to the ranks of shinobi that were regulars at the old public house. The ninja of Konoha flocked to the Rusty Kunai because of their known charitable donations and jobs for retired or injured shinobis as they began the transition from duty to civilian life. It was a common sight to see the bar packed with ninja and those that could not get in were hanging outside of the establishment.
It was here that Mitarashi Anko found herself drowning another ill-fated attempt at righting wrongs from her past. She sat alone at the bar. Her usual trench coat was littered with holes and burn marks ate away at the hemming of the fabric. She was covered with soot, her hair was more of a mess than usual.
She was a regular at the establishment. Everyone who had ever seen her there knew one thing: you were to never mess with her when she drank unless you were a bartender. After a failed mission, or a frustrating day, she would come down to the Rusty Kunai and drink her worries away. If Anko was in the mood to be around people she would be found at her favorite dango shop, but at the Rusty Kunai she just wanted to be alone.
She turned to her right and raised an eyebrow at an ANBU member who was walking into the bar. ANBU were an unusual sight in the hotspot. Her eyes followed the man. She watched in annoyance when he came to a stop beside her.
"Mitarashi Anko you have a notice from the Hokage to attend a meeting tomorrow to discuss a new assignment," the ANBU said, handing the disgruntled Tokubetsu Jonin a scroll.
"If it is another suspension then you can save it," she spat back. She returned her attention back to her sake. She took another sip and looked to her side to see the scroll lying there, its messenger nowhere in sight.
Great, I couldn't even keep this mistake from the old man for more than a day. Her thoughts turned grim as she thought about the possible punishment the aged leader would have for her. This meeting might be the end of her career.
•••••
Anko stood in line with a confused look on her face. In line were many well known Jonin throughout the village, ranging from Choza Akimichi to Sarutobi Asuma. Even her newly promoted friend, Yuhi Kurenai, was at the meeting. She felt out of place in the room. She was the lowest ranking individual, even below the three fossils that made up the Hokage's personal advisors. Why was she here?
She tentatively took a look at the clock that was to her right. The meeting was suppose to have started an hour ago yet they had just stood there, staring at the four elders in front of them. Their leader had his hands bridged in front of himself as he leaned forward and examined the high ranking shinobi in front of him.
She sighed a bit in relief. She wasn't being demoted if her company she was currently keeping was any indication. There was a clan head, a brother to another clan head and even the Hokage's own son, a prominent ninja from his time in the Twelve Guardian Ninja.
"Ah nice of you to finally join us."
Anko turned to a window behind the Hokage as it began to open to reveal Hatake Kakashi. He was holding an old, beat up orange book that made Anko's blood boil over.
"Yo," he said nonchalantly. "Sorry I was late. There was this accident involving a food cart and a passing merchant caravan. Being the good Samaritan I am I had to stop and help."
"I hope that in this next assignment you will change this little habit of yours Kakashi," Hiruzen said with a look of disappointment held for the elite Jonin. He had been a decorated ANBU member yet couldn't keep track of time if his life depended on it.
I doubt it. Anko thought as she eyed his precious copy of whatever book in the Icha Icha Series he was reading. Sick pervert would need to take his nose out of those disgusting books for that to happen. Everyone knows that isn't going to happen.
Her thoughts ended as Hiruzen began to talk. "Thank you all for coming to this meeting, especially those of you that decided to be on time." Kakashi seemed to fake hurt at the slight, but Hiruzen continued. "As this meeting will help in shaping the future of Konoha it is vital that it goes smoothly."
Anko rose an eyebrow at the statement. What mission could this seemingly random group of ninja's be put through?
"As you know, this academy year has just ended leaving us with a large group of very talented and promising shinobi." Anko's jaw dropped at the statement. There was no way she was hearing this right. "You each have been chosen to take up position of Jonin Sensei to a group of academy graduates. For some of you, like Akimichi Choza, this will be your second team. For those of you that are new to this assignment, know that you are being entrusted with a very important gift. You have the chance to shape the future of this village by the instruction that you will give these fine young minds. Now we will begin with the team placement."
Anko stayed frozen in place, hoping that there had been some sort of mistake. She held her breath with each passing name. She would rather be demoted than made a Jonin Sensei. She didn't like kids, it was bad enough she was going to be proctoring the up coming Chunin Exams. She didn't want to babysit some brats too.
". . . Team Seven will be headed by Hatake Kakashi. This will be a genjutsu specialized team consisting of Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura and Sai, no surname," Hiruzen said. He was about to continue when he was interrupted by a raised hand. "Yes Kakashi?"
"Hokage-sama there must be a mistake," the silver haired Jonin began. "I requested Uzumaki Naruto to be on my team and I am a ninjutsu specialist, not a genjutsu specialist. Kurenai is much more suited to this type of team."
"Yes that may be the case but you are here to teach Uchiha Sasuke in the way of the Sharingan," Sarutobi answered back. "Kurenai will head the tracking unit, Team Eight, containing Aburame Shino, Hyuga Hinata and Inuzuka Kiba."
"Thank you Hokage-sama," Kurenai said. She bowed slightly to the older shinobi with a smile on her face.
"Hokage-sama, if I may," Kakashi began before being cut off.
"Your request was given consideration Hatake," Hiruzen said with authority. "We decided to take another route for the development of Uzumaki Naruto that, we feel, will be most beneficial to all parties involved. As we are on the subject we might as well continue on. Uzumaki Naruto will be placed under the apprenticeship of Mitarashi Anko."
"What?!" Anko cried out from her position in line. "You have to be joking Hokage-sama."
"I do not joke about such important matters Mitarashi-san." Hiruzen looked at his subordinate with a withering gaze that apparently went unnoticed by the panicking Tokubetsu.
"But I am only a specialist with the T&I Division," she sputtered out. "There is no way I am a good fit to be training this gaki."
"Actually you should take a look at his reports," Hiruzen said as he took Naruto's folder out of a drawer in his desk. He had foreseen this little break out in the meeting, it always happened one year or another. He decided to take the initiative and came prepared this year. "Young Naruto has shown great promise in the field of tracking and stealth, something that you are quite proficient at Anko."
"The gaki could learn under Kakashi if the cyclops wants him to so bad," she again sputtered in disbelief.
"And here I thought you would want to teach the student who broke your record by thirty minutes."
"Impossible!" Hiruzen smirked as the file was ripped from his hands by a disbelieving Anko. Her eyes widened, along with the single seen eye of Kakashi who was looking over her shoulder. "This still doesn't mean I am the right person for the job."
"If I may suggest something Hokage-sama," Kakashi said after taking another look at Naruto's file. "It seems that both Naruto and Sasuke would make a great team with a Hyuga as the third member under my tutelage as an ex-ANBU member."
"I am sorry to say that that is quite impossible," Hiruzen spoke up before Kurenai, further throwing this meeting into disarray, could poise a challenge. "Team Eight is the best fit in both skill and politics as two of the members of the team are clan heirs and a third is a child of another clan head. This union, if they are to gel together as a team, could further stabilize the clan relationships within Konoha." Hiruzen specifically left out the part about the Civilian Council wanting a person of their choice to be on a team with the last Uchiha.
"I may have a proposition that Anko-san might agree to." Hiruzen inwardly cursed as he turned to his old friend Danzo. Danzo, for his part, was not happy with the preceding as well. He had planned for Naruto to fail and steal the Scroll of Seals. He had Mizuki fully convinced and on board with the plan. In reality Mizuki would have been subsequently killed and Naruto knocked out. He would use political means to ensure Naruto would find his way into his ROOT program. Alas his original plan had failed but he saw a chance to still obtain his end goal. "I have a few ANBU in mind that would take the challenge of teaching the young Uzumaki gladly, freeing up Mitarashi Anko from this duty."
"Sounds good to me," Anko shouted. "See ya guys later." She turned and made a beeline to the door only to be stopped by the sound of the Hokage's voice.
"Stop right there Anko." The purple haired woman turned on her heels to the glare of Sarutobi. She felt a chill go through her veins. "This assignment is for you and you alone." In truth an ANBU member would be good too but he didn't trust Danzo. While his ROOT program was technically dissolved, Hiruzen knew that it was continuing in the shadows. "I had been hoping to keep this conversation private but it seems that you have forced my hand. Your past behavior has been unacceptable Anko. Your obsession with Orochimaru has clouded your judgment to the point of breaking into a friendly nations most secure vaults in your quest to kill him."
Anko's eyes widened at the implications. "Hokage-sama?"
"You are lucky that Jomae does not have physical evidence or we would be forced to hand you over as a criminal, a rogue ninja." Hiruzen saw the pale look in the snake summoner's eyes. His message had gotten across. "In giving you an apprentice we are placing more responsibility on your shoulders. This is done in hopes of showing you the ramifications of the actions one can have on other's lives. You have a chance to right the wrong your sensei levied on you." Hiruzen took a deep breath before pulling out his ace in the hole, a card he didn't want to play but one the situation demanded. "If you do not accept this assignment then I will have no choice but to remove you from your position in the T&I Division for both the safety of yourself and the village. Is this understood?"
All Anko could do was nod slightly and mumble. "Hai Hokage-sama."
"Good and now onto Team Ten . . ."
•••••
The bartender took out his broom for what felt like the hundredth time that night. He sighed as he poured the remains of another broken glass into the garbage. He turned to see the cause sitting at the bar with her head down and her hand on a seventh glass of whiskey.
Anko had gone on a warpath straight to the Rusty Kunai. No one talked to her as she slammed open the door and went straight to the bar, demanding the best stuff the run down establishment had. After about the third drink the bartender attempted to reason with livid shinobi. That is when the glass breaking began.
Anko gripped her glass as another wave of anger and despair washed over her. Her gripped tightened to the point that the glass shattered in her hand. She sighed and shook her hand of the alcohol before ordering a replacement. She reached for her new drink, but stopped when she noticed a newcomer had placed themself directly next to her. She took a closer look through her hazy vision to see Umino Iruka had begun to order his own drink and was staring straight ahead.
"You are the last person I wanted to see," she said through slurred words. She grunted as she took a sip of her drink. The burn was still there. "You here to rub it in my face? To make a joke about how I have been put in my place or how embarrassing it must have been to get ripped a new one in front of some of the most prominent ninja in Konoha?"
Iruka took a sip from his sake and shook his head. "Nah I don't think anybody will be making those kind of jokes. Last time someone tried to make you the butt of a joke he was still pulling snakes from his pants a week later."
"And that is exactly the same thing that will happen to you if you don't beat it Umino," Anko said with a snarl. "I'm not in the mood."
"You make it sound like your career just got ruined," Iruka said nonchalantly.
"It has ended," Anko exclaimed as she threw her hands into the air. "Me, a sensei to a snot nosed gaki, some baka kid they think can be a tracker for the ANBU someday. Can you believe it? Whoever thought of this idea had a twisted sense of humor."
"The Hokage didn't seem to flinch when I suggested it to him." Iruka couldn't continue as he was suddenly flung onto the bar. He felt the cold metal of a kunai on his neck. When he opened his eyes he saw the auburn gaze of Anko staring back at him. She was straddling his waste, keeping him pinned the counter top.
"What did you just say?" she hissed like one of her snakes. She had sobered up really quickly after she processed what the Chunin had just said.
Iruka looked back into her cold gaze with one of his own. He would not back down on this issue, no matter how menacing the woman looked. "I said I chose the teams and you as Naruto's sensei."
Anko grabbed Iruka by his shirt, kunai still in hand, and bashed him back against the bar. "You bastard," she shouted. "Why would you do this to me? Do you hate me after what happened? Is that it? Is this some sort of sick, twisted way of getting revenge for what happened all those years ago?"
Iruka shook his head. He could feel the eyes of every patron and employee in the bar were settled on the two who were in heated discussion. "Not at all," he answered calmly.
"Then why me?" Anko questioned viciously. "Why dump that gaki on me and not someone else?"
"Because you two are the same," Iruka answered back. He saw the startled look in the purple haired woman's eyes at the statement. "I know how you are treated by the civilians and some of the ninja too. I know what they call you and I can see how it affects you. You hide it behind a mask, you pretend to be this crazy person who isn't fazed by anything. But I know that deep down it hurts. Every name you're called, every service refused or hiked up price hurts." He saw a glint return to Anko's eyes. He hadn't been killed yet. He would be pushing his luck but he had to continue. "Naruto is the same way. He is treated like a pariah, a social outcast. He is treated like he isn't even a human being. He is called a demon and a monster, but he isn't any of those things. He needs someone who can help him through those times, someone who can tell him that it will be ok. Kami knows Kakashi can't do that and I haven't been through what he has, but you have. He needs a sensei that can help him make friends and grow as a ninja and a person. He needs you, Anko. And you need him. We have all watched as you have spiraled deeper into depression. Your obsession with Orochimaru has consumed your life. Naruto has this way of brightening everyone's day. He can bring back the Anko we all knew and loved if you will only give him a chance."
Anko was fuming. She had been talked down to by the Hokage and now some Chunin instructor? She took her kunai into the air above Iruka's head and screamed out as she plunged it into the bar top next to his head. She kept her eyes on the Chunin as she slid off of him. She pointed to the door. "Get out."
Iruka silently slid off the bar and walked to the door. He turned back to look at the snake summoner. "Just think about it." With that he vanished into the darkness of the night.
"Want another one?" the bartender asked when the place had calmed down.
"No I'm good for the night."
Anko slapped enough ryo down to pay for her drinks and slipped out of the Rusty Kunai. She took a walk trying to clear her mind. After mindlessly walking, she found her way into Training Ground 44, the Forest of Death, and her favorite place in Konoha.
She unlocked the gate and walked in, closing the gate once she entered. Most ANBU were tentative to walk into the training ground, but Anko was at home. She got up into a perch of a tree and leaned back thinking about her predicament.
She wasn't happy about having a gaki to look after. She was feared as the scariest person in the T&I Division and she was now being charged with babysitting duties. Yet there was something she liked about the idea. She had a chance to be a sensei hers never was. She had a chance to actually do something good for her student and the kid did have promise. Maybe she would like it after all, yet she would wait to see that.
She sighed as she leaned back and enjoyed the sound of the forest around her. She knew where she would take him for his true Genin Exam at least.
•••••
Anko looked around at the Jonin that were stationed outside a classroom in the academy. She smirked when she Kurenai walk over to her. "You didn't waste much time getting stuck with a Genin squad."
Kurenai shrugged. "It was a good time for me. Hinata was graduating this year and I wanted to be her Jonin sensei."
"Are you sure it isn't because of Smokestack over them," Anko said as she gestured to Sarutobi Asuma.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Kurenai denied with a blush one her cheeks. "We are just long time friends."
"Yeah that's why you pined for him and whined the entire time he was acting as a bodyguard," Anko poked fun at her friend. "You looked like a sad puppy who had her favorite chew toy taken away."
"You never seem to have grown up Anko," Kurenai said as she shook her head.
"Hey you're only young once but you can be immature forever," she said with her ear-to-ear smile on.
Kurenai chuckled before hearing her name called from the room. She waved at her friend before walking into the classroom and meeting her new students.
Anko looked around and found that she and 'Smokestack' were the only ones remaining in hall, that was quickly dealt with as Asuma walked into the classroom to his own team, the new generation of Ino-Shika-Cho.
Ank gritted her teeth as she waited for her name to be called. Hearing the last name she wanted to be called, she took a breath and put a smile on her face before walking in. She took a quick glare at Iruka before turning and making eye contact with a blond hair, whiskered boy in a burnt orange shirt.
"I'm Mitirashi Anko. Welcome to hell gaki."
