Chapter 10: Ah, Rats!
All was peaceful in the Village Hidden in the Leaves. The midday sun was shining brightly and many took this opportunity to enjoy the nice hot weather before winter settled in. To many it was going to be a nice and quiet afternoon, perfect for some R&R.
*BOOM*!
At least for most that is.
"Note to self; Never tell Anko I'm gonna slack off," Naruto thought as he hid from his crazed mentor.
"Oh, Gaki, Poochie-gaki," a sinister and predatory voice called out for the blond and his ninken. Two sets of four kunai were held in her hands, glistening in the light of the sun.
"Why the hell is she doing this? ... Oh, right, she's Anko," Naruto remembered, an exhausted Hottomaru by his side. Both knew Anko most likely had an inkling on where they were and was merely playing with them, "More like torturing," he dared not voice his thoughts.
"Oh, boys," she called out again, "I have a present for you?" she cackled and both males felt a shiver go up their spines. "Ah, fuck it, I'm bored now. Sen'eijashu (Hidden Shadow Snake Hands)!" lazily, Anko turned towards their location and sent a myriad of snakes of various colors from the sleeves of her trench coat.
"Knew it!" the blond shouted and both he and his ninken made a run for it. Dip, dive, dodge was basically their movements as they tried to evade the serpents hot on their tails. Both knew their lives depended on it, Anko's punishment for the "game", as she so affectionately called it, was not gonna be pretty according to her.
"Don't get caught, don't get caught, for the love of kami don't get caught," the blond repeated the mantra in his head and spurred on even faster than before. Anko said that because he was used to her old training methods she was now coming up with new and more challenging ones. The new challenges he could deal with, the increase in punishment should he fail one of them he could do without. The woman was a sadist for punishment and Naruto knew just how original she could get.
"Don't get caught, don't get-oof" he found himself falling face first to the ground, courtesy of a four snakes currently wrapping around his legs and tightening themselves to prevent him from escaping.
"Oh, fuck me," Naruto cursed and tried to think of a way to get out of this.
"Don't bother, gaki," he felt Anko's weight on him, "You and your mutt aren't going anywhere," she grinned, Hottomaru yelped for help, and he wanted to cry. "Now for your punishment," here she pulled out a scroll.
"Isn't that a mission scroll?" he asked, having seen them several times when he was younger.
"Sharp eye," she nodded, "As punishment you're gonna do these two missions. I owed someone so I have to pay for this mission or get someone to complete it for me free of charge," she felt almost embarrassed for having forgotten something like this. "Anyway both of them are contracted by the same people so you don't have to go too far to accomplish them."
"What do you mean by that?" he immediately regretted asking as she Body Flickered all three of them to the location.
(A Few Hours Later)
"There goes our afternoon," an exhausted Naruto groaned at how unfair this was. If he wasn't afraid of the consequences, and Anko, he'd prank her ass so hard she'd be chocking. "So much for no training and shit on weekends," he mocked.
At first the prospect of doing two D-Rank missions before becoming a ninja sounded cool, plus the bragging rights. Naruto now understood why Tenten didn't care so much about D-Rank and why he didn't like the feeling he got from it. D-Rank missions were nothing more than god-damn glorified chores that civilians and ninja were either too busy or lazy to do themselves. Though the price for them to be done were expensive.
Instead of relaxing and taking the afternoon to nap, Anko had left him to tend the house of two individuals called Gekkō Hayate and Yugao Uzuki. Apparently both had only just bought a house together, roughly a few weeks back, but because of their busy lifestyle they had little time to clean and maintain the place. Both had only recently gotten time off together for the first time in over three weeks and planned to make the most of it. Therefore as punishment for being caught, though Anko said he and Hottomaru did decent, Naruto was to do the two missions they had asked for to be done.
In this case, weeding the garden and cutting the grass along with cleaning the gutters. Due to the large size of the property, Naruto assumed they were gonna have kids at some point, Naruto knew that both he and Hottomaru were going to be here for a while. By the time the first hour had gone by and only a third of their work being done, Naruto and Hottomaru had no doubt they wouldn't be getting that nap for the next little while.
"Stupid, mother fucking weeds," Naruto cursed. His hands were caked with mud and dirt as he pulled on the stubborn plant. Naruto had a few plants of his own and knew that pulling weeds from the stem wouldn't do any good because they'd break off and simply grow back later thanks to the surviving roots still firmly in place. Which meant Naruto would have to do some digging to get them out.
"Arf!" Naruto glared at Hottomaru who looked like he was having the time of his life. The ninken's face was dirty and covered in dirt along with his paws. The stripped puppy was pulling up the weeds much faster than he was with his teeth and digging up the weeds too deep for him to pull up. Either way it was fun for him, while it sucked for Naruto.
"Lousy lucky mutt," Naruto envied the ninken at the moment, though didn't envy himself later when he'd be forced to give Hottomaru a bath. The thought made him groan even more as every time he needed one Hottomaru was adamant on making his life hell for him by either hiding or running away from him. Tricking him proved useful but pulling the same trick twice didn't work. He was a ninken after all and much smarter than the common dog.
"Not, bad," a voice behind him muttered as he surveyed the area. "Not bad at all."
Looking behind him Naruto saw a man and a woman. The man, simply put, appeared sickly and had short brown hair, dark-coloured eyes and dark markings underneath his eyes. Naruto could tell he was fairly young, probably in his twenties or thirties, but the way he coughed every so often made him wonder if this guy had some sort of sickness. Contrast to him was a healthy and young looking woman with straight, purple hair reaching down to her waist, warm brown eyes, and a shade of red lipstick.
"Let me guess, Hayate and Yugao?" chances of them being someone else were low. Using an Observe on them confirmed it.
Status Window
Name: Uzuki Yugao
Job: Ninja
Level: ?
Neutral (500/1000)
Title: ?
Specialization: ?
HP: ?
CP: ?
STR: ?
VIT: ?
DEX: ?
INT: ?
WIS: ?
LUK: ?
DEF: ?
Perks:
?:?
?: ?
?: ?
Description:?
Status Window
Name: Gekkō Hayate
Job: Ninja
Level: ?
Reputation Level: Neutral (500/1000)
Title: ?
Specialization: ?
HP: ?
CP: ?
STR: ?
VIT: ?
DEX: ?
INT: ?
WIS: ?
LUK: ?
DEF: ?
Perks:
?:?
?: ?
Status Effects:
?: ?
Description:?
His use of Observe and the results that showed also made it clear that both were strong and most likely either Tokubetsu Jonin or Jonin level individuals. "You guessed right," the man coughed. "Where's Anko?"
Naruto shrugged, "Your guess is as good as mine," either way he was betting she was having a hell of a better time than him.
"Figures she'd do something like this," Yugao sighed. Leave it to Anko to dump this on an academy student. Technically he wasn't allowed to do it as he was not officially a ninja but it wasn't unheard of for academy students to do this sort of thing. Usually it was as a form of punishment, it hardly happened nowadays though, and the fact that no risk was involved with D-Rank missions also played a part.
"The place looks good though, you did a decent job," she smiled at him and Naruto blushed. Yugao was a beautiful woman after all. Hayate was a lucky guy and it made him wonder how someone like him got together with a woman like her. She was way out of his league in Naruto's mind.
"So how did Anko get an academy student, let alone Konoha's number one resident prankster of all people, to tidy up our place? She's got blackmail on you?" Hayate asked him.
"You can sorta say that. She's my tutor," he answered.
"…Yeah, and I'm a shoe in as the next Hokage," Hayate laughed but the look Naruto gave him made him pause and baffled him. "Really? Anko's tutoring a student?!" he had heard from Tetsu, the man made and maintained his gear on a regular basis, but thought it to be a joke on the man's part. The idea of Anko doing something such as this was shocking to say the least considering Anko had gone off several times saying she'd never take on a Genin team of her own. She had the right skill set despite her rank, as some Tokubetsu Jounin were known to be allowed to take on Genin teams, but Anko wasn't interested in teaching, period.
"I heard about it but I thought it was just an office rumor," Yugao was speechless. Being one of the few female friends Anko had, Yugao knew the purple and scantily clad woman pretty well. For Anko of all people to take on a student was both mind blowing and worrying at the same time. She loved her friend but for most one Anko was enough.
"Yeah, I get that a lot," it was a common occurrence whenever he said she was teaching him.
"I don't know whether to be shocked or feel bad for you," Hayate wondered if he perhaps should feel both.
"It's not all bad," it was bad still but it got results nonetheless. "Her methods are insane, and she's bat shit crazy at times, and yes doing this sucks like hell and … she's behind me isn't she," he noticed their shifting gaze. A couple weeks back he wouldn't have but Anko had pounded, literally, into his head how to spot things such as this. "Oh, shit."
"Oh, shit is right. And yes, she is," Anko confirmed, and he gulped in fear. "Looks like the master needs to teach the student a little something called manners," Yugao suppressed a snort. Coming from Anko that was rich considering her uncouth way of life and tell it as it is attitude. The purple haired Anbu had stopped counting the number of the times Anko did this sort of thing.
"Come on, Anko, cut the kid some slack," Hayate did it more out of sympathy for Naruto. The man knew how much of a sadist Anko was, especially since he fought against her years ago during the Chunin Exams. The man still had nightmares at times from that memory.
"Hey, my student, my rules. Get your own student," she childishly retorted.
"Your rules suck," Naruto accidentally blurted out and the couple's eyes damn near popped out of their heads, "Why the hell did I say that!?" Naruto was pretty sure he was going to end up being chopped into itty bitty pieces for that remark, or worse. With Anko one never knew what was going to happen.
Her eye twitching at the remark, Anko hoisted Naruto up so she looked him dead in the eye. A chill went up both Hayate and Naruto's spines as she did, Yugao being used to it from her time spent with the woman. "I'm sorry," Naruto squeaked.
"Not. Good. Enough." She emphasized every single word and made him sweat even more. Looking around, spotting Hottomaru hiding in a hole he dug, Anko grinned. "So you don't like doing this, huh?"
"Oh, no. Oh, kami please no," Naruto had a bad feeling about this and knew where it was heading as well.
"For the next little while, gaki, you get to do any chores Hayate and Yugao-chan ask of you around the house while I'm gone. And seeing as how they are fairly busy doing what they do you're gonna have your hands full."
"Knew it," Naruto really felt like punching or striking himself with his staff for mouthing off… well mouthing off about Anko while she was nearby at least. Still it could have been a hell of a lot worse, but it still sucked nonetheless.
"Anko that isn't necessa-" Yugao was cut off by Hayate.
"That's fine," he said and got a look from Yugao. "Send him over tomorrow morning. We'll have things for him to do then."
"Perfect, glad we could work this out," Anko smiled, put her ward down. Naruto looked ready to cry.
"My Sunday," as of now, Naruto's weekend wasn't looking too well at the moment. When he finished up Hayate sent Naruto and Hottomaru on their way. Naruto limped as they left, exhausted from everything that happened. Anko having long since left, having only returned to inform Naruto on what she wanted him to do during her absence, her mission having been pushed half a day early. As Naruto and Hottomaru were now out of sight, Yugao rounded on her lover.
"What are you doing?" Yugao asked him.
"What? We get free labor and it allows us to spent more quality time together," he winked at her. The woman blushed and had to admit that last part actually sounded pretty good really, "Besides, word through the grapevine is that the kid's not going to be a dead ringer for Dead Last anymore," Hayate hadn't believed it either like the other rumors but what just happened now made him think otherwise.
"Really? Anko's teaching methods are actually getting results?" Yugao couldn't wholeheartedly believe it. Teaching wasn't really Anko's forte, evidence by the number of T&I candidates that switched divisions after her little demonstration. Ibiki was having a hell of a hard time trying to get new recruits and having little success because of the rumors that spread like wildfire.
"Apparently," he found it shocking too. "Actually this gives me an idea."
(Sometime Later)
"Ugh," an exhausted Naruto plopped down on the stool, head lying flat on the counter of Ichiraku Ramen.
"Training hard I see," Ayame chuckled when Naruto groaned some more. "What will you have, Naruto-kun."
"The usual, please," Naruto spoke.
"Arf!"
"And something for him," the boy added.
"You got it," she went on to making his order. "So what was it you were doing?" she asked him.
"Anko tricked me into doing a D-Rank mission," he said, "And I got to do some more tomorrow."
"D-Ranks? You're not a Genin yet butI guess you doing chores old civilians or lazy ninja commission for newly graduates is ok," Ayame shrugged.
"You knew!" he was surprised, "How?"
"I spent a year at the ninja academy when I was younger. I wanted to get ahead so I learned a few of the more required textbooks. In the end it wasn't for me though so I went to a civilian school instead then a cooking school and graduated," she informed with a shrug as she moved on to prepare the next step for the dish.
"Could have told me what D-Ranks were about," he grumbled, followed by his stomach.
"Hungry, huh?" the boy's stomach growled again. Ayame knew that ninja had a high metabolism so it wasn't uncommon for them to eat more than four meals a day with the amount of calories and fat they burned.
"Starving," he answered, his response jogging something in his mind, "Hey, Ayame-neechan, you got any more books on cooking? I'm almost done with the one you gave me."
"Really?" the young brunette was quite surprised by this, "I think so. I'll have to check in the back when I get the chance. The evening rush hour is about to start soon and I need to prepare. Dad's gone to do something so I'm on my own for the next little while."
[QUEST ALERT!]
Mastering Cooking for Dummies!
Main Quest: Master the skill Basic Cooking Skill!
Main Quest Completion: +150 REP with Ayame and Teuchi, +250 EXP, Unlock Intermediate Cooking Skill
Accept? (Yes/No)
Naruto sighed as a quest popped up and accepted. It wasn't that he didn't care but the young blond was too tired to be really enthusiastic about it at the moment. "Oh, well. At least it brings this skill to the next level."
"Thanks, neechan," Naruto said.
"No problem," she called back, "We have little use for those books anyways. Dad mostly keeps them for nostalgia and makes copies of them every few years or so."
"Why?"
"Dad used to be a Cooking-Nin," Ayame told him, much to his shock.
"Old-Man Teuchi used to be a ninja?" it would explain why he couldn't see his stats.
"Yeah, a pretty good one too, or so he says," Ayame proceeded with the next step. "Dad was a Tokubetsu Jonin and a master chef by the time he reached his early twenties. He often said his cooking could revitalize a ninja in a matter of minutes. Something his teacher passed on to him before she left for Hi no Kuni's capital. Some plump Akimichi woman if I recall," was all she could remember.
"Really? Why's he not a ninja anymore?" he winced as Ayame stopped cooking and guessed it was bad.
"Sorry, Naruto, but that's for dad to talk about," she knew he was merely curious and didn't mean any harm by asking but it wasn't for her to tell.
"Sorry, neechan," Naruto was mentally kicking himself. Most likely it had to do with the Permanent Crippling Injury status effect.
Your luck has held out and your reputation with Ayame holds strong.
"It's no problem," she waved it off, "Order up," Ayame then placed a large bowl of miso pork ramen in front of him and some grilled meat for Hottomaru. "Enjoy!"
Saying a quick prayer Naruto split his chopsticks down the middle and both he and Hottomaru ate theirs meals peacefully.
(With Anko)
"Hmm, dango and sweet bean soup, perfect combination," Anko purred as she noshed on her meal. A series of miniature skewers forming the Konoha symbol on the wall to her left.
"You keep eating those in excise amounts and you're gonna lose that figure of yours, Anko," Yugao spoke as she and Hayate sat down beside her.
"Yeah, like that will ever happen," Anko seriously doubted she'd lose her perfect figure, "What do you two love birds want?"
"Actually this is Hayate's doing," Yugao informed her fellow purple haired kunoichi.
"Really? Mr. Ballerina here?" Yugao chuckled lightly.
"You're never going to stop calling me that are you?" Hayate deadpanned.
"Hey, you were the one dancing in the forest," Anko smirked.
"I wasn't dancing I was – Ah, forget it," the man wasn't about to get drawn into this argument again. The incident had been him practicing his swordsmanship and the particular techniques he was honing had made it look like he was doing a series of feminine dance moves.
"Anko, be nice," Yugao told her friend. The woman knew it was merely Anko being herself and she and Hayate were good friends despite always teasing him like this.
"Ah, you're no fun," she huffed, "So what's up?"
Knowing she was now taking this seriously, Hayate began, "To start I want to know if the rumors regarding Naruto are true."
"Which ones?" there were several rumors revolving around Naruto so knowing which one he was referring to was sort of difficult to ascertain.
"Him no longer being a shoe in for Dead Last and him having an affinity for fire and wind," he elaborated.
Cocking an eyebrow at why he was asking this, it took the woman a few seconds before she realized where this was going. Yugao too was an intelligent woman, having joined Anbu when she was just child, and easily put two and two together.
"You're thinking of teaching the gaki some kenjutsu, aren't you?" it wasn't uncommon to see Futon and Katon techniques being used alongside kenjutsu. Futon could be used to increase the cutting power of swords and create vacuum blades while Katon made the blade hot enough to cut through thick armor like warm butter and set things alight from the intense heat.
Hayate nodded. The man was one of the very few practitioners of the Konoha-Ryu Kenjustu (Konoha Style Sword Techniques). The style and school originating from the Senju Clan and founded by Senju Tobirama, a master kenjutsu user and one of the few Konoha ever had in history. The Konoha-Ryu Kenjutsu fighting style revolved around incredible speed, unexpected feints, and pinpoint precision. All of which were a part of Senju Tobirama's fighting style, the fact the man was known as the fastest individual of his time made it a deadly fighting style.
Mixed with Hayate's own flair and prodigious skills in kenjutsu the style had even more techniques added to it. Hayate had been looking to pass down the art to someone who could use it to its fullest. It was easier said given the requirements needed to use some of the techniques and most would be ninja in Konoha weren't disciplined enough or preferred using and learning ninjutsu than learn the art of the sword.
"The amount of Konoha-Ryu Kenjutsu practitioners in the village are few in number, Anko," Hayate muttered, "and that number gets smaller and smaller as the years go by," once a ninja was promoted to Chunin or Anbu they were required to learn the basics and be proficient at it at an acceptable level but no more than that.
Yugao understood why he was so passionate about the matter. The woman herself was a practitioner but she and others had to learn from Hayate instead from another Anbu superior, it was one of the reasons why they fell in love with one another. Their love of kenjutsu and the amount of time they spent together. Both were prodigies in kenjutsu and while Hayate being the better of the two in terms of skill Yugao was ultimately the stronger of the two, a fact that Hayate wasn't ashamed to freely admitted.
"I know, koi, I know," the small amount of practitioners was a combination of some dying, either of old age or in the field, or having no student or any interested in learning the art.
"You know nothing is set in stone, right? I can ask him but ultimately it's up to the gaki," Anko told him, "He's gotten better but what makes you think he has the discipline to learn kenjutsu? It ain't for everyone you know."
"I know. But for some reason I have a feeling about this kid. He survived training from Anko Mitarashi herself. The Queen Sadist of Konoha's Torture and Interrogation Division," Yugao chuckled at that and Anko puffed her chest out with pride.
The sadistic woman had taken a liking to that particular title, even saying they should bow in her presence as a joke sometimes. "If he can handle that then maybe he has what it takes to learn this kenjutsu and make it great again," it was gamble, there was a chance it wouldn't work or Naruto not be interested, but at this point it he was willing to risk it. If Konoha academy students saw the Dead Last use the Konoha-Ryu Kenjutsu to great effect and how strong he was it would drive many to start learning it themselves. It wasn't perfect, and he knew some wouldn't go far in it, but it was a step in getting a once renowned art back in the spotlight.
Yugao merely sighed. She knew that once Hayate got like this he was determined to see it through, "Besides if that kid gets better at it he can teach other generations too," there was a hint of remorse in his voice as he said this and Anko winced as she knew what he was talking about.
When Hayate and Yugao first became a couple and as the years passed by the prospect of having children had often made its way into the conversation. Anko herself hadn't cared for the whole becoming a mother lifestyle like some of her female friends but respected their decision nonetheless.
During the Era of Warring States shinobi often married in secret with few knowing, and had children at a young age, a practiced that was still used to this day because their hazardous lifestyle often led to a reduced lifespan. It was much higher than what it used to be in the Era of Warring States, but still fairly low.
It was only until recently that both discovered having a child would be difficult for both of them. Both were fairly young, still in their early twenties, but both suffered from medical conditions. Yugao had a condition that while carrying a child would not be a problem getting pregnant due to not being very fertile was. She was still capable of becoming a mother, but the chances were low compared to most women.
In Hayate's case it was similar. His chronic cough and somewhat sickly appearance compared to when he was younger were the result of a poisonous gas, one that Anko had found impressive, during an ambush some years back. Of the ninja that went on that mission Hayate was one of the lucky few that managed to live to tell the tale. Being one of Konoha's best toxicologist Anko and other medics managed to make an antidote in case it was ever used again and those that managed to escape recovered. Unlike the others who made full recoveries, Hayate unfortunately had been left with some ill side effects that were beyond the medics or Anko's ability to remedy.
Though lucky to be alive the man was left with a chronic cough from a damaged lung. Thankfully he had no fear of it turning malignant and it was doable to live with. The man having developed a way to stop the coughing when he needed to. It was minor really. The other effects hadn't been discovered until later. One being the poison greatly reduced his stamina, muscle strength and speed to the point he needed to compensate by augmenting them with chakra. Whereas before it was pure muscle work. It also impaired his ability to properly develop muscles and increase his chakra reserves. And lastly it had greatly reduced the virility of his sperm.
All in all, and while Hayate and Yugao hadn't lost hope, the chances of either of them conceiving a child with one another in the future was very low. The doctor stating that the chances of them getting pregnant being less than nineteen percent. With medication and procedures the chances were higher but still below forty percent.
Hayate had no intention of seeing another woman, Yugao was the only one for him, and the fact that he may not have children to pass on his art made him feel empty. There was no doubt in his mind that both he and Yugao had every intention of teaching their children kenjutsu. But at the moment it wasn't happening any time soon. "At least with this kid I can potentially pass it on, maybe even have him teach my kids when I end up having some."
While he could live to a ripe old age, few ninja managed to live past their forties and Hayate was more or less plateauing at the moment in terms of strength. At least with Naruto and Yugao he'd have two who could teach his children should he pass on.
"I'll talk to him and see if he's interested. You know there's the chance of him not wanting to learn kenjutsu, Hayate," Anko informed him once again and the man chuckled, it was a possibility but a low one.
"I know, but you and I both know how that kid goes on about wanting to be Hokage and becoming an awesome ninja. If I offered to teach him kenjutsu I doubt he'd *cough* hesitate to learn."
The woman had to concede with that point. It was common knowledge around the village how adamant Naruto was about being Hokage. "Plus it also gets Yugao and I free labor to take care of the house," he smirked and Anko laughed. At times she often forgot how cunning Hayate could be.
"All right, I'll talk it over with him tomorrow morning before I leave for my mission. Just don't get your hopes up in case the gaki doesn't wanna learn," she informed him.
"That's fine," Hayate would be disappointed if it was the case but could live with it. Now all they needed to do was see if Naruto would agree and plan accordingly.
(A Few Hours Later)
"Ugh," Naruto yawned as he woke up from his nap. "Time," he called out and saw that it was nearing 8PM. "Eh, still got time," he said as he gazed outside, "Starting to get dark."
He wasn't surprised as it neared winter. While Konoha still had a fair amount of light even at seven at night it started to dim when it reached eight o'clock during this time of year. A fair amount of activity still occurred around this time in the streets but not as much.
Looking at his CP and HP, Naruto was pleased with what he saw. Napping, unlike a full night of sleep only recovered, 50% of his CP and HP, the same thing happening with his fatigue level. Luckily Naruto hadn't used up all his CP and his HP hadn't gone down too low when he fought in the Zombie Dungeon, as such both of them were now fully restored.
"You ready to hit one last dungeon, Hotto?" he asked the ninken. Only for the tired ninka to bark lowly, yawn, and go back to sleep. "Lazy mutt," though Naruto guessed the dog had enough for one day. Chasing after him when he needed to give Hotto a bath had only made them both tired and the bath had sapped Hottomaru of his energy. "Guess you can stick this one out," Naruto got out of bed and proceeded to gear up before heading out.
Making his way towards the training field, Naruto was left confused upon seeing something different about the text box.
Night Time Dungeon Effect
Dungeons can be entered during both cycles of the day. However, during the night the enemies encountered are greater in number, and stronger than their day time counterparts being two to three levels higher than normal. A bonus to this however is that the monsters encountered also give better EXP and loot than they would usually give.
"Just like Dragon Warrior," Naruto recalled how either stronger or certain types of monsters only came out at night in the game, usually in greater numbers too. Anko had told that the idea was based off of real life as some of the deadlier creatures slept during the day and came out at night.
Though seeing as he was at level nine, nearing ten, and the dungeon requirements for the next level were six to seven it wasn't that big of an imposition. "I wonder though," Naruto decided to try something to prove a hunch. "Yep, thought so."
Requirements for Area 3 Dungeon not met. Level requirements have been met but Area 2 Dungeon must be conquered before you can proceed to the next dungeon.
Naruto wasn't surprised by this turn of events. Most games required you to complete certain tasks on a previous floor or dungeon before you could proceed to the next one.
"Ah, well, was worth a shot. Training Area 2: Enter!"
Like before with the first training area dungeon he entered, Naruto found himself enveloped in a flash of bright light. When it faded away Naruto was left momentarily stunned upon finding where he was.
"I'm underground?" it made sense really when he recalled the black tunnel from the Boar Dungeon.
"At least there's light down here," Naruto noted the bright green glowing moss that provided him with a good amount of illumination.
Feeling a change of pace, Naruto switched out his staff and took out Chichizouge in its place. The boy had only used the weapon a few times during his spars with Anko so now was a good a time as any to see how well it did against a dungeon monster.
As he walked down the tunnel, Naruto's Detection Skill kicked in and he got into a defensive stance. The boy had sensed two enemies coming his way, and from the sound of it they were coming in quick. While they were too far out at the moment Naruto could see their forms and knew they were small compared to the other enemies he faced.
As the sound got louder and the enemy neared, Naruto finally got a better look at what he was about to face, "Rats?"
Common Rat Level 7
HP: 300
CP: 75
STR: 15
VIT: 12
DEX: 68
INT: 3
WIS: 30
LUK: 30
Defense: 0
Perks:
Nimble: +30% increase to Movement Speed in and out of combat, +30% increase to Evasion, +10% Increase to Critical Hits
Keen-Senses:+50% effectiveness to Detection Skill, Ignores Henge Skill, very sensitive to powerful and pungent odours
Disease-Ridden: 25% damage increase to biting and claw techniques, 25% chance of causing Disease status effect if bitten
Description: Rats are often seen as pests by many, these rats more so because of their larger size and greater number. Past attempts at eradicating them to contain these plague and disease ridden pests have all met with failure due to their astonishing and frightening ability to adapt and reproduce. Their sense of smell allows them to find food even deep underground and the ability to detect invaders who come too close to their nest. Though weak and small individually they make up for it in large numbers and they are very quick and difficult to deal with, especially when they run for reinforcements.
EXP Earned: 65
Drops: ?, ?, ?
"Great," Naruto muttered. The little vermin weren't going to pose much of threat in terms of power but speed wise and in large numbers instead. Naruto was quick but with their higher DEX, even with the +5 DEX boost from his dagger, and their Nimble Perk they were quicker than him. They were also the same size as Hottomaru which made the task of trying to hit them even more difficult compared to the boars.
"But damn if I don't like a challenge," he grinned and allowed the two rats to get in closer. When they were close enough, Naruto used Reppusho towards them. With the technique as it was now it not only gave a good boost in attack power but the chances of knocking enemies over were much higher too. Pouncing on the closest downed rat, Naruto stabbed Chichizouge at it only for the small rodent to evade it at the last second.
Naruto was barely left with enough time to raise his arm and slashed at the creature when it jumped at him. Once it was down once more, Naruto's second attempt at stabbing the evasive creature proved successful and continued to do so until it died. Once he was done, Naruto whirled around at the other rat and saw the creature disappear into the dark tunnel ahead of him.
"Damn," Naruto cursed. If what the description said was right the little bastard was most likely going for reinforcements. Chasing after him was a dumb move because not only would he be unable to catch up with it, he also had no intention of getting ambushed. The tunnels were illuminated but if they were anything like the video games he played then he didn't doubt there'd be darker areas with holes and crevices for them to suddenly pop out of.
Sighing, Naruto picked up the loot from the dead rat, which consisted of Diseased Rat-Teeth and Diseased Rat-Nails, both of which according to their description could be used in making low tier poisons. The revelation me him wonder if the Zombie Ribs he had could be used for the same purpose.
"At least I didn't get any rat meat," he shuddered. Naruto wasn't down with getting meat from a supposed diseased creature with the purpose of it being eaten. Even if the description said otherwise.
As he prepared to head out, Naruto's Detection Skill kicked in once again. "Seven coming this time," he sensed and decided to try a different strategy. Once the rats got closer, Naruto assaulted the closest ones with two kunai. One of them got cut and the other missed home. It didn't matter to the blond, however; as the boy merely held up a hand sign and watched the two exploding tags attached to said kunai explode and send the rats flying.
This left them all wide open for a counter attack and Naruto finished them all off with relative ease with a few placed stabs and slashes to the head. Much like many other creatures in video games the head was a weak point and striking there resulted in critical hits and additional damage.
Picking up his loot that consisted of four Diseased Rat-Teeth and five Diseased Rat-Nails, Naruto dusted himself off and headed out into the tunnels.
(Meanwhile in Naruto's Apartment, Sometime Later)
As Hottomaru slept peacefully in his bed, having peed on the footrest a few weeks back and in his mind claiming it as his, the young pup's ears and legs twitched every so often. The ninken was having a dream of chasing down dangerous wildlife and showing them who was boss.
So focused and tired was he that the ninken didn't sense the intruder outside the door. Slowly and silently, the door handle to the apartment turned and the door soon opened. A figure covered by the darkness of the apartment stealthy walked into Naruto's home.
"Place needs some cleaning up," the intruder muttered lowly. The academy student's apartment was of decent size but still left much to be desired. There was dust and stains in a few places but the amount of dishes and the heavy smell of ramen was as bit much.
Making their way towards the boy's room the intruder opened the door slowly once more and spotted the sleeping form of Hottomaru. But no Naruto in sight. "Damn it, he's not here," the intruder cursed at their luck.
"No matter, the mutt will do just fine. Good thing I know how to mask my scent," the person smirked devilishly as they grabbed a hold of Hottomaru and quickly injected him with a needle before the ninken went limp and stopped moving.
"Time for a little payback," phase one was complete. Now on to phase two.
(With Naruto)
As close to an hour passed away, and as he fought more and more rats that came his way, Naruto found himself bored. The young boy had already managed to kill twenty someCommon Rats, eleven Black Rats, and five Giant Rats, the latter two were tougher but not by much. The Giant Rats, as the name said, were twice the size of Black Rats, which themselves were the size of Wild Boars.
Truthfully at first it was a bit of a letdown really, he had expected something more, even with the Night Time Dungeon Effect. Though guessed that because of his higher level, and because it was a low level dungeon, and better skill set it was bound to occur. The boy had hoped it wasn't to be so soon though.
That all changed when Naruto had gotten himself ambushed when he entered a large cavern a few minutes ago and rats began to fall on top of him. The rats had gotten in a few good hits and given him the Disease status effect as a result. As a result the boy's movement and techniques weren't as effective. Use of his remaining exploding tags was a no go as the cavern was much too wide and offered the rats ample time and room to evade the explosion they'd cause.
"Ryoku Boku (Power Strike)!" Naruto slashed the head off a Black Rat and watched as it vanished into a series of particles.
"Ki-ki-ki!" was the chattering that came from the other rats. Where there was once eleven rats in total was now only three. One of them, a Giant Rat, felt provoked and rushed at him.
"Katon: Hidama no Jutsu (Fire Release: Fireball Technique)!" four fireballs came into existence and lit up the cave even more in an orange hue as they sailed at the large creature. Quickly following up with a Reppusho to enhance them, the giant rodent only managed to evade two of the fireballs and was set alight by the harmful flames. Closing in, Naruto performed a series of quick stabs and slashes before he maneuvered behind the large beast. "Kentotsu (Backstab)!"
Stabbing deeply into the creature's back Naruto was happy to see it dissipate into nothingness. The blond didn't bother to look for the other two remaining rats, his Detection Skillinforming him they had both fled the scene.
"So much for being bored," Naruto laughed, and he was honestly happy that he was finally getting a challenge. While he was happy to have leveled up a while back it still didn't change the fact that it had gotten too easy. While Naruto didn't care all that much for difficulty levels during games he wasn't the type to place the setting on easy mode. It wasn't that fun or challenging in his personal opinion. "Status Effect!"
Status Effect
Malnourished: Hampered physical growth rate, -25% to VIT, DEX, and STR stat base, +20% vulnerability to poisons
Diseased: -25% to all stats, -25% Effectiveness from Healing Techniques and Items. (1 Min Remaining)
"Eh, not too bad," technically speaking it sucked as it greatly brought down his stats but at the same time it was only temporary and had offered a better challenge. As he collected all the dropped loot, Naruto noticed that the cave was starting to get brighter. "Daylight?"
He immediately threw that thought away, he had only been here for an hour not an entire day and he was underground. A fire then? Was someone else in here?
"KI KI KI!"
"Definitely not a person," he noted while the loud screech echoed in the cavern and Naruto saw the form of a large, and mysteriously, flamed covered rat. "The hell?" this was a first if he ever saw one. The boy guessed this was the dungeon boss and used Observe on the flame covered creature.
Hinezumi (Fire Rat)"Kaso"Lv 10 (Rare Spawn)
HP: 1150
CP: 400
STR: 45
VIT: 40
DEX: 90
INT: 16
WIS: 30
LUK: 30
Defense: 50
Perks:
Flame-Fur: Immunity and Absorbs fire based attacks, +25% Resistance towards wind based attacks, +30% of Burning if Touched, +30% Physical Damage Increase, +50% Increase to fire based attacks, fire based abilities are negated if fur becomes wet
Nimble: +50% Movement Speed in and out of combat, + 50% Evasion, +25% Increase to Critical Hits
Keen-Senses:+100% effectiveness to Detection Skill, Ignores Henge Skill, very sensitive to powerful and pungent odours
Disease-Ridden: 50% damage increase to biting and claw techniques, 50% chance of causing Disease status effect if bitten
Description: One of the few legendary fire rats of mythology that still remain. Though small compared to other Rare Spawn and Bosses this large rat is very quick and its fire-coated skin makes it a formidable opponent. However, unlike its ancestors of old that once had a decent relationship with humans this flamed covered creature has cast aside the old ways. Now it cares only for its well-being, even if it means running away from a battle and leaving its companions to their demise.
EXP Earned: 825
Drops: ?, ?, ?
Rare Spawns
Rare Spawns are unique one-of-a kind enemies that are difficult to locate as they appear at random in any part of a dungeon they reside in. They are similar to bosses as they are tougher than normal enemies as not only do they give a great amount of EXP but sometimes drop rare loot that you can't find anywhere else. Such loot include unique weapons, armor, items, even quest starting ones.
Note: Only a few dungeons have Rare Spawns. Unlike bosses and regular enemies that respawn after a certain amount of time, or reentering an area or dungeon, Rare Spawns do not. The time limit for respawning varies. For some it takes days because of the rewards they give, even then a Rare Spawn will not appear at the same location or drop the same loot consecutively.
As Naruto read the description the boy was conflicted. On one hand the creature was going to give him a good amount of EXP and a rare drop, but on the other hand the stats and perks it had was not going to make this fight easy. Naruto wouldn't be able to use any of his elemental ninjutsu as fire would only make be absorbed and futon damage was now cut down by twenty five percent in effectiveness. This meant this was mostly going to be a physical fight.
His mussing was cut short, unfortunately; and the boy was forced to dodge when the rat charged at him with blazing speed. A trail of flames following behind it as it rushed by.
"Great," Naruto muttered and switched from his dagger to his staff. He was confident but Naruto knew he was going to need to keep his distance against this thing. His dagger was the better weapon but his staff allowed some distance. Naruto had no intention in getting scorched by this creature.
"Ninpo: Goriki (Ninja Art: Hard Strength)!" a surge of power flowed through him as he used the technique. As the rat charged at him once more, when it got close enough, Naruto struck at the ground where it was going to be. Though he missed when it dodged, the blond saw a decent size spider web crack forming on the ground.
"Damn!" Naruto was surprised at his new found strength but that surprise soon turned into a grin as he eyed the rat. Though he was slower, his ninjutsu practically useless and he was alone, Naruto knew this was going to be an interesting fight to say the least.
"Ki ki," Kaso squeaked at him and the flames on its fur grew larger, brighter, and from the change in temperature he felt, hotter too.
"Bring it you garbage eating piece of shit," Naruto taunted the creature. Naruto didn't know if it could understand him but the fire rat charged at him even faster than before and the boy was forced to block its attack.
"Ow," he grunted as the hot flames licked at him and forced Naruto to retreat, but the rat didn't let up and followed him and continued its assault. "Damn it!" he grunted once more. The damage wasn't high but it didn't take a genius to figure out that if it continued like this the damage would start to stack up.
They continued this dance for a couple of minutes, to which Naruto had managed to dodge and evade it better this time. Once more the rat rushed at him, but Naruto was better prepared now and struck when it pounced. The rat gave a loud squeak and was sent flying, a very good chunk of its HP being taken in the process. But the creature managed to right itself as it landed and put some distance between itself and Naruto when he tried to land another blow.
"Damn he's quick," Naruto scowled at the rare spawn. The strike had taken a little over one hundred of its HP but it was a lucky blow. Naruto wished he had used Saigeki (Crushing Strike) instead as it would have potentially rendered it immobile and at his mercy. As it was Naruto and the rat merely looked at one another, neither attacked. While the rat had the advantage in speed and its unique defense, Naruto had the upper hand in strength and cunning.
Quickly glancing around the cavern Naruto kept his guard up but slowly moved and never took his eyes off of the rat. Going back to the back to the tunnel that he came from, Naruto took out a set of kunai with exploding tags attached at the end and proceeded to throw them behind him. The boy then put some distance between him and the tunnel he laced with explosives and subsequently blew it up when he stood in front of the only other tunnel out of the cave.
"Now the only way out for you is through me," if it was anything like its weaker companions he knew it would potentially flee if given the chance. Naruto wasn't about to lose sight of his first rare spawn enemy. "That I'd be embarrassing," he muttered.
"KI KI!" the fire rat chattered at him and Naruto took this chance to bolt inside the tunnel. Though confused by the act, Kaso following after him. A decision the rat would soon regret. "Futon: Reppusho no Jutsu (Wind Release: Violent Gale Palm Technique)!"
"KI!" though the attack didn't really harm it the force from the technique combined with how narrow the tunnel was made it so the gall force was centered all on the rat the moment it entered the tunnel.
"You're mine, bitch!" Naruto took off like a shot at the temporarily dazed creature and struck it with Saigeki. Not wasting anytime, Naruto proceeded to rain as many Power Strikeson the rat as he could before it was surrounded by a large and powerful blaze.
"Damn it," Naruto cursed. A few more blows and the rat would have been dead. He had little time to think, however; as he felt the rat charge at him and the boy hardly had time to dodge this time. It was now much quicker and stronger. For the next few minutes the rat would charge in and attempt to strike him, and Naruto only just barely managed to keep up, block, or evade it.
When it rushed in once again, Naruto stuck out his staff and caused Kaso to trip over the weapon, the creature squeaking as it went skidding. Naruto took this opportunity to end this fight, but the rat recovered too quickly and the boy felt its head ram into his gut. His shirt now ablaze, Naruto was sent him tumbling to the ground instead of finishing off the rare spawn.
It didn't end there though as the rat jumped on him and attempted to bite his face. Naruto managed to stop it from doing so by horizontally sticking his staff in its mouth and held in at bay. With his greater strength the rat's attempts at biting him were proving fruitless. It only worked momentarily, Kaso was smart and quickly changed tactics and began to rake at him with its flame covered and disease ridden claws.
"Grr," Naruto grunted as he felt the pain inflicted on him by the appendages. Naruto already felt weaker and knew he was affected by the Disease status effect. His strength was still high but Naruto knew that each rake of its claws only took more and more of his HP.
Tucking in his legs, Naruto thrust outwards and double kicked the rodent in the stomach with all his strength. Combined with his Ninpo: Goriki it took not only a great deal of health but sent it tumbling away, but it managed to right itself pretty quickly.
Getting up as fast he could, Naruto tried to put out the flames from his armor but cursed even more when he saw Kaso retreat towards the tunnels. The Gamer wasn't going to let the rare spawn get away that easily and set off after the fire rat. When the retreating creature was just about to enter the tunnels, Naruto quickly formed a hand sign and saw the rat's only means of escape blow up.
*BOOM* the suddenness of the explosion almost knocked him off balance and rocked the cavern. The boy could only watch as the tunnel entrance collapsed and filled with rocks.
"Damn it," Naruto cursed as his vision was momentarily clouded by dust and flying rocks. When the dust cloud cleared, Naruto breathed a sigh of relief when saw loot outside the tunnel entrance. The evasive rat hadn't escaped in time. Kaso the fire rat was dead.
"Dumb rat," Naruto smirked. The boy had learned from the Zombie Dungeon and knew that there was a chance of the rat trying to make a break for it if it got the chance. Naruto was just glad he managed to place his remaining exploding tags he had near the tunnel entrance before he used Reppusho seconds later.
"Now, let's see what we got here," he smirked. The first item was a scroll, much like with the zombie and the boar the boy didn't bother wondering why it had it and just rolled with it.
Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique) D-Rank. Lv. 1 Next Lv. 0/75. CP usage varies on distance, time, and actions used. A technique that allows a ninja to move short to long distances at incredible speeds, though more commonly used for short distances. This is accomplished by using chakra to temporarily vitalize every single part of the body and move at extreme speed. Though can still be intercepted by those with greater speed, visual perception, and reflexes. While a D-Rank technique it is difficult to master and use and requires a great amount of chakra control to properly utilize the technique without risks of injury.
* Increases evasion by 30% when activated.
* Increases speed by 30% when activated.
* Capable of becoming undetectable by others within 10 levels for certain amount of time.
Requirements Needed to Learn:
* Must have mastered the Kawarimi
* Must have mastered Water Surface Walking Practice
* WIS level must be 60 or above to learn
"Well, this fucking blows," it was an awesome technique to learn but at the moment it was going to take a while before Naruto could even learn it. Sighing he put it away in hisInventory Box. "This next one better be good," Naruto wasn't disappointed.
Hinezumi no Kōgaito (Crimson Cloak of the Fire Rat) (Epic Quality)
Back Armor
Durability: 70/70
Defense: 25
Bonus Stats:
* Negates fire based techniques
* 25% effectiveness and increased power towards fire based techniques
* Absorbs 25% of chakra from fire techniques
* If struck by water its abilities are temporarily negated
Description: An extremely rare and ancient object made from the hide of a legendary fire rat well over a thousand years ago. Few of these cloaks were ever made and all of them were thought to be lost or destroyed. The hide from the fire rat is composed of naturally occurring chakra absorbing fibers, allowing the cloak to both negate fire and absorb it, but has a terrible reaction towards water. Despite its ability to negate flames the protection is only offered if the body part is protected by the cloak. Unlike most cloaks the material used in making this is not only very durable but extremely light.
"HOT DAMN!" Naruto cheered at the find. "In your face, teme! I got an awesome fire based tool and you don't!" it was practically Christmas for the boy and Naruto couldn't be any happier. "Totally makes up for the ball buster technique!" he grinned and decided to put it on, "Hmm, not bad," the hood that came with it was a nice touch too and he had to admit that deep crimson was a very good color on him. Even if it did sort of clash with his current attire's colors.
"Note to self: Future armor must not clash with cloak's color," Naruto wisely decided. Either way the cloak would still offer him better defense. Picking up the last loot, Naruto, though disappointed it wasn't something extraordinary, was happy to have found four thousand ryo nonetheless. Just more funds towards his future house.
(Sometime Later)
Naruto shook his head as he came out of the dungeon. Though he'd have loved to go to the next one his HP and CP were now at the half way point because of the boss battle. Taking in the fact that the next dungeon's enemies and boss were going to be much tougher. Despite the fact he had items that could recover his HP, his CP was a different story. The boy had found it ironic really. After he cleared the rubble from the tunnel he collapsed on Kaso, said tunnel had taken himdirectly to the rat's nest and the boss battle.
"King of the Rats my ass," Naruto scoffed. The boss fight wasn't tough, more annoying than anything. The Rat King was a bit taller than himself and had scabby and boil ridden black fur with bone like protrusions coming out of it at odd places.
The boss wasn't as fast compared to Kaso, fast still but nothing he couldn't handle. Essentially the fight revolved around him mostly fighting the boss' minions as he would get in a few blows and then make a run for it. It would have been fine had it not been for the boss's ability to debuff him with both the Disease and Poison status effects. The latter one taking 24 HP every three second for thirty seconds, which added up after a while.
In the end though, Naruto had decided he had enough. After dealing with the Rat King's minions he had used his Detection Skill to find out which tunnel he was coming out of. The boss of the rats and his new minions had little time to react when Naruto bellowed a Katon: Rasen Hoen no Jutsu (Fire Release: Spiraling Phoenix Flame Technique). The technique resulted in the tunnels lighting up and spew forth red hot flames.
Though it had taken a bit out of him as the technique was still difficult to use, Naruto was just happy the damn rat was dead. The Rat King wasn't tough compared to Kaso, but he was annoying as hell with his hit and run tactics. "So that's what it feels like," he realized at the time.
Sadly, unlike Onibuta, Naruto wasn't greeted with the sight of a treasure chest key or weapon, much to his disappointment. Instead he was given a scroll for a poison based technique called Ninpo: Dokkasō (Ninja Art: Toxic Luster Claw). An awesome C-Rank technique that converted one's chakra into poisonous and corrosive chemicals and made the nails on their hands more claw like. Unfortunately, he was unable to learn it as he needed to know Basic Medical Ninjutsu, Basic Toxicology and didn't have a high enough WIS level.
So all he got in the end from the boss were two vials of Low Grade Corrosive Poison, a recipe for making said poison, and a Large Disease Rat-Teeth. The boy wasn't pleased with the rewards of this level and didn't have any intention of returning unless it was to potentially get another Crimson Cloak of the Fire Rat to sell. Naruto had no doubt it would sell for a ton of money, assuming he could find Kaso again of course and he dropped it once more.
"Lousy dungeon," Naruto muttered. The only saving grace was getting the cloak, which he put away for the time being and made his way back home. Though he wasn't tired he still had stuff to do tomorrow, "Thanks a lot, Anko," he grumbled, and he wanted to get enough sleep. Hopefully he could go back into the Zombie Dungeon before the week started. The boy had no doubt that his weekdays were going leave him too occupied to go into the dungeons. Especially since Anko had given him stuff he needed to do, on top of the training she was having him doing.
"*Sigh* That damn woman's a slave driver," Naruto decided not to vocalize his thoughts on the off chance Anko was nearby. The boy was going to have to up his Detection Skill and learn other variations to prevent being sneaked up on.
As he arrived at his apartment complex, Naruto stopped as he saw a light in his room. The boy tensed for he knew he had not turned on any light when he left. Someone was breaking into his apartment and dread fell over him as he realized something else.
"Hotto!"
Status Window
Name: Uzumaki Naruto
Job: The Gamer
Level: 10 Next Level: 4239/7600
Title: Academy Student
Specialization: N/A
HP: 2150
CP: 3350
STR: 40.5
VIT: 55
DEX: 62 (+5) = 67
INT: 101
WIS: 38.5
LUK: ?
DEF: 55
Perks:
?: Additional +3 VIT & +5 INT per Lv, +75 CP per Lv, +25% additional EXP towards
Power Type Fighting Style, -25% EXP towards Chakra Control, - 40% EXP towards reputation gain
?: Additional +3 VIT & +5 INT per Lv, +50 HP per Lv, +25% additional EXP towards Fuinjutsu, -15% EXP towards Chakra Control
Prank King: -10% EXP towards reputation gain, +15% EXP towards Strategy & Tactics, +15% towards Stealth, Additional +3 DEX per Lv
Apprentice Zombie Slayer: 40% increase attack and defense against Undead, +10 stats when facing Undead, +15% additional drops and EXP from Undead
Status Effects:
Malnourished: Hampered physical growth rate, -25% to VIT, DEX, and STR stat base, +20% vulnerability to poisons
Description: Uzumaki Naruto's background is shrouded in mystery. Currently an academy student with inspirations to become Hokage, Naruto has a long and difficult journey ahead of him before he can attain his dream. At the moment, Naruto is considered by many as a shoe in for the title of Dead Last.
Money: 108,640Ryo ~ (10,864$)
Stats: 7
Omake: Told Ya!
"Hmm, dango and sweet bean soup, perfect combination," Anko purred as she noshed on her meal. A series of miniature skewers forming the Konoha symbol on the wall to her left.
"You keep eating those in excise amounts and you're gonna lose that figure of yours, Anko," Yugao spoke as she and Hayate said down beside her.
"Yeah, like that will ever happen," Anko seriously doubted she'd lose her perfect figure.
(Years Later)
"Phew," Yugao wiped the sweat from her head. "That's enough for today," the thirty odd year old woman had done enough training for one day. Having been promoted to Anbu Commander after the previous one retired some years ago left the woman with little time to practice her kenjutsu like this. Oh, she was still one of the top ten best kenjutsu practitioners in Konoha but with her busy schedule she knew she could no longer maker such a claim if she didn't practice every now and then.
Making her way back her house, Yugao saw someone she had not seen in the last few months. "Anko!?"
"Yugao-chan!" the woman before left Yugao speechless. Where there was once a skinny and curvy young woman was a now a plump and chubby cheeked woman. "I haven't seen you in months!"
"Hey, Anko," Yugao was still shocked at seeing her friend like this before a smirk crossed her face.
"What?" Anko asked.
"So it finally happened, huh?" the woman thought, "You look good."
"I got fat I know," the woman knew the thought crossed her mind.
"Oh, no, really you look good," it could have been a lot worse honesty.
"Ah, I'm not worried," the woman said and ate three dango sticks at the same time.
"Really?" ever since the Fourth Shinobi World War ended the more physically demanding and intense missions and conflict weren't as as high anymore. Which meant that a lot of shinobi weren't as physically active.
"Yeah, I'm fine, this is nothing," Anko said. "I can get rid of it in no time, anytime I want," she boasted.
Yugao frowned, "I doubt it'll be that easy, Anko," ninja did have high metabolisms and burned fat more easily and quickly than civilians but it still took time for it to happen. That metabolism wasn't as high when they got older though, "It will take you at least three to five weeks to lose all that fat. Maybe even more with your eating habits, Anko."
"Wanna make a bet?" Anko smiled at her friend.
"Even when she smiles it still sends chills," Yugao knew Anko had mellowed out a bit since a decade ago but the woman hadn't lost her sadistic streak. "Terms?"
"Simple, I lose all this fat before three weeks and you have to treat someone at Yakiniku Q for a whole week. And if I don't then you can have me do anything you want for the same amount of time," Anko said.
"Deal," Yugao smirked and both women shook on it.
"Anko-sensei!" Yugao looked behind her and saw a dark skin and plump young girl call out to them.
"Chocho!" the woman greeted her close student with a hug. "Yugao this is Akimichi Chocho. Chocho, Yugao's treating us to lunch today."
"Yah!"
"Huh? I never-" an aura of chakra suddenly surrounded Anko and to the Anbu Commander's fascination and horror, Yugao watched as the plump purple haired woman revert back to her skinny self in a matter of seconds.
"Told ya, I could do it," Anko merely stood there with her hands on her now slender waist, a wide smirk crossed her face as Yugao continued being speechless.
"I have a very good relationship with my students, Yugao. Chocho's father actually let me learn this neat little trick," her smirk got even wider.
"But, but, that's cheating!"
"Says who? We never said I couldn't do this to lose the weight," Yugao realized then and there she had been played like a fiddle. "Now about lunch?"
Yugao was thankful for being in the Anbu. Had it not been for her high rank pay, and she was glad it was only those two, she had no doubt she'd be forced to take out a second mortgage on her house. Both Anko and her student had eaten her out of a month's pay in a week.