"So what do you think of my request?" Jiraiya asked.
"It seems reasonable enough," Sarutobi admitted. "It should be a valuable learning experience for Naruto." The Hokage gave his old student an amused grin. "For you as well I imagine. Naruto is quite interesting."
"Yeah, he definitely is. That's part of the reason I want to help him. That and I owe it to his father."
Sarutobi was about to reply when there was an urgent knock at his office door. "Come," he called in a worried voice. Long experience had taught him to expect the worst. Bad news was the kind the Hokage got in a hurry. And sure enough…
"Hokage-sama," an ANBU said upon entering. "It appears that Uchiha Sasuke has gone missing!"
XXXXXXXXXX
Once alerted that the last Uchiha in Konoha was gone it had taken little time to have some of Konoha's top ninja sent out to search for him. Led by Konoha's top tracker what they soon found was the body of some unknown female out in the woods far from the village.
Bending over the body Jiraiya frowned. He had seen a lot of corpses before but none like this. "It's almost like the body was… shed, like a snake's skin."
"Whoever she was she has Aizen's scent," Inuzuka Tsume announced. "There are also four more scents that joined them here; they're about a day old. And Sasuke's…"
"What about Sasuke?" Kakashi asked worriedly. He of course had been the one to realize something was wrong when he'd arrived two hours late as usual only to find Sakura and Ayako there with no sign of Sasuke. Knowing how rigidly punctual Sasuke had been he'd immediately summoned his nin dogs to track him down and learned he'd left the village with Aizen. He hadn't told anyone about the connection between them. He had thought he'd dealt with the problem. He had no idea why Aizen had taken Sasuke from the village. Clearly he had committed treason, but for whom was a mystery.
"His scent is… different," Tsume said with a frown.
"Different how exactly?" Jiraiya asked.
"I'm not sure how to explain it," Tsume admitted. "It's almost as if his body has become just the tiniest bit rancid."
"Rancid?" Kakashi asked in frustration. "He's a ninja, not a stick of butter."
"That's the best way I can think to explain it," Tsume said in annoyance. "It's just as if his body has taken on just the faintest trace of corruption. It's nothing too serious, but it's just barely there."
"Could he have gotten sick or maybe even been poisoned?" Kakashi wondered aloud.
Tsume merely shrugged.
"Well whatever the case we have to track him down and return him to the village."
"I'm afraid that's going to be impossible," Tsume said. "They're at least one full day ahead of us."
"So what? We can still track them down and catch them," Kakashi insisted.
"How? Take a look." She jerked her thumb towards the storm clouds coming down from the north; they could already see flashes of lightning and hear the distant echoes of thunder. "They're scents are going to be washed away, we'll never find them again as far away as we are. I hate to say it but we've lost them."
"I refuse to just give up!" Kakashi said. He couldn't just give up, this was his fault! As Sasuke's sensei the ultimate responsibility rested with him. He didn't know what exactly had happened over the last 24 hours, but he'd known there's been a problem. Sasuke's obsession with gaining power and getting revenge had worsened ever since the failed mission to Wave. He'd hoped Sasuke would see the error of his ways on his own. I should have done more, he thought. I should have treated it as a serious situation. He would be to blame for whatever happened to Sasuke. Just as he had been with Obito. "We can't just quit!"
"What do you think I want to give up on him?" Tsume snarled. "But like it or not it'll be impossible. Or do you think you know more about tracking than me?"
"I can track them using my nin dogs."
"Be my guest," Tsume told him. "See if they have any more luck with a scent that's been washed away."
"We have to at least try," Jiraiya said. Deciding the matter. "Even if it is hopeless."
Resigned Tsume nodded. She Jiraiya, Kakashi, and the supporting ANBU continued on.
XXXXXXXXXX
Two Days Later
"So when are we going to kiss?" Naruto asked.
"Kiss?" Anko turned a startled face to him. "You're twelve gaki!"
"I'll be thirteen next month," he said defensively.
"Oh well that'll make it okay then." She shook her head. "You're waaaaaay to young for that yet."
He grinned at her. "But I'm old enough for you to sleep with?"
Her face reddened a bit. "That's different, that's just my way of celebrating our successes as a team."
"You mean getting me drunk and then dragging me into bed with you?"
"You make it sound criminal when you say it like that," she muttered. "Look, once you got the hitai-ite you were considered an adult in most ways, that includes being able to have alcohol. As for sleeping together that's all we do, sleep, nothing more."
"Yet," he said hopefully.
Flick.
"Ow!" He rubbed the spot above his hitai-ite. "Hey! How can you complain when you're the one who keeps getting me drunk and naked all the time?"
She frowned. She hated to admit it but the gaki had a fair point. Why did she keep putting them in that situation? They'd done it three times now. Despite what he might think she was not attracted to him in that way. Still… it wouldn't have been truthful to say she disliked snuggling with him. She'd known him for four years now and he was easily the person she was closest to and cared the most for. Kakashi and the other men she'd known and been intimate with remained only casual friends and nothing more. (In Kakashi's case she wasn't sure he qualified as even that anymore.) She had never cooked for any of them, never celebrated a birthday with them, never taken any of them shopping, or seen any of them weep. And certainly none of them had ever told her they loved her and wanted to marry her. Despite the strangeness of the circumstances the fact was that Naruto was the man in her life. Is that sweet or just depressing?
"Even if I'm okay with using you as a bed warmer from time to time that doesn't mean I'm making out with you any time soon gaki."
They continued traveling back to the village in silence for a few minutes before Naruto spoke up again.
"Hey Anko?"
"What?"
He gave her a sly grin. "I noticed you kept saying it was too soon and I'm too young and you wouldn't kiss me yet. But you never said you wouldn't kiss me."
Looking over to him she gave him a smile. "No I didn't."
He was the one to turn red and feel his heart begin to pound.
Seeing his reaction she looked away and chuckled.
XXXXXXXXXX
When they made it back to the village they learned about the results of the finals. Naruto was sorry to hear about Shikamaru not getting promoted, but he was glad that two leaf nins did. Even though he didn't really know either of them. Most people were just relieved that all the foreign ninja that had been in the village were finally gone and that the tension with Suna had dissipated without incident.
There was also another rumor floating around the village.
"Something happened to Sasuke," Ayako told him as they had some ramen together. "He never showed up for a D-rank mission and sensei would up dismissing us so he could go look for him."
"Wait, so he just disappeared?" Naruto asked.
"That's what it looks like, no one's seen him since then," Ayako said unhappily. "And my mom went out on a mission without any prep right after that. She wouldn't admit what she was doing, it was S-ranked whatever it was, but I think it's pretty suspicious that she left right after Sasuke went missing. Sakura's taking it really hard; she'd talking about resigning as a ninja."
"If that's how she feels then she probably should," Naruto said.
She looked at him in surprise. "That's kind of harsh Naruto-kun."
"A ninja's life is harsh," he told her as he downed some more noodles. "If she doesn't have a total commitment then there's no way she'll be able to handle really hard missions. If that's the case she's better off being a civilian."
"I would have expected you to say she should do her best and keep trying no matter what."
"Well sure, if being a ninja is what she wants. But if she's not sure then it's not just best for her but best for anyone she'd work with if she gets out of it. Being a ninja is just too hard to have self doubts about what you're doing. If I had any doubts there's no way I'd have been able to handle Anko's training or the missions we've had." He put the bowl to his lips to begin slurping down its contents.
Looking about to make sure Ayame and old man Teuchi weren't nearby she leaned in to whisper to him. "You mean Chichi's training right?"
He spat out the broth and turned a horrified eye to her. "You know?!"
She motioned for him to calm down. "Lower your voice," she said. "And yeah I know, my aunt took me aside after the last time we all met and explained things to me and Kiba. So we both know, and since it's an S-rank secret we've been sworn not to tell anyone under penalty of imprisonment."
"But you just told me!"
She shook her head. "You don't count since you already know, obviously. This way whenever I see you with your sensei 'Anko' you don't need to worry."
"Oh… good point."
Ayako grinned at her. "So how old is she?"
"Twenty four," Naruto said.
"Wow, that's pretty old."
"Tell me about it."
"Are you really going to still marry her?"
He gave her a huge triumphant grin. "You bet I am!"
Ayako was a bit surprised at his certainty given the truth of the situation. Then again Naruto had always been pretty stubborn about things.
"So what do you think about Sasuke's disappearance?"
"I don't know, I'll need to talk to the old man about it."
"You mean the Hokage?" Ayako asked in surprise.
"Sure, I'll ask him what's going on and what I can do to help. Sasuke's my friend so of course I'm going to help him."
"You know I've never understood just why you're able to talk to the Hokage any time you want. How do you manage that?"
He gave her a wide smile. "I'd tell you but it's an S-rank secret." He brought the bowl up again and quickly finished the last of it.
"Are you serious?"
Putting the bowl down he gave her a wave goodbye. "Maybe. Anyway I'll see you later."
XXXXXXXXXX
Just as he'd expected he was able to get a meeting with the Hokage. To his surprise Anko and Jiraiya were already there. Jiraiya had a black eye.
"You tried to hug her didn't you?" Naruto asked.
"I was just trying to be friendly…" Jiraiya began.
"You were just trying to cop a feel," Anko corrected him.
Jiraiya leered at her. "That's just my way of being friendly."
"You know I wonder if my snakes would find you tasty."
The Hokage politely coughed bringing their squabble to an end. "I did not bring you here for any of that. Naruto I was planning to talk to you later but since you're here now you may as well stay."
"Great," he said. "Are we going to talk about what happened to Sasuke?"
"The rumors are already spreading I see," Jiraiya noted.
"Sasuke is now a matter for the ANBU to worry about," the Hokage informed him.
"What do you mean? I'm his friend if he's in trouble…"
"I'm afraid you have something else to take care of Naruto," Sarutobi told him. "I'm assigning you a long term training mission."
"Training?" Anko immediately objected. "We just finally started doing missions! Anyway, shouldn't you have at least consulted me about this sooner? I mean just what sort of training are you wanting me to give the gaki anyway?"
An unhappy look passed between Sarutobi and Jiraiya. "I'm afraid you won't be the one training him Anko. Jiraiya has volunteered to give him 2 ½ years of intensive training. I think you'll agree this is an opportunity that cannot be passed up."
"What?!!" Both Naruto and Anko shouted in unison.
"No way old man! I may like Jiraiya-san but I don't want to work with anyone else but Anko!"
"That's right!" She immediately put a possessive arm around his shoulders. "He's my student! I refuse to hand him over to that pervert."
"Super pervert," Jiraiya corrected.
"Whatever!" Anko shouted. "The point is there's nothing he could possibly teach Naruto that I couldn't! There is no way I'm letting you take him away from me!"
"He does not belong to you Anko, he belongs to the village," Sarutobi spoke with an iron voice that made Anko cringe. "I alone decide where a ninja will serve, not you."
"But…"
"Whatever you may think of him Anko Jiraiya is one of the Sannin as well as a seal master. He was the one who instructed Minato and it seems only proper that he give Naruto that same knowledge. He will also work with him to gain control of the Kyuubi's chakra so that he can use it to serve and protect Konoha. Not to mention the strong positive effect it will have on his reputation to be one of Jiraiya's students." Sarutobi said.
"Yeah, that's much better that being the student of a psycho traitor like me," Anko said bitterly.
"That is not fair Anko," the Hokage chided. "You know I think very well of you."
"Sure, I was good enough to protect him all through the academy and start him off. I'm just not good enough to keep him." She looked over at Naruto and was taken back at how much the thought of losing him hurt her. She'd been taking care of him for so long now it was just hard for her to imagine not seeing him every day.
"It's not permanent," Sarutobi assured her. "It is a long term mission, but once it is complete I will reassign him to you."
"I'll give him all my knowledge," Jiraiya promised. "All of my students are gone now, so he'll be my disciple. The one to receive all the secrets I've acquired over the years. You have to admit that is quite the opportunity."
"Yeah," she said softly. "I guess it is."
"Forget it!!" Naruto shouted. "I love Anko and there's no way I'm leaving her! She needs me!" He slid in front of her as if to shield her from the Hokage's wrath.
She smiled at him. He was a great kid and a great ninja. She was really going to miss him a lot.
"It's okay gaki," she said sadly, ruffling his blond hair.
"Huh?! What do you mean?!"
"I mean the Hokage and Jiraiya are right, this is an amazing opportunity. Any ninja in the village would kill for the chance to receive so much one on one training from a Sannin. Jiraiya may be a damn perv but there's no denying his great skill and knowledge. He was the student of the third Hokage and the sensei of the fourth. If you become recognized as his disciple it will make your becoming Hokage one day a lot more likely. And besides all that it's an order, you can't refuse it."
He looked up at her. "But… but I don't want to leave you! I love you Anko-chan! I don't want to be away from you, not for so long!"
"Well, I don't want to lose you either gaki, but like the Hokage said it won't be permanent. We'll see each other again. Being forced to be apart from the people you care for is just one more part of being ninja. No one ever said it was easy."
"I… I guess," he slowly answered. His disappointment obvious.
"So the gaki will be gone two and a half years. When does he depart?"
"Tomorrow morning at eight," Jiraiya said.
"Tomorrow?" Naruto blurted out. "How come it's got to be that soon?"
"I agree," Anko said unhappily. "What's the big rush?"
"For security reasons we want him to leave as soon as possible." Sarutobi informed her. "After all he is not just an ordinary ninja." And after Sasuke's disappearance I will feel more secure once he and Jiraiya are away and under cover.
"Don't worry," Jiraiya said. "I'll personally guarantee his safety."
"You'd better," Anko said. "And he'd better not some back a huge pervert like you or I'm using your balls for target practice."
All three men flinched.
Sighing she looked at Naruto. "Come on gaki, I'll make you some of my extra special dango."
He nodded and decided not to tell her about having already eaten.
XXXXXXXXXX
Once they were gone Jiraiya turned to the Hokage. "You didn't tell them about Akatsuki."
"There didn't seem to be enough to warrant causing them more worry. After all they haven't actually attacked any jinchuriiki yet."
"True," Jiraiya admitted. "They're a very shadowy bunch. So far all I've learned is that they seem to be gathering information about the various biju and their whereabouts."
Sarutobi nodded. "I think there's no need to panic either of them until we have more concrete evidence of their intentions."
"I suppose."
XXXXXXXXXX
Following a really good meal Naruto turned to Anko and asked her if she would go ahead and sleep with him.
"You're just hoping to get in one more squeeze aren't you?"
"No!" He said immediately. "You don't need to get me drunk or anything this time and I promise not to try anything. I would just like to stay with you for as long as I can before I have to go."
His things were already packed; a ninja was constantly ready to leave on a moment's notice. And after tomorrow she would not see him again for a very long time. "If I catch you trying anything you won't live to see tomorrow, got it gaki?"
"Got it Anko!"
She kept her panties and fishnet on while he wore his boxers and an old T shirt to bed. Snuggling close he soon fell asleep with his head resting on her chest and her arms draped around him.
I'm really going to miss you, she thought as she slowly drifted off to sleep.
XXXXXXXXXX
The next morning she went with him to the gate where Jiraiya was waiting when they got there it was time to say goodbye.
"I'll think about you all the time and write as much as I can," he promised. "And just so you know I'm going to train like crazy and be super powerful when I come back. I'll be a lot stronger than you so you won't be able to call me gaki anymore."
She gave a rude snort. "I'll believe that when I see it." She gave him a wide smile. "Hey gaki, close your eyes for a second."
"Huh, why?" He asked suspiciously.
"Just do it you stubborn brat."
"Heh, fine." He shut his eyes.
In the next instant he felt something warm and soft touch his lips. His eyes popped open and he saw Anko's mouth pressing his. It felt amazing as she tenderly kissed him.
He was too in shock to even think about kissing her back. When the kiss ended she put her lips to his ear and spoke in a low purr as one hand caressed his cheek and neck. "You'll be fifteen when you come back gaki, and that's old enough."
"You, you mean… we… we'll…"
"Maybe," she said and leaned back from him. "Maybe, now get out of here and try not to come back here a total hentai."
"No way!" He said loudly. "I'm saving my virginity for you Anko!"
"Thanks," she said with amusement. Reaching out she couldn't resist giving him one more last hug. "Now get going or I'll end up keeping you."
"O… kay," the last thing he wanted was to leave her. But knowing he had a duty to perform he slowly walked away as she watched. He had already made up his mind, not only was he coming back here a super powerful ninja he was definitely giving her his virginity.
As all this was going on Jiraiya was writing madly in a notebook. The heading at the top of it read; Icha Icha Student. "This is going to make a great book!"
