A/N: Hey another new chapter. I decided to change a character around to fit better with how I envision he would truly be. Also I'm sorry for not doing the ages before currently Naruto is 7 and Anko is 18. I enjoy this story and I hope the minor changes made to the characters to fit it will resonate well. Enjoy I may be posting more today or within the next week depending on work.
Chapter 2
Some evils are necessary.
This little statement and others like it have caused everything from a mere increase of fines and taxes to genocide and torture. But sadly enough it is true. In a world where warriors who master the deadly and ancient arts of killing, justice is scarce. In fact the lone man standing in the crisp morning air in the middle of the street rarely believed it existed anymore. This single man once thought that justice was dead.
However…
He had seen it is not by a mere logical conclusion.
Justice is the balance of a decent act against an indecent one. The act of betraying and harming a child is indecent. The act of becoming a guardian of your home and your neighbors is a decent act. Therefore, Mitarashi Anko, for a short time anyway, had been an embodiment of justice to this man.
"BUT ALAS!" he cried suddenly causing some in their beds to shudder violently with memories of a certain martial arts master. "SHE LEAVES US IN THE NIGHT!" He unleashed one of the quirks that only Anko knew off. Taking a small embroidered handkerchief from his breast pocket Morino Ibiki wiped the tears from his eyes. "I should have known. This town was so hard on her when she just wanted to be accepted." He whimpered and shook his shoulders holding back his tears.
Few people know Mitarashi Anko loves to cook, sing, and dance. These few people also know one interesting fact: Morino Ibiki is the biggest, most emotional sap in Konoha. Hands down. Gai cannot even touch this man. Believe it.
"Well at least I can deter them from making a direct execution on sight order by removing any potentially misleading things from her home. I hope she kept the torture implements with her though. They were a gift after all."
The still emotional Ibiki took out his ring of keys and selected the extra Anko had given him after her third attempt to drown her sorrows in hard alcohol. It was also when Ibiki proposed 19 to be the legal limit for ninja in the service to Konoha from the original 16. At least at 19 young girls wouldn't still be whining about their periods.
He hoped.
Entering Anko's home was continuously a shock to Ibiki. He knew Anko's favorite color was lavender, but still. Few men, even those with sexual persuasion of a masculine nature or otherwise, can handle so much damn purple.
At once his innate senses felt two presences in the house. From his memory of the layout it had to be Anko's bedroom and guest room. He put his hands in his pocket and opened the small fabric compartments that held his special poisoned senbon. Strolling quite calmly Ibiki started to ascend the top flight of stairs. When he reached the top the rush of water and creak of a door alerted Ibiki to his immediate right where Naruto struggled to leave the bathroom.
"Ugh. Why does every glass of milk I drink do this to m-" he stopped dead as he saw Ibiki.
Ibiki himself was flabbergasted. The Kyuubi kid. In Anko's house. This…does not add up. "What are you doing here?" he asked.
Naruto's eye twitched. Normally any unknown presence in his current residence would trigger a panic attack and flight reaction. However…
He had Anko now.
"HOME INAVSION!" he screamed as he took off straight for Anko's room. Ibiki blinked once more and pinched the bridge of his nose.
What is going on? He turned to follow just as Naruto kicked open Anko's door and leapt into his new friend's bed.
Anko's groggy face appeared but not before Naruto's flying body tackled her knocking the wind out of her and causing her head to connect to the wall. "Naruto," she snarled. "WHY ARE YOU JUMPING AROUND MY DAMN HOUSE YOU LITTLE BRAT?!"
"I scared him," Ibiki answered. He waved to his young protégé from her doorway. "And you have surprised me Anko."
"Ah…Ibiki…nice to see ya again boss!"
Naruto who had been momentarily knocked unconscious by Anko's abs and then the floor suddenly sat up. "HOME INVASION!"
.XxxxX.
Ibiki sipped his tea slowly. It was a bit much to take in. Naruto was busy experiencing Saturday morning cartoons for the first time in his life. Random cries of 'Spin on!' and 'Who the hell do you think I am!' echoed from the living room just next to Anko's small kitchen. Anko herself was gazing in his direction, her eyes showing a somewhat maternal vigilance.
"So, that murder was yours," Ibiki stated deliberately.
"It wasn't murder," Anko retorted. "His lack of blood is what killed him. I merely helped him drain it. It was assisted suicide if anything."
"But why the girl?"
Anko's hands tightened their grip on her own tea cup, "She tricked Naruto into coming with her. She was gonna use him to replace herself."
"I see," he took another, slightly longer sip, "Sad business. I always believed the sections near the gate to be a bit…less desirable than those away from it for a reason."
"You have no idea."
From the next room, "…PIERCE THE HEAVENS!"
Ibiki smiled, "He sounds happy."
"He's discovered dango how can he not be?" Anko asked with a small smile.
"I'll have to report this you know."
"Why?"
"Why?" Ibiki responded, his face showing complete disbelief. "You all but abducted a child with no claim to him and the committed two unsanctioned murders!"
Anko's eyes turned to Ibiki. His own clouded over to avoid being read by his apprentice. In her orbs he saw the dark feelings she hid most of her life after the Incident with her former master. A kind of slithering hatred for all like him.
"I already submitted my report on the deaths. I stated 'justified interrogation related' as reason for execution."
"Justified?"
"No one messes with Uzumaki Naruto, no one. That's the law in essence eh?" Ibiki nodded. "So wouldn't attempted rape, torture, and forced imprisonment count as 'messing'?"
"I see your point. So you interrogated them for what exactly?"
"Information on any other children he's fucked up. I got about four or five. I put that in the report too," she explained as she stood to pour herself another cup.
Ibiki's sense of justice ticked slightly within his head. "Interesting point. I assume the Hokage has heard about this?"
Anko looked at him with her wide eyed 'do I really look that stupid to you?' glare she had. "I turned in the file myself early this morning."
Ibiki bawked, "What?"
And of course, that was when ANBU came calling.
.xxxxX
Sarutobi sighed. His pipe was already cooling and the embers in it barely had enough fuel to spark at even after a long drawn out draught. He eyed the file with a hint of whimsy. His mind, still sharp and acute even at his age, examined everything. Even with only seventeen photos from the scene and a minor report from the perpetrating ninja he already knew what had occurred and how severe the punishment should be.
Now he only needed to see if Anko deserved it.
While every action he found traced back to his wayward student weighed heavily on the Hokage's shoulders it did not deter him from his mission. The people of Konoha were his family. And when one member of that family harmed another it was his duty to punish them. But the question falls on why Anko checked the 'death brought about through interrogation' box?
A knock came to his double doors.
"Enter," he bade.
Two ANBU, Anko and Naruto walked into the room. The ANBU nodded and returned to their posts outside the view of the people in the room. Naruto was too busy rambling to Anko about the show had been watching.
"Anko," the Hokage's voice was firm, unyielding and commanded a quiet respect of both children, yes he viewed even a ninja as distinguished as Anko as a child, before him. "Why are these two civilians dead?"
Anko immediately stood as still as a soldier. "Sir. During interrogations the recipients of the torture died. Their deaths were due to a lack of medical equipment."
"Why were you interrogating these two? And how when the reports from our coroner read two very large doses of nerve relaxant?" he asked waving the report in her direction.
Anko's eyes flew to Naruto. The small child, realizing what they were talking about was too important for him to understand, had begun playing with a small puzzle Anko had given him.
"Does it pertain to my special decree?" the third asked, intertwining his fingers and resting them on his lap.
"Yes sir. Per your decree the targets were involved in actions that jeopardized the welfare of the decree's…" Anko searched for the word, "beneficiary."
Sarutobi closed his eyes and sighed. So if what she says is true the most I could afford to charge her with is ignoring protocol.
"Naruto," the child looked at him, "Did you know the man Anko worked on last night."
"Didn't know him."
Sarutobi smiled wanly, "Did you know of him then."
"Yeah he tried to get a hold of me. But I got his fingers and his neck. Got away."
"I see. Naruto could you wait outside please?"
"Sure Sandaime-jii-san!" Naruto turned and walked to the door, still fiddling with the puzzle, but he turned to give Anko one last look before opening the door and leaving the room.
When the door closed Sandaime looked at Anko. "You have done something few people in this village would dare do Anko. Unsanctioned torture of civilians? Taking a minor that you have no legal claim to?"
"Sir in all respect he had been living on the streets for a week!" Anko snarled. "And merely because of his night vision!"
"Ah yes that, I was hoping it would fade as he got older."
"Well it didn't! And he was nearly raped because of it!" She hissed, venomous.
Sarutobi blinked, obviously not going to give up his superior air, "So. You propose justification?"
"Yes sir!"
The aging man sighed deeply and rubbed his chin. "Very well Anko. You will take a three week suspension with half pay. Also you shall take full responsibility for what you have done."
"Yes sir!" Anko said.
"Naruto, you can come back in now," Hokage said to a special intercom. Naruto's head appeared, his face showing he was trying to listen in. "I wanted to ask you a question or two. Is that okay?"
"Sure. Whatcha need?" Naruto replied taking his place beside Anko, something Sarutobi didn't miss.
The old man smiled, "Do you like Anko?" he asked.
The blonde smiled wide, showing off his eerily bright teeth and nodded furiously. "Anko-chan is awesome!" he said as he grabbed her hand and swung it back and forth.
"How is Anko's house?"
Naruto went into such a flurry describing how 'awesome and super' her house was the Hokage had to have Anko visibly restrain the boy lest he run out of air.
"Would you like to stay there?" this sudden question caused both of them to stare stupidly at the old man. "Mitarashi Anko, you, in direct violation of custody and minor safety laws of Konohagakure no Sato took in a child you have no legal responsibility for. As punishment you shall spend the next three weeks acclimating yourself and your home to the standards all shinobi guardians must adhere to." He held out a small pamphlet containing the safety standards of a ninja's home.
Anko blinked and took the papers surprised. "Does that mean?"
"Yes Uzumaki Naruto is now under the official care and guidance of one Mitarashi Anko," the old ninja said smiling widely.
Naruto made one of the happiest sounds he had ever done and leapt upwards, before being caught by Anko to avoid the boy from falling and hurting himself.
"Naruto!" Sarutobi called to settle the two down. The blonde looked at him. "You will be Anko's ward. As such you will obey and listen to her as if she was me, do you understand?"
Anko set Naruto down and the young blonde nodded. He saluted Sarutobi as ancient civilian military would, "Yes sir Sandaime-Jiisan!"
Sarutobi smiled, he could at least call me Hokage…the aged ninja mused. "Well be off with it you two. Anko don't forget to pick up Naruto's things from the orphanage."
"No problem sir," Anko saluting as well.
Both then exited his office with the enthusiasm Sarutobi had not seen in almost fifteen minutes since he sent Hayato to a small eucalyptus field. He emptied his pipe into a hidden ash tray and filled it again.
"There is a good chance that was a decision based on senility."
.xxxxX
The orphanage was, sadly, one of about fifteen in the village. As with its fellow establishments it had been founded during the second great ninja war after a staggering loss of the adult ninja population. The Second had made the decision that such children would be monitored to hopefully, and willingly, one day take their parents place.
Its current proprietor and owner was a stout woman named Shimochi. She looked older than she was due to her husband's long bout with cancer that finally claimed him some time back and the tragic death of her son during an attack by bandits in his small village on the borders of the Land of Fire. Once bright red hair was now almost white and many shallow wrinkles lined her face.
She was sweeping the main courtyard of any leaves and children debris before the end of the afternoon homework time. As she swept she heard someone approach and looked up to see, of all things, Naruto and Anko walking toward her.
"God dammit…" she hissed as she noticed Naruto was walking deliberately toward her wonderfully Naruto-free orphanage. "Have you stopped doing it yet brat?!" she yelled nearly down the road a few people looked, amazed at the rudeness, before walking on their way.
"Uh…Heya," Anko said waving when she and Naruto reached the old woman. "I'm Mitarashi An-"
"I know who, and what you are," she hissed.
Anko's smile didn't drop in the slightest. "Yeah…well I'm Naruto's legal guardian now so I brought him to get his stuff. Hurry up kid I'll wait out here." Naruto glanced between them, looking nervously at Anko but her disarming smile convinced him to run along.
Shimochi leaned in close to Anko whispering venomously in her ear, "So you go for things like him huh? Well I hope you keep him in a dark hole and use whim for what-"
Anko kept smiling and nodding until she saw Naruto enter the house.
Her hand shot out quick as a viper and grabbed Shimochi's mouth, squeezing her ums until they started to bleed. "Listen bitch. Did you hear about the murder last night?" She forced Shimochi to nod, "Well that was me. I killed the pedo because he aimed for Naruto. Because someone let him wander around for a week outside with no food or shelter. So tell me. Should I interrogate you too?"
She forced her captive to shake her head.
"Good. Now I have a question." Anko drew a piece of paper from her pocket and held it up. It was an accounting ledger's page.
From her ledger.
"Why do all of the dates for a certain 'charity donation' coincide with the dates Naruto was supposed to receive his family's death wages?" Anko asked.
Cold sweat broke out on Shimochi's forehead.
"Ooh…I see. That's cool. Well you now owe me this amount." Anko use her pinky to point to the lump sum of the death wages Naruto's family had garnered due to their service. "If you don't pay me, in any way you see fit we'll work out logistics later, then I'll hide a very powerful narcotic on your person, right now, and then litter your orphanage with drug paraphernalia and used condoms." Anko, who had been smiling at the house turned her eyes to Shimochi and glared at her drawing the old bag as close as she could.
"and if you ever let this kind of thing happen to a kid again, or if your many 'charitable donations' came from where I think they've come from I'll make sure every single parent and ninja in Konoha knows what a careless old bitch you really are."
She let Shimochi go and pushed her down. "And I'll make a nifty net profit by selling torches and pitchforks and tar for your old fat ass!" she said cheerily.
The caretaker slowly rose and turned from Anko, holding her face. She passed Naruto, who bowed and said goodbye, and to Shimochi's horror, hugged her leg.
"Sorry about not stopping the thing with my eyes! I'll try hard to remember the manners you taught me!" Naruto said grinning his bright cheery smile before running to Anko, the bag she had given him stuffed with his clothes and few personal belongings.
When he reached his new guardian Naruto looked up at her, "she wasn't mean was she?"
Anko looked at him blinking, "Mean? No! And even if she was do you really have to worry about me?" Anko asked putting a hand on her hip, pushing out her chest, and pointing to herself with a thumb.
"No!" Naruto said shaking his head.
"And why is that?"
"BECAUSE YOU'RE ANKO-CHAN!" Naruto said jumping and throwing his hands up 'banzai.'
Anko snapped her fingers and caught him hauling him and his bag over her shoulder like wheat. "RIGHT! Now let's get some dango I'm starving."
"Aww! Can't we stop by Ichiraku's? I want you to meet Ayame-chan! She's really nice she always gives me a kiss on the cheek!" Naruto's rolled on Anko's shoulder so her could sit up, "If you're nice to her she make even kiss you!"
Anko rolled her eyes, "Kid, when you get older that will be your fondest memory."
"Why do you say that?"
A/N: Why indeed little Naruto, why indeed. Mainly because all male, and some female, Naruto fans would enjoy that thought. and if you don't you're lying to yourself and are hollow on the inside.
Side Note: Yes Ibiki will help raise Naruto, whether he's realized it or not the kid has grown on him in the short time they've met. Just to let you know the time between now and the graduation exam will be mostly covered by flash backs and some omake. But also, what kind of pressure will he be under as he gets older?
OMAKE: AT THE RAMEN STAND
Ayame: So you're Naruto's legal guardian?
Anko: Yep. Clear as print on paper.
Naruto: Yeah and she's really great! Her hosue is awesome! I know you couldn't come to the orphanage Ayame-chan but maybe you cold come over!
Ayame (smiling): Oh Naruto maybe you should ask your new mommy!
Anko (sputtering): M-mommy?! You're calling me a mother?!
Kakashi (While waltzing by): A mother I'd like to (not for small children)
Ayame and Anko (Yelling): KAKSHI YOU FOUL MOUTHED PERVERT!
Naruto: What's (Bad word!) mean?