The village council meeting was quite the event, the elders Danzo Shimura, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane were exposed for their lies and crimes and subsequently executed, Anko was given permission by the council to officially adopt Naruko, the council also agreed to allow the Sarutobi Clan to house Anko and Naruko in their clan compound for extra protection, due to Naruko being the Jinchúriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox, and Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, decided to resign and chose Fugaku Uchiha to succeed him as the Five Hokage.

Naruko and the World Tree

Adoption Arc

Chapter 9 – Adopted Naruko Mitarashi

Sarutobi Clan Compound

The new Mitarashi Household

Anko and Naruko now live in a huge, one-storey house with a three-metre-wide veranda extending around the entire outside of the house. The house was surrounded by a huge garden with a large pond at the back and several trees in the garden, all enclosed by a ten-foot high, two-foot thick wall, with a double gate that served as an entrance and exit to the property and was large enough for a large horse-drawn cart to fit through, with a smaller wicket door on the left gate for people so that the residents of the property did not have to open a large gate when entering or leaving the property or when letting guests in or out.

Naruko had plenty of room to run around both inside and outside the house, although Anko preferred Naruko to run around outside and forbade her to run around inside, forbidding Naruko to go near the pond unless she was supervised by Anko, which Naruko complied with without complaint.

The house had a dojo which was perfect for them to train inside when the weather outside was bad, Anko gave Naruko permission to run around the dojo, it was a place to train so it was not a problem if Naruko ran around inside, just not in the main house, where they lived, the garden is big enough that they could train outside in peace without worrying about prying eyes, there is a pond and several trees in the garden, ideal for Naruko's chakra control training when they finally get around to it.

Hiruzen Sarutobi personally gave Anko and Naruko this house because Naruko was the daughter of Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, and Kushina Uzumaki, both of whom were among Konoha's most powerful shinobi, and because Naruko herself could become a very powerful asset to Konoha, anything less than this house would not be acceptable in Hiruzen's eyes.

Besides, Naruko's parents earned a lot of money as shinobi, and Anko works very diligently to earn enough money for herself and Naruko, and she earns enough to cover the costs of living in and maintaining this house.

Mitarashi Household

Kitchen

08:00

The morning after the village council meeting Anko woke up feeling as light as a feather, she walked with more vigour than she ever had before in her life, Anko is experiencing the happiest time of her life as she's now officially the adoptive mother of Naruko, Naruko is now her daughter, Naruko Mitarashi.

Anko started preparing breakfast for herself and Naruko. "I'm making eggs and bacon for breakfast this morning, is that okay with you Naruko?" Anko asked with a big smile on her face.

"Yes, I love your cooking Mum, I hope you'll teach me one day." Replied Naruko excitedly.

"Thanks, I promise I'll teach you when you're older." Anko looked at Naruko with a grin.

Bathroom

08:30

After breakfast, Anko gives Naruko a bath. "I'm going to start washing your hair now, so close your eyes and keep them shut until I tell you to open them again." Anko instructs her daughter with authority.

"Hehehe, my eyes are closed, I don't want shampoo in my eyes." Naruko replied cheerfully.

"That's my girl." Anko praised Naruko proudly.

"Mum, after my bath will you do my hair like you normally have your hair?" Naruko asked, wanting to look like her mother.

"Of course I will, it makes me happy that you want to look like me." Replied Anko with a big grin.

Living Room

09:00

After dressing Naruko in her day clothes and styling her hair similar to her own, Anko and Naruko go into the living room to watch some children's programmes on TV. They sit on a three-seater sofa with Naruko sitting on Anko's lap.

"Hey, instead of always watching the same channel and the same shows, let's a find a different channel." The shows they usually watch deeply insult Anko's intelligence. She feels that she will break the TV if she has to watch another one, and hopes that Naruko will be willing to watch something other than the usual.

"Okay..." Answered Naruko quickly, she did not care as long as she got to spend time with her mother, that was what she really wanted the most.

So Anko started searching all the channels available on TV to see if there was something better than the shows they had been watching so far, hopefully a channel with shows that did not insult the intelligence of the adults that were watching them with children.

After some searching, Anko finally found a children's channel called "Anime Network". It was clearly a channel aimed at children, it showed cartoons, but they looked more mature, like they were meant for teenagers rather than children.

One Hour Later

10:00

{This Anime Network channel is amazing! It's the best channel I've ever seen on TV. The cartoons on this channel are so much better than anything I watched as a kid growing up, and anything I've seen with Naruko so far. These cartoons, no, anime, haven't even felt condescending to me in the slightest, they seem to cover a huge range of genres and deal with a huge number of themes that the more childish cartoons don't dare to approach. They don't rely on cheap gross-out humour or imagery to make people laugh, they rely on real jokes and slapstick that is genuinely funny. They also have actual stories that aren't episodic and actually make me care about them and their characters, anime is amazing.} It's safe to say that Anko has become addicted to anime.

Both Anko and Naruko have become addicted to anime, they both enjoy the beautiful visuals, the beautifully drawn characters, the childlike humour, the great soundtracks, they love their stories, and Anko especially enjoys the adult humour, which went completely over Naruko's head, earning Anko confused looks from Naruko as she didn't know what her mum was laughing at. {Oh Naruko, to be so young and innocent.} Thought Anko in amusement, but what really got them hooked were the action and fight scenes that were usually the highlight of the anime they watched.

{It's so great to find a children's channel with shows we both enjoy watching, these aren't just fun because Naruko engages with them, I'm actually enjoying the shows myself, of course my Naruko still enjoys engaging with these anime which makes them even more entertaining, whoever invented anime, you're my true god.} Anko enjoys the anime as much as Naruko enjoys them.

Anko and Naruko start watching a brand new series called "Dragonball", which just started airing today. They're just at the scene where Goku is trying to figure out how to move the motorbike to save Bulma from the dinosaur.

"Come on, you can do it, Goku!" Naruko cheers as loud as she can, Anko just grins really amused, Naruko is really engaging with this show.

Goku finally manages to move the bike and fly. "Go get him!" Naruko is extremely excited.

Goku uses his Power Pole to hit the dinosaur. {Well he's dead.} Anko grimaces as Goku breaks the dinosaur's neck with the Power Pole.

Goku manages to save Bulma before gracefully landing back on the ground. "So cool..." Naruko watched intently, mostly fixated on the monkey boy as he saved Bulma and showed how strong and cool he was, Naruko's face started to blush, she thought he was very cute, very strong and very brave, Naruko just developed her first anime crush.

"He beat that big thing, he's so cool..." Naruko starts daydreaming about being saved by Goku herself.

{I know Goku would win, but seeing Naruko get excited about him beat fodder is so damn cute and funny.} Thought Anko, but she laughed.

Thirty Minutes Later

10:30

The bell at the gate rang letting Anko know someone was at the gate of the property, Anko went to answer it leaving Naruko alone to watch Anime Network, Anko opened the wicket door on the left gate and found Kurenai and Hiruzen standing together.

Immediately a mischievous grin formed on Anko's face. "Kurenai, it seems your boyfriend has aged a few decades." Said Anko jokingly, her grin widened even more.

Kurenai just sighed at Anko's stupid joke while Hiruzen started laughing heartily, already knowing about Asuma's relationship with Kurenai which he fails miserably at trying to hide. "Oh, how I wish I could be Asuma's age once again." Hiruzen said, followed by another laugh.

Anko invites them in and closes the wicket door after they enter. Kurenai and Hiruzen go to the dining room to sit at the dining table so Naruko can continue watching her cartoons in the living room, though Naruko decides to sneak up to the dining room door to eavesdrop.

Anko sets cups of tea down in front of Hiruzen and Kurenai. "I'm sorry if it doesn't taste good, Kurenai only recently taught me how to make tea, I wanted to continue exploring my femininity further, so I asked her to teach me." Anko spoke in a nervous tone, worried about the Hokage drinking her awful tea.

Hiruzen drank the tea Anko had prepared without hesitation. "It is said that the making of tea reflects the heart and feelings of the person who makes it, I can feel the love and care you have poured into making it, it is clear which is a reflection of your heart and your heart is very pure, moreover it's delicious and I am not saying that to make you feel happy, it is truly delicious tea, thank you for making it for me Anko." Said Hiruzen with much kindness, which elicited a very pure smile from Anko and even causing tears to start welling up in her eyes.

"I agree wholeheartedly with Lord Third, it really is delicious, Anko, I feel so much kindness when I drink it." Kuranei added her thoughts to the tea Anko had prepared for them.

"The reason I came is that from today, I will start giving you an allowance that you will receive at the beginning of each month to cover the cost of taking care of Naruko, the bills for the house and its maintenance when it needs servicing." Hiruzen turns serious and explains the reason for his visit.

"Is this really necessary, Lord Hokage?" Anko asked nervously. "I can still do D-rank and low C-rank missions to earn money to take care of myself and Naruko, pay the bills for this house and save up savings for its maintenance when it needs it. I can do those missions while Naruko sleeps in bed and guarded by my snake Noki in my absence."

Anko begins to look sombre. "Before I met Naruko I would have accepted such an offer in a heartbeat, but now that I have Naruko I want to be the best role model I can be for her, I do not want her to see the bad side of me that I never tried to hide in the past, I do not have the desires I used to have, I do not have hateful thoughts anymore, Naruko has completely healed my heart, she is my light and I love her very much." Anko let her heart pour into every word, at this moment she is not a shinobi, she is a girl who just became a mother to a child she adopted and loves with all her heart.

"I am not surprised in the least, my dear little sister." Said Kurenai with the warmest smile she could muster for her surrogate little sister. "In all the time I have known you, I have never seen your eyes shine as brightly as they do now, your words are full of love and kindness like I have never heard before, you radiate such a positive energy that I can't help but be happy when I look at you, the love you have for Naruko and the love she has for you has brought out the best in you, Anko."

"And that is why I can trust you with the money I'm giving you, I'm indebted to Minato and Kushina because it's thanks to them that this village still stands today, contributing to the care of their daughter is the least I can do, I'll not stop you from fulfilling your duties as a shinobi, but please let me do this for Minato and Kushina?" Hiruzen will never get rid of the guilt he feels for surviving that night when he should have sacrificed himself for the village, not Minato and Kushina, but he will do right by them by aiding in the care of their daughter Naruko.

"Thanks, Grandpa Hokage." Anko knows there's no point in arguing. {Old people are just so stubborn.}

Naruko suddenly runs into the room and hugs Anko's left leg. "Grandpa! Mum said you're Grandpa, so you're my Grandpa too!" Naruko suddenly making her presence known.

Naruko had managed to catch everyone off guard, but moments later she managed to elicit a hearty laugh from Hiruzen. "I haven't felt this much energy since Kushina. No matter how old she got, she always radiated a childlike energy, but it's an energy that does wonders at mending the heart of one lucky enough to be around someone who always radiates it." Hiruzen felt his heart mending just by being in Naruko's presence.

Hiruzen stood up. "Try to spend the money wisely." Hiruzen placed the money in an envelope on the dining table, then moved away from the dining table to leave. "Unfortunately, I cannot stay much longer as I've much work to do in preparation for Fugaku's inauguration" Hiruzen informed them.

"Goodbye, Grandpa!" Naruko shouted, waving her arms, which elicited another laugh from Hiruzen.

"Goodbye, Naruko, now be a good girl for your mother." Hiruzen decided that if Naruko was going to treat him like her grandfather, he would just go along with it and be the best grandfather he could be to her.

"Kay...!" Naruko replied cheerfully.

With that Hiruzen was gone, Anko didn't want to rely solely on the charity of others, so she'll persuade Asuma and Kurenai to babysit for her from time to time so she can do some work herself. Most of her work from now on will be glorified chores, but they still bring in money and that's what counts, plus it helps the community in some way, so there's something positive about doing D-rank missions.

After Hiruzen left, Anko and Kurenai decided to take Naruko to one of the playgrounds in the village. Anko doesn't want Naruko to be trapped in their house or in the Sarutobi clan compound, so they take her outside so Naruko can have some freedom under Anko and Kurenai's supervision.

To Be Continued

Next Chapter - Chapter 10 - Sakura Haruno

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