Chapter 5

Yugakure

Anko leapt effortlessly from rooftop to rooftop as her eyes scanned the horizon of the village as she made her way to Ichiraku's, the unofficial meeting spot for her squad. The past month had definitely been a productive one and despite her initial worries in becoming a sensei, she found the experience to be great. Being able to pass on her skills to others wasn't one she thought she would find enjoyment from but watching her students take to new jutsu like a fish in water gave her a feeling of accomplishment that she hadn't felt in a long time.

She had watched as Hana, Naruto and Shiho grew from a good crop of genin that would've gave a chunin a tough time in a fight to a solid unit that would give a seasoned chunin a run for their money.

Hana, along with her ninken, had managed to strengthen their collaboration jutsu now they were able to carry out their techniques at a faster speed leading to a much deadlier outcome than before. While she couldn't help her with clan techniques, Anko had managed to add to the girl's tracking knowledge and put her and the pups through the ringer with taijutsu sparring.

She had forced the girl to be without the triplets for the majority of her tracking training with her as she ingrained into her that she might not always be with her ninken, and it was stupid to waste her Inuzuka senses by relying too heavily on their companionship.

Naruto was easy to teach she found. The boy had a chin on him and every time he got put down, he would roll with it and give it back tenfold; or try to when it came to sparring with her. Teaching him ninjutsu had been something she believed few would witness in their lives.

He had picked up a few jutsu fairly easy which was good for a rookie, but that wasn't the impressive part. Whenever he couldn't get something down, he would put enough chakra into a technique to brute force it and, even she who wasn't a sensor, was able to feel the chakra he wasted in doing so. Once the jutsu was brute forced he would manage to work backwards on the technique and not long after he was able to get it down to the point that using it in battle would further build on his experience.

Despite the boy's progress this month, it was Shiho who impressed her the most.

Anko knew that Shiho had confidence issues. She constantly compared herself to Hana and Naruto and in doing so she kept thinking that she was leaps behind the other two because she wasn't as good of a fighter as them. Anko decided against telling her that she wasn't leaps behind and instead used that fire in her eyes to push her the most this month.

Over the month she had finally been able to go toe to toe with Naruto and Hana in sparring, her taijutsu was what had lacked before but now the gap was closed, and the confidence boost the girl got from it propelled her into believing in herself more resulting in a few genjutsu techniques being learned along with slightly being able to use a small ninjutsu to pull moisture out the air.

Pausing on the edge of the rooftop, she halted her thoughts and observed Ichiraku's from across the street.

Naruto was busy behind the counter, helping Ayame, despite the fact that he had to quit working there after becoming a ninja. As he helped the young girl, Hana and Shiho conversed with each other on the stools. Anko shook her head as Naruto splashed Ayame with the leftover water in one of the newly washed ramen bowls, earning a playful slap in retaliation.

Despite not being employed there anymore he still spent his free time there which usually had him throwing on his apron once again. Anko had found that out over the past month as when she couldn't find him at his apartment or at their usual training ground, he was always here with the father-daughter duo.

Team 9 ate here at least once a week due to this, with Hana teasing the blonde on his reason for the ramen stand being his favourite. As smart as he was, he was blind to the accusation Hana was making between him and the waitress, who failed to deny the accusations on her part if the way Ayame behaved around him when they were together.

While Hana was correct in her accusations, she hadn't yet realized that here was the only place he was going to be treated normally.

As she watched from her spot, she felt the mission scroll in her jacket pocket. She had decided to give them a shot at a C-Rank after impressing her the whole month and not losing their minds over the never-ending D-Ranks. It was all fun and games watching them the past month get progressively more fed up with the chores, but she knew when it was getting out of hand – especially the few times Naruto had to deal with ignorant clients, causing the two girls to begin getting curious about his treatment within the village.

Their last D-Rank had them packing away belongings of the client that was moving home. Anko had left her team to get on with it but once she got back, she managed to catch the client hovering over the jinchuriki, critiquing his effort, and scolding him for being rough with their fragile things – despite Naruto causing no issues at all. The boy had the patience of a saint, but everyone had their limits, and she would rather not see him retaliating against a client.

It also brought on the issue of Hana and Shiho being suspicious of his treatment, with them talking about it in hushed whispers whenever they thought she was out of earshot, or when Hana had glared openly at a few vocal villagers whenever they got too loud for their own good.

When that time was Anko didn't know or have the say in, but a mission outside the village would suffice as her way of helping out a little by letting Naruto have a breather and stop Hana and Shiho from asking too many questions.

She was brought out of her thoughts as the three ninken around Hana's stool raised their heads, one of them letting out a bark as they finally recognised her scent causing those occupying the stools to turn to her – smiling as they saw her.

Her focus shifted to the three pups that raised their heads from the feet of the stools. 'Haro' she thinks, let out a bark as they finally recognised her scent causing Hana and Shiho to turn to her.

'They're better than at the start of the month that's for sure' she thought as she leapt from her spot and landed in front of them, patting their heads as she went through the awning.

"Hey sensei!" Naruto greeted, looking over his shoulder from where he stood chopping onions, receiving a nod from her in response. She pulled out a stool for herself, sitting next to Hana who looked at her expectantly.

"Lemme guess, we've gotta mission?" she asked, Shiho's head tilted behind her waiting for confirmation.

Anko grinned and reached into her coat pocket, rolling a scroll onto the counter, making Hana's eyes widen as she jumped out of her seat grabbing the scroll.

"YES!" she cheered, "No more chores." Naruto joined from behind the counter with his cheers and Shiho, while less rambunctious about it, celebrated on the higher ranked mission. All of them shared fist-bumps and even Ayame received one from Naruto, who smiled at seeing him happy.

However, Anko caught the worried look that crossed her brow as Naruto leaned over the counter to read the scrolls contents.

"We're leaving in an hour so go home, grab your packs and meet me at the north gate." she commanded, happy when Hana and Shiho nodded and left. Naruto hung his apron on a peg, said his goodbyes to Ayame and threw one into the back to Teuchi, before he gave a two-fingered salute and left in a shunshin, the noren curtains swaying with his departure.

As they settled to their normal position, Teuchi came out from the back and stood next to his daughter and stared into Anko's eyes, "I know Naruto is capable of looking after himself but please look after him Anko-san" Teuchi said, bowing slightly with Ayame following suit, "he's grown a lot, but I still do worry about him sometimes".

Anko chuckled rising from the stool, slightly abashed at the respect she was being given, "Don't worry about it, we'll be gone a week max" she assured, making to leave the stand herself, catching Ayame's eye before she exited "We'll be back before you know it, trust me".


It had taken Team 9 a day and a half to navigate the unfamiliar terrain, with Anko relentless in pushing their endurance to the limits. Although this was their first venture beyond Hi no Kuni, Anko refused to ease their pace. She was determined to teach them to push past their limits, ensuring they wouldn't become liabilities in the field.

As the squad crossed the border into Yu no Kuni, the pungent sulfuric smell invaded their nostrils as they approached Yugakure, the village hidden in hot springs. The once-militaristic village had transitioned into a pacifistic tourist destination, capitalizing on its renowned hot springs. Their current mission, a simple C-Rank retrieval task, aimed to retrieve the delivery of supplies for a client back in Konoha.

Anko monitored her genin as they traversed the trees, jumping from branch to branch. With a raised fist, she signalled them to stop. "We should take to the ground from here on out," she advised, dropping to the foliage below. "We don't need Yugakure shinobi thinking we're a threat."

Following her lead onto the gravelly dirt road, Team 9 realised that they weren't far from the village as an imposing torii gate stood out in the distance, the large wooden structure stood tall as a landmark amongst the sulphuric clouds rising around the land.

The sun was low in the sky as they approached the gate, a warm golden glow shone through the gaps of the gate casting the squad in a ray of light as they approached the check in station. Naruto took in the slight serene moment, inhaling deeply the smell of sulphur in the air.

"Glad you're enjoying the smell" Hana chimed in from his side, a hand rubbing at her nose, "this place reeks.", her three ninken whined at her feet, agreeing with her.

"It's not that bad" Naruto defended, squinting at the brief ray of light that blinded his eyes.

"Yeah, that's 'cause you have a weak sense of smell" Hana retorted; her chest puffed out with a sense of clan pride despite the situation she was in.

"I guess so," Naruto shrugged, a smirk on his face, "I would hate to have your sense of smell every time I took a shit."

"That's disgusting, Naruto-kun" Shiho chided at the blonde's crass remark.

Despite the remark being aimed at her Hana took it on the chin and laughed with Naruto joining in, in front of them Anko concealed a smile from the team as they approached the check in station.

"Right, that's enough for now you guys" She stated, pulling out a scroll from her jacket, "let's get signed in and grab the client's order. After that we can book a room and you guys can do whatever you want for the rest of the night."

The trio behind her straightened, internally cheering at the freedom they were going to have. "Yes Anko-sensei" Shiho answered for the others as reached the desk.

As they approached the sign in desk, they came face to face with a seated Yugakure shinobi, a woman with a slim build and a pretty smile dipped her head in greeting. She wore a padded brown flak vest, the symbol of Yugakure proudly displayed on her shoulder pad. Beneath the padded vest, she wore a comfier and looser vest top. Her sleek white hair was done up in a tight ponytail, a few strands framed her face similar to Hana's.

"Welcome to Yugakure" she greeted with a welcoming smile and gentle voice that surprised Naruto, who had expected a more guarded reception from foreign shinobi. Her green eyes, looked over Team 9, "What's the reason for your visit, shinobi-san?"

Anko, accustomed to the formalities, presented the mission scroll containing her team's identification, "We have a mission to retrieve some goods for a client back in our village" she replied, handing over the necessary documents to be allowed entry.

The woman inspected the documents, her sharp eyes roaming the page with a practiced eye, "Thank you for your cooperation, Anko-san" she said, handing back the documents, "Feel free to explore the village and enjoy your stay, if you need any assistance don't hesitate to ask any member of our forces."

Anko nodded, with Shiho giving a slight bow behind her, motioning for Team 9 to enter the village. Upon passing the torii gate they were met with the enchanting features of the village. Soft glows from lanterns illuminated the cobblestone pathways, wooden bridges spanned the small canals that crisscrossed the village.

The houses and buildings were that of small townhouses. Dark wooden roofs with intricate carvings and latticework added to the elegance of the village as villagers passed them by, wrapped up in comfortable clothing. Everyone held faces of tranquillity as they bobbed along, many looking at the small stores and street stalls as they did so.

Even as they looked over the low buildings, they could see majestic cliffs that had their own sulphur clouds rising from them, a truly tranquil effect befell over the village. The gas illuminated by the lowering sun, added an otherworldly hue over the area.

The unique charm of Yugakure, with its elegant townhouses, cobblestone paving, wooden bridges, hot water canals and lantern-lit pathways painted a picturesque scene that set it apart from the energy back home.

Anko smiled at the reactions of her genin, "Nothing like back home huh?" she asked as the team watched a few kids squeal at the three ninken as they passed by, their parents holding them back from running over.

Naruto, all to accustomed to the wary glances and hushed whispers that would follow him back home, found himself in an unfamiliar situation. Vendors called out cheerfully, inviting him to explore their wares. Children didn't get pulled away; instead, their curious eyes followed Team 9 with interest. People nodded in greeting, acknowledging them with a kindness Naruto had only ever experienced within the Ichiraku's stand.

In the streets of Yugakure, he realised something that left an unsettling thought within his mind. For once in his life, he wasn't met with the weird and unwarranted looks he faced back in Konoha. Here, in this foreign land, he was just another person.

As Anko's question lingered in the air, Naruto cleared his throat, ignoring the feeling in his chest.

"Yeah, it's nothing like Konoha."


After they managed to track down the location of the store the sun had begun to set across the horizon. Anko had managed to find reasonably priced lodgings for the night, managing to get two rooms so that Naruto didn't have to share with her and the girls.

She hadn't missed the meaning behind Naruto's statement earlier and she knew that as soon as they got back home the kid would most likely push for another few missions outside of Konoha and she couldn't blame him for it.

She couldn't begin to understand the feelings that he must have at the moment, but she allowed them to do what they wanted for the rest of the night so that they could all experience the world outside the walls of Konoha and she would be lying if she didn't do it more for Naruto's sole benefit.

While she had wanted them to experience the village for themselves, she was currently trailing Naruto, who had notified her that he was going to look around for a bit before calling it a night. She knew it was fucked up not letting the kid have some privacy, but she wanted to keep an eye on him.

So, she kept her distance from afar, using the bustling crowd to hide herself along with a small transformation jutsu to change her hair colour and turn her forehead protector into a cloth headband. She could tell from her position that Naruto was just soaking in the experience as he strolled down the lantern-lit streets of the village.

A vendor called out to him as he passed his stand, causing Naruto to stiffen slightly at being called to. She watched as he approached the stand and chatted with the man, who was trying to goad Naruto into participating in a can-toss game. He shrugged his shoulders and handed over the ryo, receiving a few balls to throw at the targets.

A few people stopped to look at his attempt, a little girl stood next to him cheering him on. To the surprise of the onlookers, he tossed the first ball with enough force to smack all of the cans off the shelf causing a few to clap their hands at his skill. The stall owner handed over a large stuffed rabbit, albeit begrudgingly.

Naruto rubbed at the back of his neck as the little girl next to him babbled to him, Anko chuckled slightly at his discomfort. The mother tried to move on, sending Naruto an apologetic smile but he surprised them both and even Anko herself as he handed over the stuffed animal, patting the little girl on the head before saying his goodbyes and continuing his stroll down the street.

Anko smiled at the little heartwarming interaction as she passed the mother and daughter continuing to keep the same distance between herself and her genin. The fact that he was already having such interactions with strangers within a day of arriving in Yugakure left a bad taste in her mouth.

She moved to follow him, passing by the mother and the ecstatic daughter who was looking as if she had the world in her arms. Following him didn't continue much longer as at fate would have it the ramen-nut eventually found himself a seat at a small ramen stand. Anko shook her head at the boy's fanaticism for ramen, she wouldn't put it past him and say that he had sniffed it out.

Deciding she wouldn't mind a bowl of ramen, Anko released the transformation jutsu and approached the ramen stand, "Of course, you would end up here."

"Saw it and couldn't resist the pull it had on me," Naruto turned to her with a smile "What are you doing here?"

She slid onto the stool beside him, "Thought I would get something to eat and saw you here, decided I would join you."

The old lady running the stand turned around to both of them, both Naruto and Anko gave their order before she turned again to prepare their meal.

"So how are you finding the mission so far?" Anko asked her student as they waited.

"It's okay, I guess," he replied, resting his back against the stand as he looked to the streets. "It's just a glorified D-Rank but without the hassle."

Anko laughed, "Wait until you're having to play bodyguard to some merchant; then, you'll be begging to do a D-Rank."

He smirked at the anticipation of what's to come, "Well, at least with guarding clients, there's a chance of getting some action, y'know?"

Their ramen was placed in front of them, and Naruto dug in. Anko chose to wait until hers cooled down, "There's still a chance of getting into a fight even on this mission, so don't ever let your guard down. Besides, looking for action is what gets you killed, so don't go looking for it."

He stopped his eating, taking in her words with a thoughtful expression as he ponmdered her advice for a moment before resuming his meal a contemplative look in his eye. Anko observed him as she ate, deciding to change the topic slightly.

"So, besides the mission how's it feels being away from home?" she asked, sipping the broth of her ramen.

Naruto glanced at her, considering her question. Anko watched as if a conversation with himself played out in front of her, as if he was struggling to answer, "It's… different, but I don't need to tell you that I'm guessing?" he asked her with a pointed look, to which Anko nodded once causing him to deflate slightly.

She didn't mean to ruin the boy's mood as he stayed silent for a moment, twirling his chopsticks around in his hand, "You don't need to answer it Naruto I saw it when we first got here, I was just wondering how you truly felt about it, that's all."

He nodded at her reasoning, "Well I'm treated like shit back in Konoha for a reason that everyone but me knows about, the old bastard won't tell me anything either and im supposed to just deal with that and be all cool with everyone?"

Anko saw his shoulders ease up as he spoke, as if a weight was being lifted from him as the words came from his mouth, "I want answers but at the end of the day, it doesn't matter, does it?"

Anko frowns at the question, if she was in his shoes, she would be fighting tooth and nail for the answers, "Of course it matters everyone should know things that concern themselves, don't you want to know the truth?"

"I did," he shook his head, "I do. But it really doesn't change anything. At the end of the day people are still gonna treat me the same, the only difference is I'll know the reason for it."

Anko nodded, understanding the thought process behind his attitude towards his treatment. While she could see how he doesn't bat an eye back home to it, she couldn't simply leave it like that. The Hokage gave her the role as Team 9's sensei and that meant she had to look after them as if they were her family.

She knew that the Hokage had promised he would tell him when the time was right but with Naruto's true feelings being told to her, she couldn't shake off the determination to address the issue with the Hokage when they return home.

"You might be right about people not changing, but knowing the truth could give you a sense of closure that you didn't know you needed."

He placed his now empty bowl onto the top shelf of the stand, before standing up and giving her an easy smile, "Look sensei, I've got Ayame and Teuchi back home and last month I got you guys too. As long as I have that then I don't care about anything else, all I want to do is serve my time as a ninja and if I don't die doing this I'll just retire and help Ayame run the stand when the old man's knees give out, okay?"

Anko couldn't help but smile back at the blonde's straightforward life plan, "You sure you don't wanna aim higher than a ramen cook?"

"Maybe I'll convince them to franchise Ichiraku's" he said as he turned to leave, waving over his shoulder "I'll see you in the morning sensei".

"Yeah, see you in the mornin' brat" she called back, turning to finish her bowl of noodles.

The little lady behind the counter looked at the empty spot next to her, "I guess you've been left to pay the young man's bill?"

Anko laughed, "Little fucker will hear about this tomorrow". She reached for her wallet, chuckling at the antics of her genin.

As she eventually made her way back to the hotel, she found Shiho and Hana curled up on the floor of their room, the dogs being used as pillows. She moved silently as to not wake them, one of the pups opened their eyes in recognition before closing once again.

As Anko got comfortable in her futon, she vowed to speak with the Hokage and push for the kid to know about his status soon. As she closed her eyes a sharp stinging sensation burned on her neck as her curse mark began acting up causing her to turn on her side and wait for it to pass.

Thankfully she didn't have to wait long until she became numb to the pain, managing to get comfortable once again before drifting off to sleep, unaware that her genin would find out about his status sooner than she thought.


A bit later but Happy New Year guys.

Wanted this out before Christmas but every time I sat down to write this; words weren't wording. I'm still not happy with this chapter but I felt like I needed this out so I could move on and start writing future chapters that gets the pace going.

Reviews are much appreciated as always.

Until next time :)