-AN-

Yup, this idea won't leave me alone, so I'm gonna run with it for a bit. But I don't plan on it being a majorly long story. Well, I say that now. I said that about Legion and look what happened to that. Doubt I'll have the energy to do another super long fic like that one though.

Watch this make a liar of myself this year as well.

-Story Start-

Kicking her legs back and forth on the railing of Naruto's balcony, Anko considered how things had gotten to this point. While her stand in mission had seemed boring at first, it had left her intrigued to say the least. That little Naruto brat had matured a lot it seemed, and was living a completely separate life outside of ninja affairs. But the real question, was why? Why risk it? Why take on such an obvious weakness? Why open himself up to so much potential heartache? As someone who was ostracized by the village herself, she didn't get it. They would have been happy is she disappeared, so fuck em. But, she wanted to understand. At least when she was alone, she could admit that she absolutely needed to understand where the kid was coming from.

But, she was going to get her answers and besides, the kid wasn't completely alone in this. That Sakura girl knew something, and even if she was too close to the Hokage for Anko to question, she was still an option if needed. Still, she planned on getting all of her questions answered this morning, even if she was barely awake and running on coffee and curiosity.

Behind Anko the balcony doors opened with a whisper, a bored looking Naruto giving her a once over before sighing and hooking a thumb over his shoulder. "Well, come on in. I'll make some tea."

"You could at least pretend to be excited about having a beautiful woman in your apartment, most kids your age would kill for such a chance." Anko pattered her way inside, slipping her sandals off and leaving them by the door. Huh, it was clean, cleaner than she expected at least. There were house plants under every window by the looks of it.

Naruto shrugged as he disappeared into his kitchenette, leaving Anko to crash on the couch, "When I get a real visit from a beautiful woman, I'll get excited."

"Oh you kidder, you know I'm hot."

"Hot and beautiful are two different things Anko." Naruto's voice sounded muffled, and the sounds of kitchenware clattering about reached Anko's ears.

She'd give him credit, he certainly could give as good as he got. Another point in her mind showing he was different from the rest of the kids his age. Looking around the orderly apartment around her put another point towards that as well, but then again he had been living on his own for a long while. "You put up with me pretty easy."

Naruto was walking back into his living room, a kettle and two cups on a tray that he placed down on his worn coffee table. Pouring himself and Anko a cup, he sat down in the chair facing her. "I spent three years with Jiraiya. I've been around a lot worse than you." What that worse was went unsaid, and Naruto relaxed back with a pleased sigh. It took a moment for Anko to consider what to ask first, but Naruto beat her to it first. "So, you just wanna see my apartment and flirt with me, or you gonna get nosy already?"

"Oooh so impatient, girls don't like that." Seeing Naruto roll his eyes, she took another look around his living space. "You've got a green thumb."

"Been alone as long as I can remember. These plants were my friends when I couldn't find any others."

Ah, right. Two resident Konoha outcasts they were. Anko could relate. The village had taken a long time to warm back up to her after Orochimaru ran off and left her. Even now it was still a luke warm relationship. Taking a sip of the provided tea and clearing her mind of depressing thoughts, Anko's eyebrows raised a bit, "Oooh, tasty. Is that honey?"

"Anko…"

"Oh fine fine, spoil my fun why don't ya." Placing down the worn cup with care, Anko relaxed back and took in the blonde before her. Where to start? "I guess, I'll get right to it, why are you helping that woman?"

"She has a name, I know you know it. Use it."

Oh, going to be stubborn was he? Interesting. "Sorry, Mai was it? What's so special about her?"

Grunting and turning his gaze to the ceiling for a moment, Naruto sighed heavily and started to talk. "How about a question for you first. Do you ever feel like you're making a difference in the world. A real difference I mean?"

Shrugging nearly instantly, Anko wasn't one to think that hard about things. "Not something I worry about. I live my life how I want at all times. All that matters to me is my life and my home. The rest of the world doesn't mean much to me, nor its problems."

"Hmm, I get that. I was like that too ya know?" Naruto's gaze remains on the ceiling, refusing to make eye contact with the woman that leaned forward towards him. "So self absorbed, all I thought about was becoming Hokage and forcing people to respect me. Making people see me. Who I am. I wanted to be the big god damn hero."

There was silence between the two as Naruto seemed to gather his thoughts, and Anko was willing to sit and wait. This was interesting, it usually took a few years more before the younger ninja started to change their outlook on life, and someone with a profile like Naruto's took even longer. Everyone in the ranks had heard something of the kid by now. A freak with shadow clones with more energy than sense. Willing to toss caution to the wind if it meant helping his friends or his village. And yeah, the menace that had put down the One Tail Biju. But that sure didn't seem to the be the man sitting across from her right now. She'd have to think about the fact that she'd mentally stopped calling him a kid later.

"On my trip with Jiraiya, it was supposed to be simple. Retrain me from the ground up, beat the fundamentals into my very bones to correct the neglect from the academy, travel to stay ahead of the Akatsuki, and learn some new tricks along the way." Naruto finally brought his sight back to her, ocean blue locking onto honey gold, "But the places we saw, I started to see some patterns. From Tanzaku to border towns. Massive cities and barely there ghost towns, it always seemed to be the same." Taking a sip of tea, Naruto turned to his reflection, "So much suffering, mixed with an apathy I just couldn't understand. Leftovers from who knows how many wars over the last hundred years. Families broken, scattered orphans, scarred and mutilated men and women. It's all, all of it, it's so much." Here he shrugged, a half smile on his face as he looked at the older ninja, "Guess it put my life into perspective, and forced me to make a change."

Anko wanted to step in and interrupt him, wanted to say that there was no way Naruto had a brush with reality this late in the game and decided to what, try and save everyone he came across? Like he wasn't a contract killer for hire? But no, she wanted his real thoughts and thus held herself back. She'd be patient. So instead she took another sip of tea and motioned for him to continue. She'd keep her thoughts to herself.

Naruto appreciated the continued silence, putting down his cup and folding his hands in front of him. "One day, after training in the middle of no where, Jiraiya posed a question to me. He had started doing that eventually, making me work through problems and tactics outside of purely ninja work. This one was a little different. What is the worth of a life? Of course, I said right away that all life was precious, priceless." Giving a dry and humorless chuckle, Naruto kept his eyes on his clenched hands, "That old goat, of course, expanded on it. Was life really precious? What about the people in a border town I've never heard of? Do I ever think about them as they die from famine or disease? Do I think about them at all? We in Konoha can't say we value them at all if we don't even consider them as real right? Well, what about here, in Konoha? Every Konoha citizen has some worth to us right? Well, do they?" Anko remained silent, watching him work through what he wanted to say with some respect. "Our friends, our families, they have worth to us, importance. We'd die for them, kill for them. But that means we value their lives much more than those who stand against us. It was easy then. No two lives were worth the same to any two people. So, life then had more and less worth depending on the person and who was asked. As I thought about it, I started to get annoyed, and then. Angry."

Not quiet at alarm bells yet, but part of Anko was a little put off. This was, a bit simpler than she expected and couldn't hold her tongue completely anymore as she watched Naruto get lost in his thoughts. "So what? You figure out that people care about the people they know and couldn't give two shits about the people they don't and suddenly have an existential crisis?" Her answer was another dry chuckle as Naruto stood.

"Guess you could say that. More tea?" Not waiting for an answer, Naruto left with the empty pot. His voice rose to continue his answer for her, "I decided I wanted to change things. So I started small. Yeah, I wanna be Hokage still. But it means more to me now than just being recognized by the people of Konoha. It means valuing them all equally. From our talented and important ninja and clans, to even the orphans and left behind civilians with little to no chakra ability. They all should be treasured in their own unique and special ways." Walking back into the room with a new steaming cup and the pot sounding much fuller, Naruto sat back down with a grin. "And yeah, I know it's insanity to try and save everyone. I'm not a Kami and I can't be everywhere at once. But I could start small. Hell, even just one life is enough. Just. One."

Now Anko was started to get it, or at least she thought so, "So that's where Mai comes in? She's your one?" Another chuckle answered her, huh, maybe not?

"Something like that." Taking another long sip and relaxing back, Naruto leveled eyes back on the special Jonin. "I admit, it's nice to talk to someone about this. I'd appreciate if this stays between us however. A future Hokage should have some secrets I think."

Anko wanted to say that it'd be a hard sell to become Hokage if it was ever found out he was paling around with prostitutes, but held her tongue on that. "Hmm, I guess I can keep it quiet. Maybe you'll owe me one for it?"

Rolling his eyes as a more genuine smile broke out on his face, the whiskered boy shook his head, "Sure. I'll owe you one. I mean, I know I'm probably still being childish for this, but I want to keep Mai to myself as much as I can. For however long I can."

Not saying the obvious, instead Anko decided to poke, "She seems pretty taken with you. Real feelings at that. And you glossed over just how you met the woman too."

"Oh, I did? Funny that." Smirking as Anko growled in her throat, Naruto shrugged, "And yeah, I know she does. But. Well, I'm not exactly someone any woman should be getting involved with. I've got some pretty heavy baggage." One hand rubbing at his gut lightly, Anko got the picture. Right, human sacrifice. Never knew when the demon would come calling.

"So, you're worried about the demon then?"

"Kurama."

"What?"

"His name, it's Kurama." Seeing Anko's eyes double in size, he ticked a point on his side of the board. So he could surprise her, "It's just as long of a story, but he and I have been, talking. It's rare, and usually ends in insults or death threats, but we have a sort of agreement at the moment." Taking another sip and waiting for Anko to stop looking like she wanted to fly out of her chair, Naruto smirked, "He still hates humanity for the most part, but it feels like things might have a chance to come around. Or maybe that's my childish naivete at play."

Well, that was certainly something that opened up even more questions. Was this the Kyuubi at work then? A bid for release? Or something else, trying to get Naruto attached to someone who would ultimately break him and thus, his will? Nope, this was way above her pay grade, and not for her to worry about. "Kid, gotta admit, you're a lot more than just the loudmouth knucklehead I thought you were."

"I'm just full of surprises."

"I'd appreciate if you could follow orders a little more to the letter though. Something tells me you might be good with infiltration if you gave it some actual effort."

"Oh you have no idea."

"Oh ho, I feel like there's a juicy story there. Spill."

"Nah, I'll keep you hanging for a little while on that one. If I tried telling all my stories from my time out with Jiraiya, we'd be here for probably weeks."

"Aw no fun. I feel like I'm missing the juicy bits."

Naruto had a twinkle in his eye as he smirked at the pouting Jonin, "Stick around, maybe you'll hear a few." He seemed to pause and consider her, before shrugging, "Eh, wouldn't be me if I didn't live life a little loose. You'll get a story out of me again eventually when the mood strikes me." A little more comfortable with the woman now, Naruto did at least feel like she deserved an apology. "Though, sorry about my blow up during the mission. I did put us in danger we didn't need to be in."

"Well, like you said, we beat the bad guys, saved the day, and made some money. All in a days work for Konoha ninja right?" Well, he seemed more like his normal self now at least. Well, the normal self he put on display for the village at large. She wondered how many other layers he had under that mask of his. Which part was the real him? "So, gonna let a girl in on how you met Mai and her kids? I bet that's a story." Here she wiggled her eyebrows at him, "Unless they really are yours? That shade of blonde is pretty rare in this village."

"It is, isn't it? But nah, maybe another time." Placing his cup down, Naruto folded his hands again in his lap. "Besides, I am very much a virgin."

"Bullshit." Anko's answer slipped out instantly. The kid had been on the road with Lord Jiraiya of all people! The Mega Pervert himself. No way the old man didn't force Naruto to enjoy a hooker or two on the road. Hell the kid was good looking enough on his own to probably have a woman or two sniffing around. The Hyuuga girl certainly was hooked.

"Oh, not for Jiraiya's efforts. He certainly tried. And once my growth spurt hit more than a few women gave it a go themselves. Like I said, my life's a little more complicated."

Rolling her eyes as there was nothing wrong with a little harmless fun, Anko finally stood and stretched, arcing her back and straining her arms over her head. "You are one weird guy Naruto."

Blushing and looking away from the scantily dressed woman, Naruto sighed, "You don't know the half of it."

Smirking at the guy's sudden embarrassment, Anko stalked over to him, "How bout it? Want me to pop your cherry? It'd be a wild ride."

"You're hot enough that I believe it, but nah. And don't tease me, I am still a hormonal teenage boy with an ancient Biju in my gut."

Anko was leaning over him now, shit eating grin plastered on her face, "Oh I don't know, I think that makes it more fun."

"You sound like a predator."

"You're an adult, have been since you put that headband on."

"Being able to drink has been a nice perk."

"You've got a hot set of tits in front of you and you're more concerned about booze? Was your teacher Jiraiya or Lady Tsunade?"

"I'd take Tsunade over Jiraiya any day."

Anko pondered that one for a moment before nodding, "Honestly same, those things are otherworldly."

"We're talking about as a sensei right?"

Anko wiggled her eyebrows again, this was fun! "You and I both know I wasn't." Her grin widened as he finally blushed in full.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Blush says otherwise, pervert."

"So are you. I'm telling Tsunade you've been staring at her tits."

"Everyone does, blame her genetics." Rolling her eyes and backing away, she had to give it to the kid, useless flirting with him was pretty fun. "Well seeing as you seem well enough and not mentally unstable, I guess I can leave ya alone for a while."

"Don't you mean forever?"

"Oh no, like I said, you owe me one."

"Well shit. Should I write a will out now?"

"Don't be an ass gaki, I can still take you to task."

Naruto's eyes seemed to shine for a moment, "Oh, think so do you? Wanna fight about it? You're infiltration, I'm front-line. Big difference."

"Oh ho, so you really do wanna get all hot and sweaty with Anko-sensei? Wanna close the blinds or prefer an audience?"

Now rolling his eyes as the woman laughed and headed back to his balcony, he considered her for a moment before speaking up as she opened the sliding glass door, "You satisfied then?"

"For now. I mean, we all have to find what happiness we can where we can. You aren't so different from everyone else." Anko was turned to look out on the village, a thoughtful look crossing her face before she sighed, "Just, a piece of advice Naruto." Let her be her age for a moment she supposed.

"Hmm?"

"Just, be careful alright?"

"Yeah, life has a funny way of stripping the happiness from our lives when we finally find some huh?" Naruto turned to look back down into his tea cup, "The Jinchuriki's curse I suppose."

Part of her wanted to say more, encourage the kid in some way, but she found that she didn't have the words. Not something she was used to doing and that was Kurenai's department. So instead she did what she did best, deflect, "Don't you worry, I'm sure Konoha's good luck will outweigh your own bad luck."

"Hah, hopefully." Naruto was back to considering her for a moment, before a real smile touched his lips. "Thanks Anko, for listening. Let's do it again sometime."

Huh, that felt good. Odd. Anko would have to think about how she felt later, "I'll uh, be around Naruto, if ya need to talk. Kay?" Seeing Naruto nod, she left, dashing over the rooftops to head back home. It wasn't even noon and yet somehow she found herself exhausted already. Maybe a good nap was all she needed, or better yet, some torture time down in T&I. Ibiki would love to throw some goons at her right about now she bet. It was better than thinking about emotionally confusing blondes!

-b-

The days went on for one lucky Special Jonin, keeping a partial eye on the blonde and his routine while giving herself some much needed R&R. Ibiki had thrown her out after that first day back, telling her and in no uncertain terms to go take out her frustrations on someone else and stop breaking their prisoners. Party pooper. But, after submitting her report and receiving her pay from Lady Tsunade herself, Anko was ready to party and celebrate a job well done! No more watching weird humanitarian blondes with a thing for top heavy single moms!

That said, as night fell and she slammed an newly empty mug onto her group's table with a cheer, she ignored what looked like exasperated looks from her friends. Hana had been an easy addition, the little Inuzuka and her had worked together on more than a few occasions to hunt down runaways and nuke-nins. She was also horribly shy when not on duty and Anko was still working on getting her out of her shell. She was the mousiest Inuzuka ever!

Next to her was Yugao, Anbu captain and resident shut in of the group. Anko would never press the other woman to join her in her occasional man hunts, respect for the old flame, but she certainly would drag the other woman out from time to time to make sure she didn't grow mold in that apartment of hers!

"Ah man what a week! If I don't see another blonde for a month I'll be happy."

Hana sighed, sipping her drink while looking around the ninja only establishment with a curious look. It was only somewhat busy tonight. A lot of missions had been put out lately. "It is nice to get out once in a while."

Yugao was relaxed back in her seat, shaking her head at Anko's antics, "You're just mad Kurenai can't join us."

"Of course I am! My bestie decides to get knocked up by that stick in the mud chain smoker and I barely get to see her anymore! It sucks!" slumping over the table and faking tears, Anko turned her eyes to Yugao, "You won't ever leave me, will you Yugao? Maybe I'll marry you instead?"

"I'm pretty sure I don't have the equipment you'd enjoy."

"Oh poo, you have no imagination!"

"I think you have a bit to much."

Hana smirked, a rare quip from her coming to mind, "Probably why Ibiki considers her one of the best. How many men have you broken to date?"

Cackling, Anko sat up and waved to the bartender for another drink, "Not enough if you ask me!" Yes, this was good. Easy laughs, no thoughts about missions or snooty civilians or what life was. Nope. Just drinks and her girlfriends. "I just wanna party with my friends, and Kurenai could kind keep up with me!"

"No one can keep up with you Anko." Yugao's quip was quick and cutting, making Anko pout again.

"Never mind, we're breaking up. You're mean."

"Oh my heart, so broken. It hurts." Getting laughs around the table, Yugao leaned her elbows on the table and closed in on the Snake Mistress, "So. I heard you went on a mission with Uzumaki recently. Didn't go as planned."

"Ah phooey, you heard?"

"Everyone in Anbu has heard. Blame Kakashi."

"That ass, isn't he sneaking around with Shizune or some such? He should mind his own business."

Hana shrugged at Anko's words, having heard the rumor herself, along with others. "Pretty sure that's a lie. I heard he got caught in records with with one of the research girls. You know the one."

Yugao shook her head, feeling like she knew Kakashi's type better, "You're both wrong. I have it on good authority he's shacking up with a civilian. As far away from ninja business as possible."

Anko made a mental note to somehow ruin that porn addicts book stash for spreading the news about her mission while also weaseling the information on who he was dating out of him. There was a pretty sizeable betting pool going around. "Well for what it was worth, we salvaged it in the end."

Yugao smirked at the tomboy as a new group entered the bar, causing a bit of a ruckus, "I heard it was something of a spectacle."

"Everything with that blonde is a spectacle." Great, now she was thinking about whiskers again!

Hana sighed and turned to Yugao, "We only just got her to stop complaining! Why bring that up?"

Yugao shrugged with a smirk, "Whoops?"

Hana sighed, staring into her glass as Anko accepted a new one from a well dressed waitress, "Well, for what it's worth, if Kakashi has finally found someone, I hope it lasts. Lord knows if any of us needs a win, it's probably him."

Anko only fell further into her mood, raising her glass slightly, "Who doesn't need a win these days?"

Seeing the mood tank further, Yugao knocked her drink against the table and huffed, "Hey hey! We're supposed to be having fun right? Well let's have some fun! Com'on Anko, you haven't even tried to hit on anyone yet, has Konoha's hottest single lost her edge already?" A lie, of course, Konoha's hottest single was her, but she'd boost her friend's ego for tonight.

Laughing and coming out of it, Anko clinked drinks with the other two and took a long pull. "You're right! No being mopey, life is good right now." Laughing as Hana tried to finish her drink in one go, only to set herself to coughing and sputtering, it was a sight to watch Yugao both slap her back and lecture her at the same time. Lightweight.

"I'm not carrying you home if you go overboard again Hana, I'm gonna call your mother next time."

"Moh Yugao, you promised you wouldn't do that again. Let me crash at your place. Pretty please?"

"Over my dead body, you're clingy when you're drunk."

"But you're so warm!"

Anko was only half listening now, watching a group of four teens enter the bar, two of which were obviously a drink or two away from black out. There was the newly hopeful Jonin, Shikamaru, probably playing babysitter. Hmm, Hana's little brother, face flushed and cackling about something one of the others had said. His teammate, bug boy, if she remembered right. And, great. Naruto. Just who she wanted to see.

Yugao follows her gaze, recognizing Kiba out of the group first, "Oh look Hana, it's your little brother."

"Kiba? Oh no, that blowhard better stay away." That he had ratted Hana out to their mother the last time she had gone out was still not forgiven. Turning to look herself, Hana spotted the group and gave a bit of a whistle, "Ohhh, so that's the Uzumaki. Huh, kid's been eating his vegetables."

Anko smelled blood, "What's this, Hana is into younger guys? Do tell."

"No no, not me. Don't you dare." Hana didn't like the grin that was on Anko's face. It spelled trouble of the pranking variety.

Humming noncommittally, Anko watched the boys claim a table not far away from them, Kiba laughing up a storm while the three other boys seemed resigned to putting up with him. It was odd, knowing Naruto had a deeper side to him, and reconciling that with this loudmouth teenager.

Hana and Yugao lean close together, watching Anko with growing smirks of their own. Hana pounces on it, "You know, maybe it's Anko who's got the hots for younger guys. All your complaining is starting to make more sense."

Surprised at being caught, Anko turns back to her friends and shook her drink at them, "What? Me? No way! Those little boys wouldn't know what to do with me. I'll pass." Taking a drink as her friends laugh and tease her, Anko shrugs and most certainly does not pout.

At the boys' table, Kiba is pointing a finger at Naruto as Shikamaru orders a round for them from a worried looking waitress. "Would you give it up already! You can't tell me that after being away for years with Lord Jiraiya that you didn't learn a thing about picking up chicks. I refuse to believe it."

Rolling his eyes, Naruto shared a tired look with of all people, Shino, "I didn't say I didn't learn anything. Just that I'm not interested in random hookups."

Kiba leaned back in his seat, throwing one arm over the back and leaning it on two legs, "Oh come ooooon Naruto bro. I call bull. Either you are tapping some Goddess tier ass, or you're lying." Sure, Kiba knew Hinata still had a thing for the whiskered blonde, and as a good friend this was the best way to get some type of information out of the secretive blonde, sorta. But even still, something had to give!

Shikamaru turned back to the group after assuring the waitress that Kiba wouldn't be any trouble. "Or, third option, he's telling the truth. The world doesn't revolve around women ya know."

Kiba pointed a clawed finger at the shadow user, "I don't wanna hear that from the guy sneaking around with the Kazekage's daughter."

"Wha-what? I'm not-"

Naruto jumped in, happy to have the attention somewhere else, "Oh is that why Temari's been in such a good mood lately? I knew you had it in your Shika."

Turning panicked eyes to Naruto, Shikamaru waved his hands in front of himself, "W-w-wait. How do you know?" The smirk on Naruto's face told him enough. Right, he and Gaara were friends. Shit. "I walked right into that, didn't I?"

"I promise Gaara's gonna give you a head start when you two finally come clean and stop beating around the bush."

"Yaay~" Shikamaru laid his head on the table, all energy leaving him. What a drag. Women really were troublesome.

Laughing and turning back to his target of the night, Kiba smirked, "So, you say you learned some tricks huh? Well-"

"I most certainly did not."

"-Well anyway! It makes no sense that you're single. We've all dated around a little by now, but not you. Hell, Hinata's been sniffing after you forever, why not see where that goes? You've seen her since you've been back right?"

Sighing and praying to the Kami, Naruto thanks the waitress that hands him his drink with a smile, "It would be a bad idea to go after a literal princess Kiba. Also, her dad would kill me."

Kiba eyed the waitress's backside for a moment before turning back to Naruto, "So you're at least interested in her right? We can start there."

"You're hopeless."

"Aaaand you have no balls."

That prompted a sigh from Shikamaru and Shino, already seeing the gears beginning to turn in Naruto's head. "Just great, there goes the night. Wanna run for it Shino?"

The normally quiet Aburame shook his head, taking his drink in hand, "No no, I want to see where this goes."

Leaning forward towards Kiba, Naruto's grin was just as feral, "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"

Kiba did not sense the danger, and happily did as requested, "No. Balls."

Naruto held up an index finger, "Remind us all who kicked your ass in the chunin exams again?"

"I-well. That was a long time ago Genin Naruto. I'm gonna be a Jonin soon."

"Which means, you'll still have on record that you got your ass kicked, by a Genin." Naruto smirked as Kiba fumed, before the feral boy started to grin on his own, "Uh oh, the brain cells are starting to rub together."

Shikamaru took a sip of his drink as well, "Let's hope they don't start a fire."

"Oh screw you both. Naruto!" Kiba pointed a finger now at the surprised blonde, "I'm gonna challenge you. Find the hottest woman in the bar and pick her up. Let's see this charm of yours in action."

"I'd like to say, again, that I haven't mentioned anything about this supposed charm."

"Sounds like the Uzumaki is a chicken."

Rolling his eyes, Naruto eyed up the grinning pair of Shino and Shikamaru who had decided this was the evening entertainment. "What are you, 8?"

"Bawk bawk bawk baaaawk. Chickeeeen." Complete with arm waving, Kiba was fully in the swing of things now.

Sighing and taking a quick look around the bar and seeing several curious patrons looking at the table making all the noise, Naruto shook his head, "Are you looking for me to literally pick someone up? I'd like to remind you most women are pretty light."

"You know what I mean Naruto, just admit you've got no skill or get to work."

"You know what, fine, only if it'll get you to shut up."

Having been listening in on the boys. An easy feat with how loud the Inuzuka could be, Anko was all grins as she turned her eyes to Hana and Yugao both. A plan was forming in her mind, "Hey, Hana, how bad do you wanna piss off your little bro?"

Yugao could already see the plan Anko had in mind, and tried to derail it, "This is a bad idea. Like, really bad. Never mind Tsume who you'll piss off. You really wanna get on the Hyuuga Princess's bad side?" The little girl's crush was cute, but weird. Yugao wished someone would tell the girl to do something already. Their lives were much to short to be wishy washy about love.

Anko however wasn't listening, alcohol and potential for fun overriding anything else, "What do ya say Hana, put on a bit of a play?"

Hana turned to follow Anko's eye, taking in the group of boys with her brother before turning back to Anko. "Hmm, yeah, I'm in."

"Perfect! Yugao, let's go." Anko was already up and moving.

"Wait, why meeee?" Giving minimal protest, Yugao downed her drink as Anko dragged her out of her seat. Hana was at least nice enough to cover their bill before they stalked their prey.

Naruto could feel it. Something tickled his senses and a feeling a dread washed up and down his spine. Yup. Someone was coming to make his life hell. Just what he needed. Familiar feminine arms snaked around his shoulders, and he had to suppress a smirk at the surprised looks that cross Kiba's, Shikamaru's, and Shino's faces. "Oh, hello Anko, fancy meeting you here."

"Oh Naru, you didn't tell me you'd be out with your friends. I missed you." Almost purring in his ear as Hana and Yugao stood behind her, she laid it on thick. This was going to be fun.

Not even trying to understand what the woman wanted, Naruto could roll with the punches, "It's been three days Anko."

"But that's such a long time for me. And you're such a stamina freak, I brought back up this time."

Kiba finally tore his eyes away from the super hot Special Jonin draping herself all over that lying meatbag Naruto to take in her friends, instantly landing on someone he did not want to see. "H-h-hey hey wait a minute. Naruto, decline. Decline right now."

"Hmmm?" Naruto looked up over Anko's shoulder, spotting the other Inuzuka who gave him a wave and a smile. Ah, that was her game then. He could play along. "Well, I do find myself free tonight Anko, what'd you have in mind?"

"Well that offer to get all hot and sweaty is still good isn't it?"

"Very."

"Peerrrrfect." For added affect, Anko gave a light nibble to Naruto's ear. The flush that crossed the other three boy's faces was well worth it.

Kiba was beginning to vibrate in his seat. Of all the no good back stabbing bastards! "Naruto, I swear to god. They will never find the body. Don't you touch my sister."

Naruto grinned, keeping eye contact with his fellow rookie nine member, "What? You said to turn on the charm. Wanted proof right?" Allowing Anko to help him up and dropping a few ryo for his drink, he slunk an arm around the scantily clad woman's waist, "How about we compare notes tomorrow huh?" Allowing Anko and her friends to lead the way outside, Naruto missed Kiba's attempt to dive over the table after him. Shikamaru had a time of it restraining him with his shadows while Shino chuckled quietly, but it was worth it to Naruto. Even more when a few of the other patrons offered catcalls and a few whistles. Teach the dog boy to doubt him huh? Eat that Kiba. Even if he didn't plan on actually doing anything with Hana. Her mom was damned scary and one didn't cross the bro code.

Outside the bar and wandering down the street, the group of four burst out into laughter. Most of all Naruto and Anko. Hana and Yugao watch on, before it's Yugao who breaks it up, "I didn't know you two were friends Anko." With all the complaining that she had been doing earlier, she wouldn't have expected it.

Anko shrugged as Naruto let her go and they walked under the streetlamps and stars, "Something recent I guess."

Naruto nodded, "Very. And are we calling that a favor?"

"Nope, we're calling that for fun. You'll know when I want a favor."

"Dang."

Hana watched them with a critical eye, something interesting was certainly there. "Hmmm."

Anko also knew that tone, and didn't like it. "Whatever you're thinking little miss Vet, nix it."

"Oh ho. I was just thinking I had an early morning, so I should be getting home." Here Hana turned fake irritated eyes towards Yugao, "Especially since someone won't let me crash at their place."

Yugao sighed, clasping her hands behind her back, "I told you, you get clingy. It's annoying." She was already angling to leave, the night was pretty much over for her. She'd have to thank Anko tomorrow. It was fun.

"But you're so waaarm." Hana was quick to follow after her, she'd get her sleep over one way or another.

"Buzz off."

"You love me Yugao!"

"Like a rash!"

"I've seen some cute rashes though!"

"Why do I even bother?"

Watching the pair leave down a different street, Naruto and Anko paused to stare after them before looking at each other. Naruto pointed at the retreating pair, "Did we just get ditched?"

"Yup. Can't imagine why."

"Something tells me they were tired of dealing with you."

Gasping with mock hurt as Naruto started walking again, Anko caught up and slapped him on the shoulder, "How rude. I'm a regular ray of sunshine."

"I've seen your work from T&I, I have doubts."

"It's a talent, I know." Interesting, how would he have seen prisoners she had worked over?

"Now that I can agree with." Naruto shared a chuckle with the woman, before relaxing and raising his arms to link his hands behind his head. "Thanks by the way. That was fun."

"Ah don't sweat it. It's fun to mess with friends from time to time." Anko walked along with her hands in her pockets, another smirk coming to her, "Besides, I was serious."

"Yup, it's official, you're crazy."

"Am not."

"Then you weren't serious."

Anko went back to draping herself over his shoulders, "Wanna find out if I was?"

Playing along, Naruto shook his head, "Better be careful. Remember, my teacher is a legendary pervert. No telling what I can do to you."

"Maybe I wanna spend all night figuring it out." Why was this so easy and fun? Most guys would be trying to dig in her panties by now or piling on the bravado. But not this kid. Noope. Just like her, it was all for the fun of it.

"You really are something special Anko."

"Aw you say the sweetest things." Anko did however see there was something with him, and decided to pull back for a moment. "You should relax though, ya know? You're so serious whether anyone else has noticed it or not. Ya gotta live a little. Have fun! Make some mistakes or something. You can't make the right choices all the time."

Naruto really did take a moment to consider that, staring off up into the stars as they walked, passing by loud bars and some dark alleyways. "Heh, you aren't a half bad friend Anko. Far cry from the scary snake lady I used to think you were."

"Oh, no no. I'm still scary. Hold on, let's fix that." Anko had her hands free, wiggling them in the air and almost willing to summon some of her smaller snakes to complete the look. She couldn't have her image ruined by some punk. She had taken so long to cultivate it!

Coming to an intersection, they nearly ran into a new group of teens. Naruto stared blinking as a very drunk Ino nearly slammed into him, catching her carefully by the shoulders as she babbled something while Sakura, Tenten and Hinata looked both tired and ready to fret over her. Sakura had a head on her shoulders and nodded to her teammate quickly.

"Thanks Naruto, she started sprinting out of no while screaming about hot guys who didn't know what they were missing."

"Ah, certainly sounds like Ino."

Ino looked up through glassy eyes at her fellow blonde, smiling brightly before poking him in the cheek, "Heeeey there hot stuff. Say, You over Sakura yet cause I've got this thing I'd loooove to show you."

Sakura rolled her eyes, "Ino, you're drunk."

Tenten had a hand on her hip though she looked a little unsteady on her feet, "I'll second that."

Ino rolled her eyes, finger now drawing circles on Naruto's chest, "Sakura's always talking about how much of a stamina freak you are. Why don't we find out how much of one you really are huh?"

"Ooookay, enough of that now." Sakura came forward and easily accepted her friend back from a bemused Naruto, passing her then to Tenten as she was starting to look a little green. "Apparently she struck out with her latest interests."

"She just loves the pretty boys doesn't she?"

"Yup, shame they just happen to know how pretty they are." Sakura and Naruto shared a look, before they shared a fist bump, "Hunt them down with me in a couple days?"

Naruto grinned and nodded, "I'll be there. No one breaks Ino's heart on our watch."

"It'd help if she would stop breaking her own heart, the block head."

Anko leaned over his shoulder then, taking in the sight of the girl while also taking the chance to press herself into him. There was always time to tease and create misunderstandings! "Heeey it's Naruto's teammate and her friends. Fancy meeting you here."

Missing Hinata somehow turn even more pale while Tenten led Ino into the alley to finally puke her guts out, Sakura sighed and turned to the bane of her existence recently, "Why am I not surprised to find you here?" Maybe she really did have a thing for her teammate?

"Cause I'm just a beacon of happiness and rainbows?"

Naruto of course had to chime in, "I'm sure if you stepped into a church you'd burst into flame."

"That only happened once. And it was funny."

"Please tell me you really didn't prank civilians that way?" At Anko's silence, Naruto looked up into the sky and offered prayers to the Kami. "You're broken." He'd need to give that a shot sometime. Maybe in a fire temple?

"No more broken than you."

"That isn't saying much."

Watching the two banter back and forth put a strange feeling in Sakura's chest, but she decided it was a problem for another day. She had a depressed and drunk Ino to deal with, and now most likely a really depressed Hinata to reassure. "Well good luck to, whatever the hell this is. Don't forget Naruto, we have a team meeting tomorrow."

Naruto nodded, pulling away from Anko a bit, "Got it, up bright and early. Meeting at the tower first thing right?"

"Yup."

"Alright, ya'll get home safe okay? Want me to send some clones with ya?"

"We're fiiine ya big lug. We're in the village, we're safe." Sakura rolled her eyes as Tenten dragged a somewhat better looking but sleepy Ino out of the alley. Poor sod that had to clean that up in the morning would probably deserve a medal.

Anko once more draped herself all over the boy, "You know, a normal lady might feel a certain way about a guy chatting up some younger girls in her presence. Am I really that much of a christmas cake to you?"

"Guess it's a good thing you aren't normal right?"

"Hmm, I suppose."

Sakura could see that Anko absolutely wasn't serious and knowing better about Naruto, she let it go. "Get home safe yourself. Don't let the old lady assault you."

Anko was all grins as she gave Sakura a v sign, "No promises there Pinky."

Sakura rolled her eyes as the groups separated, having to physically drag Hinata away as Naruto and Anko left while continuing to banter back and forth. Huh. Hinata seemed stuck between being completely mortified or wanting to jump back and put the smack down on Anko. Should Sakura correct this misunderstanding? Sure. Would she? Probably not. Cause it sure looked like Hinata was finally motivated to do something about her crush!

With the retreating pair, Naruto finally sighed and plucked the smaller woman off of him, "You really are a terror."

"Oh you do love me."

"Debatable."

Chuckling and refusing to wonder at how easy it was to hang around this guy, Anko decided to throw him a bone. "Hey, be serious for a minute, why don't you go after that Hyuuga girl? I know you've seen the body on her, and she's interested in you. Plus she's a ninja. That a win in every chart as far as we are concerned."

"You are forgetting, just who and what I am. This is the Hyuuga Princess we're talking about."

"Oh, you mean the Hokage's favorite and the kid who took down a rampaging Biju to save the village? That you?"

"And also Kurama's jailer." Naruto sighed, still in a good mood somehow, but tinged with something else. "The lowest of the low. Her family would never accept me. Nor would they accept her if she pushed it."

Anko reached over to punch him in the shoulder again, "We have really gotta work on that self worth of yours. So what if her dad doesn't like you. Screw him, possibly by screwing his daughter. Repeatedly. Maybe even on his desk once or twice."

"Again, so broken."

"But you know I'm right!" Huffing as Naruto turned a confused look her way, Anko crossed her arms under her bust, "Like I said before. You're much too serious. You've gotta relax, live! Ya know the girl likes ya, obviously you like her at least a little. Go for it. Figure out if it's something ya want. But if you don't figure out how to live for yourself, how can you figure out what a life is worth?"

Ah, so, she had been really paying attention then. Thoughtful that. "Ah well. Shit, feels weird to have my own words thrown back at me. I don't like it."

"Then stop being such a stiff." Anko shrugged and walked along with him, angling towards his apartment, "Offer still stands, I'll pop your cherry if you're nervous."

"I am nothing close to nervous about that."

"Says the virgin."

"There's nothing wrong with being a virgin."

"All virgins say that."

"You would know huh?"

Gasping with mock shock, Anko put a hand to her chest, "I'm sorry, are you implying that I, muah? Am actually a virgin?"

"Yup, too much bravado and hype."

Not missing a beat, Anko once more leaned in, "Welp, would you like to find out the fun way? I've got all night."

"And I have a mission in the morning, I'll pass."

"You are so lucky you're cute. I haven't been rejected this much ever."

Flashing Anko a real smile for once, Naruto reached out and poked her in the side, "Another victim of the Uzumaki charm. Welcome to the club." This wasn't so bad. Making a new friend. Though it was weird to call Anko of all people a friend. She was fun though, and definitely had more going on than most people assumed.

"Oh, and who's in this special club? Anyone I'd know?"

Naruto grinned. This was always a fun one. "Hmm. Hinata. Yukie Fujikaze. Sasame of Fuma. Priestess Shion from the Land of Demons, Technically Ino-"

"Wait wait wait, back up. Yukie Fujikaze? As in the Daimyo of Spring and world renowned actress? That Yukie?"

"One in the same."

"Oh I have to hear this story."

"Okay, well, I've got some time, sure, I'll tell it."

"Score!" Grabbing one more drink for the night wouldn't be a bad thing. He was having fun for once. Life was good. Easy.

-AN-

I'm hoping to do a little mix of serious and fun in this one but more leaned towards serious as it goes on. I mean, it is Naruto, and completely serious Naruto always throws me off. But I've always liked the idea that even in Canon Anko and Naruto could have had something kinda cool going on. More sibling energy than romantic. Of course, we blur the lines from time to time.

Till next time.