Chapter 3: Red-Bean Snake
(Academy)
It was now 3 months now, and Naruto had started the academy. Despite feeling like his heart was ripped to shreds, he tried to keep a happy mask and make friends. It didn't work. A full week into his first year of academy, Naruto sat on the lone swing under the tree in the recreation yard of the academy during lunch. He was by himself as usual, trying desperately to keep it together and not break down there and then. He wasn't hungry, but managed to get down half his bento box. So instead he swung in silence, counting the seconds until lunch ended and they would go back inside to learn about being ninjas.
So lost in his thoughts, he didn't feel the snake crawling up his legs and arms. The albino rat snake slithered until it was near eye level with Naruto along the rope swing. It was hanging on for dear life as it slowly climbed towards a bird's nest, hunger in its eyes. Naruto saw movement out of the corner of his eyes. He stopped his slow swinging to watch the white snake. It looked fixated on the bird's nest, its tongue coming out in excitement. Naruto watched it struggle, until it reached the nest. As it crested over the lip of the nest, it gained a shocked then depressed look on its face.
Naruto stood on the swing seat to get a look and discovered the nest empty. "Aww. I understand little snake. I've been disappointed by empty trash cans too many times. Want some of my food? I got it from Madame Moon." Naruto lifted a surprised snake that was wiggling off the branch and set it in his half empty bento box. Naruto thought it would go towards the left over chicken, but instead it stuck out its tongue and made a beeline towards the last ball of dango filled with some red-bean paste. It swallowed it whole, stretching its mouth as it devoured it slowly. Naruto was fascinated as the snake ate. When the albino snake finished its dango, it rolled over, contentment showing on its face.
Naruto giggled at the antics of the snake. One moment of happiness where the pain doesn't hurt so much. "You look round like the dango you just ate," Naruto poked her belly as he said that, "so now you're filled with anko dango, I think I'll call you Anko." The snake glanced lazily at him poking her. "I hope we can be friends." The snake was looking to have fallen asleep, so Naruto placed his lid back on after poking a few holes in it with his practice kunai. The entire day the snake slept lazily while Naruto learned as best he could. Thanks to him gaining a new friend, he paid attention through the boring lectures though by the end he was as tired as a snake eating dango.
00oo00oo00
(Somewhere in Land of Grass, 1 and a half years ago)
Anko Mitarashi was locked in combat with some Iwagakure ninjas. Four of them to be exact. Her mission into infiltrating a border town near the Earth-Grass border went tits up when a border patrol of 5 Iwa nins stumbled on her locations because one of them had to pee and peed on her foot. In anger, she blew her cover fully by killing the shinobi with a venomous snake that bit the man's dick. As she was using her kunai to deflect three kunai thrown at her she reflected on that moment. 'I might have anger issues.'
That realization came a touch too late for her. She sent a wave of snakes at her opponent with her Hidden Shadow Snake Hands that grasped the poor fool biting him multiple times with enough venom to kill one of the giant tigers in the forest of death ten times over. He was dead before he hit the floor. One of the last three ninjas left tried to take advantage of her attack of their comrade to try and deliver a fatal blow. Despite that, Anko only received a slice along her right shin. She responded with a tossed kunai at the enemy's foot which stuck fast as she backpedaled away. The last teammate finished his jutsu at that point. An earth spear pierced Anko from behind in her spleen.
Anko lashed out with several snakes from her hand which smacked and bit the man in the head simultaneously, knocking him into the nearest tree with a loud crack. She turned towards the final Iwa nin, panting from exhaustion and blood loss. He had just freed himself from the kunai in his foot, and he was unable to put pressure on it. Anko held up a tiger sign for a fire release, "Fire Release: Ember Shot." A deep breath and she released a rapid fire shot of small stone sized fireballs that pelted the enemy shinobi. She kept it up until a hole was burned through him and out the other side. Not the cleanest kill she made, but damn did it feel good. Then suddenly she didn't feel anything at all. She tried to move, then immediately fell forward. She was dying, unable to move towards home. 'Home' she thought one last time, using her last of her strength to stare at the trees, a nest in a branch with two birds chirping being the last thing she saw.
oo00o0o0
(Konohagakure)
Naruto, instead of hurrying home after school like he usually did, headed to the academy library. He wanted to look up books about snake care. He needed to ensure his new friend was well taken care of. It seemed the snake was still asleep from her meal. He searched for books about snake care. After finding a few, he sat down to read them. It was rough going since he had trouble reading still. Eventually he felt he learned enough to keep his new friend Anko happy.
So he got up and set out to get stuff. Specifically he headed home to talk to Madame Moon. After the death of Hinata, the old man told him to talk to her if he needed anything. Especially since somehow (*cough* Danzo *cough*) news of the Warehouse Slaughter got out, creating the myth that even being near Naruto gets you killed. This was both good and bad. On one hand, he was untouchable. On the other he was an Untouchable. A pariah squared. Even the convenience store owner refused service to him now. "Madame Moon! How are you?" Naruto was smiling brightly for the first time in a while and Madame Moon noticed.
She smiled back as she responded, "Naruto! What can I do for you?"
"I need some supplies for my friend," Naruto said excitedly while showing Anko that was still sleeping in his bento box. "I want to take good care of her."
Moon glanced at the chicken scratch that Naruto thrusted at her with a raised eyebrow. She then looked at the snake. "Okay, I'll see what I can do. You can pay me afterwards when I give you the receipt," she nodded her head in acknowledgement of the snake now in Naruto's life.
Naruto gave her a sunny grin, "thank you very much!" He practically skipped up the stairs to his apartment. Naruto opened his door and as soon as he got in, he set Anko in her box on the table. She was awakened now and was looking at Naruto curiously. "Welcome to my home Anko. We'll have sooo much fun together!" Naruto held out his right hand to her.
Anko shrugged, well at least if a snake could shrug, before slithering up Naruto's hand and up his arm. She wrapped herself around his neck and shoulders. She was a bigger snake than she should have been for her age, but Naruto had no way of knowing this. Naruto giggled as she draped her little-over-half a meter long body over himself. She seemed content and Naruto was happy. He decided to do his homework while Anko settled down for another nap.
The next day he brings Anko to class with her hiding in his baggy orange jacket with blue across the shoulders and a bright orange tracksuit pants that was a size too big for him. Anko was poking her head out of his left sleeve, wrapped around his left arm so she could securely sleep while he moved. Sitting down next to the laziest person in the class, a black haired boy with a pineapple hairdo. He had his head down facing away from Naruto, snoring. Naruto got out his paper and pencil, and drew on his paper Anko's sleeping form. It was a simple drawing with a speech bubble that says 'zzzz.' He chuckled to himself as the remaining students came in with Iruka coming last trying to settle the rambunctious children down. He failed so instead used his Big Head Jutsu. "QUIET DOWN NOW!" Everyone quieted down and Anko woke with a start, peeking out to see Naruto's drawing of her. She curled up closer to his warmth, happy as can be. Naruto felt the tightening of Anko and smiled before trying to focus on the lecture.
Class went by in a slow plodding pace that bored Naruto to near tears. He managed to not fall asleep but he still had trouble retaining the information. He managed to understand some of it, but some things required information that he was never taught. He was able to read, but lacked reading comprehension skills for someone at his level, so information was often not retained or misunderstood when conveyed via reading. Eventually it was time to move onto practical application. Today was taijutsu day. Mizuki was in charge of the outside class while Iruka graded papers and homework in his office.
Spars started up after a warm up. Naruto sat with Anko peeking out of his collar, both watching the spars. Anko seemed unimpressed, while Naruto was focused. His mind only wandered when he saw Sakura and Ami fighting, becoming enamored with Sakura's beautiful hair, blowing in the wind as she fought Ami. It was low level with sloppy basics, but at least they followed the basics. Naruto didn't care as he was too focused on Sakura. The white snake saw this, clear annoyance showing on her face seeing this. She then climbed up Naruto's ear and hissed in it, tickling his lobe and distracting him from his reverie of Sakura as he giggled from being tickled. Soon it was Naruto's turn and he got up to spar with Shino.
The two faced off against each other and proceeded to spar. Shino started off with a series of quick jabs, gaining the initiative, forcing Naruto on the defensive. He kept up the pressure and Naruto was immediately forced back and out of the ring before getting a chance to respond. He was disappointed in himself for such a poor showing. When he sat down in the back, Anko popped out of his collar and climbed to his hair.
He was disappointed with himself but Anko's presence helped soothe him. Unfortunately that good feeling ended when a group of three bullies pulled up behind him while the spars were ongoing. "Look at this freak. He's got a snake in his hair," the lead bully reached out and grabbed Anko roughly while his friends laughed. Anko took offense to that and struck him several times, her fangs digging deep with each strike. "Ahhh!" the lead bully quickly let go of the snake after screaming in pain. "You fucking dumb snake!" He raised his foot to crush her only to be stopped by Naruto's back as he threw himself over Anko to protect the snake from harm.
The lead bully proceeded to kick him several times trying to get to the snake that bit him several times. Anko crawled inside Naruto's clothes again. Iruka immediately came outside once he became aware of the ruckus. "Everybody, STOP!" Iruka used his big head jutsu. He made it over to where the group was. "What is going on here? Hachi, why are you kicking Naruto?"
"It's not my fault! I saw this snake and it bit me, and I tried to kill it, but Naruto got in the way, and…"
"That's enough. Naruto, Hachi, you both will go to the nurses' office. After you get patched up, Hachi, you're to report for detention after school. Now go!" Iruka gave no room for retort as the two children scrambled off and Hachi was quietly swearing he'd kill that fucking snake.
