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The following is a fan-based

FICTION

Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto and Shueisha.

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Chapter 10: The Good and the Bad

When I saw Menma entering the pizzeria, I was reminded of the fact that she had advanced a fair lot in recent years.

It's been just a few years since she became a Genin, and she was being given the chance to finally make it to Chuunin at 11. It wasn't the earliest a prodigy had the chance to rank up, but at least she could finally do it after the constant tampering from her father's 'protectiveness'.

Menma had to adapt a lot to fit with the expectations and limitations set by the Hokage, and while anyone could tell something unsavory was going on with the favoritism that was being aimed at Mito, that didn't mean any of that could stop the little girl from getting where she wanted to be.

Chuunin at 11, Jonin at 14/15 and then plan a retirement during her mid 20s. That was what she let out on her interest in the ninja career. It was a surprisingly 'laidback' initiative considering her usually-dutiful attitude towards this job, but when pressed about it, the girl's response held some merit.

"Peace made the job uninteresting. It pays nicely, but I don't think I find it as important as I thought it to be."

Ah yes, the usual issue of action-giddy ninja being reminded that the worst one could expect from the job is high-level bandits and missing-nins. To make things quite sadder for Menma, she was also an 'odd case'. Most genin would be assigned to four-men teams led by a Jonin, but due to her being the 'odd number out' she was instead assigned to a two-men team led by-

"Hiya, Jonno-chan!"

A dreadful Special/Tokubetsu Jonin that had entered the workplace shortly after her apprentice.

Ah yes, Mitarashi Anko. One of the most lewded ladies from the series from the early episodes up to around mid-Shippuden. To say that Kishimoto did her dirty in Boruto would be an understatement.

I could understand that the sorrow may have driven her to be quite the disfunctional woman, but for her to became someone that slipped out of self-training felt like an exaggeration. In fact, I could have imagined the opposite to happen. Instead of a chubby gilf, she would have had the potential to be quite thin and maybe retired due to it.

In this specific case, neither options would be feasible as... 1) Anko didn't have a Cursed Mark on her neck and 2) Orochi-'mama' had not departed from the village due to her doing creepy experiments. I am not 100% sure what was up in that regard since a mere case of Rule63!Orochimaru should have not changed much the 'I do not wanna die' mindset that Orochimaru had in the original show.

What I knew of that matter was that the Snake Sennin had merely found a way to snatch some Senju cells from Tsunade (with her consent) and gotten a way to prolong her life to extensive lengths. As expected, the process was classified as a 'Clan Secret' by the woman herself- like hell she would sell out the secret of 'immortality'.

Beyond this small digression, Anko here was a lot less suicidal, less neglected/abused and...

"Jonno-chan, two apple juices please!" A giddy Anko asked, and I felt my world die a little bit as the supposed 'matured/wizened' Tokubetsu Jonin was replaced by what I was most perplexed about in modern society-

A femcel.

Anko is a fucking single woman with high expectations in life, and very little drive to give a shit about the efforts needed to pull through those.

Remove the one trauma that made her seek the company of booze and fellow ladies to chat with, and give her a rather laidback, chaotic and mostly 'bark but no bite' kind of flirting attitude and... well, you have 'this' Anko.

"So," The woman hummed as she ignored the scowl Menma gave her to drink from the juice off her glass. "Where's the brat?"

"Out to work," I remarked, thanking whatever deity avoided these two being around.

Albeit Anko hardly interacted with Naruko, the strange synergy between those two was a terrifying sight. By all means, Anko was not the worst influence, but it was a bad influence nonetheless with how messy her life was.

"Pity. Had this prank in mind but..." She grinned. "You're still single."

"That's correct."

"Like me~."

Menma facepalmed at this, and I narrowed my eyes at that argument her sensei was making as the innuendo was asking about a specific question.

"I am not looking for partners, Anko-san. I remind you that if you want to get anywhere near to get with me you have to do some basic adulting."

"But I am cleaning my flat more frequently!" She whined, the rejection like a soft slap on her nose as she whined like a 'brat' as she would call it. "What else would I need?"

"Can you cook?"

"Now you are just trying to get me in the ki-"

"I am literally the main chef at this establishment," I interrupted flatly. "I care not for that sort of shit. I am just not becoming the sole individual in a couple that can cook."

"W-Well, it takes time-"

"You are doing tea ceremonies. At that point, it's just wanting," I further argued, causing her to slump on the counter and appear defeat.

Menma sighed. "Face it, Anko-sensei. Your life is a mess by your own decisions."

"...You're still going to sweat in the Chuunin Exam."

This little comment opened the topic I really wanted to address with Menma.

"How do you feel about the exam?" I asked the girl and she smiled.

"I have trained enough to be confident in passing-"

"Bah, it takes more than preparation to make it," Anko argued. "You need to be ready to do everything possible to win that test."

Menma rolled her eyes at this, but I actually found myself agreeing to the woman.

"As it pains for me to admit this, Anko's right, Menma-chan," I pointed out, causing the blonde's eyes to widen and Anko to pump her fist up.

"Yay!"

Shaking my head, I focused on the explanation. "The Chuunin Exam is not just a set of tests to gauge your skills, it's a matter of national posturing. You and the other Genin teams will be seen as the future of Konoha's military. And this will make or break the chance to have high amounts of missions for the next few years."

"That's... not something my sensei told me about."

"Because I don't care for politics," Anko shrugged, causing Menma to sigh.

"So, I have to... do my best and never falter?"

"You need to cheat when possible without being caught and you need to avoid being too open and friendly with foreign ninja."

"...Iwa?"

I nodded. "Iwa is the primary cause of concern. I doubt the Tsuchikage will sanction for your assassination, but between you and Mito, you will be the most exposed for attacks from those related to those people your father killed in the last war."

"So I need to avoid Iwanin and-"

"Avoid even more those that are too friendly," Anko added dryly, sounding somewhat more serious about it. "While Iwa is the main issue, there's others that would love to take a hit to your daddy. And since you're going solo in some challenges, you need to be as vigilant as possible. Got it?"

"Yes, sensei," Menma answered quietly, yet politely towards Anko.

The woman giggled at this achievement, but then in her excitement she made the glass with the juice spill on the counter, ruining what was left of her drink. She stared at it, defeat crossing her expression as she replied with a mere.

"I'll clean it."

The piece of cloth I gave her was soon used to prove that, but in the end the defeat remained: she wasted half of that apple juice with that brief victory, now gone to the winds and...

Seriously, why am I doing an eulogy to apple juice for Anko?!

Still, after they left and I got the chance to clean around with the shift being over and Naruko going to her room, I was greeted by a surprise as a figure entered the place and stood out to me almost instantly.

"Jonno-san. I believe we need to talk," Said a very dry-toned Shimura Danzou, two ROOT ninja beside him.

And while this looked like a setup for a kidnapping, the truth was a bit more long-termed and... more plot-centered about a potential plan against Konoha during the Chuunin Exams.

AN

Next time Danzou and Jonno shares a cold drink over the fuckery of Konoha, foreign plots, and potential issues regarding Naruko's adulthood when it will be time for some truths to come out.

But for now... that's all for today~!