Naruto 1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Naruto characters or anything having to do with Naruto at all! I am not trying to steal or rip-off anything!

Warning: No audience below 18 please, at least in the first few chapters. Later on there could be a lemon? There probably will be!

Before you dive in, know this takes place after Naruto defeated Kakuzu and Kisame!

-Redterror

The Snake and the Fox

A cool breeze blew steadily in through the open window to the right of the hospital bed that Naruto lay on. Sun seared into his closed eyes, forcing him to squint and look away as the last dregs of grogginess receded from his laying form. A slight rubbing on his right arm caused Naruto to look down, only to see the pristine white of medical bandages firmly wrapped around his lower arm. A small groan of annoyance vibrated in his throat as he dramatically draped his uninjured arm over his forehead in exasperation.

'Oh come on are you kidding me!' Naruto thought frustratedly as he realized that this would greatly inhibit his ability to train and eat, 'I can't go around getting all banged up all the time! That new jutsu really took a lot out of me I guess I didn't fully realize how harmful it could be. As an added on annoyance, it pretty much drains almost all of my chakra! What good is it if I can't even use it more than about twice!?'

Naruto dejectedly put his head in his hands as the full realization about the inhibitions of his new awesome jutsu was. It wasn't a matter of he would not use it again, it was just that it only could be used about twice without fully draining his chakra, plus it seemingly would hurt him if he used it at close quarters combat. Sure, a shadow clone could be used in his place if the need for the new jutsu arouse, but that would take an awful lot of chakra to maintain both at the same time along with a few others to keep the Rasen-Shruiken going. All powerful things come at a cost, and this apparently was no exception.

Unknown to Naruto inhis currently dispirited demeanor and frustration, an unexpected guest had watched the whole thing. Starting from the reaction at seeing his bandaged arm and then slow decline into frustrated thoughts, Anko Mitarashi sat crouched on the end of the bed beside the blonde-haired ninja, watching the whole thing play out. The look on Naruto's face was a familiar one, a look of frustration, a look of not being good enough, a look of dejected failure. Anko had bourn that look on her own face long ago, and sometimes still found herself slipping into the clutches of depression about not being good enough, and the feeling of failure. She knew that failing in the eyes of her despicable ex-Sensei and mentor Orochimaru was a good thing seeing as how it cut off his evil influence, but at times she couldn't help but feel like a failure at being a good pupil.

The look on Naruto's foxlike face somewhat mirrored her thoughts as he dejectedly put his head in his hands.

'Well we can't have that now can we?' Anko thought to herself with a small sad inner smile.

"Hey brat I see you are finally awake, good, I brought you something." Anko shot out in her usual gruff tone of voice.

Startled out of his reverie Naruto looked up in surprise, only to further the reaction as the sight of Anko Mitarashi filled hisfield of vision. He hadn't seen her in quite some time, not since his exams on his way to becoming a ninja. She had scared him then as head director of the Forest of Death, and she still managed to extract a nervous reaction from his being as he grinned his usual stupid grin and replied, "Oh hey Anko-Sensei didn't see you there! Long time no see huh?"

Anko cracked a small grin herself as she replied sarcastically, "Yeah, what's it been? Three years almost? If I remember correctly you were a little loudmouthed whiny bitch the last time we meet, wonder if that still applies today?"

"Hey! I am not a loudmouthed whiny bitch!" Naruto shot back loudly shaking his uninjured fist at the woman before him failing to realize that he was embodying that exact description even as he argued against it.

"Uh-huh", Anko replied as she stepped down from her perch on the end of the bed frame adjacent to Naruto's own bed.

"Hey what do you even want Sensei? Where are Kakashi and Sakura? I would have thought that they would have come to see how I was doing." Naruto said deflatedly as he looked about and realized that Anko was the only other one in the room besides himself.

"Don't get the wrong idea you little twerp, they probably would be here but the Hokage sent them off on a few errands that will take a bit to accomplish. Plus they have to give a full run-down on the mission which you won't be able to assist in describing seeing as how you are hospital ridden at the current moment. So instead, I was sent to look after poor little Naruto in their place." Anko finished with a mocking expression on her face as she scrunched up her face as if she were talking to a little baby.

The blonde ninjas cheeks visibly reddened as he hotly replied "I don't need looking after, I'm perfectly fine! I should be with my team giving a run-down on the mission!" With the last word said Naruto quickly tried pulling the covers off of himself and swinging his legs to the side in order to stand and go and help his team describe the fight in which he had been injured.

"Not so fast there kid!" Anko said as her hand shot out and stopped Naruto from getting out of the bed. "You are in no condition to go skipping about the village doing whatever you want just yet as much as I wish you were. I am stuck here babysitting you for now as well so just deal with it. Plus, I don't think you are presentable to go before the Hokage anyway!" Anko finished with a sardonic grin on her face.

"Wha... What are you talking about?" Naruto replied uncomprehendingly scratching the top of his head with a confused expression on his face.

"Look down champ." Anko said, her grin widening on her face as Naruto realized what she meant.

"Oh sh- shit!" The comical foxlike ninja before her yelled out as he quickly scrambled to cover the lower half of his body from the woman before him. With all of his thoughts on his new jutsu and his team, Naruto hadn't quite realized that he was completely naked except for the bandages wrapping his right arm.

"Mmm took you awhile there brat. Wouldn't want the world exposed to that now would we?" Anko remarked as she chuckled to herself.

"Hey shut up! Why didn't you tell me _before_ I decided to pull the covers off of myself?" Naruto replied sulkily.

"Didn't know they decided to leave you in your birthday suit you dork, and I thought your reaction was pretty good as well." Anko answered him with a small shake of her head.

"Eh whatever, you liked it anyway!" Naruto shot back, his usual comical grin spreading across his face once more and his good mood finally returning to him.

"Right, say anything like that again, and I will kill you, you little runt." Anko said good-naturedly.

'Even though she said it in what I thought was a joking demeanor, I am pretty sure she is serious! Oh man this is gonna come back and bite me in the butt! Curse my comical personality!' Naruto thought as he shot Anko a nervous grin.

"Man kid, do you ever stop smiling? Well anyway I am in charge of your ass until the Hokage decides to put someone else in my place, and that might just be for some time. Tsunade-Sama thought that it would be wise to have a guard with you at all times in case another of the Akatsuki teams decide to attack. We can't go and lose the Leaf's most sarcastic ninja now can we? So, it looks like we are stuck with each other." Anko finished with an exasperated sigh.

"I'm perfectly fine! I can handle myself, I mean, I _did_ take out one of those Akatsuki members didn't I?" Naruto said angrily, "I'm not a kid anymore!"

"I never said that you can't take care of yourself but the Hokage's orders are the Hokage's orders so just deal with it okay? I don't want to be here

either you know." Anko replied annoyed.

Naruto sighed heavily, "Well shit, this is going to be a long stay."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Naruto's blonde hair billowed about his head as he solemnly walked down the streets of the Hidden Leaf Village. It hadn't taken all that long, a day only, for him to get totally un-restless and sneak out from his forsaken hospital bed to go venture about the city. It was a beautiful summer day and the sun shone down from above the buildings and trees creating patterned shadows on the ground. A cool wind blew through the streets as children ran about playing with fake Kunai, pretending to be ninjas that they so desperately wanted to be. It had not been that long ago, when Naruto had been their age. The only difference is that he was always alone until his later years; the villagers always shunned him for what he carried inside of him every day, the damn Nine Tails. The thing had caused him nothing but pain and misery for as long as Naruto could remember, and at times he just wish that it would go away, that he could live a normal Shinobi life and not be bothered with the responsibility and burden that came along with being a Jinchuuriki.

'Sometimes I just feel so overwhelmed and alone, like there is no one out there that knows my pain. I have had to carry this thing for so long now… why did it have to be me? Why out of everyone great ninja in this village did it have to be me!?' Naruto thought frustratedly as he looked at the sky in pain and anger.

It had been so long since he had met someone that he could share his feelings and relate his pain to. Sasuke had left the Leaf a while back, and Gaara was way over in the scorching desert of the Hidden Sand. There was really no one in the village at the current moment that he could talk to. He had his friends he could talk to yes, but sometimes that wasn't nearly enough for Naruto. The hurt that he carried within him was something no one person should have to bear alone, or for that matter bear at all considering the magnitude of pain it caused the said bearer. The Shinobi world was a cruel one to do such a thing as to plant a Tailed Beast inside an innocent kid, knowing full well that the kid would be outcast and feel pain that not many others could understand or relate to. Poor Naruto had bourn that pain and hateful feelings ever since he was a child up until he was around 11 or 12.

Naruto's unhappy thoughts continued unabated as the sun slowly sunk down on its journey through the deep blue sky. Shadows lengthened as the young ninja walked ahead in solitude, not entirely aware of where he was going due to the fact of his state of mind. Steps replaced concrete beneath his feet as he ascended to the top of the Hokage's summit where each of the past and current Hokage's faces resided. All of them looked on upon the village as if watching and guarding the citizens from evil forces, holding back the tide of malevolent spirits. It was a good place for meditation and thought, and Naruto's subconscious had brought him here out of desperation to through off his sour self-absorbed mood.

The young Genin didn't truly realize where he was until he was perched on top of the head of the 4th Hokage, crouching in a sitting position with his arms around his knees in a somewhat fetal position. The past few days had really taken their tolls on Naruto, and he hadn't truly realized or thought he was tired until he became fully aware of his surroundings.

'Man my arm really hurts' Naruto thought with drooping eyelids as fatigue also overtook him.

Brilliant shades of deep purple and pink were highlighted against the clouds as the sun slowly got closer to its final destination before it gave its reign over to the moon. The rays of light seemed to stretch out and kiss Naruto's face as he gazed off into the distance with a resigned look on his visage. The swirling vortex of colors danced across his face as his intense blue eyes sought out answers that were not to be found in the sunset.

All of this was taken in and absorbed by a pair of watchful grey eyes. Anko had not missed a single step of Naruto's lonesome journey through the whole of the Hidden Leaf, not for one second taking her eyes off of him. There was so much pain in his figure, in his thoughts, and in his life that she felt sorry for him. She felt like… she could relate to it. Perhaps the blonde haired jokester had not thought about it, but the pair could compare their lives very evenly considering what each of them had been through. Anko had been outcast as a child the same way Naruto had, given that her former Sensei Orochimaru had done inconspicuable things to the leaf, cursed her, and left without a moment's hesitation. There wasn't a day that went by when she didn't think about it, and be confused, hurt, and angry at that damn man. No one should force all of these hostile experiences upon their pupils like Orochimaru had.

'I think he has had plenty of time to sulk, time to reign him in' Anko thought to herself with a determined nod of her head as she leapt down from the branch she was currently perched on and started walking off in Naruto's direction.

"Hey brat!" Anko shouted unceremoniously, "What the hell are you doing up here. I thought I said not to leave the hospital?"

"What? Oh hey Anko-Sensei I didn't see you there." Naruto replied gloomily as he cast his head down from looking at the colorful sky.

"What no hotheaded retort? What's troubling you kid?" Anko shot back as she crouched down next to Naruto on top of the 4th Hokage's head.

"It's.. It's nothing. I'm fine." Naruto said as he managed to muster another of his famous grins from somewhere deep in his being. "I've just had a rough couple of days you know?"

Anko looked over at Naruto's downcast face as she thought about how to respond. She was never any good with this sort of thing, she found the best way to get information out of someone was to hit them, but unfortunately it probably wouldn't work in this particular situation.

"Hey look it will all work out, but for now we need to get you back to the hospital. I've already let you have some slack walking about today, and if the Hokage knew she would have my hide so I suggest you just come along nicely." Anko finally said after a few moments thought.

"No, I am fine on my own, I don't want to go back." Naruto retorted firmly, his jaw setting into a look of determination.

"Kid, you are making this a difficult job for me. Just come on, it's Tsunade's orders." Anko said in a exasperated tone of voice.

"I don't give a damn on what Grandma Tsunade has to say, I told you I am fine on my own. The Akatsuki would not dare attack the village with all of the Leaf's best ninja residing at home at the current moment." Naruto said with a look of stubborn defiance on his face, finally turning to face Anko who sat crouched down beside him.

Anko gazed into the blonde's deep blue eyes for a moment before realizing that arguing would be futile. Sure she could just beat him into submission, but the Hokage wouldn't approve of that sort of thing considering his current state of health. On a normal day perhaps, but definetly not today.

'No, Naruto is not going to back down on this one. Okay fine we will play along with what he wants… for now.' Anko thought, a small devious smile slowly stretching across his face.

"Okay you little twerp you are free to go home if you like." Anko shot back to Naruto, the smile still creeping across her face.

"Well I am fi-… wait… what?" Naruto asked startled at the sudden change of events in his favor.

"You don't have to go back to the hospital, you heard me didn't you?" Anko said mockingly slow as if she were talking to a small child.

"Um… well okay then." Naruto said confused. "So I am off the hook completely?"

"Well I never said _that_ now did I?" Anko replied, confusing Naruto even more.

"Then why are you letting me go home?" the blonde ninja asked apprehensively.

"Because I will be accompanying you to your house to watch over you until the Hokage gives me other orders, seeing as how you are not going back to the hospital." Anko said cheerfully as a look of smugness overtook her facial features.

"Wha-.. but you.. it's.. hmmph. Fine whatever." Naruto spluttered with a frustrated look on his face.

"Well what are you standing there for, lead the way kid." Anko said, ushering him onward with a wave of her hands in front of her.

"Hmmph" Naruto huffed as he got up with a few choice words grumbled under his breath.

"What was that?" Anko asked, her eyes flashing a dangerous shade for a split second.

"Nothing!" Naruto quickly responded, taking a couple quick steps away from the purplish haired woman beside him.

"That's what I thought you said." Anko said with a smile her eyes closing for a few seconds to compliment the action.

The walk over to Naruto's apartment was relatively short, having nor more interruptions as the two had done it in silence. Naruto realized his growing apprehension on what was to come, it had been a while since the last time he had had guests over, perhaps even not at all especially a woman. Granted she was a few years his elder, she was still a female, and looking on Naruto realized they would be sleeping under the same roof. The blonde gulped audibly as he realized how potentially fatal this night could be for him if he were to do something in the least to slight the woman beside him.

'Oh man' Naruto thought to himself in despair, 'I bet she could kill me with one hand. I better not do anything stupid' he finished, resolving to put on his best behavior so as to not end up in the dumpster behind the apartment complex.

Finally arriving at their destination, Naruto produced a key from somewhere hidden in the depths of his pockets and unlocked the door.

"After you Anko-Sensei" Naruto said with a grin on his face, stooping down into a sweeping bow.

Anko gave Naruto a suspicious look as she steered past him, stepping into the apartment that was Naruto's place of residence. Clothes lay scattered across the room, sometimes hanging off the back of chairs, sometimes off of the end of the bed. Empty cups of ramen sat on the small table as if begging to be picked up and thrown away to end their eternal vigilance over the dusty room. All in all the room was cluttered with junk and trivial items, nothing being in the right place.

"So what do you say Anko-Sensei, still want to spend the night?" Naruto said with huge comical grin on his stupid face.

Anko let out an audible sigh and cleared off a chair that was currently housing multiple pairs of socks.

"Shut up and go to sleep kid."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Silence pressed down on both occupants of the room as Anko sat in stony taciturnity, waiting for the morning sun to kiss the horizon once more. The sound of light breathing was the only thing that kept all sanity from leaving the quiet guard as she sat in untouched vigilance over the boy that lay across the room from her. Naruto lay sprawled across the surface of his bed, drool flowing out of his mouth like a waterfall only to collect in a small puddle on his pillow allowing the multiple dust particles in the room to have a place to swim. Moonlight filtered in through the small window next to the bed, illuminating his foxlike face for all inhabitants in the small space to see. The whisker-like markings on his face moved with his cheeks as air entered and exited through his gaping mouth. His nose twitched along with his right leg at whatever noteworthy dream that he had managed to conjure for himself.

Anko took all this in with a slight fascination; she had never really seen anyone sleep like this before. She had been alone for most of her life, never having the opportunity to see someone in a state as vulnerable as this before. Sure she had seen it before on previous missions where she had been forced to assassinate the enemy in their sleep, but it was not a serene sleep like the one modeled before her now. Out in the world a ninja slept in constant fearful alertness lest a foe get the better of them in their fitful slumber. Anko had had too many close encounters to truly sleep peacefully anymore, she wondered how Naruto could be so carefree and relaxed, especially since he carried something inside of him that, if fallen into the wrong hands, had the power to change the course of history for the worse.

Naruto stirred slightly in his soporific slumber, elongating both arms towards the sky and mumbling something that caused a huge grin to plaster itself across his face.

'Wonder what the hell he is dreaming about to be so happy and peaceful. It seems my dreams are just full of nightmares and horrible past events. Hmm…' Anko slowly got up from the chair she had been currently residing upon and quickly glanced at the clock. It had only been about 4 hours since the blonde haired jokester had managed to drift off to sleep.

'Well that means he must be in a deep sleep right?' Anko reasoned with herself, her strong curiosity getting the better of her as she started to slowly creep towards her designated target that lay spread-eagle on the bed before her. Years of Shinobi training managed to kick in as her stealthy movements carried her across the room in no time, not even hitting one of the multiple obstacles that lay strewn across the room at random intervals.

'Man this kid really needs to clean his room' Anko thought with a small shake of her head and roll of her eyes.

With that thought Anko cast her unwavering gaze down at the prone figure below her that looked so tranquil and carefree in its current resting place. The first thought that came to the purplish haired ninjas head was 'He sleeps like an idiot.' the second however was much different. After examining him for a few more moments Anko decided that he slept just like he went about his day's business, his own way. He slept in his own unique was and didn't let anyone or anything bother him or tell him different.

'The stubborn little shit really was a learning experience to observe' Anko thought to herself quietly, her hand reaching up to run across her chin in pondering contemplation. 'Perhaps I won't come away from this whole ordeal empty handed as I first thought?' Anko finished, a small smile slowly spreading across her face. 'Man this kid is something else, so much like me and yet… so different. I wish we could have had the chance at growing up together in this cruel Shinobi world, but alas it was not to be. The only thing I can truly do now is finish the job the Hokage gave me, and make sure he stays okay in the process.'

'His face looks so peaceful and smooth! It's like looking into an undisturbed pond with no ripples moving across the surface. I wonder if I should…' Anko thought as she began subconsciously reaching out her hand to try and make contact with the young ninjas face. The room pressed down on both of them as the moment of contact grew nearer and nearer, making it hard for Anko to breath. Her intake of air became slightly irregular as her hand slowly continued on its destined journey across the void of space separating the two people, making her take irregular gasps of air. He was so close and yet so far away as seconds seemed to stretch into hours and the room distorted around her. It had been so long since she had last come in contact with another person like this, perhaps not since her former mentor and sensei Orochimaru had been with her when she was young.

"Almost got it" Anko let out in a breathless whisper as her hand got within two inches of the sleeping boy's face.

Suddenly the pressure in the room seemed to evaporate as Naruto's previously prone hand shot up and grabbed Anko's arm at the wrist, preventing her from moving it any farther forward. Naruto, whom Anko had previously thought was totally oblivious to the outside world, had thoroughly proven her wrong.

'Shit' Anko frantically thought to herself as she tried to snatch her hand back out of Naruto's iron grasp.

"Anko-Sensei? Wha- what are you doing?" Naruto asked groggily as his free hand tried to rub the last dregs of sleep from his eyes.

Anko stood there, totally at a loss for words as her face seemed to go from white to scarlet in a matter of mere seconds. She felt as though her face was on fire and she desperately wanted to extinguish the flames, seeing as how she had been _caught in the act_ so to speak.

"Were you… How uh… How long was I out?" Naruto switched questions, not wanting to put Anko on the spot right away realizing their extremely close proximity to one another. The temperature in the room seemed to skyrocket to a boiling point as both of them started to have little beads of sweat form along their bodies at key conjecture points. Anko stood there frozen as a statue, her breathing picking up until it was just quick pants and gasps for air. Her brain seemed to totally shut down as she lost focus on the room as it became a spiraling vortex of swirling colors.

_Thud_

"Anko-Sensei!" Naruto shouted, the last remains of sleep snapping out of him as the woman before him fainted to the hard wood floor. "Oh shit!" The young ninja exclaimed as he hurriedly threw the covers off and leapt to the floor in a short lunge.

Putting his hands to the side of her neck looking for a pulse, he quickly established there was indeed one, and that he should next check her breathing. Naruto hastily put his ear above her mouth and went quiet for a few seconds. The air that she managed to breathe out of her mouth was slightly irregular and came at times in strange intervals before the next. Naruto let a small sigh of relief as he figured out that she would be fine, but just needed a little bit of rest. It didn't dawn on Naruto until he was wiping his own brow in relief the position of both of their bodies to one another. In the process of checking to see if she was alright, the blonde haired ninja had managed to straddle Anko's stomach, putting him directly on top of her. Naruto froze, he had never been this close to a woman before in this sort of manner. Time seemed to slow down as the ninja slowly glanced down at Anko's face checking to see if she was still out of it.

Anko's face embodied pain and loss a strange contrast to Naruto's peaceful happy slumber. It seemed as though the woman's life lay their portrayed on her face as Naruto looked on in shocked silence. He knew that same look extremely well, it was the same look in which he had found plastered on his own face in his younger days. It was the look of rejection, the look of not being wanted, the look of confusion, and the look of loneliness. Naruto knew that look better than anyone else, and he thought he was completely alone in the matter of it, but seeing the… girl's face below him mirror that of his own, Naruto was forced to realize the full extent at what Anko must have suffered.

The blonde ninja adopted a look of sadness as he thought just what could have caused it. He slowly got up from his perch on top of her stomach dragging his pristine blue eyes up and down the hurt filled body that resided below him. So much pain was inhabiting the small crumpled form below him that he wished he could do something for her. Naruto gently bent down and lifted her unconscious form off of the cold hard wood floor of his apartment and placed her in his own bed, making sure to avoid the drool that had accumulated into a pool as he had slept. Very carefully he pulled up the covers over Anko's motionless form, tucking them in up to her chin. It felt… strange to do it to someone else seeing as how he never had before but at the same time it felt… good, rewarding if you will.

Sudden realization dawned upon Naruto making him widen his eyes in shock as he came to the conclusion of her misery. Anko had been Orochimaru's last pupil before he had left the Leaf village, and he must have done something unsavory to her. Naruto couldn't be sure what , but it had to be something significant if it made a strong, fierce woman such as Anko revert back to this pitiful form when she slept and thought about the horrible things Orochimaru must have caused. Anger swelled up from the bowels of Naruto's being as he swore a new oath to bring Orochimaru down, adding to the growing collection that seemed to get larger every day. The damn bastard had caused so much suffering and pain to the people of the Hidden Leaf and Naruto's comrades and friends that it was almost unthinkable. Pervy Sage, Grandma Tsunade, Sasuke, and many others have suffered because of Orochimaru's selfish ambitions. He had to be stopped, and Naruto vowed to bring about his demise, or else his name wasn't Naruto Uzumaki.

Anko awoke to the first rays of dawn filtering through the open window next to her head. A cool breeze blew through the window, bringing with it the crisp scents and sounds of a beautiful summer morning in the Hidden Leaf. The city was just beginning to awake, and smoke could be seen drifting through many residents chimneys as breakfast was prepared for themselves, and their loved ones. Anko looked out the window and smiled.

'It really IS a beautiful day perhaps I can go up to Hokage's summit and read a little before I-'

Anko's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of plates being placed on the table across the now clean room. Anko realized where she was with increasing clarity as the last remains of sleep evaporated from her mind, forcing her to bolt upright and take in her surroundings. Naruto had been busy, the apartment was now entirely clean, not a sock in sight. The dust that had previously occupied the room had given way to spotless cleanliness. It looked entirely different from what she had remembered it to be last night.

'Last night' she thought as she sucked in a deep breath of air.

Memories began coursing back through her as she recalled trying to touch Naruto's calm sleeping face. She had been so caught up in the moment that she had not realized what she had been doing. Anko guessed that when she had been caught by the blonde haired ninja, her brain had shut down from embarrassment and she had fainted. FAINTED. Anko Mitarashi, the fierce scary instructor of the young Shinobi had FAINTED over a stupid look from a… a … a boy! That was not like her at all! Blood began to once again push against the surface of her face as she turned a bright shade of red once again recalling the memories of last night.

"Oh hey! Anko-Sensei you are up! How are you feeling?" Naruto exclaimed as he bounded across the room with a bottle of water being held in his enthusiastic hand. "Here drink this! You look hot, your face is all red, don't worry the water is cold! It will help settle you back down!" He finished with a huge grin plastered across his stupid face.

Anko took the water from him and took a sip, trying to force down the embarrassment as well as the cold liquid. "Naruto- I.. I'm uh.. Sorr-" Anko was abruptly cut off as Naruto laughed and shook his head.

"Hey don't sweat it Anko-Sensei, that's not the first time a girl has decided to pass out from my touch! I mean I _am_ devilishly handsome, I mean just look at me!" Naruto joked as he struck a modeling pose with his right hand on his hip.

Anko took a swing at the comical foxlike ninja with the fist she wasn't holding the water bottle in, but didn't hit anything but air as Naruto took a leap back, already ready for retaliation on her part. She was glad that he had diffused the situation with a joke, or else it might have just gone on into an awkward silence for the remainder of her stay at his house. Man, the kid had even given her his own bed for Pete's sake!

'Huh there really is something about this kid… he's just so….' Anko thought to herself before abruptly looking down at herself only to notice her usual overcoat was missing from her petite figure.

A light blush spread across her face as she realized Naruto must have taken it off of her before he had put her in the bed.

'He probably slid it off of my shoulders before he lifted me into his bed…' Anko thought as she sneaked a peek at the blonde enthusiastic ninja that was returning to the table where two plates of pancakes lay steaming on their respective plates. Anko's stomach betrayed her with a loud growl as she looked hungrily at the freshly cooked orbs of deliciousness.

"Hey Anko-Sensei what are you waiting for? Come on over and dig in! I don't cook for everyone you know, heck I barely even cook for myself! Pancakes are just about the only thing I can do right that is a breakfast food haha!" Naruto finished with a laugh as he plopped down in a chair at the table and beckoned her over with a wave of his hands.

Anko grumbled under her breath as she extracted herself from the tangle of blankets that she was currently residing in and made her way barefooted over to the table.

"Hehe looking good there Anko-Sensei, I quite like the hair style you have going on there!" Naruto joked with a small chuckle as he began to dig in to his pancakes in front of him.

Anko quickly reached up to her head, only to find a massed tangle of hair falling about her head at random intervals. 'Oh man I must look like shit' she thought as a blush spread across her face. 'UGH! Since when have I let other's words get to me! What is happening to me!?' Anko thought desperately as she sat down at the chair opposite to Naruto's with a thud.

"Ha! Nice of you to join me Sensei, now eat before I eat them for you!" Naruto exclaimed good naturedly with a wave of his hands in front of his face.

'Sigh, this is going to be quite some day' Anko thought as she picked up her fork and took a bite of the fluffy deliciousness that lay in front of her in a mound. 'This kid really IS something else.'


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Rays of dazzling bright sunlight peaked out from sizeable cottony clouds as Naruto walked in thoughtful silence down the streets of the Hidden Leaf. It had been 2 days since Anko had parted his companionship, Grandma Tsunade had deemed him worthy to venture forth from the care of the Leaf's doctor's, and since then the young ninja had been alone once more. In a sense it was exhilarating considering that Naruto could now train and practice on his own without anyone there to bother him, but on the downside he would sorely miss the constant company of Anko-Sensei. Naruto had thought that he had begun to get closer to the reclusive usually angry woman after he had let her sleep in his bed after the whole fainting ordeal, but after that days breakfast she had secluded her good personality somewhere deep inside the depths of her being and taken on a stony façade the rest of the time she had been with Naruto. It had been somewhat of a disappointment, but the blonde ninja was sure that he could have made her open up once more given enough time. He had just started to enact his master plan when the Hokage had called both of them in a dismissed Anko from duty.

Naruto scratched behind his head absentmindedly as he recalled the meeting had played out. Tsunade had been reluctant to leave him alone without any guards to watch over him in case of an Akatsuki attack in the Hidden Leaf, but Anko-Sensei had insisted on resigning from her post with him. She had requested someone else be put in charge of him and then turned and abruptly left the room. Tsunade had borne a look of slight surprise on her face as she decided that Naruto was fine to move about the village on his own, as long as he didn't go outside the city limits, or at least too far away anyway. Naruto had been a little stung by the fact that Anko had just left him like that without a second glance back even though that usually was her personality. A trivial frown adorned Naruto's face as he recalled the last words of Anko-Sensei before she had left the small Hokage office.

"Give the brat to someone else, I'm quite finished watching over him. He can probably take care of himself anyway, well, as long as he doesn't break another one of his arms." Anko had said with a slightly mocking laugh as she tossed a wave backwards at Tsunade, Naruto, and Shizune and abruptly left the room.

"Man not even a good bye? Geez was I that much trouble for her? Eh oh well nothing I can do about it now, might as well hit up Ichiraku ramen for lunch." Naruto said to himself with a small sigh.

Even though he had been granted his freedom, it was superficial considering that he couldn't really wander too far from the Hidden Leaf's borders. The city felt as if it were constricting him, squeezing the air out of him and prevention him from getting enough air into his lungs. Naruto hated to be confined in anything; it was one of the worst things a person could do to him. Tsunade had done just that and Naruto felt like a powder keg ready to explode if something eventful didn't happen soon.

Naruto's thoughts tapered off as he caught site of Ichiraku's ramen shop just around the corner. The smell of freshly cooked noodles and pork wafted out of the stand, swirling together in a collage of deliciousness for passerby's to smell. The clang of pots and pans could be heard as clear as day as Naruto quickly approached the enchanting noodle shop. Pulling back the curtains that separated the space within from the outside street life; Naruto stepped in and took a seat at one of the middle stools of the small shop.

"Hey old man! One Misu ramen with extra pork please!" Naruto exclaimed enthusiastically, getting in the mood to enjoy a good helping of ramen with pork and egg in it.

"You got it Naruto!" Teuchi, the owner of the shop called back with a large grin on his face. "I haven't seen you in some time kid, where have you been?"

"Oh, you know just resting and waiting for Grandma Tsunade to give me the okay to once again go out on missions. I feel like Shikamaru for saying this but it is such a drag!" Naruto replied with his trademark grin plastered on his face.

"Ah I see, well there is nothing better than a large bowl of ramen to help do the body some good! Here you are my boy, enjoy!" Teuchi finished while slamming the bowl down in front of the enthusiastic little Genin in front of him.

"Thanks old man!" Naruto managed to get out before he began digging into the scrumptious meal that lay before him. The noodles were perfectly cooked and the broth in which it was all cooked in was amazing. The pork was nice and tender, while the pickled eggs were tangy, adding a nice contrast to the whole meal in general. All in all, it was extremely delicious.

A few of the middle curtains were pushed back as Naruto was enjoying his bowl of ramen to reveal an interesting guest. Sai had managed to track down the elusive Naruto, wishing to see if his friend was doing well and to give him his support, seeing as how that is what the book at the library had said to do for friends. Sai should have just looked here, seeing as how if Naruto wasn't training or out on a mission, he was probably chowing down at Ichiraku's ramen shop.

'It looks like he is a bit busy at the moment, but perhaps I should just sit down and wait for him to finish? Oh but which seat do I choose! If I sit too far away, Naruto will think that I am not a good friend to him because it will distance me out from him. On the other hand, if I sit close to him, it will show that I care for him and wish to lend him my support. His training, and the battle with the two Akatsuki members was quite rigorous after all, and he may need some moral support to help keep him going. I guess the right decision would be to sit close to him then." Sai finished with a small nod of his head, deciding to take the stool right to the right of Naruto.

Naruto was disturbed out of his delicious reverie as a hand descended and landed upon his shoulder, forcing him to look up to figure out who was now beside him. A white smiling face with nearly closed eyes and a halfcocked head with somewhat long black hair on it meet Naruto's eyesight as he quickly figured out who the intruder was.

'So Sai is here huh? Man I hope he doesn't do anything weird like he usually does' Naruto thought to himself with a rising suspicion that this could turn very awkward at a moment's notice.

"Hello Naruto, how are you today? Has the arm healed yet?" Sai inquired giving a small point towards the direction of Naruto's injured right arm.

"What? Oh yeah, it's alright. As a matter of fact it is nearly healed already!" The blonde ninja replied lifting his un-bandaged arm up from the table with a chopstick stuck in his fingers to show Sai who sat beside him.

Suddenly, Sai's hand shot up to take Naruto's injured arm into his grasp. He then proceeded to turn the arm over and gently feel the underside of Naruto's appendage.

"Hey! Wha- what the hell do you think you are doing!" Naruto yelled as he jumped out of his stool, retrieving his arm from Sai's touchy grip.

"What? I'm only checking for myself the well-being of one close to me. Is that not… Did I miss something?" Sai replied, a confused smile settling on his white face.

"Huh… you just… Hey just stay away from me I'm not into that kind of stuff!" Naruto shouted with an embarrassed pink tinge overtaking his features as he slowly backed up towards the exit and bounded out with a small leap.

'What did I do wrong? I only did as the book said. Perhaps he is feeling a bit ill still and needs more time to rest? Yes that must have been it.' Sai thought as his right hand confusedly scratched the back of his head.

"Well since Naruto left, looks like you are paying kid. Sorry." Teuchi said with a wave of his spatula towards Sai.

"What me- but I don't-" Sai's voice was abruptly cut off with a sharp whack to his head from the shiny spatula.

"Ouch! Okay okay!" Sai exclaimed as he hurriedly reached towards his wallet in the small pouch that he carried at his side. *Sigh*

Anko Mitarashi walked alone through one of the tree-lined pathways that zigzagged throughout the outskirts of the Hidden Leaf. A cool breeze blew through the wavering branches on another perfect summer day. The sun reached down and kissed all that was out and about on the beautiful day, warming the hearts of many that were out on personal business or errands. It seemed to touch everyone, but Anko as she continued her lonesome stroll through the Hidden Leaf, seemingly lost in thought. It had been 2 days since she had left the company of Naruto Uzumaki, and she was _still _was deeply concerned about what had taken place. In a moment of pathetic weakness, she Anko Mitarashi who took so much pride in her cold demeanor, had fainted in front of some… _kid_. It was inconceivable and yet, she had done it and it still plagued her thoughts and dreams to this day. In a desperate attempt to escape the dreadful scene, she had decided to go for a walk to hopefully take her mind off it once and for all, only to once again reminisce about the stupid thing.

Anko didn't pass all that many people out on the outskirts of town, even though the trees lining the pathway created a beautiful tunnel that was great for escaping one's own dull life. Somewhere off to her left, the sound of a game of tag played by a group of young children could be heard commencing in the woods. It was the first sound of children she had heard all day. Anko slowly stretched her arms behind her head and crossed them there as her head tilted upwards toward the sky.

'I don't get how a stupid kid like Naruto could make something like that happen to me!' Anko thought frustratedly as she scrunched up her nose in a look of annoyance. 'The little brat should mean nothing to me and yet I feel kind of lonely ever since I left watching over him. He is fine now, but it was somewhat nice to have another companion that shared some of the lonely feelings that I harbor inside of me, even though he may not have fully realized it.'

Already on edge, a sudden rustle in the trees beside her caused Anko to abruptly pull out a razor sharp Kunai and launch it to the left of the man that had been readjusting his position on the thick branch of the oak. Light grey hair spiked at different angles and leaning towards the left could be seen through the leaves of the tree. Slowly the branches were pulled back to reveal the face of Kakashi Hatake with only one eye showing from behind the half mask that he wore around his face. His expression seemed to sweatdrop as he glanced at his would-be attacker on the ground below him.

Anko returned his gaze, not in the least bit embarrassed about what she had just done considering her already pissed off mood at herself. Though it was not some pervert trying to spy on her like one had done in the past, it was instead a fellow Shinobi, just like herself. She had seemed to have disturbed his peaceful reading she noticed as she caught sight of a book drooping in his right hand.

"Oh hello Anko, how are you today?" Kakashi said in his usual neutral voice as his right eye seemed to close as though he were smiling underneath of the mask that covered half of his face.

"Kakashi? What the hell are you doing up there?" Anko replied in spite of herself, moments before planning on going ahead in her journey without talking to the copy cat ninja.

"Oh you know, just reading a little. Usually this is actually quite the peaceful spot to go to, well until today at least. Is something troubling you? This Kunai seems to have found its way beside my head probably indicating you are in a bad mood at the current moment." Kakashi continued on in his neutral inquiring tone as he lifted the Kunai that she had just thrown beside his prone head.

"What? Oh it's uh.. nothing. Sorry about the Kunai" Anko grumbled, berating herself for apologizing seeing as it shows weakness in a person.

"Is that so?" Kakashi said as he leapt down from his perch on the broad branch of the large oak tree to land beside the still figure of Anko.

"Yes" Anko replied with a tight lipped smile that she forced up from somewhere inside of her.

"How about you and me go get some lunch at the dumpling shop? You still seem a bit troubled by something." Kakashi carried on in his tipical tone of voice.

Anko looked at the grey haired ninja beside her suspiciously. It was not like Kakashi to be so inquiring about her well-being. Perhaps he knew what happened at Naruto's apartment? No that wasn't possible, the kid would never tell anyone or else she would have skinned him alive. Maybe he is just being nice then?

'Hmm maybe I could at least get a free meal out of him then? And I do really love dumpling…'

"Sure, but you are buying, I seemed to have left my money at home." Anko lied with an annoyed expression on her face and in her tone of voice.

Kakashi looked at the purplish haired woman in surprise. He had thoroughly expected her to say no due to her personality. As a matter of fact he had counted on it seeing as how he had just gotten a new book and was so looking forward to finishing it this afternoon. Plus now he would have to pay for the ninja's bill beside him.

'Well damn, didn't expect this to happen now did I?' Kakashi thought to himself as he scratched behind his head in thought.

"Yeah sure I will pay, let's get going shall we?" Kakashi finally responded, starting in the direction of the dumpling shop that he knew Anko frequented.

Anko sighed inwardly in appreciation as the sweet, delicious dumpling that she had just put in her mouth slid down her throat in an explosion of flavorfull deliciousness. This place was one of her favorite restaurants to eat at, how Kakashi had known this she didn't know, but it was no matter to think on, seeing as how he would be paying for the bill and she quite planned on taking advantage of that fact. She had already eaten two plates of dumpling with six on each plate, and she intended to get at least on more before leaving the shop.

'And this is why you never offer to take me out to lunch.' Anko thought with a small mischievous smile touching the corners of her mouth as she ordered her final plate of dumplings from the waiter.

'Man, this woman can eat, I'm going to be out one pretty penny if she doesn't stop soon.' Kakashi expaseratedly thought to himself with a small shake of his head. He had only eaten one plate, the dumplings had been quite filling, but she was on her third!

'I don't see how she can stay in so good of shape with eating habits like that. It is almost exactly like Naruto's obsession with Ichiraku's ramen that he has. Eh oh well, might as well buckle down for the bill, hopefully this is going to be her last plate.' Kakashi finished as he leaned back in his chair and pulled out the book he had been so desperately thinking about ever since his peaceful vigilance on the treebranch had been interrupted.

The third plate of dumplings for Anko arrived in no time, and she began to dig in with renewed gusto. Poor Kakashi had volunteered to take the bill, not knowing fully what he was getting himself into.

'Oh well' She thought to herself with a small shrug. It wasn't her problem.

All of a sudden a flustered looking Naruto zoomed past the shop's open entrance, drawing the attention of herself, and Kakashi who pried his gaze away from that stupid book that he was reading. The kid was mumbling something incoherently about "He wasn't in to that sort of thing" as he ran past, frantically trying to escape something.

"Well that was a bit strange, don't you think?" Kakashi remarked with a curious shake of his head in the direction of Naruto's receding form in the distance.

"Yeah, the kid is a bit strange sometimes" Anko replied as she pondered what had worked the blonde haired ninja up to that degree.

As Naruto's form disappeared into the distance, another form stepped into the doorway and walked over to Anko and Kakashi's table.

"Anko Mitarashi?" The Ambu Black Ops member questioned as he stopped and looked at Anko.

"What is it? It better be important because I was quite enjoying my lunch" Anko growled back as she put down the last stick of still untouched dumplings onto her plate.

"Lady Hokage requests your presence at once. That is all." The Black Ops member replied with a small nod to both ninjas seated at the table and with a quick turn he was gone.

'Oh what could she possibly want from ME?' Anko thought irritably as she rose from her chair and started out on her way over to the Hokage's office without a second glance at the form of Kakashi still seated at the table.

Kakashi sighed visibly as the waiter brought out the check for him to take care of as Anko left the small shop. 'Damn, that woman can _eat_' He thought as he despairingly reached for his wallet to pay the bill


End file.
