Stumble [Rewrite]

Concern

Anko was panicking.

Normally, it took a lot to get her worked up like this. She had seen too many things over the the course of her life and killed just as many people along with it. Nothing ever happened to the point where she was left not knowing what to do. Then came this little brat so chock full of mystery, secrecy, and downright unexplainable bullshit that left her gaping like a goddamn fish. The girl was full of surprises. But this surprise? Fuck, this could get her in serious trouble.

She had to get Sakura out of here. No one could see and no one could have even a lingering suspicion of what was happening. Doing the first thing that came to mind, Anko yanked spare bandages out of her pack and messily wrapped them around to cover Sakura's forehead. A second passed before she whipped out a kunai as well and pressed the edge into her palm. The blood she smeared on the wrappings and in pink hair to heighten the illusion of injury.

"Mitarashi-san?" She forced a grin onto her face and spun around, Sakura's body held close to her own. "If you felt that chakra, don't worry about it. There was a little accident," she said. The shinobi glanced warily at the prone child.

"... Alright. Should I inform the others within proximity to take over these grounds while you take her to receive medical attention?" he asked. Anko nodded once, already moving towards Konoha.

"Yep. I'll try to be back in an hour or something."

She broke into a sprint after those words. She took the shortest route to her apartment rather than the hospital like she said, and carefully deposited her student on the couch. The bandage was off and her panic returned as she stared at the purple diamond.

This shouldn't have been possible. The Yin seal was revered as the pinnacle of chakra control that had only been achieved by two known people: Uzumaki Mito and Senju Tsunade. They were kunoichi that made a world-renowned name for themselves, very well being some of the most powerful shinobi who ever lived.

How the fuck did a nine year old manage a feat that nearly all the world failed to achieve?

Anko paced in front of the couch. She couldn't just leave it on her forehead like that. It would be too much of a mess to hide or make up an excuse to why Sakura suddenly started wearing bandanas or headbands on a day to day basis. Questions would turn to rumors that would leak to other sectors...

She let out a breath. Seal it. She had to seal the seal. The diamond was too showy, as civilians would see it, as it would also be too shocking to be revealed to the entirety of the shinobi community. Plain and simple, things would change if Sakura was discovered.

Power like hers was a rarity to come by, and people had a right to fear her since she unlocked it at such a young age. More than likely though, she'd be harnessed for that very power. Clans, especially noble ones, would no doubt fight to get her into their families to exploit her abilities as much as possible. And what of ROOT? Danzo? He'd kill to get someone like her in his ranks.

"Goddammit, kid. You're definitely as much trouble as you're worth."

Sakura still lay unconscious, Anko oblivious to the matching diamond on the girl's lower back.

::

"There's a problem and you need to come with me. Now."

Anko burst into Ibiki's office, shocking the interrogator. The woman never used doors. It's either she came through a crevice in the building or landed in his personal space in a puff of smoke. Her face was drawn into an unnaturally serious state; lips pinned down and eyes flashing. Ibiki stood.

"What's wrong?"

"I... can't. Not here."

Oh no. He followed her to the shinobi residential districts. He'd only been to her place a handful of times and vaguely remembered the apartment building where many of the other jounin lived. They didn't even stop to take off their sandals when they stormed into the door on the third floor.