Starting over

#32 Anko

Naruto POV

It didn't take long for me to notice that someone was following us. I decided to do nothing for the time being and let Anko lead me towards the villages gates. As soon as we came into view of the gates I felt the presence behind me leave. I knew that the Anbu had been sent after me but I shrugged it off. "Come to the Hokage Monument in an hour. I will meet you there.", I whispered to Anko as we parted ways. Her eyes lit up and she nodded softly signaling that she had understood, before going back into the village. I smiled behind my mask and jumped away into the forest.

I was currently sitting in a treetop just focusing my mind on the Rasengan in my hand. I had had the idea to just keep it spinning, while letting it dissipate and refilling it with chakra at the same time until my reserves were getting low to enlarge my chakra pool even further. But after an hour I only felt slightly winded, so I made a few shadow clones and instructed them to practice with chakra control before focusing my mind on the various Hiraishin markers in the vicinity. Once I had found the one that was on top of the Hokage Monument I took out one of my father's Kunai and poured a bit of chakra into it. I immediately disappeared in a bright flash.

When I opened my eyes again I saw the village beneath me. Once I had turned around I saw a gasping Anko staring at me. "Hi, I see you have made it.", I said smiling. Anko blinked once, then twice and before she could blink a third time she shook her head getting out of her stupor. "Yeah, hi.... What was that? I have seen it once in my life and that was when the Kyuubi attacked.", Anko said slowly still staring at me. I chuckled before sitting down on top of my father's stone head. I patted the spot next to me and waited for Anko to sit down before starting to talk. "I am honestly surprised that you remember the fourth using the Hiraishin, even though you had to be a kid back then.", I said not answering her question. "Yeah I was only twelve back then but I still remember that day like it was yesterday. I lost my parents that day.", the purple haired woman told me, staring at the village. "I'm sorry I brought these memories up.", I apologized. "My parents died that day too.", I said taking her into a comforting hug. "Who were they?", Anko asked curiously, after she had pulled away from our hug. "Well we are sitting on top of my father.", I said smirking. Anko's eyes went wide. "Don't tell me, you are the fourth's son!", she exclaimed loudly. I nodded laughing watching her reaction. "But don't tell anyone, it's supposed to be a secret.", I said quietly. The kunoichi nodded and smiled at me. "But how do you know it then?", she asked. "The third Hokage had given their last wills to Suna after he heard that I had found a new home there. In them there were a letter from each of my parents and stuff that they wanted me to have. That's where I had found a scroll containing the Hiraishin.", I explained, drawing a understanding nod from Anko. "Now tell me, how have you been?", I asked remembering her behaviour in the Hokage's office. "Oh, I have been alright. I don't have many friends because of Danzo starting the rumors the third has told you about. But other than that I am fine. And I have a few close friends that are not deterred by the rumors, so yeah, I'm good.", she said, although I noticed that she was again running her hand over her wrists. I also noticed how she avoided to look me in the eyes. "You know, I know better than anyone what it feels like to be ignored and to be kicked out of the society and I know that you won't go through that unscathed", I began in a soft voice. Anko looked at me with suspicious eyes, but she let me continue nonetheless. "I can see that you are hurt, I can see that you are struggling. I know that you have secrets that I don't know, but I also know that I can help you with this particular problem and although I can't make all of your problems disappear we can try and at least reduce their numbers.", I said pleadingly. "What do you mean?", Anko asked silently while still holding her wrists. I just smiled weakly and took her hands of her wrists and pushed her sleeves up a bit, just enough to let me see the beginnings of scars that traveled up her forearms. She finally couldn't hold back her tears anymore and broke down, crying into my shoulder. "I thought you had died.", she mumbled. "After you were banished everyone turned away from me, I didn't have anyone anymore. I didn't understand why they had left me until I overheard some people whispering about me. Then it all came crashing down on me. I blamed myself for your death, and together with my friends suddenly ignoring me I fell into depression.", Anko told me after she had calmed down, with tears in her eyes looking over the village into the horizon. "You know if Hiruzen wouldn't have talked to me, I don't know where I would be right now. But you are alive and that is what is important. With that knowledge I'll manage the rest too.", she said with a smile. I smiled back and then decided to ask her something more pleasant. "And how did your training go?", I asked trying to lift her mood. "Well I lost my job at the Intelligence Center thanks to Danzo and because of the rumors noone wanted to employ me. But the Hokage always finds some missions for me to do alone so that I can pay my bills. He also promoted me to Jonin and helped me a bit in my training.", she said smiling at the memories. "Oh wow, Jonin. That's cool, did you keep studying the technique of sealing? You had talent in it, I could tell from the seal you drew on me. And did you specialize in anything particular?", I asked curiously to see what she had specialized in. "I didn't keep up with sealing because I saw the damage it could do. I instead trained in Kenjustu and Genjutsu. I apparently have a real talent in Genjutsu and so I specialised in that. But I didn't let my other skills down. I got a taijutsu style which I modified a bit to suit my needs and I also took up a Katana and included it into my routine. Now that I think about it, it's handle bears a certain resemblance to yours.", she said before revealing a small seal on her belt and summoning her sword from it. It's handle was a dark blue, which was almost black, and had a few small engraved symbols on it. The blade was almost white with a few scratches on it, which showed me that she knew how to use it and that it had saved her life many times before. I drew my mother's blade and held its silver blade against Anko's white one. There were a few key differences, like that Anko's sword was a good bit shorter and also noticeably thicker than mine. Also I noticed that the white blade of Anko was made of steel and not chakrametal which meant that Anko could not infuse her blade with chakra to make it stronger.

After a little more chat it was time for me to go. I had noticed a large explosion in the distance and had concluded that my teammates had finished our mission. Anko had looked into the direction of the detonation with narrowed eyes signaling that she had felt it too. "Well I guess our time has ended. I just have one more question; what would you think about moving to Suna? Don't tell me now, think about it, I'll write you a letter, just tell me then. It would be a life without the hatred of the villagers and without rumors.", I offered, knowing that it would be a lot of work to get her out of Konoha. Anko's eyes widened and she again tears in her eyes. "Why would you do that for me?", she asked with a shaking voice. "As I said, I know a bit about how you feel, so I'm giving you a possibility to escape all of that.", I said before standing up. Anko followed suit, while a few tears rolled down her cheek. "Thank you so much.", she said when I got out one of my father's kunai. "Don't thank me yet, I haven't done anything yet. I'll write you a letter.", I said smiling. I pushed a bit of chakra into the kunai and searched the marker that is a bit outside of Konoha's walls, where I had brought my team at the beginning of the mission. I waved at Anko before a yellow flash engulfed me.