Chapter 30: Anko Mitarashi.

Author Note: Nothing of importance, just enjoy the chapter, and if you have any questions, make sure to comment!

And like always, remember if you want to read up to 13-15 chapters ahead go to https://www.patreón.com/cornbringer

I'm currently updating the novel 2-8 chapters a day in patreeeeon. On chapter 43 so far, though by the end of today it will be chapter 45-47.

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Enjoy you sexy bastards.

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[Arata Takeshi - POV.]

As the night fell, I was training in one of the many grounds around Konoha, specifically training ground number 3, running through my drills. Nothing too overly complicated, just me training my body. Not every training session had to be about mastering a technique. In fact, it was best if you spaced out training sessions to get the most out of them.

As I finished running around the training ground, I felt a presence approaching—two chakras, one of them massive. Turning around, I saw two figures entering the training ground. One was a man with pale skin and long black hair, wearing a dark robe, and beside him was a girl a few years older than me, with wild hair and an enthusiastic expression.

It took me a moment to recognize who this man was. Orochimaru.

"Lord Orochimaru," the girl said, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "Let's start with the new techniques you promised to teach me!"

Orochimaru's golden eyes glanced at me, ignoring the girl, a hint of interest in his gaze. "Ah, who do we have here?" he said, his voice smooth and somewhat unsettling. "A young prodigy, perhaps?"

I nodded, a faint smile on my face. "A pleasure to meet you, Lord Orochimaru."

The girl frowned at her sensei for not paying attention to her before turning her gaze to me, recognition dawning on her face. "Oh, I know you. You're the one everyone's talking about. The genius who trains with the other genius, the Uchiha brat, right?"

I shrugged, not really sure how to respond. "I guess so."

Orochimaru's lips curled into a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Training alone can be beneficial, but learning from others can push your limits even further." He turned to the girl. "Anko, would you care to share your training session with him today?"

So that's Anko.

Anko looked annoyed at the proposition, her brow furrowing. "Sensei, he's just a kid, genius or not. I'm a chunin now, and he's... well, he's just an academy student. Are you sure about this?"

Orochimaru's smile widened, and he placed a hand on Anko's shoulder. "Ah, Anko, I know, but geniuses tend to surprise us when we least expect it. It would be beneficial for you to learn from someone with raw talent far superior to yours, even if he is younger. Don't you agree?"

There was something unsettling in the way he spoke, the way his golden eyes seemed to gleam with hidden amusement. Anko glanced between Orochimaru and me, clearly hesitant but unable to refuse her sensei's request.

I guess they won't even ask if I want to do this or not. Very well then, I might as well test my skills against someone other than Itachi or… Shisui.

"Fine," she muttered, crossing her arms. "But don't expect me to go easy on you."

I nodded, trying to keep my expression neutral. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

Orochimaru's gaze lingered on me for a moment longer before he stepped back. "Excellent. Now, let's see how our young prodigy fares against Konoha's newest chunin. Only Taijutsu, understood, Anko?"

Anko sighed, stepping forward and rolling her shoulders. "Alright, brat, let's see what you've got."

We took our positions on the training ground, as Anko's eyes narrowed, her body language shifting into a stance that radiated confidence and readiness.

"Ready when you are," I said, my own stance mirroring hers, a calm focus settling over me.

Without warning, Anko dashed forward, her speed leaving a lot to be desired, as she launched a series of swift strikes, each one aimed with precision but ultimately too slow to be of impact, making it unimaginably easy to read her chakra flow, allowing me to anticipate her every move with ease before she even moved.

"What?" Anko stammered, shock spreading across her face as I effortlessly evaded her attempted hits. "You... How are you doing this?!"

Under other circumstances, she would've fared a whole lot better in this setting. I had to give her credit where it was due; her strikes were fast and powerful, showing just how much she had trained to be where she was right now. However, my ability to preemptively sense her chakra and my physical training allowed me to stay one step ahead of her every move.

It was one of those things that went hand in hand. Being able to read her chakra flow alone wouldn't be enough if I wasn't fast enough to move accordingly.

Still, she was very talented, not as much as Shisui, that smiling little monster—not even close for that matter—but very talented nonetheless. Hell, if I were to stop reading the flow of her chakra, I think this fight would lean in her favor. But I wasn't one to handicap myself for no reason. Besides, who wants to win a fight against an enemy that limited themselves to give you a fair shot?

Anko's attacks became more aggressive, her growing frustration evident. I could see her pushing herself harder, determined to prove her superiority.

"Interesting," Orochimaru murmured from the sidelines, his eyes fixed on me.

In hindsight, I might be tempting the snakes by not handicapping myself… I can almost hear him salivating. But I suppose that's a problem for future me.

Besides, there are some benefits to having so many people interested in me. One of them is that Danzo won't let Orochimaru touch me, because he feels I belong to him… sometimes things just work out in your favor.

"Stop dodging, you little imp!" Anko all but growled.

"Very well," I replied, a faint smile on my face as I moved forward, countering her strikes with a series of quick, calculated moves, using my smaller size and speed to my advantage. "You're very skilled, but overly confident in your abilities."

Anko's eyes narrowed as she launched a series of rapid kicks my way, but like before, I dodged each one with a composed grace, my movements fluid and confident.

"You leave yourself wide open after every attack," I remarked, lightly tapping her shoulder as I evaded another strike. "Because you look down on me…"

Chuckling, Orochimaru raised a hand. "Enough."

"Sensei! I wasn't done!" Anko protested, a note of desperation creeping into her voice as she gritted her teeth.

"Are you sure you are a chunin?" I interjected, tilting my head.

She turned to me, dark eyes flashing indignantly. "Listen here, you little shit."

"That's enough, Anko," Orochimaru interrupted, a thin smile playing on his lips. "The boy has made his point. Learn from it. If you hadn't underestimated him, things might have been different."

"Might," I said, a faint smile on my face.

Anko huffed with frustration, but bowed her head in acquiescence. "Yes, sensei," she replied, still throwing me a venomous glare from the corner of her eye.

Well… that felt good. Finally getting a win… after all the humiliating defeats I get on a weekly basis at the hands of… Shisui. Though that begs the question, how is it that he's a genin, but she's a chunin? Their skills are on two whole different levels. I should ask Lord Fugaku about it, because it makes no sense.

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After my sparring/ego-boosting session with Anko, I made my way back home. However, as soon I reached my neighborhood, I felt a familiar chakra inside my house.

"Well… damn it," I muttered, opening the door to my house.

Finding the sight of Shisui, lounging comfortably on my sofa, happily munching on some food, looking completely at ease as if he owned the place.

"Welcome home, Takeshi!" Shisui called out, waving a hand with a wide grin on his face. "I hope you don't mind, but I helped myself to some snacks. You've got quite the stash here."

I sighed, closing the door behind me. "Shisui, what are you doing here?"

He shrugged, still chewing on a piece of dango. "Just thought I'd drop by and see how my favorite little prodigy is doing. Plus, your place is so cozy. And look at all this food! How could I resist?"

I rolled my eyes, feeling a mix of annoyance and amusement. Shisui had a way of turning up unexpectedly and making himself at home, which was both endearing and irritating. "Make yourself at home, why don't you?"

"Thanks, I will!" he replied cheerfully, patting the space next to him on the sofa. "Come on, sit down and relax. You've been training hard, haven't you? I can tell."

I hesitated for a moment before plopping down next to him. "Yeah, training with Itachi and then sparring with Anko today. It's been a busy day."

Shisui's eyes lit up with interest. "Anko, huh? How did that go?"

"I won," I replied, going over to the kitchen to grab a drink.

"So… did you know Lady Mikoto wants you to move in with them, right?" Shisui asked, promptly changing the topic. His usual grin was replaced by a more serious expression as he stared at me, awaiting my response.

I paused, setting down the glass of water I had been holding. The Uchiha

 matriarch's proposal wasn't news to me. In fact, we had talked about it a week ago, and I had accepted the proposition, but before moving with them, I needed to do a few things around the house.

This place was still my home, and one day I would live in here, so I needed to fix the place before moving back. That was my self-imposed rule.

"I know. We talked about it last week," I replied, leaning back against the counter. "And I agreed to move in with them. But there are a few things I need to take care of here before I can leave."

Shisui raised an eyebrow, looking as if he wanted to press further but decided against it. He simply nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face as he looked around my place. "Do you need help fixing things around this place?"

I… how did he realize that's the reason I'm still here? I haven't told anyone the real reason. He's very perceptive.

"I do, but I want to do it alone," I replied, my gaze falling to the broken wooden floorboards beneath my feet. "It's... important to me."