Chapter 6: Naruto vs Anko

It had been a couple of months since Naruto met Hinata and even though he hadn't made anymore friends she was still his best friend. They would play together all the time, they would meet in that park and once Hinata's mother even brought her over to play. They had played in Naruto's large backyard, it wasn't as big as Hinata's home not that Naruto would know since he hadn't been there yet. But to him it was huge. Hinata herself was better for having a friend in her life and she looked forward with her time with Naruto.

He was always smiling and making her feel happy. One time an older boy had been picking on her and she was reduced to tears, the next thing she knew Naruto had tackled the older boy and was beating him up for making her cry. The fight hadn't been that long and the older boy was sent running but Hinata had never had anyone stand up for her like that, she was thankful for someone to stand up for her like that.

Naruto just didn't like to see Hinata cry and he was bullied himself now and then, but if was him he could take it, but not when they went after his friend.

Kakashi himself was noticing how sometimes Naruto got into fights with some boys, sometimes he would find him with a bloody lip, or dirt and bruises on his son's body. Nothing major but he didn't like that fact that other kids were picking on him. Unfortunately he knew for a fact that the older generation by now all knew or knew enough about Naruto, he caught some people glaring at him, so Kakashi glared back.

He didn't want to think what would happen to Naruto if he wasn't around to take care of him.

But he kept up Naruto's training, and he had to admit Naruto had a healthy work ethic, he kept on going sometimes until he just dropped. He was kind of proud of that, with some help he could become a great ninja one day, after all given who his biological father and adopted father it was no surprise if Naruto became a legend in his own right. It was king of nice to know that the Hatake name through Naruto would continue on.

Besides with his busy life he was doubtful that he would find a woman to settle down with and have any more kids. Sure he went out now and then but nothing serious, some were just some women that wanted to 'unmask' him, not that they ever did. Others wanted to know if the rumours about him were true, although with the rumours that he found out, Kakashi was surprised since he was sure half the things he hadn't tried...well...tried yet.

But now there was another problem, he was being sent on a mission now and he couldn't find Iruka to see if he could take care of Naruto. He was meeting with the Hokage now to see about the mission and he had no idea on who to ask to look after Naruto. He wanted to make sure that he was well looked after of course.

He entered into the Hokage's room bowing slightly, "I'm here Hokage-sama."

"Ah good Kakashi, I need you to go out and scout out the boarder. I've had reports of a group of Missing-Nin that are from Rock that is going around the boarders. They stick close by raiding villages and then sneak across into the boarder of a country that is not on friendly terms with the one they just pillaged."

Kakashi nodded, "So any pressuring ninjas will have trouble, say if we went into Cloud territory they might just attack us using the rogue group as a cover to settle old scores."

He had to admit it was dangerous but a cunning plan, plus the fact that he was most likely going to lead ANBU group meant these had to be A-class ninjas or above. This was definitely going to be a bit difficult to do, he was already making some plans on taking with him a back up squad just in case.

"Before I go I need the usual favour." He said and the old man nodded.

"I take it Iruka isn't free this time?" The old man said smoking his pike.

Kakashi nodded, "And you know my rule on Gai, no more than five days alone with Naruto...Ever. So I need someone trust worthy and can handle things. You remember what happened last year with Naruto I want to make sure who is left can handle things."

'That and Naruto,' He silently said to himself with all the little tricks he had shown Naruto in the year his son was getting pretty devious and had seemed to like pulling pranks now and then.

The Hokage was deep in thought on who to trust, he knew that word that Naruto held the demon had circulated over the years, thankfully no one had told the younger generation but still it seemed that certain people were so afraid of the boy they would bend if not break his decree. He was wondering who to trust when the door was slammed open and a very pissed off Kunoichi walked into the room.

"The hell is this!?" Anko demanded throwing down a letter. "A simple C-rank mission!? I didn't bust my ass to make Jornin just to do this old man!"

Normally a person in his position would take offence to that, but he only smiled. He knew that Anko wouldn't like that, but honestly it had been the only mission at the time and she was getting restless. "I'm sorry Anko, but there aren't any more it was either that or I give it to a Genin team."

"This sucks," She sat down with her arms crossed with a pout on her face she needed some action she was going stir crazy with nothing to do. Plus she needed to prove herself, that she wasn't some 'failure' that she had the skills. She then noticed the ANBU with the mask and she felt like she had seen that mask before. But after awhile all the ANBU looked alike to her.

"See something you like?" She grinned at him hoping for a reaction, he just shrugged which only pissed her off.

It was then that the Hokage got an idea, "Well Anko I do have a rank B mission that came in that you might need to handle."

"Oh?" Now she was interested and didn't notice how Kakashi suddenly stiffened.

"It's a bodyguard position."

"Sounds okay to me." She shrugged.

"You can't mean-" Kakashi was about to disagree he had nothing against her, hell he actually respected her.

"You got something against me?" She asked him with a dangerous tone and a glint in her eye that said if he said the wrong thing, she'd cut off his balls and feed them to him.

After their first meeting he had looked up her career now and then and he was pleased with her abilities. Sure she had some unique personality quirks but then so did most of the best ninja. He knew at times it was just a coping mechanism. He signed knowing that if anyone could protect Naruto this woman could do that, but who would protect Naruto from her?

"Very well, the ANBU will show you the way Anko." The old man grinned knowing full well Anko's reaction to her being manipulated into this.

Anko followed the ninja through the city, he was pretty quiet but that was ANBU for you. She followed him to a pretty nice home, traditional style, two story home with a large rock wall enclosing the area. A very large backyard was also seen as well. She looked around the place, it was pretty nice and wondered who lived in this home.

She got her answer in the form of a rushing blond boy that latched onto the other ninja.

"Dad! You're back already?" The little boy smiled and Anko's eyes widened.

This was the ninja's son? She looked at the young boy, blonde hair, blue eyes that she swore she had never seen on another person and there were these strange little marks on his face. He looked up curiously at her and she was wondering just what the hell was going on here.

"Hey dad whose the lady?" he asked.

The man laughed and pulled off his mask and if Anko was shocked before now she really was. It was Kakashi, she hadn't seen him since that one mission and now here she was in his home and meeting his son. Although she remembered that he was adopted so that was why the little boy looked nothing like him.

"This is Anko, she's going to be looking after you while I'm gone Naruto."

"What!?" She screamed out, "I thought this was a bodyguard duty."

"It is, you're guarding him," He smiled at her.

"It's babysitting!"

"I am NOT a baby!" Naruto shouted back at her.

"Shut it kid!"

"Make me ugly!"

"What did you call me!?"

"You heard me!"

Kakashi was wondering if he should rethink his position on Gai, at this rate. He pulled Anko aside while she screamed bloody murder at Naruto while his son only gave it back right at her. It was kind of funny seeing a Jonin arguing with a little boy but after they were alone she continued on with her ranting. First at him, then at the Hokage and then at anything that came to mind. It took fifteen minutes for her to calm down.

"You calm now?" he asked leaning against a wall.

"No."

"You at least going to stop screaming?"

"Yeah."

"Good," he pushed himself off the wall, "Now listen Anko this is important, were you given the file on the Kyuubi when you were made Jonin?"

"Yeah it was about how...oh...him..." she realized that it was Naruto that had the demon in him. The file said that the boy had been named Naruto and that he had six marks on his face. It went on saying he had been adopted by a ninja but by who had been blacked out. The only reason Kakashi would ask about that file was if Naruto was the container for that demon.

Kakashi nodded impressed with how fast she got it, "Yes, and because of that many view him with fear or hatred. In fact last year there as an assassination attempt the last time I left for a long mission. So you can understand why I want someone I either trust or someone powerful enough to be trusted with my son's life."

Anko looked into his one eye and she could see he was dead serious about this, "He means a lot to you huh?"

"He may not be of my blood...But in ever other sense he's my son. I've watched over him, cared for him, I've seen his first steps, his first words I've been there for his entire life. I know what it's like to be alone in the world and I wanted to make sure he never felt that pain...Although I've not done as good a job as I would have liked."

She looked at him confused, not knowing that the only people in Naruto's life was, the Hokage who visited him now and then, Kakashi, his 'Uncle' Gai, Iruka, the two people that ran his favourite ramen stand, and finally Hinata his only friend. He wanted more for his son but with certain adults poising the minds of the younger generation it wasn't easy for Naruto to make friends.

Anko wanted to ask a bit more but the look she saw made her rethink things. She guessed that Naruto did deserved to be protected, even if he was a brat he was still just a kid. "Fine...But I'm not happy about this just so you know."

"I know...Anko, thank you." He told her.

They went into the other room and Anko tried to get used to the fact she was going to be a glorified babysitter for the little brat. She looked down at the little blonde wondering how she got herself roped into this.

-Later-

Kakashi had left for his mission, leaving Anko a few things that she should know about, like Naruto's bed time, not to feed him sugar and other things. There was a list, she just scanned through it and put it away. She took the time to look around the house, it was kind of nice, although kind of bland. She found a nice training room at least and it would give her something to do later on.

She found Naruto sitting in the living room, coloring and watching some kids show. She sighed she really didn't want to watch something like that, and as she sat on the couch she took the remote and changed it.

"Hey I was watching that," Naruto said to her.

"Life is tough so get used to it," She said offhandedly.

"Please?" He looked up at her with one of those cute little pout. With his large blue eyes and cute little face most people wouldn't be able to stand to look at that for more than a minute before caving in, and Naruto knew this since he used it on his dad a lot. That is when his dad knew well enough not to look at him when he tried it.

Anko however just stared blankly at him and turned to her TV, "Sorry that doesn't work on me but nice try."

Naruto let the face fall, "Meany."

"Brat."

"Old Hag."

"What did you call me!? I'm not even twenty yet!"

"Really?" Naruto tilted his head, "I thought you were thirty."

"Thirty!?"

By this time Naruto ran off laughing with a pissed off Anko hot on his heels with said little boy laughing.

Over with Kakashi, he and his group were traveling through the large trees that for some reason were always around in the Fire Country and a lot of the others. It was odd that how there were so many all over the place, with the exception of the Country of Wind given it was a desert. Some thought it might be from people like the first Hokage who with his specialty in using tree type of jutsus, but Kakashi but it aside.

His team stopped for a moment to catch their breath and to make plans on where to go to next. He sent Owl and Crane out first, while he was with Falcon and Ox. It was odd to always call each other by the mask they wore but that was ANBU for you, they kept their identities secret from most, although Kakashi was starting to think he might want to go back to being a Jonin. Besides these missions were starting to take a toll.

That was the life in ANBU, you did the jobs that most didn't have the stomach for, but the downside was what it did to you. You could only do this for so long before it destroyed you, images of his father suddenly got into his head and he quickly put that away. That was another reason he was thinking of getting out of this, he had enough saved up now and going back to Jonin pay he would be able to handle and Naruto was older now.

He didn't want to end up like his dad and leave Naruto alone in the world like he had been. He sighed hoping that Anko and Naruto were getting along.

"Area you alright?" Ox asked him.

"Just worried about my son is all, I hope he isn't causing too much trouble."

"What could a kid possibly do?"

Kakashi actually laughed a bit at that, "He picks things up fast, he's already getting good at the basic taijutsu skills, and I've been teaching him a few other things like lock picking and how to get out of ropes."

Ox looked at him for a moment, "Why would you teach a kid that?"

He just shrugged, "Seemed like a good idea at the time."

-Hatake Home-

"Now then you just keep here and I'll let you go after an hour," Anko said standing up and wiping her brow.

"Let me go you big meanie!" Naruto yelled out who was at this time tried to a chair.

"And to complete it," she gagged him lightly as he glared up at her. "Hey be thankful I'm not into spanking plus I've been known to do a hell of a lot worse kid." She gave him one of those grins she reserved to scare the crap out of people, and it seemed to work well on bratty kids too.

"There now just let Anty Anko have one hour of peace and quiet." She said and closed the door, she didn't get two feet when the sounds of thumping and thrashing was heard. She sighed and rolled her eyes.

"I should get paid more for this." She muttered.

Anko was finally enjoying the quiet, she was on the couch just watching the TV and zoning out. It was half an hour later that she suddenly realized something; it was quiet, too quiet. In fact the muffled sounds of Naruto were suddenly gone. Now she got a very bad feeling about this and carefully got up and went to the room she left him in. She opened the door a bit and looked in, her eyes widened at the sight of the empty chair and ropes on the floor.

She burst into the room, "How the hell did-"WHAM!

Anko felt something hit her head, she had been so surprised she let her guard down and a small sack of flour that had been rigged to the door hit her on the head. She was now white as a ghost with a large vein on her head. "That...little...brat...IS DEAD!"

Sounds of laughter and running feet told her where the soon to be dead boy was, she ran after him and saw him take a corner. She was going to make sure the little brat stayed in place and raised one of her arms. From out from under her trench coat a long green snake shout out, she saw it go after the boy and take the same corner. Then she heard lots of snapping noises and she stopped dead in her tracks.

She knew by now that Naruto had a tendency for traps, and she wasn't going to fall into another one. She pressed herself up against the wall and carefully looked around it, her jaw dropped at the site of the hallway covered in mouse traps on the floor. She saw her snake was caught in several of them before it disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

'It's not possible...It just isn't...me the great Anko Mitarashi, who was trained under that snake-bastard Orochimaru, who scares the crap out of seasoned Jonins...is getting her ass kicked by a damn toddler!' She screamed in her mind. If this got out she would be a laughing stock, so she resolved that this kid was going down and hard.

Naruto had been hiding for the past ten minutes and was getting bored, the crazy lady didn't seem to be following him. He was hiding out in the laundry room under a pile of clothes thinking she wouldn't want to check in the dirty pile. But he was getting bored with this now, although she was crazy she was kind of fun too. He never had an adult like this, his dad could ground him and Uncle Gai usually didn't have it in him to play on Naruto's level. Meaning Naruto liked to do anything to win and Gai was a bit too straight forward.

Anko however seemed to be like him, she would do whatever it took to win.

So now really bored out of his mind, Naruto decided to take the fight back to her. He started to sneak to his room where he put supplies for this and hoped that the crazy lady wouldn't find him. He didn't see anyone so when he got to his room he felt he was safe. He opened his door...and another sake of flour fell only now hitting him.

"Ahhh! What the!?"

Laughing was heard and he spun around to see Anko there, she still had flour over her body but was mostly cleaned up. She stood there laughing at him, "Serves you right brat, how do you like a taste of your own medicine?"

Naruto scowled but then grinned, this was going to be more fun then he thought. "Good but you know I have to get even now right Crazy Lady?"

Anko got a grin on her face that most people would be creeped out by, "Oh you think you can take me on Brat?"

Naruto responded by quickly closing his door, Anko took only three large steps to get to it, and when she got in, she saw Naruto dive under his bed. She put her hands on her hips actually disappointed, "Come on I thought you could think better than that." She waited for him to come out but lost patience after thirty seconds.

"Come on out already!"

No answer.

"Okay then we do it the fun way," She took the bed and lifted it up and frowned at the fact no one was under the small bed. She then noticed that the panel that was on the wall was removed. The little boy had an escape route most likely from Kakashi to ensure Naruto had an escape route if the house was ever attacked.

"Well damn..." Anko said lowering the bed, looks like the fun was going to continue. Well despite everything she had to admit, this was anything but boring.

Naruto was trying to make his way as quietly as he could through the house, thankfully he knew the home better than Anko did and knew all the great hiding spots with his games of hide and seek with Hinata. He managed to get into the backyard and decided to make a run for the really big tree and hide out there for a bit. He only made it five feet from the door when a spray of really cold water hit him.

When he stopped he glared up to the roof where Anko was with the hose, "point for me brat."

Naruto grinned at her and the rest of the day went on like this, with the two of them going in an all out war to one up the other. Anko got in a few good shots, she once managed to pin him to a wall with her kunai through the edges of his shirt, only when she took her eyes off him he slipped out of his shirt and ran off.

Naruto then got her back with greasing part of a floor so when she chased him she slipped and crashed into a wall. Naruto ended up running form snakes, kunai and a few fire low level fire attacks, but he gave it back just as much as he could.

By now Naruto broke out his water guns and had soaked Anko in water that had ice in the tank so it was really, really cold. The outcry she gave was well worth it when he lost one of this guns in fleeing, Anko picked it up and the two ended up in a water fight in the backyard, both of them were wet, muddy and covered in various things such as flour, sugar, feathers, and paint.

Both of them by the time the sun was going down were laying on the ground panting, feeling very tired, sore in some areas and just overall drained. Anko couldn't believe she felt so drained by just a kid, she usually only felt like this during extreme training sessions.

Naruto was looking up at the darkening sky with a large smile on his face, despite everything it had been really fun, "so...who won?"

Anko couldn't take it anymore, here she was a Jonin and had spent most of the day going around chasing a kid like she was a kid herself and he thought it all a game. Truth was she never had much of a childhood and she never really got to play much as a child, and she found that she had fun herself. It was a total surprise for her but she actually had fun. It was so twisted that to her it actually made sense, it might not for most others but for her it did.

"Don't know and don't care, come on. We need to clean up and then I can order some food."

"Can we have ramen?" he asked.

"As long as I can have some dango too."

"What's dango?"

She looked shocked at the boy as they got up and then she smiled, "I've got so much to teach you about the finer things in life and dango is at the top of the list to me."

-That night-

Naruto woke up, it was late in the night by what the clock said. He yawed and felt his dry throat, he knew he couldn't sleep with it like this and grumbled as he got out of bed. He pushed the covers and grabbing his stuffed fox, Mr. Foxy, he went into the halls. He went for the bathroom rubbing his eye, it was dark but he knew his home very well by now.

Then he stopped hearing something, he moved to his dad's room where the Anko lady was sleeping. He pushed the door open a bit and looked inside. Anko was on the bed but was tossing and turning and muttering to herself. Naruto knew it was a nightmare, he had seen his dad have a few as well but his dad never liked to talk about them. So young Naruto climbed into his dad's bed and shook the woman awake.

"Hey crazy lady wake up!"

He froze as she shot up and pressed a kunai to his throat, he froze in that instant and the look in her eyes were of a cold killer. But she realized what was going on her eyes widened and she quickly dropped the weapon away. "Oh god kid I'm sorry."

Naruto was still a bit scared but put it away, ever since that day the two ninjas had tried to kill him he promised not to be scared again. He noticed how sad she looked for a moment looking at the wall in front of her.

"Bad dream huh?" He asked.

Anko nodded her head, she didn't want to tell him what exactly. She could barely remember them anyway but it was all the same. The darkness, the cries of pain, horrible images, people twisted around into horrible images, pain. But she remembered the darkness, the loneliness the most. She noticed the kid was still there in his orange pjs looking at her.

"What?"

"You want Mr. Foxy to sleep with?" He asked honestly like it was the answer to her problems.

"Huh?" She looked confused.

He handed her a stuffed fox, "This is Mr. Foxy, he's my favourite toy. I always sleep with him, and when I get nightmares I hug him tightly. I even give him to my dad when he gets nightmares too."

Anko had to grin at how strange it all was, she wasn't sure what was more funny. A child trying to consol her on things he couldn't possibly understand or the thought of the great Sharingan Kakashi slept with a stuffed fox when he had nightmares. She tried not to laugh at that image but it was pretty funny.

'What is with this family? Do they go around trying to make others feel better or just me?' She thought to herself remembering how Kakashi had talked to her a year ago. It was a long time but she still remembered that night.

She looked down at the kid and smiled, not one of her smiles she used to scare people but one of her rare and true smiles. "Thanks brat."

He smiled up at her since she didn't mean the word in anger but had said it in a gentle tone. "Night Crazy Lady." He jumped off going to get his drink of water.

Anko snorted and shook her head trying not to laugh, she flopped back onto the bed looking at the toy. It looked well worn and some repair jobs to it, obviously something that was cared for, for a long time. She decided after everything maybe she liked the kid after all. Sure he could be a bit of a brat but she couldn't remember the last time she had been pushed like that and she actually had fun.

'You're certainly a strange one Naruto but I'll admit this, you make things interesting.'