Aftermath

Over the next few days, Naruto and Anko used his transformed clones to systematically drive Gato and his company out of The Land of Waves. They gave Gato and his men a four-day ultimatum to leave the island. Before that, they gathered all documents and trade deals and handed them over.

The time had come for Gato and his men to depart. The news of their displacement had spread throughout the land, and thousands had gathered at the port to see their departure. Anko ordered Naruto to keep the civilians away to prevent incidents. Still, she allowed the citizens to throw various things at Gato and his ship. Anko stood before Gato as he watched the last of his belongings being boarded onto the boat.

Gato's scowl was intense. He had been complaining over the past few days, but his outbursts were quickly extinguished with a stark reminder of the consequences of crossing Ninja.

"You know this isn't even half my stuff," said Gato

Anko looked down at the small man.

"For the last time, we are seizing the rest of it for our village and for reparations for the people of this country; you should be lucky we are even letting you keep this much," Anko asserted

Gato's teeth grinded audibly in his mouth.

"But you don't have the right. I earned all of this, and now you're taking it away from me like it's nothing. I swear, as soon as I find the right authorities to report to, you are going down." Gato's voice tinged with desperation.

Anko scoffed

"You haven't earned shit; you just exploit people for your own benefit; I would also like to see what 'authority' you are going to go to. With your reputation, there's not a mercenary group stupid enough to take on a ninja village."

Anko waved her hand dismissively.

"Now, run along. If you stay here any longer, I might feed you to my snake."

Gato began to sweat profusely, his mind filled with the terrifying image. Without another word, he hurriedly made his way to his ship.

As all his men boarded the crowded freighter and sailed away, cheers were heard from the people of Wave. Once the ship went beyond the horizon, Anko used a hand signal, and all of the Leaf ninjas began to vanish in a cloud of smoke. There were gasps of surprise throughout the crowd. On top of a nearby building, Naruto tried to jump down but stumbled. Anko managed to catch him.

"Are you okay?" asked Anko

Naruto nodded

"Yeah, just dizzy. My head is all over the place, remembering everything at once."

Someone from the crowd spoke up.

"Wait, where did all of the ninjas go?"

Murmurs of the same question began to go through the crowd as they all wondered about the same question.

"They were never there. It was just these two."

The crowd looked over to see Tazuna walking beside Osami on crutches. One of Osami's neighbors had overheard their discussion about Naruto and Anko being a ninja. Hoping to make a quick buck, he reported that to Gato and sent his men to get Osami to talk. Osami was badly injured, but he didn't budge and only told them about Anko and Naruto when they threatened his family.

They found Osami among some of Gato's other prisoners and treated his injuries. Since then, he has participated in discussions with Tazuna and other leaders in the Land of Waves about the country's future.

Tazauna gestured toward Anko and Naruto.

"These brave ninjas saved us; they tricked Gato into leaving," Tazuna declared, his voice filled with relief and gratitude.

"Wait, what if he comes back? We can't defend ourselves," a person said as doubt began to spread among the people about their freedom.

Anko raised her voice.

"Don't worry. I was bluffing most of the time, but what I said about the Leaf's interest in Wave wasn't wrong. I'm close to the Hokage, and I'm sure we can discuss a mutually beneficial relationship between the Leaf and Wave."

An older woman stepped forward and bowed,

"Thank you so much; you have done us a favor we can not repay. Is there anything you want in return? "

This sentiment was shared as many citizens began to yell their thanks and offerings toward Anko and Naruto.

Over the next few hours, Anko and Naruto were bombarded with gifts and thanks. They finally had a chance to escape and found themselves with Tazuna and his family.

"Are you sure you have to go? We'll be happy to celebrate with you for days on end."

Anko shook her hand

"I wished we could, but we have already been here longer than I wanted to. We have to find the rest of our team. Are you guys sure you will be okay?"

Yeah, it will be a pain over the next few months to decide who gets what, get trade routes back up, and finish the bridge. As Tazuna continued to list topics, it was clear that the stress from thinking about these things was getting to him.

"Dad, we can talk about those things later, can't we? They have to go."

"Oh yeah, but don't be strangers. You are here, and you will always be welcome in this country." Tazuna's words carried a warmth that made Anko and Naruto feel a part of his family.

Inari stepped forward, tears in his eyes

"Thank you so much, I'm sorry I was so.."

Anko put a hand on Inari's head.

"Don't worry about it, kiddo. You just lost hope, but when you get stronger in the future, you have to fight to keep you and your family safe, just like your dad."

"I will next time."

"That's the spirit, Inari. Next time I see you, I'll bet you'll be less of a brat."

"Shut up, pipsqueak."

I don't need to hear that from someone shorter than me.

Naruto stuck out his tongue, and Inari, not to be outdone, did the same. Their playful banter brought a smile to everyone's face.

"Come on, Naruto, we need to move out."

Okay"

Naruto backed away with his hands on his head, sporting a grin.

"I'll see you guys later; I must talk to someone else before we leave."

As Naruto was about to jump away, Tazuna spoke up.

"Hey, kid"

Naruto turned around

"You'll be the best damn Hokage someday, I'm sure of it," Tazuna's words echoed Naruto's own determination, inspiring those around him.

Naruto smiled and gave a thumbs-up.

"You know it, I'll see you later, old man."

Said Naruto as he moved away to visit the last location they needed to go to before leaving

Haku stood on a small islet just a short distance from the island of Wave. He heard the footsteps of Naruto and Anko behind him. He turned around and nodded to acknowledge each of them.

In front of Haku, there lay a grave made of small stones adorned with a scattering of delicate flowers.

Haku said, "This beautiful grave feels like a betrayal of who Zabuza was."

Haku glanced back and said, "Zabuza wasn't a kind man; he was quite unpleasant and grumpy, but he was the only person who mattered to me in my life."

"If you don't mind me asking, why did you follow him?" asked Naruto

"I was born during the bloodline purges of Kiri.

"Bloodline purges?" questioned Naruto.

"The current revolution in Kiri was fueled by demonizing people with Kekkai Genkais. The Mizukage feared them, leading to discrimination and hate. Many clans were wiped out or left Kiri," informed Anko.

"Haku nodded. "My mother was part of the Yuki clan. She hid her abilities from everyone, even my father. One day, while we were playing, I discovered I could manipulate ice. When I showed my mother, she..."

Haku held the side of his cheek.

"She slapped me. She told me to never use my ability or show it to anyone. At the time, I didn't understand, but I now know why my mother had the reaction she did. My father saw us and organized a mob that night to attack my mother and me. He struck her down in front of me, and when he came for me, I impaled him on a spike of ice."

"After that, I wandered the streets hungry and had nowhere to go. After a few months, Zabuza found me rummaging through some trash; he saw me use my ability and offered to become his tool".

"He gave me purpose in my life, Zabuza took me in, and despite not showing affection, he cared for me and raised me; no matter what type of man he was, no one can take that away."

"If it makes you feel better, he sounded like he genuinely cared for you; in his last moments, he wanted you to be alright," said Anko

Thank you. I appreciate that,

Anko felt guilt rising within her. It was easy to be detached from a lot of her actions since she never stayed to see the aftermath of their deaths, but watching Haku be in so much pain because of her actions was making her uncomfortable.

"Kid, I'm sorry, I tried to end things before they went too far," said Anko

No, don't apologize; he was going to kill you; there was no other way; Zabuza is a person who was never going to surrender," said Haku

Naruto looked down at Haku.

"Where will you go now"?

"I pondered on it; I've decided to return home; I want to assist people like me. Many kids are experiencing what I went through, and I have the strength to support them," said Haku.

Naruto smiled brightly

"Well, I hope the next time we meet it will be on better terms.

"Of course, we are friends after all."

Anko and Naruto jumped from tree to tree at a moderate pace. They still had a few more hours before returning to the village. Anko grimaced when she landed on her next branch. She then stopped and yelled over to Naruto.

"Hey, let's hop down on the road for now."

Naruto nodded, and they both jumped down. While they continued to go on foot, Naruto examined Anko. The injuries from her fight with Zabuza were still affecting her, and she was doing her best not to strain herself so her wounds didn't open back up.

"Are you good? Do we need to stop" asked Naruto

Nah, as long as I pace myself, I should be fine; if we walk for a minute, I should be good to start tree-hoping again," said Anko.

As Anko and Naruto continued down the road, Anko tensed up. Wait, Naruto, I think I heard something. Naruto stopped and got and prepared himself for anything. Suddenly, two figures jumped down in front of them; they were two-leaf Anbu.

"Hello, are you two the last missing members of Team 7," asked one of the Anbu

"Last, does that mean the rest of our team is safe," Anko asked.

"Yes, they are; we were looking for one of our missing squads and found your teammates. They are resting in an inn nearby before they return to the village," answered the Anbu

Relief flooded Anko and Naruto as they heard the news. The weight of worry that had been pressing on their shoulders lifted, and they felt a sense of reassurance.

"Can you take us to them?" asked Naruto, eager to reunite with his friends

Of course, follow us. It's not too far away."

The Anbu led them both to the inn. It was a quaint two-story building made of weathered wood, with a welcoming entrance adorned with hanging lanterns. The scent of warm food and hearth fire filled the air as they approached.

"We'll take our leave here." said the Anbu as they bowed and vanished into the trees

"Thank you, masked dudes," Naruto yelled after them.

Anko and Naruto entered the inn, prepared to go straight to the desk. They were shocked to enter, only to lock eyes with the rest of their team eating at a table in the dining area.

Naruto's eyes began to tear up, and he ran full speed toward his team

"Guys!"

Sakura and Sasuke barely managed to process what had happened before they were both consumed by a group hug.

"Wait, you idiot, I'm trying to eat it," Sasuke said, trying his best not to smile.

"Naruto, calm down; you're crushing us," said Sakura

Naruto released the hug and backed away, wiping the tears from his eyes

"Sorry, I'm just super happy you two are okay."

"Yeah, we are, too. I was worried when you and Anko weren't around; we thought you had been captured," said Sakura

"Well, actually, we just came back from saving a country," exclaimed Naruto, putting a thumb into his chest

"Yeah, right, you can just say you got lost. " dismissed Sasuke

"No, it's true, "Anko walked over.

Sensei," Sakura said, beaming a smile at Anko.

Sasuke gave her a nod, doing his best to temper his emotions. He felt uncomfortable with the amount of affection shown, but he didn't dislike it.

Kakashi and Anko started at each other, looking at the other's injuries.

"So you got your ass kicked,"" they both said in unison.

"I wouldn't define it as that; you should have seen the other guy."

"If you're talking about the Kaguya, I did, and he was perfectly fine when he came after me and Naruto."

Kakashi sighed, and he shook his head.

"What happened to the good old days, where your fatally wound someone, and they don't regenerate, so was he the one to give you those injuries too,"

"Long story short, we ended up in the land of waves and ran into Zabuza Momochi."

"The demon of the mist, " Kakashi said, surprised

Anko nodded

"Who is the demon of the mist," asked Sakura

"He is an A rank missing ninja for the mist village and one of the seven swordsmen," explained Kakashi.

"Yep, and sis beat him." exclaimed Naruto

"You did?" said Kakashi

"It was bleak for me for a moment, but I powered through," said Anko

"You should have seen it. She had a giant snake named Mirai, which was as big as this inn," explained Naruto

"Snake?" questioned Sasuke.

"So you used snake jutsu," asked Kakashi, knowing of Anko's dislike of the jutsu.

Anko sighed

"Yeah, I did,"

Anko then addressed the rest of the team.

"Look, guys, we all have to talk when we get back to the village; well, there are some things I have to tell you."

"What about?" asked Sakura

"Don't worry about it; let's go over everything that happened."

Over the next few hours, Team 7 sat together, recounting both sides of their mission. As they shared their experiences, they felt relieved that they were all together again.

Hiruzen looked over the report over again, absorbing every detail. He then put it down on his desk, rubbed a hand across his face, and sighed.

"The amount of headaches in this mission alone makes me want to retire."

He then addressed Anko and Kakashi, who were standing at attention in front of his desk.

"So, do you two have any more information about the spy than in this report."

Kakashi shook his head.

"No, that's it. The only sure thing we can tell is that whoever they are is very proficient in medical ninjutsu. I recommend doing a background check on every medic in the village."

Hiruzen nodded. He was planning to do that anyway, but he doubted anything would come of it; a ninja so skilled could easily hide their true abilities.

He then turned to Anko and asked,

"Any personal observations about the ninja you faced"

Anko began

"They all had a new form of the curse mark we haven't seen before; he's probably made a breakthrough in them, the strongest being the Kaguya Kakashi and I fought, whose transformation allowed him to regenerate from fatal wounds; I need to get a better look at the marks to see what the difference in the designs are."

I'll give you full access to the autopsy report of the three bodies we recovered. You are the only one who knows about these marks, and if Orochimaru is putting them on his minions, then we need to know as much as we can."

Hiruzen then moved on to a topic that caused him unease.

"The report suggests they planned to capture him once the ninjas discovered Sasuke's identity. Should we be concerned about his safety?" The worry in Hiruzen's voice was evident.

.

Yes, Orochimaru has an obsession with rare abilities; I don't remember him explicitly mentioning the Sharingan, but I don't doubt he would want to use Sasuke's eyes to make himself more powerful.

"Should we take extra precautions in protecting him"

"Right now, it shouldn't be necessary. The best way to protect Sasuke is for him to become strong, and until then, we will be able to protect him," assured Kakashi.

"Very well, I'll keep his safety and development in your hands."

Hiruzen then took a deep sigh.

"One last thing before I dismiss you, Anko, is whether you are sure Naruto used the fox's power. "

"I'm absolutely positive. I could never forget the feeling of that chakra. I rushed over and found him in a red cloak of chakra. Naruto was about to kill his opponent. Luckily, he wasn't too far gone. The chakra immediately faded when he heard my voice, and he returned to normal."

"Has he talked about what happened or shown any side effects? "

"No, he hasn't even brought it up. I'm not sure he knows what he did; if he does, he hasn't talked about it. "

"That's good, I don't think Naruto is ready to control the fox's power.

"If I may be blunt, I think it is irresponsible not to have Naruto fully knowledgeable about his power. Keeping it from him in the first place was a huge mistake," said Anko

Hiruzen prepared himself for Anko's scolding. This wasn't the first time Anko brought this up; she had often grilled him about his decision to keep Naruto's status as the nine-tails jinchurki secret.

He needs to learn how to control it; we can't allow him to just fly by the seat of his pants."

"I understand, Anko, but like I said before, we don't have anyone qualified enough to teach him outside of Jiraiya; when we return to the village, I'll have him teach Naruto how to control the fox's power.

"Lord Jirya hasn't been in the village for years; let me teach him."

"Absolutely not. You have no idea how to train jinchuuriki, and the danger that comes with it is something you can't imagine. Anko, I respect your teaching ability, but I urge you to consult Jiraiya regarding this. Are we clear?"

"Fine," Anko relented

"Good, that's all I need from you today. The next Shinobi Council meeting is in a week. I want you both there to discuss the implications of everything that happened on this mission."

Kakashi and Anko bowed and began to make their leave from his office.

Before they left, Hiruzen spoke.

"And Anko, next time you want to force a trade and protection agreement with an entire nation, give me a heads up."

"I can't keep any promises," Anko said with a grin as she exited the office.

In the early morning of the following day, Kakashi had gathered the genin and began to lead them toward Anko's apartment.

"Why are we going to Anko sensei's apartment again," asked Sakura

Kakashi looked up from his book.

"She wanted to talk to you guys about a few things, and she wanted it to be at her apartment for some reason."

"What did she want to speak about?" Sasuke asked, curious about his sensei's actions

Kakashi shrugged

"I don't know. We are about to be there, so ask her yourself."

They arrived at Anko's door and knocked.

A muffled "Come on in" was heard, and Kakashi stepped aside and gestured for the genin to go in."

"Why don't you go in first," Naruto asked as he pointed at Kakashi.

Kakashi eye smiled.

"Anko can't even throw away the trash she brings to the training ground; what do you think her apartment looks like?"

"What does that have to do with us going first," asked Sakura

Kakakshi gestured to his bandages,

"I'm still injured; if an avalanche of trash falls on top of me, who knows what will happen."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and opened the door, revealing Anko's apartment.

There was clutter everywhere, but it was not what they expected. Sure, there was the occasional discarded article of clothing or a forgotten box of junk here and there. Still, copious amounts of books, papers, and journals took up most of the space. There was a stack every few feet, and some had fallen over. Multiple drawn diagrams littered the walls, and they had to avoid the myriad writing utensils as they stepped in.

Anko was sitting at a desk, writing in a notebook on the far side of the living room.

She looked up and smiled at her team.

"Hey guys," Anko lifted her arms and gestured to her apartment.

"Welcome to my haven."

Sakura was the first to get over her shock over the state of the apartment and spoke.

"Uhm sensei, what with all of the books? Don't tell me you're taking them from the library."

"Nope, these are all of mine."

"What, really," Sakura said, shocked

"What is the big deal? They are just books," Naruto said, not understanding what made these books so special.

"Naruto, do you know how much books cost? This much has cost a fortune." Sakura explained

"Is this why you never have any money?" Kakashi said as he addressed Anko

"What do you mean I always have money?" Anko responded dismissively

"What about the time we ate at Yakiniku Q with Asuma, and you said you'll pay me back" questioned Kakashi

"I am still working on it."

"The other day during training, I lent you some money because of some emergency, and you came back with junk food," added Kakashi

"Sensei," Sakura said, giving Anko a disappointed look.

Anko raised her hand placatingly.

"Okay, you got me; yeah, most of my money goes into buying all this."

Sasuke began to look around at the books' subjects, most of which covered the same topic, chakra. There were even some from different villages, and each one looked to be read with sticky notes throughout the pages of most of the books.

"This is probably bigger than the chakra section in our library," Sasuke commented.

"It is, with how ninjas operate; it's hard to get books from authors from different villages; I have to pay a premium to get most of these exported here.

"Why do you need all of these books," asked Naruto

"I guess that's what this is all about; I wanted to tell you all about my past, I feel like you have earned to know, and the fact that Orochimaru has had tertiary involvement in two of our missions means it's only a matter of time before we end up confronting the bastard," explained Anko

"Orochimaru, that's the guy those ninjas were working for, right" questioned Naruto

Anko nodded

"Have you heard of him before?"

Naruto shook his head.

"I heard that name before, but I don't know where."

Sasuke pondered

"I think I do; he's one of the Sanin, right," asked Sakura

"What's a sanin?" asked Naruto

"They were the students of the third Hokage and really powerful ninjas; I know Orochimaru was one of them, but I remember him leaving the village after he was deemed a criminal," explained Sakura

"Gold star Sakura, but one more thing you should know is that I was his apprentice."

Each of the genin gave a shocked look.

"Come on, sit down." Anko gestured to the floor behind her desk, which was clear of most of the clutter.

Kakashi closed his book and leaned against a nearby wall. He knew of Anko's past, but he had never heard the whole story from her before

Anko took a deep sigh and began.

"When I was nine and in the academy, I wrote a research paper on chakra theory and the feasibility of replicating Kekkei Genkai with the proper mixture of chakra. "

"You did that at nine?" asked Sakura.

Anko shrugged. "What can I say? I was a weird kid.

She continued

"Looking back, the paper was speculative at best, but it was apparently interesting enough that it made its way to Orochimaru. He offered to take me as an apprentice."

"And you accepted," said Sasuke

"Of course I did. At the time, Orochimaru was one of my idols. He taught me how to be a scientist and a ninja. We spent more time in the lab than out in the field." Anko's voice took a bittersweet tone at the memories.

"What did you research?" Sakura asked, curious; she had not really associated ninjas and science before

"A lot of things at first, researching what defined elemental affinities, chakra manipulation, chemically induced genjutsu, chemical mental fortification against it, the list went on, but after a few years, we both became obsessed with one topic".

"What was it?"

"Kekkei Genkais. Orochimaru's dream was to learn every jutsu ever created, including those only passed down through clans and blood. We spent hours each day researching how we could achieve it. To this day, we don't fully understand the limits of chakra or how Kekkei Genkai form. "

"It's an evolutionary trait, but Kekkei Genkai vary so much. There are dojutsu like the Sharingan and the Bakugan; some can alter your body, like the Kaguya clan's Dead Bone Pulse Kekkai Genkai. Then there are elemental ones like Lava release. The only similarity is that they are passed down through blood, and a Kekkei Genkai has never been recreated by someone without it."

"Really, no one ever," questioned Sakura.

"There have probably been some close mimics, but it couldn't compare to how people with Kekkei Genkai mold chakra naturally. Let's use ice release as an example; in theory, if you know water and wind release, you should be able to recreate the effect of ice release."

"Wait, if I learn an water jutsu, can I make ice if I use both wind and water jutsu." asked Naruto

"You couldn't naturally; for people without ice release to create ice, they have to artificially lower the wind temperature they use in the Jutsu. Ice Release users can use chakra to manipulate temperature, but only in one direction. People with boil release can do the same with fire and water." Anko explained

Kakashi coughed to catch everyone's attention

"While I'm sure the kids would love a lecture on the complexities of Kekkei Genkai, I think we're getting a little off-topic."

"Oh, sorry. Anyway, after a while of not making any progress, Orochimaru firmly believed that one could not replicate a Kekkei Genkai and was convinced that the only way for one person to attain all of them was through genetic alteration. He was going to use the position of Hokage to put the leaf's best researchers working toward that goal, but he ended up losing to the fourth."

"After that, he got cruel and impatient; he was always rude, but it got to the point where I was scared to oppose him. He would then disappear for days, and when he came back, he would just mention he was working on important research."

"Then, one night, he came to our lab while I was cleaning up late; he asked me if I wanted to go on a training trip away from the village. And that is where my memories stop."

"You don't remember anything?" Naruto questioned

Anko turned her head and pulled down her collar, revealing her curse mark in response.

Sakura audibly gasped

"That's the same mark the ninja we fought had."

Anko nodded and continued her story.

"I was gone from the village for three months, and I barely remember what happened during that time; the next thing I remembered was being washed on a beach, in pain, with this mark on my neck. Anbu found me and took me back to the village. That's when I found out the real reason Orochimaru left the village."

Anko squeezed her hands tightly together in her lap

"At the time, infants were being reported missing in the village; it turns out that he was kidnapping them and using them as test subjects for his sick experiments; once he got caught, he fled, and for some reason, he decided that he wanted to me with him."

Silence overtook the room, and Sasuke spoke

"Did you know"

"Know what?"

"Know that something was wrong. Do you feel like you could have stopped what was happening if you hadn't looked up to him so much?" Sasuke asked, his voice cold

"Hey, watch it; what are you trying to imply," Naruto said, not liking Sasuke's tone.

"Hold up, Naruto," Anko said, understanding what Sasuke was trying to say.

She then turned to Sasuke and spoke honestly.

"Orochimaru was never a warm or nice person; his teaching was brutal. But even so, I thought the world of him and wanted to be exactly like him as a ninja. I think deep down, I knew something was wrong, but I didn't want to believe it. You tend to make excuses for strange or out-of-character behavior when you idolize someone. I dealt with guilt for a long time for not being able to stop my sensei, but I came to terms with it."

"How did you get over it?" Sasuke asked.

"I've come to realize that dwelling on the past and constantly looking back can lead to a downward spiral. In the ninja culture, the concept of childhood is often disregarded, but despite being strong and smart, I was just a kid. I was deceived by one of my heroes. Blaming yourself doesn't lead to any solutions." Anko said, trying to get her words through to Sasuke

Sasuke nodded, deep in thought about Anko's words.

Anko then smiled

"Guys, I'll be honest with you. Before I started teaching, I was in a bit of a slump. I had just learned wind manipulation and thought I would get a Jonin promotion. But when I was passed over for promotion again, I lost a lot of motivation. I stopped researching and just drifted along day by day, content with staying a special Jonin forever."

"What changed"

"Nothing really; I just found that I was really passionate about teaching you guys; it was the first time in a while I felt fulfilled, I guess; I even got back into my research," Anko stated

"What were you researching?" asked Sakura

"The same thing I was years ago, how to recreate Kekkei Genkais using chakra alone. That's why I was so determined to master all five chakra natures. Orochimaru believes that you can learn everything about jutsu, but I have a different perspective. I believe that the only way to truly understand everything is to master all aspects of chakra," said Anko, with passion evident in her voice.

"Wow, I didn't know you were so smart," said Naruto

"Of course I am; how do you think I know so much?"

"Hey sensei, we really appreciate you telling us. I think I can speak for Naruto and Sasuke when I say that it doesn't change how we feel about you. You've been so good to us, and that's all that really matters," Sakura said warmly.

After several more minutes of questions about the specifics of Anko's research, the team began to leave.

The genin had just left, going on about their day.

Kakashi, before exiting the apartment, confronted Anko about what he saw when he first entered her apartment; despite the general disorganization, there was one pristine area and hanging shelf that looked to be custom-made; on it was every single entry to the Icha Icha series.

He gestured to the shelf.

"I didn't know you were a fan of Jiraiya's works."

Anko shrugged

"It was a given, really. Do you know how much my former sensei hated those books? When I came back to the village, I ended up reading all of them out of spite. And it turned out I really liked them.

"You never thought about bringing it up with me," Kakashi said, wondering why their shared interest hadn't been brought up for months.

"I figured you were a casual reader because you only carried around one book."

"Oh, trust me, I appreciate all of Lord Jiryaiya's works. People too often dismiss it as smut, but it's so much more than that," said Kakashi

"Definitely, the character interactions and the creative settings don't get me wrong; I think the books draw most readers in the smut, but the writing holds up damn well." agreed Anko

And, of course, we both know what the best series is

"Icha Icha Makeout Requiem"

"Icha Icha Rescuing Love"

The mood shifted as both Anko and Kakashi stared at each other, their competitive spirits igniting a silent battle.

"Oh, I see that you are a fan of the Rescuing series; it is not my cup of tea, but to each their own," Kakashi said, his tone dismissive.

"Of course, the Rescuing series has its best moments in terms of writing and story," Anko defended

Kakashi scoffed

"Nothing in the Rescuing series can even touch Makeout Masquerade or Makeout Mountain."

"Makeout mountain, are you serious? I didn't think you were a fan of slop; that was clearly something he made in a few weeks to appease his editor," argued Anko

"Oh, as if the entire Rescuing series wasn't something he put together to hold off fans for his subsequent volumes of Makeout."

"Nothing in the Makeout series touches the ice lake scene in Rescuing Frost," said Anko

"Nothing in the makeout series can touch the ice lake scene," Kakashi mocked in a shrill voice.

"I swear you are rescuing fans. Hold on to that scene for dear life to justify the rest of the series."

"Name three Makeout scenes that match the Ice Lake scene," demanded Anko

"Three?"

"Yeah, three."

"There's Miko's confession in Makeout Love at First Sight." Kakashi listed

Anko nodded. She expected that even though she had to admit it was one of the best scenes in the Icha Icha franchise, she had her own favorites that she believed were superior.

"There is the climax of Makeout tactics. "

Anko shrugged. Although she knew many people enjoyed the final stages of that book, she thought it was overrated.

"Then, the twist is revealed in Makeout Makeover," Kakashi said, confident in his list.

"Makeout makeover! That twist ruined the entire book; you know what I thought you had taste Kakashi."

"I could say the same."

"You know what? Get out, I don't need you here right now,"

"Why should I have to get out."

"Because it's my damn apartment."

"Oh yeah, right; I guess I'll see you tomorrow," Kakashi said awkwardly as he opened the door to leave.

"Uhm, sorry, I don't know what got over me there; I never act like that."

Anko shooed him away with her hand, and Kakashi exited her apartment head down, defeated.

Once he left, Anko fell on the floor and began dying of laughter.