Chapter 13

Naruto wasn't quite sure when exactly Anko moved into his house, it was really more of a gradual thing anyway. She would occasionally come over and stay the night to get away from the orphanage, even though Naruto never said she wasn't welcome. Then after a few weeks, when she realised Naruto really didn't mind her staying, she began to come more often. Gradually, she began by keeping things in the guest room, scrolls and books from the academy and even a few clothes. Then one day, when they were both eating breakfast in the kitchen they simultaneously realised Anko hadn't gone back to the orphanage in over two weeks.

Everything she owned was now in Naruto's guest room which by now was no doubt hers. Naruto probably realised before even she did, he didn't mind though, it was like having a roommate. He gave her a place to stay where she wouldn't be mistreated, ignored or abused and in turn she brought back some of the noise into his life that had left him when his parents died. It only helped that the two had managed to become fast friends in their months at the academy, mostly inseparable in or outside of class.

Theirs wasn't the only bond formed; in those same months Naruto would repeatedly come over to the Uchiha district and train with either Itachi or Shisui. On occasion the two would even come over to the Namikaze estate, neither of them mentioning the strange situation of Naruto practically living with Anko. They too became friends, good ones too and by proxy they became friends with Anko, helping her train as long as it wasn't too inconveniencing. Nowadays in Naruto's free time he would either find himself hanging out with Anko or Shisui or training profusely with Itachi.

What had started out as a method to help train and find each others' weaknesses to overcome them had become a full-blown rivalry. It was all in good sport though, outside of training or the academy the two would be just as friendly as Naruto was with Shisui. Naruto had tried to introduce the two Uchiha to the wonder that was Ramen yet only Anko really took to it with the same passion as he did. Growing up with food in the orphanage Anko could find the simplest of dishes more than delicious, strangely that seemed to apply even more to anything Naruto cooked for her.

Of course, Anko wasn't an ungrateful or lazy tenant; she pitched in so she would feel she wasn't taking advantage of Naruto. Growing up in somewhat of a communal situation, despite not actually being a part of that community in the orphanage, Anko had picked up the skills to properly wash her own clothes and sometimes even cook for Naruto. The first time she had though Naruto had been quite violently sick that night, he hadn't even thought that was a possibility with the fox sealed in him but somehow she had found a way.

Over their time spent living together, Naruto taught her how to cook in the same way his mother had him. Eventually, her dishes were palatable yet both agreed it was better when Naruto cooked, not that he minded at all. Their training also kept them busy with their skills growing in leaps and bounds with each passing day. Sometimes, Anko would look on anxiously at him, feeling distant. He really was a genius like his father. She almost wanted to shrink away and disappear, he was so bright compared to her; so far ahead of her. However, compared to the rest of their class, she was the fourth ranked student behind Shisui with Itachi and Naruto always switching places for top ranked.

She had found her own, slightly less serious rivalry with the same brown-haired Inuzuka she had fought in their first sparring session, Hana as she had found she was called. They would be mock-enemies in class, always competing against one another, generally with Anko coming out on top. It did push the girl to train harder though, surprisingly reaching out beyond her limiting clan techniques although she still wasn't anywhere near Naruto, Itachi or Shisui.

Over time Naruto opened up more with his emotions, slowly breaking down the wall that had been built when his parents died. He shared more with Anko and eventually with Itachi and Shisui as well. He still hadn't told anybody about the burden he carried but he thought he eventually would; he just hoped they wouldn't think differently of him for it. Anko too shared more and more, of her experiences growing up, of the orphanage, and of her brief time with Aoi. They were happy as a group and it stayed that way through the year.

Eventually, their comfortable equilibrium was broken, by a knock on the door of all things. Naruto and Anko were out in the back of the house, training as usual seeing as they had just gotten back from the Academy. Naruto heard the door and held up a hand to stop, quickly jogging through the house to the front door. When he opened it he was surprised to see the Hokage standing there, smiling down at the young redhead. He hadn't seen Hiruzen since the memorial service almost six months earlier, or at least they hadn't spoken.