Anko had been ready for a number of reactions. An excuse for ramen binging had not been something she'd considered. "What do you mean they don't have ramen?"
"Sunagakure has limited water," explained Naruto. "Their most common D-Rank Mission is to collect water, put it in seals, and carry it into the village from outside. I gotta pen pal named Temari. I've invited her and her two brothers over for ramen since they don't got that there. Just imagine. A life without ramen. Terrible. Tragic even."
Anko wasn't sure the boy was kidding, which was the scary part. "Right."
"I suppose I could limit myself to four or five bowls tonight," mused Naruto. "Maybe I could put a few away in seals. It's a three day journey after all."
"Don't eat too much," said Anko. "We'll also be escorting someone there and you'll need to carry extra weight."
"Oh, really, who?" asked Naruto.
"You'll see," said Anko, waving him off. "I don't think they've got dango there either. I think I'll fortify myself."
August 6:
"Isn't he a bit young?" asked Jiraiya.
"Itachi was ten when he made chuunin," pointed out Anko.
"Yes, and look how well THAT worked out," immediately responded Jiraiya.
"You graduated from the Academy at the age of SIX," said Anko.
"Well, I'm exceptional," said Jiraiya.
"We're escorting HIM?" asked Naruto. "Hey, can I get some training?"
"I'm already training you," said Anko with irritation.
"I don't like spiders and snakes," said Naruto. "Toads and frogs are better. Girls still think of toads and frogs as icky, but not as badly as they do spiders and snakes."
"True enough," said Jiraiya with a nod. "Good to see you've got priorities kid."
"What grosses girls out is NOT a concern for a young genin," complained Anko, who didn't think there was anything wrong with snakes.
"When I make Hokage, image is going to be VERY important," responded Naruto with a little huff. "Gotta make good impressions. Some of those toads are pretty big, so a good intimidation value there."
"Interesting," mused Jiraiya. "Don't forget that Tsunade summons slugs though."
"Yeah, kinda creepy ain't they?" asked Naruto. "Leaving a trail of slime everywhere."
Anko shuddered visibly.
"Well, summoned slugs aren't quite as gross and disgusting as their natural counterparts," said Jiraiya, smiling despite himself. He'd have to have the kid around if he ever ran into Tsunade again.
"In ANY case," said Anko, slinging her pack into place. "We've got to get going."
Jiraiya started off, checking out the size of the packs Naruto was carrying. "Isn't that a bit too much weight for your size?"
"Not a problem, Pervy Sage," said Naruto.
"Don't call me that," protested Jiraiya. "You say that and I start looking around for Orochimaru."
"Point," admitted Naruto. "He's much pervier than you are."
"Yes," said Jiraiya with a nod. "I restrict my research to healthy girls who are over the age of consent, that have matured to the beauty of feminine ripeness."
Anko got a kunai out. "You saying you've peeped at me?"
"Considering what you normally wear, you're pretending modesty now?" asked Jiraiya.
"It's the principle of the thing," shot back Anko.
Naruto sighed. Looked like this was going to be a long trip.
"Oh," said Anko, glancing back at him. "That area-effect genjutsu dispel? Warn me next time before you practice it."
"Huh? Why?" asked Naruto, not seeing a reason to forbid practice.
"It itches," said Anko, turning back to her argument with Jiraiya about proper kunoichi fashion.
August 10
"-and that's why you should never trust snakey pedophiles," finished Naruto.
"How did the subject go from talking about water distribution using sealing techniques to Orochimaru?" asked Jiraiya.
"All three of us want to kill that old snake," said Naruto. "Why wouldn't conversations come back to that?"
Anko shrugged, thinking maybe she was getting used to Naruto by now. What a horrible thought THAT was!
"What did Orochimaru do to YOU specifically anyway? I must have missed that," said Jiraiya.
"I'm going to be Hokage someday," said Naruto firmly. "Getting rid of a pedophile predator who hates Konoha just kind of fits into that."
"I suppose it does," agreed Jiraiya. "So, anyway. That mountain over there is Suna."
"Suna's a mountain?" asked Anko.
"Hollowed out," said Naruto, chiming in. "Open to the sky. Temari sent me a brochure from their Tourism Board."
"A ninja village with a 'Tourism Board'?" asked Jiraiya.
"Yeah, something about how the lord of the local land decided to cut back on the number of ninjas here, and how they outsource ninja missions to Konoha and other places," said Naruto. "I didn't get a lot of details. Anyway, in order to make SOME money they do stuff like using their wind-element ninja to sweep sand outta stuff. Also hire out for sailing vessels on the coast in other countries. Oh and they maintain trade stops and rest areas for merchant caravans and stuff like that."
"How long have you been writing Temari?" asked Anko, still not used to the idea of this little boy having multiple girlfriends. Ten years old was TEN for crying out loud.
"Oh a couple years tops," said Naruto. "Toady sage? You wanna look at what we discussed awhile back?"
Jiraiya shrugged. One of the areas of specialization he had, and he took very seriously, was in the matter of sealing techniques. "Yeah, sure. I'll take a look. What'd you say his name was?"
"Gaara," said Naruto. "Thanks Toady-sage!"
"That really doesn't sound much better than 'Pervy-sage,'" pointed out Anko.
She re-read the scroll for what seemed the hundredth time.
Naruto had provided these, copies of scrolls that he'd acquired and then returned during his nightly forays. She knew that. She'd even been questioned about it once.
She understood it was required of her to keep quiet about it. To Naruto as well as to her family. Well, secrets were part of a ninja's trade.
When finished re-familiarizing herself with the contents of the scroll, she stepped out onto the water, nearly losing her balance at one point until she could stabilize herself. Then she began the kata.
The martial arts style was one similar in some ways to the jyuuken of her family. Fanged Snake style kung fu - it was called. Flow around attacks, strike hard at critical areas, then evade the counter. Flow like water. Flexibility was a major part of the style.
Sword or spear use were parts of the higher levels of the art.
Fingers were strengthened to strike, stomach and spine strengthened without losing flexibility. Agility and speed were more important than strength, and considering her size - something that fit her.
Jyuuken was similar, requiring the Byakugan. As Naruto's note indicated, slipped to her with this scroll, this gave her a backup close-range style when her chakra reserves were low.
She WOULD graduate. She wasn't sure she could become as 'awesome' as Naruto seemed to think she would, but there was no way she'd disappoint Naruto and stay a genin.
Unfortunately thinking of Naruto caused her to blush, fidget, and lose the precise chakra control necessary to stand on the water.
"eeep!"SPLASH! "oh darn."
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(Posted Sun, 28 Feb 2010 03:34)
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