Chapter 13: The Ballard of Anko Mitarashi

                                    

                                          
Hiruzen was always a perceptive shinobi. He developed it as he got older and passed it along to his students. It was a skill he passed along to Naruto as well. That's why he was not surprised by what was being reported to him by Anko. As he listened to her report, he observed her team. He could see the displeasure in their faces of being near Anko. It seems that his warning to her had gone unheard.
                          
Anko finished her report and he straightened himself up.
                          
"Very well then, I can't call this mission a success as we gained nothing from this. I will, however, look into this Midoshi child. If she is this skilled, then she may be a problem in the future." Hiruzen said. He looked at Anko's Genins. "You three may leave now and consider yourselves on leave for a week."
                          
"Thank you Hokage-sama." They said and left his office quickly. He noticed that they didn't even spare Anko a glance as they left. Hiruzen saw that she took it all without compliant. He looked at her for a while before lighting the tobacco in his pipe. He blew out some smoke and sighed.
                          
"It was my mistake to trust you with this mission. I thought that you would put the needs of their lives ahead of your pain. What do you have to say for yourself Mitarashi?" he asked seriously.
                          
"I have no excuse sir. I did put myself ahead of the squad and they were almost killed because of my past. For my actions, I am ready to face my punishment." Anko said.
                          
"Oh and what should your punishment be?" he asked.
                          
"I will immediately resign as a shinobi of Konoha. I do not deserve such an honor after my actions." She said. Hiruzen looked at her before taking another puff.
                          
"Your request is denied."
                          
"But sir,"
                          
"You're just running away for this issue and I refuse to allow that. You created this mess with your team and you will fix it. They have the potential to be great and you have the potential to be a great leader. I will not allow you to run away from this." Hiruzen explained. Anko sighed and looked down at her feet.
                          
"They do not trust me nor do they respect me. I don't think I can plead my case to them." Anko said sadly.
                          
"Then consider this a challenge as you have in the past. I remember a young woman who didn't let the words of some idiots stop her from becoming the most feared kunoichi in Konoha." Hiruzen said with a smile. Anko blushed at the praise. Hiruzen walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You are not your sensei and he made a mistake in throwing away your devotion for him. It will be a mistake that he will come to regret, I assure you. You have the chance to do what he could not. They will need you, don't abandon them."
                          
Anko nodded and left the office.
                          
It was a rare sight that Ibiki Morino walked in on. He was at a local bar that he took his people when the day was over. At the bar, his number one wasn't drinking. He saw the bottle of sake and he saw that she had some in a cup but she wasn't drinking. He decided to see what was up with his number one.
                          
"This is a rare sight in deed. Mitarashi Anko, not shit faced and dancing." Ibiki joked. He looked to the bartender and put up two fingers. He turned his attention back to her. "It was a joke Mitarashi."
                          
"I'm not in the mood for jokes or drinking right now Scarface." Anko said.
                          
"Yep, it's you all right. I was getting worried that we had a spy in the place." He saw. The bartender returned and placed two small sake bottles in front of him. He thanked the bartender and turned his attention back to her. "I heard about your mission. You really screwed up."
                          
"I know all right! I don't need you riding my ass about it!" Anko snapped.
                          
"I am your superior, so I have an opinion and my opinion is that you screwed up. Don't forget Anko, I'm one of the few who isn't scared of you." Anko scoffed and returned to looking at her drink. Ibiki took a sip of his sake before he spoke again. "So what are you going to do?"