The sun was close to dipping behind the rooftops of Konoha, casting long shadows across the village streets. The golden light softened into a deep amber glow, stretching across buildings, alleyways, and the faces of villagers returning home for the evening.
Menma was out walking alone, his pace was steady, but his mind was sharp awareness. He paid attention to everything around him. Every step he took, his mind cataloged everything around him.
The footsteps of the people around him, their breathing, and chakra signatures. The faint rustling of clothes, and shifting weight of people walking past him, but beneath it all were the stares and glares.
The same quiet, simmering hatred he was so familiar with. As he walked past the people of the village eyes looked like they could burn a hole into Menma's tiny body. They pressed against him like invisible weight, but he ignored them and kept walking.
None of them imposed immediate danger, But their hatred it made it hard for him to focus on his target. It masked the intent with created noise.
Menma narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked around him. That's when he felt it, a subtle shift, almost too subtle for most to notice but not for Menma. A presence layered beneath the crowd their movement within the crowds movement.
Menma didn't hesitate as he vanished on the spot. In a blur of motion, he darted through the crowd, slipping between bodies, turning sharply into an alleyway. His feet barely touched the ground as he accelerated.
He made a left turn and vaulted over a crate, then a right turn through a narrow passage. He leapt over a fence, landed lightly, then kicked off a wall and launched himself through an open apartment window. Rolling through then jumping out the opposite side.
Menma didn't stop, he continued moving until, he landed beside a small food stand tucked between two buildings.
The stop and took in the silence.
Menma stood still, controlling his breathing and spreading his chakra outward. Searching for his target.
After a minute of searching he found nothing. No immediate threat outside of the Konoha villagers that despised his very existence.
But still he knew he had to be safe. Menma closed his eyes briefly. Then opened them again as his lavender irises shifted to crimson.
He activated his Fiery Golden Eyes, and the world around him changed.
Layers of the world and the people in it peeled back, as chakra signatures lit up like flames across the village.
Menma scanned all around, extending his vision beyond streets, across rooftops, through walls. Searching for someone in a transformation disguise or someone concealing themself with camouflage.
But nothing there was no sign of her. He then released the technique and his eyes returned to their lavender color.
A faint strain lingered behind his eyes. "…Tch. still hurts like hell."
Menma exhaled slowly. Then his stomach growled.
Menma blinked once. "…I haven't eaten since the Academy. Running around will build a appetite."
Menma stepped into the stand to see a woman running it. " Hello, can I get three dango sticks and tea please."
"Of course one moment." The woman said.
Moments later, a woman placed the tray in front of him. Menma picked up his tea and took a slow sip.
One of the few things he could appreciate is the tea here is better then the tea from his past life. Every time he drank it, it brought a sense of calm and grounding even in the most stressful times for Menma.
Then he reached for a dango but paused when he noticed one was missing.
I know I didn't eat one yet, which only meant. Menma didn't react outwardly, he simply turned his head slightly and behind him.
Anko sat casually, chewing on the dango.
Menma sighed internally. Of course she was sitting right behind. "...Mitarashi-san," he said calmly. "I take it I'm 'it.'"
Anko grinned, finishing the last dango in one bite.
"Yup."
She leaned casually on the bench, her eyes narrowed slightly. "But you're weren't bad, kid.You nearly caught most of my setups. Can't say I expected that from someone whose barely been in the academy for a year. "
Menma said nothing but Anko continued.
She tilted her head her smirk widened.. "But if Shisui and the Hokage personally asked me to help train you…then I figured you weren't normal."
Menma handed the remaining dango sticks toward her. Anko smiled and took them instantly.
"Aww, aren't you just a little charmer. Food will get you everywhere with me." she said, already eating.
Menma just watched her eat silently , then his mind drifted briefly.
He remembered Anko from the original timeline. She's supposed to be a Special Jonin.
A Special Jonin is an elite ninja ranked between Chunin and Jonin who specializes in a specific area, like intelligence, interrogation, or training of other ninja. Rather than possessing the all-around high-level skills like other full Jonin ranked ninja.
She's also a former student of Orochimaru. Who gave her the Curse Seal of Heaven a seal that contains Orochimaru's chakra .The users of this seal when receive increased chakra levels and physical capabilities when the seal is active, to the point where with the second level is arguably close in power to the nine tails one-tailed chakra cloak form.
I know he created this form to to gain immortality, control powerful shinobi, and emulate the Sage Mode. Anko happened to one of ten subjects to survive his Cursed Seal experiment but failed to achieve the necessary mental state to fuel it properly, which caused Orochimaru to abandon her.
In the original timeline… She was only relevant in the chunin exams forest of death parts, and being used to revive Orochmaru. Besides that she was underused, wasted potential in my opinion. I feel like she has great potential if Orochimaru of all people mentored her.
Then Menma thought, what can she teach me that Shisui can't?
The he remembered what Shisui said back in his office.
Four hours earlier....
Konoha Police Captain Office
Shisui's was talking to Menma.
"Menma, Anko is a special jonin that specializes in infiltration, assassination, tracking, and unconventional combat."
Menma's gaze sharpened slightly. What did he mean by unconventional combat?
But as for those other skills, there exactly what I need. I'm decent in a fight for my age. With my chakra control is.... better then it was a two years ago. But I do lack the fundamentals of a ninja. Tracking and espionage.
Shiusi continued. "Menma the Hokage told me to focus on refining your basics which I agree with. So Anko here will handle the first part of that. Don't let her positive disposition fool you, she's one of the most dangerous kunoichi in Konoha."
Anko smiled. " Shisui-san, your flattering me." Then Anko looked towards Menma. " Hey kid, wanna play a game?"
Menma raised an eyebrow slightly confused. He knew people like her knew how to incorporate lessons in ways that work for children like Menma.
"What kind of game." Menma asked.
Anko smikred. "Were gonna play tag, but not just any normal game of tag. Think of it like a never ending game of tag. Which means anytime, anywhere, and any place."
Sounds simple enough I thought.
"What are the rules?"
"No rules really but in order to pass my training you have to tag me and remained untagged for one week straight while I am in the village. Shisui-san will let you know when I am not around but not when I return."
"That sounds easy enough."
Anko raised an eyebrow in curiosity. " Oh really, my training is easy?" Just to be clear kid you must be on guard at all time and aware of your surrounds and the people in it. It doesn't matter if your sleeping, eating, bathing or even using the bathroom. A shinobi must be aware of when they are being watched and tracked."
I understood the concept of the training and actually like the idea. Being alert twenty-four seven, is good training. It will definitely help me when I'm trying to keep black-Zestu out of my business.
"I understand, when do we begin?"
Anko smiled. " Right now kid, and I'm it so get running, I want you to get a head start."
Then in a instant Menma body flickered out of the room.
Anko smiled. " Wow Shisui-san he really is your student. You seemed to have chosen a capable kid."
Shisui sat back behind his desk. " Actually Menma chose me to be his mentor. He reminds so much of Itachi at the age, but I can tell he has this fire in him. He will be a great shinobi one day he will definitely surpass me and Itachi, who knows he might one day be on the level of the legendary Sannin or Hokage." Anko looked slightly surprised by Shiusi's statement.
Anko walk then went to the window facing the front of the office and opened it. She then perched herself on the window sill. "Well then I better make sure to train the legendary shinobi well, since your given him such high praise."
The Anko jumped out the window.
Shisui smirked as he stood up and closed the window. " Don't let your guard down Anko, he's full of surprises."
Back to the present.
Anko was already finishing her tenth dango stick she ordered and looked like she was no where near close to stopping.
Menma watched, mildly impressed. She's almost like a female version of Choji. Where does she put it all. Then Menma stared at her chest for a second and snap himself out of the moment.
No your not that type of guy. She is excessive in hear eating and does look good. Then another thought crossed his mind.…Yeah that's right in that horrible Buruto show, she gained weight later. I can actually see that now. She would be older and not going on alot to any mission at that point.
Menma made a quiet mental note. That won't happen this time he thought. I lovea woman especially a older women with a little meat on their bones, especially in the right places. But I have to make sure she stays active but thick, and not what that show gave me.
Menma began to get flustered slightly. As his face began to turn red.
Anko suddenly glanced at him. "What're you thinking about, kid?"
Menma collected himself and answered calmly. "…Nothing important."
Anko snorted. "Sure if you say so." She then stood up, stretching slightly her eyes gleamed. "So. You know what happens now."
Menma met her gaze. "You tell me."
Anko smirked.
"I tagged you remeber." Her body flickered she was gone in a instant. Then she reappeared infront of Menma her finger on his forehead. " Now your it. Remember," her voice echoed faintly, "anytime, anywhere."
Anko turned ready to leave but Menma...
He leaned back on the bench and then smiled. "But you didn't tag me…"
Anko paused mid step somewhere. She turned back and looked at Menma slightly confused. " What do you mean I didn't tag you..." Before Anko could finish her sentence
Poof.
Menma had dissolved into smoke from where he had sat.
Anko's eyes widened slightly from the realization. "… A Shadow clone, and a solid one at that. But he's just an Academy student."
She clicked her tongue. "Not bad kid, but that trick won't save you again." Then that's when felt it.
She felts multiple eye from all around looking at her, then she looked up.
The village around her had changed. On rooftops. Poles. Walls and in the shadows.
There dozens of Menma's stood. She thought she counted nearly one hundred, but Anko felt like their were way more then that, Possibly hundreds.
The Menma Clones stood across the area, each one silently watching Anko. As their Lavender eyes glowing faintly in the fading light, as the sunset cast their faces in shadow. With only their eyes visible.
Anko grinned. "Now this is going to be some fun. I should be able to work off my dango's with many of you around."
Then right as she was about to jump away and chase them. A tap from a hand touched her shoulder and she froze
Anko turned to see the shop owner.
"Ma'am you still need to pay your bill."
Anko blinked. "…Oh right sorry."
Moments later she paid feeling half embarrassed . Then stepped back into the open street.
The clones were still there, watching and waiting.
Anko rolled her shoulders. "Well played, kid. But let's see how long you can keep this up."
Her body flickered and she was gone, leaving a small dust cloud behind her. At the same time the Menma clones vanished in the same manner.
Elsewhere across the village inside the Uchiha home. Menma sat at a dinner table as Mikoto placed a dish in front of him. "Eat up, Menma."
Sasuke sat beside him, already eating. While Fugaku sat across from them, eating in silence as usual.
Menma picked up his chopsticks. Then right before he could start eating The memories from his shadow clones stared to flood his mind.
All at once every clone that Anko caught gave their observations. From her movements, her attack patterns, what her chakra signature looks like. Menma processed it all instantly.
Then a faint smile formed on his face. I'm already learning a lot from you Anko-senpai
Menma then began eating quietly.