Kapitel 197: Ch197. Anko Mitarashi 4

"Tell me, Anko, who gave you and is still the main summoner of the Snake Contract?" Tsunade started, continuing with her tactics of leading Anko to the answers rather than outright telling her.

Anko's eyes widened at the question, her mind comprehending the meaning behind it as her lips set into a frown. "You want to tell me the reason why I am distrusted is that I am a Snake Summoner?" She asked a bit miffed.

Tsunade just shook her head, "It's more than that. You see, the Summons are not exactly allied to a village. Let's talk about something famous... for example Toads of Jiraiya. They will listen to him and work for him in exchange for whatever he promised them. But if, hypothetically, someone new performed the Kuchiyose no Jutsu and got into the Mount Myoboku because of his compatibility with toads, the Toads would not refuse him just because he is from Iwa, Suna, or whatever village. The person would probably not become the main summoner of Toads until Jiraiya's death and only in case, Jiraiya doesn't find a worthy successor. Such a person would be in a very similar situation you are currently in."

Anko scrunched her eyebrows as she thought about the implications before a conflicted look appeared on her face, "My snakes will not betray me. I can't command most of them but those I befriended and use I believe are loyal to me." She said.

Anko never thought about it this way but it made sense. If Orochimaru was the main and only summoner of snakes, he had decades to form a trusting, or at the very least, profitable relationship with them. Adding to that the fact snakes are not the most trustworthy animals... yeah, Anko could see why Snake Summons could be a bit of a problem. But she still believed in her snakes!

"Maybe, maybe not, nobody can know for sure." Tsunade uncaringly shrugged, causing Anko to grow irritated. "That's not the point. You should be glad Orochimaru never saw a point in creating a cordial relationship with his summons as I and Jiraiya did. For him, Snakes were tools to use that had a certain price in sacrifices. That was it. And that is the only reason why your own snakes are most likely not spying on you." Tsunade sighed tiredly and Anko looked as if she just ate something sour, "You gotta understand Anko, most ninjas, maybe even some clan heads, do not know nor care about these small nuances of summoning contracts but the Hokage and the Elders certainly do know. In their eyes, the main summoner of snakes is Orochimaru and he had it for decades before you were added. They have no idea or care in the world that Orochimaru probably never formed enough trust for snakes to betray their secondary summoner. For them, you are a constant threat but they can't just get rid of you. That would simply send a bad message and the Snake Contract can, after all, be still useful to the village."

Anko was listening in rapt attention. Orochimaru never really went all that deep into the theory of the contracts. He simply told her to get a few snakes, make a deal with them or beat them in combat. As long as they find her worthy, they will help for a price. Thankfully, Anko didn't always listen to every word and so she managed to befriend several snakes, rather than making them business partners of a sort.

It was when she realized that, her eyes flashed with surprise, "The Hokage is waiting to see if I can get more Snake Summons. He..." Anko stopped in disbelief.

"He hopes you would get enough snakes on your side to be able to spy on Orochimaru. He knows exactly what kind of a man Orochimaru is and what kind of relationship he has with his summons. He also probably grossly underestimated Orochimaru in this particular matter, though. In your place, I would be glad if there is no spy among my own summons rather than trying to subvert animals so deceitful as snakes. Say, are there some snakes who joined you and provided support for you right after Orochimaru abandoned you?" Tsunade trailed off, seeing the answer clearly on Anko's hurt and betrayed expression. In order to prevent the girl from making some kind of hasty mistake, Tsunade quickly added, "Well, there is always a chance they really wanted to help you."

That seemed to calm Anko, if only slightly. By now, she heard enough revelations, suggestions, and logical assumptions about her standing in the village, how others... people who actually matter... see her, and how even her own damn summoning contract can fuck her side-ways. Anko, while outwardly looking only slightly peeved, was inwardly a total mess.

"I guess that is not the end of it, heh?" Anko bitterly chuckled and put her hand on the left side of her neck. So many reasons people hate her and still, the main one was not even touched upon. She always believed that if there was one reason why the people of Konoha were justified in their actions against her, it would be the Cursed Seal.

"Yeah, but you already knew that." Tsunade rolled her eyes at the self-pitying girl. "I won't give you the spiel about how you are Orochimaru's apprentice and how untrustworthy that makes you. Adding to that the seal on your neck? Orochimaru might as well have branded you as his property and shipped you off to his enemies. Nobody knows what he can do to you through the seal. Can he control you? See through your eyes? Feel what you feel? Gain access to your memories? Seals can do many nasty things and all Konoha knows is that he can easily paralyze you through pain and honestly, that is enough to never send you on a mission pertaining to Orochimaru. You are simply useless against him and he could, potentially, torture you to compliance through the seal." She finished and quieted down, letting Anko process what she just told her.

Judging by the quickly changing twisted expression on Anko's face, the girl finally put her brain to use and understood that nobody ever told her the function of the Cursed Seal. She knew it was supposed to make her stronger. She also knew Orochimaru had fail-safes in the seal. But... she never really thought about it from the angle of, 'what else could be in the seal'. After Jiraiya examined it, he never informed her of his findings, after all. Only that it was impossible for him to erase because it was far too complex.

After three minutes of thoughts and emotions raging in her head, trying to make heads and tails of her current situation, Anko's shoulders slumped down in defeat. "Fine, lay it on me, Tsunade-sama. What do you want from me?" She resignedly asked.

Tsunade was not about to insult the girl's intelligence by denying it. Free lunches were very rare in the world and anyone who survived being a ninja for a certain period of time knows that a seemingly selfless helping hand is usually guided by hidden benefits. Hence, it is very dangerous to accept offered help without knowing what exactly would the other get out of it. Tons of people earned their traitor status by simply believing in the wrong 'samaritan'.

The blonde relaxed and looked at Anko with a knowing smirk that announced her victory. Simply theoretically, Anko could go back to Konoha, pretending nothing ever happened, but it would be hard to act clueless and never slip up now that she knows certain motivations of the higher-ups. Both knew no matter how good of a kunoichi the girl is, she was no long-term infiltrator. She WILL slip up if she refused Tsunade and returned. And once the higher-ups see that Lil' Anko got a bit smarter, that she doesn't fully trust Hokage as she used to... with her current status in the village, Anko wouldn't be surprised if the council thought her new cautious behavior was somehow influenced by Orochimaru and that would be the end of her.

After all, the only good weapon is one who doesn't ask questions. And Anko was not nearly as delusional to believe she is important enough to keep alive if she started showing curiosity and knowledge of things people didn't want her to know.

It was only now that Anko, in her resigned and defeated state, actually understood what Tsunade did. She closed all paths to retreat by informing her of things that will forever bug her and affect her behavior while also giving her a reason to not trust her superiors.

'She played me. Coming back from a mission where I met Orochimaru's subordinates and completely changing my behavior? I would be doomed without even being able to justify the change! I can't really say to the Hokage's face that I now know what a bastard he is.' Anko realized with grudging respect while also feeling a bit betrayed as she motionlessly stared at her clenched hands.

"What if I told you I can resolve pretty much all of your problems?" Tsunade tilted her head, "I am still the head of the Senju Clan, you know? I can give you the much-needed protection of a clan."

"And the price?" Anko whispered, causing Tsunade to grin.

"Mah, don't worry. If anything this will be more beneficial for you than me, girl. I want..."

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Kapitel 198: Ch198. Back in Konoha 1

Anko Mitarashi despondently walked through the main gate of Konoha, briefly stopping in front of the booth with the gate guards who looked at her inquisitively before asking some questions and telling her to sign some papers. Honestly, Anko was glad when they let her go to report to the Hokage ten minutes later.

'Asking me questions about my mission... who the heck do these little shits think they are! The Hokage?' Anko angrily thought.

She was a bit too fed up these days as she could no longer lie to herself and see Konoha as her home. Because of that blunt realization, more and more flaws and small intricate 'traps' became apparent to her senses. It was not like she didn't know about them but more like she refused to believe people did it out of malice toward her. But now...

For example, the gate guards. The position of a gate guard might seem boring and it really is, but it is also a very prestigious one. Not everybody can be relegated to the duty of a gate guard and those that are, are usually there for a long time. It is usually an accomplished chunin with high combat ability, good track record, and the person also must be highly trusted and known in the village. The gate guards have quite a leisure duties, sitting all day near the gate and checking the arrivals and comings of people, but they also must train regularly and have check-ups on their skills. The second their skills start to deteriorate, the gate guard would lose his position. After all, being a gate guard means they are the very first in the line of unexpected attack on the village or the very first people who can spot an infiltrator.

'And yet, these supposedly high ranking and splendid chunins who were awarded the positions of the gate guards show a complete dismissal of the protocols when it comes to me. Heck, do they think I would blab about my mission to them?' Anko seethed as she marched her way through the villages, the civilians and ninjas alike getting out of her way the second they spotted her stormy expression.

It was not like the gate guards acted rudely. They were always polite and good to her. That was why it hurt Anko so much. She thought them to be her friends.

After a very thorough retrospective, Anko came to a single realization. Gate guards were always the good guys in her books. Kind, polite, always joking... But then she realized that every single time she came, they asked, always offhandedly, something about her mission. Every. Damn. Time.

That's not how concerned friends behave. It was simply a trap. The only thing that saved her from falling into this pitfall was, much to her shame, Orochimaru's teaching about when to keep her mouth shut. The only good thing the bastard taught her.

The problem with their behavior was quite simple. When a ninja arrives in the village after completing a mission, he can NOT say ANYTHING about the mission. After all, he can not know what would the Hokage deem as classified information.

If Anko said something about the mission and then the Hokage decided it was classified? It would not be the two 'friendly' gate guards who would have lost their heads for spreading secrets. It would have been her!

That's why the protocols are iron-clad in this. One never reveals parts of the mission before the Hokage declares it finished and decides if some parts of it are supposed to be classified. After that? The non-classified parts are all free game and most likely discussed in pubs to get some bragging rights by exaggerating them.

That's why it never really struck her as odd that the two gate guards ALWAYS asked for information about her missions. After all, they were just fishing for some new rumors, no?

Well, according to Tsunade, apparently not. Gate guards are maybe the only two chunin ranked people in the whole village who have these protocols drilled into their head the most since they deal with it on a daily basis.

Sadly, once Anko considered her memories and experiences from a different perspective, they mostly confirmed what Tsunade told her. Anko spent two days with Tsunade and Rei but these days brought her so many shocking revelations she was exhausted when they parted their ways. Although... she did learn a whole lot about village politics and clan politics. After all, she had to pay Tsunade's price and for that, she needed to know certain things.

Anko involuntarily smiled at how right Lady Tsunade was. The things she wanted from Anko... she really didn't mind doing.

As Anko thought about these things, she didn't even realize how fast she arrived in front of the Hokage Tower. 'I guess, it's time to face the old man.' With a small frown, she entered.

...

"You said four of Orochimaru's subordinates ambushed you and when you were about to be killed, Tsunade saved you?" Hiruzen asked in a slightly miffed tone. He sent ANBU to the Fire Capital with orders to bring Tsunade back to Konoha but they returned with empty hands, lots of colorful words from the Daimyo at Hiruzen's person, and yes, that was something that worried Hiruzen greatly, but still, the inability to contact one of the two remaining loyal Sannin was grating on his nerves.

Imagine his surprise when the message from one of the Daimyo's guards, saying that Tsunade attended the Daimyo's birthday party, reached him. Worse yet, she was married to a foreigner! His heart almost stopped there and then after reading it. Hiruzen needed twenty minutes to calm his erratic breathing which almost killed him through the sheer blood pressure!

The only good thing about it was that Tsunade was barren, hence no new Senju would be coming out of her. Still, the problem of her husband inheriting the properties of the Senju clan after her death was an apocalyptic threat to Konoha. After all, the Senju clan owned all of the lands on which the village stood and having it in the hands of a foreigner...

Hiruzen shuddered at the implications while assassination plans started forming in his head. The foreigner would simply have to go. For the Will of Fire.

"Yes." Anko politely nodded, enjoying the distraught expression of the Hokage.

"Then why did you not bring Tsunade back to the village, Anko!?" Hiruzen asked, only barely managing to keep most of his frustration out of his tone.

"With all respect... I don't think I could have beaten Lady Tsunade." Anko shrugged. Even the Hokage could not punish her for that. She never received orders to apprehend Tsunade, after all.

Hiruzen clearly knew that as his frown turned sour, partly at her uncaring answer, and partly at how disobedient Anko acted. She was always boisterous and had her own flair but she never once acted disrespectfully towards him. She was too much in his grasp to act out. Further, it was mighty fishy that Anko acted like this after meeting Tsunade. It might be nothing but still… Hiruzen was worried.

"I see, is there anything else, Chunin Mitarashi?" He concluded the debriefing, secretly deciding to assign some more watchers to the young kunoichi.

Anko noted his colder tone and the change in how he addressed her but right now, she only found it funny. Tsunade didn't do much when it came to teaching her how-to in the political field but she made sure to hammer the basics of interaction with Hiruzen and what to look for. By now, Anko was sure she knew all his subtle tactics at manipulating her into feeling various ranges of emotions.

This particular technique was one that should evoke inadequacy and spark in her guilt at being disrespectful to her superior who was always kind to her. After all, he always called her 'Anko', which pointed out some sort of closeness between them.

'A bit colder tone, and Chunin Mitarashi, is it?' Anko's lips twitched.

"In fact... yes." Anko affirmed, causing Hiruzen to blink, not expecting an answer like this. "I do have a letter from Lady Tsunade." She continued with a merry tone that made Hiruzen's eyebrow twitch, his expression as if screaming, 'Then why did you not bring it up sooner!'

Anko simply shrugged and slowly walked towards Hokage's table before putting the letter on it and stepping back. It wouldn't do to make quick movements. Not with her reputation in the village. Not with four ANBU on the ceiling.

As Hokage reached towards the letter with a hopeful expression, no doubt wishing Tsunade would visit the village soon, Anko couldn't help but inwardly laugh her ass off. She knew what the letter said. After all, it was the payment Tsunade promised Anko.

'Oh, I can't wait to see the hope on his mug turn into stunned disbelief!'

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