The Snake's Earliest Failure

-By Misarashi Tsukamaru

Summary: Anko's life story up till a little after Naruto's genin exams.

Warning: This will eventually have shoujo-ai (girl x girl) content in later chapters

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters and anything written here is for personal entertainment and not to be taken as factual.

蛇

Chapter 1

蛇

Anko walked down the road to class, wearing her black pants with a forest green top and her standard issue ninja equipment (shuriken holster and shuriken with kunai, and her ninja sandals). She could barely stand it; the walk alone to classes was slowly killing her. She could feel hear heart breaking as she watched her classmates going to class in two's and three's laughing together. 'I have no one, no one at all.' She thought as she continued on her way.

In a short while she found herself out side of the ninja academy. The bell had yet to ring, so the young ninja's in training were milling about outside. She saw the clown Iruka goofing off to his friends that were still in the academy. He had graduated a few years ago. Mizuki was still hanging around him. She could feel something wrong with the way he held himself, not at all like the smile on his face, something darker.

Looking around she also saw Hayate and his friend Yuugao. Everyone thought they were a cute couple, however Hayate had picked up a nasty virus last year. 'It never did really go away.' Anko thought with a frown. With nothing to do, Anko made her way inside, the students parting away from her, as if she carried a plague.

蛇

Anko could only watch as her classmates giggled and pass notes behind her sensei's back. Her mind going back to when she first entered. She had arrived an hour early, something that she did every day. So for an hour she sat in the classroom reading up on Ninjutsu's and different styles of Taijustu.

Finally the teacher entered, but paid Anko no mind. She felt her spirits fall just a little more; she was never noticed because she was always the one to correct the teacher, even if it was just a little. She even on occasion improved on what the teacher said, and because of it he resented her. No matter how well she did, she would always have "Work harder" on her papers and tests with a just passing grade.

She could feel the tears in her eyes, gathering as she watched him ramble on and one. 'I hope that I become strong enough to prove all of these people wrong and that I'm worth getting to know. Rather than teat me like I'm second rate cause I'm different.' She thought. Different that she could learn things faster than everyone else, different in that she was better than everyone else.

She was brought out of her musings when the bell to go home rang. But before the students could rush out the door, their sensei spoke to the class. "Remember everyone, tomorrow is the Genin exams, so be prepared. And with that said, everyone exited the class.

Anko lagged behind everyone, not wanting to see all of the others with their parents. Only Iruka knew what it was like to see something that you were never going to have again. Somehow, that thought made her feel worse, he was very popular and had many friends that would talk to him and cheer him up. Even the 3rd Hokage visited him to make sure he was ok.

However, she had no one, something that had been troubling her for some time. She couldn't understand why people never paid attention to her unless she did something that drew a lot of attention to herself, 'was it because she wasn't as pretty or something related to that?' she miserably thought as she trudged to her favorite training spot, a forest that everyone said was forbidden.

However, as she made her way across town she bumped into someone and knocked them to the ground. Extending her hand and expecting for it to be slapped away like at school, she said. "I'm sorry, can I help you up?" To her surprise, she felt a soft hand enclose hers and a soft beautiful voice followed it. "Thank you."

Getting over her shock and the strange warm sensation of human contact, Anko pulled the girl up. Her surprise forgotten, she looked at the person she had knocked down. She was rather tall, at least as tall as some of the guys if not taller. Her hair was a lovely silky black that made Anko feel that her own gray hair was hideous and made her unconsciously take a step back, her eyes quietly filling with sadness. After that her attention was drawn to her deep red eyes that bordered on a light crimson, that were framed by her hair, feeling once again self conscious about her grayish tan eyes.

Dropping her eyes to the ground, Anko spoke again. "I'm sorry I knocked you to the ground, I should have been watchin' where I was going."

With that said, she began to walk away at as fast a natural pace as she could without looking like she was trying to get away. However, she was stopped when one of soft hands of the girl grabbed her by the wrist. Turning to the girl, she was shocked by the puzzled expression on the girls face.

蛇

Kurenai couldn't understand what had happened since she had finished training with her genin team. She was part of cell 8, something that she was immensely proud of along with the Genjutsu she was able to employ. She had been walking home to her parents when she ran into someone and had fallen.

However when the other person looked as if they expected to be shunned, Kurenai couldn't help but wonder why. So taking her hand and getting helped up, she looked at the young girl that she had run into as she did the same. 'She is quite pretty, if a little out of the ordinary.' thought Kurenai as she took in Anko's features, along with what she wore, boy's clothing mostly.

However he attention was drawn to Anko's gray hair and grayish tan eyes and how they seemed to compel her to get to know the girl. However her musings were cut short when she mumbled another apology and began to walk off. Frowning, Kurenai grabbed her wrist and waited for the girl to turn back around, her face feeling the confusion that she felt. 'Did I do something wrong?' she thought as she waited.

When the girl turned around, she saw that the girl felt uncomfortable. Deciding to try and open the girl up, Kurenai made a joke. "What, am 'I' that ugly that you have to run away?" chuckling a little at her joke she was surprised that the girl look almost as if she wanted to cry.

"Hey… what's wrong? Was it something I said?" quickly asked Kurenai.

Her answer was a derisive snort. However before she could comment, the girl spoke. "I'm not good enough to be near 'you'." She said her eyes cast away from Kurenai's face.

Troubled by what the girl had said, Kurenai gently cupped the girls face and turned it towards her gaze. Upon making her eyes lock with hers. She spoke again. "Why would you think that? Surely your friends don't think that you are ugly."

However she was met with a harsh glare at the comment and felt something akin to fear enter her body as she looked into the girls eyes, a small shiver passing through her spine. "I don't need some stranger mocking me about my lack of friends! I know I don't have any! So don't bring it up!" screamed the girl, causing a few passerby's to look at the girl with distain.

"You don't have 'any' friends?" quietly asked Kurenai.

The girl looked once again to the ground a tear trailing down her cheek, leaving a sparkling train behind. "No, I have no one." She replied.

A look of determination on her face, Kurenai pulled the girl to her and embraced her in a warm hug; then turning to her head, she spoke into the girl's ear in a whisper. "I'll be your friend, you deserve to have someone. My name is Yuuhi Kurenai."

蛇

Anko was shocked to hear that the girl hugging her was willing to be her friend. Hugging her girl back she responded to the one of best things that she had ever hear. "I'm Mitarashi Anko, and thank you for being my friend."

Letting go of the girl, she gave her the biggest smiles that she could muster, her eyes dancing with joy. It was then that she felt the hand land atop her head, "Well Anko, I have to go now. I have to go home before my parents get worried, but I'll see you tomorrow ok?" Kurenai spoke as she ruffled Anko's hair.

"Ok, but will I really see you tomorrow?" quietly asked Anko, afraid to hope that this was all nothing more than a lie.

"Of course." Replied Kurenai as she walked away.

'I finally have a friend, I hope." Thought Anko as she walked towards the training grounds that she was headed to earlier.

蛇

It was getting dark when she reached her training grounds. Wanting to get a fair amount of sleep before the genin exam, she quickly set up her targets. Stepping back, she quickly began to fire off all of her shuriken. Then not missing a beat she quickly began forming seals. Culminating in "Kage shuriken no jutsu." Then her shuriken multiplied and slammed into her targets covering them in metal till the point that nothing could even hit the target anymore.

With a puff of smoke, her kage shuriken disappeared. Letting out a sigh, she walked to the targets and removed the real shuriken. Putting them back in her holster, she began to work of her chakra control. Walking to the hot springs, she walked out on the water, her chakra keeping her on top of the water.

Deciding that she could fine-tune it some, she lay down on the water and made a water bunshin. Letting the bunshin form and then attack her prone form, flipping up she began to practice her chakra control while at the same time practice her taijutsu.

It wasn't long until she tired from the amount of chakra it took to maintain the bunshin and quickly move about the top of the hot water. Dispelling the bunshin, she began her trek home. Watching as all of the shops began to close, she hurried on her way. Leaping to the rooftops, she sped home. Reaching her apartment, she opened the front door and in a quiet voice, said. "I'm home…"