Chapter 26: Anko's Shame Buff
Forest of Death, Training Area 12.
Anko Mitarashi crouched on a thick branch, patiently waiting for her prey. She had taken off her tan coat, wearing only her iconic fishnet undergarment and dark red skirt, leaving a large portion of her wheat-colored skin exposed to the muggy air.
Her breathing was light, but her narrow eyes were filled with killing intent.
"Here... that long-tongued Grass Ninja will definitely pass through here."
Anko's fingers rested lightly on the Explosive Tagwire beside her. This was an illicit move she made using her authority as the Chief Proctor after obtaining the exam map.
If that Blond Kid hadn't leaked the news in advance, she might still be foolishly waiting for reports at the center of the forest. But now, since she knew that person was here—
"Hmph, Sensei... no, Orochimaru. Don't think you're the only one who can provide surprises."
Rustle, rustle, rustle.
They're here.
The bushes below made a rustling sound. Three figures emerged from the shadows, wearing long cloaks with the Grass Ninja Village symbol carved onto their headbands.
The Grass Ninja walking in the middle was tall and slender, with a face so pale he didn't look human. Even from dozens of meters away, Anko could feel that cold aura, making her Cursed Seal ache slightly.
It's him.
Anko licked her dry lips. A flash of panic crossed her mind, but it was quickly suppressed. She told herself that she was fighting for Konoha.
Just as that Grass Ninja took a step and landed right on a slightly raised patch of fallen leaves.
"Go to hell!"
Anko violently pulled the steel wire in her hand.
Boom!!!
An explosion roared through Area 12 without warning. Anko had gone all out this time, setting up an improved Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tagarray. The explosions were continuous, one wave higher than the next, instantly engulfing everything within fifty meters in a sea of fire.
Instantly, flames shot into the sky, and a heatwave hit her face.
"Did I get him..." She stared fixedly at the center of the fire, not relaxing for a second. She knew that man too well; an attack of this level would, at most, make him look a bit disheveled.
Meanwhile, on a small path several hundred meters away from the explosion point.
"What's going on?!"
Sakura Haruno, who was carefully leading the way, jumped in fright, looking at the flames rising in the distance. "That direction... who's fighting? That commotion is way too big!"
Sasuke stopped in his tracks. His keen battle instinct told him that the scale of that explosion wasn't something a Genin could pull off.
"Mind your own business, we're taking a detour," Sasuke said coldly, his hand tightening around the hilt of the ninja sword at his waist.
However, Naruto, who was following at the back, had an expression on his face like he was enjoying the show.
He had his hands behind his head, completely off-guard, looking at the black smoke over there with great interest.
[Oh boy? This commotion... if I'm not wrong, our proctor Anko has already made her move?]
[Tsk tsk, as expected of a crazy woman. This isn't an ambush; it's practically trying to level the whole forest. Orochimaru is probably confused right now, too. A legendary Sannin, just entering the beginner village and getting blasted by his former student's artistic explosion. If this gets out, Uncle Snake's reputation will hit the floor.]
The corners of Naruto's mouth curled up slightly.
[But... though Anko-sensei's move is ruthless, it won't do much damage to a freak like Uncle Snake. And given Anko-sensei's fighting style...]
Naruto's eyes began to wander as he visualized the scene in his mind.
[Fighting in that high-temperature fire, sweat will definitely soak through those fishnets, right? Those wet grids sticking to her wheat-colored skin... hiss, that wild sexiness is practically a specialized weapon against straight guys!]
[Sigh, if only Anko-sensei could be a bit more open. Instead of using Explosive Tags, why not use that rule-breaking body to seduce Orochimaru? Although Orochimaru's gender is currently a mystery, in this face-obsessed world, if Anko-sensei is willing to sacrifice a bit of her charms, open that trench coat a bit more, show a bit more thigh... maybe Uncle Snake won't be able to hold back, get a nosebleed, and lose on the spot from blood loss?]
[This is called... overcoming hardness with softness—no, winning with 'assets'!]
On the tree trunk, Anko, who was about to form seals for the next round of attacks, suddenly slipped and almost fell off the tree.
She gripped the bark tightly with one hand, a large anger vein popping up on her forehead.
The ninja world sky screen that only she could see was flashing frantically in front of her eyes at the most inappropriate time. Not only did it turn Naruto's mental image into a high-definition picture, but it also looped that sleazy 'winning with assets' comment in bold font.
"That... reckless... perverted brat!"
Anko felt like she was about to spit out a mouthful of blood. She was here risking her life and fighting her childhood trauma, and this bastard was imagining her using a honey trap to seduce Orochimaru?!
A surge of heat rushed to her head, instantly drowning her killing intent.
"Bastard... after I'm done with this guy, I'm going to hang you up and spank you!" Anko gritted her teeth, her cheeks unusually flushed.
At this moment of peak shame, the cold mechanical voice in her head suddenly sounded:
[Ding!]
[Detected that the host (Anko Mitarashi) has endured Uzumaki Naruto's extremely indecent tactical guidance and high-level fantasies of battle-damaged fan service.]
[Your shame level has broken through the threshold, transforming into a Battle Buff!]
[Reward: Charm Aura: Mutated.]
[Effect: Your Chakra will carry a special mental interference wave. For snake-type Chakra users, every one of your movements will be forcibly locked on, with a high probability of causing illusions of blurred vision and sluggish movements.]
Anko was stunned. This works too? She felt the power that suddenly appeared in her body. The instinctive fear she felt when facing Orochimaruhad mostly disappeared, replaced by a strange confidence.
Below, the two Grass Ninja lackeys were already lying on the ground, unconscious or dead. Orochimaru's long robe was burned to tatters, and even a piece of the human skin mask on his face was scorched, making him look particularly hideous.
At this moment, Orochimaru's golden vertical pupils were locked onto Anko on the tree.
In the past, Anko's legs might have gone weak.
But now, with the Buff's enhancement, she had changed.
"Hehe..." She suddenly laughed. She didn't bother hiding anymore, stood up straight, and deliberately stretched, revealing the curves Naruto had highly praised under the sunlight.
Anko smiled slightly, her fingers forming a complex hand seal in the air.
"Orochimaru, don't think you're getting away unscathed! I'm in top form today!"
Several hundred meters away.
Naruto was about to continue his commentary when he suddenly felt two Chakras colliding ahead.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations to the host: Your "Unintentional Words (LSP Fantasies)" provided extremely unreliable but highly effective mental support to an ally (Anko Mitarashi).]
[Reward: Nine-Tails Chakra leakage +1%.]
Naruto rubbed his nose, his head full of question marks.
"Huh? Mental support? What did I do?"
"Whatever! Let's go, let's go! It's so lively up ahead, how can Team 7 be absent? Maybe I really will see Anko-sensei use that move, hehehe."
Seeing Naruto's back as he rushed toward the explosion like he'd been injected with chicken blood, Sakura and Sasuke looked at each other speechlessly.
"Idiot..." Sasuke cursed.
However, as Sakura looked at Naruto's back, a hint of suspicion flashed in her eyes.