Naruto:This Time, I, Kotetsu Hagane, Will No Longer Be Lazy

Perched high on a thick branch, Yugao Uzuki watched the two figures below with narrowed eyes. The canopy of leaves concealed her well, and the rustling of the wind masked any sounds of her movement. From this vantage point, she observed Anko Mitarashi and Kotetsu Hagane training, a pairing that made no sense to her.

Kotetsu was skilled, sure, but he was no training fanatic like Might Guy. Nor was he one of Anko's close friends, like Kurenai or herself. He simply wasn't the type to spend his time sparring unless Izumo was involved. And yet, here he was, engaging Anko in a heated exchange of kunai clashes and swift, unpredictable taijutsu.

Something was off.

She had been tasked by the Third Hokage himself to monitor Kotetsu and Izumo, ensuring their loyalty to the village. On the surface, both had been nothing but dutiful Konoha shinobi. Izumo was exactly where she expected him to be—at the Konoha Cemetery, paying his respects. Today was an important day for him, after all.

Kotetsu, however, had deviated from the norm.

Yugao had followed him through the village, keeping a noticeable distance while tracking him through the crowded streets. His movements had been ordinary at first—stopping by food stalls, eating casually, blending into the crowd. But then, something strange happened.

He made contact with an Uchiha girl.

Not just any Uchiha, either. She was blind, yet clearly a shinobi. Given her age, she must have been strong during the war. Their interaction had been brief, but purposeful. She couldn't hear what was said, but the fact that Kotetsu had approached her at all was unusual. He wasn't known to associate with the Uchiha in public.

The whole reason she's investigating him is because of his strange involvement with the clan. He should know the higher ups have put a non official ban on the clan. Its not openly said but its felt. None of the clan heads interact of mention the Uchiha, none of their juniors speak to them. The only time its acceptable is in the academy but the Uchiha children don't try making too many friends outside the clan except maybe one or two.

Civilians bad mouth their police squad and who would want to shop where their being talked about.

No one that's who.

So they rarely venture outside their clan walls unless they need to carry out a mission.

It's a not-so-subtle Isolation.

So, how did he start a relationship with the girl, its rather suspicious.

Then, he had visited a weapons shop, purchased new gear, and immediately ran into Anko. That was the biggest oddity yet.

Anko, ever the wildcard, had done her usual routine—flirting, teasing, pushing boundaries. But unlike most in the village, who either ignored her, insulted her behind her back, or remained neutral, Kotetsu had actually taken her up on her offer.

That alone was suspicious.

After all it hasn't been that long ago sense the incident with her took place. Luckily the fourth Hokage stepped in and tried to shield the girl from the villagers. And cleared her off all suspicion.

And now here they were, training together. It didn't fit.

Yugao sharp eyes tracked Kotetsu's movements below, but her mind drifted—drawn back to a time when he was a completely different person.

Cold. Calculated. Fierce.

That was the Kotetsu she had first known.

Back in the Academy, she had skipped a grade or two thanks to her talent, and that was when she saw him fight for the first time. The memory was burned into her mind.

During the sparring tournaments, Kotetsu had been undefeated for a long stretch. While the rest of them threw wild, unrefined punches or hesitated before committing to an attack, Kotetsu moved like he had been trained for battle long before any of them stepped foot in the Academy. His Bokken—nothing more than a wooden sword—might as well have been a real blade in his hands. Swift, precise, utterly merciless.

He never hesitated.

It was the way he moved that caught her attention the most. Flawless footwork, sharp instincts, an almost artistic efficiency with the wooden blade. Watching him fight was hypnotic, and to a young girl with a love for the sword, it was nothing short of inspiring.

She had admired him.

Perhaps more than that.

A young Yugao had gravitated toward Kotetsu naturally, drawn to the way he made wielding a blade look effortless. She had wanted to learn from him, to have him teach her. But every time she tried, he brushed her aside. Coldly. Without so much as a second thought.

At the time, she didn't understand why.

Her cheeks heated slightly as she recalled it now. A childish crush, that's all it was. Nothing more than admiration laced with the naive longing of youth. The moment she became a real shinobi, she had forgotten about it entirely.

And yet, she had gotten her revenge in the end.

Eventually, she had sparred against Izumo—and then Kotetsu. And she surpassed them both.

A small, satisfied smile curled at her lips.

But then her fingers tightened around the bark of her perch as her gaze flickered back to Anko. A small pang of something—not quite bitterness, not quite regret—settled in her chest.

Anko had taken the spot she had once hoped for as a young girl.

Yugao shook her head, pushing the thought aside. This wasn't about nostalgia or some long-buried childish infatuation. This was about Kotetsu. He wasn't the same as he had been back then, and now she had to find out why.

Her watch continued.

Something is up.

"Come on, slowpoke! We're getting dango!" 

Kotetsu barely had time to react before Anko grabbed his wrist and yanked him along. She moved with the energy of a wild storm, weaving through the streets with a grin that promised chaos. He sighed but let her pull him along. Resisting would only make her more determined. 

As they moved through the crowd, Kotetsu started noticing something strange—whispers. Low murmurs followed their path, barely loud enough to catch but unmistakable once he focused. 

*"That's Orochimaru's little pet, isn't it?"* 

*"Can't believe she's still allowed to walk around after what happened."* 

*"Creepy snake girl. Probably just as twisted as her master."* 

Kotetsu's brows furrowed. He glanced at Anko, expecting some kind of reaction, but she just kept walking, her grin firmly in place, eyes focused forward like she hadn't heard a thing. 

But he knew better. 

The way her shoulders tensed for a split second. The flicker in her expression that disappeared as fast as it came. She had heard every single word. 

And yet, she smiled. 

Kotetsu didn't know why, but the realization left a bitter taste in his mouth. 

Before he could dwell on it too much, Anko yanked him into a small shop with a warm, inviting scent. 

"Old man, we're here! Hope you're ready to part with all your dango!" Anko announced, throwing her arms up dramatically. 

Behind the counter, a short, balding man with kind eyes chuckled. "If it isn't my best customer! You bringing a new victim today?" 

Kotetsu raised a brow. "Victim?" 

The man laughed as he set down a fresh plate of dango. "You'll see." 

Sure enough, Anko devoured skewer after skewer with terrifying speed. Kotetsu barely managed to finish one before she was halfway through her third plate. 

"Where do you put it all?" he asked, watching in mild horror. 

"Trade secret." She grinned before grabbing another stick. 

They fell into easy conversation, swapping stories about the ridiculous things they'd seen in the village. 

"Did you hear about that guy who tried to wrestle a deer at the Nara compound?" Kotetsu asked. 

Anko nearly choked on her dango. "Wait, what?" 

"I'm serious! The idiot thought he could 'establish dominance' or something. He got a broken nose for his trouble." 

Anko snorted. "Serves him right. Oh! And did you see what happened with that one civilian trying to flirt with a Hyuga girl?" 

Kotetsu smirked. "Let me guess—he got the *Byakugan Stare*?" 

"Even better," Anko said, leaning forward. "She barely glanced at him, and the guy tripped over himself and face-planted. Funniest thing I've seen all week!" 

As they laughed, the bell above the door jingled, and Kotetsu turned to see a familiar figure entering. 

"Yugao?" Anko called, waving her over. "Come sit with us!" 

Yugao nodded, making her way to their table. "I figured I'd find you here. You've probably eaten enough to bankrupt him by now." 

The shop owner let out a tired sigh but said nothing, already preparing another plate. 

"Mind if I join?" Yugao asked, glancing between the two. 

"Go for it," Kotetsu said, shifting slightly to make room. 

Soon, the conversation turned to old memories, specifically the *embarrassing* ones. 

"Remember when Anko tried to sneak into the teachers' lounge to steal test answers?" Yugao smirked. 

Anko groaned. "Why do we have to bring that up?" 

"Because you got stuck in the window," Yugao said, laughing. 

Kotetsu grinned. "Wait, seriously?" 

"She was dangling there like a caught fish for a good five minutes before anyone helped her," Yugao confirmed. 

Anko dramatically flopped onto the table. "You're both the worst." 

"Revenge for all the pranks," Yugao said, smirking. 

Kotetsu chuckled, then leaned back. "Speaking of, you two got any missions coming up?" 

"Not at the moment," Yugao said. "You?" 

Kotetsu shook his head. "Nah. I'm with Konoha security now, so I won't be leaving the village anytime soon." 

Anko raised a brow. "Huh. Didn't take you for the 'stay put' type." 

Kotetsu simply shrugged. "Somebody's gotta keep the place in one piece." 

Yugao watched him for a moment, something unreadable in her gaze. But she said nothing. 

Instead, she reached for a skewer of dango and smirked. "Well, if you're not going anywhere, you can at least pay for this meal." 

Kotetsu choked. "Wait—what?" 

Anko burst out laughing, clapping him on the back. "Too late, buddy. You're covering it!" 

As Kotetsu groaned, Anko and Yugao exchanged satisfied looks. Some things never changed. 

-----------------

Dango, Dates, and Questions

Kotetsu sighed dramatically, leaning back against the chair. "Is this how you treat all your dates, Anko?"

Before she could answer, the shop owner walked over with yet another fresh batch of dango, placing it on the table with a knowing chuckle. "'Fraid so, kid."

Kotetsu groaned. "I'd laugh about this if it wasn't my wallet."

Anko smirked, completely shameless. "Oh, don't be so dramatic. This is a bonding experience!"

"Yeah, for you and your stomach," Kotetsu grumbled, eyeing the mountain of empty skewers beside her.

Anko stretched her arms behind her head, unbothered. "I don't feel bad. All the guys who usually try to take me out just want to get in my pants because they think I'm an easy lay. At least you're getting robbed for a good reason."

Yugao snorted while Kotetsu blinked.

Anko continued with mock disgust. "Honestly, half of them look like they haven't bathed in a week, and the other half try too hard. I swear, one dude tried to impress me by licking a kunai. Like, what the hell was that supposed to do for me?"

Kotetsu winced. "That's... concerning."

Yugao shook her head. "Anko, you attract the weirdest people."

"Don't I know it?" Anko sighed dramatically before grinning and wrapping her arms around Yugao in a sudden hug. "That's why I prefer girls! You all actually smell nice."

Yugao rolled her eyes but let it happen, while Kotetsu smirked. "You sure? I seem to remember Kurenai complaining about your snake pits of doom."

Anko gasped. "Betrayal! I keep my hygiene in top form, thank you very much!"

Kotetsu chuckled. "I'll take your word for it."

As the laughter settled, Yugao leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. "Alright, Kotetsu, I have to ask... why were you training?"

Kotetsu raised a brow. "What, I can't decide to work up a sweat every now and then?"

Yugao gave him a flat look. "You never train unless Izumo is with you. And I know for a fact he wasn't. So, what's the deal?"

Anko's smirk faded slightly as she glanced at Kotetsu, also curious.

For a moment, Kotetsu just sat there, tapping a skewer against the table. Then, he shrugged. "Felt like it."

Yugao narrowed her eyes. She didn't believe that for a second. Neither did Anko.

But Kotetsu simply reached for another skewer and smirked. "Now, if you two are done interrogating me, I'd like to enjoy my overpriced dango before I go completely broke."

Anko and Yugao exchanged a look, but for now, they let it slide.

For now.