It was like every other morning for Mitarashi Anko. She got up, got dressed, had breakfast and headed off to work. But one thing was different. She normally never ran into anyone since she woke up pretty early, but this time she did.

"Yo, Anko." said a silver haired Jonin.

"What do you want, Hatake?" She said coldly.

He put his hands out in front of him defensively and said, "Hey, I come in peace. I just wanted to ask if you heard about the upcoming Konoha Talent Show."

Anko cocked her head. Why was he asking her about something she had no interest in? Her curiosity got the best of her.

"Why would I hear anything about that? I have no talent, I'm not good at magic, and I don't think I could sing... The only thing I'm good at is being a ninja..." Anko said as she looked away.

Kakashi couldn't help but feel sad for the kunoichi. She had to have been good in something. He then had an idea as a sly smirk appeared under his mask.

"Anko. Do you know any songs?"

"Hatake...Why would I know any songs? I don't have enough time to listen music. We're ninjas. We're always busy."

The Jonin just chuckled. "You may be busy all of the time, Anko. But I have lots of time."

Anko glared at him. "How the hell do you have more time than I do? You're a Squad Captain and you take difficult missions, sometimes back to back. So care to explain that to me?"

"I make time, that's why. So tell me, do you know ANY songs?"

Anko scoffed. Of course she knew some songs. But why would she tell a pervert like him. She had no idea why he wanted to know, but the real question was, should she let him know?

"First tell me some songs you know. Then I'll tell you the ones I know."

The man just coughed. To Anko, he took his sweet time answering a simple question.

"I know plenty of songs, such as the infamous "Phantom of the Opera". I love those songs the best. They're basically about a forbidden love between a masked man and a beautiful young woman. A classic if you ask me."

Anko suddenly woke up from a sleep spell right there. "What did you say? You lost me at "I know..."." She smirked.

Kakashi squinted his eyes. "That's rude, you know. Well, anyways, it's your turn."

Anko rubbed her temple as if trying to rub answers into her brain. "Uh...songs... Of course I know some. There's...um... Well, I can't think of any at the moment!"

He tried not to laugh. "Do you know any of today songs?"

"Why are you so damn interested into what I know?"

Kakashi took that as a cue to stop. He knew how hard headed this woman could be. He then remembered the real reason why he was sent to find her.

"Anko.""What the hell do you want now?" She spat out.

"Easy. I forgot to tell you that Tsunade-sama wanted to see you. She says it's urgent."

"Now you tell me!"

And with that, Anko leaped off like a bat out of hell. Kakashi looked lazily at the hopping kunoichi and pulled out his favorite book. He then chuckled lightly to himself as he flipped through the pages to where he left off at.

"Let the games begin, my dear angel of music." He walked off to where ever his mind let him go to.

When Anko reached the Hokage tower she quickly stopped to catch her breath. She then composed herself and knocked on Tsunade's office door. She stood there for quite some time.

"Come...in..."

Anko opened the door and saw Tsunade lifting her head off her desk, drool coming down her chin.

"Umm...Tsunade-sama...Was I… interrupting something?"

Tsunade rubbed her chin and her eyes. "Sorry about that. I was up late working on the upcoming Talent Show."

Anko straightened herself up at the thought of the Talent Show. "Tsunade-sama...If you don't mind me asking, why a talent show?"

The blonde raised her hands in front of her mouth. She obviously had a good reason.

"People in this village need to realize that there's a lot more than just ninja talents. Our ninjas have talents that aren't useful in the field. I decided to let our village know that."

"Then why do you want me here?" Anko stated bluntly.

"You are going to participate in this Talent Show." Tsunade said back.

"What Tsunade-sama? Hell no! I don't have a talent. And besides, I don't really like crowds."

Tsunade tensed up her fists. She hated when people did not do what she asked and people who argue with her. She breathed a hefty sigh and glared at the purple-haired special Jonin.

"Anko. You will do this for me, whether you like it or not. As a matter of fact, this is a mission for you. You will be the last act every night we have the talent show. You also have a partner singing with you. But that person is undercover, you can't know until the whole talent show is over."

"You really aren't giving much of a choice, are you..." Anko grumbled.

"Nope." Tsunade smirked and leaned back into her chair.

"Fine... I'll do your little Talent Show. Do I know what I'm going to be singing?"

"Your partner picked out all of the songs. Here are all the lyrics for songs he chose. Learn them. Remember them. Sing them. That's all you have to do."

Anko took the lyrics and read over them. She didn't know any of the songs. "The Mirror (Angel of Music)", "Phantom of the Opera", "Wandering Child" and "The Point of No Return".

"Tsunade-sama... I don't know these songs. Is there a CD or something like that so I could at least hear it?"

Tsunade then went through her drawer and pulled out a CD titled "Anko" on it. She handed it to the woman mentioned and closed her drawer. "There's the CD. Listen to it. The first night of the talent show will be in 3 days. Have them learned by then."

Anko looked at the CD and lyrics in her hands. Someone had to have been setting her up. She was waiting for the "Got cha!" sign to come. Sadly it never did. With the CD and lyrics in hand, she left the office cursing her own luck and wondered who this, "mysterious partner" of hers was.

Hope it's someone I could get along with... But how would I know... I won't know his real identity until after the talent show is completely over... Damn...

She started reading the lyrics on her way home when she bumped into someone. Her papers went everywhere and so did an orange little book. Anko looked up at the owner and saw Kakashi.

"Hatake! Watch where you're going! You made me drop my important papers! What the hell is your problem?" Anko uttered.

Kakashi just bent down and picked up a few of the woman's papers. He quickly skimmed through it and smiled under his mask. The silver haired man handed the papers to Anko who in turn snatched them from him. He couldn't help it and asked a simple question.

"What are you doing with those lyrics?"

Anko smirked at him while she handed him his precious book. "You'd like to know, Hatake. Sorry, classified. Although I'd like to tell you over a drink…"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Are you asking me out on a date, Anko?"

She immediately turned red and looked away. "Of course not! Why would I ask you, a pervert, on a date?" She then turned and high-tailed it out of there before she embarrassed herself even more.

Why do I get so nervous around him...


Over the next three days Anko spent her extra time singing the lyrics. She honestly didn't know whether or not she was singing them right, but she tried her best to sing to the voices on the CD. Anko was even told to wear a costume/dress for her part in the show.

Why does it have to be a dress... Even my hair has to be done...What's wrong with my spiky hair do?

As Anko walked around Konoha to find a tailor for her dress she could have sworn she heard a voice singing to her. She turned around and saw nothing. The woman just shrugged it off and continued walking. Then she heard a voice again. She listened intently.

"I am your angel of music...Come to me angel of music..."

Anko didn't know what to do. The voice was hypnotizing. It felt as if her soul was being drawn into a mystifying world of the unknown. She wanted to respond to it, but, she didn't know what to say to a voice that great.

"Who are you?" was all she could muster up.

"I am your angel of music...That is all you need to know..."

After that sentence, the "Angel" was gone. Anko felt her breath return to her. She shook her head thinking it was just a dream. She continued her way to the tailors to get her dress resized to fit her bust. When she was done there she headed home to rest her voice.

Only one thought crossed her mind.

Who was that voice? Was I hearing things? Whoever that was...They had an amazing voice...


A few hours had passed and Anko was already in make-up getting ready. She groaned and pouted as the stylists were putting on the finishing touches. When they finished she got a good look at herself. She was in awe at how she looked.

"You did a good job on someone like me..." Anko said with a blush.

"Mitarashi-san, you just needed a little more color to add to your own tone and a little make-up. Other than that, we really didn't do much. You're already beautiful. I'm surprised you don't have a boyfriend." The artist replied.

That was below the belt. Anko wasn't really into boys, but she's 25 and still hasn't kissed a boy. Sometimes she thought boys were scared of her. She never paid any attention to it though. Her life was busy and too hectic for a boyfriend.

Then came one of the many staff helping out with the Talent Show. She had a clip board in her hand and a radio transmitter around her neck and in her ear. She looked up with green eyes and began to speak.

"Anko-sensei, you're to be on stage in 5 minutes." the pink haired helper said.

Anko breathed in and out slowly. She got up and headed to where she was supposed to enter the stage. She tried to peek through the door to see the stage, but she couldn't see a single thing.

"Oh...I think I'm going to be sick..." Anko said to herself as she rubbed her stomach.

The kunoichi then heard her cue to go on stage. She went on and a beam of light hit her straight in the face. Anko scrunched her face and used her hand to block the light beaming on her. She quickly fixed her headset and then noticed something around her. Fog. Fog was starting to swirl around her. She looked up and heard music starting to play. Thankfully she knew she wasn't to start yet. The lights dimmed from her eyes and she realized the whole stage was looking like a dressing room. Then, a voice started to sing.

"Insolent boy! This slave of fashion…basking in your glory!"

There was a pause in the voice. Anko tried to figure where the amazing voice was coming from. She had no such luck.

"Ignorant fool! This brave young suitor…sharing in my triumph!"

Anko was hypnotized. She almost forgot her cue to sing. She breathed in. When she sang, no one thought it was really her.

"Angel, I hear you! Speak, I listen... stay by my side, guide me!"

Anko started to look around to see if a body would ever show. One never did. She breathed in again...

"Angel, my soul was weak… forgive me... Enter at last, Master!"

The disembodied voice sang again.

"Flattering child, you shall know me. See why in shadow I hide... Look at your face in the mirror... I am there inside!"

Anko turned and looked at the mirror prop. And there she saw him. A man was there, inside the mirror. The woman was speechless. He had the same voice she heard a couple of hours before the show actually started. She nearly forgot to sing her next part.

"Angel of Music, guide and guardian…grant to me your glory! Angel of Music, hide no longer… Come to me, strange Angel!"

Anko could clearly see the "Angel's" mouth. His face might have been covered, but his mouth was not. His hair was slicked back and it shimmered silver like a moon-lit night. When she saw silver, she immediately thought of one person, Hatake Kakashi. She looked into the audience for a brief second, and there sitting in the first row, was Kakashi. She breathed slowly, in and out. She was waiting for the "Angel" to sing his part.

"I am your Angel of Music…Come to me Angel of Music…" came the voice that sounded like he really was an angel.

The staring woman subconsciously started to walk forward. She then noticed his hand sticking out toward her.

"I am your Angel of Music…Come to me Angel of Music…" the masked man continued.

She stared at it and hesitantly lifted her own hand to his. When she finally grabbed the mysterious hand, she stared into the dark holes of his mask. She couldn't tell his eye color or where his eyes were, but she knew he was looking right at her. After a few minutes of this scene the stage went dark, signaling the end of this part of the talent show.

Anko looked back into the audience and saw Kakashi and Tsunade clapping for her…she tried to congratulate her partner, but he was nowhere to be seen. She didn't even feel him slip through her grasp. Anko looked at her hand and wondered how she did not feel him break from her grip. The audience was still clapping and whistling at her even as she walked off the stage. She smiled at the thought of them cheering for her.

Once Anko got into her dressing room, she sat in her very comfortable chair. Right when she did get comfortable, a knock came from the door.

"What the hell do you want! I'm busy!" Anko roared from her seat.

The knocking continued. She grunted, got up and opened the door.

"What the hell...Oh... Hello, Tsunade-sama...Hatake."

Kakashi raised his hand and just muttered a "Yo."

"You did great, Anko. I knew it was a good thing to have you perform tonight." Tsunade said while patting Anko on the back.

"Anko, I didn't know you could sing like that. I was truly impressed." Kakashi replied with a warm smile under his mask.

The woman mentioned stared at the silver-haired Shinobi. She eyed him up and down his body.

"Do I have something on my face?" Kakashi asked.

Anko smirked. "How could I tell? You wear that damned mask on your face twenty-four seven."

Kakashi chuckled. "Hey, Anko. Can I ask you something?"

Anko woke from her mind and looked at him. "What do you want, Hatake?"

Kakashi's grin was clearly visible under his mask. "Can I still take that offer?"

Anko's face turned questionable. "What offer are you talking about?"

Kakashi was still grinning. "About that drink date you wanted about three days ago. Can I still take you on that offer?"

"I don't see why not….Wait…"

Kakashi shook his finger in front of her face. "You can't say no now. I'll be waiting for you after you get out of your dress. Meet me outside, okay?"

Anko slumped over. "Fine. I'll see you in a few minutes."

Kakashi smiled and left the dressing room. Tsunade stayed behind and helped Anko out of her dress. When she got out of the dress, Anko could clearly see the grin on Tsunade's face.

"What's with the smug grin?" Anko spat out.

Tsunade shook her head. "It's nothing really. I'm just happy that Kakashi finally has someone else to talk to other than Gai, Kurenai and Asuma."

Anko smiled, got dressed and left the room. She walked out and saw Kakashi.

He probably thinks this is a real date…It's just a regular outing with a friend…right?

Kakashi looked back at Anko and waved. She walked up to him and he put away his favorite book.

"So, you aren't going to be reading that on our friendly little date?" Anko asked.

"That would be extremely rude of me, wouldn't it?" Kakashi chuckled.

The couple walked to a nearby bar and sat at a booth table. Kakashi raised two fingers and the bar tender nodded and started to fix them up their drink of the usual sake. The tender came out with two bottles of sake and two little cups.

"Enjoy your drink, love-birds." He said as he walked away.

Anko fumed. "We are not together!" She poured herself a cup and slurped it down. She then slammed her cup down and let a warm sensation fill her body. "Ah…Sake, the wonderful elixir that takes my trouble away."

Kakashi chuckled and poured himself a cup. He raised it to his nose and sniffed it curiously. While he did this, Anko stared at him.

"Do you always do that?"

"Do what?" He responded while reaching for his mask.

Anko laughed and just replayed what he did herself. She held her cup up and sniffed it. "That. Why did you sniff your drink?"

Kakashi smiled. "You could never be too careful, my dear Anko." He pulled down his mask and drank his sake.

Anko didn't even realize his face, until she gulped back her fourth cup of her "elixir". She was slightly buzzed and took a look at him. "Your face…" she said as she pointed to it.

Kakashi looked at her and smiled. "What about my face?" He asked as he touched his cheek.

Why does his mouth look like…I've seen it before?

Anko chuckled and threw back another cup of sake. She breathed out slowly as she put her cup down. The alcohol was affecting her already. Her cheeks were getting bright red and she was starting to giggle at anything.

"Your face, it's really handsome. You should show it off more often, instead of hiding it behind that mask."

"Anko? Are you feeling okay?" Kakashi asked.

The mentioned kunoichi shot daggers at the silver haired man. She gulped down another cup and started to wobble while sitting down. Kakashi looked at her with concerned eyes. He tried to grab her shoulders to stabilize her from falling but she pushed him away.

"I don't need your help, Hatake. I'm perfectly capable on my own…Even if I'm a little drunk." Anko slurred while waving a finger in front of Kakashi's face.

"You know what I don't get?" Anko asked.

"What don't you get, Anko?"

"You're one of the hottest guys in Konoha, yet you don't have a girlfriend. Why is that? If you ask me, I'd think you're gay. Are you?"

Kakashi chuckled. "I'm not gay, Anko. And the reason for that is, none of the girls really catch my eye…Actually there is one girl. But I don't know if she likes me."

"You like a girl? Who is it?" Anko replied nearly spitting out her sake.

The Jonin loved playing mind games. "Oh you wouldn't know her. But she lives here in the village."

Anko drank another cup. "Bah. I'm done here. Thanks for the drink. I'm going home now." She stated as she clumsily got out of her seat and nearly fell on her face. But her face never saw the ground. She was quickly caught and spun around, and there she saw shimmering silver hair and a sweet smile upon Kakashi's face.

"Maybe I should take you home. Don't want you getting lost, do we?" He chuckled and helped her stand properly.

"Aren't you drunk too?"

"I only had two cups."

"So much for a drinking partner. You're supposed to get drunk with me." Anko retorted as she crossed her arms.

"I didn't feel like getting drunk tonight. Besides, I knew one of us would have to be sober to get the other one home. And that person would have to be me."

Anko couldn't believe what she was hearing. The "Genius" of Konoha wanted to walk her home. She scoffed and let him walk her home.

"You better not try anything funny, Hatake." Anko slurred.

Kakashi nodded. "I would never do anything to an unsuspecting victim. It's not my way of doing things."

The kunoichi glared at him. She knew he wouldn't do anything to her. But Anko couldn't shake the feeling that he was planning on doing something.

They walked for a while without much talking. Anko was still stumbling around even with Kakashi's help. When they reached her apartment, Anko was fumbling in her pocket trying to find her keys. Amused by her performance, the Jonin watched from his lazy eye while leaning against a wall.

"Need any help?" Kakashi asked.

"I don't need any help from you, pervert."

"Hey. That's below the belt."

Anko laughed a finally found her keys. She unlocked the door and walked inside, Kakashi trailing right behind her.

"Are you following me?"

"When you put it that way, yes. I just want to make sure you got to bed safely." Kakashi said with a smile.

"Why would you care? You helped me home, you could leave now."

Anko walked to her room and laid down, leaving Kakashi in the living room. He stood there then walked quietly to the violet-haired woman's room. He leaned against the door and watched her sleep peacefully. Then Anko started to stir. She tossed back and forth, she mumbled something and started to sweat. He knew right there, she was having a nightmare. The man didn't know what to do. How could he help one of his fellow Shinobi? Kakashi walked slowly to Anko's bed and looked at her with a worried face. He came up with an idea, but he knew she'd kill him for it.

Kakashi took off his vest and hitai-ate and place them on her top of her drawer. He laid on the bed next to her and tried to snuggle. Anko, realizing some body heat, automatically wrapped her arm around him and hugged him. He held his breath hoping she wouldn't wake up and realize who she's hugging. Thankfully, she didn't wake up. Kakashi relishing in what's happening smiled to himself and moved some stray hair from her face.

"Good night, Anko." He said softly as he drifted off into a nice dream concerning a certain kunoichi.


Morning came around and Anko woke up bright and early. She opened her eyes and tried to get up, but there was a weight keeping her down around her waist. She looked down and noticed an arm. Her eyes went big and she tried to see who was behind her. All she saw was silver. Anko elbowed the man, when he let go of her she jumped off the bed and glared at him.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Hatake? Why did you sleep next to me? Pervert!" she spat.

Kakashi rubbed his stomach and sat with his legs crossed on the bed. He looked at her. "You seemed to not mind me sleeping next to you last night when you were having a nightmare." He grinned.

Anko's face went completely red. She quickly turned around and crossed her arms. She liked the thought of him trying to help her. But sleeping next to her was going too far.

"Hatake…I love the fact that you'd help me like this… But please, if you decide to help me during a nightmare, don't sleep next to me."

Kakashi nodded. He stood up and started to gather his belongings. Anko, realizing this, tried to stop him.

"Kakashi. Don't leave yet. Why don't you have breakfast here? It's the least I could do for you helping me."

The man was astonished at the sudden name change. He looked at her and smiled under his mask.

"I'd love to have breakfast with you, Anko."

"What do you want?"

"What do you have?"

Right when Anko was heading toward her kitchen, Kakashi headed to the bathroom to take care of some business. When Kakashi came out he started to smell smoke. He ran to the kitchen and saw Anko cooking with a plume of smoke above her.

"What the hell is going on? What're you burning?" Kakashi yelled.

Anko turned around. She had batter and flour all over her face and a spatula in her hand. She smiled and turned back around.

"I'm making pancakes!"

Kakashi sighed and leaned against her counter top. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"Of course I know what I'm doing. I've made pancakes before, you know."

He did a mental sigh and looked out the window from her kitchen. And there he saw an eagle flying around. Kakashi looked at it and got up from his seat and once again started grabbing his things. Anko took note of this and sighed. The man was being called by Tsunade.

"I'm guessing you're not staying for breakfast."

Kakashi nodded. "Sorry about this, Anko. Tsunade-sama wants to talk to me… I'll take a rain check on breakfast though."

The Shinobi disappeared in a puff of smoke and Anko sat by herself at the table eating the pancakes she made. She took a bite and quickly spat it out. She gulped down her juice and wiped her mouth.

"I guess it was good that he didn't stay… I need to learn how to cook."


Night soon fell and Anko was once again in her dressing room for her next performance. She pouted during her make-up session again, but not as bad.

"Mitarashi-san, who do you think your "Angel" is?" a brunette asked.

"My what now?"

"Your partner who's singing with you. Do you know who he is?"

Anko shook her head and let them finish their job. This time they left her hair down and straightened it, giving it a nice flip outwards toward the end. Even her bangs were straightened and slanted towards the right.

"Damn. You guys did even better on me than last night."

The artists smiled and left Anko alone. She quickly put on her finishing touches to her gown and quietly left her room. She went near the entrance way to the stage, and waited for her cue to go on. The kunoichi snapped her headset on and saw her cue. She walked on stage and noticed curtains that weren't there the other night. She breathed in then out slowly. The curtains began to rise and the light beam hit her face again, but quickly dimmed. Anko breathed in again and started to sing.

"In sleep he sang to me, in dreams he came… That voice which calls to me and speaks my name… And do I dream again… for now I find, the Phantom of the Opera is there… Inside my mind…"

In a puff of white smoke a being appeared right next to the singing kunoichi. She was startled for a second then realized who it was. The being started to sing.

"Sing once again with me…Our strange duet… My power over you grows stronger yet… And though you'll turn from me…to glance behind… The Phantom of the Opera is there… Inside your mind."

Anko looked at the man standing before her. Then she noticed something strange. When the Angel's eye holes in his mask were hit just right, she could notice his eye color. She only noticed his right eye, which was a deep gray color. The man started to look at her.

"Those who have seen your face, draw back in fear…I am the mask you wear…"

"It's me they hear…"

She then knew what was coming up. They both breathed in at the same time and started to sing their duet.

"My/Your spirit and your/my voice in one combined… The Phantom of the Opera is there… Inside your/my mind."

The crowd was in awe. The two singers sounded perfect and were in direct unison with each other.

"He's there… The Phantom of the Opera!"

Anko then started to sing a high note which no one knew she was capable of. Even the Angel was surprised.

"Sing my angel of music…Sing my angel…Sing for me…Sing my angel! Sing for me!"

The Angel then started to laugh manically as he held onto her hand. This laugh sent shivers up Anko's spine. To her, it was like being with Orochimaru all over again.

As the Phantom finished laughing, the audience once again burst into applause and whistles. Anko blushed and felt a brisk wind behind her. She quickly turned around and noticed the Phantom was gone and smoke was in his place. One thing did catch her eye though. On the ground was a red rose and around its stem was a black and purple ribbon. She picked it up and attached to the ribbon was a little green card. She quickly read it to herself.

You have done very well my dear Anko. Just two more nights and you will see who I really am…

She looked at the audience, bowed and walked off stage. She undressed and redressed in her usual metal mesh and trench coat. The kunoichi left her dressing room and ran into a familiar Shinobi.

"Yo, Anko."

"Hey there, Hatake. What're you doing here?"

Kakashi grinned under his mask. "Can I walk you home again?"

"Why, so you could get into my apartment and sleep with me again? I don't think so."

Even though I really liked that a lot…

Kakashi chuckled. "I wasn't thinking about sleeping next to you again. But that sounds like a good idea."

Anko laughed and started on her way home, with Kakashi following right next to her. They made it to her apartment without talking much. She unlocked the door and went straight to her room to change into her pajamas. When she went to the kitchen for a drink she saw Kakashi sitting on her couch.

"Don't you have a place to stay? Go home," Anko said.

"Aw. You want to get rid of me? How mean," Kakashi said as grinned.

Anko just left him. Her inner pervert wanted to let him sleep with her. But her angelic side told her to leave him be or just kick him out on the street. Her perverted side won another match.

"Hatake! Come over here and sleep with me, if you want to that is," Anko knew she was probably going to regret this later on.

When Kakashi heard that, he jumped to his feet and quickly walked to her room. He leaned against her door and looked at her in bed, waiting for him.

The Shinobi took off his vest, hitai-ate, gloves and mask and put them on Anko's dresser. He took a few steps and got onto the bed with her.

"Don't do anything funny, or I'll take away what makes you a man."

"Yes, ma'am…" Kakashi gulped at the thought.

Anko soon fell asleep while Kakashi was staring at her. She slept so beautifully, even with a little drool hanging from her lip. He crept closer to her and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Sweet dreams, Anko," he said to himself as he drifted into a deep slumber.


When Kakashi woke up, there was no one next to him. He popped right up and looked around.

"Anko? Where are you?"

He then listened around and heard the shower going. He crept quietly and put his ear to the door. He heard a voice singing in the shower. Kakashi chuckled to himself and walked to the kitchen to make breakfast for the two of them.

"I'll make a better breakfast than what you made yesterday," Kakashi said.

He made a fabulous breakfast and put it onto the table right when Anko came out.

"You made me breakfast? How sweet of you," Anko said.

Kakashi made a slight chuckle and sat down at his plate. He motioned his hand for her to sit down and she did. They sat right across from each other and ate silently. They finished their meals and Kakashi had to leave to take care of some business before the show tonight.

"See you tonight, Anko. Hey, if you don't mind me asking, do you have any idea who your partner is?"

The kunoichi thought about it and shook her head, "I don't have a clue. But whoever he is, he's amazing."

He smiled to himself and decided to be on his way.

"Hatake, wait."

Kakashi turned around and there was Anko, hugging him. She looked up at him and gave him a little peck on the cheek. He touched his cheek and smiled again. He then turned around again and left down the hall of the apartment complex.

"I better see you tonight, Hatake!" Anko yelled.

Kakashi raised his hand and gave her a thumbs up.

"Oh, you will see me, Anko. You can count on that."


The stage was all set and Anko was waiting of her cue. She saw it and walked on stage. The curtains were still down and she decided to snap on her headset. As soon as she did that the curtains began to rise.

Once again a disembodied voice began to sing.

"Wandering child… so lost…so helpless… yearning for my guidance."

Anko took a breath and began to sing.

"Angel or Father? Friend or Phantom? Who is it there, staring?"

"Have you forgotten your Angel…?"

"Angel… oh, speak… What endless longings… Echo in this whisper…!"

Anko could then hear a slight chuckle coming from the "Angel".

"Too long you've wondered in winter… Far from my fathering gaze…"

"Wildly my mind beats against you…" Anko sang back.

The Phantom smirked. "You resist…"

The two singers then once again started to sing their duet.

"Yet your/the soul obeys…! Angel of music! You/I denied me/you… Turning from true beauty… Angel of music! Do not shun me/My protector… Come to your/me strange Angel…!"

They both stopped to catch their breath. The Phantom smirked and started to sing again.

"I am your Angel of Music… Come to me Angel of Music…"

Anko looked at the man and noticed something really strange. When the light hit the eyehole of his left eye, she noticed a scar going across it. But she didn't pay much attention to it, a lot of people had scars in the village.

The crowd burst into applause. Anko bowed to them and noticed her partner, who was still there, bowing next to her. She smiled to her partner and he smiled back. He gave her a thumbs up and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Anko was once again stunned that her partner just disappeared. But now, she was one step closer to figuring out who her "Angel" is. There's only one problem, a lot of people in Konoha were ninjas. But at least it was narrowed down to the ninjas with silver hair. Which actually wasn't a lot of people.

When Anko stepped out of her dressing room she saw Kakashi standing there waiting for her.

"Again? You want to stay at my place again," Anko asked.

Kakashi closed his showing eye and shook his head. "It's not that I don't want to take you up on your lovely offer, I just wanted to get some tea with you."

"You want to get tea with me? Why me of all people?"

The man just shrugged. "Why can't I get a nice cup of tea with a fellow Konoha Shinobi?"

Anko sighed. "I guess there's no harm in a cup of tea. When do you want to meet?"

Kakashi smiled under his mask. "How about right now?"

Anko stared at him. "You want to go drink a cup of tea with me right now? You do realize what time it is right?"

"I never said we'd go to a place for a cup of tea. I'll make some for you. I mean, if that's okay with you."

Anko crossed her arms and smiled. "I would love to have some tea. What kind of tea are we talking about?

"Any kind of tea you want. You are the star, you know," Kakashi chuckled.

"Don't remind me, Hatake…"

They walked to Anko's apartment and he made some delicious pumpkin spice tea. They finished their respective cups and put them into the sink where Anko quickly washed them and put them away.

The rest of the night went uneventful. Kakashi, once again, fell asleep next to Anko trying to keep her nightmares at bay. While she fell asleep with her arms around him, he fell asleep with a smile on his face.


The following night, Anko was already on stage. To her surprise, the Phantom was already there, attaching his headset to his ear. She did the same and just in time, for the curtain has began to rise.

The Phantom took in air and began to sing in his hypnotizing voice.

"Past the point of no return…no backward glances…Our games of make-believe are at an end… Past, all thoughts of "if" or "when"… No use resisting… Abandon thought and let the dream descend…"

The Phantom then rushed to Anko and started to touch her body, having his hands go up and down her waist, stomach and arms. His face just nearly inches away from hers. Anko felt her face warm up as she look at his face.

"What raging fire shall flood the soul? What rich desire unlocks it door? What sweet seduction lies before us? Past the point of no return, the final threshold… What warm unspoken secrets will we learn? Beyond the point of no return…"

Anko broke away from his grasp but still held onto his hand. Then she felt a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach.

I don't even know who he is… Why am I starting to have feelings for him?

"You have brought me to that moment where words run dry… To that moment where speech disappears into silence, silence… I have come here, hardly knowing the reason why. In my mind I've already imagined our bodies entwining. Defenseless and silent…Now I am here with you, no second thoughts… I've decided… decided…"

The masked man held her hand tighter…waiting to hear her reply.

"Past the point of no return, no going back now. Our passion play has now at last begun. Past all thought of right or wrong, on final question. How long should we two wait before we're one? When will the blood begin to race… the sleeping bud burst into bloom? When will the flame at last consume us?"

Once again, Phantom took her body and started to touch her like before. They began to sing their duet of their final song together.

"Past the point of no return, the final threshold! The bridge is crossed, so stand and watch it burn… We've passed the point of no return…"

Phantom continued to touch her body, moving his hands up and down. He then moved his hands to touch her curve of her neck and her jaw line. He started to whisper to her.

"Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime… Lead me, save me from my solitude… Say you'll want me with you here beside you. Anywhere you go let me go too, Anko, that's all I ask of you."

He turned her body around as he said the last verse. He looked straight into her eyes and moved his face closer to hers. Phantom then placed a kiss on her cheek. Anko, surprised by his actions, placed her hands on his face and pulled him in towards her for a full on kiss.

The crowd was shocked at the two singers performances. Kakashi just sat there and smirked at the occurrence. When Anko and Phantom unlocked their lips they stared at each other. When he smiled at her, she smiled back at him. They turned around, to face the audience, and bowed. They both walked off stage and into their respective dressing rooms.


While Anko was putting on her usual trench coat, a knock came at the door. She opened it and there he was, standing there with his hands in his pockets.

"You ready to show me who you really are?" Anko asked.

The man nodded and put his hand onto his porcelain mask. He took his time doing this, making Anko savior the moment. When he took off his mask, she nearly fell backwards.

"Surprised?" he said to her.

"Hatake… You were my partner the whole time?"

"Yes."

"But I saw you in the audience! You were there!"

"That was a Kage Bunshin."

"Oh... Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tsunade wanted me to get you to participate with the Talent Show. This was the only way I could think of."

"Oh."

"But, Anko, it wasn't just an undercover mission...those words in the last song... I really did mean those."

Anko's face immediately turned red.

"You meant those words? Why?"

"Because... I like you."

"You like me?"

Kakashi looked away.

"More like love actually."

Anko walked up to him, placed her hand onto his face and made him look at her. She smiled at him and gave him a kiss.

"I love you too."