There she was, sitting in a tavern that belonged to a friend. Well, someone she had wanted something more with for a while now. So, she sat there, working away on the finances for the tavern that he owned. Trying to help juggle things and keep them afloat. Sighing, she brushed her violet hair out of her amber eyes and stared at the books before her. One belonged to the owner, the other belonged to her. So far, she had managed to fix the budget and find thousands of dollars that were hidden away in the pages. Money that could easily be used for the tavern, its employees and owner.

She kept scribbling away and glancing between the pages, telling herself that this was ridiculous. Working for free on something as disastrous as these finances, she should have been getting paid at least fifty grand. The tavern's owner, Kakashi Hatake, should feel damn lucky that she was smitten with him. Otherwise, the dango loving woman would have charged him hell for this. She stared at the book where Kakashi had drawn… or attempted to draw… Pakkun and sighed. That's when she felt a little odd sensation roll over her. Someone was staring at her.

She looked up to see her friends staring at her. The woman looked around; Kakashi was no where in sight, neither Rin. It pained her to think they were off together and that's what she assumed the two were looking at her for. Until the two black haired folk ventured over to the table she'd taken captive for her scribbling. She sat straight in the chair, confused as could be. They took seats at the table and looked as though a question was resting right on their lips.

"….Okay, what do you two want?" The woman stared at them suspiciously.

"Oh, Anko, don't sound so wary of us." The other woman smiled at her. "Asuma and I were just wondering why you're so small. Your dad was tall and your mom was a decent height. You said she was small, but she's taller than you."

"I told Kurenai that it's because all you ever eat is dango." Asuma mumbled, lighting a new cigarette for himself.

"…You are both lame, I'm just small. Okay?" She shifted in her seat to go back to work.

Anko had been on the right track for years when she was growing up. Well, the right track physically. Her parents had died in a car crash when she was around three years old. She still had moments of dread when she heard wheels screeching and never drove a car due to that. In fact, she was not fond of being in any motor vehicles if possible. Still, the woman had been a very wild girl growing up. Anko had been sent to an orphanage since no family came forward to claim her.

She spent time in their systems, being adopted because she was an adorable little girl. Then she'd be returned when the adoptive parents realized she was destructive and rebellious. Eventually, she grew worse, wilder. The orphanage transferred her to a new one. She ran away. Anko spent years avoiding the state and child services. She hid in people's houses or empty houses. She preferred houses that others lived in because she was able to sit and read books. Her favorite was the doctor that had found her in his study and taught her a few things. Of course, he called the state and feeling betrayed Anko ran away again.

She avoided people for a long time, hiding in empty houses; squatting as it was called. Naturally, she didn't get her hands on a lot of food. So, the girl went without… sometimes for days. Anko didn't remain unnoticed forever and was constantly moving between houses, stealing clothes or other provisions. One day, she met her match and was caught by a young man. He had short messy black hair and even back then, he was monstrous in size compared to her. The man had caught her, literally. She tried to escape when he found her and ended up tumbling from the fence and into his arms.

"C'mon Anko… tell us a story!" Kurenai tugged the pen from the slender fingers of her friend when she realized that the purple haired woman was daydreaming.

"…It's long and boring…" Anko huffed lightly when Asuma closed the books and took them from her. "I hate that you two are dating and gang up on me now. Completely unfair…"

The two stared at her expectantly and finally, Anko caved in. "Fine you aggravating bear mates… I'll tell you a fucking story."

Anko was starving; she hadn't eaten in a week. All she had was water and it was getting to the point of do or die. She needed food and she needed it today. Luckily, the house she was hiding in was the perfect place for now. Anko had just settled in it and was slowly scoping out the neighbors. All she had to do was go into the house across the way where she'd seen a girl her size living. Get clothes and food. All day she waited, pushing her black hair from her face. It was long and straggly and annoying, but she didn't know what to do about it. Never knew how to put it in a ponytail or had scissors to cut it.

When the family had left, Anko edged her way from the house she had taken up as a stronghold. Keeping low to the ground was easy for someone as short as her and she managed to cross the street and reach her destination without issue. It was amazing how people left things so unsecured at their houses. She found a spare key that she'd seen the kids use to get in when they'd forgotten their key before. It was pure luck and she let herself in. First order of business, she found food and stole whatever she could that she knew would last.

Once feeling relatively full, Anko crept up to the girl's room and started to search through the clothing. She found some jeans and a T-shirt. Then grabbing a jacket, she took some shoes and socks as well. She was only thirteen at the time and that was all she needed. The house she stayed in had its water hooked up for some reason. So, cleanliness was easy enough for her. Quietly, she went back down the stairs and let herself out, locking the door and hiding the key in the exact spot that she'd stolen it from. The girl looked around herself; taking every precaution to avoid being seen, she bolted across the way back over to her house.

Once inside the protective walls, Anko allowed herself a smile of victory and took the chance to eat the apple she'd stolen. It was rare she got fruit, but it was sweet and she loved it. The girl sat on the floor of the area that would be considered a kitchen if a family had been living in it. She surveyed her catch; there wasn't much, but she couldn't take a lot if she wanted to remain unnoticed. Sighing proudly, she leaned against the cupboards of the kitchen and continued to eat her apple. She took a bite right as a small click resounded through the empty house.

Anko sat straight up and froze. The girl was more feral than she should have been and the only reaction she knew was fight or flight. Wanting to protect her food she'd scavenged, the girl scooted over to the kitchen's island. Slowly and cautiously, she leaned up to look over the top. There was something big lurking in the house. It looked big at least and she knew she couldn't fight it off. Carefully, she reached down to grab the miniature loaf of bread she had stolen and started to sneak to the side. If she could get to the patio door, she could get away through the back. She was quick on her feet and a spectacular fence jumper.

When he appeared to be looking another way, Anko rushed to the door. Unfortunately, she hadn't expected it to be bolted shut. Fussing and making noise, she could hear the larger human whirl around and come for her. Just before he could reach her, the doors flew open and Anko dashed out. Fingers just missing the back of her newly acquired shirt. Making a run for it, she reached the fence and started to climb up. However, the man was taller and stronger. When he reached the fence, his bear like hand shot out to grab her foot. It through her balance off horribly.

Next thing Anko knew, she was falling back from her freedom. It felt like forever as she watched the horizon of her escape disappear and become filled with the vision of a relatively large man. She could feel his arms holding onto her firmly as he frowned down at her. Anko only knew one thing, struggle and fight with all she could muster, but due to her lack of food, she wasn't very strong. The young man looked over the girl and almost seemed to radiate pity for her. Exhausting herself, Anko started to still her resistance and just lay limply in his arms.

Black hair like hers, deep brown eyes. He was tan, as if it was natural for him and he was huge. In comparison to her, most were huge. "…Should I call you Mogli?" His voice was deep and it reverberated in his chest that she was resting against. For a moment, it scared her. Anko had never heard anything like that and he won her temporary submission as he carried her to his house.

He took her into his basement bedroom to avoid her trying to run around the house. His mother followed him into the basement wordlessly, in shock at the find. The man set Anko down on one of his chairs, crouching down before her to attempt at appearing less threatening. "I guess you were right, there was a girl there."

"Yeah, she's cleaner than yesterday, but it's her. She had food that she stole from the neighbors. What's your name?" The man turned his attention to Anko and she stared at him for a long time. Almost to the point were he began to wonder if she could even speak.

"…Anko." She murmured in a worn voice. Growing up the way she did, she didn't talk much, her voice was unused. "…Mitarashi."

"Anko Mitarashi… my name is Ibiki Morino. This is my mother. You can call her Mrs. Morino." She looked between the man and the woman he called his mother.

"Alright…" She paused and looked back at the man. "What do I call you?"

"Ibiki." He stood and moved to where his mother was, "Guess we should call someone…"

"NO!" Anko shouted as loud as her inexperienced vocal chords would allow. She jumped from the chair and Ibiki was ready for her reaction. Although, Anko dodged his grip and scurried to corner, sliding under his bed to a spot he couldn't reach. "Don't call anyone! I don't want to go back to the orphanage! They don't want me, so I don't want to go back!"

Ibiki was lying on his chest, looking at the girl that had plastered herself against a far corner to avoid his reach. Her expression told everything, she was horrified at the idea of going back to the orphanage and willing to fight. He sighed and retracted his arm from reaching for her. From where he sat, Anko looked very much like a thin, malnourished, feral cat. "How about a doctor then? Would you allow that?"

"No… doctors lie and cheat!" Ibiki couldn't argue with her there, but still. If he was right, Anko could be sick and needing medical attention. He looked over at his mother and she nodded, leaving to call a friend of the family that was a doctor. She would be able to give some advice.

"Alright…" He looked back under the bed to where amber eyes stared at him unwaveringly. Definitely a feral cat's stare. "…Come out here."

"No."

"Now."

"No!"

"Anko, do not make me come get you."

"NO!"

Ibiki was not one for games, never was. So, he surprised Anko when he jumped up and jerked the bed from the wall, revealing the frightened girl. His hands were on her again, pulling her from her spot. She screamed and kicked and smacked him until he put her down on the chair again and held the flailing limbs. "Stop!"

She was motionless, tears started to well up in her eyes and pour down her cheeks. Streaks from her tears formed, cleaning spots on her face. "I don't want to go back to the orphanage. No one wants me there… no one keeps me."

Ibiki stared at the girl, if he were a better man; this would have broken his heart. As it were, he merely caved in to the girl. His hand reached up to pat her on the head and ruffled the messy hair, "Alright, we'll let you stay here."

Anko stopped sniffling long enough to shove his hand away. "Don't touch me…"

A few hours later, Ibiki's mother had gotten Anko to agree to a bath. It was not an easy task when the girl was fighting Mrs. Morino away tooth and nail. When the bath was done, Anko dried off and was given some clothes that Mr. Morino had picked up for her. The neighbor's clothes were returned by Idate, Ibiki's younger brother. Since, any time Ibiki was out of Anko's line of sight, she would grow rebellious. With the clothes on and her hair went and snarled, Mrs. Morino tried to brush it. When it didn't work, Ibiki came into the bathroom and held Anko still while his mother tamed the hair. She cut it and dried it for the young girl.

The easiest task, surprisingly, was when Anko was told to brush her teeth. What the Morino family didn't know was that Anko actually feared what Ibiki would do to force her to brush her teeth. When all was said and done, Anko looked at herself in the mirror and almost didn't recognize herself. All cleaned up and… human. For the first time in a very long time, Anko smiled. The Morino family wasn't so bad. Idate was told to give up his room so she could sleep there and he didn't seem sore about it. In fact, the whole night had been rather entertaining to him.

As lights shut off throughout the house, Anko sat in the bed she had been allowed to sleep in. Silence filled the house and she crept out of the bed and the room. Down the halls and toward the front door. She checked the lock, then to the back and checked its lock as well. Lightning flashed off in the distance and Anko's brows furrowed. She wasn't afraid of thunderstorms, but she didn't like them either. Where ever she hid, the rain would leak through and get her wet and she'd be awake all night. The only place she ever found to be a decent way to avoid the water, was the basement of houses.

She turned from the doors and headed for the basement door. Anko crept down the stairs, always light on her feet as she made her way down to Ibiki's room. She trusted him, but not by much, he had her do several things she hadn't wanted to. Yet, Anko was comfortable around the man. So, she padded over to the bed that the behemoth lay in. Carefully, Anko crawled onto the bed and slipped under the covers with him. He was very warm and to Anko, that was just what she needed. She curled up against his back to sleep before he shifted a little.

"What are you doing down here?" His voice was like a growl, but it didn't bother the girl too much.

"Keeping dry." She quipped and nuzzled in between his shoulder blades. "Yer warm… g'night Ibiki!"

"Whatever." The man didn't want to deal with her for the time being. If she wanted to sleep there, he wasn't going to pry her away and go through the rigmarole of getting her back upstairs. He just went straight to sleep.

Okay, first things first:

This is basically a ficlet inspired to be done by an RP

There will be another chapter

This is based off of an AU style RP. So, just kind of bare with it, it'll all fall into place I hope… as things get written. Yes…. |D