After many days of dormancy, Midori arises again…

And hopefully you will be satisfied.

Midori Fujiwara

Anko's blood boiled hot within her, surging, tasting the building power and tension at the base of her neck. The curse mark was tempting, like a sweet never tried before, only much more dangerous. As she ran, the pumping got harsher, rougher against her; pain grew harder and harder to resist. For relief, she knew that all she had to do was given in to the night and allow other powers to control her. But she had chosen long ago to suffer instead. And she had a reputation to keep up, with a goal that grew eminently less and less quixotic, and all the more possible. Besides, she had no use for his power…unless it meant stopping him.

So she grit her teeth to ignore pain and kept on running, feeling Orochimaru's presence growing stronger and her cursed seal like a magnet drawing a rush toward him. She knew she was being reckless, but she didn't give a shit. Her life was practically over, and she wasn't looking forward to anything in particular.

She was only waiting for this single chance to stop a cycle that would continue if she did nothing.

Anko began the circle of Oroochimaru's immortality, because he saw through his experiments on her how it was possible. It began with her, and she aimed to have it end with her as well.

And this was her chance…she was so close.

Adrenaline ran throughout her body and she gave a small smirk. But within that second of smile she had distracted herself, and losing her ground, fell victim to entangling white snakes.

One snake curled around her left foot, its tail rooted deep into the ground, and another's fangs pierced deep into her shin, hooking her stable and half-paralyzed. And the last snake, the largest, wound around her torso, confining her arms to the same space within the tightening snake's embrace.

The snake's head met with hers, and its tongue flickered at her face mockingly.

Her blood, though boiling, was frozen over within that second, and the curse mark burned ice. Horror and fear replaced the bloodlust she had.

But she couldn't let him take over her emotions like that any longer!

Despite the headstrong promises she was reciting in her head, she forgot how to stay calm when Orochimaru's voice spoke from the snake's head.

"Anko…" it muttered menacingly in that unique way he had called her with…with a tone of desire and enmity thrown in with jealousy for the juvenile body she owned.

Her name alone in his voice was successful in completely paralyzing the rest of her body.

"What a coincidence to find you here," the snake chided slowly. "It's been a long time since you've tried to find me…and come back to me."

Containing the pain and conversing with Oroochimaru left Anko sputtering in short quick bursts.

"I come…for a…different…reason now…Oroochimaru," she managed to get out.

"You don't even acknowledge me as sensei anymore…"

"I lost my respect for you…a long while ago!" Her breathing was so deep that she couldn't contain her own lungs…but the tight coils of the snake trapping her didn't allow her to breathe. Alas, she was stuck holding her breath and handling pure pain.

"I don't need your respect any longer…I can quite easily obtain others' respect…" The snake poked its head closer to her head, and its eyes turned into slits. "In fact, you're not as much value to me any longer."

Anko had already prepared some kunai blades within the sleeves of her trench coat, and she slipped the edges out. Within the split second, the snake's blood had stained her clothing, and dripped down her face.

But the snake's death was not the end of Oroochimaru.

He was still standing right in front of her, his pale old hand as a result of summoning snakes. Oroochimaru put this hand down, and put himself into an extremely vulnerable stance, reminding Anko that it would not be easy to fend off and destroy an enemy with the likes of Oroochimaru and himself.

"Fuck you," she cursed. "I will kill you in my own blooded hands one day."

Oroochimaru shrugged off her threat. "Life is too short of a time. You'll be wasting your time trying to train and defeat me. Unlike me, you have only one body within one life…unless you join my cause, I suggest taking your limited time more seriously."

"Heh," she coughed, shaking with the throbbing at her neck. "This is all I may ever live for. I grew up in your clutches, and I may die in your prison still…but…there would be nothing else for me in the meantime, correct?"

"Well if you put it that way, Anko…I can always notch up that pain you feel. I can always make my way more appealing. You will have no other choice but to release your will and give in to mine."

Anko whimpered to herself as Oroochimaru set the degree of temptation even higher. At this point, Anko had fallen to her knees, her eyes running, vision blurred. She screamed, tortured against her own will and suffering. Her body questioned itself: Why suffer hell when it can all be easily released? Give it up! The pain persuaded her body, but now, it was all mental power and will.

"Ah…my poor Anko…"Oroochimaru cooed evilly. He stepped closer and closer, one step slowly after the other, until he was kneeling in front of her. But her eyes were closed, her whole self focused on holding onto the pain, concentrating on letting herself continue to suffer against the control of Orochimaru.

"Sasuke may have been more vulnerable," she yelled incoherently. It was difficult to think when pain was distracting. "But…I can resist you!"

Oroochimaru smiled. "If only you had given in a long time ago…" Then he lifted her chin so that her tightly shut eyes were looking straight at his own. "You wouldn't be suffering from this pain."

And then from that moment on, Anko felt nothing but pain. Just when she thought she couldn't take it, and reached her tolerance, even more hell surged through her blood.

She wanted to die.

Her yells became high-pitched screams.

And the pain was so great that she let go…

"Stop it!" she cried, and she stopped resisting.

She gave in…

Breath roughly came back to her, and she sputtered for air, sitting up straight. She was relieved. The pain was gone, and she had let it go and had given in.

But how could have she?

She opened her tightly shut eyes, and stared at what was before her. Not Oroochimaru with a wide smile, but rather her own two shaking hands.

Just a dream, she realized. Just a dream.

Her hand clapped over the cool skin with the curse mark. It was fine, but the remnants of the dream made it feel as though it were burning.

She was displeased with herself that she had actually given up to the resistance she had held against him for so long. She was pathetic for giving in to pain.

Pain, she learned from the ANBU, is only mental. Pain was only the body's way of telling the mind it was hurt…it didn't mean anything beyond that.

And to give in against her lifelong dreams and goals…to something so insignificant…

But what bothered her the most was that even in her dreams she had given up.

What would she do in reality if her true body were to experience that hell when she would encounter Oroochimaru again?

Kakashi rarely paid any attention to the passing time, but today he stared for a long time at the calendar on the wall of his room, after flipping it a few pages to reach the current month.

This month, Kakashi realized. The time is closing in soon…

He tore his eyes off and slipped on his Konoha vest, securing the forehead protector over the Sharingan eyes before stepping out to let his skin taste the fresh air.

Anko was devastated when she found that there was no food in her house to satisfy her hungry stomach. She really didn't feel like going outside, at least, not after a long dream.

She turned her head to some stale cookies left in the pantry. She'll have to do with that for now, she thought, but her hand picked it up and threw it into the garbage several yards from her. The cookies made a soft thunk and she could hear the food breaking into crumbs.

It wasn't time to be scared.

So Anko slipped her tan trench coat on and opened her door, stepping into the blinding light.

It was so bright, yet her eyes only saw darkness for the few seconds her eyes had to adapt, as if hidden within the light, there was actually a latent dark lurking.

Kurenai first noticed Anko because her clothing made herself so distinctive from the other common people. Anko entered a local grocery store, which was rare, because as Kurenai knew her, Anko would often skip regular healthy meals for a pig-out of dango. It was actually amazing how she hadn't become like Chouji yet.

Something seemed off today besides Anko's choice of food. Anko normally carried the air with energy…often "felt" by others around her. She just had that magnetic radiant personality that made everyone feel good around her. But today, Kurenai could barely notice that she even passed.

And thought Anko only talked when she had the reason to and chose her words carefully, where was the loud greeting she would have heard from Anko? Anko would have noticed Kurenai as instantly as Kurenai had noticed her. And it wasn't like Kurenai was hiding. She was plain out in the open.

Kurenai ran a list through her head. Maybe it was time for herself to get more rice…so she'd might as well go into the store with Anko.

She saw Anko standing in front of a display of baked goods. Now that was more Anko-like, but Anko wasn't picking anything up. She was simply staring at the food, when she normally was impulsive.

"Anko," Kurenai greeted, but it was difficult to start when usually Anko would begin the conversation.

"Kurenai," Anko smiled, and then lifted her head to stare once more at the food.

"Can't decide?"

Anko shrugged. "There are so many that are so good. I'm not sure where to start." Anko smiled, "Which would you choose?"

"Why, can't decide for yourself today?" Kurenai questioned, studying her friend's awkward behavior.

"No, and I need help because I'm starving," Anko answered. Her tone was playful, but Kurenai could tell she was forcing a happy personality.

Perhaps in order to hide something?

When Kurenai didn't answer, Anko seemed to play lotto with the desserts and finally asked for the daifuku. Kurenai watched Anko gratefully take the sweets and smile, not forgetting to say thanks.

Anko held the open package out to Kurenai. "Well…I chose, right? Want some?"

Kurenai reached to take one of the less good-looking ones and walked out with Anko. Anko wasn't finished with the box even five minutes of walking.

"Anko?" Kurenai asked as Anko seemed to snap back into consciousness and took a sweet for herself. But Anko reeled just as quickly back into her thoughts, chewing slowly.

Kurenai noticed that she had already eaten more than half of what Anko had purchased. If things had gone as normally, Anko should have been fighting Kurenai for the last piece already.

"Anko," Kurenai repeated. "What's bothering you?"

Anko's eyebrows furrowed. "It was just a very freaky dream I had." Anko picked up another daifuku and popped it into her mouth as if to feign that everything was running normally as expected to be.

"Expand," Kurenai said.

Anko made a slight face of disgust. "Actually…I don't really want to. It was kind of…erotic about a guy, and I'm just really bothered." Anko gave Kurenai a grin. "Guess my hormones are up. Don't worry about it, okay?"

Here, Anko waved a quick goodbye salut and turned a corner.

Kurenai would have followed her, but decided to let Anko get away with the lie.

Anko still had uneaten food left.

Kurenai was right in suspecting something. Ah…but she had tried her best to hide it! Anko guessed she wasn't a good actor. More than once people acknowledged how easily her face could read like a book.

Anko had lost her appetite even before she was done chewing the first daifuku. She had just and still felt so out of place.

But it's just a dream, she told herself. Today's a day like any other.

Anko's unconscious memory suddenly lit up, however. While at the bakery she had noticed the calendar. She hadn't instantly realized but now…

"Shit," she said to herself.

Anko grabbed her box of daifuku and stuffed one into her mouth as she stepped out the door.

Fortunately, Anko didn't have to go through the trouble to actually awaken Lady Tsunade, but unfortunately the Hokage was still angry from before when someone else had awoken her.

She stepped up to Tsunade's desk.

Tsunade burned lasers through her.

"Another early bird," the Hokage stated sternly.

"Um…would you like a sweet, Tsunade-sama?" Anko offerend, hoping to get on her better side.

What she came for required an open mind.

Tsunade's eyes glared fire. "What do you want, Anko?" But in any case, Tsunade still reached for a daifuku.

"I…uh…"Anko started, realizing she hadn't prepared what she would say beforehand. A stupid move at that. "I want to open another mission…"

"Of what type?"

"Uh…rather more like a second attempt at something." Anko forced a cheeky smile.

Tsunade's eyes narrowed when she made the connection. "Retrive Uchiha Sasuke?"

Anko nodded. "Hai…along those lines."

"These types of mission are cost more than they return…unless you add in future expenses," Tsunade leaned back into her chair, and her eyes softened some. "I understand your concern around this time, but I…" Tsunade stopped.

Anko realized Tsunade disapproved, though Tsunade didn't seem to want to say it and seem selfish. But Anko knew Tsunade's side of the argument very well.

It was probably already too late to retrieve him by now.

Hell, the chance to save the Uchiha boy may have been missed already, considering how cautious Oroochimaru was in his planning. Anko knew this all too well.

Tsunade stood up slowly and looked out the window, her back to Anko.

"In reality," Tsunade said after a while. "Today is just another normal day. The sun has risen, and night did not prolong for more than it should have."

Anko stood her ground. She had to at least have Tsunade recognize her side of the argument as well. Or better yet, allow her to assemble a group of jounin to accompany her. "But you never know, Tsunade-sama, if tomorrow will be the same way."

Tsunade didn't look away from the window. "Shizune," she said to the lady who had stood silently since Anko had entered. "Check that no one is overhearing."

"Will do," Shizune replied, closing the door behind her.

Tsunade turned to face Anko again. "Actually, Kakashi stopped by earlier this morning to request the same thing."

Anko took this as an answer learning to an eventual 'no'.

"But, I understand Kakashi's immediate concern, as Sasuke's previous sensei. You, on the other hand have never truly interacted with Sasuke. What are you truly planning?" Tsunade challenged.

"I…it's not really Sasuke…I'm sorry," Anko apologized. "But I want to stop Oroochimaru. Myself. And I can empathize with Sasuke. I feel as though it is my duty to put an end to the cycle."

"Put it that way, and you're really requesting a mission. You're requesting permission for independent leave," Tsunade corrected her.

Anko stood wordless. That was true, but both females knew very well that Anko didn't have the capability to destroy Oroochimaru on her own.

Anko looked down.

Tsunade held the silence as well, before Anko said one of the most difficult things she had to say in a long while.

"I know I won't be able to defeat him…but I want to show him the anger that he had always wanted to see in me…and I'll die…knowing I settled that with him."

Tsunade took a deep breath before speaking. "That sounds so noble, but really you're just being selfish. You know that I am completely responsible for your death?" Tsunade said this more like a statement Anko should have already known rather than a question. "At dangerous times like these, I will be no doubt punished for letting the life of one more jounin go."

Anko bit her lip. "And what did you answer to Kakashi's request?"

"I told him the exact same thing," Tsunade's voice quieted however, as though she was about to cry. "Listen. I would love for me to be able to let anyone go to retrieve Sasuke, or attempt to stop Oroochimaru, but…" Tsunade trailed off and let her sentence blank, as if she was searching for the right words.

But Tsunade failed to find them.

"Leave, Anko," she said instead.

Kurenai was surprised to see Anko again, but this time at her door.

Anko was still holding a few sweets that she still hadn't eaten.

"Are you here to tell the truth?" Kurenai asked as she stepped to the side to let Anko into her apartment.

"Tell me Kurenai: Would you choose Asuma over Konoha?"

Kurenai, bewildered by such a random question, shot back, "What are you asking, Anko? What does any of this have to do with me? Just tell me what's wrong! I've been worried to hell about you!"

"It's a simple question, Kurenai. If you had to prove to Asume that you love him, would you betray Konoha if you had to?" Anko snapped back.

Kurenai had rarely encountered an angry Anko and struggled to find the answer that Anko would probably be satisfied with. "Yes," Kurenai said.

"Hn," Anko said, smirking.

"Anko! What are you planning—"

"Kurenai…I'm going to search out Oroochimaru. I will murder him," Anko declared, bloodlust flickering in her eyes.

Kurenai didn't want to investigate what Anko was imagining. "Anko…you're going to die…and you're leaving Konoha?" Kurenai put some pieces of Anko's thought puzzle together. "Without consent?"

"Yes, I will die, and yes I'm leaving Konoha tonight," Anko stated. "So, I'm just going to—"

"Anko! Have you gone out of your mind?"

Anko smiled. "More than once." When she didn't see any change in Kurenai's concerned and outraged countenance, she added, "But you couldn't possibly understand." She was slightly discouraged by the fact that Kurenai wasn't being as supportive of her as she had always had been.

"I won't and will never understand, but I know that as a friend, I'm not going to allow you to throw your life away like that!"

"But just like you want to prove you love Asuma, I want to prove to Oroochimaru that I hate him. He wants to see the depth of my hatred, so be it! I still haven't forgiven him. And if I'm lucky, I want my face to be last one he sees before he burns in hell!"

"You've already proven your hate to him from the Chuunin exams that other year," Kurenai said stiffly.

"But it's just not the same way any longer!" Anko suddenly couldn't explain her spontaneous desire to kill Oroochimaru. "I just have to step him before he takes another body and form all together. Otherwise, he will continue to haunt this world even long after our children are dead. What difference is between the life and future generations to come? Hell! That child you and Asuma might plan to have…you don't want your child to be a target of Oroochimaru!"

"Shut up!" Kurenai yelled, aware that Anko had hit a very sensitive part of her emotions and conscience, bringing up the subject of the next generation. The two women didn't change their composure but allowed their breath to calm down.

After the silence, Kurenai asked in a soft voice, "Is this what bothered you all morning?"

Anko nodded, ready for another verbal attack, eyebrows still knitted.

Kurenai looked at the base of Anko's neck, at the curse mark that Anko's trench coat covered.

"Anko…I don't know what to say. I…could only hope that he could be defeated…you can't throw your life like that. There are…people who'd hate to attend your funeral."

Anko suddenly remembered how Lady Tsunade had called her selfish though apparently noble in her actions.

Anko felt a hard bulge in her throat begin to form. "I have to and I don't care. I know I'll die but my life has been leading up to this very point and I don't know what else I would be doing with my life."

Kurenai stood, quiet.

Anko bit her lip. "I'm sorry."

Kurenai's eyes closed, and Anko noticed flashes of light that reflected from her fallen tears. Anko could feel herself about to cry as well.

"But you'll…you understand…at least a bit right? It's not that I hate Konoha…and it's not like I want to commit suicide because I just don't care anymore…it's…"

Kurenai nodded when Anko trailed off, unable to express herself.

Anko felt extremely guilty. She had emotionally affected a lot of people today…already.

And at her funeral? What would happen then?

Anko had never looked at it that way before, and she was realizing more and more how stupid she was acting.

But the pulses of pain that swept into reality from her dreams were calling her stronger than what made sense.

She could have just stopped there and retreated home to rest so that she could recover sanely, but she had already said her words.

And it was too late to go back on them.

I don't know about you guys but as I was typing the first section of this I originally spelled Orochimaru with an extra O, like this: Oroochimaru. But then after some looking around on Fanfiction, apparently everyone spells it with only one O. Hm…I don't know where I got that extra O from.

In any case, that doesn't matter. What matters to me are your opinions. This is what I live for. Well not exactly, but the fact that I'm posting this in the first place means something. Criticism very well accepted and compliments are great too! Review please! I beg you and offer cookies!

Reawakened,
Midori Fujiwara