one.

Hatake Kakashi felt a presence looming over him as he read his novel. He merely overlooked the sudden dimness and continued reading. He heard a slight huff across from him and muttered grumblings.

A large hand slammed on his desk. It didn't faze him.

"Kakashi, my good man!" a booming voice greeted. "Reading those novels again, I see!"

Kakashi flipped a page, completely engrossed.

"You sure are diligent, fellow rival, always exercising your brain! But you must exercise your body, too, you know! A strong mind has to have a strong counterpart. Think of it as marriage—a strong man and a strong woman have to be strong together and make strong babies. The strong babies will grow up strong, meet their strong counterparts—see where I'm going here?—and have strong babies. It's the cycle of life, Kakashi! If you break the cycle, for example, like you, with a strong mind but weak body, marry a woman—or, um, depending on your sexuality as time goes—" He was abruptly cut off.

"What business do you have with me, Gai?" Kakashi inquired, lazy eyes still targeted on his book.

"No need to sound so formal with me! Having some light conversations with comrades isn't business! There's no harm in having heart-to-heart manly interactions—!"

This time, Kakashi regarded Gai with a slightly exasperated look. "Gai … what do you want from me? What do you have to say to me? You only do this if you want yet another challenge with me or if you have some news to share with me."

"Oh! Right, right! Let's see … " Gai pursed his lips. He then rubbed his chin thoughtfully, head down. He snapped his head up suddenly, pointer up. "Ah! There's a new student!"

Kakashi stared at him.

Gai remained grinning.

The masked teenager resumed reading.

Gai's face fell slightly. "But—but—but she"—he went over to Kakashi's side and nudged him with his elbow knowingly—"came from a pretty anarchy-known place. You know … Sound."

Kakashi was quite surprised even if he didn't show it. Rarely did anyone come here from Sound. They were usually ambushers, terrorists, murderers, rapists, and all things … well, horrible. It was shocking to know a teenager, a girl, came from Sound and was attending their school. Why would the school administrators allow her to attend this school?

Sound had been a peaceful little town. But then a group of strange people had entered the town and had done completely cruel and catastrophic actions. Soon, the once peaceful town turned into a corrupted place where no one dared to enter. Families confined there did their very best to survive and always hid. There were lack of jobs and money. Women and even young female teens were forced to sell their body, becoming prostitutes, hookers, and strippers. Men were suddenly taken somewhere and do hard labor. Children were taken away from their families to help sell drugs or do other atrocious jobs. Everyone was desperate to live and did whatever they could to have food and shelter.

Kakashi wondered how the girl traveled here. He knew that if anyone attempted to escape would be immediately executed. She was either both incredibly skilled and clever or she was just lucky—or a spy.

He noticed that Gai was still talking his mouth off. " … must be a youthful girl! We, as her senpais, Kakashi, must guide her! Yes, she's a first year, so she's still naïve and vulnerable, especially since she came from such a disastrous town! I believe with the power of glory—!"

Kakashi sighed and closed his book. He stood up from his desk and gathered his belongings. He grabbed his bag, which was hanging from his desk, and pushed his chair in. He exited the classroom, leaving a chattering Gai all by himself.

As he trudged down the hallway slowly, he made a mental list of things he had to do. After school, he would go home and make a groceries list since his food supply was running low. He'd go to the store and buy those groceries, staying below the budget. Afterwards, he'd go home, change into his work uniform, and go to his part-time job, which was helping out with inventory in a warehouse facility. At around eight o' clock, he would depart his work and go home. He'd heat up some instant ramen, study while eating, take a hot bath, study some more, read his novel, and go to sleep.

In actuality, he didn't have to do this mental list. This was his daily schedule except for weekends when he didn't have school, work, or when he didn't need to buy groceries.

Yes, it was a school violation to have a part-time job, but he needed the money. Although he was accustomed to living without a family, it was difficult not having any money. Money meant food and shelter. He needed to pay rent monthly, too.

Kakashi was about to head downstairs to buy some juice when a teacher stopped him in his tracks.

"Hatake Kakashi, am I right?" he asked.

Kakashi nodded.

"I have a favor to ask of you. Come with me, please."

A bad feeling rose inside of him.

He entered a meeting room meant for the teachers and other staff. There were about four teachers and other people—they looked pretty official-looking—seated at the table, one being Namikaze-sensei who smiled at him. The teacher who approached Kakashi told him to take a seat next to Uchiha Fugaku, the chief policeman. Fugaku gave Kakashi an emotionless stare; Kakashi could detect spots of resentment in his dark eyes.

Someone cleared his throat.

Across from Kakashi was the leader, or Hokage, of Konoha, Sarutobi Hiruzen. His eyes widened, seeing him in all his glory just a few feet away from him. He had two bodyguards—ANBU, to be specific—rooted at his left and right side. The Hokage was smoking a pipe. He had a couple of documents scattered around his part of the table. There was a picture of someone on one of the documents, but Kakashi couldn't quite see the picture.

"Close and lock the door, Futushima-sensei," he commanded.

Futushima bowed. "Yes, Hokage-sama," he said respectfully, acquiescing.

Sarutobi glanced towards Kakashi's way. "Hatake Kakashi, son of Hatake Sakumo," he stated. "How are you feeling?"

At the mention of his deceased father's name, Kakashi felt tense. "Fine, Hokage-sama," he replied politely.

He nodded. He picked up a document and skimmed through it. "I apologize for ordering Futushima-sensei to get you so suddenly, Kakashi."

"It's fine, Hokage-sama." Kakashi didn't know what to say. He was afraid he might say something wrong, so he kept his replies brief.

"You see, I have a favor to ask of you. We all do. I'm sure you heard that your school has a new student, a first year. She came from Sound, as you may know. Word spreads pretty fast in high school as I've heard." He took out his pipe, a puff of smoke flying out. "The new student is a girl, sixteen-year-old. Her name is Mitarashi Anko. She's a rather … lively child. She may need help in getting acclimated to her surroundings, in school and out of school. I have provided her shelter and a job."

Kakashi was quite confused towards what was happening. Why was the Hokage telling him such confidential information?

"Her job is at a supermarket. It's a few blocks down where your job is located at."

He gulped inaudibly.

The Hokage saw that. "It's all right, Kakashi. I understand the situation you're in. You may continue working there. But back to Mitarashi." He held up a file. "It says here that she used to be a resident of Konoha."

What? Kakashi thought, more bewilderment clouding his mind.

"You are in the kendo club, aren't you, Kakashi? You also took martial arts classes, and your sensei told me that you were a remarkable student, surpassing even his greatest students. You possibly surpassed your sensei, too. You're at the top of your class, at the top of your school. You've overcome many, many hardships." Sarutobi set the papers down. He looked directly through Kakashi's eyes. "Mitarashi is a brave girl for escaping Sound. But eventually, they will find out and go after her. What I'm trying to say is—"

"That you would like me to protect Mitarashi Anko?" Kakashi finished.

The Hokage nodded. "Yes, if you may."

It was incredibly discourteous of him to turn down such a huge responsibility, one that cost his life. The Hokage actually traveled all the way to his school and asked him face-to-face if he could guard this Mitarashi girl. This situation he was in must be life-threatening, which was apparent since they were dealing with Sound.

"I … would like some time to think about it, Hokage-sama."

"I would give you that, but I'm afraid you have to make a decision right now, Kakashi. I understand you're only eighteen-years-old, still in high school, but I consider you as an adult already. I wouldn't ask just anybody. Mitarashi's a target. She's against a group of criminals who won't stop to kill her or anyone who gets in their way. Their leader … has a dark, dark mind. He might torture her first before anything else if they were to capture her."

Of course. Sound would have to have a leader. A mere group of people wouldn't last without a mastermind hidden.

"I accept, Hokage-sama," Kakashi said without delay. "I would like to meet her as soon as possible, though."

Sarutobi smiled sheepishly. "Of course. But once you meet her … well, good luck. She's a hyperactive little teen. She's different than most regular teens. I would take her strange personality over the tainted personalities over in Sound, however."

Before Kakashi left, the Hokage gave him some rules and regulations. He mustn't leave Mitarashi out of his sight at all times. He must walk her home, walk her to school, or walk her anywhere else she would please to go. But it was advisable that she shouldn't expose herself all that much. Her home was near Kakashi's, so it was easier to get her and communicate with her. He mustn't tell anyone about this circumstance. He must keep a close eye on Mitarashi in case she might be a spy for Sound, which Kakashi thought she could very well be.

He let out a sigh as he thought about the events that had just happened. Everything that occurred, everything that was said and done, was swirling around in his mind. He knew this was a huge, huge, huge responsibility. But as he thought about it more and more. he began to realize that he was a fool for accepting. He was only eighteen-years-old and was living a normal life. He managed to juggle school, his job, and living alone effortlessly. Now with this, he knew his normal life would change drastically.

Kakashi entered his classroom and saw that it was completely vacant. His textbooks and notebooks were set neatly upon his desk. His bag was hanging on the hook attached to his desk. He walked over to his desk and gathered his belongings. He grabbed his bag and exited the classroom. He paced down the hallway, his light footsteps echoing.

As soon as he came home, Kakashi dumped his bag on the couch. He opened it and took out the documents the Hokage had entrusted him with. He went over to his dining table and splayed the papers across just to see everything. He placed the information regarding Mitarashi Anko in front of him.

He took in her appearance, memorizing every detail. She had purple hair with bangs that moved to the side a bit and strands of hair framing her face; her hair was also tied up high, spiking up. She had a light complexion and light brown eyes. Concerning her eyes, he couldn't quite see her pupil; it almost dissolved in to the brown color. Her physical appearance gave off the feeling that she shouldn't be easily trusted. He wasn't sure if it was because she "escaped" Sound or because of the uneasy look her eyes held underneath.

His eyes absorbed in the written information about Mitarashi. Her birthdate was October 24, and she was sixteen-years-old. She had been a citizen of Konohagakure, having being born there as well. But she had suddenly disappeared, along with some other people, when she was around ten-years-old. She was considered an orphan, because she had no trace of any living relatives.

He set the document down and held up another that contained her medical records. Her blood type was A. She weighed 100 pounds, and her height was 5'4". She was pretty underweight for her height. Kakashi always knew that females at that height were supposed to be roughly 115 pounds.

Something caught his eye.

Apparently Mitarashi had a check-up at the hospital before she was automatically registered for his school. She was healthy, but the doctors detected something wrong with her blood. It seemed fine, but there was a strange chemical mixed in with it. The chemical was mixed in thoroughly, so it would make it impossible to detect such a thing at first glance. They did tests; however, they couldn't find anything the chemical could possibly inflict upon her.

Kakashi was about to continue reading more when his dog, Pakkun, came and nudged his leg with its head. He looked down.

"What is it, Pakkun?" he asked, bending down to pet his head.

Pakkun barked and gestured its head over to the clock.

Kakashi checked the time and saw that he was supposed to be at this part-time job thirty-eight minutes ago. He sighed, gathering the documents in a tidy pile. He went into his bedroom and quickly changed into regular clothing. He didn't bother taking a bath, because he was going to sweat and get even more filthy and malodorous.

He went to the kitchen and rummaged through his refrigerator. He took out a plate of food and placed it on the ground for Pakkun. On the way out, he petted Pakkun, grabbed his bag filled with necessities, and left.

Instead of walking, Kakashi merely strolled down the pathway directed to his work. He was already late, so what was the point of running over? Anyways, walking to his job only took about fourteen minutes since his work was quite near. And the afternoon looked so peaceful and beautiful; he wanted to breathe in the fresh air and clear his mind, hoping to alleviate the amount of stress in his head.

Kakashi contemplated on visiting the dojo sometime soon. He needed to brush up on his skills since he knew extremely dangerous conflicts could sneak up upon him whenever. He hadn't used his fighting skills in a long time; the last time was when had been participating in competitions sponsored by the dojo. He felt a bit rusty.

He made a left and the warehouse facility came into view. His co-workers were busy loading packages in the delivery truck. His boss was at the side, holding a clipboard and jotting down notes. When Kakashi took a few more steps forward, his boss suddenly looked at Kakashi's direction. His eyes narrowed underneath his spectacles.

"Late again, I see, Kakashi," his boss, Sakimoto Keisuke, said disappointedly. "What's your excuse this time, huh?"

"I got lost on the road of life, Sakimoto-san," Kakashi informed him. "It's quite a winding road."

His boss was clearly unconvinced. "Uh-huh, I'm sure. I don't know why you always come late. You're fortunate enough to know that if it weren't for the fact that you're my best employee, I would've fired you on the dot. Now, go and get goin'!"

Kakashi bowed respectfully and went over to the locker room. He opened his locker and put his bag inside. He changed into his uniform quickly. He departed the room and started helping out his fellow co-workers.

At around seven-thirty at night, Kakashi left work. The streets were strangely quiet and empty. But it was probably because the weather at night got chilly and windy most of the time. Parents wouldn't want to risk their children catching a cold. Some people would be wandering the streets, however. A lot of conveniences stores should be still open since they most of them were open for 24 hours. It was indeed strange in his view.

He rubbed his hands together, cupped his hands, and blew in them for warmth. He wasn't normally affected by the cold weather, but it was incredibly freezing. He regretted wearing a simple T-shirt, a thin one at that.

Luckily, the streetlights were still working properly. He brought his bag in front of him, opened the large pocket, and fished around for the map to Mitarashi's apartment. He remembered the Hokage informing him that her abode was near his. It shouldn't be difficult finding it. He looked at the simple directions illustrated on the map. He started walking to his destination.

As he walked, Kakashi felt like someone was following him. Now, he wasn't a paranoid person, but he had good instincts and acute senses. He was known to be highly observant, and his sense of smell was pretty adept. He chose to keep going, keeping a cautious eye out.

Finally, he reached the apartment building. It oozed out normality and peace. It was just two or three blocks down his building. It really was that easy.

His instincts started screaming at him.

He became alert, ready to strike the person stalking him. He acted casual, though, so he wouldn't show that he was aware of whoever the person was. He placed the map back inside his bag.

All of a sudden, he felt a sharp metallic just mere centimeters from his throat.

A/N –

This is my first Anko&Kakashi story, a multi-chaptered one. I hope my skills at characterization suffice for your guys. And the chapters should be much longer than a mere 3,000 words. I don't like writing chapters that are short.

I don't update fast enough, because I don't have my own laptop and I hardly ever have any time. It took me days—possibly two weeks—to actually gather ideas for this story. And I hope my writing juice stays sweet inside of me, or else … this story will be a whole crap-load of … crap. I have a lot of ideas for this story, and I'm super-mega excited to write them, too.

But first … I got to get through the beginning chapters—which are the boring ones. Ugh.

Hope you darlings enjoy!

Here's a question: what's your all-time favorite pairing in Naruto?

⌈ eat dots ⌋