The night air was cool and crisp. The icy wind swayed Anko's dark violet hair across her face as she continued on her evening stroll through one of Konoha's largest and thickest forests. She walked a fairly quick pace, not too fast, not too slow, her hands resting in her trench coat pockets when she sensed an unknown presence. She was being followed. The brave Kunoichi stood her ground, scanned the area, her eyes showing the only sign of physical movement.
"Go!", she threw a kunai to a tree to the west. Nothing there. Next, a tree to the east, North, than south. Eyes closed,after biting her thumg hard enough to draw fresh blood, her hands united, forming many quick hand signs, her amethyst orbs shot open, her hand slammed down palm against the ground. The four kunai morphed into long thin silver serpents with an ominous grey aura as if they were ghosts.
Now, all she had to do was wait. She was safe now, in the circumference of the apparition like-snakes where she could get a clear look at her surroundings without the worry of being in danger in the process. There was no one in sight, but her other senses told her other wise.
In the blink of an eye, a shadow hovered above her, she threw three hidden razor sharp senbon kept in her trench sleeve, only to have them land into the tree trunk, again, a target missed.
"I don't understand, who's after me? And how on earth did they get through my four sacred serpents of light?", Anko began to panic inside, but her worrisome did not show on her face.
The shadow danced around her as she reached into her leg holster, grasped a poisoned tipped-kunai and was getting ready to aim and throw until the shadow appeared in front of her once again, much closer this time. A powerful hand grabbed her wrist, held it in place without a brutal squeeze with a strong grip that was somehow gentle at the same time.
The serpents hissed fiercely, and closed in on the intruder, their long needle fangs headed straight for the unknown stranger, until the night shade had vanished, and revealed a rather familiar face she wouldn't admit at the moment, happy to see.
"I see you've developed a new serpent -jutsu, Anko-chan"
The kunoichi's eyes widened for a brief moment, then narrowed.
"Kakashi you stalker! Why the hell did you sneek up on me like that?!", she swung her fist at his face, but it was easily caught with his free hand.
"Calm down, Love. I just happened to be out the same time and place as you"
" 'Just happened to be' my ass!", her wrist broke free from his grip and she took a second swing at his face.
This time, the silver-haired shinobi grabbed her arm, spun her around, her back now against his chest, locked one of her arms behind her back and the other behind her neck.
"You always were a spunky one", she struggled to release herself from the trap he made himself to be.
"I swear Kakashi, out of all the shinobi of Konoha, you are my least favorite! Sneeking around like that!", she snapped
"come now, I'm a ninja, that's what we do", Kakashi smiled with his one visible eye closed.
"Argh!", The burst of energy ran through Anko's bloodstream as she pulled a kunai out from her trench sleeve and aimed for the sneaky shinobi, only to have metal clang
against metal, he had pulled out a kunai at the same time. Checkmate
"That a girl", he grinned, of course you could only tell by his eyes.
"Damn it all Kakashi!", she thrust her foot into his stomach, causing him to drop his kunai, his eyes jolted open.
She shoved her palms on his chest and pushed him until he hit a tree, she wanted one shot, one sweet shot to hit this guy in the face to let him know she ment business, no matter what kind of affections she held for the son of the White Fang.
Her fist clenched, she mustered all of the strength harnessed within her, swung, but the speedy Kakashi switched places, she was now back against the tree, arms held and locked above her head by the man she'd search till the ends of the earth for.
"That hurt", his voice changed from playful to serious.
"You deserved it!", her violet orbs narrowed.
"I was just checking to see if you were keeping up on your jutsu"
"You just told me you 'happened' to be out for a walk like me!"
"I was on a walk, I never said I wasn't walking behind you"
Her eyes closed half way.
"What were you doing out here this late anyways?"
She stood silent for a moment, then answered quietly.
"I….was thinking"
"What about?", Kakshi's voice still in serious mode.
"….Orochimaru"
Kakashi's eye widened, he released her from her temporary state of prison.
"Why think about him after such a long time?"
"He…was the only person I looked up to, my only family. And even though he had evil intentions and I choose to leave him, and even though he's dead, I can't help but feel…."
Kakashi tipped his head slightly to the side like a cat in confusion.
"Empty. Had I been stronger, perhaps he would've chosen me over the Uchiha boy. Maybe then, I'd be worth something again, to someone"
"So you would've gone with him if you had the power and taste for blood?", Kakashi stood back with his arms folded.
"It wouldn't have mattered. I have no one, and being no one means you have nothing to be remembered by, no use, wouldn't make a difference if I was erased from Konoha. They could easily find another examiner"
"What are you saying Anko? That you'd rather live a violent and ruthless life than a calm settle one?"
"I'm saying that I'd rather live to fulfill some kind of purpose. I'm alone Kakashi. I'd expect you of all people to understand that"
"Is that why you're always pissed at me, Anko? Because I don't dwell on my loss like you do? Let me tell you something. I've lost every person I've ever loved or cared about in my life, and for a long time I felt like nothing. But living like that drives a person mad. Being alone, fearing nothing because you have nothing to loose can be such a great asset. We need more Shinobi like you, particularly Kunoichi. Strong women like you and your friend Kurenai. I moved on from that state of being. Why can't you Anko?"
"Because you've lost people you've loved, I lost someone I looked up to who ended up throwing me away like garbage. I can't ask you to put yourself in my place", her eyes narrowed, looking down to the side.
Thunder roared in the night sky, rain drops curtained over the forest, trickling down on the two leaf nin.
For a long time, it seemed, they stood there, avoiding eye contact with each other.
"You're….someone special, wether you think it or not", The kunoichi looked up and to the side at Kakashi with his wet silver hair feathered over his eyes, rain streaking down his face as he slowly pulled his mask down which concealed himself, who he was, what he felt, all the time. For once, this time, he could let it all go, come out from hiding. Her eyes slowly widened to their fullest extent as she lowered her arms from previously holding herself while she mourned. The mask had unraveled and lay atop his collar bone.
He took his time, one step after another, getting nearer and nearer to the 'would be scary examiner lady' until he was but a few inches away. They were close enough to feel breath on each other's skin.
Anko was in shock, not only because Kakashi had the most handsome face she ever laid eyes upon, but because he didn't leave her after all the complaining she had to get out of her system. He did not abandon her in time of need. He would never abandon her.
Kakashi's gazed into her eyes as she gazed back, entranced and still in shock she was the first one to see his face, and up so close. Anko placed two fingertips on his full soft, untouched, unexposed lips, then planted her hands on his broad chest. They didn't know what to say to each other. They didn't need to say anything. Kakashi pulled Anko into his chest, wrapped an arm around her slim waist and cupped the back of her head as his mouth was laced atop hers. Anko ran her fingers through his drenched silver hair, their tongs dueled. Finally, they broke away gasping for air, Kakashi held Anko close to him, his head lay against hers as he whispered softly in her ear, "We're both alone….because we need eachother "
