This is going to be a Zetsu whatever pairings story. It doesn't necessarily mean that a relationship occurs here. Sometimes it means that the two people listed on top are in the story. Anyways, I had this idea a long, long time ago. My only excuse is this: Zetsu needs love too. Oh yeah in this chapter the two of them are kids...which is a scary thought unto itself.

Zetsu x Anko

"There's something evil that lurks in your eyes, something that calls to me."

It was another boring day and young Mitarashi Anko hated it. Orochimaru was again collecting little boys and girls that could be useful 'tools.' Whatever. She twirled a kunai on her pointer finger as her irate attitude rose higher and higher.

"Grass country is so damn boring! This place sucks so hard core!" The foliage around her gave no sympathy to the young aspiring kunoichi. She had not seen one person since they got here. "Orochimaru-sensei you're such an ass!" In the deepest voice she could muster she began her imitation.

"Stay here little Anko," She stressed the 's' to get the slithering loud. "I'll be back soon enough to find you some playmates." The bushes to her right rustled and without thinking her kunai was thrown. They stopped moving and Anko barely had time to lean back before it was returned.

A small slit on the tip of her nose began to well with blood. Slowly she rubbed it off on the tip of thumb and sucked the appendage clean. Her eyes darkened as she looked towards the bush and heard it's occupant flee.

With something to focus on Anko partook of the hunt and chased the person through the forest. He ran under tree limbs and over fallen logs. He leaped across bushes and ran through creeks and little Anko did the same.

Opportunity presented itself and amplifying the chakra in her legs, she ran up a tree and used the

jump to implant herself on their back. The body beneath her groaned but remained motionless as cold steel touched bare skin.

"Well that was exciting! Now tell me your name and I might let you go." Face down in the dirt the voice that spoke was muffled and small. "Speak again I didn't hear you." He tried to talk and she grinned wickedly at knowing that he couldn't.

His hair was an odd color along with the skin on the back of his neck. For a moment that was nothing but his muffled breathing as cool fingers poked the right side of his cheek. Impassively he turned and put his left cheek into the ground an watched her through amber eyes.

Anko was suddenly unsure where her game had led to but never the one to back down, she made her demands.

"You a ninja?"

"Yes." His voice was soft and boyish, completely matching the chubby cheeks that softened the blank look in his eyes.

"Good because I'm bored and you're the first person I've seen all day. You're going to spar with me until Orochimaru-sensei wants to go." For a moment he examined her expression looking for something that Anko didn't know.

"You're not scared of my looks?" She eased off his back and slowly he sat up, turning towards her as he did. His right side was ebony and his left the color of ivory. Palest white and darkest black how the two split him down the middle was most interesting.

His eyes sat, glowing amber in the middle of both light and dark. His hair was green, ruffled due to the rough chase Anko put him through.

"It isn't anything special. Orochimaru-sensei has ashy skin and snake irises." Surprise chased away the forced blankness he put on his face.

"You're not scared?" Anko jumped to her feet, kunai at the ready.

"Enough talk all ready let's spar!" And so he joined her on her feet, kunai to kunai. Their way of fighting was inverse. Anko would be quick to strike out and the strange boy would calculate which strike would give the most damage. He was by far the more coordinated as she was the most spontaneous.

Each time he predicted her next move she would lash out in another way. After an hour or so of jabbing and scratching both opponents fell to the ground exhausted. Anko jumped to her feet stretching and grinning.

"Let's meet up here tomorrow afternoon too!" She started towards the direction of the hut before remembering something. "What's your name anyway?" The little boy looked up startled.

"My name is Zetsu."

"The name's Anko and don't forget it!" The young boy gave a small smile as the boisterous girl ran off.

"Anko...what a strange girl." Then the little boy too disappeared where he was meant to go. This occured for at least two weeks where the two unlikely people slowly became friends. And Zetsu figures there was something wrong with that girl Anko.

Something dark is always lurking behind her eyes. Something that is just waiting for the right outward thrust that would end her enemies life. It was strange for him to have noticed it in her eyes. Or maybe it was just his own darkness reflected back at him?

Whatever it was Zetsu likes it. He likes knowing that he's not the only one who feels the call of freedom. True freedom, to do whatever you want whenever you want. He was her friend as she was his. But after two weeks she never again came to their spot.

He waited their for many hours each day until finally he could take it no more. Many times he could hear her rough language and how she could careless what was spoken. Many times he would roughen his voice and imitate what he thought she would say.

"What are you doing idiot? Sitting here waiting for nothing. Go on and find someone to spar with. Make them enjoy pain!" What he had not known was that before meeting Anko, young and furious, he had no darkness to call his own.

It was sometime during his imitations that giggles could be heard coming from several bushes over. Slightly embarrassed, Zetsu went to investigate and he found a girl younger than he was. But when she saw him she screamed and started to run. But it's been so long and Zetsu partook of the chase like the dark voice said to.

He heard her squealing and tossed the kunai towards her. He expected her to jump, to dodge like Anko would have. But the silver blade impaled her between the rib cage and her squeals turned to sobs. He sat down on her back and wondered on a conversation with Anko weeks earlier.

"You know what would be cool? If you found a way to be more plantlike. But instead of being something pretty, be something like a venus flytrap. Those things are way cooler because they eat flies!"

"Please let me go!" The little girl below him sobbed louder but the voice was speaking and he couldn't stop now.

"But instead of eating flies you should eat people! Man that would be creepy." There was a light in his dark eyes, a black shine that was never there before.

How had he not known that some of her madness had leaked onto him? He couldn't understand how something like insanity could be passed from one to another human being. No, he wasn't human. The kunai was pulled out and plunged in again.

She kept crying and sobbing and pleading, little girl that she was. Anko never cried as he cut her in one of their sessions. The knife plunged into her neck. The crying stopped. Zetsu sat and thought and finally came to a conclusion.

Many years later when he spied her on a return home mission he noticed the many changes. Her body, her voice, her strength. All of her was changed but Zetsu did not mourn for what once was. He did however feel a twinge of pain when he noticed that the darkness in her eyes was gone.

Konoha morals squashing her wild ambition to rule the world. He did however notice the young students hopping along beside her. One of which was quite lovely, their was no darkness in her eyes and Zetsu wondered if maybe his darkness could leak over to her.

He turned from the young blonde girl with bright blue eyes to Anko. She laughed and chatted but then turned back to look in his direction. For a moment the darkness was there in full force and it brought his own. Chuckling softly he left her to her business and pondered once more what made her tick.

He never did understand the crazy wench and he never met another woman even minutely similar to her. He never really understood what Anko had done to him so many years ago. But sometimes he's sure she isn't even aware of her own darkness. Oh well, maybe that little blonde girl could show him something new...

"I dip into the madness and still I can not see, what you have done to me."