disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the characters contained therein, they belong to Masashi Kishimoto who is kind enough to let fans write fiction. I make no profit from this nor do I intend to.

A/N: This is in response to Wheelwright's last Hidden Life of Morino Ibiki review. Bless her soul for always keeping me thinking! XOXOX!

Secrets and Gossip

"Secrets are made to be found out in time"

(Charles Sanford)

"No one gossips about other people's secret virtues"

(Bertrand Arthur William Russell)

Ayumu and Ibiki sat in their hammock that they had brought from Ayumu's old house across the street. There was no way that either of them were ever going to give it up. It was the perfect size (and strength) to hold them both comfortably, and they had become quite attached to it. As was usual they were laying with their heads at each end, and Ibiki as was his usual job was to have one leg over the side so he could slowly rock them side to side. The afternoon was late and he had just gotten back from ANBU, but it was still a little to early for either of them to want to eat, so it was natural to automatically drift out back and ensconce themselves in the hammock.

Ibiki was uncharacteristically quite though. One arm was behind his head while the other was slowly rubbing her foot, but Ayumu could tell that something was on his mind. She was unsure if she should interrupt his thoughts as she had always been very sensitive to not prying too much into his affairs. However, if she really was prying into them then he would be sure to tell her. He had no compunctions about not giving in to all her questions. He wasn't broodingly rude or brusque, he would just tell her that he was thinking about something at work, and she would nod and leave him in peace. Sooner rather then later he would break his silence and continue on with their normal life together. So she felt nothing hindering her explorations.

"Ibiki, care to share? You seem awfully pensive over there."

Ibiki lifted his head slightly and gave her a contemplative look. She blinked back and sat up slightly. With a secondary nature he reached out and held a hand as she balanced herself and became more comfortable in a sitting position.

"Is everything ok, bear?" She patted a thigh with one hand and clasped the hand holding her other tighter. She gave a nervous smile as his expression hadn't budged. In fact, a small frown creased his forehead. The smile that she held dropped slightly. She could practically see his mind moving a mile a minute as something was definatly going on behind his eyes. "What Ibiki?" she said quietly. "Did I do something wrong...?"

At her statement his face lost the pensive look and cleared immediately. "No,sweet heart. You didn't do anything wrong. But I am curious though..."

"About what?"

He threaded his fingers through hers and cocked his head to the side. "Tell me what you know about ANBU, and more specifically, what do you know about their masks..."

Ayumu blinked in confusion, but didn't stop to think about his request. She just answered automatically. "Well, I know what everyone else know, I guess. ANBU are special nins that do secret things. As to their masks? They cover their faces so you can't see who it is." She shrugged and frowned. "Why?"

"Well, you made a comment the other day about the masks, and in particular who they belonged to."

"Oh, you mean Genma's?"

Ibiki nodded. "Yes, how did you know? Not only that, how do you also know about Kakashi's and Gai's?"

He looked at her seriously and had an expression on his face that she couldn't quite fathom. She couldn't tell if he was pissed or curious, or even both. The only thing that she did know was that this wasn't one of her times to try and get the mickey from him, and that for some reason this conversation was very important to him.

"Well, you do see ANBU in the streets now and again. They don't exactly hide themselves. They are out in the open, and from what I have heard even when outside Konoha. People have seen them on the road coming or going."

Ibiki nodded again. "And?"

"And? And the white armor makes them stand out, so when you see them you can't help but really take a good look at them." Ayumu shook her head. "I don't know what you are getting at, Ibiki."

"But how did you know about Genma's mask in particular?"

Ibiki asked the question quietly but a certain steeliness had crept into his eyes. Ayumu wanted to question him, but she knew that the moment was not right. First he wanted his questions answered, and then he might be more amiable to answering any of hers.

A look of understanding seemed to creep up over her face. "Do you want to ask me if he ever told me?"

Ibiki said nothing and made no move to shake or nod his head. But Ayumu knew better, so she answered the unspoken question.

"Well, think about it. The mask only covers the front of the face. ANBU nins don't wear anything else on their head. They also wear form fitting clothing under their armor, and again they wear nothing over that. So, the back of the head and hair is highly visible. And people all have unique stances, so if you know someone well enough you can pretty much figure out who it might be. Genma has bright blonde hair, and he has a certain way of standing and walking that I can easily recognize. He never told me that he was ANBU, but the few times that I saw that bright hair and that cocky walk I just knew that it was him. He never stopped to talk to me or even acted like he knew me, but I did know it was him. Senbon or no."

"What about Kakashi and Gai?" Ibiki's eyes narrowed imperceptibly.

Again Ayumu couldn't tell if he was upset or just avidly curious, but she still knew to only answer his question. He still did not seem in the mood to answer any of hers.

"Well, Kakashi is in the BINGO Book, right?"

Ibiki's eyes flared briefly at the mention of the nin catalog. "And what do you know about the BINGO Book?" Ibiki was still laying back with an arm behind him and a hand on her foot, but she could now see that his curiosity was highly peaked. His voice was also slightly terse.

"Well... I, like a lot of other people know that it exists, and that it is supposedly a list of nins that are wanted, but for what reasons I can only guess. I am assuming that they are threats in one way or another. As to Kakashi being in the book, that really isn't too much of a secret or even hard to figure out. He is well known for being the Copy Cat Nin, right? He also is one of Konoha's elite, right? So it would only seem right that he would be in it." She looked away for a brief moment as if to gather her thoughts or courage. When she looked back her face was smooth but a small amount of distress could be heard in her voice. "I can also only assume that you are in it as well..."

Ibiki said nothing but rub her hand in his gently.

She gave a nervous smile and squeezed his hand back. "I guess being in the BINGO Book is both a good thing as well as a bad thing. It is good that you are in it because it means that you are talented and dangerous enough to warrant such an 'honor'. But again, that 'honor' also comes at a price..."

"It's not as bad as it seems," Ibiki said lying to her. He didn't want to cause her any distress, and as much as he hated lying he also didn't want her to worry or fret about it. It was something that he didn't want her to ruminate on. He also was proud to see that she didn't ask him out right if he really was in it. She just calmly accepted its existence and went on with things.

Ibiki wanted to get the subject away from him and the damn BINGO Book. "But how do you know about Kakashi's mask, Ayu?"

"His hair is very distinctive Ibiki."

"But how do you know, Ayu?"

"Ive seen him with Genma once or twice, and then when I got to know him I put two and two together." Ayumu looked at Ibiki with a slightly confused look. She wasn't sure where this was all leading to. "Plus, I remembered a woman that supposedly slept with him and referred to him as being a 'wolf'. Then, when I thought back to the masks that I saw that day one of them was a wolf. So again, it didn't take much to put two and two together."

"Now what about Gai?"

"Gai too is very distinctive. That bowl hair cut draws everyone's eyes to him." Ayumu looked at Ibiki with sudden realization. He couldn't seem to figure out how she could recall all that information. "Ibiki, I'm an artist, and I can say without sounding too pompous and conceited that I am a very good one."

Ibiki smiled and nodded his head. She was certainly right there.

"And as a very talented artist I also have to be very observant. If I see something while I am out and about that interests me I remember as much as I can so I can maybe use it for later. We are trained to do that. We take a class in which we go out and do nothing but observe, and then go back to the classroom later and draw as close to the truth as we can."

Ibiki thought that the concept was an interesting one. It was just as interesting as her class in color interpretations and their meanings. Another interesting tidbit that he might use to teach nins with. All nins had to be good in relaying information verbally, and most were. But sometimes drawing things helped to bring out details that might have been forgotten during a verbal or written report. He didn't think that it would be a big hit, but it might give him more then a few laughs here and there. Especially if he could hand in reports that were drawings to the Hokage. That would piss her off...

"So though I didn't know who they were at the time, their distinct physical features that I could see stuck out," she said patiently. "And Ibiki," she said looking at him with a straight and serious face, "unless you want ANBU masked nins to be totally secret you have two, big things going against you."

Ibiki raised a brow at the slightly exasperated sounding statement.

"One, change the outfits and their habits. Cover the hair and body more. Don't let them roam the streets in broad daylight where anyone can see them. I bet even other non-ANBU nins know who's in and who isn't." She started to take on a tone that she kept for her more stubborn students.

Ibiki gave a small, amused smile and nodded for her to continue.

"Secondly, if you want to keep something a secret: don't tell anyone. People are just people, and at some time or another we all slip. It may be unintentional or it may not be. It is human nature to not divulge something at least once in your life."

Ibiki's eyes hardened. "I've never given anything up that was meant to stay hidden," he said with a soft growl.

She nodded and immediately tried to pacify his ire with conciliatory rubs on his leg. "I know Ibiki, but you aren't like most people. You are just different, and I'm not saying that to pacify you or be patronizing. You are just made of sterner stuff then other people. Very few if any have your mental and physical constitution."

Ibiki seemed to relax slightly, but he still held her gaze firmly with his own. "And I know for a fact that you've never given anything up either, Ayu," he said trying to offer his own form of apology for his rough behavior.

Ayumu gave a small chuckle. "I just never had anything interesting to divulge maybe? Who knows how I would really be." She shrugged. "Maybe I would just be like anyone else. Maybe I would have said something to Hideo if he had-"

"But you didn't Ayu. And if you did I wouldn't have blamed you. Not. One. Bit." Ibiki said sternly. He didn't like her to be reminded of that time. It still rubbed and galled at him like a cancerous sore. Even with the man dead Ibiki wished that he was alive just so he could kill him again... "And I would make sure that no one else did either."

She saw that Ibiki was once again tense as his eyes had taken on a hardness and his voice was a low growl. "You're sweet Ibiki, but you and I both know that I just don't have the constitution for such a job. And it is probably to the benefit of all that I'm not a nin."

Ibiki gave her a look filled with patience, understanding, and acceptance. "I know Ayu that you have kept some things close to your vest. I know that you can keep a secret. You have never divulged anything about us to other people. You have always kept the faith between us. Besides," he said kissing her finger tips, "I told you time and again that you being a nin wouldn't interest me."

Ayumu smiled softly and nodded. "I have kept my own secrets- with other people that is, but never with you. Or if I have they have only been things that I consider to be monumental failures on my part. As to keeping our faith I do it because it is our business and I respect our privacy." As negative as her belief in herself might have sounded she gave no outward appearance of self pity.

"There are no monumental failures in your life Ayu. Only people that have failed you monumentally," he said firmly and with a look that would brook no argument or even further discussion. "But let's get back to the BINGO Book...How is it that someone like yourself, and I mean someone that has spent most of her life in Hiraku know about it?"

Ayumu smiled at Ibiki's devotion to her and her lopsided ways. Her heart clenched as she once again thought how lucky she was to have him. And as to keeping them a secret? Well, it was really because she didn't want anyone (and specifically another woman) to try and slide their way in. Ibiki was all hers and she wanted it to stay like that. It might sound selfish and paranoid, but there it was.

"Well, just by the fact that the BINGO Book is so secret it in turn becomes a well-known secret. I really don't know with certainty who is or isn't in it, or even what it really means, but the mystique around it make it larger then life and food for public speculation, and especially around non-nins. And because it is so secret and so talked about the rumors, speculation, and possibilities surrounding it become larger then life. But, everyone knows that hidden within each myth is a kernel of truth. So eventually someone gets something right."

Ibiki seemed to contemplate her civilian wisdom. He was impressed at what she knew or what she had heard. What really seemed to interest him was the fact that she had gotten so much of it right...

"So how is it that you have seen so many ANBU, Ayu?"

Ayumu gave a goofy grin and rolled her eyes. "Grief Ibiki...you don't know much about women, or young girls do you? And especially girls that are non-nin." She couldn't seem to help herself to giggle softly and rub his thigh with slightly more pressure then she had been doing previously.

His interest was becoming even more peaked. "Meaning?"

My meaning Ibiki is this: to us non-nin girls you nin, and you ANBU nin in particular are sexy. You are eye-catching. You are dangerous. And if I had ever seen you out in the streets in your armor then that certainly would have caught my eye. I probably would have never forgotten it."

"You think that we are smexy?"

Ayumu nodded and wiggled her toes against him. "Oh, without a doubt..."

Ibiki seemed more then slightly mollified, as he now let a slow, smug smile spread over his face. "So is that what you thought when you looked in my closet and saw my ANBU armor?"

Ayumu flushed and looked away briefly in guilt. She had never made it a secret that she had looked through his closet, but neither did she bring it out into the open. "I'm sorry Ibiki, I wasn't prying or snooping. I just hung up some shirts of yours and it was kinda there...Honest."

"It's ok Ayu, I don't mind. It isn't like me being in ANBU is any secret." He finally sat forward and put his arms around her waist, and leaned forward with a sparkle in his eyes. "So, Ayu...what were you thinking when you saw my armor? Did you try it on?"

Ayumu looked at him in surprise but still her face was slightly pink. "No Ibiki, I didn't try it on. Heaven's, why would I do that? Sounds awfully silly if you ask me..."

"But what were you thinking?" Ibiki could see her squirming and trying to move the conversation away from some guilty secret that she harbored. It was all so delectable.

"Well...I did admire the size of it, and I certainly liked the mask. Very striking."

"What else?" His dark eyes danced knowingly.

Ayumu looked at him and her eyes were pinned by his own. Her look of surprise was not hidden. How could he have known, or even suspected? How could he have known that the first thing that she thought was what it would have been like to have him creep into her room in the dead of night and stand at the foot of her bed fully dressed in his ANBU gear and saying nothing. A secret thrill had run down her back at the thought of the large and silent intruder watching her from behind his tribal bear mask. The dark eyes would barely be seen, but the predatory sensations would be unmistakable. Coupled that with the sleek armor and his deadly weapons and the sensation of being totally at his mercy thrilled her. She had to firmly concentrate to control the shiver of once again visiting that dark secret.

"Nothing else, Ayu?"

Ayumu tried to put up a false front of disinterest in order to throw him off the scent. "No, I can't seem to recall anything beyond thinking how interesting it all was." She shrugged negligently and looked at a few of her nails with sudden interest.

Ibiki gave a small grunt and kept his thoughts to himself on the matter. He knew exactly what she had been thinking. He could see the guilty flush written plainly across her face. She had been imagining what he must look like in the armor and maybe even as he paid her an unannounced, midnight visit. He could imagine her thoughts as she probably played some sort of burglar fantasy in her head. She had probably wondered what it would have been like to wake up and find that he had crept in and invaded her personal space as she slept. He would have been standing silently and waiting patiently until some subconsciously prehistoric preservation factor forcefully triggered her awake. She would be lying quietly and helplessly in her bed as she tried to quickly push the last remnants of foggy sleep aside while simultaneously trying to quickly process the situation. He could just imagine the unbidden and thrilling emotion coming to the front as she took in the idea of him watching her from the shadows of her room. Her personal space would be invaded and there would be nothing that she could do about it. They both would have known that she was trapped and at his silent mercy. But at the same time there wouldn't be anything that she would want to do about it. It was just so her. He thought that maybe some night he would give in and treat her to her secret fantasy...

Ayumu nervously cleared her throat. "Honestly Ibiki, you think some strange things sometimes. Sometimes people aren't as perversely convoluted as you seem to think...You've been working at ANBU too long."

"Some people are very perversely convoluted in their thinking, but you just aren't one of them," he said mysteriously.

"What do you mean by that?" she said with a small yelp. Her face was turning beet red but she still tried to keep up the front that she had no idea what he was talking about.

Ibiki chuckled darkly and tweaked her nose. "It means exactly what I said. You are crystal clear to me Ayu. Nothing wrong with that or any thoughts that you might have...especially if they are about me."

"And they are?!" Ayumu was starting to panic slightly.

Ibiki said nothing but watch her reactions with growing delight. She could still be so sexually shy sometimes, and that was something that never ceased to amaze or excite him. Especially since he was so jaded and cynical himself. To find a mate that looked to him for tutelage or to fulfill certain fantasies sent shivers through him. It was all too perfect.

"Hmm," was all she could say. She was quiet but then she looked up at him questioningly. "Ibiki, can I ask you a few questions now?"

"You can ask, but I might not answer. It all depends," he answered truthfully.

Ayumu nodded. "Of course. Understandable, but I don't think that my questions will be that delving or pertain to any secrecy."

Ibiki looked at her with his fathomless black eyes and said nothing.

Ayumu clutched at his thighs slightly and a small frown of worry that couldn't be helped started to form. "Ibiki, are you upset that I know about ANBU masks and the BINGO Book? I mean, I didn't pry into anything of yours..."

Ibiki kept paper work at the house, and never was it hidden away. Neither did she ever even look at it. None of it ever even interested her. She wasn't intrigued by what could possibly be considered 'Top Secret' things. Maybe that made her simple or lacking in curiosity, but she truthfully wasn't even tempted. But most of all she felt that it was none of her business, and she never wanted him to think that she couldn't be trusted. A small pain clutched at her chest.

Before Ibiki could answer her she spoke in a tone that started to show her discomposure. "I honestly never looked at anything Ibiki...I never pried into your work stuff or anything...I just by mistake found the ANBU clothing in your closet when I was putting something away-"

"Ayu, I told you that it was fine about you seeing the armor I don't mind. Hell, even Fujiwara-san knew that I was in ANBU. Everyone knows that I'm ANBU."

"I never knew that you were in ANBU until..."

"Until Fujiwara-san told you. See? You are just confirming everything that you told me. I never had to tell you what I did, but some how you just knew. And I am sure that once you found out where I worked that you must have done a little asking around, right? For curiosities sake? That is only normal."

Ayumu once again let a small flush creep up at being caught red-handed. She had asked around in an off-handed way, and the only people that she knew to ask were non-nins around Hiraku, and the answers that she had gotten ran the gamut of speculation...

Flashback

Ayumu had just been re-instated back to work after her short and embarrassing detention regarding the KMP debacle. She was sitting in her office with Hiroshi and a few other teachers who had stopped by to offer their salutations, condolences, and irritation at the whole affair. What really had people buzzing was the fact that it had been Morino Ibiki who had come to her rescue. Everyone but Hiroshi seemed astounded, mystified, and intrigued by the whole matter. Ayumu and Hiroshi had tried to move the conversation along and away from Ibiki. Hiroshi had just off-handily said that Ibiki had been passing through, and as a neighbor and Fujiwara-san's tenant he had only done a Good Samaritan deed.

"I don't know Hiroshi," Taya Okina said shaking her head in disbelief. She was down the hall from Ayumu and taught reading and writing skills to some of the younger students. She was also a new teacher and as such it was the reason that she was upstairs on the third floor with all the other junior educators. "I've heard stories about the man, and none of them point to someone being a Good Samaritan..."

"What have you heard Taya?" Shinjin Ryuk said with avid curiosity before either Hiroshi or Ayumu could intercede on Ibiki's behalf. He was also a junior teacher and one who taught music. He was Hiroshi's office mate, and as such collaborator on many of Hiroshi's drama projects. They weren't exactly friends, but since they had to share office space they did get along.

"She hasn't heard anything," Hiroshi said with disdain.

Taya looked at Hiroshi and met him stare for stare. "Just because we live in Hiraku doesn't mean that we are hermits, you know," she said with a narrow gaze. "Some people do have nins in their family, and as such we do hear things."

"Like what?" Hiroshi said looking down his nose at her.

"Like that Morino Ibiki is ANBU..."

"So?" Ayumu said lightly as possible. She could see the beginning of an ugly cat fight between the two. She knew that Hiroshi wasn't too fond of Taya and it was no secret that Taya thought that Hiroshi was nothing more then an over-the-top drama queen.

"So?! ANBU, Ayumu, ANBU. ANBU means nins that kill and torture. And I also know that he is in charge of nins that take specialty cases..." Taya shook her head sadly at Ayumu's supposed ignorance.

"Specialty cases?" Shinjin said stoking the fire. He was a timid man that lived vicariously through others (and Hiroshi in particular), and the thought of such a man saving the day for Ayumu filled him with a secret thrill.

"Yes, Shinjin, specialty cases. Like he captures spies and then tortures them- to death..."

"I wish that someone would capture you and torture you to death...Do us all a big favor," Hiroshi said none too quietly. He liked Ibiki, an the more that he was getting to know him the more he liked him. And he knew that Ayumu liked him as well, and that fact alone meant a lot to him. "I don't know where you get your information from Taya but it sounds like bullshit..."

"Even I've heard about some of the things that ANBU does, Hiroshi," Shinjin said quietly. "Even if you haven't heard about it then at least you have to know that something like that has to exist. Even I know that we have to do something with captured nins..."

Taya nodded her head smugly. "And we do. We interrogate, torture, and then kill them. We have to. What do you think that we do Hiroshi, just let them go? Of course not! We can't let them go back to wherever they came from. How ridiculous...and even more ridiculous that you think that it doesn't exist...I even know that they have this book or scroll, or something that is a list of dangerous nins. What's it called again?" Taya tapped her forehead and pouted as she tried to remember. "Something like ...like..."

"The BINGO Book?" Hiroshi said scathingly. "Fuck Taya, if you are going to pass around gossip at least make sure that it is right. For your information the BINGO Book is a compilation made by every Hidden Village of missing and/or S-class nins that are deemed a threat to the village's security." Hiroshi leaned in and smirked evilly at Taya. "For someone with nins in their family you don't seem to have your facts very straight...And as to what ANBU does and what it doesn't do? All you need to know is that it protects us. End of story."

He looked at Ayumu out of the corner of his eyes and was glad to see that her face was imperturbable. For all intensive purposes she looked unfazed by the revelation. He and Fujiwara-san and spoken privately the other day about Ibiki being in ANBU and what that might all mean. Ibiki was certainly a big jump for someone like their Ayumu. Fujiwara-san had said that she knew that Ibiki was ANBU, and though she might not know exactly what he did she didn't think that he swept the hallways. When he had told Ayumu about Ibiki working for such an organization she surprisingly didn't seem too fazed by it all. All she had said to him was that by his appearance, personality, and professional pull that he certainly had to be someone not within the rank and file. It has been said with a nonchalance that had at first surprised him. She hadn't displayed any of the usual expressions that he would have thought. Her eyes hadn't gotten big and there was not a look on her face of disbelief or wonder.

He wondered if Ibiki had said anything to her about his work. No, Ibiki looked like a man that wasn't prone to talking about his job. And certainly not to someone like Ayumu. But still, what had her so calm about it all...?

Ayumu sat quietly as the three argued on and on about Ibiki and ANBU in general. She sighed deeply inside. For people that lived in a village where about half were nin or associated closely with nin you would think that they wouldn't seem so enthralled by it all. They saw nin on the streets all the time and all over. The Nin Academy was what most youngsters aspired to. It also wasn't as if being a nin seemed boring- far from it. She still couldn't help the small, secret thrill that she felt when on rare occasion she saw the masked ANBU coming or going through the village. They were stoic land sharks that swam through the crowd and looking neither left nor right. They stopped for no one. She even knew a few, though no one was supposed to talk about it. Her cousin Genma was ANBU. He never said anything and she never said anything, but they both knew that she knew. One time when she was out and about she came across two, masked ANBU coming towards her and without even a second glance she knew that one of them was Genma. His bright hair and cocky swagger was unmistakable. He was also walking with another man that had the most beautiful dark silver hair that she had ever seen. Neither man said or did anything to acknowledge her presence, and she in turn respected that by not acknowledging them in return. Even when she saw her cousin the very next day for one of their usual monthly get togethers she and he never mentioned their brief encounter the previous day. In fact, when they were together she and Genma never really spoke about what he did. The closest that he came to speaking about his nin work was to give playful or funny anecdotes about people that he knew or encountered. He certainly never talked about anything remotely secret or his dealings with death. And she always respected that. She always respected his privacy as his need to keep that life separate from theirs.

She also knew from the start that Ibiki was nin. The leaf logo that he wore on his hitai-ate was something that everyone knew was standard nin gear. She hadn't seen (or felt) any weapons on him, but that didn't mean that he went naked. He just had them hidden very well. The fact that his body, soul, and mind were so deeply etched in scars also let her know that the things that he had done were things not done lightly. The man was a walking, talking, and breathing testament to the way of the warrior. And he must have left a mighty big wake in his path as the officers at the KMP had been terrified of him. The mere whisper of his name had sent more then a few scurrying. And when he had shown up? Well, the rest brave enough to stick around had run for cover quickly.

But those were some of the things that she liked so much about Ibiki. She liked his over-whelming predatory aura and persona. He was a nin. He was an ANBU nin. He was an ANBU nin that preyed on the those that would hurt the helpless. People like her. Another thing that she liked about him was the fact that he not only portrayed strength and justice, but understanding, kindness and gentleness as well. She didn't think that he personified perfection, not by a long shot as she had more then once caught him acting up or was the target of his dark humor and sarcasm. They weren't talking to one another right now, and though it had only been a week it felt like a life time...

She looked out the window and gave a small sigh. She looked down suddenly as she felt Hiroshi's hand was covering hers and a look of understanding was in his eyes. She gave a brave smile and clasped his hand tightly. The smile suddenly fell from her face as she heard Taya say Ibiki's name...

"Don't say such things Taya. Ibiki is not, and I say most emphatically not a monster. I don't care what you've heard or what people think. I will not have him referred to in such terms in my presence..." Ayumu growled out and giving the other woman an icy stare. She could also feel Hiroshi stiffen beside her. "Morino Ibiki is brave, smart, and fearless nin who isn't afraid of anyone or anything!"

Taya gave Ayumu an almost pitying stare. "Ayumu, the man has, and for years I might add, been the Chief Interrogator over at ANBU. He can't have helped but have the job affect him in one way or another...You know what they say about looking into the abyss and all. Be realistic..."

Ayumu jumped up and without her even knowing it her hands were clenched into tight fists at her side. Her eyes were narrowed and her teeth were clenched. "I don't give a fuck what they say...I don't care that people are afraid of him- what they really are is afraid of themselves. I don't care that Morino Ibiki works some sort of interrogation. And I highly doubt that he cares what other people think about him either. Hell, I wouldn't even care if Morino Ibiki ate babies! No one ever says anything bad about Morino Ibiki in my office, and certainly not in my presence! Do you understand me?!""

Ayumu stood before the silent three and panting audibly from her tirade. Shinjin looked scared (as he was well aware of her temper), Taya looked disgusted, and Hiroshi looked happier then she had ever seen him. She turned away from the three and started to jam things into her carry-all.

"I'm leaving, I've had enough of all your stupid speculations for one day..." and she hauled herself and her things haphazardly out of her office, and leaving the stunned and smug trio behind her.

End Flashback

"I didn't ask around really, Ibiki...but I did hear a few things." She looked at his amused smile and gave him a staunch look of devotion. "And let me tell you Morino Ibiki that I put those that tried to malign you in their place! I told them that I didn't care what you did or who people thought you were. All that mattered was what I thought of you!"

Ibiki's eyes flared briefly and then turned deep and dark. He gathered her close and pulled her up and over so that she lay resting against him as he lay them both down. He held her tightly and found that he couldn't say anything. He closed his eyes and buried his face against her. She was his secret. Couldn't she understand why he was the way he was around other men in regards to her? He wanted to protect and cherish this, and keep it far from harm and other intruding males. His breathing increased slightly and he had to take a few moments of silence in order to get it back to normal.

"What did you have to say to shut them up?" Ibiki said with interest.

Ayumu was quiet for a moment but then Ibiki could feel her laugh against him. She sat up slightly and brushing a bunch of wayward curls off her face she looked down at him with a frown but laughter in her eyes.

"I told them that I didn't care if Morino Ibiki ate babies. All that mattered was what I thought about you, and I thought only the best about you and what you 'supposedly' did for a living."

There were few times in Ibiki's life when he had been stunned speechless. They didn't happen often, and the amusing part about it all was that Ayumu had been the reason behind each and every one. After hearing her say that she didn't care about him eating babies he didn't know what to say or even how to react. All he could do was look up at her with a stunned look.

"And I meant it Ibiki." She suddenly frowned and pursed her lips in a look of contemplation. "Oh, Ibiki...I hope that I didn't start some rumor about ANBU and you eating babies...Do you think...?"

All Ibiki could do was gather her once again against him and close his eyes. A small smile drifted across his face and he tried his best not to laugh out loud. When he felt her snuggle in against him and make herself nap-comfortable he couldn't help but let a small chuckle escape him.

Well, that answers that then...Wouldn't it be my luck to fall in love with the woman that inadvertently started the worst rumor of all about me? So that's where the idea that Morino Ibiki eats babies came from...