A/N: Hi again everyone! Boy I got you guys with that last one didn't I? Makes for really good reading though. Now, let's get in a little deeper still, shall we? Enjoy!

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Shizune repeated it again, because everyone standing around her looked like they hadn't heard her, "Apparently, Genma's going to take Kakashi's place."

The words resonated in the hallway. The significance of the words had the same impact on three of the four ninjas as closed fisted punches to the face.

Anko thought, he will NEVER take Kakashi's place. Not with me. He never could.

Genma thought, Please let me live, please let me live, PLEASE LET ME LIVE!

Kakashi thought so many things in his already tortured mind that he did the only thing he could do. He turned and walked away.

Anko looked frantically from Shizune to Genma, then she turned and ran after him. "Kakashi WAIT! Wait for me!" She caught up with him and tried to read his face, but since it was mostly covered like it normally was in public, she tried to assess his body language instead. The way he walked, held his head, and faced forward, said – nothing. His hands were open as he walked, not curled in angry fists. He didn't stomp his feet in anger – he walked casually, yet quickly to where – Anko didn't know. She didn't care either, wherever he went, she'd go too.

After walking through a few halls, Kakashi turned abruptly and opened a classroom door and walked inside. The lights were off and the place was deserted. The only light came streaming in through the windows that overlooked the training grounds. Anko closed the door behind her and locked it. She leaned against the door and watched him. He walked to the windows and looked out, almost as if he might try to open one and escape. Anko said, "Don't leave. Stay here with me."

He turned suddenly and faced her and said, "I could say the same to you." Then he turned to his right and walked down the row between some tables and the windows. Then he paced to the end of the room and back again.

Anko said, "I'll refuse the mission. I won't go with him. Shizune can go. Or maybe one of the other guys. Yeah, Gai! Maybe he can go."

"I can't do this now. I can't think. I have to go."

Anko rushed up to him and put her hands on his arms, trying to stop him from pacing. She said, "Hey. Hey! Hey. Kakashi. You can't run away from this. I don't have to go, really. I'll stay with you and go with you to your appointment. I'll help you through this."

Kakashi felt as if he were suffocating. It wasn't Anko, he loved her more than anything, but it was just too much everything all at once that had him overwhelmed. He needed to get away immediately. He stopped pacing and said, "I need to go now. Make an excuse to Tsunade if she asks. I'll come for you later."

Anko knew how he felt. Sometimes things got to be a little too much and some alone time was warranted. This seemed to be the one time that Kakashi himself really needed that alone time. She said, "Where will you go? When will you be back?"

"Don't worry. I'll come get you later."

"Ok?" Anko watched him as he pulled away from her, and without a second look, opened the window and left. She felt as if she'd been kicked in the stomach. She went to the window and watched him disappear. She was desperate to know where he'd gone, and when he'd be back. But in the state he was in, and with the recent news that she was assigned on a mission with Genma of all people, she thought it was best to let him go for a while. She decided to go back to Tsunade's office and see if she'd been able to get an appointment for Kakashi. She also had to tell her, that Kakashi had indeed left the building.

Kakashi ran. He ran as if the devil himself was chasing him. He ran until he ran out of breath. He was well away from the village when he stopped. He put his hand against a tree and stood still trying to catch his breath. He felt his fingers curl into the tree a bit, and he noticed a deep split in the tree, almost as if the tree had decided to grow into two trunks, but then thought better of it and stayed as one. The cavern in the tree looked pretty deep so he reached his hand inside it to feel how deep it truly was. It was dry and dusty inside must be shielded from rain. There were no animals in it. He looked up at the sky and the surrounding canopy of trees and memorized where the tree was. He decided may need it later.

He sat at the base of the tree and tried to figure out what the hell he was going to do. He wanted to hurt Genma, but he knew the man was only doing his job. Plus, he knew Genma was terrified of him ever since he'd asked Anko out, before he knew that she and Kakashi were an item. He wanted to fulfill his duties and continue to provide protection for the village and Anko. Anko. How the hell do I do this? Why is it so bad now? I've never had this problem before. This foreboding feeling of loss. It's too much. It's just too much.

He got up and turned back toward the village. He started walking back. His mind was a muddled mess of confusion, of twisted emotions, and he couldn't understand why all of a sudden he felt like this. Things were SO good! My life was progressing, I'm in love with the perfect woman for me, I have a good job, and the village depends on me and respects me. Things have just gotten good, and now they're falling apart. And now it's worse than ever.

Kakashi knew he was going to talk to someone who may be able to pick apart what was going on in his head, but he decided he needed to talk to someone else before then. He decided to go to see his friend. He picked up his pace and headed to Asuma's apartment.

Anko had gone back to the 5th's office four times in four hours and still didn't get an answer as to when Kakashi's appointment would be. She decided not to go see her again, because Tsunade was losing patience with her FAST. She did let her know that Kakashi had left, and Tsunade wasn't surprised that he did. She said she'd try to get his appointment for the following day. In the meantime, Anko tried sorting through some routine paperwork when Shizune finally came to her. She said, "First thing in the morning."

Anko said, "Pardon?"

"Kakashi's appointment is first thing in the morning. 8 o'clock. Make sure you let him know. Tsunade-sama is quite worried about him. She told me a bit of what's happening to him. I hope you don't mind."

"No. That's ok Shizune. Just don't spread it around."

"I would never. Korekimi is the best. She's treated many shinobi who have had trouble in the past dealing with executing their duties. I know that's not what Kakashi's problem may be, but she's been very successful at helping them sort out their feelings. She'll be able to help him. I'm sure of it."

Anko looked at her and said, "I wish I was."

Shizune said, "There's one more thing, Tsunade-sama wanted me to tell you."

"Yes?"

Shizune signed and said, "She would like you NOT to go with Kakashi tomorrow. She thinks this is something he has to do by himself. And you being there with him might make him not open up as much as he would if you weren't there."

But what if he needs me? Anko thought and said, "If she thinks that's best."

"Do you know where he is now?"

"I have no idea."

"When you see him, tell him good luck from me."

Anko sighed and said, "I will."

Shizune left quickly to head back to her mistress, while Anko tried to busy herself with the mundane task she was currently working on. Without her permission, her mind drifted to Kakashi.

Kakashi arrived at Asuma's apartment and knocked on his door. After about a minute of nobody responding, he knocked again, but this time, he put his ear to the door. He's in there. He just doesn't want to answer the door on his day off. Asshola. He pounded a third time, this time a little more urgently, and soon heard footsteps coming toward the door.

Asuma threw open the door with nothing on but a towel and an angry look on his face. "Oh, it's you. What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at work?"

"I was. Were you in the shower or something? Sorry if I disturbed you," then Kakashi looked at him closer and noticed something, "You're not wet. What are you doing? Do you lie around your house naked on your days off or something?"

"What if I do? That's none of your business. I don't ask you what you do on your days off."

"Never mind. I just wanted to run something by you. It's no big deal."

Kakashi turned to leave, and Asuma noticed the look of concern on Kakashi's face. He'd never seen him look so, out of sorts before. He said, "Wait a minute. Stay right here. I'll be right back." He shut the door and Kakashi heard the big ninja's footsteps as they went away from the door. He thought he heard Asuma's voice, and then he heard a very loud female, "WHAT," come from somewhere inside the apartment.

Oops. Oooh, he's going to kill me for this one. Seems like I've interrupted more than just him.

Asuma came back to the door wearing the same towel and said, "Come on in, just stay in the living room for now. I'll get dressed and be right back." Kakashi proceeded into Asuma's living room where he made himself comfortable on an overstuffed couch. He looked around the living room, that he'd been in many times before during good times and bad, and then he sat back and waited for Asuma to come back.

A few minutes later, Asuma came out wearing black cargo pants and a black sweater. Kakashi said, "Thanks for letting me stay, and you can tell Kurenai that she can come out if she wants."

Asuma said loudly, "Kurenai's not here." Then he whispered, "She told me to say that, but she really IS here. It's a privacy thing with her."

"But she knows that Anko and I know. What's the big deal? Anyway, I'm not here for that. I need to talk to someone, and I've nominated you to be that someone."

"What the hell is this about?"

"I'm not quite sure."

"Ok, then what am I doing exactly?"

"Just listen ok?" Kakashi then proceeded to tell Asuma about how his mind had been forcing him to see Anko killed over and over in his dreams, and that he'd had no control over saving her ever. He also told him how he had this horrible sense of impending doom. After talking for what seemed like half an hour, he confessed to Asuma, "I've been taken off duty. I'm going to see some Korekimi woman sometime soon, because apparently she helps shinobi who've had problems like this before."

"I saw her. She's really incredible."

"What did you have to see her for?"

"When my father was killed, I had a harder time than I let on. I felt like I let him down, and didn't live up to the standard he'd set. I felt like a failure. I felt like it should have been me instead of him who was killed. At that time, I would have taken his place in a minute. But I ended up seeing Korekimi and she helped me figure it out."

"What did she tell you?"

"Basically, I had a case of what they call survivor's guilt. I felt guilty for being alive when my father, who was so important to this village, wasn't anymore. I had that and a bad case of unresolved grief. She ended up helping me work through it."

Kakashi said, "Well I hope she can help me work through this because I need to get over this and get back to work. I was supposed to go on a mission with Anko in two days, but I've been relived of duty."

"Is she still going?"

"Tsunade says she needs her to."

Asuma said, "Who's she going with?"

Kakashi glared at Asuma and said, "Genma."

Asuma sat back hard on a chair and said, "No wonder you're all fucked up! You're having these terrible dreams, and then the guy who asked your girlfriend out is going to be alone with her on a mission!"

Kakashi said, "You are NOT HELPING!"

"Listen, I'm sorry, but really. You need to go see this woman. Have you told Anko about what was in your dreams?"

"No. It was pretty horrible. I hate remembering what I saw."

"Korekimi made me talk about mine. She said I had to tell someone close to me about them. I told Kurenai, who, by the way, IS NOT HERE RIGHT NOW," he turned his head toward his bedroom to make sure she heard him again, then he continued, "and it did help. But it took some time."

"I don't know how much time I've got. It's overwhelming. I feel like I'm losing all control over everything."

Asuma said, "Maybe part of the problem is that you've been so IN control for so long now, that as things are changing, you're not adapting too well."

"I don't know, but I'll go see this woman. I should probably go get Anko too. I bolted on her this morning. She's probably wondering where I am." Kakashi stood up and prepared to go. "Listen, thanks again for letting me come in, and TELL KURENAI WHEN YOU SEE HER LATER, that I said hello."

Asuma walked him to the door and said, "Go tell Anko what you saw."

Kakashi said, "Ok. Thanks. You're a good friend."

"You're welcome. Now get the hell outta here. I've got business to attend to."

Kakashi chuckled and left. He knew exactly what business Asuma was about to attend to, and didn't blame him one bit for wanting to get rid of him.

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A/N: Whew! Just a little break from the crazy. But there's more to come!

Next up: STEALTH DATE where Kakashi uses some "liquid courage" to help him talk to Anko about things. Before the date Kakashi has a chance meeting with Naruto. After the date, Anko models something new to see if she can take Kakashi's mind off his problems. Lots coming up! See you soon!