Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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Beasts of War

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Chapter Ten

"Really, now? That's quite interesting. I never knew Kurotsuki had such a unique and unusual heirarchy..." Jiraiya muttered as he and Naruto sat at the entrance to the cave Naruto and his Deltas had been residing in for the past three days. Naruto snorted at the man's response before suddenly snatching the white haired man's note pad out of his hands and snarling at him, making the pervert laugh nervously with a sheepish grin on his face.

"Don't even think about it, you old fool. I will not tolerate such trash being written about my people." Naruto snarled as he leaned in close to the man, leaving only a couple inches of space between their faces. Getting the message loud and clear, Jiraiya nodded frantically, sweating bullets since he knew Naruto wouldn't hesitate to rip him apart for writting a smut novel based off of him and his fellow lycans. "As for the reason why you didn't know, the Kurotsuki, like all other Shishisensou, were very secretive when it came to the inner workings or our clans. Simply put, we didn't like people knowing anything about us. You're lucky that I'm even telling you any of this."

"Good enough answer." Jiraiya mumbled quietly as he rubbed the back of his neck while Naruto pulled back and relaxed, both going back to watching as Akame kept trying to get Sayuri to play with her while Yoruyoshi was off to the side, lounging under the shade of a tree as she took a nap. "So, what are you going to do with the, uh...Deltas, right?"

"Yes and I plan on bringing them to Konoha with me. There, I will house them in the Kurotsuki compound. While not of direct blood, they are still descended of Kurotsuki." Naruto explained, scratching under his chin. He couldn't help smiling faintly at how energetic and peppy Akame was. Although the youngest, she was only a year younger than himself. He was surprised that her ill-treatment with their former pack hadn't openly affected her as it had Yoruyoshi or Sayuri, who were both quiet and soft-spoken. Yoruyoshi had it the worst, though. She would stutter most of the time and even after being 'promoted' to Delta by being given a name, she would still sometimes regress into more Omega-like behaviour. Then again, he shouldn't be surprised. "I'm uncertain how Hana will react to the fact I now have three Deltas that are on par with concubines...It's almost definite that she'll be thoroughly upset, but that's a given."

"You mentioned that they had been exiled from their 'pack'. Did you ever look into that? There could be others like yourself that might want to come with you." Jiraiya noted, cocking an eye brow curiously when Naruto sighed slightly and shook his head negatively.

"I was going to, but then I thought about it and decided not to. Right now, I have too much to deal with. I have pups on the way and have to prepare for them. I have three new Deltas that I have to tend to and make sure they are well. I have the Inuzuka heir to train." Naruto shook his head again, closing his eyes for a moment as he stood up from his spot. "No, I can not afford to take on any others until I have established a proper foundation for my clan's resurrection. For now, enough has been done."

In truth, Naruto had looked into it. The night after finding Sayuri and Akame, Naruto had Yoruyoshi lead him to the pack's location before coming back to the cave with her. The night after that, Naruto had gone back out there and done some information gathering. However, he was surprised to discover that another of the males, a Beta of all things, had risen up and challenged the Alpha. And won. He had watched as the Beta-turned-Alpha killed the tyrant of a lycan before immediately starting to work on fixing the things that had been ruined by the previous Alpha. He had even instructed that a couple of the pack members head out at dawn to look for the three Omegas that had been exiled in the past.

Naruto had then snuck into the pack's valley-like place of residence once everyone started going to sleep and slipped into the cave the Alpha was living in. It had been a bit of a hassle to get the Alpha to relax without alerting any of the others, but he had managed it. Naruto had let him know that the three 'Omegas' were now under his care and were now Deltas. He had even offered the male the chance to bring his pack to Konoha where they would be able to live in the Kurotsuki compound with him, but he had refused, stating he prefered the forest and knew that his pack did as well. Before he left, however, Naruto had made sure to let the new pack leader know his home would remain available to them in the future...

"...You know, you're wiser than you let on, right?" Jiraiya spoke up before Naruto could walk away, making him glance at him quizzically. Jiraiya simply smiled and shook his head. "Never mind. Go on."

"Hmph..." Snorting quietly again, Naruto rolled his eyes and walked over towards his Deltas. Just as Jiraiya was about to pull out a notepad he hadn't touched since he wrote 'Tales of a Gutsy Ninja', he was suddenly assualted by a black, orange, and blonde blur.

"Hey, hey, hey! You still need to help me with the Rasengan! I've only got a couple more days until the deadline for mine and Obaa-chan's bet!" Naomi ranted over-enthusiastically while shaking Jiraiya's shoulder. Laughing in response, Jiraiya put his hand against her face and shoved her back lightly, making the young blonde stumble back and fall on her butt, causing her to glare heatedly at him with a fierce blush of embarrassment and humilation.

"You're on your own there, kid. I've already taught you the steps. You are the one that's got to put them together." Jiraiya retorted, making Naomi pout childishly, crossing her arms over her chest with a huff as she glared off to the side, only to suddenly become curious and a little confused when she spotted Naruto, who was suddenly tackled to the ground by a giggling Akame.

"Hey, Ero-sennin...Who're they?" The young Uzumaki questioned, making Jiraiya glance over at Naruto and his Deltas. He was quiet for a moment, watching as Naruto laughed a little as Akame started pestering him, wanting him to play with her since Sayuri wouldn't and Yoruyoshi, or 'Yoshi-chan' as the auburn furred female called her, was still sleeping. Smiling, Jiraiya shook his head while standing up.

"Naruto made some new friends. Now, get going. You've only got a couple days until you make us lose our only candidate for Hokage." Jiraiya answered, knowing it would spurn the blonde. Cheeks puffing out indignantly, Naomi glared at him before storming off to keeping working on the Rasengan. The Toad Sage could only smile at the nostalgia, remembering how Minato's wife, Kushina, acted almost the same way in the past. He also saw a bit of Minato in her, excluding the blonde hair and blue eyes. She was stubborn and would often times train herself to the point of absolute exhaustion. Shaking his head with another small smile, Jiraiya pulled out his old notepad, staring down at the weathered and old cover on the small item. Flipping it open to a clean page, he started writing down ideas and notes for his next actual book...

'Shishisensou...Beasts of War...' Jiraiya mused thoughtfully before smirking a little. 'Yeah. That sounds like the perfect title for it...'

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"It's begun..." Naruto muttered under his breath as he looked off towards the remains of Tanzaku Castle was, his sharp ears catching the faint booming sound as something was destroyed. Without pause, Naruto turned and took off, leaving his Deltas in the care of a Shadow Clone. Rolling into a Tenga, Naruto could hear several more of the booming strikes. Instinctively, he knew it was Tsunade's strength, something even he didn't plan on contesting. Tetsu no Kegawa fully active and Lightning chakra surging across his metallic body, Naruto's speed doubled along with the precision of his movements, something he had not yet mastered enough to use in combat.

Rolling into the battlefield, Naruto kicked off the ground and arched through the air as he unfurled, switching to Brutal Fang Mode as he did. Shrouded in smoke for only a split second, he landed heavily and left deep impressions of his armored paw-like feet in the packed soil as he stood between Tsunade and Kabuto, the silver haired teen's chakra covered palm striking the abdomen of the armored titan that now stood before him, having been aiming for Tsunade's chest. Unaffected, Naruto swung his left arm around, backhanding the spy across the face and sending him flying into a nearby boulder.

"Stand, Tsunade. I may be strong, but I can not fight Orochimaru and his servant at the same time." Naruto growled out, his voice echoing with a faint metallic thrum due to his full-head helmet, the jaws shaped like a rabid snarl with a dense mesh molded in the image of fangs to allow fresh air while filtering out all foreign substances such as dust and all poisons. Shocked by the arrival and mere presence of the anthromorphic wolf of metal, Tsunade could only nod before running through a couple handseals in order to repair the damage done to her arms and abdomen by Kabuto's Chakra Scalpels.

"Kehehehe...I should have expected you would be here, Naruto-kun..." Kabuto spoke up as he stood back up, still hurting from the mighty blow he had suffered. Had it not been for his ability to heal himself so well, he would have undoubtedly been rendered paralyzed by the strike for quite some time.

"Silence, whelp." Naruto growled before slowly and purposefully marching towards Kabuto, his heavy footfalls giving off deep and muted thuds of noise. Scoffing, Kabuto figured that Naruto's current state relied more on power than speed, meaning he still held the advantage. As he moved to infiltrate Naruto's guard, Kabuto quickly realized his folly when he heard Orochimaru call out.

"Don't, you fool! You'll only be crushed!" Orochimaru spat harshly, but it was too late; Kabuto was already within range. Before the glasses wearing silver haired traitor could react, Naruto had wrapped his arms around Kabuto, trapping him in bear-hug as he started squeezing harder and harder. Gritting his teeth, Kabuto tried to endure it, only to cry out breifly in pain as three of his ribs suddenly cracked and one of them broke. Eyes going wide with agony, Kabuto could only attempt to escape, but he couldn't. Letting out another short scream as another rib broke, Kabuto tried to draw a kunai from the pouch on his thigh, only for a sudden pulse of Lightning chakra to coat Naruto, electrocuting the spy. A moment later, he was released, causing him to drop to his knees in a painful daze.

Reaching down, Naruto grabbed both of Kabuto's shoulders before lifting him up into the air and slamming him down on the ground, only to sling him into another nearby boulder. Slowly straightening back up, Naruto turned and started glaring at Orochimaru, his fury slowly growing stronger as he remembered it had been the white skinned bastard that had killed his grandfather. Just as he took a third step towards the pale-skinned man, Naruto was suddenly kicked in the side of his head, knocking him off balance a little. Swinging his arm in retaliation, he knocked Kabuto back once more before regaining his footing and growling darkly at him.

"Tsunade...Take care of the snake. I've got a rat to catch." Naruto snarled quietly as he focused back on Kabuto, deciding that avenging the Sandaime's death would have to wait for another day. Just as his Rockets started firing up, Naruto's eyes widened with surprise when Kabuto reappeared in front of him, his hands blazing with the blue flame of chakra. Before he could react or counter, Kabuto's left palm slammed against the right side of Naruto's neck while his right hand slammed into the middle of Naruto's chest. Slamming his right palm into Kabuto's face as he stumbled forward and dropped to his knees, Naruto used it to his advantage and smashed the smaller male's head into the ground, the Rockets sputtering and dying out. Stumbling back as he numbly pawed at his neck and chest, Naruto switched to Feral Fang, his eyes wide with something he hadn't felt before...

Fear.

Blood soaked his entire right shoulder and the right side of his chest, his neck cut open on the right side from Kabuto's Chakra Scalpel. Not only that, but he found it incredibly hard to breathe, the other one undoubtedly having struck his respiratory system. Tripping over a rock when he tried to stand back up, Naruto slammed into the ground, his breathing shallow and rapid as blood continued to bubble out of his throat.

'Hana...Yoru...Sayuri...Akame...' Naruto thought sluggishly and worriedly, his body feeling weak as his vision started going dark. He heard something, though. It sounded almost like Naomi, but he couldn't tell. Pushing off the ground in an attempt to get back up, Naruto succeeded only in rolling onto his back, his blurry and darkening eyes staring up at the sky. Reaching up with a numb hand, Naruto gripped the necklace around his neck, his clawed fingers curling around the fang hanging from the chain. "I-I'm sor...sorry...Hana...I won't...be coming...back..."

"Don't st...lking...at, Narut..." Someone started saying, but Naruto's senses were fading too much for him to see who it was or hear everything they were saying. All he saw was a soft green light before darkness finally claimed him...

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Poof!

"Huh? What's going on? Why'd Arufa suddenly disappear?" Akame questioned out of confusion, sniffing around the spot Naruto's clone had been standing just a few moments ago. Yoruyoshi and Sayuri, knowing a bit more about ninja techniques than their smaller companion, knew that something was wrong. Naruto wouldn't have dispelled his clone and left them by themselves.

"Something's wrong." Yoruyoshi whispered to Sayuri, who nodded. "Naruto-sama told us to stay here, but...I think he's in trouble. We should look for him."

"I agree. Akame! Come on!" Sayuri called out before she and Yoruyoshi took off on all fours, quickly picking up on Naruto's scent trail as Akame trailed behind them. Moving as fast as they could, they managed to reach Naruto's location, but what they saw was something they had fearfully wanted to never see. Lying on the ground and unmoving was Naruto, his blood-soaked fur contrasting heavily with his normally light grey and white colored fur as Shizune tried to heal him while calling out to Tsunade, who was frozen in place due to the blood spattered all over her.

"Arufa..." Akame whispered before hearing a booming crash off to the side and saw two massive snakes, only for them to be trapped in place as a swamp of some kind suddenly formed beneath them. As the white haired man that had been with Naruto the other day started fighting against a black haired man with snow white skin, Akame felt her eyes lock onto the silver haired man with glasses as he disabled the blonde haired girl and charged the black haired woman trying to heal Naruto. Snarling ferally as her fur bristled with rage, Akame's red-pink eyes suddenly bled into a dark crimson that filled the whites of her eyes as well before suddenly taking off, slamming into the silver haired male's side and slamming him into the ground before he could react. Without warning or pause, Akame's claws slashed through his flesh, only for a sandaled foot to plant itself against her stomach and kick her back.

"What the hell...? There's...more?" Kabuto wrasped out as his body started healing, only for his eyes to widen just as a clawed paw-like hand, this one covered in grey fur unlike the auburn of the first female lycan, to appear within his vision from the left. Unable to react fast enough, Kabuto was grabbed by the left side of his head from behind and slammed into the ground, only to be lifted up and thrown to the side. While in mid-air, another clawed paw-like hand, this one black, made contact with his stomach before the claws stabbed into his abdomen for better grip. Kabuto, wide eyed and in pain, could do nothing as he was thrown, the claws ripping deep and bloody gashes in his stomach while a vertabrae in his spine was fractured upon impacting a large boulder, cracking the stone slightly.

"You hurt Arufa..." Akame snarled as she slowly picked herself back off the ground, Sayuri's and Yoruyoshi's eyes matching her own. They didn't know it exactly and neither did anyone else, but they were experiencing something referred to as a 'Blood Rage' by the Kurotsuki. It caused even the weakest of wolf-kin to become as physically strong as any other, if not more so, their adrenaline surging through their veins and reaching levels as high as ten times what was normal. They also became single-minded and instinctual, making them a very deadly opponent for almost anyone that wasn't prepared to fight them. Unfortunately, once the Blood Rage passed, the wolf-kin was left in an even weaker state than before. "Now...You die..."

"ARRROOOO!" Sayuri howled before Yoruyoshi and Akame charged forward from either side of Kabuto. Yoruyoshi ducked down while swinging a clawed hand at Kabuto while Akame leapt over her friend as she swung at the man as well. Crying out in agony, Kabuto's head was turned to the right as ragged trenches were torn out of his face and neck while the black female's claws ripped through his stomach for a second time. Just as they passed by, Sayuri lunged at him from straight ahead, twisting her body as she wrapped her fanged jaws around his throat. Keeping her hold, Sayuri's feet touched down on the ground with them both bent back at the waist, Kabuto's face contorted with pain and fear as Yoruyoshi and Akame moved to Sayuri and grabbed her hands, helping pull her forward while she continued to hold onto the man's neck. Suddenly lifting him off the ground, Sayuri swung him up and over her before slamming him down on the ground while releasing his neck, only to stomp down on the back of his neck with her foot, grinning rabidly at the faint sound of cracking bone.

"Naruto-sama..." Yoruyoshi muttered quietly before all three Deltas turned towards Naruto, barely making it over to him before they calmed down enough to revert back to normal, each one falling to their knees and barely managing to stay conscious. Their eyes started to water as Shizune worked furiously to heal the wound in his neck, which was surprisingly deep. "N-Naruto-sama..."

"Damn it, Tsunade! Snap out of it! I need your help!" Shizune called out at her teacher once again. Before she could try to call out to her sensei again, Kabuto, still healing from his wounds, struck the back of Shizune's neck, knocking her out as he started making his way towards Tsunade, his eyes blood shot and almost crazed as he glared at the immobilized Slug Princess. Letting out a quiet whine, Sayuri knew neither she nor her companions could move in time to help and not only that, but it would undoubtedly end in one of their deaths.

"Hnnn..." Whining softly herself, Akame couldn't keep her eyes open any longer and blacked out, falling to the ground. She was soon followed by Yoruyoshi before Sayuri passed out as well a few moments later, staying conscious just long enough to catch sight of the blonde haired girl from before as she got between the silver haired man and the older blonde woman. Just as Kabuto attacked, Sayuri's vision went black and she slipped into the realm of unconsciousness...

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"...Ngh..." Eyes slowly opening, Naruto felt only a fragment of his strength return to him as his Iron Fur technique continued working hard to heal him as best as possible, allowing him to regain consciousness. Glancing around, he noticed that Naomi was being healed by Tsunade while Kabuto was rendered unable to move a decent distance away from them. His Deltas were lying nearby, only unconscious, while Shizune was in a similar state just to his other side. Spotting something further away where two trapped snake summons were, Naruto's eyes widened before he forced himself to move.

'Naomi!' Tsunade thought to herself in realization as she moved between Orochimaru and the blonde jinchuuriki, only for another figure to appear, their shadow blanketing her and Naomi. The next moment, Kusanagi burst from his back, just barely missing his spine. Snarling as blood oozed from his mouth, Naruto wrapped his hands around Orochimaru's neck, glaring down into the eyes of Konoha's most hated enemy, but he didn't care about any of that, his eyes practically glowing a menacing vermillion as he dug his claws into Orochimaru's flesh, the man's eyes widening as he found himself unable to escape.

"No one...hurts...a member of...my pack...and LIVES!" Naruto roared out in the end as he squeezed as hard as he could, only for Orochimaru to slam his still-extended tongue into Naruto side, forcing him to let go while getting knocked aside, Kusanagi's blade sliding out of his chest as he fell. Eyes fading back to their normal amber, Naruto found himself slipping back into Death's hands for a second time in the past hour. A small humorless smirk of irony formed on his face, finding himself on the verge of dying yet again. It had been some time since he had been so heavily wounded...Unfortunately, it seemed like it would be for the last time...

Unable to hear anything and vision too dark once again to see anything, Naruto could only feel himself go from lying on the ground to lying on something rather soft and...mobile. However, before he could contemplate what it was, he blacked out completely once again...

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"They truly are fighters, aren't they?" Jiraiya muttered to himself as he sat on the other side of the room. It had been a full thirty-six hours since their battle with Orochimaru. Naruto's 'Deltas', as he called them, had regained consciousness that morning and were currently sitting off to one side of Naruto as Tsunade continued working on healing his injuries as much as possible. He was already stable, but Tsunade wanted to repay Naruto for his efforts to protect her and the others. Naomi, who was busy devouring a bowl of ramen ordered from a nearby ramen stand, paused in her feast for a moment and glanced up at her sensei when he spoke up, only to shrug and go back to her meal. Even the normally energetic and obnoxious Naomi was subdued, having stayed quiet most of the day as she recovered.

'Three times now. Three times he almost died. Kabuto almost killed him in the beginning, Orochimaru almost finished him off the second time with his Kusanagi, and he almost died a third time after Shizune passed out from chakra exhaustion before she could stabilize him. Thankfully, Katsuya had been present or else we'd be short one member...' Jiraiya thought to himself, his eyes narrowed with respect and worry for the lycan. He had come to respect the Kurotsuki almost as much as he did his late student, Namikaze Minato. While a little different, they both shared the same general mindset when it came to their comrades, friends, and family. They wouldn't quit until they either died or defeated the threat against their precious people. Closing his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest, he leaned back against the wall behind him, deciding to simply wait and hope he pulled through.

'Naruto-sama...' Yoruyoshi mentally whispered with worry as she sat between Sayuri and Akame, holding either female's hand as they all waited for their Alpha to open his eyes again. Akame let out a quiet whimper as tears continued to fall from her eyes, being the more emotional member of their group. Sayuri was no better, though, and Yoruyoshi found herself nearing that point as well. They just wanted to see their Alpha's yellow eyes and hear his voice again. They just wanted to make sure that he would survive.

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"Howl at the moon, Howl at the sky. Be their guardian, don't let them die." Setsugetuka sang softly, cradling her newborn baby in her arms as tears of joy fell from her eyes. She knew she didn't have long, her strength fading with every minute that passed. However, that wasn't going to stop her from singing to her only pup, Naruto. "Howl at the moon, Howl at the sky. Hear them laugh, hear them cry. Howl at the moon, Howl at the sky. Here you stand, tell them why. Howl at the moon, Howl at the sky. We are strong, that's no lie."

"..." Naruto slowly opened his eyes as it neared midnight, still hearing his mother's words echo in his mind. The poem was called Wolf-Song, written by one of the Kurotsuki clan's first Alpha pack leaders, also known as clan leaders. It was a double-sided message, speaking of both pain and joy at the same time. It was one of the Kurotsuki clan's most cherished pieces of their history, being something akin to the source of their 'Will of Fire', as it were.

"Ngh!" Suddenly nashing his fanged teeth and squeezing his eyes shut, Naruto bit back a snarl as white-hot pain flared to life in his chest, but it passed after a few moments. Gasping for air with quick and shallow breaths, Naruto opened his eyes again, gently covering the bandages wrapped around his chest, more having been wrapped around his neck. Glancing over to his right, he smiled softly at the sight of Sayuri, Yoruyoshi, and Akame all curled up and huddled up against one another as they slept beside him.

'They're okay...' Naruto mentally told himself reassuringly, slowly and weakly reaching over and gently wrapping his hand around Yoruyoshi's. Stirred from her sleep, she gave a jaw-cracking yawn before cracking her eyes open and seeing Naruto staring at her, smiling. Not wanting to disturb the others, Yoruyoshi simply smiled back and gently squeezed his hand, silently thanking whatever god or goddess that was watching over them that their Alpha was okay. Giving his hand another squeeze, Yoruyoshi smiled slightly before resting her head back on top of Akame's, closing her eyes for more sleep.

As he laid there, still holding Yoruyoshi's hand, Naruto could only stare at the ceiling. Slowly reaching up with his left hand, he wrapped his fingers around the fang hanging from his necklace; it had been his father's. It was more than just a piece of jewelry or an accessory. It was a symbol of emotional strength for Kurotsuki, having been an heirloom passed from one pack leader to another through the Kurotsuki clan. For Naruto, however, it was his bond to his fallen people.

'I wonder how Hana's doing right now?' Naruto suddenly mused, trying to occupy his mind until he eventually fell back asleep...

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"Hana, calm down! Everything's fine." Anko urged as she held her younger friend in a comforting embrace, the woman sobbing into her shoulder as she clung to the purple haired woman as if she were the only thing keeping her alive.

"N-No, i-it's not! I f-f-felt it! Naruto-kun's hurt!" Hana cried out, her words muffled slightly by Anko's shoulder. It had happened unexpectedly. Out of nowhere, Hana is at her door, crying hystically and on the verge of having a panic attack. If it hadn't been for the fact Anko had known her since they were kids, she wouldn't have been able to decypher the Inuzuka/Kurotsuki woman's sputtering and mumbling through her tears. However, after being there for Hana after three bad relationships, Anko was able to figure out that something had supposedly happened to Naruto. That had been yesterday. Even now, Hana was still freaking out, but the tokubetsu jounin couldn't blame her.

She'd probably be acting the same way if she were in Hana's place...

"..." Getting a little worried when Hana suddenly went quiet, Anko glanced down at her friend, only to find that she had finally passed out. However, she was still clinging to her with an impossibly strong grip. Pouting a little after a failed attempt to free herself resulted in only an even tight hold, Anko begrudgingly resigned to her fate. Thinking back on Hana's and Naruto's relationship, Anko had to admit that she was honestly jealous of the woman in her arms. Being the former student of Orochimaru, Anko had to deal with assholes and jackasses all day, every day. Many of them didn't trust her as far as they could throw her and that wasn't very far, considering she'd beat the unholy hell out of them before they could attempt to do so. Not only that, but she couldn't find a single person that wanted to have a serious relationship with her...

'You're a lucky girl, Hana. You've got the man of your dreams. Unfortunately, he's also the man of my dreams, but...he'll never be mine.' Anko mentally stated, tensing her jaw as she fought back that beginnings of tears that stung at the corners of her eyes. Taking a deep, yet shaky breath as she calmed down, Anko silently scolded herself for nearly losing her composure, for letting her mask slip. It didn't matter that Hana was asleep and they were alone in her bedroom. She still almost exposed her true self to the world and she absolutely refused to let that happen, lest someone find out and try to exploit her weakness. '...Why the hell did I have to fall in love with my best friend's fiance?'

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