A/N: Hey guys. I changed an error in chapter 6—no big deal. I just realized that I forgot that Kinoe went back to being called Tenzo when he joined the Hokage's ANBU. I also want to apologize for this chapter being so late. I've been busy with work and school and graduation coming up. I also found this chapter hard to write for some reason, perhaps because of the choreography at the end that's probably not as good as what I wrote for Anko's Roses. Still, I hope it's decent and that you guys enjoy.

Someone asked me via a guest review if I would write the final scene of the last chapter from Kakashi's POV, and what his thoughts were afterward. This story is primarily from Anko's POV, first, because she's the main focus, and second, from an artistic perspective, Kakashi is an enigma in this story because he chooses to keep his thoughts to himself. His friends are hard-pressed to figure out the puzzle that is Kakashi, and I think it's a neat way of writing this story. That way you as the reader are invested in learning with Anko instead of knowing things she doesn't know.

That being said, the last scene was momentarily written from Kakashi's POV for another artistic reason, one I hope you all pick up on as the story continues. But that moment was brief, like that kiss, and so was our glimpse into Kakashi's mind. I just wanted to answer this for a guest.

In case anyone is interested, I started a Blueshipping (Kaiba/Kisara) Yu-Gi-Oh! story that I'm writing as well. I don't plan to abandon this story for that one, but my updates may be a little more spaced since I'm writing for two fics.

Chapter Eleven: Change

He avoided her, like he avoided just about everything else. Anko didn't search for Kakashi, knowing she'd done enough damage and sick to her stomach worrying that she'd broken the thread that had held them together for good. She didn't see him at the cemetery or the Memorial Stone; she didn't come across him at the training grounds; she never once saw him reading again; and he never passed the sweet shop where she and the others often congregated. Kakashi had become so scarce that the others began to question his whereabouts most of the time.

"Maybe he's off on a lot of big, important missions," said Raido. "I don't think I'd worry about it."

"It's been weeks, and he hasn't even said one word to me when I do manage to catch him," said Guy. "Makes you wonder if something happened, you know?"

Anko kept quiet as they speculated, her face impassive. She hadn't dared tell them, though the guilt was eating her alive. Not only had she pushed Kakashi away from her, but she'd also managed to increase his determination to isolate himself from the rest of his friends.

Kurenai had warned her, and she hadn't listened. She saw the other woman's glances in her direction, but mentally thanked her for not pulling Anko aside to ask. Still, it was obvious Kurenai was aware that Kakashi's behavior had something to do with her.

As the weeks drug on and on, turning to entire months, Kakashi slowly became more visible again. He would indulge Guy or Asuma on occasion, remaining at a distance, but he gradually returned to his previous level of social interaction—which of course was still sparse, but better than it had been recently.

However, he continued to avoid Anko altogether, and her guilt turned to utter shame. Out and about within the village, she kept up appearances, but in private, she'd taken to going off on her own to pour her emotions into her training: her shame; her frustration; her heartache; her anger. Many nights when Ibiki and Idate fought, Anko would return to her parents' home to be alone where she could sleep off her exhaustion from her training and the mental strain from her emotional over-thinking.

In time, she recovered enough that those emotions had dulled and her racing thoughts and anxiety over the entire Kakashi situation had stopped. She no longer had to pretend in front of her friends because she'd learned to move on from that incident. Still, she remained bothered by Kakashi's continued avoidance of her.

The months gave way to a year. He no longer avoided her, but if he saw her, he'd pass in silence. As Anko walked by Kakashi, she'd feel the familiar pull that coaxed her toward him, yet she knew better than to act on it. His behavior made it appear as though they were strangers, and apparently that's how he wanted it.

She wasn't sure which she preferred: to be ignored or to be avoided. She thought it was a good sign that he was no longer compelled to keep a cavernous physical distance between them, but when he refused to even look in her direction, she felt the pain of being practically invisible.

Another year passed. If Anko did look at Kakashi, he merely shifted the cold eyes of a disinterested stranger in her direction before moving about his business. If he said anything to her at all, it was usually an icy "excuse me."

Anko learned that Itachi had become an ANBU captain, the youngest captain ever at age thirteen if the rumors she heard were true. Itachi had been friendlier to her if they crossed paths, but something about the kid always seemed off. It was almost like he didn't belong anywhere, though he was part of the Uchiha Clan and now an elite ANBU captain.

Yugao rejoined Kakashi's team, but Anko never interacted with her. She was surprised to find Tenzo walking around the village a lot by himself, or sitting at a distance from others as though observing them. He was the friendliest, and the least serious of the ANBU she'd met.

Anko approached him one afternoon when she spotted him sitting up in a tree, watching passers-by. She glanced up with a confused frown, hands stuffed in the pockets of her trench coat.

"What are you doing?"

He tilted his head to one side, watching a couple share a chaste kiss before walking along together.

"Just observing."

She placed a hand on her hip. "Don't you know it's not polite to stare?"

Tenzo froze, then gave a nervous laugh. "Oh, right. I-I didn't mean to stare, honest!"

Anko sighed and shook her head. "You're alright, but sometimes you can be a little creepy…"

He jumped down in front of her and grinned. "Like you're one to talk. Didn't you used to watch Captain Kakashi all the time?"

She flushed and crossed her arms. "That was a long time ago."

"I suppose you're right."

"Tenzo."

They both turned their heads toward the voice.

"Uh, yes Captain?"

"We're needed. Let's go."

"Yes, Sir."

Tenzo said goodbye to Anko before following Kakashi up and across the rooftops toward ANBU Headquarters. Anko drew in a breath before turning away to head further into town.

One day, the terrible news came of the slaughter of the entire Uchiha Clan. It was a shock to the village, but reactions were mixed. There were those who viewed it as the tragedy that it was; yet there were also those who felt that the destruction of that clan was for the best considering the rising tensions between them and the rest of the village, and the threat of an uprising.

Anko was mortified by the news, but more so when the identity of the murderer was revealed to the public. On the one hand, she couldn't fathom that quiet kid killing his entire clan in cold blood, and yet on the other, she remembered how easily he was able to kill those HANYA Black Ops from the Land of Woods without so much as flinching—and he'd been a new recruit at the time.

"It's just awful," said Guy. "I mean, I was just there with Kakashi not too long ago. To think…they're all dead now…"

"All except Itachi's younger brother," said Asuma.

"That poor child," said Kurenai. "I can't imagine…"

As the sun went down, Anko couldn't stop herself from venturing toward the Uchiha District, which was blocked off with caution tape. The bodies had been cleared away, but she could still see blood that stained the walkways. Most had been inside during the attack, but there were members of the Uchiha police force who had been on patrol, as well as stragglers and those out for a late-night stroll.

She tried to imagine Itachi amidst all the bloodshed, and it only made her shiver. Was that kid just like Orochimaru? Seemingly innocent until given a taste of power?

No. It was something else. She'd seen Itachi with her own eyes, had witnessed him pick his little brother up from school. How could he do such a thing?

Guy found her, moving to stand at her side.

"What do you make of all this?" she asked him absently.

His somber expression remained. "Honestly…it defies explanation. I know what we saw that day, but I never thought he was capable of something like this."

Anko's face darkened and her frown deepened. "Guy… You don't think…"

She felt his eyes on her, but she couldn't look at him.

"I know what you're thinking, but you need to stop thinking it."

"That day, it wasn't just Itachi."

"Yeah, but that was different."

"How?" she challenged, turning her head sharply in his direction.

"That was a mission! This is just plain evil!"

"Doesn't it seem suspicious? The Uchiha Clan was united for a revolt—"

"And my guess is Itachi didn't want to go along with it."

"But…it…this doesn't make any sense…"

"Incidents like this never do. But please, I'm begging you, don't drag Kakashi into this. He'd never murder his own comrades."

That's essentially what Kakashi had told Itachi that day they were double-crossed by the Land of Woods. Apparently he hadn't gotten through to his young teammate in all their time together. Yet still, something didn't add up. Danzo's face came unbidden to the forefront of Anko's mind, and she wondered if he'd had something to do with this. An angry fire welled in the pit of her stomach, but she quickly drowned it. She shouldn't jump to conclusions when she had no evidence, but this whole situation made her far more uneasy than the thought that Itachi was a cold-blooded killer.

Guy was definitely right about one thing: Kakashi would never harm anyone in the village, especially not on such a large scale. Anko found herself wondering how he was handling the news that his former teammate was the one responsible for this atrocity. No doubt it pained him. When next she saw Tenzo, she itched to ask, but didn't dare.

"How are you holding up?" she asked instead.

Tenzo shrugged. "Okay I guess. It was a shock to us all really."

"It seems that way. Let me know if you need anything, alright?"

He nodded. "Thanks, but I think we'll manage. I think Captain Kakashi's beating himself up over it though, as if he should have seen it coming—should have stopped it."

Well, she hadn't asked, but… "That's crazy. No one could have predicted it."

"I know. I'm not sure if that makes it better or worse. Anyway, I'll see you around, Anko."

"Yeah, later…"

There was a memorial service for the Uchiha Clan. About half of the village attended, the other half satisfied that the Uchiha would no longer be a constant headache for the Hidden Leaf. Though how anyone could be so callous was beyond Anko's comprehension. Innocent people had lost their lives, along with the revolutionaries—innocent children cut down before they'd even had a chance to live.

Anko watched the lone survivor as he was guided by the Third Hokage to place a white carnation before the plaque commemorating his fallen family members. That poor child would grow up all alone through no fault of his own, and he would always know that his fate was his brother's doing. Suddenly, Anko's tragic life didn't seem quite as tragic anymore.

She stood beside Ibiki and Idate during the ceremony. From a distance, she saw her friends; she saw Kakashi and his team; Lady Tsunade, and the recently returned Master Jiraiya; Danzo and the other village elders. Each one present was as sullen and somber as the dark clouds that covered the sky above them.

As the crowd of mourners departed, the young boy remained still and silent before the memorial. Not far behind stood Kakashi, his gaze fixed on the child. Anko could only guess what was on his mind, and she briefly wondered if he would comfort the boy. He didn't, however, and instead vanished from sight a few moments later.

A heavy hand found her shoulder, and her eyes shifted to Ibiki. Knowing she had no way to ease the boy's suffering, she let Ibiki guide her away, the two of them meeting Idate at the tree line before heading home.

X-X-X

Over the last two years, Anko's strength and stamina had increased. She'd fought multiple times against Raido, Asuma, Genma, and Kurenai, and for each of them, she'd become a formidable challenge. The only one she found she couldn't beat was Guy. With his advanced Taijutsu, he was nearly impossible to best, but she could stand toe-to-toe with him for several rounds before he inevitably got the jump on her. As bat-shit crazy as she swore he was, she couldn't deny his physical prowess as well as his sheer level of power and brute force.

"Give it up! You know you can't win!" he said, always full of good-natured sport.

"That's what you think!" she fired back, throwing a kick that Guy blocked with his ankle before throwing a punch she had to think fast to doge.

She had been sparring with him frequently, honing her own Taijutsu with each and every match in the hope of surpassing her own physical limitations. While she was improving, he was still far out of her league, a force of nature that couldn't be tamed or broken.

She didn't give up though. She kept on fighting, plotting her movements—and his—as she kept her sights on the prospect of her eventual victory. Yet, that day was not the day for her to achieve it. A roundhouse kick to her midsection sent Anko sprawling in the dirt. Her back aching, she slowly sat up to find Guy standing over her with his hand out and a wide grin on his face.

"Best two out of three?"

Before Anko could respond, the pair turned in the direction of footfalls growing nearer. It was Idate, and Anko and Guy shared a look as he helped her to her feet.

"Don't tell me: the Hokage wants to see us, right?" asked Guy.

Idate shook his head. "No, just Anko."

"What!? I haven't been on a mission in a week!"

"Whoa, take a chill pill," said Anko. "Just relax, and if you haven't been sent away before I get back, I guess we can have a rematch."

Guy crossed his arms, still agitated about not seeing any mission action. "I guess that'll have to do."

On the surface, the mission she was assigned was a simple escort. However, the Fifth Hokage warned her of a potential ambush of a few lightweights. What she didn't count on was a larger ambush with a few skilled assassins thrown in the mix. The battle she faced—alone—was a bloody one, and despite her unfavorable odds, she came out on the other side, having had no choice but to kill her attackers to save the woman she was meant to deliver safely to the Land of Rice Patties.

Upon her return to the Hidden Leaf, Lord Third gave her his sincerest apologies, taking the blame for the miscalculation. Regardless of the mishap, he was quite impressed with her skills, as well as her efficiency in dealing with the renegades. It had not escaped his notice how far she had come as a ninja in the last several years under no one's tutelage but her own. Of course he knew her motivation: the desire to one day confront and defeat Orochimaru. Still, her advancement was quite impressive despite her motives.

"You have great talent, Anko," he commented in his sage-like voice, filled with contemplative awareness. "I confess that I am impressed with how much you've grown as a Shinobi."

"Thank you, Sir."

He brought his pipe to his lips and puffed, tapping the side of it with his index finger. After a moment, he removed the pipe, blowing out a ring of smoke.

"I know you have no such ambition, but it's worth noting that you would indeed make a fine ANBU."

Her stoic and respectful expression fell, the corners of her mouth turning downward sharply and her eyes darkening. She understood the unfortunate necessity of the ANBU, but the thought of it honestly sickened her when she contemplated the horrors that seemed to come out of the stealth organization.

She recalled the day Guy had returned from asking to join the ANBU, and Danzo's response as to why he didn't have what it took to become a member. The vivid memories of the day they were betrayed by the HANYA Black Ops followed immediately afterward—the day that had made clear what Danzo had meant.

Anko turned away from the Third Hokage and headed for the door. "I don't think so," was the only reply she could muster before leaving his office.

It wasn't the thought of killing that turned her stomach; she'd had to end the lives of enemy Shinobi before, just like she'd had to do on this mission. It was the callousness of the ANBU that got to her. Intimidation was one thing, and Anko often reveled in making friends and enemies alike distinctly uncomfortable. Yet, cold is something she never aspired to be.

While the Third Hokage's suggestion was hardly fodder for enthusiasm, it set Anko to thinking again about how similar she was to those she once thought were above her—those like Kakashi. Her strength and promise were outmatched by few. It was only her mindset that differentiated her from the so-called "best of the best."

Or, perhaps she was overthinking the whole thing. She couldn't beat Guy, and she doubt she stood a chance against Kakashi—not that she would make the mistake of ever challenging him again. Despite the high compliment from Lord Third, was she really that good?

She supposed there was really only one way to find out for sure.

As the sun grew closer to the Western edge of the sky, Anko found the ANBU she was looking for in a group of eight at the Third Training Ground. Anko didn't bother to slow her steps as she approached the group, and she saw Kakashi's shoulder's stiffen as he caught sight of her from the corner of his eye.

"Hey, this is closed training session," said an ANBU in a round orange and white mask whose name Anko didn't know. There were four other masked faces she didn't recognize, along with Tenzo and Yugao.

"Yeah, what do you think you're doing here?" said the one in a mask with purple stripes and pointed ears.

The one in the green and white mask grunted, and the others remained silent. Yugao only blinked at her in confusion. Anko glanced around at each of them, amazed at the palpable arrogance of the group. Though she couldn't see the eyes of most of the ANBU that stood before her, she could feel their judging gazes as she stood without responding. Kakashi still refused to look directly at her. It was Tenzo who finally approached Anko with a friendly smile.

"Hey there. Is something the matter?"

Anko focused on Tenzo and regarded him with contemplation for several seconds.

"No. But I was thinking that I could use a good challenge. Where better to find one than within the ranks of the ANBU?"

"Didn't you hear us the first time?" Said another of the masked agents. "This is a closed training session, which means you shouldn't be here."

"That's right," said the first one who'd spoken to her. "So beat it."

"Yeah girlie," said the one with black hair and four maroon stripes on his mask as he moved to stand beside Tenzo. "Can't you take a hint?"

He barely finished his sentence before Anko used her ankle to pull his legs out from under him. She placed a foot on his chest, crouching down to hold a dagger to his throat as she peered through the darkened holes of the mask to find his hazel irises underneath.

"You're gonna want to refrain from calling me 'girlie,' you got that, punk?"

The other masked ANBU grabbed their kunai, ready to ambush her, but Tenzo stepped in the middle of the circle with his hands up.

"Whoa, just hold on a minute! Let's cool down, huh? Put the kunai away, all of you."

"She started it!"

"To be fair, I think you deserved that one, Toba…" said Tenzo with a sideways grin down at his felled comrade. Then he looked back at Anko. "Alright, you can let him up now."

Anko growled before moving off of the stunned ANBU and replacing her dagger back up into her sleeve.

Toba sat up and glared at Tenzo. "What's the big idea taking her side?"

"Relax. She's a friend. Isn't that right, Captain?"

Kakashi merely crossed his arms without replying. Yugao looked slightly nervous as she stood beside him.

"If it's a sparring partner you're after, you should probably find someone else," said the Copy Ninja. "Juno's right. You need to leave."

"Don't worry, I have no interest in fighting you," said Anko as she met Kakashi's mismatched gaze with a challenging stare.

No emotions registered on his face apart from the unbroken annoyance.

"Well none of us are interested," said the one in the purple and white mask. The others agreed.

"Sorry," said Yugao. "Maybe another time?"

Where once Anko had resented Yugao for holding a rank that kept her at Kakashi's side, now she resented her rank because she knew there was really no difference between the two women. Though the other girl appeared far kinder than her male counterparts, Anko couldn't help bristle over the fact that Yugao was seen as superior to herself.

Anko never wanted to join the ranks of the ANBU, but she did want to prove that her skills, just like Guy's, were on par with theirs.

"I'll take you on."

"Tenzo," Kakashi warned, the others beginning to protest.

"You sure about that?" she asked, having thought that despite his kindness, he would attempt to make her leave as well.

"Sure, why not? I've been curious about your abilities for a while now. Since we operate in different circles, I've never gotten to witness them first hand."

"We were in the middle of training," said Kakashi.

"Ah, lighten up, Captain! What's it gonna hurt?" said Tenzo, making his way toward the opposite end of the training field.

"Unless you're all afraid I'll beat one of your best team members," Anko challenged.

The other ANBU laughed.

"Yeah right."

"If you want your butt kicked, who are we to stop you?"

Anko moved to take her place opposite her opponent, who regarded her with curiosity and anticipation. The others may underestimate her, but she could tell that Tenzo wouldn't, and that was all that mattered. She wanted him to give her his all so that she knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was as good as any ANBU even though she had no interest in the organization itself.

Kakashi sighed from his place on the sidelines, but Anko paid no attention to him. She knew his resentment toward her had nothing to do with the fact that she'd interrupted their training and everything to do with his general discomfort around her since her unfortunate mistake two years earlier. While Kakashi hadn't initially been her purpose for challenging Tenzo, maybe if she beat him, or at least held her own against him, Kakashi might see that one didn't have to be an ANBU to be useful to the village.

"Whenever you're ready," said Tenzo.

"Oh, I was born ready…"

"Then show me what you've got."

Aware that he was challenging her to make the first move, she took him up on the offer. Her hands flew through hand signs, and after a great puff of smoke flared and dissipated, there were two clones flanking her as she charged forward.

The masked ANBU laughed at her basic tactic while Tenzo waited for Anko and her clones to come closer. Her clones each pulled out a kunai and tossed them, both blades whizzing past his head. He blinked in confusion and surprise at her poor aim, wondering if she didn't actually have good control of them. Regardless, as the middle Anko (and no doubt the real one) gained ground, she pulled her own kunai from her sleeve. Tenzo lifted his hand to use his Wood Style, Hand Tool Manipulation technique to forge a wooden blade of his own to use for hand-to-hand combat.

But just as he was about to engage her, he felt a slight disturbance in the ground beneath his feet and had to jump to avoid being snared by a gaggle of snakes. While he was in the air, two more serpents rose to strike, the two kunai she'd thrown clutched tightly beneath their fangs.

He had to think fast, extending his arm and using his Great Forest Technique to quickly encapsulate himself in a wooden cocoon so that the snakes couldn't get to him. After their strikes, he withdrew his impromptu shield only to have to form it into a wooden whip to throw Anko sideways when he found her lunging upward from underneath him.

Barring their initial skepticism, the other ANBU were silent, not having expected such tactics and ferocity from the average-looking female Shinobi.

Anko flipped backward, landing on her feet and skidding to a stop. Tenzo also landed, placing his hand on the ground and performing his Earth Release, Flow Spears Jutsu. If there were any snakes still in the ground, he would immobilize them while sending the spikes toward Anko and forcing her to retreat. He hadn't forgotten about her clones, and looking over his shoulder, he shot two earth spikes up at them as they dove in for another attack. The clones disappeared.

When he put his attention back on the original Anko, he found her leaping up into the surrounding trees to evade his spikes.

"Striking Shadow Snakes!"

Extending her arm, her snakes shot out from her sleeves, aiming for a tree across the clearing to grab on to. She used them to propel herself across the open area without touching the ground and the earthen stalagmites he'd created. Before he could sever her connection, she withdrew the snakes, gathering chakra in her foot as she aimed for his head.

Impressed by her speed, Tenzo spun and aimed his Great Forest Jutsu at her in an attempt to capture her. She landed, but used her agility to evade every twist and turn he created with his wooden limb. Dropping to the ground and getting beneath his jutsu, she threw her legs out and upward, infusing them again with a great deal of chakra to break the wood. It only regrew, aiming to encapsulate her, but she drew in a breath, blowing fire as she pushed up with her hands and spun to spread the flames so that they burned away the arboreal assault.

Tenzo felt the scorching pain as he retracted his limb, his arm transforming back. Luckily he had regenerative abilities, or that fire might have done serious damage.

Anko was on her feet again, drawing in another breath before performing her Dragon Flame Jutsu, aiming straight for him.

"Water Style, Tearing Torrent Jutsu!"

Drawing from the river behind him, Tenzo formed a ball of water in his hand that only grew as he leapt forward with it, using its might and power to extinguish her fire and knock her back until she was sprawled and wet on the ground a few meters in front of him. Drawing more water from the river, he performed his Water Bowl Jutsu, sending another rush of water in her direction.

"Twin-Headed Snake Jutsu!"

From the earth arose a snake head, its mouth opened wide to absorb Tenzo's attack.

"What!?"

Catching on quickly, he glanced over his shoulder to see an identical snake, its mouth opening to throw his attack right back at him. He drew up a water wall to protect himself. Knowing Anko would take the opportunity to get behind him, he spun and crouched, placing his hands on the ground once more to create his Wood Locking Wall which trapped them both inside a wooden capsule.

"Nowhere to run now."

Anko's eyes widened as she watched him disappear through the back of the wall. Almost immediately, the earthen spikes began to make their way toward her. Sucking in all the air her lungs could take, she expelled it via her Snake Flame Jutsu, which created seven fiery serpents that broke through Tenzo's wall and allowed her to escape.

He hadn't expected her to be able to escape and was unable to leave his vulnerable crouching position before she sent her Shadow Snakes after him. He tried to stop her with his Great Forest Jutsu, but her snakes weaved through the crisscrossing limbs to snare Tenzo's body, arms, and legs. She then used her snakes to fling Tenzo across the training ground and send him careening into a tree trunk.

With fire in her eyes, Anko launched herself toward Tenzo, throwing shurriken at him, to which he responded by producing an earth wall. Infusing chakra into her head, she jumped forward to smash through it only to be met by another Wood Style Jutsu, one meant to bind her. Rope-like vines extended toward her from the trees and she had to backtrack to keep from being caught.

Those vines were much too quick, however, and despite her best efforts to break them with infused chakra, the task was impossible. They were much too strong, and Anko could only outrun them for a short time before they eventually captured her. She hung suspended in midair, one leg dangling while the opposite knee was bound against her stomach, her arms wound in the vines in uncomfortable positions off to her sides. She struggled, but her efforts were in vain.

"You can't break them," said Tenzo as he approached her. "They're much tougher than my other jutsu."

Anko only growled. "Alright, I get it! You can let me go now!"

Tenzo nodded, releasing his Jutsu slowly so that she could be eased back to the ground.

"I realized when we started that you knew more about my strategies than I knew about yours," he said, remembering again that she used to watch Kakashi practice with him. "I almost thought you had me a few times."

"Yeah, almost." She grinned at him. "I'll get you next time, I promise."

"A rematch, huh? I look forward to it!" He placed a hand to his chin as he studied her. "You know, I think you'd make a pretty good ANBU."

The masked ninja looked at one another, still stunned by her performance.

"That was incredible, Anko," said Yugao.

"…You are a lot better than we thought…" Juno admitted. The others nodded their agreement.

"Yeah, sorry we gave you such a hard time," said the one with the whiskered mask.

"Those snakes of yours…they're pretty wicked," said the one with the green and white mask.

"Thanks," she said. "But not everyone with skill is cut out to be in the ANBU. Isn't that right…Captain Kakashi?"

She shifted her eyes toward him, focusing on his Sharingan. Anko forced him not to break eye contact, hoping he understood the message she was trying to send. Even though she'd lost, she'd proven herself able to stand up against a powerful ANBU like Tenzo. Now she wanted to prove something else entirely.

He wasn't meant for the ANBU either, whether he knew it or not.

Kakashi broke away from her gaze after several long seconds, refusing to say a word; but she could tell there was a slight change in his demeanor. Though she couldn't pinpoint it, it felt positive. She looked back at Tenzo.

"I appreciate the chance to test myself against you. It seems I still have work to do."

He smiled and tilted his head. "Anytime you want a sparring partner, come find me."

"Sure thing."

Anko turned away from them all without another word and headed back along the trail toward the village. The sun was creeping down beyond the horizon, the shaded forest growing even darker as she wandered on home.

She heard the yelling from outside, but tonight she didn't feel like running from it. Enough was enough. Pushing through the door, she closed it and walked through the living room to the kitchen where she found Ibiki and Idate going at it again.

"You're not my father!"

"For the last time, Dad is gone, and I was the one left to look after you!"

"Well you suck at it! Admit it, you just like to see me fail, don't you?"

"You think I like having a failure for a brother?"

"You never even gave me a chance—"

"To what? Fix your mistake? I failed you for a reason, and you still haven't figured out why! If you can't do that, you don't deserve to be a Shinobi at all!"

"Shut up!"

"That's enough!" Anko shouted, slamming her hands down on the table between the two. "This is my house, too, and dammit, I'm sick of listening to this all the time! If you've got something to settle, take it outside! I'm over it!"

"This doesn't concern you," said Ibiki.

"The hell it doesn't! Don't you think you put that boy through enough?"

Ibiki only averted his eyes.

"And you!" She turned on Idate. "I know your brother can be a pain in the ass, but he's still your older brother. Maybe you should try listening to him sometime."

Ibiki opened his mouth to say something, but Anko shot him a nasty look.

"You two are family. Why don't you start acting like it before you don't have any family left?"

They watched her walk out of the room and turn down the hall in silence. Ibiki sighed and went to follow her before he saw her close the door to the bathroom. From behind the bathroom door, she heard him address Idate.

"It's late. We both could use some sleep."

She heard the younger boy mumble something that sounded like "fine." Relieved, she turned on the water for the shower and stripped out of her dirty clothes. She was done tip-toing around others. From now on, Anko was going to be sure that her voice was heard above the chaos, no matter who had a problem with it, be they friend or foe. Her heart and will were strong, and they would no longer be silenced for the sake of false peace.