status ongoing
background the two years between Naruto and Naruto Shippuden
notice This week's just getting worse and worse. I think I might have caught the flu and I have so many things that need to get done. So, like, here's one thing I can cross off my list. The next chapter is a bit tricky though, so I'm still working on that. I'm so out of my mind these days, I'm sorry. Title's a nod to The Hobbit!


xii. there and back again


The trip back to Konoha was swift. Madam Shizimi had ushered them to make haste on their way back, because she was apparently feeling homesick — if such thing was even possible after only four days.

Anko had looked pleased at the prospect of getting home earlier than planned and going back to work. Kakashi, on the other hand, couldn't help feeling a little reluctant about going back. Returning to Konoha meant returning to his problems and that their unexpectedly pleasant mission would come to an end. As averse as he had originally been to being partnered with Anko for this mission, the five days spent in her presence had proved him completely wrong.

Kakashi had been pleasantly surprised when he had come to the realization that Anko was not as bad a company as he originally believed. Like so many others, he had fallen victim to the public's opinion of her. He mentally berated himself for not seeing underneath the underneath, like he had always instructed his students to do.

Anko was a peculiar individual, but nothing she did attested to everything she had been branded as by the village. When it came to their five days together, her initial snapping notwithstanding, he would even dare to go as far as to say that he had fun.

Missions weren't supposed to be fun. They were supposed to either be tedious or to give you a rush of adrenaline. You were not supposed to enjoy yourself during a mission; it was almost impossible to.

But Kakashi had. And he knew that it had everything to do with Anko. He had been on countless missions with numerous shinobi throughout his life, but this was the first time he had felt like this. It had felt like a vacation that wasn't forced and actually aimed at making him feel better.

He was even more shocked when he realized that in five days, he had scarcely allowed himself to think of his past misdeeds and the burdens that weighed him down.

He didn't know how in the world Anko had managed to do that — he guessed her incessant rambling played a big part — but he could use a lot more of it. Not that he was in any particular hurry to admit that to her or to the Godaime. He did have a reputation to uphold, and favoritism among colleagues was generally frowned upon.

But maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't mind being assigned a mission with Anko again in the near future. And maybe he could put in a good word for her to the Hokage about her mission performance.

The pair made their way through the gates of Konoha in the early afternoon, when the sun was just beginning to recline from its highest position in the sky. It was a busy time of the day in Konoha, with the Academy students having their recess and most shinobi having their lunch breaks. He supposed Anko was in a hurry to have her own lunch because she dropped all conversation and her pace picked up noticeably once they entered the village.

Kakashi shook his head and allowed the purple-haired kunoichi to lead the way to the Hokage Tower.


"Kakashi, Anko. I wasn't expecting you back so early," Tsunade said as the two jounin stepped inside her office.

"Madam Shizimi insisted on making haste on our way back," Kakashi spoke up, seeing that Anko had no intention of doing so herself. "She was eager to get back to her home."

"I see," the Hokage hummed in response. "I'm expecting your report first thing in the morning tomorrow, Kakashi. For now, anything you'd like to note?"

"No, ma'am. The mission went smoothly and without surprises."

"Alright. Kakashi, you are dismissed. Anko, I want to talk to you about the Chuunin exams, if you may."

They both bowed to the Hokage and Kakashi left the office, nodding to Anko in passing. She walked up to stand closer to the Hokage's desk, and happily plopped on one of the empty chairs when Tsunade gestured her to.

"Is this about the Meoki kid? Because I've been working my ass off trying to find him a team. He just won't fit! He overthrows the balance of every team I try throwing him in!" Anko defended herself.

Tsunade lifted a hand to silence her. "As strenuous as I'm sure this issue is, no. I have faith in your judgement and your abilities where it concerns the Chuunin exams, Anko. The Sandaime had assigned them on you numerous times in the past and I don't see a reason why I shouldn't. Now, what I want to talk to you about is Kakashi."

Anko raised an eyebrow in confusion at the Hokage's twist in conversation. "Hatake? What about him?"

"How was your mission? Did you two have any problems with each other at all?"

Anko frowned. "With all due respect, Hokage-sama, I know I am not the easiest person to get along with, but even I know not to let my idiosyncrasies get in the way when it comes to a mission. I may not be the most stable individual, but in my job, I am professional as f—"

"I know, Anko. You have proved your argument plenty of times and I am grateful. Kakashi is who I'm worried about. Did he create any problems during your mission?"

"Problems?" the snake mistress repeated, her face scrunching up in thought. "No, not at all. I mean, sure, he read more than he talked, but he made that clear before we went off and I was okay with it."

"I see," Tsunade mused. She clasped her hands together in front of her. "Well, that's good news. I had my qualms about sending him on this mission."

"Why? We both know it was actually a C-rank. The only reason it was ranked A was because Madam Shizimi wanted the best protection money could buy, right?"

"You're not wrong."

"But what I don't get is why you sent both of us. In fact, why did you send us? This was easily a chuunin's job."

The Hokage knew that it would inevitably come to that at some point. Anko was no idiot. She didn't doubt that she would have her own qualms about being sent on a particularly easy mission, especially when she already had her hands full with the Chuunin exams. However, informing her of Kakashi's illness was not an option. Even if Kakashi himself wasn't in denial about it, it still wasn't Tsunade's right to advertise his condition to the rest of the world.

But that didn't mean that she couldn't tell Anko part of the truth.

"I won't lie to you, Anko," Tsunade began, leaning a bit forward on her desk. "Kakashi requested this mission himself. The truth is, I've been sending him on solo missions for too long. Naturally, he was reluctant about a two-man mission. But we all know that teamwork is the backbone of our shinobi nation. There's only so many missions you can take on by yourself before it starts to take its toll on you. I wanted him to get reacquainted with what it meant being in a team again. And, well..."

Anko nodded solemnly, as if she understood exactly what the Hokage meant to imply. "You picked me because if he can get along with me, then he'll be able to get along with anyone."

"You did say you were not the easiest person to get along with."

"Well, I'm not gonna deny it. I've spend a great deal of time building my reputation," she said smugly. Then, her expression became curious. "So, this wasn't about preparing the remaining jounin for war by making them acquainted to each other's fighting styles and abilities, huh?"

Tsunade's eyebrows raised in confusion at that. War? What on Earth was she talking about? "No. Did Kakashi tell you that?"

"He speculated," Anko said with a shrug.

"It wasn't my objective, but it is extremely thoughtful now that I think about it." The Godaime chuckled while shaking her head. "That Kakashi. He should have made Hokage instead of me."

"Well, he is a genius."

"If only he was punctual."

"And less of a pervert."

Tsunade nodded in agreement. "Anyway, you are certain there were no abnormalities in his behavior?"

"None than I could discern, Hokage-sama."

"And you worked well together?"

"Like a well-oiled machine."

Tsunade eyed the jounin for a moment, looking for any sign of dishonesty in her expression. When she found none, she nodded. "Well, in that case, you are dismissed. I'll send word if I have any more questions after Kakashi hands me the report, but I think we're okay."

Standing up from her seat, Anko bowed respectfully and exited the office, leaving Tsunade to bite on her fingernail in thought.

Kakashi and Anko, eh? Now that wasn't a recipe I would have considered to work. I wonder… she trailed off in her mind, a smirk pulling at the corner of her lips. You haven't seen the last of this, Hatake.