Note: Name game! Anko's mother's name, Hikari, means "light". Anko's father's name, Daisuke, breaks down as Dai "Large/great" and suke "help".

And, finally, you find out about Anko's past. Enjoy!

Explain; verb—to make plain or clear; render understandable or intelligible

--Explanation—

Saturday…

I wasn't upset with Ko… not really.

I mean, I was angry at her feeble excuses as to why we couldn't screw like rabbits, but I could see the wounded, cornered girl under her wall of apathy.

I was hurt for the most part.

Hurt because she was… strange, huh?

My arousal had been completely cancelled out by our conversation; I had grabbed my flute and my Glock and fled, needing the space and fresh air to clear my thoughts—to put me in the right mind to deal with… this.

The moon appeared in the sky to find me leaning against one of the steel support beams of a building's skeleton. The sign on the ground several stories below had read "Konoha Tech—Embrace the Future."

By the looks of it, this building would be rather large—quite different from the other buildings in this little town… Things were changing and right before my very eyes.

Embrace the future, eh? I tilted my head back, gazing at the winking lights that hung in the blue-black sky. How long ago had it been since I had looked up at this same sky, asking it to give me answers? A star shot across my line of view and I smiled slightly.

I didn't make a wish though. Instead, I held my flute up to my lips and began to play. Each sad, lingering note that left the instrument made me feel a little lighter, as though each was infused with my own emotions, thus cleansing me of them.

I was only a little surprised when Kidomaru appeared next to me, smoke curling around his feet as he walked towards me.

"Hey," he greeted. "That sounds rough."

I lowered my flute, glancing at him out of the corner of my eye. "Yeah. What're you doing out here?"

"Kabuto has me and Kimimaro holed up in a cheap motel in Konoha's business district. I was scouting and it was hard to miss how upset you are." He wasn't wearing his headband, I realized, and his third eye peered at me intently. "What's up?"

He sat, legs dangling over the edge of the beam we were standing on. I mimicked his position.

"Just… girl trouble."

Suddenly, he was laughing. "I always knew you'd be a lesbian!" He sobered up when I shot him a look. "Right. Sorry. Is this girl the same purple-haired one you had with you back at the Cave?"

"Yeah."

He stroked his chin, looking thoughtful. Kidomaru had always been good with plotting and I waited for his advice eagerly. "Well, ya know, the only one who really knows how to fix this is you."

"That's helpful."

He shrugged. "I'm serious. If she's gotten close enough to you to have you sulking like this, than you probably know her well enough to patch up whatever it is that's wrong."

I blinked, realization hitting me like a knee to the gut. "You know what? You're right."

We fist-bumped, the dark-skinned teen grinning. "Glad I could help. Which reminds me: Kabuto has us looking out for you. We're supposed to win you over with our charm." He waggled his eyebrows in a comically flirty manner and I couldn't help but chuckle despite the fact that I knew Four-eyes would probably resort to force if using my teammates didn't work.

We sat there for a while, just enjoying each other's company in silence. It was somewhere around 12 AM when I sighed, rising to my feet.

"Thanks for everything, Kidomaru."

"Whoa! You have manners? That chick must be somethin'."

I punched him in the shoulder, just hard enough to sting. "That she is."

He waved, still sporting that cocky grin as I disappeared.

I didn't make a sound as I crept around the apartment. She had already eaten dinner and the covered plate sitting on the counter showed that Anko had been hoping I'd come back and that she wasn't upset with me for walking out.

'Even if it was her fault.'

I ignored her peace offering, slipping into the bedroom…

Only to freeze upon seeing Anko curled into a fetal position on her bed, sleeping. The lamp on her nightstand was on, revealing her expression to be one of unhappiness even though she was unconscious.

She looked so helpless lying there by herself clad in only a long white nightshirt—so small and alone.

Inwardly, I sighed. Ko…

As though she sensed my presence, her eyelids fluttered open.

They focused on me and the world narrowed down to just the two of us.

A lengthy silence.

She sat up—slowly as though she expected me to bolt. "Hey…"

I offered a small smile. "Hey."

Another lengthy silence.

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry." I said at the same time.

Another lengthy silence—this really needed to stop.

"You go first," I offered, folding my arms across my chest and leaning back against the dresser.

She bowed her head, not meeting my gaze. "You were right. About me hiding behind Kurenai, I mean. And I panicked because I didn't want you to get any closer to me than you are now."

I frowned. "Is it so hard to believe anyone would want to get closer to you without ulterior motives?"

"Orochimaru, Sakura… Ibiki. They all got close to me and they all destroyed something. My happiness, my heart and my way of life. My chance at ever living like a normal human being." She still didn't look up, her hands clenching into white-knuckled fists as her shoulders shook. "There hasn't been a single person I've trusted completely that didn't turn around and lodge a knife in my back."

I didn't recognize the last name… Destroyed her way of life?

"What happened, Ko?" I saw her hesitate and scowled. "Listen," I said gruffly. "There's no more walls here, ok? I want to know everything—I want to know why you hurt so much."

She looked up and I saw tears sparkling in chocolate-tones depths. "I—"

"You asked me to trust you earlier, remember?"

She nodded.

"Well I'm asking you to trust me now."

The purplette inhaled deeply, exhaled slowly. "I do."

"You already know about Orochimaru," she said, tone flat. "He played favourites—always raising me above the others because I could properly use Chakra."

"He travelled the world to find five teens that could do the same," I agreed.

"So I heard. What you don't know is how he captured his prized song-bird." Her gaze became unfocused, distant. "Ibiki Morino was eighteen at the time. Orochimaru had hired him to take care of some… dissent within the Otogakure. It was rumored that two of the elite members weren't following the rules—that they were withholding their only daughter, possibly weakening the Otogakure's ranks. They were a young couple, and very much in love. The other members would always joke about how the two seemed joined at the hip—how Hikari and Daisuke were 'a match made in heaven'."

My breath caught in my throat as she choked back a sob.

"But Ibiki didn't know that. He was just a mercenary: how could he know that the couple loved their daughter with all they were? That they would risk their well-being to make sure that she would at least have a chance to live a normal life? All he knew that his job was to secure the girl… and kill the couple."

"Ko…" I took a step forward, reaching for her, but she shook her head, waving me away.

"Though it was difficult—they were extremely careful—he learned their schedule and made friends with the little girl. The couple was happy that she was making friends despite the age difference and Ibiki became an older brother figure to the little girl. He was very cautious, his background squeaky clean. He was the perfect gentleman: handsome and very intelligent. He was welcomed into the family with open arms. One night, the couple invited him to celebrate Christmas with them. He protested, saying he didn't want to intrude, but they insisted—said that it would make the little girl happy. So he accepted.

I felt my own eyes burn with tears as I watched her struggle with her emotions.

"Hikari and Daisuke Mitarashi were murdered almost thirteen years ago on December 25. Their daughter, Anko, was taken immediately under Orochimaru's wing. She would learn to fight and lose her childhood in exchange and then, almost a year later, she would run away. She wouldn't have a place to stay… can you guess who found her? That same bastard who started all of this—the boy-turned-man who she had trusted. Guilt had been eating at him and he felt that he could find redemption in raising the girl."

She was openly crying now, fat tears rolling down her cheek. I wiped them from her face with the pad of my thumb, kissing her sweetly on her forehead, cheeks, chin, and nose.

"Shhh," I soothed. "I'm sorry, Anko. So, so sorry."

She buried her face in my chest, fisting the fabric of my tank-top. "Later, I found out that he had been keeping in touch with the Otogakure to keep an eye on me. That's how he managed to find me so quickly. Once he had secured me, he broke off all ties with the Otogakure. Orochimaru didn't care—Ibiki was just a man for hire. He had more important things to attend to, like finding me."

I rested my chin on the top of her head, rubbing her back in large, soothing circles. "You don't have to tell me anything else if you don't want to, Ko. If it hurts you this much, I don't want to hear it."

And I meant that.

She shook her head, gathering herself. "No. You need to know." She looked up, her eyes meeting mine squarely. "I trust you."

Those three words… from Anko, they held a heavier significance.

I closed the distance between us, planting a gentle kiss on her lips. "I know."

The purplette let her head fall, resting against my collarbone. We were silent for a while—me offering comfort and her soaking it up.

"Ibiki took care of me up through middle school," she said, breaking the silence. "I was as happy as any teen, acting as any teen would. In seventh grade, I realized I had a thing for girls, not boys. That didn't matter though, because I didn't relate to anyone. Not until I met Sakura, that is. You remember the TPing incident I told you about?" I nodded. "I had known of Kiba and the others since sixth grade, but I didn't make friends with them and fall for Kurenai until eighth. Even back then, Ino and Temari were going strong."

The wistfulness in her tone led me to believe that that—their commitment to each other—was something she desired.

"Entering my high school sophomore year, I met Sakura. Since she was my friend, I had given up any hope towards a relationship with Kurenai. There was no such problem with Sakura. She was always so… attentive. I honestly think that, in the beginning, Sakura actually did have some interest in me—before she became a power hungry bitch. It started out as little things: she would always smile at me and talk to me. We liked the same bands and we both had a thing for pastries."

Anko had a thing for pastries? I tucked that info away for later.

"Half way through sophomore year, she asked me out. Back then, I considered that the best day of my life. From then on, we acted as a normal couple—we held hands and kissed. We talked on the phone for hours about nothing… we even started coordinating our clothing."

"What went wrong?" I couldn't help but ask. "It seems you two were really happy."

"Sakura was supposed to meet me after school." Anko said quietly. "And she was late. I was beginning to worry—Sakura was always on time. So I left the gym to look for her. I was running all over the campus, calling for her. When I heard her scream my name, I swear my blood ran cold."

She was trembling. I pulled her closer, murmuring meaningless words of comfort.

'Since when are you such a wonderful shoulder to lean on?'

Since Anko needs one.

"Near the back of the school were some dumpsters, just outside of the fence that surrounds the campus. You've seen them, right?"I nodded. "Sakura was a member of the student council. She had been left to clean up the meeting room and decided to dump the trash, rather than trouble a custodian. Some drunk had spotted her and decided that the pinkette was ripe for the picking."

"So you killed him," I guessed.

"Yeah… I didn't mean to. I was just… so angry that anyone would try to harm what was mine."

I knew the feeling.

"I blacked out for a second and, next thing I knew, Sakura was sobbing, telling me to stop as she tried to pull me off the guy. He was a bloody wreck."

"And that didn't scare her off?"

"Quite the opposite. She knew I cared for her and used that to her advantage. It sounds stupid, but I was easily tricked by the whole if-you-love-me-you'll-do-this deal."

"It doesn't sound stupid," I assured her. "She used you."

I felt her body tense up. "Yes. For the second time in my life, I became a guard dog. When I became tired of her demands, she decided to search for someone else."

"Sasuke Uchiha."

"Mhmm. Not only was he was higher up on the popularity ladder, he had his own body guards that had no qualms against acting as such. It just goes to show that Sakura is a great actress—I didn't know I had been dumped until she and Sasuke went public."

I made a comforting sound in the back of my throat, stroking her hair. "I wish I could take this pain off of your shoulders, Ko."

She shrugged. "I've learned to deal with it."

"By shutting people out?"I said, keeping my tone teasing. "That wasn't very smart, hon."

"I'm an idiot, I know," she sighed, sounding defeated.

I frowned, hooking a finger under her chin and angling her face so that her gaze met mine. "Hey, I didn't say that. You're not an idiot, you're merely human. Don't let me hear you talking like that, ok?"

"… Ok."

I smiled at her, leaning in to claim those wonderful lips I couldn't get enough of for a moment. I straightened. "C'mon, cheer up, Ko. You shouldn't dwell on the past—it isn't healthy."

"I know, I know… I can't help it, though. These things that have happened, no matter how terrible, are what shaped me."

"And you're stronger for it." I made damn sure she was looking at me while I spoke. This was important. "Ko, you're a beautiful person, outside and inside. You've been through things that would have discouraged most people—made them give in. But you didn't. You've pressed on and conquered anything that tried to stand against you." I could feel myself blushing, but I pressed on anyway. "And, truthfully, I'm impressed. I don't think I could have done the things you've done—been through the things you have."

Dark brown eyes widened, her hand coming to cup my cheek. "Tayuya… That's…" She closed her eyes briefly. When she re-opened them, they shone. "That's honestly the nicest thing anyone has said to me."

"Good. I'm the only one who should be complimenting you like that." I raised an eyebrow. "If any guy or girl talks to you like that I'll take 'em out." I had been aiming for a smile and I got a small one. Mission accomplished.

The surge of warm affection for this girl caught me off guard for a brief moment as I hugged her to me, wanting more than anything to wipe away the pain her past created. We stayed like that for seconds, minutes, hours—did it matter?

Eventually, I murmured, "It's after midnight—I think you should get some sleep."

Without a word, she shifted away from me, settling back onto her side (not that it mattered considering she spent the night cuddled against me) of the bed and giving me a questioning look.

I rose and crossed the room, retrieving a pair of boxers. Slipping off my shorts, I couldn't help but glance at Anko over my shoulder and wink at her; she quickly averted her wandering eyes.

"You know, Ko," I said, crawling from the bottom of the bed towards the top. I knew that loads of cleavage was revealed from that angle. "If you keep staring at my ass like that, I might start to think that you like it."

I was looming over her, crouched on my haunches. She allowed a smile to quirk the edges of her lips upwards and I had the sudden urge to kiss her again. "I do like your ass."

I was shocked when she reached out, groping said ass as she flashed her teeth. Just like that, my body remembered that it was really hungry.

And not for food.

"Oi!" I managed. "Hands off the merchandise!"

She rolled her eyes. "Says you? You've always got your hands all over me."

I pulled her towards me, away from the headboard, and flipped her onto her back, straddling her waist. With my hands braced on either side of her head, I leaned in, nipping gently at her bottom lip. "You like my hands all over you."

Reading the plea in her eyes, I rolled off of her (it took some amazing will power), stealing one of her pillows and adding it to my own pile.

"Hey!"I winked, flopping down onto my stomach as she frowned. "That's mine."

"What's yours is also mine. Quit complaining and c'mere." I tugged her towards me; she landed half on top of me, her head resting on my shoulder, her legs tangled with mine. I smirked when she nuzzled closer rather than tense up like she usually did.

"You're still horny, aren't you?" She knew the answer, I was sure, and the way her breath fanned out over my neck didn't help anything.

"As fuck."

She laughed—truly a wonderful sound. "Hands off, m'kay?"

"I'm a perfect lady," I harrumphed. "… Until you're ready for me to be otherwise."

It was daring, but I let my hands slide down her frame, loving the smooth curves of her body, stopping at her hips.

"Mmm…" she hummed. "Whatever you say."

For a moment, I got my hopes up, my core clenching at the thought of sweet relief.

"Goodnight, Tayuya."

"So cold," I sighed. "'Night, Ko."

After an undetermined amount of time, I was hard pressed not to grind upwards, against Anko's thigh.

"Tayuya?"

"Yeah?" I couldn't help the huskiness that crept into my voice.

"Thank you."

"For?"

"Being you, I guess. I feel a lot better now and I'm glad you demanded that I share my past with you."

"I'll demand whatever you want," I all but purred. "Not a problem—I'm glad you shared with me. Any time you need to get something off your chest, I'm willing to listen."

Anko shifted, her upper-body lifting and I felt her lips brush against my cheek, leaving behind heat. As she settled back down, I fought the urge to grab her and bring her back up to my lips.

She was murmuring something, her words muted by my throat

"What was that?"I tugged gently at her hair. "I didn't quite catch it."

She sighed.

Again with the hot breath on my neck?!

"I'm no good at this."

"Good at what, mom?"

She groaned. "Don't call me that—it makes this even more awkward."

"Makes what even more awkward?" Ok, now I was confused. "And if you sigh one more time, I'm going to fucking sexually assault you."

She was laughing. "Sorry, sorry."

I tugged at her hair again, harder this time. "Focus, Ko."

"This is going to sound really grade school…"

"Stop stalling, Ko."

"UGH!" Deep breathe. "Tayuyawillyoubemygirlfriend?"

Despite how rushed her words were, I got the gist of them and grinned. Really fucking widely.

To the point that my cheeks ached.

"Here I was thinking you'd never ask!" I didn't have to fake the delight in my voice. It was one-hundred-percent real. "I'd love to be your girl, Anko Mitarashi."

She buried her face in my throat again as though she had expected me to say 'no' and I gave her a squeeze.

"Does this mean wild, hot girl-sex and then cuddling until we both fall asleep?"

"GO TO BED!"

--End Chapter--

See? I told you guys it would all work out ^^ Let me know what you think.