A/N: So it only took more than three days for me to be able to see reviews that were posted for chapter 24. I wasn't planning on updating until that glitch was fixed, but luckily it all worked out! I'm glad I got a good response for my furthering the actual plot development. I needed some sort of conflict, and I have one. Just need to hammer out a few details. It may suck, but I'll do my best to make it coherent and plausible.
As for this chapter, well, prepare for some comedy and cuteness, because that's what this one's all about! Don't let it fool you though.
ONE LAST THING: Anko's festival attire, designed by yours truly. Take a look at sartorius77. deviantart art/Festival-Anko-2-Edited-637121700 (remove spaces). Enjoy!
Chapter Twenty-Five: The Festival
As the days passed, Kakashi noted that Anko still appeared uneasy about the information (or lack thereof, or both) gained from the prisoners they'd brought back on their mission to the Hidden Stone. He took to trying to find ways to distract her from her thoughts, and it seemed to work for a little while, but she inevitably fell back into her quiet paranoia—a phenomenon that unnerved him. He only hoped that in time, her anxieties would lessen.
It was also strange to him, having someone worry so much about his safety. He knew that he had the love of his friends and comrades, and that they would be devastated should anything happen to him; but the difference was that they all seemed to think that he was invincible; indestructible; indomitable. Hell, even Kakashi had come to the conclusion that no one would ever take him down, and he had told Anko as much. Anko was different, though. It wasn't that she didn't believe in him—she did; however she was also attuned to the reality of a Shinobi. Life was unpredictable, as was death, and he understood that she was terrified of losing him to the latter.
Anko couldn't help but listen to her gut when it told her that something was amiss, and that Kakashi may potentially be in some sort of danger. Despite Kakashi's attempts to keep her mind busy, or to assure her that everything would be alright—efforts for which she was very grateful—she was unable to shake the feeling of dread that came with the possibility of an impending tragedy.
However, as days turned into weeks, and nothing sinister reared its ugly head, she began to rationalize her fears away. For now, she and Kakashi were both safe and sound inside the village walls, and in less than three months, he would take Lady Tsunade's place as the Sixth Hokage, an occupation that would typically keep him within the village rather than outside of it. As Hokage, Kakashi would essentially be untouchable. As of yet, not even the citizens of Konoha knew that he was to be Tsunade's successor, so how could a band of rogue ninjas—or even one sly puppet master—possibly be aware that before long, Kakashi of the Sharingan would no longer be an attainable target?
As another week came to a close, Tsunade arranged an afternoon chat with Kakashi, of which Anko was also privy. They sat in the formal meeting chamber, Tsunade on one of the couches and Kakashi and Anko sitting across from her.
"I'm sure you're well aware that the Konoha Days Festival is next weekend," said the Hokage conversationally.
"It's all anyone is talking about," Kakashi conceded by way of commentary.
"So it is. As the end of the year fast approaches, it's important to stop and remind ourselves how far we've come and how much we've accomplished in the last several months. It is also a time for us as a village to consider where we go from here, and how we plan to secure our future."
Both Anko and Kakashi were well aware of where Lady Tsunade was going with this conversation. They remained silent as she continued.
"That's why I would like to take the opportunity to officially announce you as my successor," she said, looking directly at the Copy Ninja. "I have already sent out invitations to the other four Kage."
"I think that would be appropriate," said Kakashi. "I was wondering when you wanted to make my appointment public knowledge. If I'm to step up as Hokage in a matter of weeks, the village should be informed soon."
"My thoughts exactly. So you have no objections?"
"Me? No."
"You're ready for this then?"
"I never thought I'd say this, but…yes. I am."
Tsunade smiled, pleased with his answer. "Good, I'm glad to hear it."
The streets were quiet as the pair walked home that evening. Kakashi found himself looking up in thought, contemplating the Konoha Days Festival and the official announcement of his appointment as the Sixth Hokage. When he groaned, Anko glanced up at him.
"What's wrong?"
"Well…to be honest, I was getting used to this Hokage thing, but as far as being the center of attention at the festival…I'd really rather pass…"
"It's too late to hide under your little rock now," she commented.
He gave a heavy sigh. "Are you sure I can't just dress up like a rock and pretend I am one?"
She giggled at that. "I can see it now—Lady Tsunade making the announcement that she's appointing a rock as the Sixth Hokage!"
Suddenly she had an epiphany, and she stopped in her tracks.
"Hold on a minute."
"Hm?" Kakashi stopped and looked at her curiously.
"Tsunade said that she's already invited the other four Kage to the celebration." A wide grin spread across her face and she balled her hands into fists excitedly. "Ha! This is fantastic!"
"…I'm guessing you're not talking about the diplomatic opportunity that this festival presents, are you?" he asked, not following her train of thought.
"If they're all going to be in Konoha for the festival, then that means that the Tsuchikage will be here, too."
"…And?" he hedged, still not following.
"And," she said with a sly grin. "I'm willing to bet that his granddaughter will also be tagging along! It's absolutely perfect!"
"Ah," Kakashi finally said. "So this is less about the Kage than it is about you pestering Ibiki."
"Damn right!" she said, rubbing her hands together with a mischievous smirk and a dark chuckle. "This is gonna be fun…"
"I will never understand why you get off on tormenting that poor guy, nor will I ever understand why you're able to get away with it…"
"Pft, it's not like he can stop me. Underneath that cold, sadistic façade, he's really just a big softie."
"Uh…I'll take your word for it…" Kakashi replied, thought he sincerely doubted her statement. On the other hand, people could be quite deceiving… Take Anko, for instance.
Between Anko's rationalizations and her general excitement over the upcoming festival (both because Kakashi would formally be appointed as the Sixth Hokage, and because she was looking forward to teasing the hell out of Ibiki), she had little time to think herself into a constant state of worry. Indeed, all thoughts of the prisoners or the unknown puppet master were swept entirely under the rug for the time being. Even when Anko planned a very deliberate trip to ANBU headquarters the next day, she remained completely carefree and all too excited.
Ibiki gave an aggravated growl as she barged into his office, looking entirely as though she were up to something.
"Mitarashi, can't you see I'm busy?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure you are, but I've got some good news for you," she announced happily as she strode into the room.
"Can't it wait? I have a job to do—this isn't a social hour," he responded grumpily as he grudgingly got up and walked around the desk.
She spun and jumped up to sit on top of it. "Come on, I thought you'd want to hear what I have to say."
"Unless you're planning a trip far, far away, I don't give a damn."
"The Konoha Days Festival is next week," she said, ignoring his surliness. "You're planning on going, right?"
He lifted an eyebrow. "Do I look like the festive type to you?"
"Oh, you're going to want to go to this one, trust me…" she said with another sly grin.
"Yeah? And why's that?"
"Because first, Lady Tsunade is going to officially appoint the Sixth Hokage; and second, she's already invited the other four Kage, which means it's highly likely that you're little girlfriend will be here in the village…"
That muscle above his eye twitched even as he stood there with his arms crossed, attempting to look foreboding, though he knew well that his little act never worked on Anko. She smirked.
"See, you're intrigued already!"
"No, I'm not. If I go to that damned festival, it'll only be because my team and I will likely be needed for security purposes."
"Tut, tut, Ibiki. You work way too much. You seriously need a hobby. Or you need to get laid. Either one would work, but I'm guessing you're hoping for the latter."
"Mitarashi!"
She hopped off the desk with a wide grin, unfazed by his angry blustering as she headed for the door having made her point. "Hey, I'm just keeping it real. Just so you know, I'm rooting for you, big guy!"
He wished he had something to throw at her in that moment. She was really starting to push his last buttons, and if she kept pushing, he swore he'd—he'd…
He gave another agitated growl once she had left. He could never really do anything to Anko. He let her get away with way too much because, damn it, he cared about her—and she knew it, too, that cocky son of bitch…
One day the following week, Kakashi was given several errands to run, and he told Anko that if she wanted to meet up with him later, she could. She agreed, actually glad to be able to escape some of the day's responsibilities for a little while because she had plans of her own. Currently, she sat at her favorite dango shop, waiting on the person she'd invited to meet her for lunch to show up while she contemplated how ridiculously uncomfortable the upcoming conversation was going to be.
"Hey," said Kurenai as she walked into the shop and took a seat across from Anko. "Shikamaru gave me your message. What's up? Is everything alright?"
"Hey, glad you could make it. Sorry about the short notice… Everything's fine, it's just… I uh…" Anko ducked her head, partially regretting her decision to involve Kurenai in her own dilemma at all. "Well, I need a little help…"
"Help with what?"
She bit her lip, and Kurenai didn't miss the slight flush creeping up into her cheeks. She squirmed a little in her chair. Yeah, she was definitely regretting this already…
"Uh…I don't know how to ask this, but…" Giving a frustrated huff, she finally blurted in a rather rapid whisper, "I need you to help me look nice for the festival."
Kurenai blinked back at her, taken by surprise. Of all the things Anko could have asked for help with, that was probably the thing that she had been expecting the least.
"What?"
"Please don't make me say it again! Look—"Anko drew in a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. "You…you always look nice; pretty, poised, graceful, and all that jazz. So how do you do it?"
Now it was Kurenai's turn to flush with slight embarrassment. "Oh, well…thank you. I guess I never really thought about it much, but…I suppose I could help if it means that much to you."
"Great! Thanks!"
"But answer me something," said the older woman, forcing Anko to look directly at her. "Why are you asking for my help?"
"I would have thought that was obvious…"
A slight frown took over the Sarutobi widow's face. "Insecurities are obvious, yes," she commented almost sagely. "But knowing Kakashi as I'm sure you do, and knowing how much he loves and cares for you, what makes you think he'd like you better if you looked different?"
Anko dropped her gaze to the table, unable to answer. She didn't necessarily think that Kakashi would like her better. Well, maybe she did…just a little. She knew he loved her, surely there was no question about that. She did, however, think that maybe he wouldn't mind if she took the time to look pretty every once in a while. Didn't guys like that sort of thing?
The other reason she wanted to look good for him was because, although she didn't mind being the tomboy, she had to admit that every so often, she wouldn't mind feeling pretty on the outside. Kakashi had brought out the woman in her, and lately she found herself wanting to be more…well, womanly.
"I guess it's more for my sake than for his," Anko admitted. She rubbed her arm nervously. "Sometimes a girl just wants to look nice, you know?"
"I think you're very pretty," said Kurenai with a smile. "But if you want to spruce it up a bit, I can help you with that."
Anko gave her own nervous smile. "Thanks…"
"What are girl friends for?"
"Truth be told, you're the only girl friend I have, and sometimes I don't know what I'd do without you."
"I guess you'd just have to ask Ibiki to take you shopping!"
The two women laughed at that mental image, and Anko actually contemplated posing that question to old Scarface.
"I don't know what would be more disastrous; asking Ibiki, or asking Kotetsu and Izumo."
"Oh dear. I'd hate to imagine either scenario really!"
"Yeah, Ibiki would probably throw a plastic bag over my head and call it a dress, and the other two would probably dress me up like a hooker…"
Kurenai covered her mouth to hide her slight fit of giggles. "Then by all means, you may want to leave the fashion advice to me."
X-X-X
The festival was Saturday. Each of the other four Kage arrived Friday afternoon, and Tsunade asked Kakashi to be at the Hokage's residence to greet them. Ao and Chojuro accompanied the Mizukage; Konkuro and Temari arrived with Lord Gaara; Killer B and Darui came with the Fourth Raikage; and much to Anko's elation, Akatsuchi and Kurotsuchi did indeed accompany the Tsuchikage Onoki.
During a meeting over tea and rice cakes, Tsunade informed them that Kakashi would be taking her place as the next Hokage, and that she would officially be making the announcement just before sundown the next evening. She also asked the other Kage to keep this information to themselves until she made her announcement. They agreed, giving Kakashi their sincerest congratulations.
As the Kage—and the future Hokage—immersed themselves in diplomatic conversation, Anko left Kakashi's side to give a friendly hello to Kurotsuchi, who stood off in a corner by herself, merely observing the conversations happening around her.
"Didn't we just see each other about a month ago?"
Kurotsuchi turned to her with a grin. "Yeah, we did! Glad you guys made it back okay. We were surprised to hear about the ambush."
"Ah, it was nothing. They were a bunch of losers anyway."
"So I hear… Makes you curious, doesn't it? Who's really behind the whole thing?"
"Yeah…" said Anko, wanting to change the subject. Luckily, Kurotsuchi wasn't keen on talking about it in any sort of depth either.
"It's actually my first visit to the Hidden Leaf Village. I kind of like it."
"Ha, just wait until tomorrow!"
"So you're going to the festival?"
"Of course."
"Oh, right…" said Kurotsuchi, putting her knuckle to her chin thoughtfully with a smile. "You're with Kakashi, aren't you?"
Anko gave a bit of a nervous laugh. "Yeah."
"Great job! I hear he's a bit of a catch." Kurotsuchi's eyes found the silver-haired Jonin, studying him. "Not bad. At least what I can see of him, anyway."
"Trust me, 'not bad' is an understatement," said Anko proudly this time. "Speaking of which…" she added nonchalantly. "You and Ibiki seem to have a thing…am I right?"
Kurotsuchi swung her head around to stare at Anko in surprise. "What? What makes you say that?"
Anko gave a sly grin and said quietly, "Let's just say I know Ibiki well enough to know when something—or someone—catches his attention; and believe me, it doesn't happen very often. Plus," she added jokingly, "I also heard your conversation in the hall that night."
"You what!?"
The snake kunoichi laughed. "No worries. Your secret is safe with me. Ibiki's not really fond of festivities—he's such a Scrooge—but since you're here, I'm sure he'll be around," Anko said with a wink.
The younger woman let out a laugh of her own. "Thanks for the heads up. You know, you're alright."
"So are you," said Anko, extending a hand to Kurotsuchi. They shook hands, solidifying their newfound friendship.
X-X-X
Anko spent the night at Kakashi's, but she left in the morning to head to her own apartment so that she could get ready for the day. Kakashi, not being of the nosy sort, didn't question her about it, and the two agreed to meet up at the festival at noon.
Anko stood in her bedroom, staring at the outfit that she had secretly bought with a bit of help from Kurenai. She liked it, but she had no idea what to do make the rest of her match its style.
She was relieved when a knock came at the door, and she hurried to answer it, letting Kurenai into her apartment. The Sarutobi widow wore an elegant pink kimono with red blossoms and accents. A quick jab of envy and self-consciousness passed over Anko, but she pushed it aside.
"Ugh, thank goodness you're here. I can dress myself, but I don't know what to do about the rest of it."
"No worries," said Kurenai with a smile. "I've got everything you need, and probably a lot of things you don't."
The older woman waited on Anko to dress. When she walked out of her bedroom in the short purple kimono with long sleeves, an orange flower pattern, and her signature leggings and undershirt beneath it, she asked, "So, how does it look?"
"It looks perfect. What would you like to do with your hair?"
Anko scratched her head in thought. Kakashi did seem to like it down, but it was also rather warm, and Anko would prefer to keep it up off of her neck. Perhaps a little of both…
As the two women stood in front of the mirror in the bedroom, Kurenai working to find a happy medium between having her down a little while also still being up to keep her cool, Anko found that she didn't much like makeovers. To have someone touching her, even if it was just her hair, agitated her. Kakashi was the one and only exception to her personal space issues. Even so, she kept her mouth shut. She had asked for Kurenai's help, and true to her word, the older woman was doing a damn good job actually making Anko feel like a girl for once. When Kurenai pulled out a makeup bag, Anko had to put her foot down.
"Oh no, you're not getting near me with that!"
"Ok, if you're sure. I wasn't going to put much on, just a little blush and eyeshadow. You don't really need it."
Anko looked up at Kurenai's pretty face. She wore blush, eyeshadow, and lipstick. It was certainly not extravagant, but it highlighted her eyes and brought a little color to her face.
Making a sound of discomfort, Anko replied, "Okay fine. Just don't go crazy…"
"Trust me, dear, with makeup, less is more."
While Kurenai applied the eyeshadow, and then the blush, Anko fought not to smack her hands away and wipe it all off. Little-shmittle! Her face felt violated. Her lips formed into an agitated pout as she commented, "I take it back. I don't think I want to do this again. Ever."
Kurenai chuckled as she pulled away, having finished with the blush. "Don't write it off just yet. Look."
Still fighting the desire to run to the bathroom and wash it all way, Anko turned to face her reflection in the mirror. What she saw floored her. Her hair was done neatly, half up, half down, and tied with an orange ribbon. The light violet eyeshadow complemented her hair, and the blush gave her cheeks a little life and color. The changes were minor, but they made a big difference. She lifted her hand to touch her face with delicate fingers, intrigued.
"Do you like it?"
Anko's thoughts flitted back to that first night Kakashi had stayed over at her apartment. He had stood behind her as she stared into that very mirror and revealed to him her deeper insecurities—how she had never really felt like a woman before. He had undone her ponytail, let her hair fall to her shoulders, and told her that she was indeed a very beautiful woman. She believed that he believed that, but she herself hadn't believed it; not wholeheartedly anyway.
Looking at herself now, she did think she was pretty. She gave an almost timid smile, reluctantly conceding that the discomfort had been worth it.
"Yes, thank you." She turned back to Kurenai with a more playful expression. "But I still don't plan on doing this very often!"
"I thought as much," Kurenai laughed. "I'm glad I could help." She glanced at the clock on Anko's night stand. "You'd better get going if you're meeting Kakashi at noon."
"Wait, what about you?"
"I asked Shikamaru to watch Kenta this morning. I'm meeting up with them soon as well."
"Then I guess I'll see you later?"
"You can count on that."
As Kurenai left, Anko turned back to take one more look at her reflection. She hoped Kakashi liked it as much as she did.
She wasted no time in heading out the door and to the festival, excited for the day and for Kakashi's reaction. She arrived a little early as usual and looked around at all the vendors and the villagers all decorated for the occasion.
Young children carried balloons or stuffed toys they won from games. A bunch of teenagers were lining up at a kissing booth. People shopped, lanterns swayed in the midday breeze, the smell of festival foods and snacks filled the air, and the jovial sounds of conversation and laughter created a celebratory melody that complemented the music that echoed throughout the streets of Konoha.
It was going to be a great day, Anko was sure of it.
As early as she was, and knowing that for all other occasions except for work, Kakashi was bound to be late, Anko donned a mischievous grin, deciding that she had plenty of time to look around for the object of her most affectionate torture.
Since it was impossible to locate anyone from the ground given the massive crowds of villagers, Anko took to the rooftops and scanned the streets below for the tall, bulky, surly man who surely saw no reason to dress up for the occasion. When several minutes of searching went by and she had yet to find him, she stopped her search to think of where he could possibly be.
She snapped her fingers. Of course he wasn't in the throng of people down below. No, he would be high above them, watching from afar and carefully keeping out of the commotion as he surely kept an eye out for his query. Sure enough, as she scanned the rooftops that overlooked the festival, she found the dark, foreboding form not too far off from her current location.
He watched the crowds below, not with any sort of malice, but certainly not desiring to join them. No, they could have their fun. He was perfectly content to observe. As his dark eyes carefully scanned the masses several stories beneath him, he was only mildly taken by surprise when Anko hopped up on the railing beside him, swinging her legs out over the edge.
"I knew you couldn't stay away!"
Ibiki shifted his eyes to Anko's rather arrogant face. "You look…different," he commented.
"Don't change the subject. You're looking for her, aren't you?"
"I told you, I'm here on security detail."
"Spin all the mundane pretenses you want; I know you're curious, so I'll just go ahead and tell you now that she's here in the village, just like I knew she would be."
"I don't care."
"Of course you do! You're in looooove! Let's shout it from the rooftops!" She placed her hands around her mouth like a megaphone and said very loudly, "Ibiki Morino is in—"
"Shut the hell up, dammit!"
"Okay, fine, you're not in love," she said with a grin as she leaned closer to him. "But you've got a crush—an adorable little crush—and it's so damn cute!"
Trying his hardest to hold in his anger, Ibiki simply turned his back on Anko and walked away.
She swung her legs back around. "That's it, go get her, Tiger!" she shouted after him, unfazed when he completely ignored her.
Now that she'd had her fun teasing her surrogate older brother, she figured she should wait for Kakashi. Leaping over the railing, she jumped down to the ground and headed to their designated meeting spot. As she waited, she watched the villagers, and the children running by. There was a carnival of sorts down the street a ways, and many of them were hurrying excitedly toward the rides.
She heard his distinct footsteps before she heard him speak.
"Anko."
She turned around to face Kakashi, who was dressed in his festival wear; a blue long-sleeve top and trousers the same color as his mask with red seams and matching red obi. His wore his headband likely for the express purpose of keeping his Sharingan covered.
His grey eye widened and a blush creeped up from beneath his mask as he looked at her, clearly taken aback by her change in appearance. She smiled, pleased that she had apparently stunned him into silence.
"Well?" she asked after several long seconds went by. "Do you like it?"
Like it? Did he need air to breathe? His eyes took in her different hairstyle, her pretty face, the way her short kimono complemented every curve of her body—and those beautiful legs. Anko was a knockout to begin with, but apparently she'd decided to change it up a bit for the festival. He had a feeling that the next time he reread one of Jiraiya's novels, he was going to imagine Anko as the heroine.
"Come on, say something."
"I-I-I…I um… I…" He swallowed. "Wow."
She reached out and pinched his cheek with a grin. "Awe, you're so cute when you're speechless!"
He gave a nervous laugh. "And you're always full of surprises…Where did you—"
"Let's just say I had a little help from a friend. A girl's gotta look nice for her man sometimes, am I right?"
He reached out to pull her into his side with a smile. "Anko, you always look stunning, but I do appreciate the effort."
"Good. You'd better enjoy it then, because it won't happen very often! So are you going to show me off or what?" she said with a teasing wink.
He chuckled. "If they weren't jealous of me before, I'll make sure they are now."
The pair walked around the streets of Konoha, stopping here and there to see what trinkets the vendors had to sell. As they made their way through the crowd, Naruto and the rest of Team Kakashi were the first of their friends they came across. Ino, Tenten, and Lee were also with them.
Ino was the first one to see them, and she gasped. "Guys, look!"
The others turned and saw Kakashi and Anko walking towards them. Their jaws dropped, and Lee, Naruto, and even Sai stared at Anko with reddening faces.
"Oh my God," said Tenten.
"Hey, what's up?" said Anko as they approached.
Kakashi gave a lazy wave. "Yo."
"Whoa! You look pretty, Anko-Sensei," said Naruto, unable to tear his eyes away from the 'scary' snake lady who didn't seem quite so scary on that particular day, in those particular clothes.
"Anko-Sensei, you look gorgeous!" said Ino, a hand to her mouth. Sakura agreed.
"That is certainly not an exaggeration," said Lee enthusiastically. "You are breathtaking!"
"I would have to agree," said Sai. Sasuke stood beside him, but said nothing. He was probably the only member of the group who couldn't have cared less.
"Awe, thanks you guys!"
"I assume you're all having a good time at the festival?" asked Kakashi, not entirely sure how comfortable he was with his former students staring at his girlfriend. It was kind of weird, especially coming from Naruto, who was normally all too eager to stay far away from Anko.
"Yeah, we are," said Sakura. "We're supposed to be meeting Hinata and Kiba—"
"Hey!" Akamaru and Kiba came bounding out from the crowd followed by Hinata. "Sorry we're a little late! Akamaru really wanted a—Whoa." Kiba stopped in his tracks when his eyes landed on Anko.
"Hi, Kiba!" she said cheerfully.
"Wow, nice outfit. You look great." Akamaru barked his agreement.
Hinata glance at Naruto, who was still staring at Anko. She flushed and looked away. Tenten seemed uncomfortable as well, and Anko was amused by a hint of jealousy on her face. So the young Chunin had a bit of a crush on the Copy Ninja. Well, tough, because she wasn't keen on sharing.
Anko grabbed Kakashi's arm. "We still have lots to see and lots to do, so we'll catch you later! Have fun, kiddos!"
They all watched as the couple passed, the girls marveling at Anko's new look and the boys practically drooling over her. Was it wrong that she didn't mind getting attention from the younger male shinobi? Was it even more wrong that she was enjoying the slight discomfort on Kakashi's face?
They played some games, and found that they were nearly evenly matched at throwing things like darts to pop balloons, and balls to knock down bottles. Anko managed to win against Kakashi several times, however, her aim impeccable, and she reveled at being able to beat him at something. Anko especially delighted in the dunk tank, and she got so into it that Kakashi had to pull her away, at which point Anko accused him of being a party pooper.
"I was having fun!"
"I know, Love, but you have to let others have a turn."
"Look! That little brat missed! I wouldn't have missed!"
Kakashi laughed. "No, you wouldn't have. I also think that poor guy in the dunk tank needs a bit of a break from your accurate aim."
"Hey, if he can't handle being dunked, he shouldn't have volunteered to do it. No mercy!"
"I thought I heard a sadist."
They turned to find Izumo and Kotetsu approaching them, and when they caught sight of Anko, even Izumo found he couldn't pick his jaw up off the ground.
"W-what happened to you?" asked Izumo in disbelief.
She lifted an eyebrow. "In case you hadn't noticed, I am a girl, and sometimes girls like to dress up a bit."
"But you never—I mean, you don't—I mean—awe forget it…"
She giggled. "I guess I'm surprising everyone today."
"You sure are," said Kakashi. "Look at poor Kotetsu."
"Argh! It's just not fair!" Kotetsu wailed. She was so damn beautiful—she was always beautiful—but this was the first time she'd ever dressed up like that in her life, and he knew she'd only done it for Kakashi. Oh, how he wished he could have been lucky enough to win her affection… He wondered if his feelings for her would ever truly die. "Why couldn't you be mine!?"
Izumo looked nervous as grabbed his friend's arm and began to drag him away. "Uh, sorry about that… We're just gonna…go. Come on Kotetsu, let's go try those fried cookie things we saw earlier."
"What's the point?" he lamented. "They'll never be as sweet as Anko…"
"Get a grip, man!" shouted Izumo, smacking Kotetsu in an attempt to snap him out of his self-pity. "There are other fish in the sea!"
"I don't want a damn fish!"
"You know, I kind of feel sorry for him…" said Kakashi. "He's a good sport."
"I know. Poor guy. But he needs to move on sooner or later."
"Preferably sooner…"
"Don't tell me you're jealous."
"Jealous? No. Possessive—yes."
"Hey, that's my line."
"And you're my girl," he said, quickly and imperceptibly reaching under the skirt of her kimono to pinch her backside.
She responded by smacking his with a laugh before wrapping her arm around him as they resumed walking.
They saw Iruka, Gai, and Genma, and all of them had similar reactions to Anko's new look. Gai tried his hardest to temper his reaction, especially since he knew he was still on thin ice with Anko after that day at Kakashi's apartment. When they spotted Ebisu, Anko grabbed Kakashi and pulled him in a different direction, not wanting to face that sleaze ball.
"I thought you wanted me to show you off."
"I do, but not to him!"
"You really don't like Ebisu, do you?"
"No! He's a grade A pervert!"
Kakashi smartly decided not to remind her that Master Janiya, the author of his favorite book series, had gotten along rather well with Ebisu, both of them unapologetic voyeurs.
"You're right about that," said Kurenai as she found the pair, little Kenta holding her hand and walking at her side.
"Kurenai," Kakashi greeted. "It's good to see you."
"Good to see you, too, Kakashi. Are you two enjoying yourselves?" she said with a glance at Anko that suggested the two women knew something that Kakashi didn't.
"You bet!" said Anko happily.
Kakashi agreed. "Though it's safe to say that I'll get my fill of socializing for at least a month all in one day."
Kurenai laughed. "That sounds about right. I hear Lady Tsunade is going make an announcement later. I wonder what that's all about…"
"Everyone will know soon enough," said Kakashi off-handedly. He had heard several people expressing their curiosity throughout the day, but he had refrained from commenting.
"I suppose we will."
When a tug came at Kurenai's skirts, she looked down at her little boy. "Mama…"
"I know, honey, we're going, I promise." Kurenai looked back at Kakashi and Anko. "We'll catch up with you later. Kenta's excited to try the rides for the first time."
"I'm sure he is," said Kakashi, looking at the boy. "He's growing up to be so big already—plenty big enough to have some fun with the big kids."
"He's getting closer anyway. Come on, Kenta. Mommy's got you."
They watched as Kurenai and Kenta walked away toward the carnival, Kenta staying close to his mother's side.
"He's a good kid," said Kakashi.
"He's just as quiet and polite as his parents. I'm still not sure how she does it…"
"Even when you suffer a loss as great as hers, life still goes on, and you have to go on with it. As hard as it is for her, I think Kenta is what has keeps her spirits up. She loves that little boy dearly."
Anko remembered her earlier jealousy and now thought of how foolish she had been. Perhaps Kurenai had a natural beauty that Anko did not, but she had also lost the only man she'd ever loved while Anko still had Kakashi.
A pang of anxiety returned, but Anko shook it off and pushed it aside. "Come on," she said to Kakashi. "Let's go see what else we can get into."
In another part of the festival, Kurotsuchi walked beside Akatsuchi, who carried a grumpy little Onoki on his shoulders. The old man had insisted that he was fit enough to walk around on his own, but it appeared that his back disagreed. He now grumbled a string of complaints, but Akatsuchi was cheerfully unfazed as usual.
"Would you knock it off, Gramps? You should be lucky you were invited at all. You're such a big grouch for such a little old man."
"How dare you! When are you going to learn respect for your elders? Why, if my back wasn't in such a state, I'd—"
"You'd what? Turn me over your knee? Please, I'm not five anymore, and you're not nearly as intimidating as you used to be."
"I'm still the Tsuchikage, and for good reason! Don't forget, I helped defeat Madara in the last ninja war, so don't think I don't have the strength to knock you on your ungrateful behind!"
"You know better than to let her get you riled, Lord Tsuchikage. It's not good for your blood pressure."
Onoki grumbled again and Kurotsuchi gave a satisfied chuckle. She looked around, scanning the crowd, but she still couldn't find the one person she was looking for. She did happen to look up, however, and she smiled. She should have known he'd be off by himself.
"If I'm so bad for your health, then I guess I'll leave you in peace for now. I'm going on ahead and I'll meet up with you later."
"Good riddance," said Onoki as Akatsuchi waved with a kind smile.
"See you!"
Kurotsuchi wandered off into the crowd, and when she was out of eyesight of her grandfather and Akatsuchi, she took a little detour before she left the ground altogether.
"I hoped I'd see you," she said as she came up behind the man she'd been searching for all day.
Ibiki turned, hiding his surprise at seeing her. His eyes quickly took in her festival wear; a long red kimono-style dress with a high collar and long, flowing sleeves cut at the tops to expose the skin of her shoulders and upper arms. She was sans headband, and true to what she'd revealed about herself to him that night in the Hidden Stone, she had not altered her appearance with makeup or powder or any such nonsense. Her hair was down in its usual style, and she wore her typical black shoes.
"So you did come with the Tsuchikage."
"Duh, of course I did. Gramps gets into way too much trouble when he's left alone."
Ibiki smirked. "Heh. Given what I observed when we met, I'd say you two get into twice as much trouble when you're together."
She chuckled. "You got me there. Someone's got to keep him on his toes."
"So why aren't you down there pestering him right now?"
She lowered her eyelids and looked up at him through her lashes. "Because I can mess with my Grandpa any time I want. You, on the other hand, are a little more elusive…"
"I see. And why exactly are you so interested in me anyway. You don't even know anything about me."
"Yes I do," she insisted. "Ibiki Morino, the head of the Leaf's Interrogation Division. You've been called a sadist, you have a younger brother, you can't say you have any hobbies since your job takes up most of your time, and you prefer to be left alone."
His lips curved upward and his eyes betrayed his amusement, as well as his amazement that she had remembered that word for word. "It's good to see you."
"It's good to see you, too." Kurotsuchi stepped toward him as the music rose to their ears from the streets below. She reached out a hand to take hold of his arm. "Would you like to dance?"
He arched an eyebrow. "I don't dance."
She responded with a sly smile meant to challenge him while her eyes held an unspoken plea. "We're alone up here. I won't tell if you won't."
Kakashi and Anko reached the source of the music. A band was playing on a set up stage, and around it, people danced, entirely carefree and enjoying the fun and festivities. Kakashi turned to Anko.
"Might I have this dance?"
"Ha!" she lifted an eyebrow and placed a hand on her hip. "Are you telling me you know how to dance?"
"Nope," he said frankly.
Anko laughed. "Neither do I! Let's go!"
She grabbed his arm, and together they joined the crowd as they pretended to know what they were doing. They stepped on each other's feet, and she accidently elbowed him in the stomach once or twice as they tried to keep up with the fast-paced music, but neither of them really seemed to mind. They laughed, wondering aloud how they could be so great at sparring, but so bad at dancing.
"Mind if we cut in?"
It was Izumo and Kotetsu, and thankfully it seemed that the latter had regained his composure. Kakashi stepped aside, not at all minding letting his girl have a little fun with her friends. It seemed they were all terrible dancers, and he laughed as he watched them.
Anko was glad that Kotetsu had gotten it together. She missed having fun with her boys and just being one of them. She laughed at them, and they laughed at her as they made complete fools of themselves, but they didn't care.
Anko placed her arms around their shoulders, and they lifted her up, tossing her into the air and catching her several times. The last time she came down, she found herself landing right into Kakashi's arms. She hugged him with a smile, and Izumo and Kotetsu grinned, glad that their girl was happy.
As the sun began to edge further and further toward the horizon, the band had stopped playing and announced that the Fifth Hokage had an important announcement to make. Lady Tsunade appeared at the top of Hokage Tower, and Kakashi and Anko stood some distance behind her, out of sight of the villagers down below. The other four Kage and those that had accompanied them stood just below the Tower, waiting for the news of Kakashi's succession to be made official.
"As the year quickly comes to a close, we gather today in celebration of all that we as a village have done over the past year. The Fourth Great Ninja War took a toll, not just on our village, but on the collective nations as a whole. The Hidden Leaf itself suffered much devastation, but we have rebuilt her, and she is just as strong and great as she always was. Her resilience lies, not in the leadership of her Hokage, but in the Will of Fire that exists in the hearts of every one of us who calls this village home.
"When Lord Third gave his life to save this village, may he rest in peace, I was asked to step up and become the Fifth Hokage. It took a lot of courage and a great deal of help from a determined young man for me to be able to take on that responsibility, and since the day of my inauguration, I have been proud and humbled to serve as your Hokage.
"But the time has come when I can no longer guide this village into the future. For these past six years, I have given my life to the Hidden Leaf Village. Now I must tell you that soon I will step down as the Hokage. I have given a lot of thought to who would be the best candidate to take my place, and I believe wholeheartedly that my choice was the right one.
"And so it is my great honor to introduce you to the man I have appointed to be my successor; a man who has shown great heart, strength, integrity, and sacrifice; a man who has earned in every way the trust and respect of everyone in the village. May I present to you the next Hokage, Kakashi Hatake!"
The villagers cheered as Kakashi stepped up to stand beside Tsunade. Although Anko wanted to stand up with him, she hung back, knowing that it was his time to shine. He lifted his arm to wave down at the cheering masses, and as his eye moved over the crowd, he met the gazes first of the other four Kage. Then he looked at Naruto.
The boy was staring up at him with a mixture of awe and disappointment. Kakashi knew Naruto's dream of becoming Hokage well, and no doubt he had been hoping that Tsunade would remain in her position until he was ready to assume the responsibility. His eyes held a determined fire, one that Kakashi was very pleased to see still burned within him.
'You've already surpassed me, Naruto. One day, you will become Hokage, I promise you that.'
The sky glowed with all the brilliance of the sunset, with oranges, yellows, pinks, and purples. As Anko and Kakashi rejoined the others on the ground, they were swarmed while the villagers showered Kakashi with their praises and congratulations. Anko could sense his discomfort, but he did a good job of hiding it from everyone else as he offered his hand to each of them one by one.
"So, my eternal rival is going to be the next Hokage! And here I thought you'd escaped that beast of burden."
Kakashi turned to Gai. "So had I, but I guess Lady Tsunade had other plans."
Gai slapped him on the back. "Ah, but we all know there's no one better for the job! You'll do just great!"
"Thank you, Gai. I appreciate that."
"You guys had me fooled," said Kurenai as she joined the circle. "You knew all along what the announcement was all about."
"Guilty," said Anko.
"But it wasn't really our announcement to make," said Kakashi.
"I always had a feeling you'd become Hokage someday, Kakashi. Asuma thought the same."
"Heh, well, it certainly wasn't an aspiration of mine…"
"Kakashi-Sensei!" Not at all surprised to hear Naruto's voice, the Copy Ninja turned his attention to his former students as they pushed their way through the crowd to get to him. "So it's true! You're really going to be the Sixth Hokage?"
"Yes, Naruto, I am."
"That's amazing," said Sakura. "You're going to make a great Hokage!"
"I concur. Lady Tsunade is right. You have the respect of the entire village," said Sai.
"I guess we all should have seen this coming," Sasuke commented.
"Grrr, it's just not fair!" shouted Naruto. "I want to be Hokage someday! Why didn't Granny Tsunade wait for me?"
"I'm afraid it's not that simple, Naruto," said Kakashi calmly. "Lady Tsunade has done all she feels she can do, and like it or not, you're just not ready for that kind of responsibility."
"But I want to be ready! I just need a little training and—"
"Naruto," said Sakura in a harsh whisper.
Kakashi looked down at his Sensei's son with affection in his grey eye. He reached out to place a hand on Naruto's head and smiled beneath his mask.
"Keep your chin up. One day, I may appoint you to be my successor."
Naruto's stared up at Kakashi, hope in those big, blue eyes. "Wha—you really mean it, Kakashi-Sensei?"
"As long as you continue to grow into the man I know you'll be, then yes."
The boy grinned. "Yeah! Ah, I can't wait! It's gonna be so great!"
Even Anko couldn't help but to smile at the Uzumaki kid's excitement. He'd already become the village hero, but Kakashi was right. He still had a lot of growing up to do.
The five Kage approached the group, offering Kakashi their own congratulations one more time. Anko was quick to note that Kurotsuchi was not with the Tsuchikage and his body guard. She had a hunch that wherever she was, Ibiki was with surely with her.
The sun had set, and the sky was growing darker as everyone dispersed, announcing that they needed to find a good spot to watch the fireworks that were to be let off in less than thirty minutes. Kakashi turned to Anko, more than ready to leave the lime light.
"Shall we?"
Anko grabbed hold of his arm and smiled up at him. "Yes."
"Good. I know exactly where we can go."
They disappeared into a puff of smoke, reappearing away from the crowded streets. They ran through alley ways, leaving the excitement of the festival behind until they reached the Konoha Aviary, climbing the stairs to the rooftop. It was the perfect spot to watch the fireworks without having to share the company of anyone else.
"There. Now it's just us," said Kakashi before he let out a long sigh. "Thank goodness…"
Anko took his hands and looked up into his lone, grey eye. "I'm glad. I had a good time today."
"So did I. Thank you, Anko."
"For?"
"You know I'm not big into socializing, but I enjoyed the festival and I actually had a lot of fun. And you also know I hate being the center of attention—I still haven't resolved all of my inner demons when it comes to this Hokage thing… But you stood by me, all day, and with you by my side, I felt like I could do anything…"
"You can do anything."
He leaned his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. Anko slid her hands up over his chest, and Kakashi wrapped his arms around her.
On the opposite side of the village, Ibiki and Kurotsuchi stood together on a different rooftop, far away from the scrutiny of the villagers down below. When the fireworks began, the two were quiet, simply enjoying each other's company. Kurotsuchi glanced at Ibiki, and he met her gaze. She moved closer to him and took his hand before she leaned into his side and resumed watching the fireworks.
Although he couldn't bring himself to admit as much out loud, he was glad she was there with him then. He hadn't been lying. He wasn't a big fan of festivals and crowds of people and screaming children. He much preferred to mind his own damn business, and he liked it when others offered him the same courtesy. For some reason, though, Kurotsuchi was different. Although she clearly had a mischievous side, she seemed to respect his need for silence, and she didn't push him.
Kakashi and Anko sat down next to each other, watching the bright colors explode in the sky. Kakashi glanced at the woman beside him, watching the lights play across her face in the darkness and her eyes gleam with joy and excitement. He was glad she had had fun at the festival. She had needed the distraction from her own worrisome thoughts. He didn't want her to begin thinking about them again, though he knew that she would.
She would resume her worry because she loved Kakashi so dearly, and remembering that made his heart swell with gratitude. To have someone care about him and love him so thoroughly was still a little foreign to him. She had broken his walls without even trying, and she had burrowed her way deep into his unsuspecting heart until he found that he couldn't imagine his life without her.
He didn't want to imagine that. He didn't want to imagine a scenario in which she would leave him alone in the darkness that he had once been so comfortable with. He needed her like the air he breathed, and if she were to ever try to leave, he wasn't sure he would be able to let her go. She had become his light and his strength in so many ways. He wondered if he would have really had what it took to face his future as the Sixth Hokage if it weren't for Anko.
To some extent, Anko was right. They knew not what the future held in store for them. All they could do was hope for a long and prosperous one full of love, joy, and maybe someday, peace. But peace was not promised, especially for Shinobi, and so it was imperative that they made the best of each day that they had.
"Anko," he said quietly from beside her.
"Hm?" She turned her head to look at him. He was looking at her in an almost melancholy sort of way, and she frowned. "What is it?"
He took her hand and squeezed it lightly. "You know I love you, right?"
"Yes," she assured him, wondering where his thoughts were in that moment.
"And I know you love me too…don't you?"
She gave a playful smile. "That depends. Is the sky blue?"
"Right now it's black."
She elbowed him with a laugh. "The answer is yes, idiot."
"And…you're sure that won't change?"
Anko tilted her head, growing a little concerned. "What's with you? Of course it's not going to change. I love you now, and I promise to love you forever. I mean, come on, would I have let Kurenai mess with my hair and violate my face so I could look nice for you if I wasn't sure?"
Kakashi chuckled. "So, Kurenai was your co-conspirator. That explains it. You didn't have to do that for me. You're beautiful just the way you are."
Her face flushed. "See… You try so hard to make me believe that about myself. Maybe I don't entirely see it yet, but I appreciate the effort."
"Anko," he said, drawing closer to her as he took both of her hands in his and looked straight into her eyes. "I promise to dedicate the rest of my life to making you see how beautiful and special you really are. I love you, and if you love me, too, then… Then I don't want to drag this out any longer. I want to marry you, Anko."
She couldn't even attempt to hide the shock on her face. She had fallen for Kakashi, and she had been star struck to discover that he had fallen for her, too. She had given him all of herself, heart, body, and soul, and had planned on never leaving his side. But not once had marriage every crossed her mind.
As a young girl, she hadn't thought much about growing up and getting married, especially not after Orochimaru's betrayal. Moving into her adult life, she had been focused on her occupation as a Shinobi, dedicated to looking out for the wellbeing of the village and hoping to get the chance to take out her former Sensei. Her heart had gotten a wakeup call when Kakashi came crashing through every conscious and unconscious barrier she'd constructed to protect herself. She'd given into those feelings, knowing that since she'd tasted that fruit, she would never be able to live without it—without Kakashi.
But marriage? It was such a foreign concept to Anko, one that she had never paid any attention to, let alone considered.
However, sitting there in the darkness lit by the fantastic display of fireworks as she looked into that lone eye of the man she'd come to love with every piece of her heart—the man who had shown her the woman deep within herself and carefully tended to her every need—she knew that there was no question as to what her answer would be.
Her shocked expression gave way to a tender and heartfelt smile. "Kakashi, it's true; we don't know what the future holds. But there's no one I'd rather face it with."
"So…?"
"If it was anyone else asking, my answer would be 'hell no.'"
"But since it's me?"
"Then my answer is, 'absolutely!'" she said, throwing her arms around his neck.
Kakashi held her tightly against him, the sound of the exploding fireworks echoing in his ears as his heart threatened to burst with a joy he never thought he could feel. The festival had been nice; he had done what was necessary in officially accepting his appointment as the Sixth Hokage; he had been endorsed by the other Kage and his entire village; but the rest of the day paled in comparison to that moment of perfect bliss, the love of his life in his arms as she promised to remain there for the rest of their days.
A/N: I identify so much with Anko in this chapter when Kurenai is messing with her hair and makeup. I don't mind getting my hair done so much, but I hate makeup, and I hate people touching my face. It really does feel like it's being violated. Yuck. Lol Anyway, a nice long chapter—almost like 2 chapters in one—so I hope you all enjoyed it!