-insert text here-=Kabuto speaking

Anxiety; noun—distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear of danger or misfortune

--Anxiety--

Temari briefed me on the way to Kiba's: the true objective of our little game was to get Anko as naked as possible. I agreed wholeheartedly and we got into her green ('Envious', she had corrected) Pontiac Solstice, rushing to get to Kiba's before Anko did.

Kiba being stripped down to his boxers was all part of the plan: we had been sitting around waiting for the two to show up and, when they did, he shed his clothes (the boy really had no shame) and raced out into the yard.

We hadn't cheated or anything though—Anko's losing was purely her own rotten luck.

I'll admit that my head hummed a little despite the fact that I had only had two beers, but that was because this was only my third time having alcohol:

The first was with the guys in the Otogakure—I was anti-social and they had finally convinced me to join the party. I (along with half of the others) had woken up with a wicked hangover.

The second was when I went clubbing with Kiba and the rest and even then I hadn't had much.

The third was today and I wasn't about to lie and say that I didn't enjoy the floaty feeling my buzz created.

Anko was quiet as we entered the apartment and I felt kind of bad about making her strip for our entertainment.

Even if it was fucking hot.

"Hey, Ko?" I blinked, realizing she had disappeared. The purplette hadn't even bothered to turn on a light so I had to wait a moment for my eyes to adjust to the transition from the hall light to the darkness of our apartment. "Anko?"

I headed for the bedroom, listening for any movement. Nothing.

Weird.

"Hey, where'd you—"

The moment I stepped through the doorway to our bedroom, I was being grabbed and lead towards the bed. I was surprised by how rough Anko was as she pushed me to the bed and straddled me, towering over me in the dark, but I wasn't complaining.

Quite the opposite: I found it to be arousing.

She leaned down, her lips brushing against my ear as she whispered, "I've got a bone to pick with you."

I couldn't quite stop the shudder that worked its way up my spine or the way my breathing got a little bit shallower. "Oh?"

"Mhmm…" A hot wet tongue traced the shell of my ear and I groaned. "You've been rather mean to me as of late."

"Can I—" My breath hitched as she nibbled on my earlobe, sending little sparks of pleasure straight to my core. "—help it if you're an easy target?"

She pulled away and I got the feeling she was smirking. "Bad girls get punished, Tayuya." Dear God, her tone alone was enough to make me shut my eyes and moan. "But you'd enjoy that, wouldn't you?"

I found myself nodding and the lamp on the bed-side table came on; I saw a flash of white as she grinned then, I was being pulled towards her, landing on my belly across her lap. Before I could question the unusual position, my pants and underwear were being yanked off with one tug and Anko's hand descended with a loud 'WAP' on my rear.

I yelped at the sting,—she had hit me rather hard—fingers clutching at the bedspread, only to moan as that same hand massaged the pain away. Just as I was about to speak, the hand was descending again, this time on the right cheek; I was jolted abruptly out of my buzz and straight into arousal.

"How many do you deserve?" Anko asked to no one in particular, tone level as though she wasn't giving me a bare-bottom spanking. I had gotten a few during my life in the orphanage (what can I say, I was a rowdy kid) but they had never made me feel like this.

The pain-pleasure mixture caused me to arch my back, offering myself to the woman that was calmly kneading the pale globes of my ass. When the next hit came, my breath went out in a hiss as my smoldering arousal fanned into a full flame. Three more came in rapid succession, each aimed at a different spot and I couldn't help the whimper that was torn from my throat.

"Anko!"

'WAP' I was sure my ass was red by now "Hmmm?" She was kneading again then, a single finger 'accidentally' slid lower to brush against my slit, more wetness pooling there as though to convince it to slide in.

"Fuck…!" I muttered, chest heaving as my lungs attempted to get some oxygen in them. "Stop screwing around and—"

'WAP!'

She leaned over, her weight keeping me pinned as I attempted to move so that the fingers that danced over my southern lips would hit my clit. "Stop screwing around and…?" she prompted.

Every time I tried to answer, those talented fingers would twitch, touching places that made me writhe.

"I still don't understand what you're trying to tell me, Tayuya." God fucking damnit, she was enjoying herself as she drove me insane.

I had to force my hands to stop clenching the sheets in a death-grip so that I could try and push her off of me with no avail. Letting out a frustrated groan, I snapped, "I'm sorry, Ko, ok?! Really, really, really fucking sorry! Just make me come already!"

She was chuckling, but the sound was lost in my moans as she thrust two fingers into me and started a fast pace. Worked up as I was, it only took her thumb pressing firmly against my clit for me to come, arching and shouting her name to the ceiling.

"Mmmm… Remind me to get you annoyed more often," I purred, spine arching as I stretched. We were both covered in a thin sheen of sweat which meant she was probably going to need a shower in the morning as well.

… Heh. Maybe I could convince her to take one with me—conserve water and all that.

Anko murmured something that sounded like an agreement, kissing my forehead, and I felt a lump rise in my throat—the words I wanted (and wasn't ready) to say trying their best to choke me. They had been there for a week or so now, but never before had they been this insistent.

"Time for bed," she said a little more coherently, pulling me to her so that hot, sweaty flesh slid against hot, sweaty flesh. Not that I was complaining. She didn't make a move to take advantage of that, however, choosing instead to curl up—my smaller frame fitting perfectly against her own. "Good night, Tayuya."

"…" The feeling was still there and it was getting harder to ignore. "Sweet dreams, Ko."

Friday…

I awoke to find myself tangled up in Anko; her legs entwined with mine, arms around my middle, and her hair brushing against my neck, enveloping me in her apple-scent. My mouth went dry as she cuddled closer, making a satisfied sound low in her throat.

What the Hell was wrong with me?! We had had sex plenty of times so I was accustomed to her naked body and her holding on to me was nothing new—she had spanked me last night!

So why in fuck's name were my cheeks on fire all of a sudden?

Maybe it's Seal Sickness again?

'Fool. It's not Seal Sickness, but it is a sickness of a sort.'

Huh?

'Infatuation.'

Haven't we already established the fact that I'm crazy about Ko?

'Yes, but not like this.'

Like what?

'Can you feel your heart pit-a-pat?' The voice was distinctly smug now. ''This' is love.'

Love? I had never loved anyone (not even myself; there were many things I wasn't proud of). I cared for some people more than others, yes, but not love.

It was then that the alarm clock went off and Anko woke, stretching and consequentially rubbing her thigh up against my crotch. I sucked in a sharp breath and more pressure was applied as she arched backwards to shut the damned thing off.

"G'morning," she yawned.

I swallowed hard. "I'm going to get you a new alarm-clock, Ko. This one's a pain in the ass."

She looked down at me, heavy-lidded eyes glittering with amusement and I caught the dual meaning in my words. "Is it now? As bad as last night?"

I ignored her, wriggling away so that I could take a long, cold shower.

--Government--

"Hey, are you ok?" Anko's hand lingered on my shoulder before we were separated by other students. "You've been awfully quiet."

No sense in telling her about these feelings that created such conflict in my mind—it was ridiculous that they did. Butterflies—something totally uncharacteristic of me—fluttered around my stomach, making me feel nauseous. "I'm fine."

"You sure?"

I hummed in assurance, waving briefly to a girl I knew from Iruka's. "I'm good, Ko."

She didn't seem to believe me, but let it drop. For the moment, anyway. She crashed into me when I froze in the doorway to Kakashi's. The reason?

There was a silver-haired male sitting at his desk. And he wasn't Kakashi.

"Good morning," Kabuto greeted calmly, giving the both of us a nod in acknowledgement.

"'Morning," Anko replied. I could feel her curiosity in regards to my sudden stop as she prodded my forward. "What happened to Tsunami?"

"She was needed elsewhere." His smile was charming. "I'll be your substitute until Kakashi turns up."

My eyes hadn't left him throughout all the pleasantries; the butterflies had become raptors, wings churning as quickly as they could, making me feel like ralphing.

He was the one who ordered Kakashi to be taken out, I just knew it. How the fuck did he know I went to this school?

'He's found you at last.'

Everyone's in danger.

'What are you going to do about it?'

I… I don't know.

I sat, numbly staring forward as the man wrote his name on the board. I could practically feel the cogs in Anko's mind turning as everything clicked. "Tayuya, is that—"

I nodded miserably, my voice as low as hers, "Later."

Kabuto's voice was low, soft even, all through class. Unlike Kakashi, he didn't have to tell anyone to 'shut their trap' because the entire class was on their best behavior—spellbound by his air of authority.

When the bell rang, he smiled pleasantly and said, "Miss Uta, may I speak with you in private for a moment?"

The purplette beside me stiffened protectively, one of the last people to file out of the classroom, but I shot her a look, silently asking her to avoid making trouble. I had been careful not to show any affection towards her for fear that Kabuto would notice and use it against me. She shook her head as though disliking my choice, but respected it nonetheless.

Once she was gone, Kabuto looked at me, gaze intent. "How have you been, Tayuya?"

I didn't answer, glaring with all the anger I could muster. "The fuck do you want, Four-eyes?"

"As pleasant as always," he sighed, going back around Kakashi's desk to seat himself. "I've already told you: I want you."

"And I've already told you that I'm not interested."

He chuckled. "You did, didn't you? In any case, I simply wanted to give you this."

He procured an envelope the colour of steel (rather than Orochimaru's lavender) with the Otogakure's symbol—a black eighth note—stamped on it and held it out. I recognized what it was immediately. "Are you deaf as well as blind? I don't want any part of this."

"Be civil just this once, Tayuya," Kabuto said, using his middle finger to push his glasses up to the bridge of his nose in a strangely elegant gesture. "You'll see things my way soon enough."

--Psychology--

Dark brown eyes swept over me, inspecting me for any kind of injury. "What happened? What'd he say?"

Wordlessly, I held up the envelope and she snatched it, taking the neat 3'' by 5'' square of paper from within and reading the words I had already memorized on the way through the nearly-deserted halls:

Kaede Aoi

1653 48th St; Room 897

A name and an address.

He wanted me to take this woman, whoever she was, out. Did he actually think I would?

"What's that?" TenTen asked from my left as I took the envelope back.

"Nothing." It came out sharper than I intended—TenTen wasn't so bad when she wasn't saying what she thought Sakura would want her to say—and the brunette looked hurt. "It's nothing, TenTen" I repeated in a more even tone. "Just a letter I got from a friend."

A 'friend' my ass.

She nodded, looking wary and I bit back a sigh. I was way too edgy and bound to lash out at someone before the day ended. "Ko." She looked at me questioningly. "Gym later?"

I needed to work off some of this nervous energy.

"Sure."

--Free Period--

"What happened to the eye candy in Kakashi's class?" Kiba complained. "There's a creepy dude instead."

"That sucks," Ino agreed.

I remained silent, trailing behind the two, slouched slightly, hands in my pockets.

"You think he's related to Kakashi somehow?" The idea was laughable. "Silver isn't exactly a common hair colour."

"I doubt it—Kakashi's too young… looking."

"How old is he, anyway?"

"Hell I know."

I caught a flash of movement in my peripheral and glanced in that direction. Wait… was that…?

My Mark pulsated and I flinched. "L-listen, guys, I'll catch you later." The slight stutter made them both look at me curiously, but I took off before either could say anything. Dashing around a corner of the building, I made sure no one was watching and then drew Chakra into my hands, scaling the wall easily. Hoisting myself over the fence that went around the perimeter of the roof, I touched down and glared. "Why are you trailing me, Kimimaro?"

He shrugged. "Orders are orders. Are those two friends of yours?"

Fuck. "They're just classmates."

He knew I was lying, I could tell. "Ah. Well, are you ready?"

"For?"

"Your assignment, of course. I was told to accompany you to make sure you were home in time so that your lover wouldn't worry about you.

I felt a chill trickle down my spine. "My lover?" My voice cracked with alarm.

"Anko Mitarashi," he confirmed. "Are you coming?"

It wasn't like I had a choice.

"Promise me you won't let anyone harm any of them if I do." I met electric green eyes and held out my hand. If there was anyone I could rely on to hold his word, it would be the pasty teenager before me. All I needed to —could, really—do was appease Kabuto for long enough until I could figure out what to do.

"I promise," he replied solemnly, shaking my hand.

-It's good to have you back, Tayuya,- came Four-eyes' smug voice.

"Who is she?" I asked flatly, cocking my Glock.

"A loose thread," Kimimaro answered, tone similar. "We kill her and get out."

"… Roger." The familiarity of this scene—this preparation and methodical stalking of our prey—bothered me a little. This wasn't something I wanted to do again.

The car—a Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé with windows tinted dark enough so you couldn't see the passengers—stopped a block away from our destination, the doors swinging open seemingly of their own accord.

"I'll wait here," Ukon grunted.

Minutes later, we were standing in front of a rundown apartment building, the sidewalk beneath our feet cracked and covered in graffiti.

"Fourth floor," Kimimaro said. My Mark twitched and I raised a hand to cover it without thinking. "Your Mark bothering you?"

"Yeah." I rubbed it through the concealing square. "Damn thing's been itching something awful."

"Kabuto's doing, I imagine." He strode forward, through the metal doors. "The only one who doesn't seem bothered is Sakon and goodness knows what goes on in his mind."

I didn't miss the sourness that coloured his voice. "You don't like Kabuto, do you?"

"A rhetorical question does not require an answer."

He took the stairs two at a time, forcing me to do the same to keep up. "Then why do you stick around?"

"We need a leader." The answer was so simple, said in a matter-of-fact tone that I was surprised. "The Otogakure runs smoothly so long as there is someone competent at the helm. Though I loathe to say it, Kabuto knows what he's doing."

I considered that as we exited the stairwell, but said nothing else—it was time to get serious.

He paused outside of a door with a faded plaque that read '897' and gave me a look: Ready?

In response, my hands flared blue-white and I gripped the handle tightly, melting it down to nothing with the heat my energy gave off. It swung open with a long 'creak', but I was already darting inside, vaulting over an old, overstuffed couch, and pressing the muzzle of my gun against the temple of a middle-aged woman with dark brown hair.

Her eyes widened with fear and I heard Kimimaro's gun cock, causing them to widen further. I turned my head slightly and saw that he was calmly pointing it at two kids—a boy and a girl—no older than seven.

"Please… no…"

I frowned at my partner. "What're you doing?"

"Making sure there are no witnesses."

"They're just kids."

"They're liabilities."

"Please…!" Kaede begged.

I took a deep breath and pulled the trigger of my own gun, the resulting rush of warm liquid over my hands making my wince. Predictably, the kids started bawling their eyes out. Not so predictably, I felt kind of… guilty. "You're not killing them, Maro."

I had a thing against killing little kids, ok? Call me weird, but the thought alone made me sick. Adults I had no problem with.

I wasn't about to let him harm a hair on their heads.

-Which proves how soft you've gotten.-I tensed.-They are liabilities and need to be removed.-

Once again, my Mark was on fire and my limbs felt stiff. Once again, I felt bile rise in my throat as my arm moved against my will, lining up with the little girl.

She had dark hair like her mother and large green eyes that sparkled with tears.

STOP!

My finger clenched once, then again after a fluid repositioning. I fell to my knees, gun clattering to the ground.

-There, now. See how easy that was?-

My only response was to fall forward onto my hands, and retch until my throat was raw.

--End Chapter--