When Kakashi woke he felt better – sore, but better. He checked the dead list, and after being assured that no one he cared about personally had been reported he went by Anko's apartment. He snuck in through the back door to avoid her landlord. Someone had broken in, and no one had even bothered to fix the door.

Anko had always been messy, but now her things were smashed and thrown around. Kakashi cleaned up, putting anything breakable that the robbers had missed in a backpack of hers to take with him for safe-keeping.

Her books were strewn all over the small room, and a few of them were ruined. They stank of urine.

Why do people hate Anko so much? Kakashi wondered. He knew, but it was something he could only understand with his mind – not his heart. Orochimaru's betrayal wasn't her fault. How could someone do this to a ninja out there protecting them?

He collected the rest of her books and made note of which ones had been ruined. There wasn't much that was salvageable, so he threw the rest away, noticing what was missing for later.

Her clothes were a complete loss. He salvaged a couple pairs of pants and one shirt, but the rest were covered with urine. He opened the bathroom to see what the damage was, and he was even more disgusted with her intruders. They had left a pile of shit in her bathtub.

This was personal, he thought. Her comforter had been ripped to shreds, and her bed smelled like it was soaked in urine too.

I hope she makes Jounin soon, Kakashi thought. Usually a Chunin could have afforded better, but Anko always got charged more everywhere she shopped. Orochimaru is still fucking up her life, Kakashi thought. At least with Jounin pay she could afford a safer place, even if she did get overcharged.

He knew he was supposed to be home, but he thought that he could probably get away with a few chores. He went to the book-store and got the text books that had been ruined, and then to the hardware store for a some boards.

It took him longer than he had thought it would to get the things Anko needed. He finally had to go to a clothing store, and he loitered outside, embarrassed.

When he got the nerve to go in he was overwhelmed they the girlishness of the place. Lace and strong, flowery smells surrounded him.

"What can I help you with?" a woman asked him. She wore a sharp grey suit with a white shirt that showed a lot of cleavage.

"I need some clothes," Kakashi said.

Her eyebrow went up. "Are you sure you're in the right place? We don't sell boy's clothes here."

"That's ok," he said. "I need girls' clothes."

"Really?" the clerk asked. "You're a little young for such endeavors, aren't you?"

"I'm just buying clothes," Kakashi said.

"Of course dear," she said. "What size are you?"

"They're not for me," he said, blushing. "They're for my friend."

"I'm sure they are," she said. "I'll be discrete."

He felt a presence behind him and turned. Tsunade was standing there. "I'll take care of him," she said.

"Yes, Tsunade-hime," the clerk said.

"Why do you need girls' clothes?" Tsunade asked.

"Someone broke into my girlfriend's apartment and ruined hers. She's still in the field, and I don't want her to come home to find all her stuff gone. I'm trying to replace as much as I can." I did tell Anko I could be her boyfriend when she came back, he thought. I guess that makes her my girlfriend.

"You're a kind boy," Tsunade said. "Good for you. Who is your girlfriend?"

"Mitarashi Anko," he said.

"So you're dating Orochimaru's student?" she asked.

"Please don't call her that," Kakashi said. "She's a loyal ninja. It's not her fault what happened."

"No," Tsunade said. "It's not her fault. She deserves someone to make her happy too. Let's find you some clothes for her. What sort of things does she wear?"

"Sometimes she wears pants, but she usually wears skirts and black shirts." He didn't tell her about what kind of shirts Anko wore. It made him feel embarrassed to think about explaining fishnet shirts and stockings to Tsunade-hemi.

"Were her under things ruined?" Tsunade asked.

"Yes," Kakashi said. "Someone really hates her."

He turned away as she picked out some panties and a training bra. "I don't know if she wears one of these yet," she said. "If she doesn't she can return it."

"Yes, Tsunade-sama," Kakashi said, wishing they could get this over with.

He stopped by a store for toiletries and took the things he bought for her home.

"Aren't you supposed to be resting?" Mother asked him.

"I will," Kakashi said. "I need to do something for a friend, but I'll be back right after I'm finished."

"Ok," she said. "Take care of yourself."

He fetched a hammer and nails and went to Anko's and snuck in again. He had bought thick wooden boards, and he nailed Anko's door shut from the inside. They could remove them later, but he didn't want anyone else breaking in. Even if there wasn't really anything left after he'd removed what he could save he wanted her to come home to at least a clean place.

CAT was outside her apartment, leaning against the building. "You're disobeying orders," he said.

"Anko's apartment got broken into. She's out there protecting the village, and some sleaze wrecked her place. She deserves better than this."

"I won't report you this time," CAT said, "but you'd better go home and behave. The Hokage really will punish you if you keep this up."

"I'm done here," Kakashi said. "I'll go home."

Mother wouldn't let him help her with lunch, as usual. "Ibiki will be home tomorrow," she said as she chopped vegetables. They finished early, and he said Anko is coming soon. He said to tell you it won't cause trouble. Do you know what that means?"

Kakashi laughed. "I think it might mean they're finally getting along," he said. "I hope so."

"That's good," Mother said. "An ANBU took Akihiro to a council meeting earlier, and when he gets home he wants to speak with you."

"Do you know what about?" Kakashi asked. "Am I in trouble?"

"Goodness no dear," she said. She kissed him on the cheek. "You've never been any trouble to us. He just said that he wants to make sure you're handling things well. You had too much happen out there for a boy to deal with."

"I'm grateful, Mother," Kakashi said.

"I know people think of me as frail," she said, "but your old Mother has a good ear for troubles as well."

Kakashi felt that odd emotion he only got when she talked with him. A civilian shouldn't have been able to make him feel so safe. She couldn't have protected him physically, but it didn't matter. There was just something about her that let him know that things really would be ok eventually.

"Mother, I love you," he said. He'd never said it to anyone but his father.

"I love you too, sweetie," she said. "Never forget that. No matter what happens to you, or who you become – I'll always love you."

Akihiro was worn out from leaving the house and attending meetings, but when he finished dinner he took time to speak with Kakashi as usual.

"How are you holding up?" he asked Kakashi.

Kakashi told him about Anko's place. "I think she might be mad at me for buying her things, but I don't want her to come home to find her place like that."

"You might make her angry, but you did it out of kindness. Hopefully she'll understand."

He lit a cigar and blew smoke, waving it away and glancing at the door. "Don't tell Mother," he said. "I'm not supposed to smoke, but sometimes a man has to do what makes him happy."

"Have you had any more problems today?" Akihiro asked.

"No," Kakashi said. "I was out taking care of getting Anko new things, and I had enough to do that not much bothered me. As long as I keep my mind busy I'm ok."

"There might come a time when that's not enough," Akihiro said. "Make sure you tell me if you have new problems. Sometimes when a ninja comes back from rough missions they need psychological help. Most of the children your age were kept away from the front. I wish they could have spared you too."

Kakashi didn't think he'd need that sort of help. He'd had bad things happen on missions before. But I never had as much happen at once, or so bad, he thought.

He called Pakkun that night. He would have liked to sleep without him, but the room felt empty without Ibiki. He still had thoughts of Obito dying and the other things he'd seen on the field, and he needed Pakkun with him.

"You ok, pup?" Pakkun asked.

"Yeah," Kakashi said. "I'd just feel better with you here tonight. Ibiki comes back tomorrow, but I'd feel better not being alone."

"What happened to your eye?" Pakkun asked. "You never told me."

Kakashi opened his eye and let Pakkun see the Sharingan. "Obito died out there. This is his eye."

"I'm sorry," Pakkun said. "I liked Obito."

"Most people did," Kakashi said. "I wish I'd known him better. It was my own fault I didn't. No one took him seriously. Most people likeed him, but I don't know anyone who thought he was much of a ninja. I guess he proved us all wrong."

He slept, but his dreams were troubled, and he woke occasionally. Pakkun would lick his face, and Kakashi would find a new position and fall asleep again.

Kakashi heard a noise in the next room, a sharp thump and a fall. Akihiro might have fallen, he thought, and he got up quickly, pulling on a pair of pants.

The living room was odd, stretched beyond its normal proportions.

This is a dream, Kakashi thought. He heard a gurgle coming from Akihiro and Mother's room. "Stop," Mother yelled.

Kakashi opened their door and saw an Iwa nin standing over Akihiro's broken body. Akihiro's face was crushed on the left side, and blood flowed from his mouth.

The Iwa nin turned, and Kakashi saw that it was the same one who had sliced his eye. "She's next," he said. "You couldn't save Obito, and you can't do anything for her."

"I killed you!"

"Did you?" the Iwa nin asked. "Did you really?"

Pakkun woke him, and Kakashi pulled him close. "You don't usually have problems like this," Pakkun said.

"I haven't slept well very often since Dad came back and I had to move out," Kakashi said. "It was just a bad dream."

When Ibiki got back the next day Kakashi was reading and trying to kill time until either his friends came home or he'd been "resting" long enough to get the Hokage off his back. CAT had come by twice, and he knew he'd be caught if he did more than what he was allowed.

Ibiki tossed his things in the corner and sat with a thump, almost breaking the chair. He was filthy, and Kakashi's sensitive nose rebelled at the smell.

"What did you do?" Kakashi asked, "work in a swamp?"

Kakashi saw his face change. It sharpened and grew somehow. "Actually yes," The Interrogator said. "The area was great for what we were doing. Leeches, swamp rats, nasty water – you wouldn't believe how much the environment played into what we were doing. I learned a lot."

"And is Ibiki ok?" Kakashi asked.

"I kept him out of it," The Interrogator said. "He was around for some of the fighting we had to do, but there wasn't much. I kept him away from my own interests."

"I heard about your eye and Obito," Ibiki said, taking control again.

"Yeah," Kakashi said. "I ruined a lot out there."

"I didn't hear that," Ibiki said. "I heard you kicked some serious ass."

"I guess," Kakashi said. "I don't care about that. I was just doing my duty. I should have been doing more the whole time."

"I heard you and Anko were working together," Kakashi said. "How did that go?"

"I still don't know what you see in her," The Interrogator said, "but you were right about there being more to her than there seems to be."

"Did she come home with you?"

"Not yet," Ibiki said. "She'll be home soon. You want to go out for awhile after I get a shower?"

"I can't," Kakashi said. "I got in trouble almost as soon as I got home. I'm under orders to stay here and "rest"." He made a face. "There's even been an ANBU tailing me."

"What did you do?" Ibiki said.

"Not much," Kakashi said. "I just almost passed out in the Hokage's office and had to sleep there for about six hours before I could come home."

"Dumbass," Ibiki said.

"Yeah. I need to keep an eye out for Anko. Someone wrecked her apartment, and I left her a note, but I want to see her as soon as she gets back."

Ibiki rolled his eyes. "Sure, that's the reason. It's not because you might as well be her nin-dog."

"It's not like that," Kakashi said.

"We'll see. We didn't really get to talk much. There was too much work to do, and The Interrogator was around most of the time. When we did talk it was mostly about you."

"Really?" Kakashi asked. "Did she really? So she's not mad at me?"

"You're such an idiot," Ibiki said. "She's really into you. You shouldn't be able to fuck this up."

"I'll give it my best shot," Kakashi said.

He went out later to see Asuma and Kurenai, but he couldn't find them, and he saw CAT lurking, obviously meaning to be seen. He was stuck fidgeting in the house, and he grew more irritable by the hour.

Ibiki and Akihiro were gone, and Mother was working on some complicated dish. He was left alone with his thoughts, and he didn't like that.

He asked Mother for one of her sleeping pills that night. After all that had happened, sleeping in the same room with The Interrogator didn't even register as a problem.

CAT showed up the next morning. "You've been pardoned," he said.

"I was able to go out today anyway," Kakashi said.

CAT chuckled. "You have no sense of humor."

"I do," Kakashi said. "I just never get your jokes."

"The Hokage wants to see you," CAT said.

It was routine work, the sort he could almost do in his sleep. He was visiting a returning ninja to get a few papers signed when he saw Anko walking. He almost dropped his papers, but he managed to hold on to them as he ran toward her.

"Anko!" he yelled.

She turned just as he got to her. He didn't wait for her to say anything. He just grabbed her and kissed her. He didn't care that the village was seeing him without his mask, or that people thought he was cute.

He ignored the "aaahhs," and "oh how cute," that he heard around him.

"I missed you," Anko said.

"I missed you too," Kakashi said. "You can be my girlfriend again now. We don't have to worry about things so much."

"Let's go to my place," Anko said. "There are too many people here."

"About that," Kakashi said. "Somebody broke in while you were gone. I cleaned up and boarded the door from the inside, but most of your stuff was wrecked."

"It's just stuff," Anko said, but she looked sad. "People do that because of Orochimaru. I hope they get over it eventually."

"They will," Kakashi said. "If they don't then they're missing out on someone wonderful, and I'll keep you all to myself."

"Goofus," she said.

"I bought you some things to replace what got ruined," Kakashi said.

"I don't want you spending money on me," Anko said. "I can take care of myself."

"I know that," Kakashi said, "but I want to. It made me happy."

"As long as you know that I can take care of myself," she said. "I'll probably be promoted to Jounin soon, and I can get a new place."

"For now, why don't you come back to my house and see the stuff I got for you," Kakashi said. "It's mostly clothes and books. I didn't want you to come home to a nasty mess and no things left."

Mother cooed over Anko. "Are you Kakashi's little girlfriend?" Mother asked.

Anko giggled and held Kakashi's hand. "I guess," she said.

Mother pinched her cheek gently. "I have cookies," she said. "Do you want one?"

"I love cookies," Anko said. Kakashi knew Mother had found a friend. Anyone who offered Anko sweets was automatically on her good side.

She started to eat standing up. "No dear," Mother said. "We eat at the table here."

Anko sat and ate happily. "These are good," she said.

"I make them with love," Mother said. She gave Anko a glass of milk.

"Thank you," Anko said around a mouthful of cookie.

Mother tousled her hair. "Don't talk with your mouth full." She smiled.

Kakashi couldn't believe Anko was letting someone treat her like that, but then he was still surprised at Mother's ability to make people feel comfortable and happy.

When she was finished they went to Kakashi and Ibiki's room, and Kakashi gave her the bags he'd brought home.

"You got the right books, and the clothes are nice," she said. "You have good taste."

He wanted her to think that he actually knew about such things, so he didn't tell her that Tsunade helped him.

She pulled out a pair of black, lacy panties. "Did you really buy these?" she asked.

"Tsunade-hemi did that," Kakashi said, feeling his face turn bright red again. "I think she likes to play jokes on me."

"They're pretty," Anko said. "I'll have to tell her thank you when I see her again."

"I couldn't find anything like what you usually wear," Kakashi said.

"That's because I make my stockings and shirts myself," she said. "I don't think you can find anything like that in a store."

"I didn't know you could sew," Kakashi said.

"There's a lot about me you don't know."

His life was better because Anko was home and safe. She was even happy with him – for the moment.

"I heard about your eye," Anko said.

"I've talked about that as much as I want to," Kakashi said. "I just want to enjoy being with you."

They talked for about an hour, and when Akihiro came home Kakashi insisted she meet him.

"Hello, Anko," Akihiro said as Mother helped him into a seat.

"You know me?" Anko asked.

"I take an interest in you," Akihiro said. "Kakashi is important to me, and I'm glad we're finally meeting."

Anko was quieter than normal, and Kakashi thought she might have actually been intimidated by Akihiro. He was a legend, and she'd always been interested in Ibiki's stories about him, even if she wasn't interested in Ibiki.

He finally had to get to work again, and he walked her home. He didn't let go of her hand the whole way.