Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Crack in the Stone

Kakashi woke to the feel of soft lips on his bare shoulder and light fingers tracing the muscles along his arm. He kept his eyes closed, hoping she would continue her affectionate ministrations, but it wasn't long before she lifted her mouth away from his skin.

"I think it's time to wake up, Hun."

He scrunched up his face, still refusing to open his eyes. "No it isn't."

"Unfortunately it is. You have to meet with the heads of the ANBU divisions this morning."

He groaned quietly. "I guess on the up-side, I know them all pretty well, so it won't be too bad, right?"

"Maybe not… We only have half an hour to get there."

Kakashi shot straight up, his eyes flying open. "What!? Why didn't you wake me sooner?"

Anko half sat up. "Don't look at me," she said without a care in the world. "I just woke up a few minutes ago."

"First day on the job, and I'm already running late," he grumbled.

He flung the covers aside and hurried out of bed to dress. Anko was content to lay there for another thirty seconds or so, smiling to herself as she enjoyed the view of Kakashi's naked body before it was covered by his clothes. It was only after he'd fully covered himself nearly from head-to-toe that she finally got up.

It didn't take them long to get ready, Anko sporting her usual attire and Kakashi donning his new cloak. Once they were ready, Kakashi began to lead the way toward the bedroom door.

"Where are you going?"

He stopped and turned to see her beside the window.

"Downstairs to take the tunnel… Where are you going?"

Anko pushed open the window. "This way's faster," she said with a grin. "Come on."

Having no time to argue, Kakashi followed her out the window, up and over the tower, and across rooftops toward ANBU headquarters. Suddenly, Anko grabbed him and pulled him down to the ground right around the corner from where they needed to be.

"What are you doing?"

"Simple. I know you have a reputation for being late, but you're the Hokage now. You can't let anyone know you had a late start. How would it look if you arrived running to a meeting? We stop here, and you can walk around the corner as if you didn't oversleep."

He blinked at her. "That's…brilliant."

She smirked. "Honestly, what would you do without me?"

"Well—"

"No time!" she whispered hurriedly, pushing him forward. "Let's go!"

The meeting with ANBU began at nine and lasted until one in the afternoon. Although there was a lot of information to cover and a lot to get squared away, business was easy to accomplish. Although his ANBU career had ended several years ago, Kakashi was still highly respected among the agents and the division heads, and they all appeared to be on the same page. He was sure that it was because he and Anko understood the operations of the ANBU so thoroughly that the meeting went smoothly and they would have little difficulty working together. It was sometimes the case that the Hokage and the ANBU were at odds with one another, their methods vastly different. Luckily, though, there were no agents like Danzo around anymore to undermine the integrity of either the ANBU or the office of the Hokage.

The Kage planned to stay one more night in Konoha, but Kakashi and Anko had to return to Hokage Tower to wish safe travels to the other leaders who would be starting the journey home that afternoon. Another dinner was set for that evening consisting only of the Five Kage and their companions, but another few hours remained before that time.

When Kakashi dismissed himself to take care of some paperwork in the office, Kurotsuchi lingered behind to speak with Anko.

"Busy already I see."

"Are you kidding? We've been busy for a week."

"Ah, you'll get used to it. It does get easier. I might not be the Tsuchikage yet, but Akatsuchi and I go everywhere with Gramps."

"That's right. You'll take over for him in a few months. I almost forgot…"

"Yeah, it's about time. I like to mess with him, but in all seriousness, he really can't do it anymore. I'm glad he's finally ready to let go of the reins, you know?"

"I hear you," said Anko. "Lord Third was in great physical condition even at his age, but it doesn't look like Lord Tsuchikage is fairing quite so well."

"He'll be alright when he retires and he can spend his time relaxing—well, as much as the old geezer can relax anyway. I swear he never stops complaining. His blood pressure is always sky-high."

"But that's why we like him, right?"

Kurotsuchi smiled in agreement. "Hey," she said, signaling a change of subject. "If it's not too much trouble, I have a favor to ask."

"Ok, what's that?"

"I was wondering," said Kurotsuchi as she reached into the pocket of her vest and removed a sealed envelope. "Could you give this to Ibiki?"

Anko looked down at it in mild confusion before she took it. "Uh…sure."

"I was hoping to see him while we were here in the Hidden Leaf, but so far I haven't had the chance."

"We both live in the same village, but I don't see him too much either."

"He's kind of hard to peg, isn't he?" Kurotsuchi mused. "He's always so serious."

"Ah, don't let him fool you. Underneath his intimidating façade, he's really just a big softie," Anko grinned.

"So I've gathered… You know him well then?" she asked cautiously.

"Better than most I suppose, but that's really only because I learned how to read him. He's no more open with me than he is with anyone else." She lowered her voice conspiratorially. "But between you and me, he feels a lot and says very little. If you pay attention, you can pick up on those things he doesn't want to say out loud."

"I guess he's just a really private person, huh?"

Anko rubbed the back of her neck, unsure of how much she should say. "Mm, it's more complicated than that."

If Anko had to pick a phrase that perfectly described Ibiki, it would be, "Whatever doesn't kill me makes me stronger." His parents were very strict Shinobi, but more than that, they were harsh disciplinarians. They had both died in combat when he was a Genin, and as a result, he'd taken over the care of his younger brother Idate, taking on the role of the strict parent with incredibly high standards. He and Idate were often at odds, and Ibiki had blamed himself when he'd thought his brother had died in that terrible fire on the mission to stop Aoi because he'd believed that if he'd only been a better brother, he could have prevented Idate from making the poor decision to help Aoi in the first place.

That mission had scarred Ibiki in more ways than one. He'd been tortured in a way that Anko couldn't imagine even to this day. After Aoi and Orochimaru's betrayals which resulted in the (temporary) loss of Idate and Anko, Ibiki decided to dedicate his life to doing whatever was necessary to protect the village. He adopted his cold personality as a defense mechanism, allowing him to do his job as the head of the torture and interrogation division, but not once had he stooped so low as to use those torture methods that Aoi had used on him.

Because of the way he was raised, he had never been good at expressing his emotions, even to his own brother, and his visible scars made it far more difficult for Ibiki to open up to anyone. He kept them hidden and tried not to think about them, not just because they were ugly (he wasn't really driven by a sense of vanity), but because they reminded of him his mistakes and his traumatic past—neither of which he wished to revisit.

His own insecurities had begun when he was a child, and they only continued to grow as he got older. Now he had such a flat, bleak image of himself that he had virtually fooled himself into believing that there was nothing about him that was worthwhile. He was a cog in the machine that served to keep the village safe, but nothing more. He saw no greater purpose for himself beyond that.

It had taken Anko years and years to piece all this information together, and oddly enough that was one reason she liked to torment him. Though he often grew annoyed or angry with her when she kept pushing his buttons (like poking a bear with a stick), it was perhaps the only time he was able to let down his defenses and reveal what lay beneath them. Deep down, there was still a spark of a child's innocence. He had a big heart and a sense of humor to match. One just had to know how to bring those things out into the open.

"Hm, maybe with some luck, I'll figure it out," said Kurotsuchi good-naturedly. "For now, I'm going to continue my exploration of the village. It's nice here—though not as nice as the Hidden Stone."

"Ha! Right… What's better than rocks?" asked Anko with a smile and a roll of her eyes.

"Hey, don't knock it! Anyway, I'll see you later. Thanks again!"

As Kurotsuchi walked away, Anko looked down at the envelope in her hands. Curiosity gnawed at her, but she didn't dare open it. Instead, she placed it in an inside pocket of her coat and headed for the passage that connected the Hokage's residence to ANBU headquarters.

X-X-X

Ibiki had just sent a currier to the Hokage's office with a few documents that Kakashi needed to review. The earlier meeting had gone smoothly, though Ibiki had expected nothing less. The transition had started out very well thus far.

When his office door opened, Ibiki looked up with a scowl. "Oh, it's you," he said, somewhat exasperated.

"Is that how you plan to address the future wife of the Sixth Hokage?" Anko teased.

He smirked. "You may be the Hokage's fiancé, but our relationship will always stay the same."

"Good. I wouldn't have it any other way," she said as she approached his desk. She reached inside her coat and pulled something from it. "Here."

Ibiki looked down at the envelope with mild suspicion. "What is it?"

"Just take it," Anko demanded.

He glanced up to see that her expression warned him not to argue. At last, he reached out and took the sealed letter from her. She gave him a pointed look before she turned and left his office.

Strange. It wasn't like her to leave without saying more than a few words.

Once she was gone, he opened the enveloped and pulled out a note.

Ibiki,

I assume you've been busy since I haven't seen you around these last few days. Gramps and I will be leaving tomorrow morning. If you happen to have the time, meet me on the river bridge at ten o'clock tonight.

Kurotsuchi

He stared at the note, the words blurring on the page as he lost himself in his own head. As he'd told Anko a few days prior, he hadn't really been all that busy, but while he hadn't been blatantly avoiding Kurotsuchi, he hadn't made it a point to seek her out, either. Instead, he had been trying to go about his day-to-day routine without so much as thinking about her.

Now, as he read the note, he could hear her voice, clear as day in his mind, and that intrusive warmth and anticipation filled his chest. He cursed it, and he cursed her for affecting him so. He could go about his business uninterrupted, but one little invitation from her was enough to throw off his resolve, and he found that he couldn't resist her.

He crumpled the little piece of paper in his large hand, angry because his will to leave her alone had been shattered far too easily.

Should he go? Or should he ignore it and pretend he had other things to do?

Although Ibiki would never admit it, even to himself, he was afraid: afraid that if she looked at him too closely, she would see his darkness and his scars (both literal and figurative) and run the other way. His life had been one of pain and strife. Never had he felt such tender emotions before, and he was unnerved by the way she conjured those emotions within him now. He didn't know how to handle them, and it seemed too good to be true that a woman could actually take a…romantic interest in him. He kept asking himself why she seemed to be so fascinated with him, and in the end, the only conclusion he could draw was that he was simply a fun little mystery for her that, once unraveled, would be boring, or worse—unpleasant.

For someone like Ibiki, personal relationships were not high on his list of priorities. His job and his duty to the village came above and beyond all else, and until he'd met this woman, this hierarchy had suited him just fine. Even now, he wished desperately to return to it.

But she called to him, and dammit if he wasn't a sadistic fuck who also happened to be a glutton for punishment.

As the afternoon gave way to evening, Ibiki was still locked in an internal debate. Should he go to meet her or not? For a long time, he sat in his apartment in the dark, the war raging behind his hard grey eyes. He glared down at the floor between his boots and finally stood, his mind made up. He would go, and he would settle this once and for all.

X-X-X

Kurotsuchi had been able to explore the village over the last few days, not to mention her previous visit to the Hidden Leaf during the festival. The previous night, she had found the bridge that spanned the river and had remained there for some time, watching the moon's reflection in the water and gazing up at the stars.

The bridge also reminded her of that night back in the Hidden Stone when Ibiki had accepted her invitation to meet on the stone bridge that connected the Tsuchikage's residence to the mountain terrace. The moon had been bright that night, too.

She'd seen Ibiki not long after they'd arrived in the village, but he hadn't resurfaced since then. Her time was running out if she hoped to steal just a moment in his company.

Now, as she headed back toward the bridge on her final night in Konoha, she sincerely hoped that he would show. Call her selfish, but she'd been looking forward to the Sixth Hokage's inauguration if only for the chance to see Ibiki one more time. Her memory of their last kiss was still very much on her mind, and she missed his devil-may-care smile as well as his aloof mannerisms.

He certainly was an intriguing mystery alright, one that she ached to get to the bottom of.

As she approached the bridge, she smiled at finding that he was already there, staring out at the river, hands in his coat pockets.

"Somehow I knew you'd be here."

"You invited me," he said flatly, not bothering to turn around.

Kurotsuchi moved up beside him with a teasing expression. "And you couldn't stay away, huh?"

When he said nothing, she hopped up to sit on the railing. "What's the matter, cat got your tongue?"

He shifted his eyes to her. "We need to talk."

"Oh. Sounds serious. Ok, shoot," she said, still amiable.

Ibiki narrowed his dark eyes. "We can't do this anymore."

She stared at him, confused. "Do what?"

"This." When she continued to stare at him, he closed his eyes with an air of finality. "It's been fun, but it ends here. I don't want to see you anymore."

His words hit her like a brick, her eyes wide and her jaw slack in disbelief. Then she narrowed her eyes at him skeptically. "Are you serious?" she asked irritably.

"I'm always serious."

She slid off the railing and crossed her arms. "What the hell brought this on?"

At last, he actually turned to face her. "Look, this has all been…interesting…but it's over. You're going back to your village tomorrow, and isn't likely we'll see each other again. Honestly, that's just fine by me."

Kurotsuchi looked outranged. She unfolded her arms, he hands balled into fists. "Oh really? Why don't you tell me what you really think, or what's really going on? If there's someone else who's caught your attention, you could just say so instead of acting like an ass! Or are you agitated because I didn't put out fast enough? Is that it?"

"No, of course not! Don't be an idiot!"

"Then what's your problem?!" she demanded.

His eyes were colder and harder than she'd ever seen them, and he appeared to stare down his nose at her, speaking with an air of disgust.

"Simple. I don't like you."

He walked past her, the tail of his coat fluttering against her leg. His statement left her speechless as she tried to digest his words, but they just wouldn't go down. They felt like a boulder; hard, unmoving, and…lifeless.

Anko's words from earlier floated back to her:

"Between you and me, he feels a lot and says very little. If you pay attention, you can pick up on those things he doesn't want to say out loud."

'That's it.'

She spun toward him, conviction in her eyes and in her voice. "You're a liar."

He stopped in his tracks, barely glancing over his shoulder. "You think so?"

"You can't possibly tell me that you've felt nothing—that there's nothing between us! If that were true, you wouldn't have accepted my invitation that night in the Hidden Stone; you wouldn't have danced with me at the festival; and you certainly wouldn't have kissed me."

"That was then. This is now."

"My ass! If you really don't feel anything for me, then prove it!"

"What?"

"You heard me! Prove to me that you really can't stand me and I'll leave you the hell alone!"

Ibiki turned on his heel to see the determination in her eyes and in the set of her jaw. "I've already said it. What more proof do you need?"

She took the few steps toward him, never breaking eye-contact. "Kiss me. And if you can honestly say you feel nothing, then I'll walk away and I won't look back. I'll return to the Hidden Stone, and we'll never see each other again."

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."

"An empty kiss would be proof enough, and then you can be on your way. Why should it bother you if you don't even like me?"

"I don't have to prove anything to you."

"Do it! Unless you're scared!"

He gave a humorless smirk. "Is that your game? To bully people into doing what you want by calling them cowards?"

Kurotsuchi grabbed the lapels of his coat, the challenge still strong within her dark irises. "Just do it!"

He didn't want to kiss her. He was fighting to rebuild the walls around his heart, and if he kissed her, that foundation would be shattered. If he kissed her, there would be nothing empty about it. He wanted to retreat, to push her away and leave her alone in the dark, but she wouldn't let him go. Her ferocity and her determination kept him rooted to the spot, and he only had two options: either refuse her challenge and be proven a coward, or accept it and prove that he had lied.

He grit his teeth, trying to puzzle his way out of a no-win situation.

"Well?" she snapped.

Still, he struggled, and despite his best efforts, Kurotsuchi could see that his mask of indifference was cracking. It was then that she noticed a little tick above his left eye, and she knew she had him. She just had to wait him out.

Something in him seemed to break when he realized that this was not a game to her—that she wasn't just challenging him, but begging him not to let her down.

She'd backed him into a corner in which he had to choose between the possibility that somewhere down the line she'd make him suffer, and being called a coward. If there was one thing Ibiki Morino could take, it was pain, but he couldn't stand being accused of cowardice.

He growled in frustration. "Dammit woman!" He took her by the arms and smashed his lips against hers, knowing he'd lost. Unlike their previous kisses, this one was hard and unforgiving, filled with both anger and passion. Kurotsuchi gave as much as he did, not protesting when he drew her into his strong, vice-like arms. It thrilled her, fueling her desire and her hunger for him, and she wound her arms around his neck, pushing herself against his large, hard body.

She pulled her mouth away from the heated lip lock to draw air back into her lungs before she whispered with conviction, "I knew you were lying."

The fact that she'd manipulated him made him angry, but on the flip side, he'd witnessed just how far she was willing to go to keep whatever was between them intact. She'd seen right through his game of using words as a form of weaponized defense. Was a mere mystery worth the force and the effort she'd put behind her convictions and her ultimatum? Or was it possible that she was actually invested in him in some way?

He supposed it didn't matter at that point. If by chance this woman eventually made him suffer, he'd simply have to deal with it. For now, she'd succeeded in capturing his attention anew. He'd guessed that she was no pushover, but her ability to stand toe-to-toe with him without even flinching captivated him. Now he wanted her more than he already had.

He gripped her shoulders, intrigued and irritated that she'd bested him, then his mouth covered hers once more, resuming the heated exchange. He let his hands explore her body roughly, greedily—surprising even himself. He thought for a brief moment that he needed to check himself, but he threw those thoughts aside when he felt Kurotsuchi touch him in the same manner.

Her tongue darted out, and she swiped it against his lips. He quickly responded with an open-mouthed kiss that resulted in a battle of dancing tongues and hungry teeth.

Eventually, Ibiki broke the kiss and Kurotsuchi wrapped her arms tightly around him.

"Don't ever do that again," she demanded.

Understanding that she was referring to his attempt to save himself from the potentiality of heartache, he held her hard against him, burying his face in her shoulder. He wasn't able to say it out loud, but in his head he knew now that he could never let her go.

Part of him was angry at his own weakness, but the other part didn't give a damn anymore. It felt too good, too right to hold her.

At once, Kurotsuchi pulled back and took his hands in hers. "Come with me."

"Where?"

"Anywhere," she replied quickly.

"Shouldn't you be getting back before the Tsuchikage starts asking questions?"

"The old man doesn't care where I am. He's probably already asleep by now. But I'm not ready to say goodbye yet, and after the stunt you just pulled, you owe me!"

She was practically glaring at him, and he couldn't blame her for being upset. Perhaps he had gravely miscalculated who this woman was, for he could see now that she would not let him go so easily.

Not so deep down inside, Ibiki hoped she was as strong-willed as he was beginning to believe. It was clear she was no princess; she was a force to be reckoned with. Perhaps she'd even give his inner demons a run for their money. Could Anko have been right after all? He hated the thought that he might have to admit to her that he had been wrong.

There was no point in arguing with her, and she had him wrapped around her finger anyway. He closed his eyes briefly before allowing her to lead him into an easy stroll around the village.

There were few people out at such a late hour, and that was fine with Ibiki since he didn't feel like answering any questions. He kept quiet, not sure what to say since he'd already made a complete fool of himself, and he was thankful that Kurotsuchi respected his need for a silence. It was quite evident that she had a mouth on her, but for whatever reason, she felt no need fill the space with chatter. He was also relieved that she wasn't going to chew his ear off about his earlier fuckup.

While the outside world remained quiet, Ibiki's thoughts did not. He'd been sure that Kurotsuchi would lose interest in him or be otherwise put off eventually when the mystery of the emotionally challenged enigma was unraveled. He'd never opened up to a soul in his life, and if she expected him to open up to her so easily, she was mistaken. Even if he wanted to, he wouldn't know where to begin. The mere fact that she didn't attempt to make him talk told him that she understood this. So why would she want to stick around?

"Answer me something," he finally said, keeping his eyes focused on street ahead of them. "Why me?"

"Why not you?" she countered.

"I could give you a list of reasons, but I asked you first."

"This game again, huh? Ok then."

She took a moment to compose her response, unsure of how to put her thoughts into words. He didn't exactly fit the conventional definition of 'handsome' but something about him was powerfully attractive. Though she could clearly take care of herself, she got the feeling that a man like Ibiki would move heaven and earth to protect those he cared for, if one was lucky enough to earn that privilege in the first place. He was mysterious in many ways, and she found herself clinging to any small hint about what lay beneath his immovable façade as if those hints were as essential as the air she breathed. She desperately wanted to know this man, and somehow she just knew that any and all revelations about his character and his past would only make her want him more.

"I suppose… I'm attracted to you because you seem both strong and formidable, but at the same time, there's clearly far more to you than meets the eye."

He felt as if he'd just taken a step backward, as if he'd misunderstood all that had happened that evening, reverting back to his original thought process. "So…I am just an entertaining little mystery then."

"No," she said sharply, her feet stopping abruptly on the cobblestone path. She turned on him then, a fire in her eyes. "It's more than that! Don't you understand?"

"No, I don't," he said gruffly. "Enlighten me."

She folded her arms again, already tired of going around in circles. "Look, ask anyone who knows me, they'll tell you I'm not a very patient person. Gramps is always on me about learning patience and humility, and blah, blah, blah.

"If you want the truth, I want to know everything about you. I want you to tell me here and now, but I know you won't, or you can't. But I'm not pushing you. Ask yourself, why is that?"

"I have no idea."

She growled, her fists shaking in frustration. "You idiot! It's because I like you and I care about you! Maybe at first you were just a mystery, but the more I look at you, and the more you keep to yourself, the more I want you to trust me to tell me the truth! You already trust me on some level or you wouldn't be here now."

"Heh, I don't know if I would call it trust. More like being a fool."

"But you're not a fool, are you Ibiki Morino? You're rational, cold, and calculating. You put your own emotions on the backburner, probably for more reasons than one, so if you're acting like a fool, that means there must be a damn good reason for it."

She seemed to lose a bit of steam and her shoulders fell, her eyes dropping to the ground. "Why? Why did you do it? Why did you try to push me away?"

He felt a pang of guilt, realizing that he'd actually hurt her. And here he thought she'd called his bluff, not even letting his words so much as scratch her.

Ibiki turned his head and glanced up at the sky through the canopy of the trees above them. He knew he owed her some sort of explanation.

"When we met, you asked about my scars. You assumed correctly that the story behind them is partially what made me the man I am today. The man I used to be wasn't pretty, and the story behind my scars only made him darker, blacker, and more unpleasant."

Of course. Why else do people put up walls if not because they're afraid for the world to see them for who they really are? But a truly dark and unpleasant person would have no qualms about showing the true depth of the blackness inside of them.

"I get it," she said. "We all have things about ourselves that we don't like, mistakes that we've made that we don't want others to know about. None of us are perfect. We all experience shame. And yet, isn't it within that shame that our humanity lies? The man who sees no need to cover up his darkness, past or present, has forfeited his humanity, and he's seen as a monster." She thought of Deidara, and of Kabuto and Orochimaru. "You're not like that."

He looked back at her seriously, but there was a softness about his features now. "How can you be sure you know anything about me? How can you be sure that I'm really such a nice guy?"

Kurotsuchi smiled, humor returning to her voice. "Anko told me for one."

The corners of his mouth turned down in irritation. "Damn that Ponytail…"

"But honestly, I didn't need her to tell me you're a good guy. I could see it when we first met."

He smirked. "So you weren't just reacting to your hormones that night?"

He could see her face quickly turning red even in the darkness. "What!? No!"

"Heh, right."

"Gr, if that was the case, then I would've—"

"Would have what?" he challenged, stepping closer to her.

She froze, then turned her back to him. "Nothing!"

After a moment, Ibiki placed his hands on her shoulders. "I'm sorry," he said, all traces of teasing now gone.

The words felt inadequate, like she deserved more than a simple apology, but he couldn't find a way to elaborate on it. He'd made the mistake of thinking that her interest in him was only superficial, but she'd spent this entire evening proving him wrong.

Kurotsuchi relaxed beneath his hands and slowly turned her head to look up at him. She could see the sincerity as well as the struggle behind those dark eyes of his, and she reached up to place a hand over his in a gesture meant to convey that he didn't need to say any more; she understood.

The relief and the gratitude was evident in his facial features, and she turned more fully to face him.

"Come on," she said, and he silently allowed her to lead him again.

It wasn't too much longer before they were only a few yards away from where the Kage were currently housed. It was well past midnight, and they knew they would have to part ways. Kurotsuchi laid her hands on his chest, and when she leaned in for a kiss, he obliged. It was much like the first one they had shared back in the Hidden Stone Village, short and sweet, but this time there was a distinct feeling of longing. It seemed they'd come so far in just a few hours, and neither one of them wanted to say goodbye.

"Will you be at the gate to see us off tomorrow?"

"If that's what you want," he said, and his tone conveyed that he'd do anything she asked of him.

Wanting to draw out their time together, Kurotsuchi leaned against him, and he responded by wrapping his arms around her. Earlier that evening, Ibiki had been ready to leave her and his memories of their short time together behind. Now, he dreaded having to watch her walk away from him all over again.

X-X-X

The four visiting Kage and their traveling companions were gathered at the front gate as the Sixth Hokage, his fiancé, and Lady Tsunade bid them a proper farewell. They each thanked the leaders of the Hidden Leaf for their hospitality and once again congratulated Kakashi on his appointment, wishing him well.

"It's always nice to see you," said Lord Gaara. "I think I speak for all of us when I say we look forward to working with you, Kakashi."

"Certainly," said the Lady Mizukage.

"Congratulations on your engagement," said a cheerful Chojuro.

Almost instantly, the Mizukage's expression turned rather dark and hopeless. 'Alone on your death bed…'

"Hey, we might have to make another trip for your special day, you know?" said Lord B.

'It's far too late…' thought Lady Mei.

"No joke," said Temari, and Konkuro grinned. "Who'd have thought, Kakashi Hatake and the crazy proctor from the Chunin exams?"

Kakashi gave a nervous laugh, one that Anko was getting used to at this point. Still, she found it cute, and fought back a giggle.

"Thanks, but...we were going to try to keep it small…Whenever we're able to fit it in, that is…"

"Just don't keep her waiting," grinned Kurotsuchi.

Mei's intrusive thoughts continued. 'I'm still waiting…'

Anko easily picked up on the double meaning of Kurotsuchi's words as she watched the other woman glance around discreetly. When her smile widened marginally, Anko looked behind her to see Ibiki approaching the gate.

"Well, well, have you come to see us off again?" asked Onoki.

"Pardon the intrusion, I simply had some business with one of the guards. But it's always a pleasure, Lord Tsuchikage."

"So, Lady Tsunade, I assume you'll be relaxing in your retirement?" asked the Raikage.

"As long as I don't have to keep an eye on the new Hokage."

"I don't think that will be necessary," said Gaara.

Tsunade smiled, nodding in agreement. "Then I guess the answer to your question, Lord Raikage, is yes."

"Good. You deserve it." He turned to his brother. "B, are you ready?"

"Yo, Bro, I'm ready to hit the road."

"Safe travels, Lord A; Lord B," said Kakashi.

"We should be going as well," said Ao, to which Mei replied in the affirmative.

"Pleasant travels."

Gaara stepped forward to shake hands with Kakashi. "If you need anything, you know how to contact us."

"And we will be sure to invite you back to our village very soon for Kurotsuchi's inauguration," said Onoki.

"We look forward to it," replied Kakashi.

Ibiki's eyes were drawn back to the real reason he'd gone out of his way to arrive at the village gate. Kurotsuchi was actually in line to become the next Tsuchikage? Why hadn't she told him? When he met her gaze, he saw hope there: was she counting on him going with the Hokage for her inauguration? When was it?

They finished saying their goodbyes, and moments later, the other four Kage were headed down the road away from the village. Kurotsuchi glanced back over her shoulder, her eyes locking with Ibiki's momentarily.

Anko lightly elbowed Kakashi, and he looked down at her before following her line of sight. With his Sharingan, it was easy to see the emotions that floated behind Kurotsuchi's dark eyes before she faced forward again to follow Akatsuchi and Tsuchikage Onoki. Kakashi's gaze then flitted to Ibiki. It took a real focused eye to be able to discern the flicker of disappointment and longing that only briefly crossed his features, but at last he was able to see what Anko had seen months ago.

When Kakashi looked back at Anko again, he could tell that Ibiki's heartache weighed heavily on her mind. But what was he to do? Not even the Hokage had the power to make a long-distance relationship work, especially one that was strained even more by politics and formalities.

Ibiki finally turned away and strode over to the guard station to speak with Genma. Kakashi took Anko's hand and gave it a light squeeze, grateful that they at least had been able to bridge the rather miniscule gap that had existed between them.

A/N: Someone said they hoped Ibiki didn't do something stupid, and by that point, I'd already had most of that scene written. He did do something stupid. I have no idea if he would actually behave that way, but his character is so open-ended, even Naruto Wiki wasn't very helpful. I had to expand on him somehow. If anyone says they have no insecurities, they're flat-out lying. Everyone does. I have a feeling Ibiki would be no exception, it would just be a lot harder to see them. Maybe this chapter was dumb, I don't know, but it has a bearing on what will happen later.

Sad to say that there are only a few more chapters left. Don't ask me exactly how many. I don't know. I don't plan that way. No worries, though. At the end, I'll have a Kakashi/Anko story pitch for you all, and if I get good feedback on the idea, I may write it.