Chapter 44
His eyes bulged out and his tongue hung out of his mouth when she chopped his head clean off his neck. She grabbed the severed head by the hair and just stared. Oddly enough, seeing it in front of her didn't give her the relieved feeling she was expecting.
Somewhere, deep in her subconscious, she had an irrational belief that if she did this then her mother would come back to her. How insane and impossible, but of course, lately her thoughts weren't very rational. Every day felt like one more step towards insanity. She knew that once she got there, then she wasn't ever coming back.
In her attempt for her own means, she had made the only person left in this world that she actually cared about suffer. What was worse was that if she went back in time, she'd do it again. And again. And again. Not because she didn't care about him, or that he didn't hold a permanent compartment in her heart because he did. She'd do it again because after so long feeling nothing, the guilt and pain and anger was a relief and filled her life with something other than the monotonous everyday bore.
Anomie sealed the head in a scroll, feeling those feelings begin to creep back. Humanity was funny that way. No matter how many times she tried to ignore it or push it away, it always found a way to creep back in. However, she had come so far, and she couldn't let it overtake her.
Would she feel guilt if Kakashi got his career set back a couple years because of her?
When she met up with Konan an hour later at their hiding spot, she concluded that no. She wouldn't. Not because she didn't care about him. It was her mission and her path. Her feelings meant nothing and her desires meant nothing so long as they both interfered with what she needed to do.
The was no going back. Only forward. Now that he was dead, while it served as no relief, it was better than before. It was better that Kakashi thought of her negatively and it was better that Dairo was dead. She didn't need anyone to care about her. She didn't need anyone.
Konan knelt down, grabbing ahold of Anomie's arm and inspecting the cut that traveled deep and long up her arm. Anomie hadn't noticed she even got injured and she didn't care to remember. Her humanity tasted so fresh and seared through her.
"You were reckless today," Konan informed her and Anomie slightly chuckled.
"I realize that. Reckless and foolish. You probably think it best if Tamaki Dairo evaded me," Anomie replied, glancing towards Konan's nimble fingers as she began to clean off the wound with a bit of water and a small piece of her robe. She spoke so highly of the uniform, but there she was, ripping it to clean a foolish wound.
"I doubt he could have," Konan told her, tucking a strand of blue hair behind her ear while Anomie's eyes ran over the small rose that she still wore in between strands on her head. "I've come to realize that despite your reputation and methods, you always get things done in the end, don't you?"
Konan carefully wrapped Anomie's arm in gauze, and Anomie watched the woman perform such a nothing task with such focus. The woman's words were still ringing in her head like a bell. Slowly, Konan met the other woman's steely gaze with a slightly awkward clear of the throat before she glanced away. "Do you trust me?" Anomie asked, and while the question was random, Konan answered seriously and without hesitation.
"I think you have a lot of secrets. Yet, you have the oddest sense of self-preservation. One second you are ready to take the hit, and the next you toss everyone down to save yourself," Konan said, once more tucking her escaping bits of hair behind her ear. Anomie's attention remained fixed on every detail and awkward action of her partner. "However...despite all that...I actually trust you the most in this group."
Anomie glanced down at her carefully wrapped arm before glancing back towards Konan with a slight smile. "Many people have died because they trusted me."
Konan paused, meeting Anomie's intense gaze. "They were weak. I can take care of myself. I won't be dying, least of all because of anything you've done."
Anomie glanced down at her Akatsuki cloak, the one she always berated as lame and that Konan always adamantly defended. She placed it carefully around her shoulders before meeting Konan's much too serious gaze. Slowly, Anomie lightly dusted her fingers against the flower in her hair. "I like you best with this in your hair. You look so serious all the time. Learn to relax and smile. I imagine that your smile is very beautiful."
Anomie couldn't say she wasn't tempted to lean in for a moment. Konan's gaze was so earnest. What others saw as emotionless, Anomie saw as devotion. She saw kindness. Goodness. Where other saw coldness, Anomie felt warmth.
"I'd rather you focus less on being playful, and more on your job. That's where all your foolishness stem from." Konan's warning made Anomie laugh.
The cave was damp and humid, but it served its purpose as being out of the way, yet closer to the land of fire than the Village Hidden in the Mist. It did its job well as a meet up location since the Leaf ninja searching the forest were unlikely to see it unless they knew what they were looking for.
"That man, Tamaki Dairo...what did he mean to you?" Konan ended up asking, causing Anomie to glance over to the sealing scroll that held his head. She ran her fingers over it with a slight smile.
"Nothing. He meant nothing," she said, unable to utter out the worst part of the story.
As if he were a father, she had once loved him.
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"What is all this?" Anomie asked, three weeks after having delivered the severed head to the village hidden in the mist.
Inside the Akatsuki's hideout, stood Tobi and Kisame in front of a surprised Konan. Anomie, having taken up a dip in the hot springs just before showing up to the hideout for some much needed supplies, was surprised to see Kisame already back from his mission.
"Orochimaru deflected the Akatsuki," Konan answered while Anomie continued ringing out her hair.
"And?" Anomie replied, not seeing the huge deal with it, especially considering that the only thing he brought to the group was a reminder that he could use a serious tan.
"He took the Akatsuki ring with him," Konan answered as if it were taboo.
"So?" Anomie glanced down at her own ring with a frown since it always ruined her outfits. "It's not even made of gold."
Konan slightly frowned, but Tobi glanced Anomie's way with a happy skip in his step. "No matter to all that, An-chan. I heard that you caused quite the scene in Taiki." Taiki, otherwise known as the Fire Daimyō's official village and hence known as the area Anomie had quite easily strolled up to as if she were there for a picnic. She, of course, only knew where it was due to her past experience in Anbu. How foolish of them to trust her not to tattle.
"Did I do that?" Anomie continued ringing out her hair with a shrug. "I'm afraid I don't remember the insignificant details. For example, the moment I look away from you, I literally forget you exist."
Tobi wiped his eye hole, that seemed to comically leak with tears in a way that made her wonder if he was even human. The fact of the matter remained that he still creeped her the fuck out. "My mom always told me that girls are meaner to those they like." Tobi sniffed while Anomie continued to towel dry her hair.
"You're mom sounds like a lonely whore, but whatever," Anomie walked past him, turning towards Kisame. "I missed you. Is that a new set of gills? Kids just grow up so fast these days."
"And here I was thinking no one would notice," Kisame retorted with a sharp grin, tracing his jaw with his pointer finger. Anomie slightly smiled, tilting her head to the side and getting ready to reply with something undeniably sassy, however, Tobi didn't give her the chance.
"I was hoping we could retrieve that ring," Tobi told her, causing Anomie to sigh, having hoped to not have to hear his voice again. "Maybe then I could become an official member."
"It's not that simple." A voice, deep and monotone, appeared from behind Anomie. This in itself was odd, considering she was nearly up against the cave wall.
She basically jumped out of her skin, careful not to blink as Zetsu escaped the rocks. She had never met him in person, but with the way only one half of his face grinned with his head encased in what looked like a Venus fly trap, made her know that she could have gone her whole life having never met him.
"Yo, I'm not sure if you are just lazy or you wanna show off, but the entrance to the cave is literally five feet to your left," Anomie informed him, and his eyes snapped towards hers, almost unnaturally. She couldn't see how this man could possibly be human.
It was like someone had cut two different people in half and then sewed them back together. That would explain why he looked like shit. Zetsu didn't look amused by her comment, and she began to wonder how someone so serious could stand to be around Tobi as a partner does.
"You have so many enemies Anomie. I'm beginning to see why," Zetsu told her her, but it felt like more of a threat. Anomie's lips quirked, taking a tiny step forward.
Her eyes were filled with malice when she met his unwavering gaze. Her lips, however, were pressed into its ever present smile that didn't betray a single honest thought she could have. "Is it cause I'm so devilishly charming?"
"That could be it," Kisame agreed and she gave him a smooth wink, ignoring the vibrant tension in the cave.
"I have a question," Anomie raised her hand like a school girl in class, and Konan placed her face into her hand as the tension in the cave became palpable. "Do you sleep inside the plant or do you slither out at night?"
The black portion of Zetsu chuckled as he took a step forward. Anomie awaited an inevitable attack, but Tobi stood in front of her in one swift motion. "Fighting makes me nervous~" Tobi commented with tear stained mask. "Lets just all get along."
"Sorry, Tobi. I can never resist a bit of science. All in good fun, huh Zetsu?" Anomie's apology wasn't at all genuine, and her smile didn't disappear. It had begun to look like sculpted porcelain, never losing its shape. "Tell you what, I'll get you some nice lady bugs next time I see you."
"I'm going to enjoy watching you die," the black portion of Zetsu told her, while his white half interjected with a comment more higher pitched and creepy. "Of nice old age, hopefully."
"See. We're getting along just fine, Tobi," Anomie pat his back with a happy grin, running her hand up his shoulder before resting her arm on it. The position would have been awkward with the height difference if not for her heels, and she did feel Tobi slightly freeze under her touch.
Konan stepped forward, "Pein-sama instructed me to fill you all on your next few missions."
"I was actually thinking about taking a small hiatus to check in on some old friends," Anomie announced, causing Kisame to slightly chuckle while Konan gave her an incredulous expression in return.
"As if you have any friends," Kisame told her, causing her to let out a gasp, dropping her arm from its resting place on Obito's shoulder.
"I consider Konan a dear friend," Anomie disagreed, causing Konan to toss a mission scroll towards the girl with a deadpan. Anomie caught it in one hand without looking, almost immediately beginning to break open the seal.
"Then how about, as a friend, you just do as you're told," Konan told her, and Anomie chuckled.
"Don't I always? I can already guess this oncoming mission," she slightly smirked, skimming a couple lines. "How predictable."
Konan tossed a mission scroll over to Tobi, who fumbled with it before dropping it at Anomie's feet. "Oops," he said, while Anomie gave the scroll a nonchalant kick his way without looking away from the scroll.
"Figured that if anyone knew Orochimaru's hideout style, its you," Konan said, glancing over towards the girl.
"Haven't made a house call in a while. About time I visit some old acquaintances," she already turned to walk away, not even bothering with a goodbye. "Looks like it's you and me again, scales. Lets skin a snake."
"Most important thing is the ring," Konan called after her, catching Kisame's amused gaze.
"Don't worry. I'll keep her on track," Kisame stated, following her out.
"Ever think about getting a horse?" Anomie asked, and Kisame raised his brow.
"You run faster than a horse. Why would you need one?" he asked, and Anomie tossed him the scroll, having finished skimming it. It lost her attention quickly, so she mostly decided to wing the majority of the mission.
"Cause I want one."
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Anomie glanced up from her papers, looking over the details on Orochimaru's base. Her fingers danced along strands of silver hair as they dug into her scalp. Her vibrant honey colored eyes snapped up towards Kisame with a slight frown decorating her lips as a smear of disdain took over her expression. He met her gaze as he continued his training while leaving her to the busy work.
"We can't do this alone," she told him, ushering in her own annoyance.
"We can't?" Kisame scoffed, already prepared to disagree. "Maybe you can't. Orochimaru isn't so tough."
"The area is surrounded by nearly fifty high level detection Jutsu. Even if we can dismantle the ones I know of, whose to say Orochimaru hasn't added more. I mean, he can't expect me to keep this information to myself."
"Not exactly trustworthy," Kisame agreed, causing Anomie to smirk as she crossed her legs. The slit in the kimono she wore hiked up, showing an outline of her legs, unscarred and unscathed, despite all the dangerous situations she put herself through. She always managed to avoid the worst of wounds, and the scar she did have after that masked freak killed Saru and nearly killed her had disappeared when the Ho'ou gave her their power. "I don't need any of your usual tricks, Anomie. I can fight who you are too afraid to fight." Kisame's sharp grin was mocking, but Anomie wasn't bothered.
"I am not afraid. I am cautious," Anomie stood, tossing the papers into their makeshift campfire. "I was an underling of Orochimaru. I know his creations better than anyone. I know of monsters in that hideout of the like you have never seen. A man whose power is intense and who doesn't feel pain. Hack and hack away you might, but he will keep on coming. They are bloodthirsty and dangerous. While we are dealing with them, Orochimaru and that ugly ring get away."
"Quite passionate," Kisame dug his giant blade into the dirt and leaned against it with a smirk. "What do you have in mind then, Anomie?"
"An arrangement. A distraction. Fodder." She slipped her hand into her robes, reaching into the pocket that was just over her breast and she pulled out Rin's stitched talisman of protection. She turned it around and glanced at the markings that Tsukasa had made on the back.
"What do you have in mind?" Kisame repeated, growing bored. "You like to muse around the point. I forgot how cryptic you are."
"It's because it's none of your business. What we need is someone to go in before us. Stir shit up. While they are making a mess of one end of the hideout, we sneak around back to my secret entrance. We find Orochimaru. We take the ring. We make him suck his own dick. I don't give a fuck," Anomie raised her hand, outstretching it towards him with a smile. "What do you say, Sharknado."
"Sharknado?" he asked, placing his own blue hand into hers in a firm sign of approval.
"Tornado and shark. Combined. You don't like it?"
"That's dumb."
"Your right. Sharks aren't good on anything. Not even eating," Anomie agreed, watching his eyes flare into a sign of annoyance. "I did say something like this before, didn't I? What was it?" She stepped forward, letting go of his hand. "Oh right. Is it racist to say that all sharks taste like gamy crap? You never did answer me last time."
"Are you trying to pick a fight, Anomie?" Kisame's eyes were lidded when he gazed down at her, but Anomie didn't back down. "Is this because I said you were afraid?"
"I am not afraid," she assured him, her eyes narrowed and sharp like steel. "I am not."
"If you say so, but if you ask me, I'd say you are afraid of everything," he told her, and she stared up at him. "You try to pull of this tough act, and you do it well. You are afraid, but you don't have to be. I'll protect you."
"I don't need protection," she assured him, grabbing him by the scruff of his robes and sinking her lips onto his with no gentleness. It was rough and unreciprocated. When she pulled away, her eyes were still hard.
"What are you doing?" he asked, and she smiled, Rin's talisman still in a tight fist in between her palm and his robes.
It was a power move, and sometimes that was what sex was all about. It was about power and control. Two things that Anomie had begun to lose in her weakness and recklessness.
"You don't know?" she asked, and his grin came back.
She moved up again, her eyes not closing or so much as inching away from his gaze when she kissed him again. She felt his hand against her hip, pulling her forward in so rough a manner that any other woman might have woken with bruises. With just as much force, she gripped his neck as if she would break it, feeling him chuckle, vibrating against her lips.
Sometimes, sex was power.
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Konoha wasn't much different than she remembered it. Even after deciding that her plan was the better one, since Kisame couldn't come up with a better strategy, she still dreaded coming back here. Especially since security had tightened in order to keep her out. She suspected it was Danzo's decision, but she hardly thought he knew enough about her to properly guard against her.
To her left, past the third line of trees surrounding the village, was where the barrier started. The Detection Division of Konoha were elite in their skills at intercepting invaders, but they had never been able to keep her out of Konoha before. She knew the barrier quite intimately, and it had been changed to find any trace of Chakra residue in the air. If she got too close, she would be caught and the Interception Division would have to put their usual activities of drinking tea and gambling to the side to deal with her.
One was a Hyūga. How she loathed the clan with a passion that was mostly absent from her life.
The weakest point of the village was near the east side. A tunnel resided, leading past the city gates, run by only the most notorious criminals of the underground world of Konoha. The Izana clan. The irony was not lost on Anomie that Tsukasa of the Izana clan was exactly the same one she had been searching for. Anomie only knew about this entrance due to her own history of prostitution.
Criminals always were the most gossipy type and Anomie liked to talk more than have sex with a man who thought a g-spot was a type of food.
"There is a certain crime, that if it is attempted, is punishable, but if it is committed, is not punishable. What is the crime?"
Anomie glanced around, but saw nothing but more leaves and trees. It was something she was sick of, but in the land of Fire, trees had more of a population than people. The source of the voice came from above her, but nothing but sunlight trickled out through the branches to greet her. Anomie took a step back, not bothering to even take out her blade. "Suicide."
"Ah, so you know the answer and the word, yet you, Koneko, come here with no worry. I must assume you are just asking for it," the man appeared before her, as if he were summoned from nothing. Anomie took notice to the mask of a cat with wide and sharp teeth, extending from ear to ear. It was oddly scary for a cat costume. His legs were nimble and he crouched against the thin branch with such grace and balance that he nearly looked like a cat.
"If you think you are capable of killing me, kitty, you have another thing coming," she warned him, and his head tilted to the side, mask and all, as he leaned closer. She waited for the branch to snap, as it looked so brittle, but it didn't so much as wiggle.
"I am the Warai Neko. The guardian of the gate," he told her, and Anomie raised a single brow. "You seek entry? What do you have to offer?"
After seeing that the village was especially warded against her, she grew annoyed at her side quest to enter it. She had heard rumors of the cat that lurked around the gate, but she always assumed that it was yet another mention of Tora having escaped from the fugly woman's hands. She saw now that she was wrong. "How about I allow you to keep your head?" His deadly smile looked even more daunting when he chuckled. She saw into his eyes through the slits of the mask, noticing that they held the look of a corpse and were bright blue and dilated.
"You are an Izana," she hovered her fingers over the mask. The Izana clan was an often discussed topic of the Anbu Black ops as the family that could not be touched without great care due to their intense connections to revenue and trade. She didn't know much about them, only that their eyes always seemed to be the first to give out and start to look as if rigor mortis had taken hold.
"What do you have to offer? It would be bad for business to let a criminal inside," he said, and Anomie smirked.
"Isn't it because of criminals that you have a business," she told him and he jumped off the branch, landing on all fours before standing. He was much taller than her and his legs were too thin and too quick. Just from his mannerisms, she could guess that he didn't fight much, but that didn't mean he wasn't strong.
"That is very true, you may enter," he stepped aside, and through the thick layer of Genjutsu, she had barely managed to see and only after he had released it, was a gate.
"Just like that?" Anomie was suspicious since Izana were known for riddles and games and tricks. Perhaps that was why Tsukasa had cast herself out of her own clan.
"Just like that," he motioned for her to go forward, and she took a cautious step, completely expecting it when he placed his arm in front of her, glancing her way with a chuckle. "Oh wait. I nearly forgot. We demand an entry fee. It's simple enough."
"What is it?" she asked, careful, yet not hesitant.
"If you have me, you want to share me. If you share me, you haven't got me. What am I?"
"I'm going to be honest with you. I don't like riddles," she answered, and he clicked his tongue.
"I like you Koneko. You don't want that to change. Answer the question," he ordered, and his voice was light and singsongy, but his body language was malicious.
"A secret." Anomie was filled with secrets, but she had none she wanted to share with the likes of him.
"I'm glad to see you are more than just a pretty face," he stated, and she narrowed her eyes.
"My secret is this: I placed a Chakra suppressor on your Nine Tailed host, Naruto. It interferes with his Chakra output. Unless it's removed, he will never be a talented ninja," she answered, and he let out a chuckle.
"That's a juicy one. It's sure to bring up many laughs later. Do go on ahead, Koneko," he said with a deep chuckle. She walked forward and didn't look back.
The gate led into a tunnel, dark and nearly endless. If she didn't have a good sense of direction then she might have gotten lost in the disorientation and the haze of black. She kept walking forward, keenly aware of her steps and the chill. It was a wonder that she didn't get lost with all the twists and turns. The tunnel was a test that she didn't want to lose. Every step brought her closer to the village that she may or may not have hated.
By the time she reached a dead end, light flooded when the wall opened up with a well timed earth Jutsu, leading into a dimly lit and well decorated room. She was met by the bored face of a white haired man. Covering his face was a well matched mask of a rabbit and not the cute kind of white rabbit but one with crazy eyes and splatters of blood.
"You made it through the tunnel you did, follow me this way and cover your mouth to secrets we forbid," he said in an unenthusiastic sing songy voice.
"Fuck off, carrot humper," Anomie said, turning into smoke and disappearing.
She would probably live to regret pissing off the Izana clan, since they were highly connected traders who existed in multiple villages under different names. However, she was not afraid of them and much preferred her own method of getting a mission finished.
With one last look towards the Izana complex, she turned back into flesh, her heels balancing against the tiled roof of one of the many hotels in the red light district. If she looked a bit to the right she would find the whore house where she had once been known as Kiyomi. That felt like a lifetime ago and she had no interest in going back.
Tsukasa's whereabouts was the greatest challenge since through it all, Anomie didn't know as much about the girl as she would like. In fact, she knew nearly nothing. It didn't matter, because regardless of all that, Anomie did know one single connection they shared.
The Uchiha residence was not far from the Izana clan, but Anomie was rather hesitant to enter. After all, the last time had involved a massacre and Anomie hardly wanted to bring up those memories when they were just starting to depart. However, she didn't always get to choose where she went.
She tightened her robes, scanning the area below for a familiar face before finally seeing the dark raven hair of a Uchiha woman. Anomie could always recognize the Uchiha clan from the way they brandished their clan symbol in every piece of clothing. She wouldn't be surprised if they have it tattooed on the tips of their dicks.
She backflipped off the roof, turning into smoke mid way. She landed in a haze around the Uchiha woman's face, possessing her. The body rejected her, like most did at first, but Anomie was stronger. If the citizens and criminals of the red light district took notice to her struggle, they didn't comment. Anomie chose someone in the red light district to possess, since she doubted not a single person would even stop for a dead body in this place. It rose too many questions that most didn't have answers for in the state of suspicion.
Anomie stood up straight before turning her heel and walking towards the Uchiha complex. It wasn't a long walk, and the guards welcomed her inside without much suspicion. The security had increased since her massacre, and yet they didn't guard their own people against malicious murders like her.
She meant to go straight to Itachi's house, but she paused, staring at the burnt down council hall from her nightmares. It was untouched from where she last saw it, except for the flowers that decorated the ground in memorial. She shouldn't be here. She didn't deserve to be here.
"Your father was a good man," a voice told her, causing her to glance to her side where an old man stood next to her. "He didn't deserve a death like that."
Anomie had to disagree. They all deserved their fate. The Uchiha elders taught discord in a time of troubled peace. They didn't care about the children whose lives would be ruined by a minority's need to get back their dwindling power. No. They would have destroyed the Konoha that Rin loved.
The blood on Anomie's hands was justified if she placed herself in the role of a martyr. After all, most things weren't so bad if you tell yourself that you are only playing a role. She had to assume that stance, lest she lose herself once more to guilt.
"He was a good man," Anomie said in agreement. Yet even good man lie. Even good men murder. Even good men rape. Anomie knew that well and every council member and civil war activist could be good men, but one bad and selfish deed, if great enough, erases that entirely.
"You should get home, Izumi. It's getting late," the old man said, kneeling down next to the picture frame of a woman. They were both in it, smiling and glaring right at her. She didn't see the onyx color of that woman's eyes. All Anomie saw were the empty sockets and wide mouth, opened and ready to scream.
Anomie turned her tail, like a cat or a child, and got away as fast as she could.
She couldn't afford to get anymore distracted on things that jeopardize the persona she worked so hard to build. She'd be damned if she allowed it to crumble beneath her feat like a house of cards. More than that, if it fell, she didn't have the patience to re-stack the deck.
She didn't even bother using the front door when she got to Itachi's house. She just jumped to the window, using this body's Chakra to suction her palms to the walls of the house. She merely tapped the window with her pointer finger, sending out a jolt of her Chakra and watching the glass crumble in an instant. It was stronger than her normal Chakra type attacks, and she noticed with brief amusement that this body's nature was lightning type Chakra. She jumped in through the broken window to the room that she remembered, due to them having been past partners, as Itachi's.
It was rather plan and predictable, from the swords nailed in place to the walls and the grey bed sheets that covered the queen sized bed. "How boring." Anomie whispered, walking towards the desk where a folder rested unopened.
She ran her fingers over the tan folder, opening it up to see blank pages. How predictable. A seal protecting the contents. Clever.
Anomie strained her ears, gathering Chakra to improve her senses when she heard the distinct sound of training coming from outside. She jumped to the window seal, flipping onto the roof with light and soundless grace before crouching down and crawling with soundless motions, allowing her black leggings to scrape against the rough tiles of the Uchiha's house.
In the distance, she caught sight of Itachi practicing one of his many Fire Jutsu when a kunai came flying her direction. Anomie caught it in between her pointer and middle finger, allowing the tip of the blade to rest just in front of her eye. She jumped down with a flip, landing right in front of him.
"What are you doing here, Izumi?" Itachi asked, his face expressionless as he stared at her.
"Obviously here to watch those ripping muscles," Anomie answered and his eyes narrowed for a split second before going back to normal.
"Anomie," he muttered, taking a step back.
"Did you miss me?" From the look in his eyes, she very much doubted it.
"Why that body?" he asked instead, and she raised a single brow.
"Why? Does she mean something to you?" Anomie took a step forward, staring into his eyes and seeing something rather peculiar. "She does, doesn't she?"
"That's enough. What do you want?" Itachi asked, and she blinked a couple times. This body, physically, was the same age as him, so it wouldn't be odd if he had a girl on the side. It would be awkward, considering Anomie apparently killed this girl's father.
"I'll close my eyes and if you want, you can kiss me," Anomie offered and watched as Itachi crossed his arms over his chest.
"That's wrong on so many levels," he reminded her and she grinned.
"The fact that it's wrong is what makes it so much fun," she said.
"Aren't you in your 20's," he asked and her grin widened.
"Not right now. I'm Uchiha Izumi, speaking to the man of my dreams," she told him and he grimaced.
"Do you hear yourself when you talk?" Itachi asked and she gave him a sneer.
"I wish I could, but I'm Izumi," she reminded him, stepping closer in a very inappropriate manner for a woman her age.
"Always did have a problem with personal space," Itachi muttered as he took a step back. "What do you want?"
"World peace," she answered, tapping her pointer finger against her lip. "Maybe a horse too."
"Why a horse?"
"They are majestic animals," she answered, and he frowned.
"What. Do. You want?" He repeated and she held back her smile as she glanced around the vibrant green scenery and branches of trees that hung like blankets of leaves. It made a perfect area for privacy and she didn't sense anyone near.
"I want to offer you something."
"Can you offer it faster?"
"Orochimaru's hideout. You interested in helping me taking down?"
Itachi didn't look interested, but Anomie knew she got his attention by the twinkle in his eyes. "Why hand over the information you've been hoarding for these last couple years?"
"Don't you trust me?" Anomie asked, feigning hurt.
"No," he answered, wondering how she could even ask such a question. "What do you gain?"
"I don't want him dead quite yet, but it would be funny to watch him lose his favorite base. It's for shits and giggles," she answered.
"And the Konoha ninja who lose their lives to this mission?" Itachi retorted, and she let out a chuckle.
"Stop. You're making this even more amusing," she answered, slipping out of Izumi's body as if she were a used sock. She allowed the girl to fall, but Itachi caught her in his arms, a little too gently if Anomie was being honest. She reached into her own body's weapons pouch and pulled out a scroll. "This is the only file I have on everything I know about this particular hideout. The data I've gathered is a bit outdated but it's a helpful guideline on how to get past at least a high percentage of his security. Knowing him, he added more complex Jutsu to his detection barrier, but with those eyes of yours, you should see right through it."
"What is your real purpose for all this?" Itachi asked, and Anomie gave him a sweet smile, not at all innocent.
"Give my love to Kasa," Anomie said, turning around to walk away. "Oh, and nice bedroom. Not at all predictable. A+, you know, except for the broken window."
He let out a very deep and exasperated sigh by the time Anomie disappeared into a cloud of smoke, leaving him with the mess of explaining to Izumi why she was in his arms when she woke up.
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She had to sit back and to observe for the time being after handing the files to Itachi or Tsukasa. She had meant to sit around and watch until they were undoubtably deployed for this mission, that way she and Kisame could use them as a distraction. She had meant to make herself scarce, but Anomie couldn't quite do what she meant to when it came to seeing him.
From her spot amongst the trees, she watched him train his new Genin team just as she knew he someday would. She had to admit, they were not what she had in mind. They seemed lazy and arrogant, unworthy of Kakashi's knowledge. Then again, she doubted any student could be worthy of him or any woman for that matter.
She wasn't too surprised when he spent most of the time reading his book and ignoring their existence entirely. It was so casual a scene that it brought a slight smile to her traitorous lips. Every time he looked her direction, proving his detection skills had not diminished, she would turn into smoke and hide amongst the leaves. This proved that she was simply better at hiding or maybe Konoha drew him into a false sense of security.
She still couldn't watch him for too long, and she decided to leave before he saw her, ruining everything she came here to do. How would she explain that to Kisame after all her big talk about control and power?
She lingered in hesitation, but she didn't stop even though she wanted to. Now wasn't the right time for a reunion.
She wasn't fully capable of separating herself, and the next moment she had already traveled to his apartment. He hadn't moved, even if he should have. He still lived just above her old apartment, near the red light district. She, if she were him, would have moved apartments due to memories. She ran her fingers over the walls and the counter.
If she closed her eyes, she could still remember the smell of rice and the way he would form it into triangles with a grumpy expression as he complained that she ate all his food. She could still see the sunlight, shining into his windows and she leaned against the marble counter, just picturing him.
She knew it was an invasion of privacy, but it wasn't even on the list of bad things she had done to him. That didn't make it right, but it at least eased the hesitation when she cracked open the door to his room. She made sure to leave everything in tact if she touched it, knowing he was neurotic about the state of his personal affects.
His bed was made as if it had never been slept on, but his pillow smelt like him when she submerged her face into the smooth cotton. The linen blankets sunk around her and if she closed her eyes, she could picture him next to her. She didn't realize how badly she craved him until she closed her eyes and basked in his serendipitous memory.
She couldn't stay.
She also couldn't move.
"I don't know how I'm expected to react to this," Kakashi's voice interrupted her thoughts and she glanced up at the time, wondering how she could ever allow herself to fall asleep.
There was something about him that brought her a peace that she couldn't describe. She couldn't help but want to be with him at all times, despite everything she has done to betray him.
"I remembered how comfortable your bed was," she said, feeling her heart drum in her chest.
"You need to leave," he warned her, and she slightly smiled, leaning against his pillows and sprawling her hair against his bed, staring up at the ceiling.
"Do you actually want me to?" she asked, and felt her heart burn at his nonchalance at her presence. Anomie stood up and was in front of him in a moment. His eye was empty, and she noticed something he hardly ever showed her due to his past infatuations. He was angry at her.
"Yes. That's why I said it. Just leave," he ordered and she slightly smiled.
"If that is what you want." She owed it to him to respect his wishes, and when she turned her back to him, he placed his palm against his eyes. His hand fisted at his side, only to return back to normal when he sensed her hesitation. She paused, turning back around and shoving him into the wall. "You know what? Screw you."
His expression was blank when she bombarded him with anger of her own. She leaned closer, holding his gaze. "The world is better off without Tamaki Dairo. The way he died is on you. I was just fine doing it on my own. You're the one who stepped up into my business. You're the one who didn't listen. Screw you."
"Me?" He brushed past her, getting distance. "Me? You are the most self absorbed girl I have ever met. You walk back into my life, daring to ask for favors and being a smart ass as if nothing ever effects you."
"What am I supposed to do?" She shot back her retort just as strongly, taking a step forward. "It's you who has the hero complex, acting like you can save the world when you can't even save your friends." As she hit him with his weakness, she pressed her finger into his chest, pushing him back. He slapped it away, as if her touch disgusted him.
"That may be true, but at least I can move on with my life. You are still the same spoiled little girl you have always been. You are the one who constantly brings misery with your very existence. You are the one stuck in the past. The truth is, there is no saving you. There was never anything to save," he shot back, pushing her away from him.
Even through her anger, she glanced down at his lips through his mask, but her eyes shot back up to his before he could notice. "Glad to see you caught up to what I was telling you from the beginning. Bravo."
"I'm a slow learner, but I learn eventually," he reminded her, and she leaned forward.
"Do you?" she searched his eye, and when she found what she was looking for she slightly smiled.
"Leave. I won't warn you again," he said, but she had a feeling that he would. He was all words, and he always said that he hated her just as much as he loved her. He must have hated her a lot in this moment. "I don't know what you're planning while you're here, but it wasn't to talk to me."
"No. It wasn't," she agreed, her chest heaving up and down with her own quick breathing. "But that's not to say it wasn't my swaying decision. How many teams have you already failed? Whose really stuck in the past?"
He paused, his eye slightly widening.
"What? You think I don't keep tabs on a couple things going on in Konoha?" She loved the way his eyes would soften when looking at her in the past, and she would give anything to see it one more time. "When it's important enough, I keep track."
He would kiss me, right now, even after everything I'd done. I was poison, and he was the medicine that never failed to make me forget.
He didn't though. Not this time. She wouldn't let him. She tried so hard to make him hate her, and he was beginning to finally start. She gave him another push and it was all calculated and absolutely breaking her in half when he looked at her like that. She tried to be apathetic, but when he looked at her, it was hard when all she wanted to so was touch him.
"You're absolutely insane," he told her, running his hand through his silver strands of messy hair that always defied gravity itself.
"I said that from the beginning too. Are you stupid or just deaf? I have to assume both considering your serious lack in ability to pick a girl who wants you back," she reminded him, and he scoffed, her words hurtful, but he was already done with her defensive nature.
"Let's not pretend," he said, slipping down his mask and taking a step forward just as she took a step back. "You always want me."
"I don't love you," she told him, and he scoffed, watching as her eyes traced his lips over and over again.
"No. You don't, but you want me. I know you enough to realize that. The difference is that this time, I don't want you back," he told her and she went silent, holding his gaze and slowly her eyes traced his jaw and his nose and even small strands of lashes.
He didn't look away, and they were both breathing hard when he moved in closer. She didn't know which one of them leaned in first. She didn't know when their lips touched, but she lost all control when his hands ran up her back, pulling her forward until he fell short of brushing his lips upon hers.
"What is wrong with me?" he asked and her eyes met his once more, but she had no answer. She had long since lost control from the moment she laid her head into his bed, realizing how difficult it would be to leave. She leaned forward and pressed her lips against his.
He'd expected some sizzle, but the magnetic draw was always an unexpected shock. The second his lips touched hers, his free hand cupped her long neck, which arched backward to accommodate his height. His thumb ran along the smooth curve of her throat as his body closed the gap between them. He dropped his control to bury his fingers into her hair and pull her closer.
It was, perhaps, the most desperate kiss they had ever had. It filled her chest with hot air of which his lips were the only thing capable of absorbing. His fingers gripped her head, squeezing her hair in a way that was rather violent. It was all need and desire, proving both of them wrong when they said they didn't want each other.
She made a gasp when his hand ran down her body, as if his fingers were trying to remember her and embed the feel of her in his memories. She, just as quickly, wrapped her legs around his waist pulling him closer as her fingers gripped his hair. Her back was pressed against the wall just next to the entrance to his room, gently, so as not to hurt her. It was doubtful that he could.
He pulled away, is if he had been burned. However, she was much faster, grabbing him by the back of his neck and run her palms up so they cupped his face. She couldn't let him start to overthink at this moment. Her right hand knocked off his headband, that way she could see both his eyes and he could forget about being a Konoha Shinobi for a night.
"I want you. I always want you," she assured him, and it was perhaps the most truthful she had ever been. "I know you do too. You save a look, just for me." His gaze slightly softened, holding onto her and smothering her. "There's my look-"
He kissed her, and she breathed him in. His hands ran up her neck, cupping her in between his palms as her head dipped into his lips and her fingers traced the back of his arms before running up and interlacing the back of his hands.
He didn't even realize when he had pressed her back up against his bed, him on top, until she chuckled. He slightly smirked, finding her smile a very welcome sight. "What?"
"Finally getting a girl to bed. Must be exciting after all that porn," she murmured, taking his bottom lip into her teeth with a smirk.
"Time of my life," he said in a dry tone of voice as he leaned into her palm when it pressed against his cheek. This time, when they kissed, it was gentle. It was delicate, is if they were savoring every moment as if the next it would be ruined. That was a likely scenario with Anomie, and he knew it and so did she. "And whose to say you're the one girl to be in my bed?"
She slightly grinned, and pulled him forward. She did feel a moment of irrational envy that she had no right to feel. She swallowed down the possessiveness and dragged her lips, light and smooth, over the sharp curve of his jaw. "I'll be the only one who you remember."
"I don't know. Number 8 was very memorable," he said, slightly smiling at the expression on her face. It was amused, and perhaps this was the most light hearted conversation they had ever had.
"It's for the best. I'll send them all a fruit basket for teaching you how to kiss," she mocked and his mouth opened for a moment before he chuckled.
"Don't bother. There could never be anyone else but you," he leaned down, pressing his forehead against hers as his hands rested on either side of her face. "Only you..."
She searched his eyes for a moment, before hers slowly began to grow gentle. It wasn't something he had seen the entire time he had know her. Especially not like this. It was unguarded and absolutely intoxicating. He leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers while his legs stationed her in between.
He tried to fight against it, but she had a talent for making him crave her as if she were a drug. It was the warmth of her skin, the comfort of her smile, the twinkle in her eyes, the strength of her heart. He had never met a girl like her. One so ready to fight and to grow stronger. When she touched him, even when he hated her, it always set fire to his blood stream. He could feel her raging inside him and the only way to let it out was to touch her.
She flipped them over with a strength that told him that she had grown or perhaps she made him weak. Her hands ran up his chest undoing his flak jacket before placing her hand against his chest, palm flat against the dark blue shirt underneath. She felt his breathing as if it were her own and his heartbeat banged against her palm, despite the calm expression on his face.
She glanced up, catching his eyes before leaning over and kissing his nose, before running her lips down his jaw and resting her head into the crook of his neck. Slowly, his arms wrapped around her back and held her tight and they stayed like that for the rest of the night, both already knowing that their future wouldn't be as warm.
Author's Note
美女桜 (Bijozakura). Also called the Verbena, meaning cooperative.
There was a contrast between the two kisses in this chapter, the one with Kisame, all about control and the complete lack of emotion. Then there was the one with Kakashi, anything but.
That's the beautiful thing about writing Kakashi and Anomie moments, is that I love writing that passion and complete loss of control when he needs it the most. But serious. I had to watch a lot of scenes of kisses to get that writing part down. You don't exactly see the way your body moves when you actually are kissing, so it makes it difficult.
Also, they were due for an actual yelling argument about now. God knows Kakashi deserves to yell at her a bit. However, Anomie had a couple things to get off her chest too.
Also, this is their first kiss where they were not injured or anything. I don't quite count their second kiss since Anomie was younger and having an emotional breakdown.
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it.
