50

Danger. That was what the stone felt like the moment Anomie had it alone in her palms. It was small, but it carried a weight about it that made her want to drop it. However, she could use it. She could use it for leverage. She could use it for power. She could give it to Orochimaru and he could give her Rin's soul.

Anomie squeezed her fingers around the blood red crystal. She half expected it to break, but no matter how hard her fingers curled, it was unchanging.

Jiraiya was likely lamenting himself for trusting her, and allowing her to get so close. That was fine. She deserved that and more. What she did wasn't her finest moment of manipulation, especially since it involved betraying someone she actually trusted.

If anything, Jiraiya had been more like a father to her than anyone else. Or perhaps that was a bad comparison since she did sleep with him no more than 48 hours ago and she didn't exactly hate it. Anomie never had a father so it was hard to say what it felt like.

Thinking about Jiraiya was a bit difficult since she did and was betraying him by taking it after he knocked out. It wasn't like he loved her and she sure as hell wasn't certain she was capable of loving someone without hurting them. It didn't matter how much she tried to do the right thing. Everything went askew and now here she was, holding the power to control a demon and she was still contemplating giving it to a snake who would abuse it and bring only death.

It would get me Rin.

Anomie had done so much for this world, and she followed every order. Was it so wrong that she took something for herself? Was it so wrong to have her best friend back?

She squeezed her palms around the stone that she had no right to hold. She could do so much with it. She could change things with all these demons at her backing. Anomie leaned her back against the wall, the house that she first came to with Rin. It was still in tact and empty, Anomie didn't know where the new owners left and she didn't ask questions before she slipped inside.

To gain access to Konoha from the Izana was a simple matter of give and take. She promised to bring them any special artifacts she found under the Akatsuki and they promised to allow her entrance whenever suited them. Lucky for her, with the matter of the stone, they weren't a clan to hold grudges. If anything, Kira was unlikely to say she lost her hold of it since the prospect was humiliating.

She shouldn't be in this village, but she needed some type of direction because she was about to make another unforgivable decision based on greed. Rin's old house didn't give her answers. It didn't give her peace of mind, but it did trudge up memories and emotions. They surfaced like over flowing water, spilling out all over the floor and flooding her.

She remembered every smile and every touch. Anomie ran her fingers along the door frame of Rin's old bedroom, catching sight of the markings of blades having been dug into the wood. She remembered the way Rin tossed them because Anomie had a knack for making fun of Rin's unrequited crush on a boy that Anomie never would have thought she could care for so deeply. Perhaps Anomie was so enamored with that girl that everything Rin loved, Anomie loved too. It didn't matter. She loved him now. At least, she thought she did.

"I miss you," Anomie pressed her back against the wall and slid down. Her long hair was loose and slid up the wall behind her as she fell onto the ground. She held the stone tight in her palm and her grip didn't loosen. A part of her wanted its power. No, it needed it. It craved it.

Another part of her wanted to destroy it.

Anomie lifted her head up, as if she just caught sight of a ghost. She spared another glance at the stone before she disappeared in a haze of smoke.

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Kakashi glanced to the side, reading his book near the lake as he lazily read Jiraiya's smutty novel. In between pages he would glance off to the side where his new students attempted to find him and steal the bells attached to his belt. They were having an uneventful search considering he hadn't moved in over ten minutes.

He turned a page when he caught sight of some ruffling in the bushes. In moments one of his students barreled through with too much noise. Kakashi casually got to his feet and dodged the girl's swipe for one of the bells. He used one hand to lift her up by the scruff of her shirt as he continued to read his novel with disinterest towards the newly graduated Genin.

The three of them were disorganized, slow, clumsy, and hated each other so much that the thought of working together was unlikely to ever be followed through. They had no fighting skills and the girl he held up while reading his book in one hand was just screaming in his lock, ordering him to let her go.

So he did, straight in the lake.

Well, he tossed her like a skipping stone instead of dropping her, but she was a loud mouthed one and his book was getting to the best part. He didn't have a second of peace when another kid comes swiping at him, overcompensating for his lack of skill by screaming after every attack.

Kakashi tossed him and the last 'ninja' into the lake next. The timer went off for the test, signifying it was over and he could go home for some barbecue. He closed his book, standing straight just as the three kids dragged their damp bodies out of the lake.

"You three failed," Kakashi said, but he didn't have much faith in them to pass from the very beginning.

"That isn't fair!" The girl's screech was ear piercing and if Kakashi has a shred of sympathy then that might have erased his deadpan stare.

"That isn't my problem," Kakashi disappeared in a cloud of smoke, successfully ridding himself of any annoying conversation.

He didn't go far, just barely out of sight so he could walk the rest of the way in silence and finish his chapter. The world, however, was against him when a paper plane flew towards him, propelled on a gust of wind. Normally he would have ignored it, but a bit of curiosity never hurt him too bad so he reached forward and grabbed it mid air.

He closed his book with a sigh, placing it in his weapon's pouch and unraveling the paper.

Cemetery.

Kakashi tilted his head to the side, and he might have asked what such a suspicious note it was to have flown towards him. He didn't ask, however, because the small symbol of a hairpin with two pronged daggers covering it was an immediate indicator of who this could be.

With his newly failed students in the back of his mind, Kakashi set off. It wasn't a long walk, and perhaps a part of him was rushing with his mind telling him to stop and think for a moment. It didn't happen and he was standing at the entrance of the cemetery, just begging his legs to take that step forward. After a long moment, he stepped through the threshold and walked towards the stone where Obito's and Rin's name rested off in the distance.

After a long moment, he walked forward, awaiting the cold compress defeat. He was battling his own pride, his own code, but when he saw her small back in the distance, honor didn't matter. All he saw were those beautiful silver strands of hair that were escaping her braid.

She stood above the giant stone that was carved with names of people who had died. Her back was hunched over and near her fingertips she traced the name 'Saru Hyuuga'. She stood up straight when his foot crushed some dry twigs and she turned around and glanced his way.

Anomie slightly smiled, holding out her hand. He only stared at it for a moment, not daring to take a step forward. "It's not everyday I come see you." She rolled her eyes and dropped her arm, turning back to the stone.

"What do you want?" Kakashi had to ask because the only time she ever appeared before him, she was either asking for something or making his life miserable. There were times in between the two, but they were fleeting and made everything else all the more painful.

"You can pretend you don't miss me if you want," she said, and he raised a brow, watching her turn towards him. He barely managed to cover the surprise when she rushed towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her embrace was tight, and he nearly lost his breath from it and her close proximity.

Kakashi wasn't certain what to do with his arms and after a long while of contemplation, he nearly thought about taking a step back and getting some peace of mind that didn't involve questioning his loyalty to his village. He glanced down at her, taking in her scent and the way she felt, pulling him against her chest. It was then that he noticed that the small amount of clothing that hung in opening around her back showed off some tightly wrapped bandages that looped over her stomach.

"What happened?" Kakashi asked and felt her linger in embrace before pulling away.

"Orochimaru," she answered, pressing her palm against her stomach. "I'm okay. It's healing. That's why I'm here."

"I don't want to know why you're here anymore. You shouldn't be," he answered and saw her face grow cold.

After how long she was away from him and how much she missed him, to see him reject her was rather hurtful. There wasn't a moment in the last couple weeks where she didn't think about him, but he looked ready to be rid of her. Anomie took a step back, deciding that she couldn't lose control around him and do something stupid like embrace him like her life depended on him. That wasn't why she was here anyway.

"No one will come and see, if that is what you're worried about. I have that covered," she said, her voice going back into a monotone. She glanced behind him to where a couple men began to walk towards and block the entrance to the cemetery. "It's only a small possession. They will be fine. No Leaf ninja were hurt in the making of this Jutsu."

Kakashi raised a brow at her wording. "Why are you here?"

"I'm here because I may or may not have found-"

"Stole," he corrected, but she waved him off.

"-something and it's gotten me a couple enemies."

"Then give it back," he commented, crossing his arms.

The look she gave him was a deadpan that made him sigh. Of course she wasn't going to give it back. She wanted it and craved it like a drug. Power, infinite power, was only moments away and she couldn't be trusted alone with it.

"I can't do that. I need to destroy it," she said slowly, holding up her palm. He saw a marking of a storage seal on her hand. She pressed her fingers against it and swirled it in an intricate design. In a moment a stone, red as blood, appeared flat in her palm.

"What is it?" Kakashi had to ask, because nothing she said could be taken very lightly.

"It's power. Potential power. I could control a demon and its host in one go," she grabbed his hand and placed it into it. She squeezed his fingers shut around it. "You understand why I can't be the only one to have it."

"So you are passing the responsibility onto me," Kakashi understood what she was trying to do, but he wanted nothing to do with any schemes or demons.

"I'm not passing anything. You don't trust me," she said this as a fact, leaving no room for commentary. "I don't trust me either. I need your help with something, so help me destroy it. I don't think I can. You are the only one who I trust to keep that away from me."

He paused, glancing down at it. "Why do you even want it?"

"I don't know why I do half the things I do," she answered honestly. "But I tried to destroy it. Fire won't work and trust when I say that no one can make a flame as potent as mine."

He glanced down at it, his eyes slightly narrowed, "What makes you think I can destroy it?"

"I considered dropping it into a live volcano," she admitted. "That way, no one can find it and it can eventually deteriorate. However," she placed her fingers against her wound. "I am often a magnet for trouble, and Orochimaru wants that stone. The Izana wants that stone. The Akatsuki wants that stone. I alone can't protect it."

"So you want to go together?" Kakashi squeezed his temples, turning away from her. "I am supposed to drop everything here on a whim to go on this with you."

She didn't so much as smile. "It needs to be destroyed. If you don't want to do it, I'll find someone else." She held out her hand for him to give it back. He didn't budge.

"I'm not letting you hold this when Naruto is in this same village," he told her and her brows furrowed.

"Do you think so little me?" Anomie took a step forward, grabbing him by his chin and forcing him to meet her gaze. "For right now, trust me when I say that I don't want to bring Naruto or Konoha any trouble."

"You were very specific, but there are still other villages and other hosts," he reminded her and she raised a brow.

"You caught that?" Anomie's lips broke in a smirk. "Okay fine. I want power. We both already get that. I'm not hiding it, but we are in a circle right now. What do you want to do?"

"We should turn this into the Hokage and see how he handles it."

"Are you a moron?" Anomie's brows were furrowed, and she glanced away for a moment as if she were being watched. "Sarutobi is a great man, but Danzo is a white wrapped cunt. You bring that even whispers away from his bloodhound nose and we're all fucked."

"Flowery language as always," Kakashi said with a sigh.

"Kakashi, it's either you come with me or I go alone. It's not ideal, but I'll manage it." Anomie probably could have convinced Jiraiya, however, after her actions of last time, she doubted he would want to travel with her. Also, as an added bonus, she didn't particularly like having to see a person's face after she had sex with them. "I'll give you till the end of tonight to decide, but don't keep me waiting too long."

Kakashi watched her disappear in a haze of smoke, leaving him with the stone.

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Kakashi caught sight of her through many books, causing him to tilt his head. Anemone met his gaze with a tiny display of surprise. They hadn't seen each other since the girl got demoted, and was upset with the state of their last mission. With the Fire Daimyō's daughter in the state that she was, that much was understandable.

That all wasn't entirely Kakashi's fault, since the daughter was wounded before he got there. He did, however, frequently allow an enemy to get the better of him. "What are you doing here?" Anemone asked, her eyes slightly narrowing as she picked up the scroll she was looking for. Not many other ninjas were around since most Shinobi didn't like company when in their research.

Kakashi wanted to read up on the stone, but it might be a bit suspicious if he did so around her. Anemone was a good Konoha Shinobi, loyal and fierce. He doubted he'd be very successful attempting to slip past her.

"Shh," he whispered with a deadpan. "Libraries are supposed to be quiet." He had a scroll tucked into his belt, and of course her eyes narrowed on it.

"Suit yourself," she said, turning to walk away. However, she paused. "It was an honor, you know?"

"Hmm?" Kakashi didn't particularly care.

"Working alongside you. I know it was a failure, but it was a dream come true for me." Anemone turned her entire body towards him, her finger twitching against her scroll. "I just think...it was kind of disappointing, you know? I just expected more."

She walked away, leaving him rather stunned. That was probably because what she said was true. It was disappointing and he was disappointed in himself. After all, he loved a woman who he should hate. He betrayed his village and he betrayed himself. In the end, he could probably hate her if he really tried, but for once, perhaps, she might actually be trying to do the right thing.

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Anomie paced back and forth, biting her thumb and showing off that she was extremely nervous. She realized, pausing for a moment from her pacing, that she was on edge because she couldn't predict him anymore. They were both changing and growing further apart.

"I shouldn't have come here," Anomie whispered, pressing her palms into her eyes. I should have left the stone with Jiraiya.

Of course that wasn't what she did. She was too greedy and her morals were ambiguous. She wanted to save Rin, and in that justification, she almost gave away a source of so much power to a monster.

"This is why you don't have any friends Anni," Anomie whispered to herself, pressing her back against Kakashi's dresser, sliding down and holding her head in between her knees. After so long of going on without feeling basic human emotions, Anomie became overwhelmed when they came back.

She decided, albeit harshly, that she was being pathetic. She had to pick herself back up because no one else could do it for her. She had to stop being so upset with the fact that she might have really drove him off. It's for the best.

She stood up, but something caught her eye in the distance. On his nightstand was a small hēza flower, and perhaps Anomie had just never noticed it was there. It was small, and dried, pressed in between pages of a book to hold its place. It was the first book she ever got him. She opened up its pages, showing Rin's flower, still standing. Its shape had changed, but Anomie could still recognize the shape of the petals.

It had been so long since she'd seen it. The last night had been inside Rin's house, where Kakashi had held her when she felt her world fall apart. It was the last and only time anyone had ever comforted her when she cried. He kept it.

She heard the door open and close, and she stiffened when she felt Kakashi's Chakra. She quickly closed the book and laid against his bed, sinking into the mattress.

"Get off," Kakashi's voice rang upon entering the room.

She sat up, slightly smiling at him, taking in the beautiful way he styled his hair and his overall presence. He took off his weapons belt and placed it on his nightstand, covering the book as if she hadn't already looked at it.

"Haven't you had a long day?" Anomie raised her leg until it was in a V shape, showing off that she didn't bother to take off her heels. They still wrapped around her ankles in well adjusted ribbons and her short kimono slipped further down her leg. He turned his head, running his hand through his hair.

"You said until the end of the night."

His reminder made her slightly smile. "It's five minutes till. I'm impatient and where else would I go?"

"Back with the Akatsuki, for starters. How about back with Orochimaru?"

"You're being awfully hostile," Anomie sat up, reaching over and grabbing him by his waist band, pulling him forward and getting a glance of his well toned stomach. He didn't struggle when she pressed her face against his chest, resting her forehead there so she could become relaxed with the sound of his heart beating.

"If we are going to do this, then we have to do it without all this," he told her, pressing his hand up against her back and feeling that she had gotten thinner. He felt her hands drop, and despite what he said, he liked it when she touched him.

It was wrong.

Speaking to her was wrong. Loving her was wrong. Helping her was wrong.

He was wrong.

"Okay," she said after a moment of silence. "If that is what you want, I'll do it." Anomie did feel a moment of embarrassment for being rejected by the one living person who could still hurt her. Still, it was a relief because at least this way they could focus on the actual task. "So you'll come with me."

"I do have a sabbatical coming up," he admitted with a sigh, causing her to slightly smile. Despite the fact that their 'relationship' was deteriorating and morphing into something she could hardly recognize, she was thankful, grateful even, that she could be around him. She wished she could make him trust her, but figured it was best if he didn't. After all, she didn't even trust herself.

"I'll leave tomorrow morning. I'll catch you on the flip side," she said, standing up and walking past him.

"Where are you going?"

"Don't worry about it," she told him, sending him a smile before disappearing into a cloud of smoke.

She couldn't stay there, around him, after just getting that embarrassing rejection. She needed a night to steel and bar her heart from such things. She wasn't strong enough at the moment to handle it because she spent so long feeing numb. She forgot what it felt like and it wasn't like people rejected her often.

"Minami, how are you?" Anomie asked, laying against the bed with a chilly smile to the head Oiran who once employed her so many years ago. They had developed a sort of friendship, and occasionally, Anomie missed having actual friends.

"Ah, it's you," Minami said, taking in the other woman's appearance with a raised brow. It was rather obvious that Anomie had used her private bath, especially when the aroma of plums drifted into the room with some of Minami's own clips in Anomie's damp hair, holding it up.

"Love the beauty products," Anomie said with a grin, running the back of her hand along her cheek. "You always buy the best money has to offer."

Minami raised her brows, stepping forward and closing the distance as she gripped Anomie by her chin. The girl didn't react, but her ever present smile was all the more apparent. "You've gotten thinner."

Minami could see that just by looking at the girl's face, but the kimono did well to hide the fact that Anomie's shoulders were too bony and her legs looked even more brittle. Minami began to wonder if the girl ever ate.

"Don't worry about that," Anomie said, brushing off the brute concern with a wave of her hand. "I have news you might enjoy."

"What would that be?" Minami asked, but Anomie stood up in reply, brushing her lips against the woman's with a smirk.

"I'm bored and sad. How about some fun?" Anomie suggested with a smile.

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"Well, hello handsome," Anomie said, watching as Kakashi stirred awake, glancing towards the clock that read 4 am. He ran his hand through his hair and rested it against his eyes. His blanket covered his lower face, proving just how extra he was about masking his jaw.

"No, not yet," he stated, but this caused Anomie's smile to widen.

"It's best to leave as early as possible, considering the company you are keeping," she warned him, leaning forward and resting her head against his stomach.

Considering the time, Kakashi's defenses were slightly weak, so he didn't tell her to leave him alone. He didn't try to get her away from him. It was harder to ignore how addicted he was to her touch when she offered it so freely.

It was hard, but not impossible. Kakashi rolled out of bed with a sigh, walking to his dresser. Anomie didn't move when the weight underneath her head disappeared, allowing her form to sink against the mattress with a slight thump. Her hands rested against her stomach and after a while she felt a small fluttering, making her realize how much she craved him in that moment.

She craved him like an addict, so when he appeared before her, well groomed and ready to go, she leaned up and her eyes connected with his. It was like a violent drum was beating when she looked at him, and she knew he felt it just as vibrantly as she did.

"Is it like this with everybody?" Kakashi asked after a moment's pause.

"Is what?" Anomie asked, slightly surprised that he spoke to her.

"This thing we have between us." Kakashi's response was vague, but Anomie understood what he meant the moment he spoke. "You've been with a lot people. Is it like this with all of them?"

"Why did you emphasize those words?" Anomie asked, and he raised a brow.

"You know why," he told her, causing her lips to slightly curl.

"It's different," she said, but her voice was so low that it was a wonder he could hear her. "With you it's different."

She felt like they were both breathing hard, obviously from the nerves, but she couldn't help it. She wanted him. She needed him. However, she understood that he needed something different, like stability, support, and perhaps not hoping into bed with a criminal. Her brain understood that, but her heart refused to listen.

"Let's go," she said, standing up and raising her hands. "Do you trust me?"

"No," he told her, and she smiled.

"Not really any time for trust falls," she said, turning into smoke and hiding beneath his flesh.

"Loved the warning," he said, a lingering sigh on his lips.

"Not really big on those. Does this bother you?" Anomie had to ask, mostly because she feared that it might. She really didn't want to upset him.

"No," he answered. "What if I have to use the bathroom?"

"I've seen so many that by now it doesn't actually mean anything," she said. "Besides, it's only until we reach a mile from the village. By then, it shouldn't be too scandalizing that we are seen together."

"I feel violated."

"Don't be such a drama queen."

"Hm."

Anomie was bored. When she was inside another person's body, especially if she wasn't controlling it, it was like she was trapped, stuck in suspended animation. If anyone was the most uncomfortable, it was her.

"What? Am I interrupting your morning masturbation or something?" Anomie couldn't help but tease him, especially since there wasn't much else to do.

"You must think you're hilarious," he told her, he was moving by now, but to save on Chakra, she didn't extend the strength to see what he was doing.

"I do, thanks," she said, her voice echoing in his mind with a rather girlish bit of laughter.

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The wind was bitingly cold when Anomie stretched her limbs the moment she exited Kakashi's body. She noticed he was currently reading a small book that didn't look like porn, and instead looked rather dense, probably not a light read considering how small the writing and how thin the pages.

"What's that?" Anomie asked, and he glanced up.

"Research," he answered with a brief glance, looking as if he still wasn't used to her presence for such a long amount of time.

"On the stone?" Anomie didn't need an answer, but she wanted to listen to him speak for as long as she could. "Didn't realize that was the kind of mythology that Konoha had in abundance. Did you find anything?"

"Perhaps I would if you were quieter," he answered, not coldly, but even if it were, she wouldn't have been offended.

"Mean," she said, tightening her bun so it wouldn't come undone during the journey. Her wound stung as she did, proving that it was perhaps one of the longest healing processes she had gone through, or perhaps she wasn't resting enough for her body to properly heal. It wasn't a lie that she had felt herself growing weaker in body with each passing month. It wasn't like she didn't ever eat, but she sometimes found that such a mundane chore slipped her mind from time to time in the months she was numb.

"Let me see it," he ordered, and she raised a single brow, already knowing he had been curious for a while.

"It's nothing serious," Anomie told him, earning his scowl.

"If it weren't serious, then you would have destroyed the stone on your own." Kakashi took a couple steps forward, closing the distance.

She wasn't certain that was true. Without him, she might have used it instead or worse, given it to Orochimaru. Then again, perhaps her misusing it was just as bad as him. They were both so similar with lusts for power. Orochimaru was just so much smarter than her, so rarely made as many mistakes.

"Are you trying to get me naked?" Anomie said this as she untied her obi around her waist. Her sleeves had an impractical amount of lace and material, making the action rather difficult.

"Always," he said, causing her to smile at the jesting tone. However, his slight relaxed state grew more serious when he noticed the bandage around her waist was already, once again, soaked with blood. It didn't matter how slowly she walked, it seemed to continuously open back up. Surely her actions with Minami the night before hardy sped up the healing process, but it did offer a stress relief that Anomie had grown accustomed to having.

"It's really not as bad as it looks," she told him, for once, feeling rather vulnerable since she was nearly exposed with her chest barely covered by a see through lacy bra. She didn't cover herself since she hardly wanted him to think she was embarrassed.

"Yes it is," he told her, undoing her bandage. He had such a gentle touch as he did so, and his fingers grazed over the sensitive skin on her stomach, just above her wound. "It's infected."

"I'm not a good healer," she admitted, slightly ashamed that her medical ninjutsu was so pathetic. She never did manage to get the hang of the practice, causing her to be unable to heal farther from the first layer of skin. It was an under rated and underestimated skill, and she simply wasn't very good at it. She didn't feel like studying it and didn't have the time to practice.

Kakashi met her gaze with a frown. "You can't put all your efforts into fighting. You need versatility."

He was right. Her Genjutsu and Iryō-Ninjutsu both suffered because she spent so much time on destructive Ninjutsu, Senjutsu, and Fūinjutsu. That did leave her open for these types of attacks, causing most of them to become rather fatal.

She opened a seal up on her wrist, causing a medical kit to appear in moments. Her eyes met his gaze, handing over the kit. "Show me how it's done then, since you're so perfect at everything you do."

"I practice more than you," he commented, opening the kit as she glanced towards the ground. Taking a seat on a large boulder not far from her.

"You do not," she retorted, watching him lean down to begin cleaning the very sensitive wound.

"I train everything, study everything, while you shop for more dresses."

Anomie glanced down at him, thankful that he offered her some sort of distraction from the pain. By now, her stomach was throbbing, but she could at least tell that it was not life threatening. She couldn't breathe quite right, but her pain tolerance was relatively high.

"I don't shop," Anomie admitted, glancing down at him through hooded lashes. He was able to see the beautiful haze of amber and glittery colors that coated her lids as if it were naturally embedded into her skin. He still thought it was foolish that she spent so much time on her appearance, but he wasn't about to complain about it so long as she didn't lose her ability to fight and protect herself. "That would imply that I use my own money."

He gave her a deadpan glance, readying his hands into a medical ninjutsu. She noticed that it was, ironically, Rin's Jutsu. Anomie would recognize it anywhere. "So you steal them?"

"Rarely. Usually I get people to buy them for me."

"And that works?"

Anomie scoffed, "were you not the one who called me the most beautiful woman you've ever seen?"

He met her gaze, causing the tension to rise. "Did I say that?"

"Have you found someone better than me?"

"That ego isn't very attractive," he told her.

"Is that right?" Anomie loved his voice, even when they were teasing one another. "I'm just being honest."

"How did this happen, Anomie?" Kakashi's question was met with a small pause as she watched him bandage her stomach again.

"Just a bit of light fisting."

"Funny." He obviously wasn't amused.

"It was from a friend," Anomie finally said, glancing up to the sky. "A good friend. Caught me off guard." She couldn't tell him it was Rin. She didn't want him to think about how some psychopath was using her soul for his own sick pleasure. She promised to take care of Rin and she didn't want to drag him through that mess.

"Didn't realize you had those," he said, his fingers brushing against her skin as he began to retie the bandage. It was a welcome distraction from the pain, his skin against her was a welcome reprieve. It ignited her and when the fire of her eyes met his, the world fell away. Her fingers twitched to pull him forward, but her self control stopped her. Her pride stopped her. Her dignity. Her fear. Her regrets.

"I know," she whispered, barely realizing that her chest was heaving up and down in nervous jitters. She held it back and set it under an iron clad of willpower, that way those desires won't escape. "I was surprised as well."

"Can I offer you a bit of advice?" Kakashi's question was met with Anomie's action of tilting her head, prompting him to speak. "Practice some medical Jutsu, it will benefit you more than hinder."

Anomie glanced down at her hands, seeing they were pale with little blood circulation from the blood loss. If she pressed down against her skin, she was certain there wouldn't be a red mark.

It was frustrating and embarrassing to told to practice something for which she had no talent. "Is that right?" She glanced up at him, his concern softening any ice she had left over her heart. She pressed her palm against the side of his neck, able to feel his pulse speed from underneath her touch. She gave him the most genuine smile she could muster before she she stood up and pressed her lips against the top of his head. That action was easier now that his height was reduced from his kneeling position.

She felt his fingers grip her waist for a moment with that beautiful, lingering desperation, just before she turned into smoke to make everything hurt just a moment less.

Author's Note

黄菖蒲 (Ki ayame) Stands for the yellow iris, which can be a symbol of passion.

See, I promised some Kakashi and I delivered. He's almost in this entire chapter.

I finished this like, two weeks ago? Idk. I wasn't happy with it and I'm still not. Please keep mean comments to yourself. I'm sensitive about this chapter lol!