SUMMARY: The Forest of Death is not a nice place.

Temari and Kankuro exchange worried looks.

They are still slightly afraid of their brother but that is not why.

They are not really sure what to do.

This is the first time they actually have some sort of relationship with their younger brother.

They cannot mess this up.

But they don't really know what to do.

They have never comforted anyone before.

Temari has never been allowed to show weakness.

She is the Kazekage's child.

And she is a girl.

She has to be a perfect Shinobi.

There is no choice.

Even here, in the relative privacy of the forest, she cannot allow herself to breakdown.

Kankuro has always been a problem child.

He is a puppeteer but he has never been able to match up to any of the others.

And after Sasori's defection, he needs to be the best.

He isn't.

He cannot show weakness.

But he is truly coming to care for Gaara.

Temari and Kankuro do not know if they can be Shinobi and Gaara's siblings at the same time.

Right now, they don't know which one he needs more.

What should they do?

Anko is angry.

Anko is past angry.

He is here.

He is here!

In the Forest.

Near her brats.

How dare he?

He may have been her Sensei.

He may have taught her a lot of what he knew.

But he abandoned her.

He experimented on her.

Tortured her even.

She looked up to him.

Would have followed him anywhere.

Everywhere.

But he broke her.

She trusted him.

Her Sensei.

Not anymore.

She pushes herself relentlessly onwards.

She needs to find him.

They comfort their friend silently.

They cannot deny it - the siblings from Suna are becoming increasingly important to them.

Yet they do not fully trust each other yet.

They know their friends have something they need to tell them but perhaps it is better suited to after the task.

For now, they need to get on with it.

They are in the Forest of Death.

It is nowhere near safe and they are ready.

They have the scrolls.

Now all they need to do is make it to the Tower.

A Shinobi would tell Gaara to compose himself, to piece himself together.

They are not Shinobi.

Not first.

They keep vigil while he cries.

Anko pants as she skids to a stop.

Orochimaru.

He is in front of her.

She has to take some time to just breathe.

He smirks at her.

Anko is taken back to a time when she actually thought she meant something to him.

Not anymore.

She snaps herself out of it and spits, "Hello Sensei."

"Anko", he says with a smile.

But his tone is cold and he looks bored.

There is no warmth there.

Anko snarls.

They say nothing more and fall into battle.

But there is something wrong.

It makes Anko uneasy.

There is something up and she needs to know.

Now.

She attacks him with renewed fervour.

She doesn't know if she can actually damage him but if she manages to cripple him, it is worth it.

She pushes back the unease.

She needs all her wits about her.

Perhaps, then, she may stand a chance.

Elsewhere, in the large forest, a group of six Genin make their way towards the Tower.

If the redhead is crying and the other five are surrounding him defensively, then no one speaks a word.

If they walk straight past the other teams in an impenetrable sand barrier, it's not like anyone will speak up.

If in the privacy of the sand cocoon, they are sharing a very touching moment, it's not like anyone will know.

They cannot be seen after all.

"You've changed." the snake comments, pleasantly.

As if they are not fighting.

As if he isn't a traitor.

"That's what happens with time, sensei. Right?"

Anko is trying to provoke him.

He has always been touchy about immortality and he's not quite there yet.

It doesn't work.

He raises an eyebrow.

It is, as with all the things he does, a calculated move.

Meant to make her feel little.

Like she is a Genin again and he is her sensei.

He may not have use for sentimentality but it can be a useful weapon.

Anko strikes even harder.

She cannot let the man get to her.

Cannot let him harm the brats.

She fights on.

Tenten curses as they take a good look at the scroll.

Why is it so hard to find another scroll?

They have three scrolls of the same type now.

Luck is clearly not on their side.

That is not unusual.

Tenten did not get her 100/100 accuracy with luck.

"Did you know that I have a team of Genin, now?"

Anko has no qualms about revealing this piece of information.

Orochimaru might be a traitor and she might hate him but if he didn't already know, he would have found out soon.

They might be fighting but Anko still wants answers.

Wants to know how he could just walk away from her like that.

She cannot fathom ever doing it to the brats.

It's a good thing that he did.

She still needs to know.

Kurenai waits patiently.

It seems to be all she is good for.

To the others, at least.

Kakashi and Asuma look at her and she can see them drawing their own conclusions.

Of all the others, it is Gai who understands.

Gai who sees.

She is not even hiding.

Yet still, Gai is the only one who looks past her worries and sees anger.

Gai is perceptive.

But, it is anger that calls to anger.

Anger at the hate, anger at the world, burning anger.

Gai looks at her and sees himself.

Kurenai smiles at him.

It is vicious but friendly.

He understands.

For that, he is Kurenai's favourite.

"Goodbye Anko."

If she wasn't in the midst of battle, Anko might have laughed.

Where was he going to go?

She is still in fighting form although she is getting tired.

How does he think he was just going to leave?

It stings a little that he seems to think so lowly of her.

Anko stamps it down.

She doesn't care about his approval.

He was her Sensei.

A traitor.

She laughs bitterly.

Then, her Cursed Seal activates.

She can't move.

The pain is paralysing.

She tries to get up but finds she can't.

Orochimaru leans over her.