A/N: Hi!

I'm really sorry for not updating faster. I somehow got lost on the road of life :D

Chapter six

Kakashi and Anko walked through the forest. They were quite slow but considering Anko's condition Kakashi didn't want to move on faster. Also because of that he soon picked out a place where they set up a camp for the night between the over ground roots of a huge and seemingly old tree. During their evening meal Kakashi tried to convince Anko to eat at least a little bit but she was stubborn once again and insisted that she wasn't feeling hungry. She didn't even want to eat something sweet. He wondered why he had to team up with such a stubborn person. Although the truth was that he didn't really mind her being stubborn he was more worried. So after he had eaten something and had prepared some traps so that no one could approach them unnoticed they both went to sleep.

Xxx

A horrible storm was raging in Konoha. It was already night when the seven-year-old Kakashi came finally home from a long mission. He had been wet when he had entered Konoha and he was soaking when he arrived at his and his father's house. The boy stopped in their hall and tried to get the water out of his clothes. Suddenly he noticed what he had missed before: the lights were off. It wasn't that late that his dad would be asleep. He also couldn't have left on a mission. The last time Kakashi had seen him he had been in no condition for something like that.

A lump started forming in his throat. He shook his head. Maybe he had finally started feeling better. Maybe he had eventually found his way out of the depressions. Kakashi desperately wanted to believe that but still panic rose in his chest. His heart knew it better. Not even thinking of his wet clothes anymore Kakashi ran through their house calling his father. "Dad?" He didn't receive an answer instead his nose picked up the scent of blood. He really hoped from the bottom of his heart that his dad hadn't done something final.

His heartbeat was at its highest point when the child darted into the room where the smell came from. And there it stopped as Kakashi saw it. Sakumo was lying there in a pool of his own blood with his sword nearby. "DAD!" Kakashi called out racing to his father's side where he fell down on his knees not caring the slightest bit that he was now blood-covered as well. He could here his father's faint heartbeat. The boy looked into Sakumo's eyes. It was as if the last words his father had wanted to tell him were written in there. 'Forgive me' Then his eyes became as his soul left his body and his son behind.

The heartbeat had stopped. Kakashi blinked the tears away and lightly shook his dad in a sort of last desperate attempt. "Come on dad, this isn't funny you know. So stop pretending okay?" His voice barely above a whisper. The reaction he waited for never came. "Please dad, stand up." Kakashi begged with tears running down over his cheeks. It couldn't be that the White Fang was dead. Although being young the boy was already a ninja, so he knew if someone was dead and his father definitely wasn't. No way that he could be- could have died. It was just impossible! Tears started to fall harder as he clenched his father's blood stained shirt crying himself to sleep.

Xxx

Kakashi opened one eye and looked up to the night sky. If his tears hadn't dried out long ago h might have cried because of that memory. But shinobis don't cry. He still remembered it perfectly. The scent of the blood that had been splattered over the ground. The way his father's body ad cooled down while he had been crying there. He even vaguely remembered that someone had picked him up the next morning carrying him away although Kakashi had desperately struggled since he hadn't wanted to leave his father's side. Sighing softly he closed his eyes again falling asleep only a minute later.

At this point Anko was awake, too, but opposite to the copy-ninja she hadn't woken up because of a dream – she couldn't sleep in first place. She didn't notice that Kakashi had had a nightmare since his dreams were just as disguised as his face was and he hadn't even made the slightest sound. Except form his breathing. Speaking of breathing: this was the reason why Anko wasn't sleeping. She felt like she would suffocate for sure as soon as she had fallen asleep. She had even tried to sleep on her right side so that she could breathe easier but it hurt like hell. Sure if she made it hurt a little more she would faint and the problem was solved but somehow she didn't feel like fainting. Frustrated she sat up. With the result that she had to cough blood again. But at least she could now breathe a lot easier. In order to maintain this she leaned against the tree where she rested over the night.

Xxx

Anko woke up when someone silently called out her name. She hadn't even noticed that she had fallen asleep but from somewhere after she had leaned against the tree to now there was a gap so there was no mistaking it. Still feeling sleepy she slightly opened he eyes just to see her silver-haired teammate in front of her. Anko opened her mouth wanting to ask him why he woke her but before she could he placed one finger on her lips and whispered. "There are enemies coming. We should leave immediately." She nodded and stood up. With the result that she had to lean against the tree to avoid falling down. For some strange reason her body felt kinda heavy. Where did this come from?

Sighing almost inaudible Kakashi picked her up and hastily hid in the crown of a nearby tree where he put her down again. Just in time – not even a minute later the two Iwa-nins arrived where they just had been standing. And as if this wasn't enough they seemed to be searching for them. Anko and Kakashi both held their breaths until the Iwas were almost out of sight. But matching to their luck Anko suddenly felt the urge to cough. She tried her bets not do – in vain. She couldn't help but cough. Immediately she put one hand over her mouth to stifle it but even so it was too late. The Iwas had already found them.

Only a heartbeat later kunais flew towards the two jounins and Anko more fell than jumped from the tree landing on her feet like a cat and already taking out one of her own kunais she dodged the Iwas next attack while leaving a deep cut in his leg with her knife. Falling her enemy created a stone club and hit Anko hard in her already wounded right side. She flew some meters but instantly struggled to her feet again and performed the Gokakyuu-no-jutsu burning the Iwa alive. From behind she heard something like a splash followed by the sound of something or someone hitting the ground. Then Kakashi was next to her.

Again he looked at her with those eyes. As if she could break down at any second. This time however he wasn't that wrong. Anko felt like there was a heavy stone on her chest so that she could barely breathe. And as if this wasn't enough she had to cough blood. She again tried not to because Kakashi was next to her but that was only wasted energy. And just to make it worse it was a lot more blood than the previous times. Weakened and still coughing the kunoichi fell down on her knees. After a while she was able to take some breaths though her body was still shaking.

Kakashi laid one arm around her shoulder and she allowed him to. Anko was in no condition to pull away from him anyway. As soon as she was back to normal, which meant there was only a dull pain in her right side instead of a burning one, she struggled to her feet once more.

"Are you okay?" Kakashi asked. Anko nodded. "I think we should get you the Konoha hospi –" He said but Anko cut him off.

"After we've finished this mission."

"No, I'll take care of this mission while you get your wounds treated. I'm a former ANBU, I can handle this by myself so it's okay if you go back." He looked at her – worried? He already said it himself: he was capable of this mission alone so why should he be worried? Anko didn't know. The only thing she knew was that she never again would be left behind because she was useless and weak; she would make sure of that even if it meant risking her life.

"We either finish this mission together and afterwards I'll go back to Konoha by myself or you'll have to drag me there." She glared at him with all stubbornness that was left inside her body and sighing once again the copy-ninja gave in. He used to sigh often lately.

TBC

A/N: So another chappy is done. For today I've finished my part so now it's your turn to click this lovely button and leave a review :D

Thanks to Sayomi XD, DancingPickle101, Akanan, Arezal, ANkO KiCkS AsS! and fire.elve for reviewing!

disappears in a poof of smoke