Viraten's Note: You're either going to hate this or love this chapter, either way it's a long ass chapter. If you find you have mixed feelings… And now, it's time for Kakashi to finally deal with that cursed seal of Anko's! Onward!
I'd just like to thank A Writer Wannabe for her/his/its, select as necessary, helpful suggestions to improve the story without making me look like an idiot or annoying me. Now, that takes skill.
After all the commotion that had occurred, the four ninjas eventually turned in to sleep relatively peacefully; some, like Naruto, more than others.
"Rise up, everyone! We should get going early if we want to reach the city by nightfall!" Anko exclaimed. Kakashi was already awake and out, making breakfast. Sakura was trying to recover what little sleep she could garner after a night of Naruto's incessant snoring which had eventually died down.
"If you don't wake up soon, I can't promise there'll be any breakfast left!" Naruto's nose twitched and he shot up like a bolt of lightning. His stomach proceeded to rumble and he climbed out of the tent.
"Kakashi-sensei, can I have some!" He bellowed. In the tent, Sakura surrendered her sleep finally and sat up.
"Good morning, Sakura!" Anko yelled. She seemed awfully cheerful today.
"Oh, good morning, Anko-san," she lazily replied. Curse that snoring bastard!
"If you don't hurry, there won't be any breakfast left." After fully gaining her consciousness, Sakura remembered the night before.
"Anko-san, are you ok now?" For a moment, she dropped the act a bit but then smiled again.
"Of course I'm fine! Why wouldn't I be?" With that, Anko left the tent. The similarity between Anko and Naruto was remarkable at times. Maybe they were long lost relatives?
Breakfast passed without much of a hassle as did their journey. Of course there was the occasional event; for instance, when Naruto went to relieve himself a little too evidently for Sakura's liking. Clearly, he hadn't learnt much since the last time he did that.
As the sun was beginning to set, the four Konoha ninjas had long left the fire country and entered the water country, where the village of Hidden Mist was situated. As their luck would have it, they managed to find a hotel room, with 2 free rooms; their luck being Sakura's fluttering eyelids and flirting with the male receptionist.
However, her charm failed to work on Kakashi, who seemed dead set on her and Naruto sharing the same room. Naruto was overjoyed until he met Sakura's deadliest glare ever; she could give Neji a run for his money with that.
After the younger duo of the ninjas decided to unpack in their rooms, Anko and Kakashi walked to their own.
"Why did you insist on them going together? Trying to play matchmaker, are we now, One-eye?" Anko teased playfully.
"Nope, I actually did it so that we'd wind up in the same room."
"Oh?" Anko was intrigued. What could was he implying?
"Is the curse seal bothering you right now?" Naturally, she was taken off guard as he asked in some a calm manner.
"I told you already; it always hurts."
"If that's the case then I'll just have to seal it up for you." He nonchalantly stated.
"Huh? How? What are you talking about?" Clearly her knowledge of seals wasn't advanced as his. Nor her knowledge of the noise she was making as people started to shuffle in their rooms and doors opening.
"Calm down, I'll explain in our room."
Upon entering their room, Kakashi sat her down on the bed and removed some scrolls from his oh so manly backpack.
"Have you ever heard of the Evil Suppressor Seal?" Her face registered a positive response.
"Of course I have! That was the seal that the Sandaime used to keep the cursed one from spreading!" She proclaimed.
"I see. Then you should know that it works off your will and chakra. However, it also works provided the Sandaime is alive or died an ordinary death. However, he died fighting Orochimaru." She winced at the sound of his name; the man that had caused her all this grief and the embarrassment of last night; the man who killed the Third Hokage.
"So the seal has been somewhat distorted in my opinion. Now…" He stopped. What he was going to ask her seemed a lot harder than how it was done in those Icha Icha books he read. She looked at him expectantly.
"What is it?" She spoke in an impatient tone. If he was going to get rid of it, she didn't want to waste any time. He was thankful for his mask at this time. She would surely tease him for the massive flush of red across his cheeks.
"Could you…please take off your clothes?" He said the second part rather quietly and quickly.
"Sorry, I didn't quite catch that. Could you repeat that?" However, from the expression on her face, he knew full well she had heard. She didn't even need to see his face all red.
"Just do it. I'm not enjoying this any more than you are."
"Oh? Because I'm really beginning to enjoy this!" He winced. As so she complied although she didn't hesitate to try and entice the famous copy ninja. However, Kakashi defiantly held out until she was down to her underwear.
"Ah, that's enough." He unravelled the first scroll and began performing the evil suppressor seal.
It wasn't long before pain began to overtake her body. She flinched and twitched before her body became to spasm and she arched her back, and then her eyes rolled behind as she lost consciousness, dropping to the floor.
It was that familiar darkness that had haunted her of late. And with that familiar darkness normally came….
"Oh? I didn't expect for you to pay me a visit so soon." Orochimaru casually spoke. She felt a cold hand touch her cheek. She moved to slap it away, but found she could not; her arms were bound or paralyzed, she couldn't tell which.
"So feisty, and so amusing. However, I am tired of you now. I should've done this a long time ago." He raised his hand and it came down with a monstrous aura. Anko steeled herself for it; but it never came.
"Orochimaru!" An aged voice roared with a renewed vigour.
Naruto was still busy with his scrolls. Sakura wondered how anyone could train after such a tiring day. Then again, this was Naruto. She flopped down on her bed and stared at the ceiling. It had been a fairly boring mission, aside Anko's outburst yesterday night and the mysterious relationship she was having with Kakashi. She was sure there was something up. As if on cue, she heard moaning from the other room; the room where Kakashi and Anko were staying in. She shoved her ear near the wall and soon Naruto followed suit.
"What are they doing in there?"
"Who knows?"
"What do you want, you old geezer?" Orochimaru hissed.
"I already told you; as the Third Hokage, I will not let the people of Konoha fall to your ambitions, even in death, foolish student!"
"What are you going to do about it, old man!" Orochimaru shot back rather bitterly. Anko had never really seen him like this, so agitated.
"I'm going to get rid you from this place, you monster!" His grip on Orochimaru's hand, which was about to strike down on Anko, had tightened. Orochimaru's face twisted and contorted in pain. He hissed and then fell to his knees.
"Curse you, the Third!" He retched and suddenly became very small, whilst the Sandaime Hokage grew larger and larger until Orochimaru along with the Sandaime disappeared suddenly. The darkness in the place began to dissipate replaced with a serene garden.
"Anko." She turned swiftly to see the smiling face of the Sandaime next to her. He was regular sized now.
"Hokage-sama, what are you doing here?" She asked incredulously.
"I already told Orochimaru; I am the Sandaime Hokage of Konoha. I will never abandon my village to the likes of Orochimaru, even in death."
"I see."
"Come, let us walk and talk for awhile."
The moans and screams had calmed down for awhile. Naruto and Sakura were not the only ones alarmed by these foreboding sounds; other guests had risen, walked the hallways, but none had dared to knock on the jounins' door for fear of what was happening inside.
"What is going on in there?"
"I don't know, but we should check it out." Naruto suggested.
"You're right." However, both ninjas remained with an ear pressed against the wall. These screams were rather unusual to say the least; that and they involved the rather unpredictable Anko.
"It seems as if Orochimaru has caused you great trouble since my demise. However, with the new seal, you should be fine." He was making small talk.
"Do you remember the conversation we had after Orochimaru had abandoned you?"
"Yes sir. You talked to me about the will of fire and that I have it." He sighed. Even in death, he seemed old.
"It seems as if you don't anymore. Anko, I would hate to see such a fine young Jounin like you go to waste. You may have the curse seal, but that does not mean you should live a cursed life. Orochimaru shows no interest in you; in that sense, you are lucky. He will not bother you."
"But, he was just-" He put up his hand to quell her argument before he started.
"That was not exactly Orochimaru. He does not possess the capability to transcend into your mind like that. That was the work of his curse seal which had been reacting to your body, which was defending itself against it. Orochimaru was just the manifestation of it, in your mind." She closed her mouth, biting her lip. She did not understand very well what was going on.
"Live well, Anko. You have a future in Konoha yet. Do not let the memories of Orochimaru haunt you. Do not follow a similar path to Orochimaru and descend into the darkness and foolery. Do not disappoint my faith in you." He smiled. It was rare that Anko would show weak emotions in front of others. That previous night had been a huge exception. However, tears were already formed in her eyes. Here was the Third, the man who had kept her from launching into a depression and possibly suicide from Orochimaru's betrayal; he was like a father to her.
"I understand, Hokage-sama." She bowed out of respect.
"It seems my time here has come to an end, Anko." She stood back up to see his image wavering, and dissipating.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama."
"It was no problem; anything for my village." His smiling face was the final image she saw before she blacked out again.
Kakashi was in quite a predicament. As the scene looked, it appeared he was performing some insane cultist ritual on Anko's quite exposed, unconscious body. However, that wouldn't have been a problem if Naruto hadn't decided to barge in. Thankfully, nobody else had interrupted. However, knowing Naruto's penchant for making noise, that fact may not remain for long.
"What…what the hell is this, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto pointed his finger at the scene accusingly.
"Er…it's not what it looks like, Naruto." Kakashi smiled sheepishly, rubbing his head. If only Naruto had come in 5 minutes later, and he'd have been packed away. On cue, Anko murmured, shifted and sat up. She surveyed the scene, and a wicked smile crossed her face.
"Come to join the fun, Naruto-kun?" The blonde teenager yelped slightly before turning away.
"Oi, Naruto! Just wait a moment!" Kakashi called after, fearing that he had just become responsible for permanently scarring the young adolescent.
"I don't want to know." He spoke solemnly. Escaping the insides of Snakes? No problem. Fighting elite ninjas of Akatsuki? Bring it on! Anything to do with Anko? And that's where the boisterous Naruto courage was firmly tamed.
"Naruto, are you alright?" Sakura inquired upon seeing his expression.
"Yes," he barely squeaked. Yes, Naruto squeaked.
"What happened back there?" He gave a horrified expression, causing Sakura to take a few steps back.
"You don't want to know." Perhaps goading Naruto into going with the potential opportunity of a date, whilst attacking his manhood, had been a bad idea.
Anko moved her hand to the nape of her neck, where the curse seal was.
"Does it hurt anymore?"
"No, not at all now," she replied.
"I guess the evil suppressor seal has been repaired." There was a slight pause between the two as Anko began putting her clothes back on whilst Kakashi looked away in embarrassment, despite having already seen so much skin for quite some time. His face was positively a tomato now.
"Oi, One-eye." He turned toward her. She hadn't put her top back on yet. That was just plain cruel.
"Thanks." He turned away.
"No problem. Just please put your clothes back on."
Viraten's Note: Whoa! That was some long-ass chapter. I mean over 2000 words. I've never written that much for a chapter. Or anything for that matter. If any of you are confused, Anko was moaning/ screaming in her unconscious state when Sakura and Naruto heard it. You know you love the Sandaime, right? Well I do.