-1Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!

ch4

Seven o'clock had rolled around finally, and she took to the Konoha streets feeling clean and refreshed on the outside, yet inside she still felt displeased. It didn't take her long to get to the briefing, which started at seven thirty, allowing her time to wander before heading over to sit in some of the most uncomfortable chairs Konoha has for a good long while. It was going to be her third mission after the dreadful one that occurred more than a year ago. A simple exchange of scrolls between them and the water country. Although she hadn't been to the mist village before on many missions, it sounded like a simple exchange. As Morino Ibiki, and Mitarashi Anko, two of the villages lead special jounin continued on, they seemed to think it was a much more important matter than what she had in mind. So, Atsuka decided to set aside those thoughts, and take the mission as serious as those two. They were apparently journeying to an area of the water country that was thick with ninja, those who were not at humble as the one's in the main Mist territory. Caution was to be taken in plentiful heaps.

She would be leaving in two days with three other ANBU, one of them would be their medic. She wasn't acquainted with the three, and secretly wished she could go with at least one person she knew, but she would have to bite the bullet and suck it up instead. Pleased that she was chosen to go on a mission like this, she didn't complain to any of the orders, especially the one that might have them gone for a good few weeks.

I'll have plenty of time to think now.

With good byes, and a snide glare from Anko, Atsuka left the room and briefly took a moment to introduce herself to her three ANBU team mates. The medic was a younger male of nineteen years, his name Hatsuragi Osamu. He was handsome, with dark hair and eyes, as was the other male team member, although a bit older at twenty-two with striking, ice blue eyes, named Yamamoto Shinji. The last member was a female, a twenty year old, green haired and honey eyed Oshiro Manami, who made a point in stating she simply liked to be called Nami. Atsuka was and wasn't pleased that there was at least one female on her team, finding the presence of other kunoichi a good and bad thing. Although, she did enjoy the fact that she was the oldest, and mentally did a happy dance before she said her farewells and took leave from the ANBU headquarters.

Greeted by the familiar slouching shoulders of her favorite copy-ninja when she stepped onto the streets, it seemed as if her was waiting for her to come out. He gave her his trademark 'Yo' and rise of his hand, and Atsuka narrowed her eyes.

"This is a first, I usually have to hunt you down. Is something wrong, or do you just happen to be passing by?" He eyed her for a moment, but his visible creased in a smile.

"I was just curious about you mission, that's all," he told her in his slightly muffled voice.

"I'm not leaving for two days," she told as she rubbed her hands together, shivering a little from the winter wind passing by. He noted this with a little 'you're so hopeless' frown, and he pulled his hands of his pockets, each had a black glove of warm looking fabric clutched inside. Atsuka stared at them for a moment, blinking a few times. They were hers, and she wondered what had happened to the little devils. Kakashi laughed and handed them over, which she hastily adorned over her slender fingers.

"I found those in my closet," he told her as she finished pushing each finger into a cozy sleeve. Wriggling her fingers at her sides, and grinned.

"Yeah… these probably weren't the only things in there," she told softly as she looked back to that grey eye watching her lazily. He gave a 'hmm' in response, and stowed his hands into his pockets once more.

"There actually is more," he told softly, and she could tell by the way he said it, he didn't mind that were was more of her belongs inside his home. Atsuka had to admit to the few shirts and pairs of pants she horded from him years past that were still laying inside her own closet. This, she never told him, but he figured over time that clothes don't leave on their own, but he never mentioned anything about them. Taking off down the street, Atsuka fell into place at his side. "Who else is going?"

"I don't know any of them, but I am the oldest in the group," she told, and he noted her slight pleasure about that with a silent chuckle. "Not that it really matters, though."

Liar.

"He's only a year younger."

Like a month wouldn't matter.

"I'm not the one really leading, but it's not a big deal."

Sure it's not.

"I'm just glad I can get out."

"You'll be gone for a while, then?" he finally spoke aloud.

"Perhaps a week or two… maybe longer, I don't know. Ibiki isn't really clear on that." Kakashi rolled his eyes, knowing all too well about the scared man and his many 'I'm not too sure about that for the time being' moments. "It's just a simple scroll trade, but Akno and him said that we are going into areas of water that are heavy with ninja who aren't too loyal with the main Mist Village, so we've got to take caution."

"Hmm… so this time it's an ANBU mission…"

"Yeah…" the last two missions she was sent on were merely jounin orientated, having nothing to do with ANBU. Kakashi closed his eyes, remembering the last time his friend had donned the sleek uniform, she almost died. But his confidence in her was strong, and he didn't put too much worry into the matter. "It's been a while…"

"Hmm… since what?"

"Since you've been with ANBU," she answered with a flicker of her eyes at him. He knew all too well what she meant with that little smirk and gleam in her eyes. It was a little known fact that ANBU uniforms were quite the turn on. Atsuka always managed to throw him curve balls over the months, and as much as he wanted to say something, he bit his tongue each time, fearing he might slip once again. It would be a lie if he said he didn't think about Atsuka in an ANBU uniform in a non-professional way. Hell, she was pretty damn hot in those long, black gloves and form fitting shirt and pants, white vest to top it all off. He couldn't help but think about it now that she mentioned it, and how the two used the uniform to their advantage a few years ago. Glaring back over at her, he could see her amusement in those hazel orbs. Fighting the urge to punch her or lock her in a genjutsu for making him think such thoughts, he looked ahead and was silent then. Yet, with her then constantly keeping her eyes on him as they walked, he let out a deep sigh and slouched his shoulders once again.

"You're horrible sometimes," he told, still pushing aside thoughts of her in that way. She only smirked and patted his arm.

"There, there; I'm only teasing you," she told with a chuckle as she let her arm fall back to her side, gloves fingers slightly tapping on her legs. She could be just as bad as their senbon-chewing Genma. Kakashi frowned and stifled the urge to attack her glossy lips and run his fingers through her silken hair.

The hell you are!

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The rest of that day passed with no sign of the caramel haired jounin. This, Atsuka was greatly happy for. If she saw him before she left, it might take effect over the next week or so. Spending the next morning before the mission day at the tailor to have her ANBU uniform cleaned up, she emerged from the store with the items in a bag, and headed off down the street to dump them off at home. It was noon by the time she returned there, and when she did, Kakashi was there waiting as he promised he'd train with her the night before. He looked at the bag she carried while leaning against her door, and pointed a finger at it.

"What's in there?"

Atsuka made a devious smile, and he noted that gleam in her eyes.

"You're turn on," she told coolly as she pushed him aside so as she could enter her apartment, returning to find him giving her a blank stare. Closing her door, she crossed her arms as he did, and gave a small chuckle despite trying to be serious. How she loved to tease him, it was almost like a game, and she was winning most of the time.

"That's not funny," he finally told her, his eye closing. "You know, I don't have to help you train."

"Hmm… you're right," she told, letting her arms drop as she stepped of the door step and took off down the road. "Tell you what," she started as he began to follow, "I can put it on for a little while so you can get whatever it is out of your system," she finished with a glance at him over her shoulder, but he wasn't there. Looking back, he was walking lazily some paces in front of her, shoulders slouched and hands in his pockets.

"Or… I could put mine on," he responded, not looking back. Atsuka closed her eyes, letting that vision soak her thoughts for a moment.

"Touché." Point for Kakashi, the woman though as she was sure he wore an award winning smirk under that damned mask.

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Atsuka was sure her little tease about dressing ANBU for Kakashi made him drain every ounce of strength from her during their training. Feeling like an over juiced orange, she was now the left over peels waiting to be thrown away. Yet, the sight of him breathing heavily, and the bruise forming about his visible eye, made her feel a bit more pleased about her current situation. Sitting down heavily after sliding a kunai she was about to launch at him into her holster, she laid back, her chest rising in rapid procession. If Kakashi hadn't ended their 'little' spar, she was sure that he'd have a kunai stinking out of his arm.

"Sorry… I got… carried away," she got out through labored breaths, wiping hair that was plastered to her sweat drench forehead. Her whole body ached, but it wasn't anything she couldn't recover from over night, save for a few, nasty bruises she knew she had gained over the last hour or so.

"It's alright," he responded, looking down at her with both eyes, but then the lid of his left finally drooped over the red and black dotted orb. She'd allow him to use his sharingan sometimes, and today was one of those times. He knew all her jutsus, how to counter them and intercept with his own. It was like fighting an unstoppable force. Sometimes, she'd close her eyes and use pure sense to track him. He usual went a little softer on her, but this time he was relentless.

"You landed a good kick to my arm though," he commented while rubbing the reddened skin between his gloved hand and rolled up sleeve tenderly. "It'd be broken if I didn't use my chakra," he told, and she took that as a complement. "But the kunai was slightly pushing it," he mentioned as he sat down himself, running a hand through his fair hair.

"I thought you said… it's alright?" she asked with a raised brow. He smiled, it visible seeing as his mask was pooled about his neck.

"It is… I was just a bit surprised," he told, eyes creased still. Very little did the two spar using weapons. But, pushed to her limits, Atsuka could tend to lose control and come to her last defenses, sparring session or not. Rolling over onto her front, she stared at him then, waiting for him to notice.

He did, and after a minute or so of locking eyes, he rose a questioning brow. Atsuka blinked, then her lips spread into a devious grin, as he expected them to.

"Still up for my offer?" she asked him in a rather innocent tone. With a blank stare, and one lazy blink, he scooted so his back was turned to her, she looking at that familiar knot of his hitai-ate on the back of his head and smiled. "Hmm…" As silent as she could, she crawled over like a cat would, even lowering herself close to the ground for a bit of momentum as she made to pounce.

But as her hands were just about to touch his back, there was a flicker in his movements and he was gone. With a 'oomph!', she hit the grassy earth, and then felt the air being squeezed from her lungs as a heavy weight landed on her back. With a hiss of pain, she yelled. "Ouch! Watch the back, you whore!" she screamed as she clutched a fistful of grass in each hand.

The weight slightly lessened, but still it was there. With one side of her face flesh with the ground, her eyes open and she strained to look at him from where her station was. Of course he looked smug with himself as she sat upon her, claiming yet another victory.

"I'm not the whore; Shiranui is," he told with a chuckle at how Atsuka managed to call most things she disliked that, whether it be a person, or something inanimate. She winced at the name, and did something Kakashi half expected her to do in the first place, but he was caught off guard from gloating. She disappeared, and he found himself sitting with his leg bent in the grass with a dumbfounded look upon his face. With little time to react, he felt himself being thrown back to find Atsuka perched sitting upon his own front, her feet securing his arms next to his head. A cold stink at his bare neck told him he might have done something terribly stupid and made her exceptionally pissed at him; he opened his eyes for the expected expression.

Following the hand that held the kunai at his neck, up her arm to her face, he found that the expected flaming eyes were brimmed with moisture, mouth slightly agape, brow somewhat trembling and her hand slightly shaking. He tried to talk, but found a slight sting on his neck and then the feel of something dribble warm along his skin. Slipping his hand out from under her foot, he easily took the kunai from her own hand and tossed it aside. Sitting slowly up, Atsuka fell into his lap as he gently took her into a strong embrace.

She had no friends that she could talk to. No mother or aunt or grandma. He then realized, all she really had was him to talk to, and he didn't think of himself as much as a verbal comforter. Although she did not shed tears, her head found his shoulder and as she snaked her arms about his back, she gripped tightly at his vest as if in fear of losing him for some naive reason. He rested his chin atop her head and ran his hand calmingly through her hair.

"Atsu-"

"Don't," she mumbled just loud enough for him to hear. She didn't want to talk, she just needed the physical comfort as her mind ran with frustration; frustration she couldn't really name. Or perhaps it was guilt? Sometimes she felt so guilty when she sat at her kitchen table after those nights he'd come, or when she'd slump down after returning home from his. She always felt like she was being used. Just another portion off the plate. And he was starting to understand. He always knew something was wrong, tearing her apart mentally. With a frown, he cursed the person guilty of scaring this woman.

Damn…Damn you Shiranui…

Author notes! I know if you read this chapter before it said Atsuka was going to go to wind, then water…. I had it wind country then changed it to water and didn't notice until now… so I fixed it!