Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto of course.
Spoilers: This is up-to-date with the manga. So… if you haven't read the latest manga chapters, you may be in for a bunch of spoilers.
Rating: M – Very adult. SasukexAnko.
Summary: Anko works out her frustrations about Orochimaru with Sasuke. They unlock some memories and develop an unwanted attraction towards each other.
Sweet Revenge by Yojami
Chapter 3 – Curse
Anko bolted upright in the dark of night holding her hand against the base of her neck. It was acting up again. There was no mistaking the dull, throbbing ache emanating from the only visible gift from him. The spot was hot to the touch and her face contorted in pain whenever she allowed herself to concentrate on it. There was no mistaking it. Her cursed seal was burning. It hadn't done that since the chuunin exam-since she last saw her former teacher.
She shuddered in fear and animosity as the vivid memory of his face popped up in her mind. His long forked tongue seeming blood red against his pale white face as his lips curled up in his patented evil smile. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, in her disoriented state, Anko vaguely recalled his chilling words that echoed through the dream she had just experienced. I'll always be with you.
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The young Uchiha rested his handsome face against the rough bark of the tree. Like Shikamaru, he had retreated to the comfort of solitude whenever the pressures of life surfaced. Unlike the lazy Nara child, Sasuke did not dwell on the whimsical patterns of the white clouds in the sky. His thoughts were on a certain woman that had suddenly invaded his peace a couple of weeks ago.
She was NOT his type. He liked cultured and respectful women, women who had good breeding and an easy going nature. If he truly thought about it, Hinata would be a perfect example, but the Hyuuga ninja was immediately ruled out. For him to revive his clan, he needed someone who did not have a bloodline that could interfere with his Sharingan. If he mated with Hinata, there was no guarantee that their offspring would have a Sharingan, Byakugan, or something completely different.
This other woman however, had no bloodline in her eyes. She fit that requirement, but every other part was all wrong. She was willful, unsophisticated, nonconforming, and wild. Wild. It was that part of her that excited him. She was unpredictable and untamable, like a wild beast found in a forest. He smiled when he remembered her outrageous entrance into the chuunin exam. She had crashed through the window of the classroom, pinned up a backdrop with kunai and announced her presence in a loud voice.
After a few years, she was still the same. If anything, the years made her appear wiser and more authoritative. She still strutted around town in a revealing metal mesh body suit armor with nothing more than a miniskirt and her trademark trench coat, but she was now one of the more 'veteran' kunoichi. Amusingly, one of his favorite parts about her was Naruto's fear of her. The blond brat had never recovered from his freak encounter with the chuunin instructor. While the cut on his cheek healed almost immediately, Naruto had not forgotten it. There were some scars that ran deeper than the physical. Sasuke reveled in Naruto's unconscious flinching whenever the Uchiha uttered her name. Just for that alone, she was worth mentioning.
Sasuke wasn't quite certain, but he believed that she was avoiding him. He was not stalking her of course, but whenever he noticed her presence, she would find an excuse to leave. This behavior was foreign to him. Most females, young or old, tried to gain his attention at every opportunity. Despite the current size of his clan, he was still a powerful ninja and member of one of the noble clans of Konoha. He had prestige, connections, money, power, strength, and an attractive face. Yet, this woman was not affected by any of that. She was definitely different. He decided to confront her the next chance he got.
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She slowly ran her tongue along the skewer to savor the final remnants of her favorite snack. Assured that she had captured all the sweet flavor, she spied a wooden post ahead of her as a target. She twirled the skewer along her fingers and proceeded to launch it at the post.
Anko wrinkled her nose in annoyance. Unfortunately, the skewer never reached the target. Two skilled fingers plucked it out of the air and snapped it into two. The owner of those traitorous fingers discarded the pieces and approached her.
Without acknowledging his presence, she turned and walked away. He appeared in front of her. "Hello, Mitarashi." He greeted.
She continued walking, not returning the greeting.
"Hey, Anko, I said 'hello!'" The black haired ninja tried once again to grab her attention, this time using her first name.
Letting out a deep sigh, she turned around and replied in an exasperated breath, "I heard you the first time. I just chose to ignore you." She dismissed him and left.
Using his blinding speed, he flashed in front of her, preventing her from moving any further. "Stop. Stop avoiding me." He commanded.
"I'm not avoiding. I'm ignoring you." She literally growled, "Now, move." Lately, she was not tolerant of almost anyone. The pain she experienced from her cursed mark was so debilitating sometimes, it made her even more bad-tempered than usual.
Unaccustomed to such behavior, he stared at her. "No. Not until you talk to me," he said, no longer in a forceful manner while his posture relaxed and offered her a small opening.
"I have nothing to say to you. I hope you aren't stalking me. It's rather unbecoming of you." She delivered matter-of-factly.
"Since you put it so nicely, I was going to ask you out to dinner. You get to pick the restaurant." He surprised himself, by inviting her to dinner. He had only meant to speak with her privately.
Cocking her head to the side, she feigned deep contemplation and flatly declined, "Ah... I'm going to say... no. Thanks though, it's nice to be asked."
The Uchiha heir watched in bewilderment and amusement as the only woman to ever refuse him walked away. The arrogant ninja was far too disturbed to be disappointed. 'Damnit. How could she refuse me? Who does she think she is?' He continued to watch her shapely figure move further. He was rather confused at her reaction. Every female he had ever asked out ended up fawning immediately at him, but this one showed not even the slightest bit of attraction. Indeed, she was an enigma to him.
She didn't even care about him. She was definitely NOT a fan girl. She even showed no interest. In fact, it almost seemed impossible to get her to notice his presence. Any ordinary guy would give up and move on, but Sasuke was anything but ordinary. The former number one rookie smiled. If there was anything he enjoyed, it was a challenge - especially a challenge this hot and inviting.
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It was a week later. She hated being here under these circumstances, but she knew that if there was anyone to ask, it was her. The Legendary Kunoichi was the only one who could help.
"It hurts." Anko explained bluntly in an almost childlike voice.
The Hokage gazed at the young woman with a look of concern. There was no need for Anko to elaborate. She knew exactly what was troubling the young kunoichi. From her trained eye, she quickly assessed that Anko's heart beat was racing and that she was experiencing a great deal of pain emerging from Orochimaru's brand. This was troublesome.
"I can relieve some of the pain, but it's temporary and..." The Hokage's voice trailed off as she searched for the right, comforting words. Unfortunately, she couldn't find any.
The observant kunoichi came to the correct conclusion for her, "You can't find a permanent cure."
Tsunade tried to reassure her, "Actually, I don't know a cure now, but I'll definitely search for one." The medic-nin was not ready to give up on this. She wanted to undo her former-teammate's crimes and bring some peace and stability into Anko's life.
Anko looked up and gave a half-hearted smile. "Thanks, I know you'll try your best. I'm glad you're here, Tsunade-sama." 'I'm counting on you.' She said to herself.
As she stood up to leave, the Hokage stopped her, "Wait, Anko."
Anko looked at her questioningly. "Yes?"
"There is someone else who may be able to help..." She paused, resting her chin on her hand. "He's not easy to talk to, but he also has the same mark..."
This time the young kunoichi looked at her with understanding in her eyes and a little hope. "Yes... Sasuke Uchiha... I'll go see him."
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A/N: Okay.. so there's no lemon here. Sorry. Please R&R though, I'm still a bit iffy with this story.