"We are together—
I need you forever.
Is this love?"
What is Love?—Haddaway
--What is Love?--
"It's morning now, love."
/ "Either way, she has all but lost the will to live."/
He was kidding. He had to be fucking kidding.
Kurenai bit her lip, almost afraid to touch her lover. She had moved a chair so that she'd be more comfortable in her vigil.
"The kids here are quite different from Team 8. They're nice enough. I've been sparring with them and they're quite powerful."
How long had she been in the village—three, four days?
It turned out that this wasn't Otogakure although the Sound Four, as they called themselves, lived here when they weren't wreaking havoc for Orochimaru. When Kurenai had asked why, Kimimaro had shrugged his shoulders.
"Of course I would think so—they saved your life." She smiled sadly. "Which reminds me: when do you plan on waking up? I miss you…"
Footsteps came from outside and Kurenai turned her head to see the foul-mouthed red-head—Tayuya—enter the building. She was scowling, the steaming dish in her hand sending an appetizing aroma towards the Jounin.
"Kimimaro sent dinner for you," she grunted, clearly not pleased with the notion.
Tayuya had a knack for getting into your head, —she was intuitive to the point of it being alarming—using the talent to cripple her victims with words that were sharper than steel. Even so, Kurenai had the feeling that the girl was kind under the armor she had created from biting sarcasm and surliness.
"Thank you, Tayuya." She offered the younger girl a wide smile as she accepted the plate; dark brown eyes widened slightly as though she wasn't expecting any gratitude before the teenager flushed slightly, her exit hasty.
The Jounin turned her attention back to the sleeping purplette, her smile dulling slightly. "I'm happy here, I suppose, but the others are probably worried. Once you wake up we'll leave, ok?"
Red orbs shut tightly to stop the hot tears that welled up from falling—Kami, she hoped Anko could hear her.
She hoped she wasn't just fooling herself.
--x--
To say the Hokage was angry would be an understatement—and a big one at that.
Kiba, who was hard to scare at the worst of times, couldn't help the tremor that ran through him as he watched the super strong woman pace like a caged lioness.
"I don't believe this!"
Shizune had returned yesterday; seated in one of the chairs in front of the Hokage's desk, her dark eyes trailed her superior. Her expression was stern,—which was in no way unusual—her arms were crossed over her chest.
"I told her to stay here! Now look what has happened!!"
She stomped her foot in her anger, raining wood splinters, chunks of plaster, and dust upon the people and objects on the floor below.
"And, on top of it all, you kids HELPED her absence stay unnoticed?!" The members of Team 8 flinched as amber eyes swept over them. "What were you thinking?!"
The bear-masked ANBU was leaning against the wall around a wide bay window that allowed the Hokage to look out at her domain. He was facing the world outside, but Kiba had the distinct impression that the male was smug. The thought made him bristle.
"Well?"
"We were thinking that we would help our teacher." To the shock of everyone in the room, it was Hinata who had spoken, her stammer absent. "Kurenai-sensei wanted to find Anko-sama—the woman she loves. Who are you to tell her she can't do that? And who are we to turn away the woman who has been nothing but kind and nurturing to us?"
Silence reigned for all of twenty seconds before Kiba threw back his head and laughed, long and loud, making the room's contents—save the ANBU—give a start.
"Way to go Hinata!" he chortled, wiping a tear from his eye as he tried to catch his breath. "I knew ya had it in you!"
At that, she flushed and Tsunade's frown deepened. "I find no humor in this situation," she snapped. "Because of your actions, we've not only lost one of our own, but you've placed Konoha in danger as well. Whoever has gotten their hands on Kurenai also has the chance of finding out anything she knows. I'm not saying I believe she would tell them anything," the woman amended, noticing the looks she received, "But it is a possibility."
"In my opinion—"all eyes turned to Shino. He had been silent up until this point. "Both Kurenai-sensei and Anko-sama can take care of themselves. I am quite certain that they are both fine."
--x--
The male that came by to pick up Kurenai's dishes was 5' 4'' with tanned, brown skin. He was muscular yet slim, his black hair secured into a spiky ponytail.
"Hey, Kurenai," he greeted. "How is she?"
"Kidomaru," the brunette acknowledged. "She's the same…"
Kidomaru frowned at the sad tone that entered the woman's voice. They—the Sound Four—had grown accustomed to the Jounin's presence; had actually grown to like her. "Kimimaro will be here soon to look her over."
"Hey, Kidomaru, you're needed."
They both looked up to see a rather chubby teenager with an orange Mohawk standing in the doorway.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm comin', Jirobo."
He dropped a strong hand onto her shoulder as a comforting gesture, then left.
Jirobo nodded at Kurenai's wave, then followed suit.
True to his team mate's word, Kimimaro entered the house a few minutes later. The corners of the pale-haired male's lips turned up slightly as he nodded his greeting to Kurenai. He wasted no time in kneeling next to Anko and removing the blanket from her body. The rookie Jounin felt an irrational twinge of jealousy as he pulled up her shirt, exposing the network of red lines on her toned abdomen. "They won't scar—she's healing well," he commented. "I cannot tell of any other injuries unless she wakes up, unfortunately."
Anko didn't move save the slow rise and fall of her chest.
"That's good," Kurenai said softly.
Kimimaro hesitated. "If I may…"
"Hmm?"
"You two are lovers, correct?" She felt her cheeks heat and the male chuckled, "I thought so. And so did Tayuya—she was the first to say anything, in fact. The way you act around her… you really love her, don't you?"
Tayuya. It seemed she had been right in her judgment of character. "I do."
"Stay with her. If anything is going to heal Anko, it will be your presence."
Again, tears filled crimson eyes—why did that happen so easily as of late? —and the woman smiled slightly, "I will. For as long as it takes."
Later…
Kurenai's entire frame sagged, her eyes fluttering as she tried to keep them open.
Sitting in a hard wood chair and catching sleep by means of brief dozing did that to you.
She grimaced and straightened her spine; stretched her arms above her head, joints popping as she did so.
"… I'm scared." The brunette leaned over and rested her face on the white bedspread, the top of her head coming into contact with the sleeping Jounin's forearm. "I feel as though this is all my fault. If I hadn't complained… if I hadn't…"
/Crimson and chocolate met for all of three seconds before an alarm wailed, indicating that the members of the ANBU were needed.
Reflexively, Anko pulled her mask from where it had been clipped to her belt and was already half-covering her face. "Kure—"
"Just go."/
She heaved a sigh. "This is my fault, huh? I'm sorry, Anko… I just wanted you home—with me. Was that such a bad thing to wish for?" Her eyes filled with moisture once again as she raised her head, gently tracing a line down her lover's jaw with her index finger. "I know that what you do puts a strain on you and I should have respected that."
Crimson eyes flickered shut, her body succumbing to sleep.
As the tears trickled down her cheek, she murmured, "I love you, Anko."
/ … A flash as sunlight reflected off of steel.
"Anko!"
She was running, but the purplette never seemed to grow any closer.
… Pale flesh marred with red.
"Anko, please!"
The chocolate-toned orbs that flicked over her were empty, her expression contemptuous. "Kurenai?" —a scoff—"I don't need you anymore. Get out of my life."
She unsheathed the katana at her hip, the blade pointing directly at Kurenai's heart.
"Now die!"
Kurenai squeezed her eyes shut. 'This isn't real. This isn't real. This isn't!—'/
/Silence.
Crimson eyes opened cautiously: she was in the middle of a sea of green. A breeze gusted by, laden with the scent and warmth of summer.
'Where…?'
There was a growl, low and threatening and the Jounin looked up.
A porcelain white wolf was bounding towards her, lip curled to bare sharp canines.
It leaped…/
/She was falling now; the clear blue sky was like syrup, slowing her descent.
The ground was a patchwork of green and brown as it came closer, the wind whistling in her ears.
The impact didn't hurt, surprisingly enough.
Then, a vague figure leaned over her broken body.
"Silly, Kurenai." Anko sneered. "Did you really believe I would catch you?"
The impact didn't hurt, surprisingly enough.
But Anko's words did. /
Kurenai woke up with a start, but she didn't move. Her back hurt due to the way her spine had been curved while she had slept and the tears that had dried on her cheeks made her face feel stiff.
Someone was stroking her hair.
"Hey…"
She blinked; couldn't believe her ears.
The Jounin sat up; couldn't believe her eyes.
The smile that graced full lips was small, but there despite the wariness in her gaze.
"Er, sorry for bothering you. It looked like you were having a bad dream."
"'Bad' doesn't begin to cover it," she said without thinking.
The silence was deafening.
Then,
"Kurenai, I'm sorry."
At the same time as,
"Anko, I'm sorry."
Two pairs of eyes blinked before the purplette began to laugh, a low, smoky sound. The older woman couldn't help but join her seconds later.
"Kami, this is awkward," Anko said once the laughter had died. "Umm… where exactly are we?"
"You mean you don't remember?"
She shook her head. "Nope. Last thing I remember was fighting a bunch of ninjas."
The older woman's eyebrows rose. "Well, we're in a little village the Sound Four takes residence in. You've been away from our own village for about a month, give or take a few days, so I went to find you. I did, as you can see and… you've been unconscious for about two weeks now."
"TWO WEEKS?!"
Anko bolted upright. Or, rather, she tried to. After two weeks of inactivity, her arms refused to support her weight. She fell back with a surprised cry.
Kurenai helped her into an upright position, arranging her pillows so that they supported her.
"Thanks."
"Not at all."
Chocolate-toned orbs met crimson ones. There were so many questions buzzing around the younger Jounin's head—who are the Sound Four? How'd you find me? Why was I out that long?—but the one she asked was, "You came looking for me even after the horrible things I said to you; the way I treated you?"
A nod.
"Kami, Kurenai," —her eyes brimmed with tears— "I'm such an ass… I'm sorry for worrying you like that. I don't deserve—"
"Don't finish that sentence." It came out sharper than she had intended, and Anko flinched. In a gentler tone, she said, "I was so worried that I was going to lose you that…" She shook her head, unable to continue.
"Lose me? C'mon, Kure, I'm stronger than that."
"Lying there without moving you didn't seem to be. Kimimaro said you had lost the will to live. And… and I was afraid that that was my fault."
"Lost the will to—?" Her eyes widened. "OH! I guess he hit the nail on the head." Her chuckle was mirthless. "I was upset. Not with you," she added, seeing her lover's expression. "I was upset with myself. I knew that I had hurt the one person who I cared for most and I felt awful. I knew you were just trying to save me from myself back when we got into that argument, but I still argued against it; forced you away. It was stupid of me. I've just been so obsessed with Orochimaru, I didn't see what was going on."
"Ah, you're awake." Both Jounins turned to face the doorway as Kimimaro entered the room. He didn't come any closer; merely watched them impassively. "That's good."
"Anko, this is Kimimaro."
"We've met," the male said, a hint of humor entering his tone. "Kind of."
"You're the guy who saved my ass? Nice to meet ya."
"The pleasure is all mine. I take it you two will be leaving soon?"
At that moment, the pale-haired teen's shirt slipped off of his shoulders (did he ever secure it?), exposing the mark on his chest: a series of what looked like commas—three of them—, set in a circle.
Anko gasped, managing to keep her tongue in check only because Kurenai grasped her hand and squeezed it.
"As soon as she's well enough, we will," the older woman said evenly.
He nodded, and disappeared as silently as he had come.
"Did you see that?!" the younger Jounin hissed. "He's got Orochimaru's Curse Seal!"
"Yes, I know. The Sound Four is loyal to Orochimaru."
Anko's expression was, needless to say, shocked.
"Oh, don't look at me like that. They saved your life and allowed me to stay here comfortably. Isn't that enough to prove they have no ill intentions?"
"… I guess. We are leaving soon, right?"
"Whenever you want, love."
Love.
Dark eyes shining, Anko took Kurenai off guard by pulling her forward, onto her lap. She let out a gasp—partially from pain and surprise at said pain—but that didn't stop her from crushing the older woman against her.
"So I'm forgiven?"
"Of course." The way she uttered the 'ourse' part of 'course' made warm air gust over Anko's neck and the Jounin swallowed, feeling heat curl up in her stomach.
What a time to feel horny! Then again, we haven't had sex now in how long?
Kurenai went limp, burying her face in the hollow of the purplette's throat.
This was where she wanted to be most.
She had begun to doze off when Anko shifted slightly. "Umm, Kure? I hate to bother you, but why did I feel pain just now when you leaned into my stomach?"
The older Jounin sat up, straddling her lover's legs—inadvertently causing Anko to swallow hard a second time—so that she could pull up her shirt.
"Damn! What happened to me?" A slender finger traced the length of one of the longer marks and she shuddered. "I-I don't remember getting cut."
Full lips curved upwards into a tiny smirk, though Anko didn't notice, trying as she was to keep her eyes away from Kurenai's.
"Kimimaro said they won't scar. Apparently, you took down two dozen ninjas."
"Two dozen?" She was grinning. "Alright! I kick ass, huh?"
The playful punch she received in the arm wasn't completely unexpected.
"So they're leaving?" Tayuya asked flatly. "Hmph. Good riddance."
They were all sitting at a table in the largest building in their little village.
Kimimaro shook his head and Kidomaru rolled his eyes.
"What?"
"You know you'll miss having her around, Tayuya," Jirobo snorted. "You're always wanting her to teach you Genjutsu and all that."
He never did know when to shut his mouth.
As it was, the red-head bristled. "Did anyone ask you, fat ass?"
"Here we go again," Kidomaru said loudly, making a show of sighing. "I think I'll go meet the 'Anko' chick since she's awake now. Must be something special if Kurenai's in love with her."
Tayuya rounded on him, chestnut eyes glinting as she smirked, "'Must be something', eh? Sounds like you've got a thing for a ninja from the Leaf Village."
"Leaf Village?!"
"Yeah, ya didn't know? Dumbass. Both're from Leaf."
The tanned youth turned on Kimimaro. "You knew this?"
"I did."
"And you brought them here? You do realize that they play for the opposing team, right!?"
Eyes the colour of emeralds focused on the shorter teen. "They've done nothing to us and Orochimaru-sama has not given me any orders to kill them. So I helped them."
"'Soon as he finds them here, he will," Tayuya interjected.
"They'll be leaving soon; no harm has been done."
Three days later, the two Jounin were finally ready to depart.
Kimimaro blindfolded them after their farewells (Tayuya was absent) and lead them out of the village. After what he deemed a safe distance, he removed the blindfolds.
"Goodbye, Kurenai. Anko. It was nice to meet you both."
"Same here," Anko said, already beginning to walk off. "I hate long goodbyes; see you around!"
Kurenai raised her eyes heaven-ward for a moment, and then smiled at the pale teen. "It was nice meeting you too, Kimimaro. Thanks again."
He nodded.
The lovers had travelled a few yards when the haunting sound of a flute floated over the trees.
Kurenai grinned. "Goodbye, Tayuya."
--x--
"H-Hokage-sama!"
Tsunade hastily hid the bottle of saké she had been drinking under her desk as Hinata crashed into her office, panting.
"What is it now?"
She wasn't drunk.
Really.
Just a little… tipsy. Yeah, tipsy.
Hell knew she needed a drink—Shizune hadn't even said a word.
"Kurenai-sensei and Anko-sama are back!"
The blonde nearly fell flat on her face in her haste to exit the room.
Outside, Anko was laughing loudly as Kiba hugged the breath out of his teacher.
Shino didn't come to her assistance this time—as though he was allowing Kiba to do his share of hugging for him.
"Kurenai, Anko!" the Hokage barked, purpose in her stride as she approached. "Where in Hell's name have you been?!"
At her call, the ninjas looked over and several more appeared,—Kakashi and his Team, Guy and his Team and Team 10—the Chuunin immediately dog-piling both females (with the exception of Sasuke and Neji).
Or, rather, they tried to.
Anko's ANBU training kicked in and she spun into a roundhouse, causing half of the young ninjas to flip backwards to avoid it and the other half to land on their rears.
In the silence that followed, Anko grinned widely and the teachers laughed. Tsunade, more sober than she had been moments before, merely frowned.
"I want you two to tell me everything."
--End Chapter—
You can probably tell which characters I favour, huh? –chuckles- Be a dear and leave a review =)