After the fight, they quietly left for the next village following the map that Anko had found. They needed to let it dry since it was soaked in blood. Kakashi snorted. She could have at least been more carefull with it. He side-glanced at her. Her body seemed numb as her feet kept on going. Her eyes were wide open and empty. Something strange was going on with her. She wasn't her usual self. Not that it bothered him. He couldn't care less, but it was about the mission. It was about Rin.

"Hey, are you fine?" he coolly asked without looking at her.

"Yes," her answer came out loud and clear.

He checked out her outfit. There was a huge blood spot on her torso. The sleeves of her trench coat were also bloody and her fish-net blouse was shread to pieces. Rin would have made a tragedy of it by now, but she didn't even look twice at how she was. His eyes remained locked on her chest that was going up and down with leveled breaths of air. He bit his lower lip and looked away. They needed to stop. They needed to wash.

"I understand your concern about the other villagers," he cleared his voice. "But we'll scare them to death if we enter the village like this."

"What do you suggest?" she asked.

"If this map is correct, and by the looks of it so far it is, there should be a river somewhere close by," he showed her on the map. "I'd say fifteen minutes away. Let's stop there and wash and fill our water bottles. Then we can go to the village."

"It won't affect our schedule, will it?" she asked.

He raised an eyebrow. "What with these rogue ninjas we can't keep a schedule. You never know what might come up."

She stared at him.

"No, it won't," he said in an annoyed voice. "What is up with you?"

"What?" she asked.

"This silent treatment you're giving me. Please, tell me if there's something wrong, if you're wounded, if you need anything!"

"You asked me to keep quiet," she narrowed her eyes at him.

"I know! But you're creeping me out right now!" he yelled.

She smirked. "And I thought I had issues," she continued to walk.

"Hey, what is that supposed to mean?" he cried.

"Oh, nothing, scaredy cat," she stuck out her tongue at him and fled in the direction of the river.

Kakashi rolled his eye. At least she seemed to be back to normal; racing ahead like crazy and losing precious energy. She was more misunderstood than he was, that was for sure. It annoyed him that he wanted to figure her out so badly. He kept telling himself he was doing this for Rin, but Anko was seemingly beginning to be more and more interesting than any mission. When he heard the sound of water splashing, he decided to quicken his pace. He failed to notice a set of blood smeared clothes hanging in a tree. He stumbled on his feet when he saw that he might run in on an undressed Anko. His eyes remained glued to her creamy white shoulders as the blood trickled down to her lower back. It was as if she was trying to wash away the stains from an innocent body. She splashed water on her face. It was so refreshing. He discreetly walked away and rested under the shadow of a tree.

He bit his lower lip trying to ignore the heat that took hold over his body. Never had he felt this kind of thing towards Rin. He had to admit that he had a certain curiosity in seeing Anko's naked body. He never imagined Rin that way. His love for her was more idealistic. And for Anko he felt...curiousness and a twisted desire to run his dry fingers over her small body. He shuddered. He needed to snap out of it for the sake of the mission of course.

"Finally, you got here, you lazy bum," he heard her playfull voice.

He jumped to his feet. She had that mean smirk of hers. He ignored it.

"Why on earth are you wearing your ANBU uniform?" he asked. "Aren't we supposed to be keeping a low profile? What are they teaching you kids in school today?"

"First off," she came closer. "I'm not a kid. Get a pair of glasses if you see a kid standing in front of you." He looked away. "And secooond," she tugged onto the vocals. "I have no other clothes. Other than civilian that are not quite adequate for fighting."

"Oh, great," he scoffed.

"Well," she looked away. "I already think that the villages we're heading towards to have already been pillaged. Moreover," she took the map. "I think we just saved a village by taking down those ninjas," she showed him.

"So, what you're saying is that-" he said.

"That we're strolling up on graveyard lane? Yes. That is exactly what I'm saying," she nodded.

"Then going North doesn't make sense!" he snapped.

"It does, because that's where the main hideout is," she looked at him.

"I'm not sure," he rubbed his chin.

"Then we'll just have to reach the next village for you to convince yourself," she said crossing her legs and neatly folding her hands over them. "Now, why don't you go wash up?"

He continued to stare at the ground with his hands resting on his hips.

"Anytime soon?" her voice echoed in his mind.

"Hmph," he stalked off.

She tiredly looked after him. She propped her head against the tree. Squeezing her eyes she remembered how scared she was when he saw him pined to the ground. She was afraid of being alone again. She was scared of seeing her comrades die before her again. That was why she was willing to give her own life to save his. It was not an unfamiliar feeling to her. She saw her sensei to it time and time again. She sighed looking at the sky. She must stop thinking like this and try concentrating on herself.

She was studying the map when he came back. His hair was drenching with water and cold drops were trickling down his craved muscles. She had do make an effort not to gawk at me. She pushed back, banging her back against the tree trunk, and covered her eyes.

"Ew, Kakashi! Dress much?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I didn't know you weren't accustomed to this. Actually," he couldn't help but smirk. "I didn't think that it would move you in any way."

"Shut up," she growled looking between her fingers. "I have no problem with, with this! It's just that you surprised me!" she angrily got up. "What is up with you parading undressed like this?"

"Calm down, you're blushing," he teased her.

"Get serious," she twirled on her heel and stomped off.

He slipped on his civilian shirt and followed her. As he watched her body rush to the next village, images of her naked back flashed back in his mind. He had to snap out of it. She stopped and so did he.

"Anko…?"

Meh, I edited this chapter. Short, I know, I hope the next one will be longer. It's just that I was in the middle of writing it when my mother summoned me so I said that if I don't post it now I never will. sorry, sorry and hope that you're still hanging on.