Kabuto was sleeping by the pool again, just relaxing as if there weren't a woman with a gun just barely above him.

Anko had come to the abandon house across from him without her master's permission. She wanted to give Kabuto's death another shot, considering Orochimaru wasn't around to muck things up again.

She had her gun centered with his chest, directly at his heart actually. She was ready to pull the trigger, all she needed now was for her finger to slip and release the bullet.

She was ready this time, she could do it, she had to. Orochimaru-sama said it was the only way Mom, Dad, Sasuke, and Itachi could rest in peace.

She took in a shaky breath and eased the lens in to avoid getting a faulty shot.

"Here we go." She whispered, looking through the target-hole. "Goodbye Mr. Yakushi, you bastard."

Kabuto slowly opened his eyes as a dark sensation ran across his burning skin. His attention wandered around, hoping to find the source of this dark intention. His eyes fell on the house across from him that had been giving him the darkest feeling. His heart began to pound just from looking at it, but the organ almost burst when a gleam from one of the windows glared down at him, as well as a pair of eyes.

He was shaking despite the heat of the day, and his limbs were frozen in position that left him completely exposed.

The gleam was bright enough to blind him, but he somehow managed to see the person staring at him with pure hate, a person that was all too familiar to him .

His eyes slowly widened as images of the person's face flashed from his memory to his mind. He saw her shaking like he was, her eyes wide with disbelief in terror. But he also saw the want for death deep inside her dark orbs.

It wasn't until he began to see the blood corpses of her parents and brothers that he started panicking. His fear was so great that he managed to unlock his senses and jolt up to escape his nightmare.

Beads of sweat adorned his flesh as he panted the shivers out. He turned his attention to the windows that had held his illusion and squinted to see through the bright glass. No one was there.

He sighed thankfully and stood, letting his skin adjust to the hot concrete. He stared into the shallow waters of his swimming pool and was disgusted to see the murderer that was staring back at him. Even after a year, the blood that had acted as a second layer of skin that night was still fresh. He could still smell its rusty scent and could see the expressions of the people it.

Kabuto snarled and closed his eyes, letting his weary body fall face-first into the icy waters.

…...

"Let me go!" Anko screamed as Orochimaru dragged her into a secluded alley next to a bar a good couple of miles from her former hideout. He had one arm around her waist and the other threateningly around her neck, so tightly it was close to breaking like a stick.

Orochimaru rolled his eyes at her struggles; he could have sworn he had already told her that he was stronger that she could ever be. And he was more than certain that he had warned her not to try her assassination without him and his consent.

"Let go now!" Anko screamed again, this time louder so that the people in the bar could hear her.

Orochimaru clasped a hand over her mouth and threw her into a wall before getting on her again. He met her angry eyes with a glare of his own. "What were you thinking?" he hissed.

Anko bit his hand and spat her blood-mixed saliva into his face. "I was thinking the same thing I've been thinking for almost a year now! I was thinking about killing the man who took everything from me, but of course you had to fuck everything up-"

"The timing wasn't right!" Orochimaru yelled at her, trying desperately not to wrap his hands around her neck and choke the life out of her right there in the alley.

"The timing was perfect!" Anko yelled back, throwing Orochimaru off of her. "He was right there! That fucking family of his was nowhere in sight and I had a gun leveled to his damn head!"

Orochimaru screamed and leveled a fist to her face.

The sound of bricks falling and breaking echoed through the empty atmosphere, but there were no yelps to signal that the object that had caused the destruction had had a second target.

Orochimaru pulled his limb out of the wall, a bare inch from Anko's horrified face. He placed his non-broken hand next to Anko's head, a malic-filled grin of his starch face.

"Next time, that can so easily be your head, my dear Anko."

Anko stared at him. He was absolutely insane. Why didn't he want her to kill Kabuto? Was it some kind of will test, or was he hoping that she would have second thoughts?

"Do it now." Anko demanded. "Go ahead and kill me, I don't care. All I want is to see them again, and if it takes you busting my brains out than go a damn head!"

Orochimaru stared at her. Part of him really wanted to go through with her suggestion but the other half wanted to keep her around just a little bit more. She was a source of entertainment, and everything she did amused him some kind of way.

Like the first time he used her for his own physical enjoyment. He would have never expected a mute child to react so loudly to some of the things he did.

He laughed softly, the memory easing some of his frustration. He planted a soft kiss on her forehead, earning her disturbed stare.

"But Kabuto Yakushi would go on living, wouldn't he? After all, I have no reason to take him out. That's your field of expertise."

Anko lowered her head in shame as Orochimaru walked past her.

"I'm going to get a drink." He said. "You may either come with me or go home."

Anko's gaze followed him. This man was her twisted teacher, and used to be her only bridge between her sorrow and Kabuto Yakushi's death. But now, he was simply a thorn that she couldn't get out of her side.

Her hand slipped into her pocket where a tiny handgun was sleeping. All it would take was one bullet in the back of his skull. No one would ever know it was her.

She slowly brought the gun out and pointed dead-center at Orochimaru's head.

All she had to do was pull the trigger.

But there was that guilty feeling that lurked on the surface of her chest. He was the reason she had come this far. What kind of a pupil would she be if she killed the man that had taught her everything?

But then again, what kind of a daughter was she to let Kabuto Yakushi kill her original father?

Before she could have a second thought, Orochimaru shot around and smirked at her, not seeming the least bit surprised at the weapon that was aimed to kill him.

"Are you coming or not?" he questioned smoothly.

Something about the way his voice drawled caused something to in Anko's head to click. The click gave off a wave of fear that caused her grip on the gun to falter to the point where she just let it clatter to the ground. She followed soon after.

"W-who are you?"

One of Orochimaru's eyebrows cocked up in a questionable matter, but his smirk was all-knowing. "You know who I am."

"No!" Anko screamed at him. "Who are you really? How do you know so much about Kabuto Yakushi? Why did you take me in if all you're going to do is mess me up!" She clawed at the dirt until her nails were filled with it. Tears were filling her eyes for the first time in over a year. "I hate this! I hate being alone and Kabuto Yakushi is the only piece of information I have but don't remember why!" her glassy eyes met him. "And I hate you! I hate you for screwing me over! I hate you for coming into that damn hospital! I hate you for-"

Orochimaru was in front of her before she had the chance to finish her sentence. He gently grabbed her chin. His eyes roamed her face, as if searching for something he had never seen. His thumb pressed into her jaw and he jerked her up to him, his lips making a smacking sound as they captured hers.

Anko struggled at first, but decided that fighting back was just a waste. He wouldn't go any farther while they were visible to wandering eyes; he preferred to do his sins in the darkness of his own home.

He released her and rubbed her cheek possessively. "If you ever say something like that again, I'll kill you."

Anko's eyes widened as vile filled her stomach.

"If you tell, I'll come back to kill you."

She jumped up from his grasp and ran as fast as she could away from him. She threw people out of her way, jumped over some even. She did whatever she could to get into the safety of her that unfortunately existed in Orochimaru's apartment. But she could lock her door, and steal the key from his room.

Orochimaru stared at the place his student had been crouching at, a new sensation taking over him. An evil smirk stained his tingling lips as he picked up the gun that she had forgotten.

"Looks like you're starting to remember Anko." He checked the bullet holes and put the safety on. He sighed. "It seems I'm going to have to make you forget again."

…...

Kabuto stared at his sleeping wife with great turmoil. He had never told her about his past as an assassin, which burdened him more and more.

He just couldn't get that girl out of his head. He told himself that if he had re-loaded his gun and blew her brains out that his problem would be solved, but then the guilt of killing her would have taken over.

He turned onto his back and switched his attention to the ceiling. Maybe if he just knew her name, he could calm down. But then he'd have to know if she was still alive, then where she was living, then who she was living with and so forth. He couldn't be satisfied with just those tid-bits of information.

"Humph, maybe you're in love with her."

He closed his eyes for a moment to relish on that thought. Could that be all this was, love? He didn't think it was possible. How could he be in love with a girl he didn't even know when he had just made love to the woman he had pledged his life to barely an hour ago?

He turned back to Guren and wrapped a gentle arm around her waist, holding her closely as he fought off the nightmares for the millionth time in his life.

././././.

Morning

"You two be careful now." Kabuto instructed as he showed his wife and step-son out of the house. They were planning to do a little shopping so that Kabuto could get work done inside the quiet house.

"We will." Guren said, waving good bye.

Kabuto watched them, already feeling at peace just by the look of them.

"Will we get toys?" Yukimaru asked excitedly.

Guren laughed. "Maybe, but first say goodbye to your father."

Kabuto laughed and began to go back inside. "Leave him alone Guren, he's got toys on the brain…"

"Bye!"

Kabuto froze and slowly turned around to see a sight stranger than death. His step-son, who he patiently allowed to hate him, was waving him goodbye and actually smiling at him.

"Goodbye Dad!"

Kabuto's heart swelled as he lifted a shaky arm to wave goodbye. He watched them disappear behind the gate, his arm still swaying. After a moment, he retreated back inside, whistling a happy tune and skipping up the stairs at the same beat.

He reached the top of the stairs and was about to turn into his main office when something moved from the corner of his eye. He stopped and looked just in time to see a figure hide in the shadows cast by the house across from his.

"Hello?" he called out. Even though he was met by silence, he could feel the second presence in the room. He could only think of one person who would invade his home so covertly.

"Orochimaru?" Kabuto questioned. He saw the shadow-bathed figure jerk, and he smirked. "You bastard." Kabuto laughed as he closed in on him. "Why didn't you just…"

The person thought to be Orochimaru stepped out into the light, and Kabuto's heart started to race. This person was a fit woman, with spiky lavender hair and angry, brown eyes.

"You…you're…" Kabuto gulped, images of blood and her tears running across his mind. "That girl…"

Anko stared at him. This was the first time she was actually face-to-face with him, and she was soaking in every second of it. He was almost as tall as she was, but he seemed so much weaker. The horror in his eyes sent a rush through her, but she couldn't tell if it was eagerness or hate.

"Kabuto Yakushi…" Anko announced, slowly easing out her gun.

Kabuto's eyes widened; how did she know his name?

"I hope you're ready to die."

Kabuto stumbled back, grabbing the banister just in time to keep himself from tumbling down the stairs. He picked up the sound of footsteps coming up behind him, and took the chance of turning around to see who it was.

"Orochimaru!" he sighed in relief. "It's her it's that girl…" He watched Orochimaru stroll past him calmly, a lazy smirk on his lips.

"I see you've met my apprentice." Orochimaru said as he walked up behind a now irritated Anko.

She lowered the gun slightly.

"Your…apprentice!" Kabuto gasped. "But…why? How?"

Orochimaru chuckled and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I'm giving her what she wants: to eliminate the man who kill her beloved family.

Kabuto stared at him for a moment before his gaze turned into a glare. "What are you talking about? You-"

"Shoot him." Orochimaru whispered to Anko who didn't have to be told twice.

The bullet zoomed directly beside Kabuto's temple, grazing him. He wasted no time in jumping over the banister down the fourteen feet. He landed on the couch and crouched alongside the walls to avoid Anko's hits.

Anko shot down at him, missing only slightly until her bullets ran out. She growled and turned to Orochimaru. "I'm going after him." She paused however when he pulled out a gun of his own…and pointed it right at her.

"What are you doing?" she questioned.

Orochimaru lazily shrugged. "This is the part where I double-cross you."

Anko's eyes widened as he released the safety.

"Goodbye Anko. You have been entertaining, but I've tired of your ruthlessness." He pulled the trigger and watched Anko clutch her stomach before dropping to the floor. She stuttered for a moment, twitching and cursing him but finally rolled onto her stomach and stopped, her eyes closing.

He smirked as he stared down at her. If he would have known that doing this a year ago would have pleased him this much, he would have pulled her plug sooner. Still, it was unfortunate that she had to die so young, and now he had to kill Kabuto himself. Yes, very unfortunate.

He sighed and lazily retreated back down to the steps, leaving Anko's corpse to deal with later. He was sure Kabuto wouldn't mind he took a glass of water for his troubles before he shot a few bullets of his own at him.

.,.,.,.,.

Kabuto panted roughly as he came to a halt in the garage, locking the door behind him. His shaky hands fumbled in the small first-aid kit for a large band aid to secure the wound on his temple. He hissed as he disinfected and bandaged it, cursing Orochimaru because he didn't know Anko well enough to do so to her.

Honestly, he couldn't find any anger in his heart for her, even if she did just try to kill him.

After that, he searched the garage for his secret hiding place where he kept his most murderous gun, the exact same one he used a year ago on the Uchiha's. He had several hidden throughout the house, but this was only one he knew how to use; once a murder, always a murder.

He filled it with bullets and opened the garage door, searching for the car keys for his getaway. He fumbled with them and unlocked the door, jumping in and starting up the engine. "Come on come on come on!" he prayed as the garage door slowly opened to its full level. He was a second from pressing down on brakes when the opposite door swung open and a very wasted Anko admitted herself.

"What the-" the gun pointed at his head shut him up.

"Drive." Anko growled, sweat running down her face. One of her hands was gripping her chest where Orochimaru's bullet had gotten her. She pointed the gun upwards and shot off a warning round through the car ceiling. "I said drive damn it!"

Kabuto wasted no time in giving her exactly what she wanted and sped off, swaying through the lawn as he drove into the streets.

.,.,.,.

Orochimaru was watching from the upstairs window. Behind him was a small pool of blood that once belonged to Anko. He smirked and relished on the fact that this adventure was far from over.