The Snake Sannin stood on one of the overgrown branches in the Forest of Death, patiently waiting for sweet girl to arrive with his back against the trunk. His arms were crossed over his chest, one foot against the tree while he kept his amber eyes peeled open for Anko. She was closing on him, he could sense her coming through the Curse Mark—the seal he'd implanted a portion of his chakra into her body. Not only does his chakra within his old student would respond to his presence when he was near her and cause her a great deal of agonizing pain, it also alerted him of her presence.

This will be the first time in a while they would see each other face-to-face, without her being fast asleep. It's about time he reestablish his ownership over her. Too many men have touched her, especially those of Anko's male comrades he so despised. Anko's charm was certainly something else, but the Sannin did not enjoy the sight—or thought—of anyone showing their affection for her. It was obvious that most of them desire her, but they will never have her.

At all.

Anko was his.

When she landed in a crouch on the branch he was on, his smirk broadened considerably. She straightened up to stand in from of him as she presented herself steadily to her old mentor.

"Why are you here?" she inquired him with a raw hatred in her brown optics.

"For old time's sake, of course, my dearest Anko." Orochimaru replied in a honey-like tone. "But from your cold reaction, one might almost suspect you're not glad to see me."

Anko scoffed with a sneer, not taking his bait. "What a joke. Why are you really here? Another assassination attempt for Lady Hokage?

He shook his head at her, leaning off the tree trunk to stand up properly before his ex-apprentice. "By no means."

"Of course not," the snake kunoichi spat vehemently. She glanced down to see his snow-white hands returned back to normal, meaning that the jutsu placed on him by the Third Hokage was now gone. He must've have taken another body and she was pretty sure it wasn't Sasuke Uchiha's. "Last I'd heard, you were defeated by Lady Hokage and Master Jiraiya. You've lot nerve to show your face here."

"I came to see how you were doing, my dear." He took a step forward, only to make Anko recoiled from him. He smiled at her frightened reaction, putting on a disappointed expression when he moved closer to her as she inched away from him again. She was trying to keep her distance from him to have an opening for an escape, just in case she needed to head back to the village and warn the Hokage about his appearance in the village. "Oh... I went through so much trouble to arrange a reunion and yet you're plan on leaving without doing anything?"

Her anger flared at his mocking tone, a kunai sliding into her hand from her coat sleeve. She shifted her body in a fighting stance, ready to attack and wipe that smug grin off his face. "If I let you at large, it'll spell trouble for the Leaf Village."

Orochimaru chuckled at his spitfire. "I'm going to enjoy myself…"

The kunai buzzed at him, but he dodged by merely titling his head to one side and let it embedded itself into the tree trunk. He held out an arm at the snake kunoichi, serpents emerging from under his sleeve of his tan tunic. They lashed at Anko, but she sailed past them, all of her attention and rage focused on the pale-skinned man in front of her.

She came at him with taijutsu, her fists and legs attempting to land blows on him, but he faster than her. He blocked her incoming kick with his arm and then grabbed her ankle with his free hand, circling her around in the air until he released her, her back roughly slamming the tree.

She coughed harshly at the impact, glaring furiously at the snake. She charged at him, but the Snake Sannin disappeared from her sight. Suddenly, a steel blade was aimed closely at her jugular and a masculine chest crowded behind her back. "You bast—"

A foot swept under her and before she knew it, Orochimaru was above her and she was on her back against the branch, his amber irises flashing with something deeper than his sadistic amusement or profound arrogance. Her wrists were locked together in one of his hands, holding her like iron chains would do to a criminal. The razor-sharp sword was no longer pressed against her throat, the Sannin's Snake Sword transforming into a snake and then disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Get off me!" she snarled at him in frustration. She attempted to raise her legs to kick him off, but they were captured between his thighs. "Get off!"

Panic swelled up inside her as she shifted her body to squirm out from under him, but that only made heat bloomed in her core when she realized how close their bodies were crushed together. Blush rose to her cheeks when she saw his face moving down to her mouth, his lips brushing hers in a feather-light touch. This was not good.

"Ask me again why I'm here, Anko," he demanded, a purr laced in his voice. His golden hues locked on her chocolate ones, both boring deeply into one another. Anko wanted to look away from searing, hungry gaze, however, she was mesmerized by his slitted, snakelike pupils. They were beautiful, strangely seductive, just as she remembered from when she was a child. Orochimaru studied her with a huge smirk, seeing her inner struggle between her desire for him and her loyalty for the pathetic Leaf Village. "You're not obeying me. Ask me why I'm here, my dear, or would you rather see for yourself?"

Anko's eyes widened in shock as their lips joined in a heated, aggressive caress. All of her priorities were lost when she felt Orochimaru's long tongue tracing the seam of her mouth and then darted though the entrance to the hot, sweet recesses of her mouth. Anko moaned in pleasure when he pushed her up closer to his body, deepening the melting caress that broke down all of her resistance. The kiss was like fire coursing through her veins, unbelievably passionate and amazing.

No. This is wrong. I can't do this. I can't feel this.

She tore her mouth away the erotic torture of his mouth, pivoting her head to the side. She was shaking with desire and want, her fiery emotions spiked to a dangerous level than usual. What the hell was she thinking? She was risking too much right now, with him. Her life, her loyalty, her sanity—and for what? For the man that betrayed her and was the Leaf Village's number one enemy.

She needed to find some way to extinguish the deadly, molten flames that were lit within her, and then prayed like hell that she didn't just signed her own death warrant. The source of her distress gripped her chin with his free hand, forcing her to look at his disapproving face.

"Don't ignore me, my dear," he hissed softly, capturing her mouth again in ardent kiss. His tongue penetrated her lips again, tasting the delicious cave of her mouth, his tongue undulating around hers and fighting for dominance. Orochimaru's hand came up to her throat, stroking it gently to entice her more.

"Stop," Anko begged him between kisses, breathing rapidly. God, how she hated that word right now. The last thing she wanted him to do is stop kissing her and caressing her neck, but this was wrong, no matter how right it felt or much she needed it. "I mean it, stop it."

He pulled back to glower down at her in dissatisfaction. Her face was flushed scarlet-red, her voluptuous chest rising up and down, and he could felt her pulse racing in a urgent tempo from where he was on her throat. Her mind might've said no to him, but her heart cannot lie. He could read her so well. Orochimaru's lips curved into a sensual smile. "Don't resist your wants, Anko. Just for tonight, release your desires to me."

The snake kunoichi shook her head slowly at him, refusing his tempting offer. To deceive the prey with sweet words and then drag them down into the steepest darkness was the true power of a demon. Orochimaru was no longer a human; the Third Hokage had said it himself during the time when they faced off.

He was a demon, a beast in human form.

Anko knew it was pointless to pursue a man like him, she knew it since she was child, because she knew he will never give her the words she desired. He couldn't return her feelings since she was his student, so at the very least he was nice to her, but he probably knew that would only hurt her more in the end. It was like their entire relationship relied on nothing more than sentimentality.

If she was to give in to him for just one night, it will only release her from her pain for just a little while. He would only leave her alone with her miserable tears again, wouldn't he? What will she do with the pile of painful thoughts? The weight of it will move neither forward or backward, and Anko knew that the minute he left her in the Land of the Sea. She had desperately called out to him, but he never looked back at her. That time was too painful, and all she wanted was to feel comfort for once in her life since that happened. She wanted to forget the man who was both kind and cruel, but she knew it was impossible.

Now here she laid on a thick branch, with the man she loved hovering over her, profound lust shimmering in their irises. She was the prey and he was the predator. And as the prey, she is deceived by sweet words and dragged down into darkness. For her not to notice his concealed demonic power would be foolish of her. It was a demon's whisper—his breath—that destroys all reasoning and allows it to simply fall.

Skillfully.

Sweetly.

Quietly.

"Anko, it's all right." Orochimaru whispered alluringly in her ear. His warm breath was so close to her skin, and it made shivers crawled up her spine. It wasn't because she was afraid of him; it was the desire that was burning her from within her to have him. "'Wouldn't it be good to forget everything, even if it's just for tonight? Indulge in pleasure... Breathe a sweet poison deep into your lungs."

"Orochi—" she gasped when his tongue flickered out to lick the rim of her ear.

"I know you, my dear. You want this too, don't you?" he continued, seducing her even more. "You can't lie to me."

"I…" Anko hesitated, averting her head to one side, but warm fingers guided it back to him. Her face was still flushed crimson-red from the close proximity of their bodies, the blossoming, unwanted hear in her core, and the need to have this man inside her. She wanted to ignore the passion that was boiling up and threatening to consume her with if was to stay here any longer with him. When she found her voice again, it leaked out with cold and quiet desperation. "Get off me, please."

Surprisingly, he complied with her wish. He removed himself from on top of her; freeing her wrists from the iron grip he was holding her down with. He clambered up, folding his arms across his chest as his old student gazed up at him with a shocked expression. She didn't expect him to listen to her request.

"I'll go," the Snake Sannin told her as she got up on her wobbly feet. "But I'll only do it if you tell me you don't love me."

"What…?" Anko stared at him, puzzled beyond belief. A pale extended to caress her cheek; her face flushing bright red again at his gesture as his thumb ran over her lush lips. Moisture broke from her eyes, rolling down her cheeks at the cruel display of his affection for her. She lowered her face down, unable to look at him. "Don't… Don't touch me this way if you don't feel the same way I do…"

He gave her a tender smile, the ones she loved so much when she was a child. She couldn't tell it was fake or not, but she was caught in a hypnotic trance by his golden irises. "You shouldn't dumbly jump to conclusions."

"But you…"

Lips crashed down on hers in a fervent caress, his hands clasping her roughly to his chest. Hands roamed and clutched at her body, leaving no area untouched. Anko was overwhelmed when his mouth claimed hers, trying not lose control of her feelings over to the divine taste of him as snakelike tongue darted inside her mouth again. However, she couldn't shake off those feelings anymore. It was too much to bear.

Orochimaru broke the kiss, smirking when she was reluctant to let go. He rested his forehead on hers, their lips a mere inch apart from each other. "Say you don't love me, and I'll go."

No longer wanting to deny her hidden love for him, she wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers tangling in his silky, ebony locks. "I can never say that you."

Her breathless confession was quickly followed by another joining of mouths in a ravaging, passionate kiss that she initiated this time. She longed for this to happen, yearning to know how he tasted, not caring if it made her a rouge ninja in the process. Her attention was fixated on the Sannin before her, his wandering hands exploring her generous figure.

She couldn't believe what she doing, making out with an S-class criminal of the Leaf Village that had snuck in just to see her. A part of was still screaming for her to stop, nagging at the back of her mind that he was the person who wanted to demolish her home, but she couldn't help herself. There some feelings that a person could not ignore, and Anko knew that. She wanted to be with him. However, kissing him and touching him wasn't enough. She wanted more of him.

All of him.

Too engrossed in the kiss, she didn't notice that her back hit the trunk of the tree, his body pressed tightly on hers, his knee spreading her legs apart so that she could be lifted up in order for her legs to be wrapped around his waist. She moaned in pleasure when a hand smoothed down the graceful curve of her thigh, and she reveled in his addicting touch. They both broke apart for air for only a moment, and then their lips were glued in another heated caress as he slipped off the band that held her violet hair together, her short tresses cascading around her shoulders in soft waves.

Orochimaru smirked inwardly in victory; pleased she was no longer denying him. He found great pleasure in this with his little Anko, which was odd when he considered the fact he was never the type to admit to feelings of 'lust' or 'love'. However, he'd always possessed great affection for his student, more than anyone else in the world. Anko sparked fire in him that made him want to have her naked body against his. He wanted to taste her, feel and have her, in every way possible. She was his stu—No, not his student.

His lover.

His woman.

His sweet girl.

The Snake Sannin teased Anko's lips with a stroke with his fangs when he withdrew from her. She was heaving in airy pants for oxygen, her brown optics duskier from the lust haze that was imbued with them. Easing her down softly, his fingers delved down to the straps of her orange skirt, unbuckling it from her waist and tugged it off, throwing it aside. The thin metal mesh that accumulated breasts and fit the slender curves of her form was then yanked down in a swift moment, along with her brown bra and panties.

The snake kunoichi was lucky that her wounds that she had inflicted on herself were completely healed, having to visit the Leaf Hospital earlier today. And of course, she had to make up a total lie to the medic that treated her that she'd hurt herself during training.

Orochimaru's digits ventured further up, his warm palms caressing her skin while his ardor mouth planted butterfly kisses on the column of her pretty neck. A delighted mewl escaped her lips, her eyelids falling shut halfway. She felt weak and boneless under his skillful touch, the pleasure rising up just like her passion for this man.

Now it was her turn to start undressing him. Her hands came up to the Sannin's waist, undoing his thick rope belt and tossed it someplace else, and then discarded the rest of his clothes quickly. They took great enjoyment at the sight of their bodies, marveling at each other's glorious nudity.

Mouths smoldered against one another in a fervor kiss, Anko's tongue playfully tracing the length of one his lethal canines. Her smooth palms journeyed up and down the hard muscles of his perfect chest and back, her body jamming on his insistently and Orochimaru chuckled against her lips at her eagerness. His mouth left hers to trailed down rough kisses on her chest until he took one of her tight pink nipples into his mouth, rolling it in back and forth with his tongue.

The snake kunoichi moaned and arched her back to his teasing mouth, her fingers twisting in his locks that fell like a lustrous black veil across her lithe form. Her pulse fluttered rapidly, her breathing quickened as she pushed her pelvis against his, the white-hot sensation growing more intense between them. Something rigid was pressing itself against her inner thigh, and she knew what it was.

"Orochimaru…" His name was a throaty purr that emanated from deep in her throat, the volume of her voice increasing as he moved his fervent kisses to the her taut stomach. His tongue dove in her bellybutton while both of his hands was now squeezing her breasts roughly, eliciting another moan from her. "Orochimaru!"

Lips locked again in a fiery caress, muffling Anko's gasp of surprise when she felt his digits cleaving through the wet, hot petals of her cleft, finding her tight and slick. She moaned against her lover's mouth, shoving Orochimaru onto his back so they could change positions. He allowed her to do so, permitting her a few minutes of dominance before he regained his control over her. Anko may be his dear girl, but their roles as predator and prey will never be switched when they're together, no matter what.

The purple-haired woman was trembling with desire, never feeling so alive before now. Her mouth lapped at his milk-white torso with bites and kisses, her fingers tracing patterns while the pale-skinned man under her outlined her lavish curves with his hands. When her mouth came to suck on his neck and nibbled on the tender flesh, leaving a red mark behind, Orochimaru sighed in that pleasure, his hands stroking and roaming her sumptuous figure, kneading her flesh to elicit another mewl of pleasure from her. He smirked widely; satisfied that he was able to reduce her into this fragile state.

He rocked his hips against hers, a groan of delight slipping the purple-haired woman's lips. With a hard push, Anko was beneath the Sannin again, their hues blazing with lust for each other.

Anko reached for him, wanting to draw his mouth to hers, but he pulled back slightly, the corners of his lips curving into a salacious smile. He moved his hips at hers again, tempting her with her desire to have him inside of her. He wanted it too, but he must make sure Anko knew what exactly was she doing with him. She spent so long denying her passion—the passion she was so afraid of showing to anyone—that it was possible that when this is over, she will try and deny those feelings again. And besides, he has to make sure his sweet girl knew whom she rightfully belonged to.

"Anko," he drawled out her name in a seductive tone, his amber irises flaring with lust for his woman. She looked at him with dusky hues that were clouded with desire for him, her arms linking around his neck as he lowered his face down until their foreheads touched. "Say that you want this, that you want me. Scream to me that you are mine. I want you to know what you're doing here with me. I need to know that you want this."

Overwhelmed with her longing for the man looming over her, Anko nodded at him and shut her eyes tight as she moaned out her response. "I want this… I want you..."

"That's my good girl," he smiled in triumph over the kunoichi, impaling himself into her moist core. Anko screamed out his name at the wondrous pain and pleasure, her nails digging into his back. She coiled her ankles securely behind him, wanting him to push deeper in her. She moaned when he was able to bury his groin to the hilt of her sheath, their bodies milking each other. They fit together so perfectly and easily, as if they were meant for each other. He felt so good…almost too good to be true.

His elongated, razor-sharp teeth brushed over the Curse Mark, a spark of liquid electricity jolted her body closer against him. Orochimaru gave that spot of her neck a firm lick of his tongue as he moved out of her, and she flinched visibly. He thrust in her cleft again and he relished in her pleasured moan. When his teeth penetrating her warm flesh, rivulets of crimson rolled down the curves of her figure, over her nipples and to her nether regions. The ravenous snake sucked at her vein like he would with sweet nectar, reveling in the taste of her sweet and spicy blood.

"Don't stop," the snake kunoichi mewled, enthralled at his searing bite, her fingers running through the shining locks of his ebony strands. Her sultry mouth came on his beautiful white throat, taking in the luscious taste of his flesh as he keep thrusting into her, his tempo becoming harder and faster. When the intensity of the pleasure came too much, she cried out his name in ecstasy. "Orochimaru!"

The sounds of her moans, her screams, her whimpers—they were like a dulcet melody to his ears. He grinned broadly against her puncture wounds, removing his fangs from that spot and lick the lacerations clean. He let it wandered down over the rivulets of scarlet all over her figure, cleansing her the blood off her while making Anko tingle with pleasure. She cried out again and again as he pushed deeper into her slick, velvet cleft, screaming his name and begging him not to stop. It was all for the man she so badly lusted for after all these years.

Her passionate screams echoed through the Forest of Death, but it was then swiftly silenced when Orochimaru captured her lips in a voracious kiss, plunging his tongue inside her hot recesses, his tongue colliding with hers so she could taste her own enticing blood. He didn't want anyone to hear her, not taking the chance of the possibility of someone stumbling upon their lovemaking.

It wasn't enough, though. It was nearly enough to sate her cravings for the Snake Sannin. She needed more, wanted more of him. Anko still hungered for him, despite the fact how their bodies were already sweaty and meeting each other in long, hard thrusts. When they broke away for air, Orochimaru watched in amusement as she brought up his left wrist that was inked with his Summoning tattoo to her mouth.

It was an odd design, indeed. It was a black swirling pattern, like a snake's tail with spikes, circling around in two loops before it branched off in two lines on the back. Both of the tails came back to the front of his wrist like arcs facing each other in a pointed U and with a horizontal line running through it. At the center was an odd shuriken-like mark on the right, with a small black dot next to it.

Anko skimmed her tongue on the swirls and arcs, her teeth grazing and sucking his flesh. Orochimaru smirked at her, enjoying the feel of the erotic suction of her mouth. Something about that smirk made Anko's heart skipped a beat, the fiercely burning sensation rose to a new level.

"Go on." He pressed his tattooed wrist more firmly to her lips. With a feral grin, Anko sunk her teeth into his flesh, biting down hard to break the skin, savoring the taste of his blood, which tasted spicy-sweet and dark and wild. She sighed at the succulent flavor of Orochimaru, too absorbed in it that she wasn't aware that the Sannin flipped her over, reversing their positions so that he can get his piece of his violet-haired vixen.

It was her turn to put in some of the effort, thrusting up and down in a furious ride. Adrenaline coursed through her veins while she continued to taste his blood as Orochimaru touched and groped at her lascivious body, kneading at her breasts and caressing her gorgeous hips and thighs with his free hand. She was sweating more than before, a sign that she was reaching her limit.

A shattering orgasm rippled in waves of pleasure in her body, and she exploded in ecstasy as she climaxed from the rapture release. Anko cried out in delectation, her mouth leaving his bloodied wrist as she shuddered at the pleasurable ferocity that spread within her. The Snake Sannin lifted himself up to kissed her, her lips stained with a lovely shade of red from his blood.

She returned the kiss fiercely as she finally hit her peak, gripping his shoulders to draw out more blood from him. The sensation was incredible, exhilarating. She felt like she was blasting off into the white-hot abyss, like she was a star shooting through the sky at an astounding speed. She didn't care where she ended up; the only thing that mattered she was with the man she loved so passionately with all her heart.

As the invigorating feeling faded, Anko collapsed on the Sannin, who caught her as she fell in his strong arms. What a shame that she didn't last longer, Orochimaru was so looking forward on continuing this…extremely interesting experience between the two of them. But that was fine, there's always next time. Although, he didn't appreciate this weakness that sex brought upon him, experiencing it with his darling Anko was defiantly worth it.

The pale-skinned male nuzzled the exhausted and sated kunoichi's neck, his arms protectively around her waist. Her head rested on his chest as he fondled her violet bangs on her forehead, sweeping them away to see her beautiful but tired face.

"Say you love me," Orochimaru ordered softly, whispering in her ear.

"I love you…" Anko mumbled with a smile, images of the man holding her flittered her dreams with pleasant feelings of love and comfort. Finally, all of the guilt and sorrow that piled up in her existence was hammered down by the man who first gave her all of that pain, But now… Now, all she felt was love—all of the love and adoration she kept buried in the bottomless pit of her soul—for him. Her eyelids shut closed as she succumbed into a blissful sleep.

The Sannin smiled down at his former student he always had a soft spot for, an emotion that goes beyond the feeling of affection stirred his gut. Before all of this happened, he knew that he shouldn't let that growing emotion develop any than it already have, but he was glad he did. He'd now obtained his sweet girl back in his grasp; along with the amazing, invigorating feeling she gave—and will continue to give—him.

There was absolutely no way he would ever let her go. Orochimaru allowed them to part in the Land of the Sea; he won't do the same thing again. Her rightful place was with him, not with the Leaf Village. At his side was where she belonged. He affirmed it as he lay down naked, next to Anko, relaxing as he drifted into slumber with his dear old student—now lover—while the darkness of the forest enveloped around them like a blanket, and then there was only silence.

ஜ ~ ஜ

As the morning sun dawned upon the Leaf Village, Anko twitched slightly when the light shone down at her, her eyelids fluttering slowly open. After blinking a few times to adjust to the brightness, Anko was confused when her optics met with the scenery of a forest and clothes scattered all around her. To make the situation even more odd, her body felt deliciously relaxed and sore in all the right places.

She felt warm.

Comfortable.

Safe.

What the heck happened to her? Where was she?

As a familiar, tender hand stroke her back lazily, the snake kunoichi realizing only then that her figure was sprawled over a smooth body, her cheek pressed against a masculine chest. Vivid images of last night's events flashed through her head, the memories far too clear for her own good.

She remembered everything: The mindless hunger and hatred inside of her that burned at the man she loved and hated, and then the relentless, heated lust that consumed and broke down all of her defenses and reasons she had carefully built up all her life—all of them destroyed from the overwhelming want and need for the snake that was laying under her.

With a startled gasp, Anko jolted up from the warmth that was provided by her companion, clutching the fabric of cloth that she recognized as her khaki coat to cover her nude body, her cheeks turning crimson in embarrassment. What had she become? How can she willingly allow the man that killed the Third Hokage and cast her aside like some toy reduced her to some wanton idiot?

A strong hand wrapped her waist and pulled her back down to him. "Lay back down, Anko."

She didn't protest, but felt profoundly uneasy as she burrowed her face into the crook of his neck. His hand was still caressing down her form in soothing movements, trying to ease the enormous humiliation she felt at the moment. The silence of the forest stretched until Orochimaru spoke up first, disliking the tense vibe in the air.

"How do you feel?"

The violet-haired woman sighed, refusing to meet the molten golden hues of her former sensei. Her eyes were shut, her willowy fingers tracing the design of his tattoo on his left wrist and over the wound she inflicted on him last night. "Content."

The Snake Sannin smirked, pleased at her honest answer. "Do you regret it?"

She didn't answer him right away, her mind and heart clashing within her soul like a blazing inferno, a battle of her desire and her duty. However, she shook her head regardless, not able to lie that she regretted what transpired between teacher and student.

"I like that last night belonged to us alone." Anko whispered quietly, her body liquid putty from the ferocious waves of ecstasy that erupted inside her from last night. Her digits left his arm, skimming up his shoulder, around his collarbone, and then to his chest, stroking the pale skin leisurely. The stillness between them extended, the only noises that were heard the sounds of the birds in the sky and the rustles of animals inhabited in the Forest of Death. Exhaling sharply, she lifted her head to stare at the Sannin. "What happens now? I can't pretend like things aren't different between us."

"You could defect, come with me." Orochimaru suggested, brushing a hand through her violaceous hair, which was tousled from their lovemaking. Uncertainty crossed her pretty face as the offer hung in the air, and the Sannin frowned at her indecisive look.

After the consummation of their illicit relationship, she was supposed to leave with him and be by his side as his lover, to assured the Leaf Village will never get their hands on her. Rising up to a sitting position, he clasped his arms around his sweet girl and embraced her tightly, her hands on his chest and her face titled up to his stern face. "And besides, there's no life for you here. You belong with me."

Anko blushed at the closeness, averting her eyes to avoid seeing his golden hues. As she spoke, her voice turned slightly brittle as she thought about his words. "But… You hurt me. Why would you care, anyway…?"

Slender fingers cupped her chin and brought her face to look at him, his yellow optics studying her. It was obvious that she was hooked on how he'd 'abandoned' her, and he didn't want that getting in the way of in between them. "I have every right to bring you back, you were mine the minute we first met. You left me, remember? It's only natural for me to reclaim what's mine, isn't it?"

The snake kunoichi flinched at that question that sounded more like statement, the redness that filled her cheeks receded from her face as her brow furrowed sternly. She wanted to leave with him, especially after last night, but the Leaf Village… They were her family; they have been since Orochimaru left her. They took care of her, provided her with warmth that mended the scars of her broken heart little by little. Could she really do it, defect from the village and go live with Orochimaru as his… As his what, exactly? Lover? One of his subordinates? Or as his, as much she dreaded to even think about it, his experiment like last time?

He could be playing her for a fool again, but something in her heart told her that his affection that he showed her now and yesterday was real. He wanted her back; the eager child inside her would jump at the chance to be with her beloved sensei again. But can she deal with it? With the killing, the crimes, the experiments? Her rational mind told her that returning to him was a foolish, reckless move. She would be branded as a rouge shinobi and would constantly be hunted down as a criminal. However, she slept with the enemy, and wasn't that just as bad as leaving the Leaf?

God, what should she do?

"I…need time to think about it," she said finally, her palms on his chest gently pushing him a few inches away. "I love you, but… I just can't trust you."

Though his frown deepened, Orochimaru nodded and released her chin. "Fine, I'll give you three days. You have that long."

"All right."

They both stood up and searched for their scattered attires, dressing several feet away from one another. Anko felt profoundly embarrassed that she was stark naked and looking at her nudity reminded too much of her last night. Heat rose to her face at the thought, so she asked her ex-mentor not to look at her. Surprisingly, he agreed and just ventured to gather his garbs and slipped it on his form.

Once they were done, Orochimaru sauntered forward and caressed his lover's cheek softly. He smiled as she flushed crimson at the small gesture, his voice honey-toned. "If it's any reassurance, last night did mean something to me."

She gazed at him yearningly, her expression sweetly honest. "Me too."

His smile broadened and he caught her lips in a passionate kiss. He kept his eyelids open, wanting her to be entranced by his mesmerizing, amber irises. She encircled her arms around his neck to pull him closer, the kiss more animalistic as the time went by. Anko's guttural moan was a rumble in the back of her throat, becoming too aroused as he made love to her with nothing but his snakelike tongue. His scent, something that smelled like bitter chocolate and rich spices, intoxicated her.

When they pulled back, Orochimaru ran his thumb over her kiss-swollen lips. "Good-bye for now, my dear."

Words failed her at the moment from the butterflies fluttering in her stomach, so she just nodded. Sparing one last glance at her lover, Anko pivoted around and dashed out of the Forest of Death, rushing back into the village before anyone notices that she was gone. The Snake Sannin watched her go until she vanished from his sight, his expression switching from pleased to his usual unreadable look. He swiveled and jumped down to the ground, taking only ten steps forward before a smooth, cool voice laced with amusement piped up.

"Well, aren't you just the gentleman?" Kabuto leaned against a one of the other trees in the forest, an entertained grin on his face as he pushed up his glasses. "You had a good chance, too."

Orochimaru smirked at his right-hand man. "Even if I were to have her body, it would be pointless if her heart is attached to the Leaf Village. Anko needs to make the decision herself, and when she does, then she will be mine forever. Only then I can take her away from here."

The silver-haired medic felt the creep of déjà vu crawling up his spine as his lord's tongue came out from his mouth to lick his lips in a slow, sensual movement. Folding his arms over his chest, the memories of the conversation between him and Orochimaru after the prelims of the Chūnin Exams about Sasuke came rolling back inside his head.

"I still have no idea why you are so fixated on that girl, Lord Orochimaru." Kabuto stated as he started to walk side-by-side with his lord, their feet dragging them back to their hideout that was not too far from the village. "Not only she is a kunoichi from the Leaf Village, the Hokage and her dogs are constantly tracking down our movements, and now that woman's activities as well. For you to risk us being caught like this, well… It's quite confusing."

"You wish to know?" Orochimaru halted his calm stride, and he pivoted his head to show him a sly smile. "That woman…is the only person I truly care about."

ஜ ~ ஜ

Anko touched the lacerations on her neck over the gauze as she gazed at her reflection in her bathroom mirror. She was able to sneak back into her apartment without running into one of her friends, and she hoped that they wouldn't see her for the rest of the week. How will she explained the injuries on her neck? What, tell them that a snake bit her? Well, that could be a reasonable excuse, considering it wasn't exactly lying. She wanted to hide in her apartment until her wounds heal, leaving no trace of the twin punctures that Orochimaru gave her in the middle of their lovemaking.

The snake kunoichi wondered what would happen to her now. Orochimaru gave her three days to make her decision to either go with him or stay here. She didn't ask what would happen if she would choose the village over him, though. Her heart ached at the thought of being separated from him again; she wouldn't bear to be deserted by that man another time. If he did, she felt like she would die from the inside.

The purple-haired woman sighed, pushing away her musings to think more about another time. All she wanted to do is get some decent sleep, her muscles sore and her mind tired. Flopping down her bed, she allowed herself to be drifted into a blissful, short nap, smiling as the memories of her passionate night with Orochimaru infiltrated her dreams.

ஜ ~ ஜ

By the time three days passed, Anko had her back against the tree where she and Orochimaru last saw each other. Her expression was blank, her mouth turned down into a sad frown as she contemplated on the decision she agonized over. Her mind was flooded with the conflict that raged on within her heart between her love for her former sensei and her duty to her home.

The stars twinkled like diamonds in the night sky; the quiet of the Forest of Death was pleasantly comforting. It wouldn't be long until Orochimaru arrived to meet her to hear her decision. Her heart hammered against her ribcage at the thought of seeing him again, her pulse thrumming in anticipation as she waited for his arrival.

She bit her bottom lip in anguish, her fingers curling up in both hands as they fisted. Tears threatened to start pouring out of her closed her eyes, the sorrow weighing down in her chest growing more heavily with every passing minute.

When he came, her answer to his offer will tear her apart. She knew it was the best thing for her to do, but she couldn't take it. How can anyone live with such sadness? How will he react? Will he hate her? Kill her? Threatened to expose to the entire Leaf Village of their one-night tryst? He wouldn't do that, would he? And what about her? What will she do now after that transpired between her and the Snake Sannin? Live with the aching guilt that she betrayed her village for one night, surrendering to its most hateful enemy because she gave into her passion?

All these questions keep spiraling in her head to the point she felt like it would explode at any moment. Damn it, why did it have to him? Why couldn't she fall in love with anyone else? Why did she have to be so weak? She knew who and what he was, but she still let the snake take her, bite her and take advantage of her. It could never be in the first place, their love was in vain, but she fell for him anyway. She was so stupid!

A hand slipped past her violet hair and touched her cheek, caressing her face softly as the tears came streaming down her face. When Anko looked up at her visitor, her teary optics locked on with amber, serpentine silts. The corners of a pale mouth curved up into a gentle smile, his snow-white hand kept stroking her cheek. "Is something the matter?"

"Orochimaru…" Anko moved her away from his tender touch and quickly brought her hands to her face, wiping them away so he couldn't see her weakness. "It's nothing."

He flashed a faint smirk at her, his eyes glimmering as his way of telling her that he knew better. "So, what's your answer?"

His hand extended out to her again to stroke her face again, but she saw it coming and moved away. A frown crossed his features at her, his golden optics glared at her with dissatisfaction. "You're acting cold to me again, my dear."

The snake kunoichi shook her head slowly at him, her caramel-colored hues staring at him with sternness. "I don't want you to use our relationship as a way to manipulate my decision."

"I'm giving you a choice, Anko." Orochimaru replied, brushing off her accusation. "Don't you want to come with me?"

Silence strained the atmosphere between them as long moments passed. Anko remained quiet, the grief in her beautiful, warm eyes resurfacing as she sobbed out, "My current feelings…are a mixture of sadness and anger. I thought about your offer, and agonized over it for the last few days until I'd finally reached a decision. I love you so much, but I…"

"Your refusing me, aren't you?" His tone was harsh, scornful.

"I'm sorry, but I can't…" she trailed off, covering her face with her hands as she wept uncontrollably. "I can't go with you. I can't sit by and watch you cause destruction wherever you go. That isn't me—that isn't my life. I can't live like that…"

"Your place is with me, not here." Orochimaru remarked firmly, his arm looping around her waist to embrace her. Anko didn't reject his sweet gesture, and her hands clutched his back tightly as she listened to his truthful words. "You're not happy here, that much is obvious. Anko, you know I could always take you with me by force."

The crying woman burrowed her wet face into his hard chest, her meek voice muffled by his clothes. "If you were to do that, then I will never forgive you."

The Sannin sighed at her obstinate head. "There was a time a thought I could take you against your will, but there would be no point in that if half of your heart was connected to the Leaf."

"I want to go with you, but…"

"But you don't trust me, is that it?" He remembered her words from last time, gripping her shoulders to push her away from him slightly. However, he refused to let go of her completely. "You're afraid that I would use you and throw you away this time?"

Anko nodded, not bothering to deny it since he could read her so well. "Yeah. You betrayed me once, who's to say that won't do the same thing again?"

"Didn't that night mean anything to you?" He popped his trump card at her while he ignored her question, persisted to persuade her to come and live with him. That is what he wanted from her, and he wasn't planning on failing.

"It meant everything to me!" Anko exclaimed in frustration, her chest becoming tight with her inner chaos between her deepest desire and moral duty. She didn't want him to think she didn't love him, she did and always will. But to do the things he did, become a rough ninja and leave her friends behind, was something she was ready to deal with yet. "No matter what happens, I will always feel the same about you. I love you, but we can't be together. I'm not ready to deal with it."

Orochimaru remained silent for a few minutes before he reached out to wipe her salty tears from her weeping face with his fingers. "I won't force you to come with me, my dear. However, is that what you truly desire? To live here in the Leaf Village, and not with me?"

"No, it's not, but I'm not prepared to live—" Anko was interrupted as he caressed the soft line of her jaw, his face leaning down to successfully capture her lips in a sizzling kiss. Anko moaned involuntary, recalling how amazing it felt to kiss him, to touch him, lying naked next to his heated body. Her arms coiled around his neck while she was roughly slammed against the trunk of the tree, the Sannin repeating his actions from last time. She lost herself in his melting kiss, her body becoming limp with the erotic melding of their mouths against each other.

The pale-skinned man broke the kiss, his golden irises gazing at her deeply. "If that is your choice, then this will be the last time for us. You know that, don't you?"

"Yeah, so can we forget everything for tonight?" she inquired softly, receiving another scorching kiss as her answer. Her tongue met his in a fiery dance, dueling for control over the other. As they attacked each other with burning kisses, they stripped off their clothes in an unhurried grace.

When the clothes were off, they pressed their bodies together without hesitation, Anko on the bottom with Orochimaru on top, being the dominant one in the relationship. He peppered her neck with fervor kisses, his palms wandering over her toned abdomen until they cupped over the creamy swells of her breasts, teasing her pebbled-hard nipples with his digits. Anko writhed under him and entwined her fingers in his ebony hair, mewling in pleasure in her lover's ears like it was the loveliest melody he'd ever heard.

She wanted him intensely, so much more than before, and she knew he felt the same way. His lips were back on hers, the Snake Sannin crushing her mouth with demand, shoving his tongue into her hot cave as if he meant to devour her. Adrenaline shimmered in her veins as she murmured his exotic name in broken, pleasured gasps, his hands fondling teasingly on the aching swells of her breasts.

"Don't stop…" Anko moaned in pleasure when she felt the digits of one his hands left her bosom to skate down her wet, warm cleft, stroking his palm in masterful rhythm against her. But he did stop—much too soon, in fact. Orochimaru broke their kiss to hover his head over hers, their eyes pinned at each other to admire the cloud of lust that was surfacing in their hues.

In a brief second, mouths were caught in a deep, hungered caress once more, the snake kunoichi tightened her fingers in his hair as the Sannin groped and cupped the delectable curves and sensitive spots on her luscious body. It wasn't long until they moved apart from their kiss again so he could dipped his head and enclosed his mouth over her right breast, one hand kneading the other perfect mound of flesh.

He lavished her breast and clenched his teeth on the tight bud, the sweet scent of her arousal intoxicating him as she moaned and mewled under him in rapture. His fingers returned to her velvet, moist core, delving into her slick folds of her body. Orochimaru's lips curled into a smile against her chest, reveling how she blossomed even fuller for him. She was so wet and hot and tight.

"More, Orochimaru! Ahh… Don't stop! Ah!" Anko gasped as he penetrated her sheath with one of his digits. When he added a second one, her nails scoring his shoulders while she arched her back to bring her body closer to his teasing mouth.

He withdrew from her chest, melding his mouth on hers in a hard, possessive kiss that covered her scream of ecstasy. When he removed his fingers from her core, he thrust into her. He spread her legs apart like the flower she was and grasped onto them tightly to prevent her from meeting his thrusts. He wanted to push her off the edge, wanting to see how much she can take before she was to the brink of insanity.

Her body quaked when the first tremors as shuddering orgasm hit her, her mouth leaving his as she cried out his name in release. She was no longer a fragile little child; she was a tough and valiant kunoichi with powerful strength, and he loved that about her. He relished at her fiery spirit, her stubbornness, how she takes action with her brisk, furious intensity. But what Orochimaru loved most is that he could reduce her into this fragile state, breaking down all her rough barriers and let them fall like weightless leaves.

When his hands left her lovely thighs and his mouth backed on hers in a heated caress, Anko clasped her slender legs around his waist, allowing him to impale her more deeply. Her fingernails scratched his shoulders, creating rivulets of crimson down his arms. She heard the Snake Sannin hissed in pure white-hot pleasure against her lips before he moved to plant burning kisses along her pretty throat and collarbone. She licked off his enticing blood off his arms, relishing at the exquisite taste.

When she was done, she buried her face into the nape of his neck, sighing at the bliss he was granting her as his pace became harder and faster, his rhythm lost to her now. The purple-haired woman could feel another crest of an orgasm roaring up within her body, and then she exploded with a sharp cry of ecstasy.

Orochimaru gazed down his sweet girl with a smirk, continuing to push in and out of her core and enjoying the sight how her body practically screamed ecstasy to him. The urge to possess this woman—his woman—hammered him as made love to his darling former student. It was the scorching desire to whisk her away from the pathetic Leaf Village to claim and mark her as his and his alone, to have his wicked way with her as he is now, locked away from where any male that who dare to touch what was his possession.

"OROCHIMARU!" Anko shouted his name again when the pleasure became too much for her to bear. As he kept plumping into her soft, wet heat, he descended his head to the slender curve of her neck. He sunk his razor-sharp fangs into her tender flesh, over the faded holes where he last bit her, waiting less than second for the taste of her spicy-sweet blood to invade his taste buds.

He sucked from her like last time as she climaxed again, his tempo decreasing when he removed himself from her core and withdrew from her neck to stroke his snakelike tongue over her twin puncture wounds. Orochimaru felt Anko relaxed against him as she mewled happily.

The pale-skinned man smiled as he caressed her stubborn, beautiful jaw, and she looked at him with a sexy smile of her own. The fire in her blood from their passion still coursed strongly within her veins, and she turned her body against his until they melded together perfectly. Suddenly, they were kissing all over again, and Anko grinned inwardly as she let her tongue played along the length of one of his fangs.

It was going to be a long night.

ஜ ~ ஜ

Dawn came too soon for the lovers' liking, their limbs entwined and their naked bodies sweaty and glistening as the first rays of morning hit them from their location in the trees. They both desired to stay longer, but Anko needed to get back before anyone could figure out where was she was, and Snake Sannin needed to head back to his Sound Village to train his future vessel.

"There's still time if you wish to chance your mind," he told her when they finished getting dressed. "You're sure you want to stay?"

Although Anko was sad at their separation, she nodded her head. Crossing her arms over her chest, she glanced at her former teacher. "I'll always be torn, but I could only be at one place at a time. Right now, my place is here in the Leaf Village."

He frowned at her, his disappointment cutting through her like a blade. He didn't say anything, only nodded his head and then he kissed her long and hard on the mouth. His mouth traveled down to the most sensitive spot on her body, located directly on the left side of her neck: The Curse Mark.

"You're mine, Anko. You know that, don't you?" Orochimaru whispered seductively in her ear, his breath warm tingling her skin. Her response was small and quiet, but he heard it clearly before their mouths were joined in another heated caress.

She'd told him yes.

The Snake Sannin retreated from Anko, leaving her breathless and boneless against him. "Good-bye, my dear."

He was gone before she had a chance to speak, leaving her standing there in the forest, reluctantly accepting the choice she had made while giving up something she had craved all her life. Oddly enough, she felt bereft and abandoned again like all those years ago in the Land of the Sea, even though she knew she have no right to feel that. She made the decision on her own, and now the only man she had ever loved was gone. And yet, the fire in her blood boiled for him, craving to feel him against her nude body once again. However, she knew better, since they have now said their farewells.

It will never happen again.