"You let off a lot of heat," Anko grumbled, throwing the white covers off her body. She stretched her sore arms, popping the muscles back into place after she spent hours figuring out many creative ways to make love with her former sensei. The single candle that illuminated the room flickered, her silhouette dancing artistically across the room as Orochimaru gazed at her with an amused smirk and molten gold hues.
It has been at least three weeks since she finally gave in to the Snake Sannin's demand to stay and live by his side, severing her ties with the Leaf Village, who were still searching for her whereabouts. Anko dreaded spending time in the underground hideouts that she has to jump from with Orochimaru, Kabuto, and Sasuke every week, but she felt happy being with her ex-mentor again. With nothing better to do, she spent most of her time training alongside Sasuke, who was now her sparring partner.
She and the Uchiha boy still didn't get along well, especially since she was able to easily defeat him in their first spar together when Orochimaru forbid him to use the Curse Mark. Sasuke, with his interior and superiority complex, didn't take the defeat well and became more determined to beat her. He was improving with the experience she offered, but he hasn't been able to beat her just yet. They didn't speak to each other when they rest, and Anko didn't mind that in the least.
She found the boy's aloofness annoying; he was too arrogant and more difficult to deal with than Orochimaru. And in turn, Sasuke blamed her for delaying his training with Orochimaru. He knew of her current relationship with the Snake Sannin; it wasn't hard to hear the sounds she make at night emanating from the bedroom she shares with his mentor. Voices do carry, after all. The only reason why he tolerates her because she was his sparring partner.
She'd much rather spar with Kabuto, but he would just feigned politeness and refused, claiming he was too busy carrying out orders for his lord. The other subordinates in Sound were pretty much pathetic, not that she was surprised. They were just a bunch of cowards and blowhards, too overconfident for being under the service of the great White Snake, one of the Legendary Three Sannin, Orochimaru.
Letting out a yawn, Anko stepped off the bed, picking up the discarded mahogany shirt with a snake pattern running up the back and to the sides of the sleeves—which belonged to Orochimaru. She slipped it on her nude body swiftly before embarrassment rose up inside her from having the Sannin run his hungry eyes up and down her exposed form. They were lovers now, but Anko was uncomfortable being naked in front of anyone.
She stalked forward to where his desk was, her hips swaying enticingly as she raked a hand through her tousled violet hair. She stopped and poured herself a glass of water from the jug that was sitting on the desk. She gulped it down, letting the cool liquid slide seductively down her throat. That pretty little neck of hers was marred with love bites and red marks from being ravished by her greedy lover, and her gorgeous lips were swollen from when he clamped his teeth down to suck on her lips to draw blood.
"You don't keep a lot of personal things in here, do you?" Anko inquired, her brown optics scanning the large room. She was generally surprised to see the Sannin's room wasn't as luxurious as she'd originally believed. It was quite simple with the king-size bed with a huge, bloated pillow and whites sheets, the desk and shelves occupied with scrolls and books, a wardrobe for his clothes, and a nightstand by the bed.
There was one thing she did recognized from Orochimaru's time in the village. On the nightstand was a glass case that displayed the skin of a white snake—a good luck charm of his that Anko had asked about when she was his student. It must have been precious to him, she thought, for keeping it after he defected from the village.
Placing the glass of water down, she strolled over towards the case. Repeating her actions from when she first saw it, she grabbed it with two hands and she stared it curiously, shaking it a little so the skin would move.
"I never had things of true value to me," the pale-skinned man replied with a lazy smirk, watching his sweet girl inspecting the case like she did so long ago. "But everything in this room still belongs to me, including you."
Anko set the glass case down and gave him a coquettish smile in return. She gripped the bottom of his shirt with her hands and yanked it over her head, letting it fall back on the floor along with their other clothes. While her voluptuous breasts jiggled, she climbed back under the covers and straddled his body with her thighs, pushing against him until her heated core felt the rigid of his erection.
She kissed him then, slow and sensual, their mouths melding together and their arms encircled around each other. Anko grinned when she felt Orochimaru's hands rammed her roughly to him. The snake kunoichi moaned against his mouth, linking her ankles together behind his back to pull him deeper into her.
Orochimaru brought her to a shuddering climax when he pressed himself inside her moist cleft. Her nails scratching his back, making crescents to match the beautiful patterns he'd received earlier. He flipped them over to hover over her, leaving her mouth to ravage her sensitive throat, every lick and bite hungrier and animalistic than the last. Anko entwined her fingers in his ebony hair; sighing and gasping in pleasure as she grinded her hips against his maddeningly. He buried himself inside of her, relishing how she cried out at another shattering release.
Catching his breath, the pale-skinned man jerked out of her to gazed down at his dear girl with a playful, malice light in his amber irises. He kissed her, lips joining for another erotic torture as their tongues clashed inside their mouths for control.
The Snake Sannin abandoned her mouth to ravish her neck once more, planting gentle kisses among the bruised spots on her neck as he said in a husky tone. "You've adjusted well here."
The purple-haired woman shrugged her shoulders lightly; closing her eyelids to enjoy the pleasure he was giving her. "I guess. You're surprisingly calm, though. Aren't you worried that the Leaf will be searching for you even more since I left?"
"We're leaving for the next hideout tomorrow." Orochimaru moved from her throat to switch their positions around, coiling her waist with his arms. Anko exhaled a tired sigh, snuggling her face into his hard, lean chest. He played with her violet tresses, smoothing away her bangs from her forehead. "No need to worry. The Leaf won't find us, Anko."
A feeling of nostalgia tightened in her heart as she wondered how her friends were taking the news of her departure of the Leaf. Anko shook her head against her lover's bare torso, pushing away the images of their sad and horrified faces from her mind.
She knew Kurenai was crying in despair, since the genjutsu specialist was always the type to take betrayal badly from anyone; Asuma would be at her side, whispering soothing words to comfort her; Guy was probably trying to cheer her up with boastful words, but there were in vain; Kakashi was sulking in his own way, reflecting how Orochimaru snared Anko into his trap like he did with Sasuke; Ibiki and Genma was likely the most furious at her the most, but also depressed and worried by her defection of the Leaf Village; and Anko knew Tsunade was in a fit of rage, ordering out squads to go and find Anko quickly.
Orochimaru stared down at his woman, a frown of dissatisfaction crossing his features. He wrapped his arms tighter around her to ease her musings away. She welcomed it, burrowing her body further into his strong warmth.
"Go to sleep, my dear."
She complied without a word, succumbing into a blissful slumber as her thoughts painful washed away, edging to return another time when they would become a reality.
ஜ ~ ஜ
Back in the peaceful Leaf Village on the same night, Asuma entered the Jōnin Standby Station with a long exhalation of air, flopping down on the long red sofa next to Kakashi. The room was empty, which gave them the privacy they wanted to talk.
"How is she?" Kakashi asked with a sorrowful look in his visible eye.
"I finally managed to get Kurenai to go to sleep. She's been bawling her eyes out since Anko left the village," he answered with distress etched on his face. "I wish I could do more for her."
"You're doing the best you can, and that's enough." The Copy Ninja clapped an assuring hand on the other Jōnin's shoulder. "Kurenai needs you very much right now, so just be by her side."
"How do you think Anko is doing?" Asuma quizzed, voicing out the question almost reluctantly. "You think she's all right?"
"Anko's tough, she can take care of herself."
"You don't actually think she's with Orochimaru right now, do you?"
Kakashi didn't answer as a grim silence swamped them. He contemplated on the possibilities she was with her former mentor at this moment. Anko could be with that wretched snake as his prisoner, being tortured by Orochimaru. There was the chance that she might be dead, but everyone knew how valiant Anko was; she was too stubborn die and she wouldn't go down without a fight. With that in mind, she could be alive and well.
"I…can't say for sure." Kakashi responded at last, his tone laced with concern.
"Hey, guys."
The two male Jōnin pivoted their heads to the source of the voice, their optics falling on Genma walking in the room with his hands in his pockets. They both inclined their heads to the Special Jōnin, acknowledging his arrival.
"I just spoke with Shizune. There's still no clue where Anko is right now, just to give you a heads-up." Genma announced sadly, his toothpick flickering up and down in his mouth. Swiveling his head, he turned to look the solemn Asuma. "How's Kurenai?"
The son of the Third Hokage shook his head. "Not so good. She's hurting."
"I see…" Genma hung his head down gravely in understanding. Everyone has been depressed and worried since Anko left the village. Kurenai was Anko's best friend, so it was only natural for her to feel the most heartbroken. "Well, I'm off. I have to tell Ibiki and the others since they might want to know."
"All right, later." Kakashi waved after the brown-haired Special Jōnin as he left.
"What do you think is going to happen when Anko does show up?" Asuma inquired.
"Probably be interrogated by Ibiki and then thrown in a cell until Lady Tsunade figures out what to do with her. The Leaf Council would probably want to kill her, and the whole Leaf Village too. Anko knows what the citizens of the Leaf thinks about her because of her connection with Orochimaru. She works hard to fix that problem, trying to kill Orochimaru as her way of owing the Leaf."
"You'd think she'll be over Orochimaru after all these years, but her feelings never changed a bit," the dark-haired Jōnin remarked. "I never imagine the damage would be this bad."
"To see what it is not there, gaze upon what is," the Sharingan warrior replied wisely. "Anko tries her best to hide her sadness, but we were fools for not noticing the extent of her pain really was. She's been broken for a long, long time."
"Maybe someone can pick up the pieces for her," Asuma suggested in a sly tone, casting a mild look at Kakashi. "You and Anko would make a good pair."
"Me and Anko?" The Copy Ninja repeated in disbelief, pointing a finger at himself.
The other man nodded. "Yeah, I can tell you must have feelings towards her, even it's a little bit. You see Sasuke in her, and you understand her pain. You have feelings for Anko, just admit it."
"You're imagining things." Kakashi retorted, waving his idly in the air like he was brushing aside his friend's insinuation.
"To see what is not there, gaze upon what is, right?" Asuma quoted, flashing his buddy a friendly smile before standing up. "Just think about it, all right? I'll see you later, Kakashi."
"Yeah, later." Kakashi watched his friend go, perusing on what Asuma said about him and Anko getting together. Sure, they shared a few moments together—though they were mostly arguments—and Anko was very attractive. He felt connected to her because of Sasuke and they shared the same pain as loss. But that doesn't necessarily mean he has feelings for the ill-tempered, energetic, charming, crazy snake lady, right? Hmmm… Maybe he'll think about it more, at another time.
Sprinting up from his seat, the silver-haired Jōnin trotted back to his apartment, pondering how both Sasuke and Anko was doing right now.
ஜ ~ ஜ
Anko set off to the new hideout in the Village Hidden in Hot Water with her three male companions the next morning. The village over there was a former ninja village that is now best known for tourism, so Anko understood why Orochimaru chose a peaceful location like this for a hideout. It's one of the places where anyone would think he would go to.
Plus, since the village was no longer a ninja village, they have no records of rouge shinobi listed in the Bingo Book, which meant they were free to come and go as they please. However, it was better to be safe than sorry, so they weren't just going to check in an inn. They continued to the hideout, much to Anko's inward dismay, who was looking forward to bathing in a hot spring. It reminded her of the time when Kurenai dragged her to the Hot Springs District in the Leaf during one of her many attempts to transform Anko into more of a…woman.
However, she knew the Village Hidden in Hot Water have hot springs around the village's terrain and she rejoiced. While they arrived at the hideout, Orochimaru and Kabuto headed towards the basements to work on their experiments—a place where Anko stayed away from in every hideout. She shivered at the thoughts of cages and tanks and other gruesome things that were in the basements, so she trained with Sasuke for most of the day to keep herself busy. Afterwards, she journeyed elsewhere, leaving the Snake Sannin's future vessel to himself.
"Sasuke, where is Anko?" Kabuto asked the dark-haired youth. He was eating lunch on a rock after sparring with the snake kunoichi for at least three hours. He was munching down of his favorite food: a rice ball with smoked skipjack tuna and tomatoes.
Sasuke gave the medic an uncaring glare. "I don't know."
"Go find her." Kabuto ordered, adjusting his glasses up his nose. "It's time for another medical examination."
The Uchiha huffed in annoyance, but stood up from his seat to go find her. "Fine."
"Send her to me when you do." The Sound ninja pivoted around and headed back inside the hideout. Sasuke narrowed his irises at silver-haired shinobi's retreating back, not liking the fact he has to waste his time finding where Anko wandered off to. Sasuke swiveled his heel and headed off in the direction to where one of the hot springs were located, deciding to wash himself from the sweat clinging on his frame before going to search for the purple-haired woman.
Shrugging his white shirt off his shoulders, he settled it down on a large stone when he reached the hot spring that was bordered up with large rocks. His purple obi came off next, followed by the blue cloth that was wrapped on his waist and his Snake Sword. The rays from the sun made the sheen of sweat on his masculine chest glistened, a sight that some of his fan girls back in the Leaf would squeal and gawk at it. He was about to remove his pants as well and step into the steaming water, but his onyx eyes fell on something breathtaking that made him stop.
In a corner of the hot spring, Anko sat in the hot water as she hummed to herself. Her violet hair was free of its usual ponytail, her fingers combing through the wet strands to clean all of the dirt from it. Her knees were popped up from the water, revealing her long, slender legs dripping with droplets.
Despite the series of bites and other markings she got from her Orochimaru last night, the Uchiha boy could tell just how salacious her figure truly was. She was lovely. Sasuke observed her, taking in the scene of the nude woman bathing in the hot spring.
Too engrossed in her pleasurable bath, Anko didn't notice his presence. She stood up as water sluiced down her taut and beautiful body, and Sasuke saw a few bite marks on her breasts and some on her inner thighs. After a few minutes passed, Anko turned her head to the side and gasped in shock when her eyes landed on Sasuke.
"What're you doing?" she yelled as her cheeks flushed bright red, her hands darting to cover her exposed chest.
The Uchiha quickly pivoted his back to her and dashed away from the hot spring. He waited impatiently for her to return by the hideout, although he was surprised to find her marching back with suggestive black bra and underwear on. As she came closer, he saw that she was carrying her clothes in one hand and the other have his discarded garbs he left behind.
"Here." She shoved his clothes and sword back to him, crossing her arms under her ample bosom. "What were you doing?"
"Kabuto wants to see you, I was told to come fetch you." Sasuke explained in his usual stoic tone, averting his eyes from her cleavage.
"You could've said something instead of standing there." Anko told him, eyeing him warily.
He scoffed icily. "I didn't see anything, if that's what you're worried about."
"You're a bad liar," the snake kunoichi stated, earning a glare in return. "Whatever. Just forget it, all right?"
"Fine."
"Good."
Sasuke watched her as she turned and headed inside the hideout, unable to take his eyes off her. He wasn't normally interested in women, but the image of her naked in the hot spring was something he couldn't get out of his mind.
ஜ ~ ஜ
"I heard yelling outside. What happened?" Kabuto inquired, healing Anko's body of her lacerations with his Mystic Palm Jutsu—not that it really mattered. She was just going to receive more love bites and other 'injuries' from Orochimaru later on, but orders were orders.
"Nothing." Anko answered with faint shrug of her shoulders. Kabuto studied her for a minute before swiveling to the monitor where the clipboard that holds her medical results laid.
"I realize that you and Sasuke have your differences, but since you're living under the same roof, you should at least try and get along," the medic lectured, charting down something on the clipboard and then typed it on the keyboard. "Lord Orochimaru told me you cared for Sasuke to some extent, judging on how you were so insistent on pulling him out of the Chūnin Exams."
"Yeah, I remember," she grumbled.
"And a part of you still cares of him, isn't that right?"
"Are we done here?" She was getting irritated of Kabuto's habit of nosing around in her business.
The silver-haired shinobi dismissed her with a nod of his head. "You're free to leave."
"See ya." Anko hopped off from the medical bed she was on and sauntered out the room. She strode down the hallway, still lugging her clothes with her and was still in nothing but her provocative bra and underwear. There was no else in the hideout besides her and the three men she came here with, so she wasn't worried about anyone seeing her.
When she rounded a corner, she stumbled backwards when she collided with someone else. She collected herself and her optics came face-to-face with Sasuke's crimson hues—his Sharingan. He glared at her with a steely expression, his gaze flickering up and down her nearly nude form. His stare was not a sexual one, only merely one of curiosity. Anko's irises drifted down to his right hand, gaping slightly when she saw his knuckles dripping with blood.
"Hey, you okay?" She made an attempt to reach for it, but he swatted her hand away like she some kind of disease.
"Don't touch me," he hissed coldly.
Anko's brows knitted together in anger. "You're unbelievable, you know that? You act so superior and tough, taking down anyone and anything that stands in your way, but you're scared to death that someone might actually care for you. Or even worse, that you might be tempted to care for someone else."
Sasuke narrowed his blood-red eyes dangerously. "You don't know anything about me."
"Does anyone, Sasuke? I know Naruto cares about you, he keeps training tooth and nail for you to bring you home to the Leaf." Her volume was rising with every one as she spoke. "He believes that you still have whatever piece of humanity left inside of you, the part of you that still cares for your friends."
"I've severed my bonds with Leaf, they made me weak."
"Have you really become that emotionless, that cold-hearted?" Anko demanded heatedly.
"I'm not saying it to be cruel, it's a fact."
"No, of course you aren't." Anko scoffed scornfully. "Because even cruelty would imply some kind of emotion, wouldn't it?"
With nothing more to say, Anko threaded back to her bedroom as Sasuke moved past her to see Kabuto for his medical examination. The snake kunoichi couldn't help but thought over her earlier conversation with Kabuto. She knew he was right—about her caring for Sasuke—because anger was just another form of caring. If she didn't care, why get mad in the first place?
It made sense to her now from what transpired a few seconds ago with the dark-haired youth, although she didn't want to admit it. He didn't care about her, so why should she care what happens to him? In her heart, Anko knew the answer to that question.
ஜ ~ ஜ
"Sasuke's improving, isn't he?" Orochimaru quizzed her later that night, sitting at his desk in his usual garbs. Anko lay in the bed, adorned in a purple loose-fitting, sleeveless chemise that ended halfway up her thigh to show off her legs. The nightwear was revealing and provocative with the thin straps ran low on her shoulders, and the front being low-cut to show a bit of her cleavage. On the back was a snake pattern, the same design that was on Orochimaru's nightshirt.
Anko grunted, refusing to talk about the Uchiha boy. She knew Kabuto heard the argument between her and Sasuke today, and knew the faithful subordinate would report it to his lord.
"Anko," the Sannin prompted her to get an answer. "Don't ignore me."
"Tired." Rolling on her side on the mattress, she yanked the covers over her head to block him out.
"It isn't best to provoke Sasuke, you know that. He's more difficult than I am." His voice increased as he sat up from his desk to slithered over to the bed. "What were you two fighting about?"
"I'm tired," she mumbled grumpily under the blanket, which was then abruptly pulled off of her.
The pale-skinned man sat down at the edge of the bed, his amber optics glowering down at her in disapproval. "What happened?"
"Nothing." She shifted her body to the other side, pivoting her back to him. She heard a noise that sounded like the ruffling of clothes behind her, and then felt the bed sank down with the added weight of the Sannin's body. She squeaked in surprise when she felt her chemise being forcefully tugged off over her head and thrown on the floor along with rest of her lover's garbs.
"Whatever issues you and Sasuke have with one another, fix them." Orochimaru ordered sternly. Despite snorting in defiance at the command, the violet-haired woman nodded her head reluctantly. She also wanted to work things out with the Uchiha because she cares for him. The Sannin smiled, satisfied at her obedience. "Good girl."
He lowered his mouth down to hers for a hard kiss. She returned it eagerly and passionately, moaning as her arms coiled around his neck. She pressed her body upwards so that her warm flesh met his as they kissed intensely, her tongue tracing the lengths both of his lethal canines. Orochimaru's snakelike tongue dominated hers, and Anko relished at the erotic invasion of her mouth.
She was unable to surpassed her mewl of complaint when he left her lips to ravage her neck with tongue and teeth and fangs. His hands roamed up and down her lascivious frame, halting at her chest to teased her tight little buds on her breasts, hard and peaked up to its fullest. Her body was truly a paradise, one reserved for him and him alone.
Anko gripped the back of his head, drawing him so their lips met in a savage caress once more. When they pulled apart for oxygen, her eyes marveled his seductive figure, and Orochimaru's amber optics blazing with blatantly carnal need for her. He never looked more predatory to her in her entire life, reveling how he acted so differently when they were alone.
As he kissed her once more, he skated one of his palm over the slope of her neck, caressing her tender skin gently and then down her shoulder to rub his thumb over the Curse Mark. It's funny how much she used to detest the thing that destroyed her life, but now she was grateful to it in a way. Without it, she wouldn't be here with Orochimaru.
When the kiss broke, Orochimaru smoothed his lips across her skin slowly, his fangs skimming over her sensitive flesh. Anko gasped in pleasure, her fingers in his ebony hair tightened as his mouth continued to wander downwards.
"Ah!" Anko jolted when she felt his lips against her moist, hot cleft. However, his tongue didn't penetrate her folds like he would usually do, but instead he planted playful kisses there and on her inner thighs. Anko moaned, trembling with pleasure, bracing his head against her cleft. She practically choked for air when she felt his tongue brushing over her core, although he didn't shove it inside of her. He was teasing her, and she reveled in his exquisite torture. "Orochimaru! Oh, Orochimaru!"
He chuckled, the vibrations resonated at her body that made her legs clenched, but the Sannin stopped it by grabbing both legs and hooking them over his shoulders. His tongue delved in her cleft, her arousal intoxicating him as he plundered into her sweetness. Anko moaned louder than before, muttering incoherent words while her lover suckled her like she was aphrodisiac of the finest quality.
While he feasted from her, Orochimaru looked up to see how tightly screwed her eyes were, her face burning scarlet red with heat and her hair tousled and the tresses splayed all over the pillow. He smirked at her tempting appearance. She was so addicting. Alluring. Ah, Anko… She was truly the most perfect woman for him.
Moving away from her cleft, Orochimaru licked his lips as he loomed over her, spreading her legs apart and then thrust into her core. Anko cried out in ecstasy, her rapturous scream echoing in their room. Her nails were clawing at his skin of his back, drawing blood as a shattering orgasm exploded inside of her.
Sinking his face into the nape of her neck, skating his tongue over before he buried his razor-sharp teeth into her skin to taste her luxurious, spicy-sweet blood. Anko shrieked out again, another release slamming her into a white-hot sensation. She clutched onto the Snake Sannin as the searing, wondrous rush of pleasure/pain coursed within her.
When it passed, Orochimaru backed away and swept his tongue over the puncture wounds to clean the crimson off. He switched their positions, allowing Anko to drop down into his arms.
"I love you…" she whispered breathlessly, curling further into his possessive embrace.
"And I you." He stroked her back soothingly, lulling her into another peaceful sleep in his arms. The candle on his desk blew out, enveloping the lovers in comforting darkness.
ஜ ~ ஜ
The next morning as they got dressed, there was a knock on the door. Anko sat on the bed as she put on her ninja sandals, looking the entrance to the room.
"Lord Orochimaru?" called a quiet, smooth voice. Kabuto.
The pale-skinned man motioned to the door when he was fully dressed and opened it. "What is it?"
"Sasuke's fallen ill," he reported, witnessing the anger crossing his master's face. "He collapsed during training this morning from getting a wound on his hand infected when he didn't allow me to treat it. He's running a fever."
"How long will it take him to recover?"
"With proper treatment, a week at the very best." Kabuto replied. "I need to fetch more medicine in the village, so would Lady Anko watch over Sasuke for me while I'm gone? He refuses to stay in his bed."
"I'll do it." Anko agreed with a sign, clambering from the bed
"All right, then. If you'll excuse me…" The silver-haired medic bowed and departed from their sights.
ஜ ~ ஜ
"…ke… Sasuke…"
He was floating in a sea of darkness, a familiar melodious voice calling softly to him. When his heavy eyelids lifted open, Sasuke saw a vision of a woman hanging over his bedside. "Mother…?"
"Hmph… Not even close." Anko's lips curved into a small smile as she pressed a wet towel to his burning forehead, the Uchiha's pale face now bright red from the fever.
Realizing what she was doing, he immediately smacked Anko's hand away, like her touch was physically painful to him. The Uchiha jolted up in his bed unsteadily, his head banging like a drum and his body feeling like it was on fire.
"Lie back down, Uchiha," Anko told him, pushing him back on the bed carefully. "You're running a fever and unless you want stall your training any further, then I suggest you rest."
Sasuke made a sound of irritation, but eased back down on the bed. "What do you want?"
"I'm your babysitter for today," she responded simply, leaning back in the wooden chair by his bedside. "Orochimaru's working and Kabuto's out getting more medicine for your fever. Kabuto healed the wound on your hand, but you still have a fever for letting festered yesterday. With proper care, you should be back on your feet in no time."
"Hmph." There was a short paused before Sasuke asked, "Why are you here?"
"Looking after your stubborn butt." Anko replied in a snippy tone. "I told you that."
The young black-haired boy shook his head mildly. "No, why are you here, with Orochimaru?"
Silence stretched between them for several seconds, and Sasuke saw heat flooded to Anko's cheeks. "I think you know why I'm here."
"I know you left the Leaf because you were seeing Orochimaru behind their backs, but that doesn't explain why you're living with someone you said you hated," he clarified. "I know about your past, Kabuto told me about it. Aren't you worried that he might cast you aside?"
"What about you?" she countered. "Aren't you scared that when you're finally trained well enough that Orochimaru is going take control over your body?"
"I have but one goal in life, and that is to obtain power to kill my brother," Sasuke answered with dark hatred spiraling in his black hues. "I will do anything for that one purpose, even if it means being consumed by evil."
"No one is going to change your mind, huh?" Anko took the towel off his forehead to dip in the bowl of cool water by her feet. She crushed the water out, and then placed it back on the Uchiha's temple. "As for me… I know what Orochimaru does, but that doesn't change the fact I have feelings for him. I know of the chances of him getting tired of me sooner or later, but if he wants me right now, I want to take that opportunity and enjoy it. So, even if he wants me only a little, then it'd be worth. Life is too short, but I want to happy for as long as I can. In that way, at the very least, I won't have to live with any regrets when I die."
"You really love him that much?" Sasuke inquired in a curious tone. "Don't you have doubts if he will be betray you again?"
"I have my doubts, but I told myself that's okay," the snake kunoichi admitted genuinely, wrapping her arms around herself like she was cold. "If anyone was to blame for that, then it's me, right? So, it's okay if he does because I knew that he would and I'll be prepare for it."
"But it still hurts, doesn't it?" There was stillness in the air once more when Sasuke popped up that query, and Anko hang her head down in silent agreement. It was then he felt a different sort of emotion and respect towards Anko. She was good and pure in so many ways. She was strong in her thoughts of mortality, and her mute answer stunned him.
She fascinated him.
A few minutes passed until the young Uchiha turned his body to his side so his back was facing her. In a low voice, he acknowledged, "You're stronger than I'd expected."
That took the violet-haired woman by surprised, her head bolting up to stare at his back in astonishment by his praising words. Anko smiled at him, reaching her hand to stroke his hair soothingly.
Confused by her actions, the puzzled Uchiha swiveled his head at her. "What are you doing?"
"When I was little, my mother would pet my head like this when I was sick or have nightmares, until I fall asleep." Her tone was tender, and her hand that was still caressing his head carried warmth that felt…foreign to him. "Just allow someone to take of you for once, Uchiha."
Sasuke didn't answer her, but he didn't pull away from her sweet touch either. Instead, he just allowed himself to drift off into a dreamless slumber for the rest of the day.
ஜ ~ ஜ
"Hey." Anko greeted him the next day, not entirely surprise that he was back on his feet and burning energy on his training. Kabuto gave him a very potent medicine that cured him of his fever last night and after a good rest, the Uchiha reverted back to cold and aloof self.
Sasuke halted his workout as the kunoichi approached, his clothes coated with sweat and dirt. His usual stoic expression was plastered on his face, but he inclined his head at her in a greeting.
"You up for a spar, Uchiha?" She flashed him a daring look, her lips curling into a feral grin.
"Sasuke," he said back, ignoring her request.
She titled her head to the side in bewilderment. "Huh?"
He twisted around, his back facing her once more. "Just call me Sasuke, Mitarashi."
The purple-haired spitfire nodded her head in understanding, smiling inwardly as she and Sasuke finally come to terms with each other. She'd sense something different about him; his aura was slightly calmer and less cold towards her. "Fine, then you call me Anko."
Sasuke glanced over his shoulder to gaze at her for a few seconds before he bobbled his head in response. Moving on to their training, he brandished his Snake Sword from his sheath and directed it towards her mercilessly. Anko grinned at the danger that radiated off him, poising to strike as they began.
"Well, they seem to be getting along." Kabuto commented from the entrance of the hideout, his lord by his side as he leaned against the frame. "It's a good thing, too. We need Sasuke and Anko to cooperate with one another if she's going to stay here. With them not at each other's throats, this way we can have Sasuke keep an eye on her if she ever decides to leave. What do you think happened between them, my lord?"
"It doesn't matter, does it?" Orochimaru backed off the wall and pivoted to head back in the basements with Kabuto trailing behind him. "Just as long as Anko and Sasuke stay with me."
"Of course," the silver-haired medic responded, and followed his master inside the base.
ஜ ~ ஜ
"Have you regretted anything yet?"
Anko darted her head in the direction of source of the voice, smirking slightly as the pale-skinned man sat down next to her. She was resting under the shade of the tree with her back against the tree trunk when she was finished with her sparring with Sasuke, who went to his room to meditate.
"Still testing my decision to stay with you, aren't you?" Anko questioned, the expression on her face was bittersweet. "I don't regret being here with you."
"Are you happy?"
"I am, a lot more now since me and Sasuke are getting along know." Her reply came quickly without a tremor of uncertainty laced in her words, only pliant acceptance since she now completely surrendered herself to her former sensei.
"That's good." His golden irises read her face, noting the new sereneness on her features. Even so, he could tell she still missed and cared for her friends, who she constantly thought of her every single day since coming here. "I won't make you feel like you've lost anything, I'll make sure you're happy."
She didn't respond to his proclamation, but instead inched closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder. Memories from yesterday raced through Anko's mind as the warm, crisp air fanned her face gently. It wasn't a lie—about what she said to Sasuke. Her most fondest, heartfelt wish was to live beside the one person she loves, despite the heartbreak it will cost her later. Life was too short and cruel, and knowing that made her want to live her life in the way that she wouldn't have die without any remorse.
With that in mind, the lovers remained under that tree for the rest of the day.
.
ஜ ~ ஜ
A/N: Just to point something else to the ones who notice I put in a purple chemise in the story, like the one in Dark Possession by Lalexx, I just want to say that I did not copy that idea from her. Actually, I was the one that gave Skye (she changed her username from iSkye to Lalexx, but I still like to call her Skye) the idea of using the chemise in Dark Possession by showing an image of a purple chemise and told of the snake pattern on the back.
The chemise was originally intended for Morning Glory, but at the time I wasn't ready to work on it and since I had some much fun throwing around ideas with Skye, so I told her about the chemise and the design pattern for it. She liked it and wanted to use in Dark Possession. Just pointing that out. And for those who don't believe, I have evidence. I took a picture of the conversation just in case someone accused me of lying. If you guys want proof, I can e-mail you a picture of it.
In other news, Naruto: Shippūden episode 92 came out yesterday! And just like before when episode 89 was out on July 14 and I mentioned it the next day on July 15, I recommend all of Orochimaru fans to go and watch it! Even though it was just a filler episode, it contains a scene from the manga when Sasuke took on those Sound ninja as a test from Orochimaru and the talk about if Sasuke doesn't become truly heartless, he won't be able to defeat Itachi when the time comes.
Plus, it was the same episode that helped me developed this chapter. In the episode, Kabuto and Yūkimaru came to rest at the Land of Hot Water that was home to the former ninja village, Village Hidden in Hot Water, or better known as Yugakure, which is home to former Akatsuki member, Hidan. I wanted a place where there were hot springs, so I chose the Land of Hot Water as the location for the chapter.
Oh, and I like to announce to everyone that since today is August 5, it's my grandfather's birthday today! Happy 67th Birthday, Grandpa!