Morning came earlier than Anko expected, however the cherish sun that usually awoke the June mornings, was covered with grey clouds. Finding it weird for a summer morning to be that cloudy, the kunoichi shrugged and continued walking silently. Once in a while she checked back just in case her partner got lost, but she knew perfectly that wouldn't happen in a million years. Not sure why she gazed back or why she cared if he got lost, she decided to stop thinking about her personal stuff and focus on the mission both of them were in. Even though they were still on Konoha's grounds and the Swamp country wasn't that far, she couldn't help but wonder if the company of Kakashi was that necessary. She knew that he was a former ANBU, and for what she had heard of him he was an excellent one, but she wasn't that bad either. So… what was the point in sending them together, just to leave a message to some feudal lord that was their ally? Can't Tsunade just send an eagle instead?
Anko was too deep on her thoughts to even notice that Kakashi stopped on his tracks and now was checking the surroundings, fully alert. His nose tracking every scent the place held and searching with his right hand a kunai from his pouch. Anko wondered why she was the one carrying the stupid message instead of him, he was the Konoha's genius! Why couldn't he carry it instead? Glancing over her shoulder and finding him far away from her, she wondered why he stopped that abruptly. She turned and walked where he was standing, the kunoichi gave two steps towards him when she heard a muffled noise on her back, coming from the bushes. Without hesitation she took out two kunai from her pouch and jumped to a branch of the nearest tree, avoiding the three shurinken that were aimed to her last position. The weapons stabbed the floor and with that Kakashi disappeared with a puff of white smoke.
Biting her lower lip softly and kicking herself mentally for being that dense to not notice the attack before, she jumped to the next tree, waiting for her partner to appear. But he was no where to be seen. Yeah sure… Teamwork my ass! Taking out a poisonous kunai of her coat, she aimed to the bushes where she knew the attack came. A shadow jumped from it and threw two shurinken where Anko was standing, avoiding them gracefully she climbed higher on the tree she was. After glancing at the position of her attacker, she noticed that there was another one. Finding the last branch she jumped forward and landed on the top of the next tree. Not far from where she was, she heard some clinging, obviously a fight of kunai against kunai. Biting the inside of her cheeks, she decided to have some fun with the loser that tried pathetically to stab her and with a quick death stop this nonsense, she grinned evilly.
Kakashi was hiding on the back of a tree, while his shadow clone made a perfect job by dealing with the weakest of the couple of burglars. Judging by the moves and since he didn't realize that is a shadow clone, he's just a mere Genin. He looked to where he knew his partner was fighting, he sighed. The other burglar wasn't a genin but since in combat you can't choose which opponent you're gonna fight, better leave it the way it was. The only thing the silver haired jounin regretted was that she was getting more fun than he. And hell she was, jumping from tree to tree, avoiding all those pathetic attacks until she found the spot she was seeking. Taking out a poisonous senbon from her loyal coat, she knelt on the branch she was standing and without mercy she threw it to the back of his neck. The burglar groaned and before Anko could capture in her mind the suffering face he made, the burglar landed on his face on the ground with a muffed noise.
The silver haired jounin checked by the corner of his eye. After checking his own opponent and realizing that he was getting tired of waiting for the other to realize it was a fake, he jumped out of his hiding place and with a simple slash he had cut his throat side to side. The burglar genin tried to hold the blood his neck was spilling with both hands, but it was too late. The silver haired jounin had cut it deeply and by the lost of blood of the attacker, he was done for. The burglar landed on his knees and shaking lightly, he crashed on the ground. Cleaning his kunai on the grass, Kakashi stood up and decided to seek for his partner but finding it wasn't necessary anymore. Anko was standing on the tree on his back, waiting with both arms crossed on her chest and grinning childishly.
-You're getting rusty, porn freak. More than a minute to get rid of a Genin? Sure age doesn't suit you well.
Kakashi rolled his eye and placed his weapon back to his pouch, placing his hands on his pockets he walked towards the path they were taking before getting "assaulted". Anko glanced over her shoulder and saw the two corpses on the grass, shaking softly and with a simple gesture she landed next to the copy ninja. Kakashi looked at her on the corner of his eye and sighed.
-That wasn't necessary, Anko.-looking at the gray sky, avoiding her gaze.
The kunoichi blinked confused, what he meant about that last comment? Wondering and knowing he just picked the weakest spot, aside her love to sweets, she walked next to him.- What do you mean?
-You know what I'm talking about.-still ignoring her face but finding real hard, since she walked almost in front on him.
Anko continued blinking in disbelief, now walking backwards and looking at the uninterested jounin that was looking at the grey sky. Obviously avoiding her eyes, she tapped her chin with her thumb and wondered what he meant. She was still walking backwards like it was a normal way to walk, when her right foot stumped with a rock making her lose her balance. Kakashi sensed this and with his right hand he tried to stop her from falling, she accepted the hand instantly but she pulled harder than necessary, and finding the situation of "is me or you" she managed to straighten up by pulling Kakashi harder and making him fall straight with his face on the ground. Dizzy, the silver jounin shook his head and knelt, shaking the dirt of his uniform he glared at the kunoichi. She was grinning and rubbing the back of her neck. Fixing his mask and his garments, he stood up.
-That wasn't necessary too.- still glaring her, rubbing his forehead.
-Ey! It was me or you, and I decided for me obviously.-shrugging and stucking out her tongue.
The silver haired jounin glared the kunoichi for the last time, before sighing heavily and resuming his journey, not before making mental notes about the situation and swearing this was the last time he'd help someone that preferred him to be the bait.
---
They walked silently the rest of the way, ignoring the presence of the other. Even though the sun was hidden behind the clouds, the weather started to warm up and before both of them could realize what hour it was, Anko's stomach announced it was lunch time with a loud burst. Kakashi looked at his partner and rolled his eyes, but he was grateful, he was getting hungry too. And without words they walked to a large tree and taking shelter under its branches they sat and took their respective meals out of their backpacks. Anko was opening the lunch box she carried with her, when a distinctive noise caught her attention, it was the sound of something being opened that was wrapped with cellophane paper and most of the times, that meant that it was instant food that was being pealed off.
Anko looked up and saw Kakashi with a log on his right hand and a ramen cup on his left one. Finding this entertaining she decided to look at what he was doing. The silver haired jounin knelt and placed the log on the ground and with a simple gesture, he summoned a Katon Jutsu, he took out of his backpack a bottle of water and opened it. Anko thought that he would take out a teapot of his backpack but instead he poured the water on the log, the water almost splashing the fire and before Anko could shout Idiot! The water stopped in its tracks and floated over the fire. Shocked, she rubbed her eyes and looked again. The water was floating in a spherical way over the fire. Must be a Suiton jutsu he copied from someone else. And looking in disbelief at this unusual, but original technique to warm water, she ate one of her sausages of her lunchbox.
The water started steaming and Kakashi with some hand moves poured the water on the cup next to the fire, he crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. Anko was still amazed by the practical way of the jounin to steam water without a kitchen instrument. Noticing that her lunch consisted in food that needed heat, he looked at her and with a hand gesture he pointed out the obvious. Anko smiled like a child and jumped of the branch she was sitting and landed next to the little fire, pinching her sausages with a kunai she started cooking them over the little burning log. Kakashi smelled that his ramen cup was ready and took out of his backpack a pair of chopsticks, taking his cup and turning his back to the kunoichi he unfolded his mask and started eating. He had already ate half of his cup, when he heard Anko clearing her throat. He swallowed and without turning he let her know he was listening.
-You know, I already know how it looks like.
Kakashi shrugged and continued eating, not paying attention at her eyes piercing his scalp. Anko frowned and sat in Indian style, now munching her cooked sausage. Chewing quite loud she continued piercing his scalp but finding no results on this, she shrugged and rested her case. After finishing her lunch and saving the box on her backpack, she yawned. Finding some comfort on the tree trunk she rested her back on it and closed her eyes, crossing her arms on the back of her head as support and stretching her legs like a cat. Kakashi was cleaning his mess with his mask back on its place, when he noticed that his partner was taking a little nap. Arching his right brow in disapproval he fixed his backpack and walked next to her, checking that she wasn't faking it, he sighed. Scratching the back of his head, he walked to where his backpack was and took out what he needed the most, in that moment. His beloved Icha Icha volume.
Taking a seat next to his partner and copying her by resting his back on the trunk, he started reading. Once in a while she moaned softly in her sleep, he ignored this and continued his. A light breeze passed through them, making the kunoichi to chill a bit and cuddling next to him, she placed her head on his lap. Surprised he looked at the kunoichi resting on him, and finding it hard to escape the situation he decided to let her do whatever she wanted at the moment. He was reading a steamy part of his novel when he felt her hair brushing his middle section, panicking he moved lightly to his right so now her head rested in a decent place and placing his book on the ground he sighed. Great, just great.
---
Anko opened her eyes slowly, finding Kakashi's left thigh supporting her face. Her mind wondered how she managed to curl up next to the copy ninja, but she was too sleepy to swim deeper in that thought, instead she straightened up and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands. The silver haired jounin stayed there, with both arms crossed on his chest and looking at the afternoon sky. Anko stood up and stretched her arms and with a loud yawn she took her backpack and fixed her garments. Taking this as a signal, Kakashi stood up and took his backpack and followed the violet kunoichi, again silently and without looking at her directly, even though she was in front of him.
Both shinobi walked silently while the sun set on the horizon lazily, still hidden behind the grey steam curtain. Anko wondered how far the Swamp country was from where they were. She never visited the place before, unlike most of her partners that at least once in their shinobi days took a mission on that country. Judging by the way Kurenai and the others spoke of the place, it seemed that it was a nice place to stay, and once again the kunoichi wondered why she was teaming with Kakashi when most of the A ranked missions were in solo and consisted in murdering people or protecting someone important, or paranoiac enough to pay the huge fee.
Anko glanced at her right and noticed the smooth but noticeable change in the surroundings. This is it. The trees that surrounded them were getting thicker and greener, also the land under their feet was browner, the air was humid and also the animals acted different than the ones they encountered before. Stopping and looking over her right shoulder, she mentally waved goodbye to her homeland. Now they were officially on the Swamp country's lands. Kakashi noticed her change in humor, it was typical for the shinobi that didn't get that much missions outside their homelands, but even though he did get a lot of this sort of missions and wasn't the type who had homesick, each time he went out, he couldn't help it but feeling a little sorry too.
The night came silently, accompanied by a light breeze that caressed their backs. Anko wondered how long would they have to travel or if by any chance they would have the chance to rest and resume the journey the next day. But then she remembered that it was an A mission, therefore there was no chance for that sort of comforts. In fact taking lunch in such a picnic way and napping after that, certainly wasn't what Tsunade might called "a good performace" on a mission. But well, she was the one to blame. After all she stuck up Kakashi in her team, if it wasn't for him, she would have finish the mission in 48 hrs, but no… the Godaime thought it was a funny joke to play to her and pair them after that obnoxious fight both held. But first of all… was it a fight to begin with?
Anko looked by the corner of her eye to where the copy ninja was, he didn't seem to care of her looking at him. In fact, he was busy watching the night sky above them. The kunoichi wondered why the "fight" had started, he asked stupid questions and continued playing with her. By why did she get that pissed, after that silly game? It wasn't the first time he picked and fooled her, also it wasn't the first time both shinobi argued. So, why was she that upset when he spoke to her like that? She heard worse things before, besides he didn't say anything bad, did he? Why did his last comment hurt her so badly? Anko sighed and looked to the creepy night sky, surely the clouds helped the scene to be scarier. She frowned and gazed at the dancing clouds, when a drop of water fell on her right cheek. Washing it away she heard her partner stop on his tracks and guessing what he was thinking, she took her backpack off and started looking for her personal supplies.
Kakashi took out his sleeping bag along with the tent, since she was carrying both sleeping bags it was his part to carry the shelter for both shinobi, it wasn't big but at least it would fit them properly for the night. The breeze became a rough wind that made Anko shake a little, Kakashi unfolded the tent and using some rocks to avoid it from flying along with the wind, he started building the shelter for the night. Anko noticed that a storm was coming, and even though it was useless to try making a camp fire, she knew that they would need it for the next morning. Taking out of her pouch a kunai, she ran to the nearest tree and with a quick but lethal jump, a branch fell next to her. Concentrating some chakra on her right hand, she sliced the branch in five and then she cut them in the middle. Picking up the ten logs, she ran back to where her partner was waiting.
The copy ninja looked at the tent he had just built in less than a minute and checking that in fact the storm was heading towards them, he picked up both backpacks and got inside the tent. Regretting for not bringing some shinobi's flares with him, he fixed both sleeping bags on the floor. Anko came seconds after, running away from the rain and carrying the wood on her arms. Placing the logs next to the door, she zipped the tent and heard how the storming sounds of the lighting came, seconds after she closed the door. Seeing how her coat was soaked, she tried to undo the buttons of it but stopped in her tracks. Kakashi looked at her by the corner of his eye, wondering what was wrong now with her and even though it was dark inside, he understood perfectly and couldn't help it but smile.
-You know, I already know how it looks like.
Anko blinked astonished, feeling her cheeks burning instantly. But the part that made her eyes almost pop out of her skull was that he was joking again with her. Maybe to light up the crappy mood. She chuckled and undid the coat and tossed it over her backpack.
-I know.-looking at him with a diverted smile drawn on her lips.
They stayed like that for what it seemed like hours, for the few seconds it passed. A lighting bolt broke the eye contact and taking this opportunity, Anko looked away to her backpack and searched for something to eat. Kakashi was more than used to the dark and taking his backpack on his lap, he started seeking for the lighter Asuma had given him as birthday present, still wondering why on earth Asuma gave him that, instead of an Icha Icha volume. The copy ninja took out the lighter and caressed the lid softly, snickering softly he allowed his mind to travel back in time and remembered his bearded friend saying "you may need it in the future" winking at him and tossing the smoke out of his nose. The silver haired jounin opened the lighter and with a quick move, the tiny flame appeared.
Anko was undoing her bra when she heard the copy ninja searching for something in his bag and before she could have the chance to put her long sleeve shirt, a light came out of nowhere. Anko blushed immensely, knowing how she looked and how that impertinent fire reveled to the silver haired shinobi. First, she cursed him in many different ways and if that was possible in different languages, throwing anything she had at hand to her partner who couldn't dodge them from the shock, trying to turn off the stupid lighter the jounin held tightly on his right hand. Finally when she threw her coat towards him, the soaked kaki garment watered the lighter and the light was finally off. Heavy breaths were heard on the place, still blushing, Anko realized that she threw everything she had including her night garments. Kicking herself mentally she sat over her sleeping bag, covering her breasts with her arms, she sighed.
The silver haired jounin felt how his cheeks flushed and they were still warm from the unexpected show he just got. Remembering that it was nothing, that this was something he did see before and that it meant nothing, he took a deep breath and laid back resting his back on the smoothness of his sleeping bag. He heard his partner making some noises, clearly she was seeking for the things she had just thrown at him. Kakashi rolled his eye and closed seconds after. She was crawling not far from him when he remembered something, she was topless and crawling like a cat next to him. Opening his eye in shock he rolled over so now he was facing the tent's wall, breathing quicker he tried to calm down his "male" condition, but even the weather wasn't helping.
-Ey… porn freak?.
The silver haired jounin gulped, without turning his head he took a deep breath.-Yes…?
-Have you seen my long sleeve shirt? I can't seem to find it anywhere!
Kakashi turned over and saw Anko holding a towel in front of her, covering her exposed chest. Obviously his eye was getting used to the dark again, and now he wasn't sure to thank that fact or regret it. Staying cool and ignoring her completely, he straightened up and started looking for that garment so he could have a normal and decent night sleep. Finding it near his ankles, he took it with his left hand and offered it to the kunoichi without looking at her, she thanked him and started changing almost instantly. The silver haired jounin waited for her to stop changing, so he could laid back again and resumed his attempt to sleep. Anko fixed the last part of her shirt when she realized something, her personal stuff was scattered all over the tent.
-Ey, porn freak-
-You know I have a name.-cut her in the middle of the sentence, but still not looking at her in his Indian style position.
Anko sighed and bit his lower lip.-Kakashi… mind if I use your lighter?
Kakashi blinked confused, she was using his name and being gentle? Now that was weird. Not sure if she was on her mind, he took out the lighter from his pocket and handed it over to the kunoichi behind him. She thanked him and with a simple gesture, a little flame burn on her hand. The kunoichi began taking all the things she got scattered all over the place, she placed them over her sleeping bag. Kakashi watched her on the corner of his eye and realized that she was getting a tough time, looking for her stuff and holding the lighter with the other one, and without words or hesitation he took the lighter off her hand. Surprised, the kunoichi stared back but when she realized why he did that, she smiled and continued her task. Folding her garments and placing the food supply next to her backpack.
Anko was already placing everything she had inside her backpack when the jounin noticed a green garment tossed on the corner of the tent, near of the entrance. Kakashi crawled to that direction and took it with his spare hand, checking what it was and realizing that it was his own vest. The flashbacks hit him harshly and made him almost to drop the lighter. Anko zipped his backpack satisfied when she realized that her partner was suddenly all that silent, she turned over and looked to the reason of his change of humor when she spotted the green torn vest on his hands. The kunoichi gulped and felt a little ashamed. Kakashi felt her eyes on him and looked up, facing her. She was playing with her fingers and biting her lower lip softly, clear sign of shyness and shame.
Anko was about to say something when Kakashi placed the vest on her lap and turned off the lighter, getting inside his sleeping bag he placed the lighter on his pocket and closed his eye. Anko sighed and copied his actions, getting inside his own sleeping bag she closed her eyes. But even though she was tired and she need it the rest badly, she couldn't find the peace she needed. It was storming outside and the constant lighting made her wonder if they were really safe. Her chest ached and once in a while she looked to where her partner was resting. Taking a deep breath she decided to take it off of her, if she didn't it wouldn't let sleep for the rest of the night. Clearing her throat she turned over and looked to her lazy partner. Ignoring the fact that probably he might be already asleep she sighed.
-I was about to buy you a new one. Cause you know… I destroyed this one.-chuckling nervously.-Sorry for destroying it.
-I have two more of them.
-Ok…
Silence fell between them, only shattered by the constant rain hitting his plastic shelter that stood against it. Anko sighed and looked at the ceiling, seeing how the water poured over them.
-You know… I couldn't understand what you meant by the "that wasn't necessary" part back then.
Kakashi turned over, facing the ceiling.-I know.
-Moron…-sticking out her tongue and grinning.
Kakashi snickered, looking at her on the corner of his eye he sighed.-It meant that using a poisonous senbon wasn't necessary.
-Why not?.-turning over so now she was facing the copy ninja, arching her right brow with curiosity like a little kid.
Finding this funny Kakashi smirked under his mask but continued gazing at the ceiling, he coughed and continued.-Using a poisonous senbon it only for S-ranked criminals and only the ANBU are allowed to use them. Besides your opponent was just a former Chuunin, killing him like that wasn't necessary.
The kunoichi blinked astonished by the explanation he gave her, she didn't understand why he cared about killing some burglar that decided to mess up with them. And why the heck was he being all rude to her, when he slashed the genin throat without mercy. She was about to point out this but like he read her thoughts he continued.-Slashing someone's throat is one of the most effective ways to kill someone, it makes the victim to suffer less and feel like he's going numb and sleepy. While the poison the senbon uses not only paralyzes the victim, it rots its organs until the very end.
Anko knew what the poison did to its opponent, but now that he explained that way she felt a little guilty for using that mortal weapon against a pitiful Chuunin. Kakashi looked at her on the corner of his eye and wondered if that explanation was necessary? But after seeing the same bright on her eyes she held each time she made up her mind he decided he did the right choice. After a couple of minutes of hearing the rain over their heads and some bolts far from them, they felt a little tired but neither of them closed their eyes. Anko was getting bored again and looking to her partner she arched her right brow.-Ey Kakashi, Why did you quit being an ANBU?
Caught out of guard, the silver haired jounin couldn't hide his surprise and looking at his left, gazing at his partner, he frowned.-Why do you ask?
-Well, 'cause being an ANBU is an elite job that most of the shinobi would be proud of doing.-smiling and crossing her arms behind her head as support.
-Not all the shinobi would be proud of doing what an ANBU does.
Now it was Anko's turn to be caught of guard. Frowning she turned over, crawling next to him along with her sleeping bag.-What do you mean?
Kakashi looked at her face, she looked like a child who was about to find out the truth behind the folktale her parents told her long years ago. Sighing he looked at her before looking at the ceiling and frowning a bit, slightly for her to notice, he continued.-Not all the jobs an ANBU does are nice and pretty, most of the times involves murdering bingo-book shinobi and people that your superior asks you to.
-But you still kill people even if you're a jounin.
-Yeah I still do, but now I have the choice to decide if I'm willing to do it or not.
Anko saw the tension written all over his face, but she wasn't willing to stop the conversation there. It was the first time he opened his mind to her, She wasn't willing to ditch the only opportunity she got in years of knowing him to get to the real man behind the mask, however there was a risk of annoying him and making him more distant that he was. I'll take the risk.
-What happened back then?
Kakashi looked a little offended and gazed her with his penetrating grey eye. Anko felt how her chest ached and regretted saying that, trying to look elsewhere but him, finding some shelter in her hands, but after hearing him sigh she looked up to him.- Let's say I murdered someone against my will.
Anko softened her face and looked at him with compassion. Kakashi smiled weakly and stared her for a moment before looking at the ceiling.-Seems the storm is about to end.
Anko didn't understand why the sudden change in the topic but after a rethought she smiled, wrapping herself in her sleeping bag she sighed.- Yeap, it is.
-Good night, sweet's slave.
Anko frowned but chuckled after, getting her backpack as pillow she smiled.-Good night, porn freak.
-.-.-.-.-.-
A/N: Ey there! Lira is back hehehe sorry I took that long to update, I won't even bother to say the reason, you already know it. Anyway hope you like this calm chapter, cause this is only the beginning. If you are counting how many days these two shinobi got into the other, it's been a week (yeah I know, 21 chapters for a week?!) so that means I have a week to go. That doesn't mean I'm going to take other 21 chapters to finish the story, don't forget that the first chapters were too short to be called a chapter. But one thing I'm sure of, this won't be longer than 30 I promise. 'Cause in the next chapters there's gonna be some fun (for me obviously, for you mmm… pure torture hehehe grammar and spelling mistakes XD). Anyway got to go, lots of homework to do and sketching to perform.
Lira W.M
P.S: Scene 3 won!!! Yay! You naughty brats! XD (hehehe I like it!) so now the question is… WHEN DOES LIRA IS GOING TO HAVE THE TIME TO DRAW THE BLOODY SKETCH?! No idea hahahaha XD
Next chapter: They'll arrive at the Swamp country (finally) and Anko wonders why those pathetic shinobi attacked them, knowing already that they didn't have any chance to begin with. Also more inner conflicts in both characters.