A/N: Next chapter of 'In The Language of Flowers' is still in the works, cause it's still giving me a hard time. When I first started it, it's like my precious baby or something. Now it's just a rebellious kid begging to be smothered to death. (-.-) It's coming to an end soon though, thank god…

Thanks to those who reviewed. ^^
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and any of its characters.

Chapter 2: Dropping Masks.

Fujita was conversing with the sponsor, the fact made obvious with the way he kept the forced smile on all the while, trying to cater to the sponsor's every need. Anko was genuinely surprised that his face has yet to crack.

But there was little she could do to get near to them, she thought, eyes shifting to two shadows not far from her target. Not with the guards on high-alert every time someone nears the group.

She needs to wait for an opening.

As she timed occasional glances their way, Anko approached the refreshments table. No sense carrying out the mission on an empty stomach.

Upon nearing the table, Anko frowned at the offending display of hors d'oeuvres. They had chocolate éclairs, bite-sized toast with cream cheese and smoked salmon, grilled lamb skewer with rosemary and garlic, all that good stuff…but no dango. Staring at the selection before her, all the while ignoring her temporary companion -who was already busy stuffing his face, thank god-, she plated two chocolate éclairs.

After passing her scrutiny and deemed edible, she bit into one of them and-

.God. The taste. The light, crispy exterior that gives way to rich, velvety, sweet sweet vanilla cream, the sinful chocolate -oh-so-delicious- with everything melting in her mouth, leaving a hint of bitter aftertaste of the chocolate-

Anko closed her eyes, savoring the divine bit of edible heaven. This have got to be the best thing on-

Her eyes widened for a moment, a flash of guilt in her brown eyes.

As Hiroji turned to speak to her, she held up her hand to stop him. "Wait, I need a moment," she said, voice wavering a little.

I'm so sorry dangos, for being unfaithful.

Fixing her face back into that of an idiotic, bimbo who would actually like the company of Hiroji -not that there was any girl that stupid-, she turned to him, lips upturned, silently telling herself that this couldn't go on and she'd better find a way out of it. Her face was already tired from all the false smiling she had to do.

And so the hell that Anko believed was customized specially for her continued, long after she finished the appetizers.

She'd never known that a single human being could complain so much.

The Daimio collects more tax from me just because I live in a bigger house than the commoners, whaa, whaa, whaa. The workers keep asking for higher pay, whaa, whaa, whaa. My competitor has more land than me, whaa, whaa, fucking whaa. If she heard another thing out of his mouth one more time, she's going to make him taste his ba-

"Why, what a pleasant surprise to see you here, Hiroji." A gruff voice sounded from behind her, slicing through her thoughts, sending the hairs on the back of Anko's neck standing. Why did she not to sense this approach? Still, she allowed proper manners to dictate her movements, rising together with Hiroji to greet them.

"Ahh, Fujita-san! What an honor, you look great today, I must say-" Anko bit her tongue to keep from laughing. "-a true pleasure to see you…"

As both men exchanged pleasantries, Anko took the chance, flashing a bright smile at the sponsor, only to falter as he calmly shifted his attention towards the conversation of the two men. Ignoring her…that bastard. Perhaps he needed to be taught a lesson… Tsunade did say that he was not to be touched, but still…

"How would you explain this?" Tsunade would ask, a deadpan look on her face as she prepared herself for Anko's reasons –excuses.

"Well…I kind of slipped, and my hand accidentally connected with his nose." Anko said, grinning sheepishly.

"Repeatedly?" An eyebrow arched, obviously still unimpressed.

"Uh…yeah. I can be really clumsy, you know." *Insert innocent smile here.* "Oh, you also probably shouldn't worry about the wound on the back of his neck, because he probably had that before he entered the hall."

Yeah, actually, that might just work…

"And who is this gentleman here?" Hiroji finished with a question, a glint in his eyes as he snuck a smirk at Fujita. Anko snapped out if her thoughts.

Her lips thinned a little, as she caught the split moment where Fujita and Hiroji shared a smirk. Perhaps Fujita isn't acting alone…

"He is the helpful man I told you of before, and I wanted to reassure him that I have the necessary…connections to aid in the proposal I presented to him. What a happy coincidence to meet you here." A frown quickly formed as he turned his beady eyes to Anko. "And who, if I may enquire, is this charming lady?"

"She's-"

"I," Anko said in a sultry voice, slowly entwining her fingers with Hiroji's, pressing her breasts so that they bumped into the man's arm, "am Hiroji's consort."

Hiroji's breath hitched slightly, and if the two men felt that his "Yesss." was a little too breathless, they did not show it.

Fujita eyed her suspiciously. "Well, we've some business to discuss so…" His voice trailed off, and it was apparent what he meant.

Smiling sweetly, Anko turned to Hiroji halting his protest to Fujita with a finger to his lips. Gently straightening his collar and tie, she let her hands linger longer than normal on his chest, looking at him from under her eyelashes. "It's alright, Hiroji-kun. I understand completely. But trying not to me waiting, hmm?" She leaned in, breath ghosting over the shell of his ear, whispering, "I don't want to wait so long to…have you by my side again."

She didn't wait to see his response -his mouth half-open in surprise and delight, nodding furiously- turning away, heading to an open balcony.

Leaning against the balcony, Anko tilted her head up to solidify the pretence for admiring the view as she placed a mini-earpiece into her ear, switching on the link to the bug she placed on Hiroji's collar.

Approaching footsteps had her dropping her hands on the railings, her posture one of relaxation.

"It is does not reflect well on a gentleman, to leave a lady in such a melancholic mood, do you not think so?" A silver mask appeared beside her, the rest of the body lost in the darkness.

She smiled, easing more into her role. "And I suppose you are the remedy for such situations?"

"I wouldn't go as far to say that I am the remedy for such situations, but for you, perhaps I can be." He murmured, and Anko felt instantly entranced by it. It was like velvet, smooth and soft against her skin. Sure, the chocolate éclairs were delicious, his voice though…mmm, give me a spoonful of that.

"So you are the kind of gentleman who saves maidens form such moods?" Anko looked up at him, and she was slightly taken aback by the depths of gold of the iris. So beautiful…

"Me? A gentleman? You are too kind, Miss Tanuma."

"To know my name when I know not yours," Anko pouted. "That's not nice or gentlemanly at all."

"I never said I was nice." Velvet and silk, flowing over her skin. Mmm.

"But a gentleman always accedes to a lady's request, no?"

"Anko, by now, you should already know that I am no gentleman." Anko's eyes slid to half-mast. Him saying "Miss Tanuma" was nice, but the way her real name rolled off his lips…delectable. She shivered, and it had nothing to do with the tempera-

Wait. Real name? Anko?

Her eyes widened a fraction, suddenly wary of the man before her. A false laugh, ridiculously high-pitched, escaped her mouth, as she tried to salvage the situation, mind working furiously as to how he saw through her. "That is a nice name, but surely you are mistaking me for someone else."

"Truly? But who else,-"

His pale hand latched on to the juncture between the back of her neck and shoulder, fingers tightening, nails lightly scraping. Anko's eyes narrowed in anger as she slapped off his offending hand that came away caked in a little make-up.

"- who else would wear my mark so beautifully?"

Her head cocked to the side, anger boiling up from within the pits of her stomach upon the sight of the cursed mark. She had taken great pains covering that diabolical thing with make up so that it matches her skin tone, and while that blundering idiot Hiroji had almost manage to spoil her efforts, she had managed to fend him off.

Now there it lay so obviously, a stark contrast against her skin.

Furthermore, his mark?

Anko glared at him. "…Who are you."

A statement. Not a question, never a question, because it wasn't as if she could forget him, after all the things he did. After all the things he did not do.

"I believe you already know the answer to that question, my dear." And the demure smile instantly transform into a wicked smirk she was well-acquainted with.

Even with the mask on, she could still imagine the purple markings framing his eyes, golden irises silted in the excitement of a hunt, a predator closing in on a prey, her. Anko's eyes swept over the rest of him. The smooth, long midnight-black hair. The slight glint of fangs in his smile. The pale, pale, pale skin tone, as if untouched by the sunlight. Oh, now that she looked closer, there was no mistaking him alright.

She'd just been found out by Orochimaru.

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