A/N: Hi again everyone. Ready to kick the fight scene into high gear? Here we go, enjoy!

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Anko glared at Kabuto. No way is that little prick taking me down. I'll wipe my boots on that smug face of his when I'm finished with him. Kabuto did a series of hand seals and then disappeared. It was more like he faded. But Anko didn't fall for it for one moment. He was able to mask his scent, heartbeat and even his body and skin. He looked just like the forest that was all around him. But the one thing he couldn't mask was the evil that was attached to his chakra. Anko just chuckled and put her hands together and began her hands seals. She called out to him, "Is that all you've got, AMATEUR!" She completed her hand seals and flung her hands out to her sides. Scores of snakes shot from her sleeves like rays from the sun, in all directions in a circle all around her. One was bound to hit him because he was still close, and in fact, three hit him. "HA!" She yelled as she redirected the other snakes to close upon Kabuto's camouflaged body, and bring him back to her.

The snakes constricted on Kabuto's limbs, keeping his arms apart, then they began to almost "rewind" back into Anko's sleeves at an ever increasing speed. His jutsu blown, Kabuto came back into view, with a slightly nervous look on his face. Anko just stood waiting for the snakes to bring him to her. She curled up her fist and smirked at him as he came flying back to her. She cocked her fist and pounded him on the right side of his chin which shifted left with a sickening crunch. His glasses went flying, and then he followed them, as the snakes changing direction under Anko's order, and flung him toward a large tree. He hit the tree hard and went down in a crumpled heap.

Anko breathed heavily as she pulled her snakes back to her. Bastard. Don't fuck with me. She knew the best thing to do would be to leave the scene immediately. She wanted to get back so she didn't end up like Kakashi had. Kakashi. Immediately the adrenalin she'd been using dissipated and the sadness of her decision began to drain her. She's truly hurt him, and she had yet to deal with how she felt about it, let alone deal with him himself. She knew she needed to get back to him and make things right between them. She needed them to be friends, even if they didn't share their benefits anymore.

While she was distracted with her thoughts, Kabuto stirred.

Kakashi followed Pakkun in silence, terrified that he wouldn't get there in time to save Anko. He tried to convince himself by thinking, she'll be fine. She's Anko for God's sake. She can take care of herself. If Orochimaru is there, maybe he'll let her go. She was his favorite at one time. But he did abandon her. He might kill her just because she didn't try to go back to him. No. She'll be fine. I can't let her die. I can't let one more person I care about die. Especially her. I'll get there in time. I will.

Pakkun finally broke the silence, "Kakashi, what's this all about?"

"There has been some enemy ninja activity for a few months now. I was caught in it on my way back and beaten pretty severely, as Sakura would attest to. Anko experienced the same kind of resistance a week or so ago. Tsunade sent her out to verify if any bingo book rogues were involved in a place that seemed to setting up shop. After I wrote up my last mission notes and compared them to the information we already had, Orochimaru came up. He's leading these bands using bingo book rogues to set up bases around the Hidden Leaf Village. Tsunade didn't know this when she sent Anko out. Anko's been gone for hours. She may have walked right into Orochimaru's hands. That's why I'm bringing you Sakura. I don't know what we'll find when we do find her."

Sakura just nodded in silence. She understood now. Anko could be gravely injured if she fought with Orochimaru. Or she could be dead.

The pile that was Kabuto began to glow. His healing chakra was rapidly putting his body back into a state where he would be able to fight again soon. He stood a little shakily at first, but with each passing second, he regained his strength and stability. Anko turned and watched him stand. He said, "Not bad Lady Anko. But not good enough. You forget who I am and where I come from. I can heal myself as many times as you can hit me. You can't defeat me," he withdrew a kunai from a holder he kept, "but I will defeat you." He lunged at her. Anko prepared to have an all out brawl with Kabuto. She reached in her pack and launched three shuriken at him, which only slowed him slightly. As he closed in on her, she pulled out a kunai and headed his off before he could strike her.

"You . . . won't . . . win," she said into his face as they struggled against each other, kunai to kunai. She brought her boot up to take out his knee but he punched her in the temple causing her to fall sideways. Stars swam before her eyes, but she cleared her head quickly and rolled to the side to avoid his next slicing attack. She squatted and waited for him to turn to her. When he did he dropped his kunai and instead, his hand began to emit chakra that she could see. She sprang at him, spinning, aiming the outside of her left foot at the side of his head. It would be a direct hit. Got you now you son of a bitch, she thought just before she connected with his head. Instantly, Kabuto brought up his glowing hand and her foot connected with it instead of his head. Anko let out a surprised yelp as she felt the bones in her foot and ankle break.

Her leg swung back from Kabuto's head like it was repelled from it. She flew a good ten feet before landing and rolling to her side. She tried to stand, but Kabuto stopped her, "Your foot and ankle are pretty much useless right now Lady Anko. Just stay down. I wish I could let you go; you did put up one nasty fight. But you know too much now." He began to walk toward her slowly. She sat up and leaned toward her left side, her head down, her lower leg pounding with pain. She put both her hands on the outside of her left thigh on the ground to brace herself. She panted through the pain. She thought I may be in trouble here. That little fucker broke my ankle and my foot too. FUCK! I've got to let him get close. Come on you bastard, you haven't got me yet.

Pakkun suddenly said, "Kakashi, there are two people up ahead, and they're fighting."

Kakashi asked, "Is one of them Anko?"

"Yes I'm afraid so."

Kakashi got a very determined look on his face. Determined, and ANGRY. I'm going to kill whoever is trying to hurt her. No fucking way is anybody going to hurt her. I'm not ready to let her go yet for any reason. Hang on Anko . . .

Anko ignored the pain in her leg. She faked that she was in dire pain so Kabuto would believe he had the advantage and possibly let his guard down. She still felt the pain, but she successfully blocked it out. She thought this is how Kakashi gets through. He blocks things out and just keeps going. I can do this. Come closer Kabuto, I have a present for you. With both her hands on the ground, she slowly curled her right hand around the handle of the kunai she kept on her left thigh. Closer, keep calm Anko. Closer. Kabuto kept walking toward her, his hand glowing with chakra. He was going to put an end to her once and for all.

Kabuto stopped and stood next to her, "It's over Lady Anko. I'll make it quick. Don't worry, it'll all be over in a minute, then the pain will go away." He began to bend down and put his chakra infused hand toward her head.

Anko could feel the electric energy of his chakra getting closer to her head. He bent closer, almost touching her, when she screamed in her head NOW! In an almost imperceptible flash, she flung her right hand across her body in a sweeping motion and cut deeply into Kabuto's chest from left to right. She'd cut his chest wide open, and his blood sprayed her as she rolled backward and away from him, still unable to get up.

Kabuto fell forward holding his chest. "Bitch! You are one crafty ninja Lady Anko. You lured me in flawlessly. Arg, my chest! But I'm not done yet." Kabuto held his gaping chest wound with one hand and reached in his pack with the other. Anko watched him take a small black pill that she knew was a blood replacement pill. He really wasn't done yet.

Pakkun turned back to Kakashi and said, "We have to hurry."

Kakashi said, "I know. I smell it too."

Sakura looked at Kakashi, then at Pakkun. She said, "What? What do you smell?"

Pakkun looked at Kakashi again, then at Sakura and said, "Blood. A lot of blood."

Anko's limbs felt heavy. Her eyes were drooping. The adrenalin was gone from her body and her chakra was getting a bit low. She kept an eye on Kabuto as he stood up and passed healing chakra through his hands to seal up his chest wound. She'd seen that same kind of chakra used before when Sakura had used it to heal Kakashi's ankle, ribs and shoulder just days before. She knew he was healing himself and he'd be ready to fight again soon. If only she had healing chakra, or could get up to get away. Unfortunately, she could do neither. She thought I wish Kakashi was here. I want to tell him that I never meant to push him away. I value his friendship and all of the rest of it too. I have to tell him. I have to finish this, so I can tell him how sorry I am, and what a big mistake I made.

Kabuto straightened, no longer bleeding. He said, "I can feel your fatigue. Your body is exhausted from the pain you feel isn't it? Wish you could do what I can do, don't you? Doesn't matter now. You're done. I was going to kill you quickly, but now, I think I'll take my time. I'm going to have a little fun with you, Lady Anko. Ever wonder what it feels like to be beaten to death? You're about to find out."

Anko looked at him a little worried. Kabuto closed his fists and an evil purple chakra began to emanate from them. He said, "My hands can cut like the finest scalpel, or crush like the strongest hammer." Instantly he was behind her, and he punched her in the shoulder with his chakra infused fist. She rolled over and over, finally being stopped by a tree. She tried to scramble upright just to see where he was, but he was gone. The hair on her neck stood up just before he hit her in the back of the head with his fist again. She flew forward, sprawled out on the dirt. Her head spun and everything seemed to be tinted slightly pink. Blood in my eyes she said as she tried to wipe it away and get to her knees at the same time. She was on all fours trying to scramble away when she felt the hair on her neck stand up again. This time she braced herself, while flipping the kunai she'd managed to hold onto around and drove it upward next to her own ear. Kabuto was unable to avoid a glancing blow from her kunai as it sliced into his fist between the last two knuckles on his hand.

Anko pushed herself forward with her knees just to get away from him as he howled and swore at her angrily. Got to get out of here. So tired. Why is everything still pink? What's this, so, dizzy? She crawled forward crookedly and finally lost her balance and fell on her side breathing heavily. She couldn't focus on anything – she felt like she had the bed spins – that spinney feeling she'd get when she had too much sake. Sake. She's like to have some sake now. At least it'd explain why her head was spinning. She'd like to stop at that little sake bar she frequented when she got back from her missions. The last time she'd gotten back from a mission she'd stopped there, and that's when the whole "friends with benefits" thing started with Kakashi. I wish you were here Kakashi. I wanted to tell you how sorry I was for hurting you. I wanted to tell you I made a mistake. I want you to forgive me if you will. I wwannnnn she began to get really fuzzy and her vision began to blur.

Kabuto stood and looking at Anko said, "You're finished." He walked toward her slowly, relishing the thought that he was going to kill one of Orochimaru's former favorites. He stood close to her still body and looked down at her. She didn't try and get away. She couldn't move.

Pakkun said, "We're close. They're just up ahead. Be ready." Kakashi and Sakura nodded and burst on ahead.

Anko lay still, her eyes open slightly, looking blankly ahead of her at the trees, but not focusing on them. The trees seemed to part and two blurred things shot through them. Sssttthhaaaat? her fogged brain thought as the moving objects looked like they were about to land on her. She couldn't see what, or who it was but she could feel them standing behind her. She wished it was Kakashi. She wanted to tell him she wanted to make a deal with him. She felt herself sliding, slipping in her dizzy state. She realized that she may not have much time, if any, left.

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A/N: Whew, what a fight! I tried to make it as believable as possible. I hope it was. Review please!

Next up: Kakashi and Sakura burst onto the scene to save Anko, but will there be anything left of her to save? Also, Kakashi comes to a serious realization. See you soon!