A/N: Want to know what's going inside the abandoned compound? You shall find out now! And what will Anko decide to do? Let's see. Enjoy!

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Anko landed silently on the ground just outside the abandoned outpost. Everything was quiet. Even the wind didn't make a sound. She listened intently for any indication of anyone being there. She heard nothing, but she could feel him. Orochimaru was close. She could always tell when he was close by her because her long dormant and sealed curse mark would tingle to life. But as long as she kept her will to fight against it, it would never be reactivated. Yet still, when he was close, it always reminded her that it was still there. And that's not the only thing she felt, she felt Kakashi close by too, and an ominous presence that she was unfamiliar with.

A detached voice said, "Come inside. We've been waiting for you. We won't harm you. I just want to ask a favor of you."

"Orochimaru! So help me, if you've harmed one hair on Kakashi's head."

"Those silver tresses? Now why would I want to do that? He's got rather interesting hair. Makes him very recognizable in a crowd. I suggest you come in here quickly, because my dear Anko, you don't want me to lose patience with you."

"You're bluffing!"

"Oh I assure you Anko, I'm not bluffing. In fact, my associate is very willing to kill your beloved at my slightest inclination. Come in. Let's talk."

"Not until you assure me Kakashi's alright!"

Then she heard him, Kakashi said, "Anko! Stay away from here! Get back to the village, don't worry about me!" Then she heard a thudding sound and an "oof," which must have meant that Kakashi had just been silenced, somehow.

Oh my God! What do I do! My heart tells me to rush in there and save the man I love, but the shinobi in me says don't trust the situation! But I don't have much choice. She slowly walked toward the door and looked inside. What she saw when she looked inside scared the shit out of her.

There were explosive tags rigged everywhere she looked. Any one of them, if detonated, would set off the others and the old abandoned building would come down. Against a back wall, Kakashi was bound with continually moving small live snakes. They were literally constantly moving over his wrists and forearms as well as his ankles. The thing is, Anko could see that they were actually anchoring Kakashi to the wall. The snakes seemed to have bored holes into the walls and then circled around inside them, coming out the other ends and looping back over his wrists and ankles again. There was a larger snake around his waist doing the same thing, and a thin one around his neck. He was bound with Orochimaru's living restraints.

Kakashi looked up at the woman he loved, knowing that she'd walked right into Orochimaru's trap. He couldn't get loose, and couldn't save her, and he couldn't save himself. He again wanted to tell her to run back to the village and not worry about him, because she was all he cared about. She was all he lived for, and the thought of her going back with Orochimaru just to save him caused his heart to almost break. He wanted a lifetime with her, and if she left him, he'd search the ends of the earth until he found her again.

Orochimaru saw her looking at Kakashi and said, "Impressive restraints aren't they? Before we go on, let me introduce you to my assistant. Kimimaro, this is the Lady Anko. She'll be coming with us." Kimimaro stood and looked at Anko with non-descript malice on his face.

Anko said, "Who said anything about me going anywhere with you?"

Orochimaru laughed low, and said, "I'm sure you'll see things differently if you want your dearly beloved to live. Kimimaro?"

Kimimaro cracked his shoulder and then began to pull his upper arm bone out of his shoulder. Anko stared in horror and amazement at what this new enemy could do with his own bone structure. As the final part of the bone came from his shoulder, she noticed that the end was honed to a sharp point.

Kimimaro stared at Anko and then turned to Kakashi who was watching intently at what was happening. Kimimaro walked close to Kakashi and stabbed the bone sword straight through Kakashi's vest and into his shoulder. Kakashi felt the bone blade glance off his own clavicle and the searing pain it inflicted as it traveled it and then was pulled out of his body. He grimaced and growled, but he didn't cry out.

It was all Anko could do not to run to him and try and save him. Instead she tried to think like a shinobi and she screamed, "You keep doing that and I'll leave right now!"

Orochimaru laughed and said, "You won't leave him. And guess what? I know about your little "secret" too. Oh don't worry, Kakashi didn't betray you. I found out in my own way – a little birdie told me."

A blinding rage began to build inside Anko. Everything she looked at began to turn an angry red. As she got more desperate to save Kakashi, and the angrier she got, her chakra began to leak out and the air got heavier. She hadn't felt this way in a really long time. Not since before, when she was with Orochimaru and he'd trained her to feel anger and use it and turn it into raw power.

Orochimaru smiled and said, "Now there's my Anko."

Kakashi yelled through is pain, "You can't have her! Anko! Snap out of it! Get away from here! He's going to use you for some evil plot. Don't worry about me. LEAVE while you still can!"

Anko heard Kakashi's pleadings through her festering rage. She realized I'm acting exactly the way Orochimaru wants me to act. I won't bow to him – never again. She began to calm herself as she said to him, "Never. I'll never follow you again. To think I used to respect you. Now, I detest you. You'll never destroy me, or Kakashi, or my home. I won't allow it."

Orochimaru wasn't too happy with Anko's response. He said, "I could have Kimimaro remove you from here forcibly while I blow the place up. Then where will your precious Kakashi be? Dead and you'd still be with me. Do you want that to happen?" Anko emanated hate at her former sensei. Orochimaru said, "Kimimaro, puncture one of Kakashi's lungs."

"As you wish my lord," Kimimaro moved with lightning precision and drove the bone blade into Kakashi's left side. Immediately a bloody whistling sound emitted from Kakashi's vest, then it was quiet again. Kakashi's breathing immediately became labored. And Anko started to panic even though she didn't show it.

"I'll let him live Anko, if you come with me. What I need you for isn't such a bad thing. Let's talk about it while we leave. Kakashi can stay here. I'm sure your comrades will be searching for both of you by now. They'll find him here, safe and sound. Or, they could find him here dead with another punctured lung and no way to breathe. Your choice."

Kimimaro got into place and pointed his bone blade at Kakashi's right side. Kakashi just shook his head and stared at Anko. Instantly, all the memories of Kakashi flooded into her mind. The first night they'd started their "friends with benefits" relationship; the fire escape; the copy machine; her taking care of him when he returned from his mission; him saving her life; them moving in together, and his proposal. And she found that she did want to marry him. But she couldn't marry him if he was dead. Life without Kakashi wouldn't be worth living.

Her heart was almost torn in two. If she left with Orochimaru, Kakashi would live, and she could come back to him eventually. If she refused, she'd watch the only man she'd ever loved die before her eyes. She knew what her decision had to be, so she made it quickly.

"Have you come to a decision?"

Anko said, "I have."

Orochimaru said, "Well, what is it?"

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A/N: HUGE cliffy! You'll probably guess it, or will you? Tommow you'll know for sure!

Next up: Panic in Konoha, and Anko's decision. See you soon!