Note: Anko two years younger than Tobirama so she's around 20 here.


CH5

"Waiky Waiky!" Anko singsonged as she threw open the door to teammate's apartment which consisted of three rooms. On the immediate left was a door to a smaller room containing a bed from when Nawaki took up residence in the apartment the door to which was always closed. Both the kitchen which was on the right side of Tobirama's own bedroom and the bedroom shared the space of what was meant to be a living room. The empty space in between had a low table with mats on each side serving as a breakfast or dinner table. A small circular table with a shogi board and two chairs was pushed to the corner opposite Tobirama's bed. The bathroom was in the far right corner next to the kitchen,

Tobirama's eyes cracked open slowly as they focused on Anko who was balancing a large box of what appeared to contain twenty Motoyaki packets and balancing a Dango stick in her mouth. "Time?"

"It's nine! Welcome back!" She walked over to the fridge frowning as she shot him a withering look. "It's empty!" She whined somehow still maintaining a good grip on her stick as she spoke and slid the box inside. Tobirama pulled himself up slowly his entire left side felt sore, like he had been doing crunches nonstop all through the night. "Should've brought stewpot or something." He suppressed a wince.

"How can you not like this! Seafood is HEAVENLY!" She chirped punching a fist into the air.

"It tastes like tripe, and dried grass." He shuddered involuntarily at the chill he felt. It seemed he had lost quite a lot of blood otherwise his circulation would be better. Luckily Anko had her back turned to him as she was putting a kettle on his stove.

"Ugh what kind of water user are you? A real one would be crazy about this stuff."

"Are you saying you need a regular dosage of rat kebab then?"

"What was that?"

"Nothing." Tobirama threw his every day wear over a shoulder.

"I suggest you don't leave that there if you don't want it all to disappear. It'll be all gone if Sensei drops by to visit."

"He wouldn't dare eat my beloved! He knows the consequences!" A fiery aura seemed to surround her as her eyes lit up on fire.

"He won't care if there's nothing else especially if it's after one of those prolonged hermitages and then you will be left with no more precious instant ocean hay."

She pouted as she licked her Dango stick. "Anyway what took so long? You're a whole week late!"

"There were complications." He went into the bathroom after grabbing a towel and took a short shower while listening to Anko complain about how empty his cupboards were and how dare he eat all of that nasty brown sugar cake she decided belonged in his cupboard rather than her own. How could one eat so many sweets? He sighed at his teammate's overly sunny personality leaning against the shower wall closing his eyes. Water always had a soothing effect on him. Maybe he could just go to sleep and wake up in a decade.

"Hey you know." Anko suddenly said, knowing full well that Tobirama could hear through the shower wall. "I met Kurenai on my way here the Jonin are having a get together, I can't come but you wana go?"

"You have something planned, that's more important than spending time with your beloved teammate?" He suppressed a wince as the water finally seeped through his bandage

She laughed. "It's Iroko, he's going to show me the fire flower Jutsu."

"You know he has a fiancé."

"You mean Uchiha Mita? Please her personality is more washed out than your own."

"Doesn't matter, he has a Sharingan, he won't marry outside the clan."

"Well I never said he was a keeper."

"So why waste your time?"

She sighed dreamily. "Nothing you would understand."

The kettle suddenly gave a loud whistle and he heard Anko turn of the flame and rummage for a teapot and cups. "Hey you coming out anytime soon? I need to use your restroom"

He sighed knowing Anko was just making that up to have him hurry out. He waited another minute letting the water envelop him and then pushed himself off the wall for another day of duty or socializing or whatever. He got dressed quickly and exited the shower.

"You fell for it again!" She sinsonged. Not really it was just safer to give his teammate attention when she demanded it otherwise he would never hear the end of it.

He lowered himself onto the mat across from her taking a long sip from the cup of tea she handed him. "So, you going to comment?"

Tobirama studied Anko's attire. "You decide on a standard Jonin uniform?"

"Nooooooo."

His eyes suddenly widened a fraction. "Congratulations."

"You could have said it more enthusiastically." She pouted again, her rapid mood swings were starting to give him a pounding headache for some reason. Or maybe it was the blood loss. "I am an official Chunin proctor!" She beamed again. "Gonna give those kids hell!"

Suddenly her demeanor turned serious. "So are you going?"

He sighed. "Where are they meeting?"

"The Dango place."

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt I need to go shopping for real food regardless might as well." She beamed another smile at him and hopped up finally finishing her sticky sweet.

"Well I'm off!" He walked her to the door only to have her throw her arms around him wildly. Slightly taken aback, Tobirama would never get used to his teammates bouts of uncontrolled passion, and patted her awkwardly on the back.

"Be good." She winked at him and twirled out a maelstrom going for another victim. He closed the door slowly and turned on the faucet washing the cups and pot allowing his hands to linger in the water. For a moment he thought he saw the water turn red and thick but an instant later it was warm and calming flowing through his hands.

He turned off the faucet and slipped on his gloves for a day as a civilian.