(A/N: Alright, I'm being extra nice to you guys, because of that whole six-month delay; however, for the few of you who may know my writing style, you know I like to be encouraged with five reviews per chapter. I have the next three chapters ready for your eyes, but they wont be up till I see some lovin'. .) Okay, I'm done ranting.)
Disclaimer: Don't own it, so don't get your panties in a bunch.
Chapter Four
Anko entered her unlocked apartment, after leaving so abruptly she had not been able, or rather allowed, to lock up. She turned to click the bolt over and noticed with a grimace that it was broken. The purple haired woman suppressed a groan at the realization of either having to tell management about another broken lock or live without that protection. Like it even mattered, this would be the fourth time in six months that her front door had been kicked in. She turned, greatly ignoring the mess that was her home and grudgingly made her way to the bathroom to see just how awful she really looked.
The reflection staring back at her was…unrecognizable to say the least. Her dyed hair was matted to one side and looked as if a cow had gone to work licking it. Swollen, chapped lips stood out against her pale face and she reached to touch a tender spot just below her high cheek bone. Light brown eyes roamed over a neck adorned with hand-shaped bruises, a dark ugly mauve hicky bubbled under the skin near her collarbone and droplets of blood dabbed the front of her grey shirt. Her shirt was torn at the collar and ugly crimson scratches trailed to her cleavage. The young woman's back ached from the whole "wall incident" and her hips were sore. But what hurt the most was the weakness staring back at her, laughing at her, telling her this is her fault that she deserves this. That she is weak, pathetic and useless. She forcefully bit her swollen bottom lip, bringing blood to the surface as she slammed her fist into the mirror, shattering the glass on impact. The jagged edges of broken glass split open the skin of her knuckles and blood rose to the surface, spilling out and into the porcelain sink; however the physical pain did not relieve the emotional burden and she collapsed to the bathroom floor, drawing her knees against her chest.
She chocked back a sob when the stench of the men she had been with the night before rose to assault her senses. That putrid smell of sweat, and spit, and semen mixed with her own scent made Anko remember the two men from earlier. How she had to fake enjoyment with both men--no, those creatures weren't men, they were pigs. With both of those horrid, vile pigs inside, her abusing whatever orifice they could get their filthy cocks in. "Say my name you bitch, come on say my fucking name whore," one of the men had said as she rode him. And she did, she screamed that bastard's name so loud he actually slapped her and told her to shut up. "Say you like it. Beg for it, say you want it harder," the other man had demanded as he entered her from behind. And she did, she would say anything in hopes of waking up from this never ending nightmare.
Anko grabbed the rim of the toilet with bloody hands and dry heaved until her efforts brought up hot bile that burned her throat and made her eyes water. A sob tore through her and she could no longer hold the lump down anymore. Her thoughts swirled around what she had become in the last two years, how Orochimaru ruined her life with his sweet words, but as she tried her hardest to be mad at that man, she knew deep down that the real fault lie with her father and the money he had laundered from Orochimaru and his business partner, Jiraiya. Her father's so-called "suicide" and now she had to pay back thousands and thousands of dollars.
She wiped her eyes and tried to remember what she used to be like, before all this happened. She used to attend classes at the community college, she vaguely recalled wanting to be a Criminal Psychologist, she had even wrote a thesis paper on how violent behaviors are not just a result of conditioning, but are also passed on from the parents to the developing fetus. She had received kudos on the report and even took the time to get it laminated, so that when she was making the big bucks she could look back and reflect on it. Anko pushed away from the toilet, yea, she was making the big bucks alright…not that she would see a dime from last night's adventure into the depths of the sexually depraved.
With a sigh, she pulled her clothes off and kicked them into a ball in the corner. The young woman stepped into the shower stall and turned the water on full blast. Scalding water turned her flesh red as she vigorously worked a bar of soap over her body, scrubbing until she felt raw. Blood and dirt drizzled down her tone legs, pooling around her feet and swirled around the drain before disappearing. Anko felt somewhat better with the application of soap and allowed herself to slide down the thick plastice of the shower. High pressure water washed over her, minute droplets clung to her long lashes and prickled her eyes. She sat, with her knees pulled to her chin enveloped in the rising steam. She did not remember her breakfast date until the water turned to an icy chill.
*****
Iruka waited, tapping his fingers against the counter top all to aware that fifteen minutes had passed by thirty minutes ago. He groaned, assuming she wasn't coming and reluctantly returned the egg carton to the fridge. The teacher had a feeling this was going to happen and he didn't even bother as to crack an egg, knowing well enough to just wait for her. Times were different for women then with men, when a man said fifteen minutes, it generally meant that, but when a woman said that it usually fell along the lines of an hour. He'd had plenty of girlfriends come over for cold food during his years, yet he had never been blown off quite like this.
He ran a finger across his facial scar, repressing the memories that came with that action as he stepped into the hallway of the building. He wandered the few feet to the door next to his and went to knock. His hand stalled midway when he noticed the splintered wood and how the door bent unnaturally near the knob. He called her name and waited. After a few moments with no answer he tried the handle and his suspicions were correct that the door was open. Iruka quickly scanned the proximate area and hastily entered her home, telling himself that what he was doing was right and he was just checking on her.
Almost immediately his heart began to hammer at the sight of the apartment in such disarray. A couch had been overturned, blinds were bent and broken near the sliding glass door, there were pots and pans on the kitchen floor and her dining table had been flipped upside down. He took a tentative step inside and glass crunched beneath his shoes. This was not good, definitely not good and to make matters worse, he spotted what looked like drops of blood on the white carpet. When had all this happened?
"Ms. Mitarashi?" he called out in a shaky voice as he ventured further inside, slowly making his way to the bedroom, the door was slightly ajar and he could see a shadowed figure moving slowly about. "Ms. Mitarashi? Are you alright? It's me, Iruka Umino." The door swung open and before he could say anything he was staring down the barrel of a gun.
"Alright asshole, just what do you think--oh, it's you." She lowered the handgun in confusion. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Iruka, who was far to terrified to speak, pointed to the front door and then to the surrounding mass disaster area. His fear ebbed when he noticed her enlarged knuckles and long scratches that disappeared into her tank top. He finally found his voice after she continued to frown at his apparent lack of a reason. "I-I-was worried, you didn't come and I thought I should check on you." He put his hands up in defense as he felt sweat gather at his brows. "I swear I never met any harm, honestly I was just worried!"
Her almond eyes narrowed at his excuse and she clicked the safety back on the gun before tossing it on her unmade bed. "Do I look like I need looking after?"
"No-no, but I was worried."
"Because I was late for breakfast? I was on my way over there, but I may have to rethink that." Venom laced her words, damnit she was so pissed right now! She looked over her shoulder at the gun, contemplating getting it and shooting the bastard right here and now.
"Ms. Mitarashi, I'm-"
"Stop calling me that!" she snapped. "Do I look like an old hag?!"
"Wha-"
"I said do I look--"
"Look, please stop. I know you're mad," he started his explanation.
"Damn straight I'm mad!"
"Please, I heard strange noises in here last night. I was just worried about you." He reached forward and took a hold of her bare shoulders, taking note of how she flinched. "I'm sorry, please forgive me. I thought something may have happened to you and when I saw this," he released her to motion at the mess, "I-I was just worried."
Anko sighed, finding it to hard to be mad, she let herself forgive him. Honestly, this guy was too sweet for his own good, she had damn near shot first and asked questions later. "Alright, fine. Whatever." She turned and flopped onto her large queen bed, an arm thrown over her eyes.
"Ms. Mita-I mean, Anko. Are you alright? What happened here?" He hesitated before entering her room. He had invaded her personal space to the point of near death, even if she hadn't shot him, he hadn't been on the receiving end of a gun since…
She pushed herself up into a sitting position and shrugged. "Don't know, when I came home this morning it was like this," she lied. If he had heard her and Orochimaru's stupid goon arguing already, she doubted he believed her. She hit the nail on the head with that one, his expression didn't look all that convinced. "Apparently, it seems someone broke in."
Iruka rested his weight on one leg, uncomfortable with the atmosphere of the room. "Did you call the police?" She answered negatively. "Why not?"
"Nothing's missing."
"But still, someone broke in and you're not even the slightest bit worried? I saw your lock, it's broken. What if they come back?"
Oh, they'll come back alright, she thought to herself. They'll come back, lock or no lock. "Well, I don't have much to worry about since you do such a good job of checking up on me. Shit, you'd probably hear them coming a mile away."
His frown deepened, he was sure not getting off on the right foot with her. "I said I was sorry. I know I had no right to barge in here like I did, I'll leave if you want me to."
The prospect of him leaving may have seemed to be the fix to this predicament, but to Anko it felt that it would only make the problem worse. She exhaled deeply, why did it hurt so much when there were no ulterior motives to another's kindness? Has she honestly forgotten what it felt like just to be liked because she was…well, she was a likeable person. "No, no you don't have to go. I'm just a little upset about this, I get my ass handed to me when I stupidly tried to break up a bar fight, then I come home to this," she waved her hands around, "mess…and then you scare the living daylights out of me," she chuckled quietly at the statement. "I damn near blew your brains out."
He returned the laugh with his own. "Nah, just my eye. If you want to blow someone's brains out you need a higher caliber." His eyes fell on the standard issue .22 and reflected on his own gun that lay tucked beneath his pillow, one of the only things he kept of his father's. "A .44 Magnum would do the trick, coupled with a different kind of ammunition and with the right angle." He formed a gun with his hand and aimed at an invisible target. "You may be able to take a limb off. Now if you want to take someone's head off you should consider a high caliber rifle or a shotgun at close range of course." He appeared pleased with himself at divulging such useful information.
She looked taken back for a second. "Oh God, you're not one of those gun freaks that's paranoid the Government's going to come and take back your guns, are you?"
He nodded. "Yea pretty much." Her reaction was priceless and he found he couldn't hold back his smirk. "No, I'm just yanking your chain. My father had quite a collection and I learned from him."
She raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "Really? Well, then since you're so concerned about my safety maybe you could lend me something with a little more bang to it."
"I never said that. And if I did have a 'collection' it's against the law to give you one. You could turn out to be crazy and go shoot up the city, then it'd fall back on me."
Anko rolled her smoky eyes as she got to her feet. "Right. Well, I'm going to brush out my hair and I'll meet you over at your place. Don't worry, I'll be sure to barge in." She disappeared into the bathroom before calling out, "My place is a mess and I didn't kick you out!"
(Okay, I'm done now. You want more? I hope so, I'm actually enjoying writing this.)