(A/N: Oh, Joy...an update.)
Disclaimer: Nope, still poor, starving and using Naruto characters for my own amusement.
Chapter Ten
Anko slowly sipped her beer as she sat cross legged on Iruka's couch vaguely aware of the sitcom playing on the television. The other occupant of the apartment had wandered off some time ago to pee and was now presumably passed out on his bed, snoring loudly. She smirked, at least he was still alive. Another tickler added to her list, train him to hold his alcohol. It was only three beers…well, she currently nursed her seventh, but that was beside the point. Not to mention she needed to build up the courage to check her voicemail. Eleven missed calls from Jiraiya and one from Orochimaru, the screen informed her.
Finishing her drink off, she took a deep breath and began going through the messages. Halfway through the voicemail, her stomach flipped and she threw up. Her whole body shook and she squeezed tears back. Maybe it was the booze or just Anko finally letting go, but with Jiraiya's words echoing in her mind she found it almost impossible to not show any kind of emotion. She stood up, vomit dripping from her lap and retched again, splattering her legs and soaking the carpet. It didn't matter, it was over and whatever else happened in her sorry excuse of a life, no one moment will ever amount to this one. And she was content to believe that until it proved otherwise.
She never finished listening to her voicemail…and as luck would have it, the most important message was the last, from Orochimaru.
***
Typical Sunday afternoon light filtered in through yellowed curtains as ten year old Iruka stepped into the room. His father's back to him as he lounged in a cigarette burned loveseat, staring endlessly into nothingness as he brought a bottle to cracked lips. The man downed the amber liquid and threw the bottle to the carpet before turning bloodshot eyes to his son-his only child at that-while reaching for another drink. A crooked grin tugged the width of his mouth, stretching a few of many scars. The boy nervously began to fiddle with the ball in his hands instantly regretting seeking out his father.
"What do you want kid? Where's that tramp?" Iruka's father was now more than immune to the affects of alcohol and there was not a slur in his voice. Iruka gulped and found his shoelaces with sudden interest. "Look at me when I talk to you boy!" His head snapped up, grip tightening on the baseball. The man snorted and took a swig, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Now, what do you want?"
"I was-was wondering if you would play catch with me or maybe shoot at the squirrels with the BB Gun?" the child blurted out.
Vacant eyes stared dumbly at the child for a few moments before responding. "Didn't you hear me the first time? Where's your mother?" Another swing and a burp. "You're a dumb-fuck…"
Dejected although very much expected. "She went to the store…"
His father gave an empty chuckle and finished the rest of the drink, discarding it in the same fashion as the other eight bottles. "Fucking bitch, spending more money than she's worth. Don't ever get involved with their kind, they'll suck you for all you're worth. Nope, when you get wood just rent a pussy for five minutes. That'll save you a lot of money and bullshit in the long run. Understand?"
His gaze dropped. "Yes, dad."
"Get over here kid." Iruka slowly inched forward before he stood in front of his father. Black eyes stared coldly at the child before snagging the boy's collar. "You know what your problem is?" Strong whiskey tainted breath washed over him. "You look like a fucking pussy." A large Army knife flashed in Iruka's brown eyes. "You need a few scars, be like your old pop. You'd like that, right?"
With all the might possessed by a ten year old, Iruka yanked himself free and turned to run. His father cursed behind him and tossed an empty bottle at the child, barely missing but succeeding in scaring him. The boy dropped the ball and tripped over it, slamming to the floor and whacking his nose a good one. He didn't have time to register the hot liquid seeping into his mouth when his dad hoisted him up by the hair only to battered him against the floor again. His conscious swayed and dipped into black, but was suddenly brought back full force with the steel edge of a knife cutting through-
***
Water ran from the faucet with a soothing white noise and Anko lost herself staring at the flow, unsure how she ended up in the bathroom or in different clothes. She glanced over her shoulder at Iruka messily sprawled over his bed, lost in a deep sleep. An unfamiliar feeling bubbled in her chest and she now had a new object to study. He knew nothing of what she did-used to do, gotta love that pass tense. She could start new with him, he would never know of the countless acts she'd been forced to perform.
Slowly, she found her way to the bed and stood awkwardly over him, still unsure of how to go about this. His lips moved, forming silent words that meant nothing to her and grimaced. Bad dream probably. Then he whimpered quietly and she slipped beside him without a second thought. He was warm and she was happy for once. To Anko, she didn't need another reason. After all, cuddling with Iruka was still a thousand times better than being alone on the couch. He shifted in his sleep, clutching her tightly by burring his face in her chest. Instantly the thought that he'd invent a new shade of red if he could see himself crossed her mind. After a few adjustments, she nuzzled the top of head his head.
He's so going to flip when he wakes up, she thought smugly before her spinning world slowed and blackness settled.
***
"What the fuck is wrong with you Ibiki?" Iruka's mother yelled at the man in front of her. She came home from the store to see her son with a black eye and his nose damn near hanging from his face.
"He looked like a pussy, now he looks tough, like a man should."
She was so blown away by his reasoning that it took her a minute to recover and even then she didn't know what to say. "I'm speechless…you're so…so…"
His father dismissed her with a wave of the hand and a crude gesture. "It's done and over with, should be proud of him, he didn't even cry. Now, be a good girl and hand me that bottle."
Her mouth fell open and she blinked, unsure how to react as she grabbed the neck the wine bottle, recently purchased on her grocery trip. She spared a brief look to her son and said, "Honey, just keep the towel to your face till it stops bleeding and go watch TV in your room." Her eyes went back to the man. "I'll be up to check on you in a bit."
The child nodded and hopped off the stool and started to move from the kitchen when his father stopped him, pushing him to the cool linoleum. "Little shit, don't give in to them that easy!" He unbuckled his belt and pulled it free, raising the leather strap in the air and brought it down hard.
"Iruka!" His mother dashed to him, shouldering the drunkard out of the way before he could get another hit in. "What is the matter with you? Just because you were in some piss ass war doesn't give you the right to do this!" The boy clutched at his mother, shamefully crying into her embrace.
A dark chuckled rolled from the scarred man's lips. "'Piss ass war' huh?" He sighed for a minute before he grabbed her by the back of her brown locks, sending the woman into the counter. "How 'bout I burn all the hair off your pretty little head and use it as a fucking carving board? That'll be fun wont it? See what kinda war it was."
"Dad! Stop!" Iruka screeched, his throat tight with tears.
"Shut up boy, you just got yourself a first class seat at the show. I call it, 'How to Deal with Dumb Whores'. This is an important lesson-"
His mother suddenly reared and clunked him on the head with the wine bottle, shattering glass and sending red wine across the room. He staggered back a hand on his head till he slumped against the fridge. The woman's chest heaved heavily as she pointed the jagged edges of the bottle at her husband. "Lay another finger on him and I swear to whatever God exists, I'll fucking kill you."
If either Iruka or his mother knew Orochimaru, they would've likened the smile his father gave to one of his. "Not if I-"
"Iruka, Iruka. Iruka wake up."
(A/N: I gotta put it out there, was I the only one offened that Hinata admitted she loves Naruto to his face and then absolutely NOTHING came of it? He went fox-shit for her!!! Not for that pink haired slut! And then the nerve of her to dare give him a hug! I blew a gasket when I saw that joke...I think I may actually be done with the series after those little stunts...seriously, WTF?????!!!! And now there's talk of killing off Anko! The only female character that's not a f-ing ditz! I will drop Naruto like a bomb and spend the rest of my life writing nasty letters to the creators if these two MAJOR problems aren't addressed!!! Who's with me?)