A/N: Question: How did you come up with the main characters name?

Answer: I was eating yogurt, and the brand was Chobani….Bani sounded weird, so I just chopped of that part and left it as Cho. Now your curiosity has been satisfied.

Thanks to everyone that has commented and favorite this story. I love this story so much and I can't help, but write more and more and more. It's seriously addicting. Review More! Koi loves to get reviews.

My morning had my emotions on a roller coaster. Bear left. He just left.

How could he simply just leave without any concrete explanation? Sure he had the excuse of me being a weakness, but I didn't see any enemies attacking us in the month that we've spent together. It just didn't make any sense at all to me. Why would he just kiss me and then leave? You don't do that to woman, because then they end up like how I am right now. Confused.

Maybe the hokage thought that I no longer needed someone to guard me. Maybe I wasn't a "danger" to Konoha anymore and there was no need for Bear to watch over me. The least he could have done was tell me his name. The more I thought about what had just taken place, the more angered I became. Quite frankly I couldn't stay in my apartment anymore. It reminded me too much of him and the other ANBU that had stayed with me. I had some place to be anyway, and I couldn't pull a Kakashi.

The walk towards the Academy was slow and torturous. Interacting with people right now was far from what I wanted. Inside my thoughts were boiling and I couldn't concentrate on anything, and on the outside it just showed my frustration. It wasn't like I could tell anyone as well. How would it look if I went up to Raidou or Kurenai and said, "By the way guys, the reason why I'm so depressed right now is the fact that I just kissed an ANBU member who thinks that I'm a weakness to him. So how's the weather?" Housing ANBU was something that I had to keep a secret, and I knew that they would appreciate it if I didn't tell all of Konoha my life story.

My way of coping was eating, and what I needed was some comfort food and I needed it now. Food to me is like a fat kid who loves cake. We don't part. If I had to explain the majority of what my income was spent on…I think you get the picture. I made a quick stop at a Yakitori stand and bought four sticks. Two for me and two for Kakashi. I knew the man enjoyed Yakitori, even though he never really voiced his opinions. It was kind of obvious that he loved Yakitori as each time we passed a stand his eyes would linger more than the average person. Hey, I can be a ninja too, even If I don't have this chakra thing to power me.

Slowly my mood began to shift into a happier one as I nibbled on the grilled chicken pieces. Before I knew it one grilled chicken piece was done and I was already standing in front of the Academy. Kakashi had said he would be inside, but I didn't really feel like walking so far. This man was seriously going to be the death of me. He always showed up late, even if it was an important outing. I remember last week that I made arrangements with Asuma to eat at the new barbecue shop that Choji had been talking nonstop about. Asuma said that he finally agreed to go, but not with Choji because the kid would eat his wallet empty. Of course Asuma didn't know that I would replace said kid. Kurenai had come along for the ride and I almost backed out at the mentioning of Gai's name in the invitees list. By that point I told Kakashi that he had to come with me or Gai's "youthfulness" chatter would drive me to my grave. He had agreed and I specifically remembered lying to him about the time. Asuma had said seven o'clock, but me being the cunning non-ninja that I am told him five o'clock just because I knew he was always at least an hour or two hours late.

Wouldn't hurt the man to wait on others for a change. Asuma and Kurenai sat next to each other as "friends", but obviously they were a couple, while Gai sat next to me as a "couple", but we were obviously just friends. I can't stress the friend's part enough. Gai just wouldn't shut his mouth about his new flower blooming at the full chance of seeing The Green Beast of Konoha at his best. But of course, all plans of mine failed as Kakashi ended up showing his face just as we finished eating our meal. You would think that he would have had the decency to actually arrive for something like this on time.

He knew how much I hated being around Gai. I'm not being a snob and saying I'm too good to hang out with him, but if you're in a room or within three feet of this green spandex wearing man with an awkwardly, shiny bowl haircut, you'd be scared to be left alone with him too. Add to the fact that he screams about being youthful and sending nice "Gai" poses around and you have yourself a full blown scary jounin. Did I mention that he has a portable backdrop of a sunset with him? Hmm…that probably must have slipped my mind.

I remember clearly punching Kakashi in his stomach for making me suffer, and stomping on his foot before marching away to my apartment in a flurry of white and blue. For the following three days I ignored Old Man Scarecrow. Yeah, I demoted him from Kakashi to that, and of course he didn't enjoy the little nickname I granted him. He could go cry me a river and grow some rice in it, but that wouldn't stop me from being angry at him. Oh no. He needed to seriously make up for what he did.

And to this day he never has.

Bastard.

"Yo." A lazy voice greeted me. I didn't need to turn around to figure out who said it. "Old Man Scarecrow."

He sighed loudly. "I said I was sorry."

"Now that I think about it, you still owe me something." I slapped a silly grin on my face and turned towards him. "Really…?"

"Really!" I mimicked earning a raised eyebrow from Old Man Scarecrow.

"You just have to get used to him. I have."

"He claimed that I was his beautiful cherry blossom in a sea of ugly pine trees, and that I stand out the most seeing as I'm as beautiful as he is youthful. Do you know how youthful that man is? Not to sharpen my own kunai but I think that means I'm pretty beautiful. Need I remind you that he wears spandex and sports a bowl hair! His eyebrows are about as thick as the bricks on the Academy building. I can't even leave my apartment without finding leaves from a pine tree to remind me of how "beautiful" I am." I couldn't help but be modest by putting air quotations around beautiful. If he thinks I'm beautiful, then something was seriously wrong with him. Who would think a pale woman with white hair and blind looking eyes would be beautiful?

Maybe that bowl hair cut of his is seeping into his brain.

"Maa…Well I wouldn't disagree."

"…"

"We should probably head inside." He said quickly to which I nodded and walked a little faster so that I was ahead of him. My cheeks were burning and the last thing I needed was for him to jest about me blushing.

Damn me for being so pale.

The playful banter with Kakashi had lifted up my spirits till I was floating on cloud eighteen. Multiple of nine which means that I was pretty darn chipper. Kakashi and I were waiting for Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke to arrive in order to take this Written Cunis exams. I couldn't pronounce the word for the life of me, but I was pretty sure it was Cunis….

Maybe not.

I had devoured the rest of my Yakitori and gave one stick to Kakashi as he didn't deserve the second one. He was being too mean, and I wanted to rub the flavor of it in his face. I couldn't help but moan every time I took a nice chomp out of the grilled chicken. Kakashi had already finished his, and I of course being a gentlewoman gave him his privacy by turning around.

"Keep making noises like that and people will think I'm doing more than eating Yakitori, but rather sushi."

"…"

"…"

"YOU PERVERT!"

He laughed and dodged my weak attempt at throttling him. "You better wish you were never born once I'm done with you." After Kakashi's small laugh attack, I grumbled and moved to the other side of the hallway so that I wouldn't have to stand next to such a pervert. Because of him, now I was extremely red and couldn't get rid of the blush that was painting my cheeks.

"Stupid old men, with their stupid perverted jokes. I wish I had a nutcracker big enough to—"

"CHOO!" Turning around I barely had enough time to dodge an orange clad ninja that always insisted on tackling me like I was some enemy. "Naruto! How many times do I have to tell you to not tackle me! If you want a hug just do it the normal way. I'd prefer not to end up with a broken wrist…again." Yes, Naruto had broken my wrist three times from tackling me.

Maybe I just had weak wrists, or maybe Naruto was just strong, but all I knew was that I didn't enjoy having my head pounding after being smashed into the ground by my idiot "brother".

"We missed you at training yesterday! Where were you?"

"You know I work at the Academy Naruto."

He paused before scratching his head sheepishly. "Oh yeah. I forgot about that." He giggled a little at his stupidity. At least he noticed before someone pointed it out for him, but of course Sasuke was always the person that had to comment on something Naruto does or says.

"You're such an idiot."

"WHAT WAS THAT SASUKE-TEME! YOU WANNA SAY THAT A LITTLE LOUDER!"

"Saying it any louder won't make it false loser. Just admit that you're an idiot." Naruto growled loudly and began to lunge for the Uchiha before he was stopped by a punch to the face, by yours truly…Sakura.

What! I wasn't about to get in between those two. I already learned my lesson from the last time. Let's just say that the hospital was sick of seeing my face.

"NARUTOO! DON'T TALK TO SASUKE LIKE THAT." Cue yelling, and it began as Sakura began pounding Naruto on the head and using every degrading word in her vocabulary to describe how cooler Sasuke was than him, and how much of an idiot he truly was. "How do you deal with them?" I whispered to Kakashi.

"Patience. A lot of patience."

"Do I feel bad for you?" I watched Sakura beat on Naruto for a couple more minutes before I decided that enough was enough. I let her have her fun, but it was time for them to get serious about this exam.

"Come on guys stop it." At the sound of my voice Sakura ceased her half flown punch at Naruto's head to turn towards me. "Ahhh…Sorry Cho. I get carried away sometimes." Naruto sent me a thank you grin and began jumping up and done about beating this written exam.

"You guys better do well on the Cunis exams." It was silent for a moment before Sasuke stepped forward with a weird look on his face. Was he trying to hide a smirk? The corners of his mouth were slightly twitching. "You mean Chuunin Exams." He said.

"That's what I just said. Cunis exams."

"No it's chuunin Cho. Not cunis. Chuunin. Let me spell it. C-H-U—"

"I know how to spell it Naruto. I'm not an idiot. Cunis. C-U-N-U-S. Chunis."

"Wait. What!" Everyone stared at me as if I had Maito Gai sticking out of my ass. "What?" I cried while quickly wiping at my face. "Is there something on my face?"

"Cho. You do realize that if it was Cunis exams you said it wrong the first time. Spelt it wrong if that was actually how you pronounce it, and repeated the word again only to say it differently than the first time."

"But it's Cunis right?"

"No Cho. It's Chuunin."

"Chunis."

"Almost, but its chuunin." Kakashi kept stressing Chuunin, but I knew I was saying it correctly. Old Man Scarecrow probably had some corn from his field stuck in his ears.

"Cunnis." An irk mark appeared on Kakashi's face. What I didn't notice was that all three kids had slipped away so that Kakashi could properly teach me the correct way of saying Chunis exams, but what had got my attention was a snickering Gai behind Kakashi.

My eyes widened at the sheer size of Gai's eyebrows.

"HELLOOO! MY DEAR YOUTHFUL CHEERY BLOSSOM!" Of course I ignored him and kept saying Cunis in Kakashi's face.

"Chunis."

"No, Chuunin. C-H-U-U-N-I-N. Chuunin." God I felt like I was at a frickin' spelling bee contest or something. "How many times do I have to tell you? I'm saying it correctly."

"My rival Kakashi Hatake. Teaching my beautiful cherry blossom how to spell Chuunin exams won't work. You must let I, Konoha's Sublime Green Beast of Prey, teach his beautiful Youthful Flame the ways of pronunciation."

"Chuunin."

"Good."

"Let's go."

Kakashi and I quickly steered away from the exuberant Gai that kept rambling about taking his blossom out to a healthy dinner that would make her nice and plump. "I'm confused as to whether I should be thankful or scared."

"Be both in his prescense."

"So what are we going to do now?" I asked as we walked down the most crowded street in Konoha. I almost lost Kakashi in the bustling crowd, but I grabbed unto his elbow so I didn't lose him. "Well, I do owe you something so let's get something to eat."

"That sounds great, but you better not ditch me to avoid paying the bill." He just looked at me as if he was innocent. I knew he wasn't though. "Why would you say that?"

"I haven't forgotten the last time I was left with Naruto's bill. He ate my entire paycheck. You should know that being a gentleman means you pay the woman's bill."

"I'm a ninja."

"That's no excuse to ignore society's way of functioning."

"So you are telling me that society sees it that the man always pays for the woman's meal?"

"No. Society sees it as having someone else pay for Naruto's hefty bill. Everyone knows that." He chuckle at my joke. "I see. I guess I'll keep that in mind the next time I ditch you."

"You wouldn't." He gave me a look that told me there was no room for argument. "Ugh. Fine," I said throwing my hands into the air in utter defeat. "Ditch a damsel in distress like me."

"Why don't you train to become a ninja?" I tried to contain the laughter that was bubbling up my throat, but of course, typical me burst out laughing. I tried so hard not to fall unto the ground, but instead leaned against a building and guffawed as if my life depended on it. "Me…." I had to stop in between words to try and control my laughing. "….become a ninja."

"That will be the day that Naruto becomes Hokage."

"Ah. I see." He fell silent and watched me as I continued to bend over with laughter. After a minute or two my laughing ceased and I wiped the stray tears that found their way down my face. "Wow…" I giggled a little bit before standing up straight. "You really know how to make a girl laugh."

"What do you have against ninja's?" I sighed and became serious for a moment. Becoming a ninja was something that I would rather avoid. For one it meant a lot of hard work and everyone here that was a ninja trained since they were practically babies. Imagine a full grown woman of seventeen trying to become a ninja. It wasn't logical and certainly wasn't possible unless I spent the next seventeen years training, trying to make up for lost time which I of course wouldn't do. It's not that I have anything against ninja's but I'd rather not put my life on the line and defend a village with people that I barely even knew. Yes I have stayed in the village for more than a month now, but I wouldn't exactly call it home. My family members weren't here and yes I did make friends, but what about my old ones.

Besides, ninja's were always injured on missions. I don't think that I could put enough trust into these "team leaders" to bring me and others home safely from a dangerous mission. Sure the pay is great, but was money everything? And this chakra thing. Did I have it? Would I be able to control it properly? I remembered that the Hokage tried to explain the ninja ways and chakra to me, but it fell on hard ears. I wasn't really willing to sit down and focus on what he was saying. Give me a nice job and a cozy apartment and I will live there until I die. I wouldn't want to die out on a field with people I barely knew, let alone the enemy that "killed" me. Being a ninja scared me. I can say that my two fears was being killed by a ninja and becoming a ninja.

In truth, ninja's scared me. But why wasn't I afraid of the ninja's I made friends with? Watching Naruto and Sasuke spar never scared me. Seeing Kakashi take out his kunai never scared me. So what was it? Did my fear suppress when around ninja friends? What would happen if I was around a stranger?

I unconsciously shivered, not noticing the concerned look that Kakashi was giving me. I felt like my brain was shutting down at the thought of becoming a ninja and just ninja's in general. "Cho..." A hand touched my shoulder which I immediately shied away from. I needed to go home. I couldn't stay out here anymore. "Uh…I have to go." My words were rushed and the wind took them as I turned around and started running for my apartment. I hope that Kakashi wasn't following me.

My apartment was the same way I left it earlier and I slammed the door shut, locking and dead bolting the door. My breaths were coming out quicker than they should and I realized that I was hyperventilating. Quickly rushing to the kitchen I threw the fridge door open and grabbed some water. I drank in huge gulps and then sat down so that my knees were now tucked under my chin. Rocking myself back and forth I kept breathing in and out steadily so that I wouldn't past out.

Calming down took longer than I thought, and by then I was slightly giggling at my reaction. There was no reason for me to freak out over a question, but facing a fear like that scared me. Kakashi probably thought I was a freak now that I reacted like that. "Shoot." I knocked myself over the head for being so stupid. It was just a question. Why couldn't I answer?

No. My answer was no, but I couldn't say it. Maybe I didn't want to hurt his feelings and say what I had been thinking. Surely he already knew the consequences of becoming a ninja, so hearing the cons from my mouth wouldn't help him feel any better.

Suddenly I felt like the biggest idiot Konoha's ever housed. Seriously though, who freaked out about a ninja. Obviously me.

Sitting down there, trying to calm myself down and trying to think rationally took longer than I thought. My belly grumbled and I realized that I skipped out on lunch with Kakashi.

"Great. Now I owe him something." Standing up I had to grab unto the counter to steady myself as my legs felt like they were jello. Shows how smart I am for staying in the same position for an hour. My kitchen was stocked up and I wondered what would be for lunch. Maybe I should have some fried rice with Tonkatsu. I was in the mood for some fried pork cutlets and my stomach couldn't have agreed more as it growled loudly. "Tonkatsu and fried rice it is."

To make the entire meal took about forty-five minutes, but by the time I was finished it felt like only a couple of minutes had passed. Cooking went by smoothly and I had a lot leftover. Without realizing it I unconsciously made food for six people.

My mood then dampened at the thought. No ANBU would be joining me for dinner tonight. I would be all alone in this apartment. I couldn't remember the last time my apartment had been empty. Even when I had first arrived here, Bear had been in this apartment. Then it began to grow as he brought his friends over more often.

Sighing I stuffed some rice into my mouth and chewed. The rice was perfectly cooked, and the scrambled eggs mixed in had such a rich taste I couldn't help but stuff my face even more. By the time I was finished I had eaten two helpings of rice and six pork cutlets. My stomach was heavy, and I felt a little nauseous but I grabbed another piece of cutlet and began nibbling on it. I guess I was eating my problems away. So much for trying to forget about him.

But how could I. The man stole a kiss from me. And his lips were so soft, and his eyes a nice bright blue, but I remembered that there was a flicker in his eye. I wonder what that was about. Maybe it was just the lighting. I didn't dwell on his eyes too long, but my thoughts once again drifted to how soft his lips were. The way his warm hands fit perfectly over my eyes had me shivering as I scooped some more rice into my mouth. They weren't heavily calloused surprisingly. You would think that a ninja would have rough hands, but I guess he was an exception. Maybe he was an adamant user of lotion wherever he went.

I wonder what brand he used?

A knock at the door brought me out of my thoughts. I wonder who would be at the door at this time. It was late afternoon now, and the sun was starting to go down leaving a nice pink and orange hue on the horizon. Taking off the dead bolt and unlocking it, I opened the door to see an ANBU member standing in front of me. "Huh?" I stepped back a little and closed the door behind him. He casually strolled into my living room and elegantly placed himself into my couch before motioning for me to sit across from him.

I was dumfounded and speechless at his presence. I had never seen this ANBU member before. This one seemed to be a Snake, and I shivered at the thought of fangs sinking into my skin.

"Do you know who I am?" Woah. He was more talkative than the other ANBU members I had seen.

"You're from ANBU." I squeaked trying to avoid the emotionless stare that was directed at me. I couldn't really tell what his eyes were saying, but a mask seemed pretty emotionless to me. "Correct."

A silence passed over us. I felt like he was sizing me up. For what reason? I don't know. He was probably trying to assess if I was a threat or not.

"Do you know what position you are in?" My eyebrows wrinkled in confusion.

"I wasn't aware I was in any….position."

"Eleven masks. Tiger, Hawk, Eagle, Raccoon, Crow, Rat, Falcon, Deer, Crane, Monkey, and Bear."

I gulped when he said Bear. "All have been absent at certain intervals over the past month. Do you know why?" Lying to him wasn't an option, but I couldn't just outright say "Oh yeah about that. I've been housing your so called fellow comrades and letting them have game night and shogi game night whenever they please, just as long as they don't destroy my apartment."

I guess it was a rhetorical question as he answered it himself. "They seem to have become acquainted with a civilian."

"But the Hokage said—" I started…

"Actually, the Hokage's orders were to guard you for a week. To observe your actions and movements and see if you were a threat to the village. Afterward they were to return to headquarters and leave you alone. I don't think that seemed to work out correctly. Now tell me my dear. What did you do to force him to stay? He doesn't seem to be himself anymore."

I felt like I was swallowing knives and bricks by the time he was done with his sentence. What was he going to do with me? Was Bear going to get in trouble? I began to sweat profusely and shift in my chair under his hardened gaze.

"What. Who are you talking about?" I knew exactly who he was referring to, but I decided that I was going to make his life harder by playing the dumb albino. "Don't play games with me woman. You know exactly who we're discussing." I glared at him.

I couldn't have loved interruptions more than a loud pounding at my door. I jumped up to go open it, by a vice grip on my wrist stopped me. "Don't think this is over." He hissed before disappearing. Great! Now I have an angry ANBU out to kill me.

Just my luck.

Rubbing my wrist didn't ease the pain at all, but I hoped that the bruise that was already starting to form would go unnoticed by the person who was still pounding on my door. "I'm coming!" I yelled, while dodging around furniture to get towards the door. "Didn't know I was that good." I stopped myself from unlocking the door to glare daggers at it. Leave it to Izumo to say something like that.

Ignoring the comment completely I opened the door to be met with a grinning Izumo and smiling Kakashi. "Great. Now I get two perverts in one night. Oh joy."

"Well we were just concerned about you. Kakashi told me what happened."

"Oh." Izumo's face slowly slid from a grin to a frown. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just…the question he asked me kind of threw me off guard."

"But you're okay now right?" I nodded and showed them a smell just to reassure him. "Well good. Wouldn't want my Cho to be sad, now would I."

"So I'm yours now huh."

"From day one." These guys were seriously the best. They knew exactly how to cheer me up, even though most of it ended up with crude sex jokes. "You guys are seriously the best." I hugged Kakashi, which he still wasn't getting used to, and then I went and hugged Izumo. He smelt of pine and peaches which confused me as I wouldn't strike him as someone that enjoyed peaches.

Suddenly a dirty thought popped into my mind. My eyes crossed at the thought and I pulled away, trying to get rid of the dirty joke that was just itching to get out. "Well it's time for me to sleep."

"You do realize that it's not even seven o'clock yet." Kakashi mumbled, without glancing up from his book. "Well. I have work in the morning and would rather be awake than have to pump myself with caffeine. Caffeine and I aren't the best of friends."

"I would hate to see you caffeinated. It's already hard enough dealing with a sober you." Izumo retorted. I stuck my tongue out at him and then pouted. "Yeah well, just wait till we go candy shopping."

"I'd rather not." Both men said simultaneously.

"Losers." They took their leave and I smiled as I did my nightly routine before heading off to bed. I wonder what tomorrow's going to bring.

E/N: A little comic relief, and a little sadness. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm seriously in love with Cho right now. Her characters perfect in the sense that I can make her ditzy or really serious. She's just a laid back kind of girl. Anyone have any questions please comment about it or send me a PM. I'm going to start doing this segment at the end called Wise Words from Itachi just to make you guys giggle.

Wise words from Itachi:

A wise Itachi once said," My Swag trips harder than LSD."

Copyright Koiketsudayou 2012