The morning sun blinded Anko as it came out to start the day. Anko groaned and subconciously turned onto her side. Her head and arm hit something hard causing her to open her eyes to see what it was. She awakened fully when she saw Otochimaru's still form lying there. His arms were behind his head, his legs crossed, he looked absolutly comfortable.

This sickened Anko terrible. She sat up on her knees and glanced around to grab her pillow to smother him. When she turned around, his golden eyes were open, he was awake grinning at her. "Is that the best attempt of murder you can think of Anko? Come now be more creative than that." Anko twitched and slammed the cushion down on his face "Die dame you!" she growled angerly. Orochimaru grabbed her wrists and turned there positions. He quickly grabbed the pillow and tossed it off to the side. He lowered his face to hers glaring, very unpleased at her for her action. After they stared each down for a few moments, they caught on to just how awkward the positon the were in really was. He sat up allowing her to escape. She walked a few paces away to get some distance between them. She noticed then that she felt no pain; he must have done something to her.

"I healed your injuries." Orochimaru stated as if it was nothing important.

Anko picked up her pillow off the floor and threw it at him "Didn't I warn you not to touch me." there was a hint of a smile on her face. Orochimaru stood up, her pillow in hand "Do you want be to re-break you?" even though he was smiling, Anko could hear the malice in his voice. She cleared her voice nervously "Look, I...I think you should go ahead and get out of here."

"What happen to you turning you in?" he asked mockingly

Anko chuckled "I don't want you to be in the same village as me even if you are in a jail cell. Consider it a favor for old times sake." She hadn't meant to say the last part but didn't dwell on the slip up.

He touched her shoulder which surprised Anko. He turned her around and they stood there, staring at one another. His gaze was powerful; it seemed as though he was trying to see past her, see inside her. She thrashed out of his grip and walked to the exit incase she had to make a run for it; this whole thing was freaking her out. She swallowed her anxiety "I...I'm going to uh, look for some breakfast." she said, not thinking at all. Suddenly a reminder came to her "Oh s-s-shit!" she twisted back into her room dodging Orochimaru. "What is it?" he asked her, Anko didn't hear the emotion in his voice. She picked up the clock above her bed and cursed, wondering about to put on a clean shirt and her shoes, paying no attention to Orochimaru.

"Forgot the dame breakfast date." Anko mumbled to herself just loud enough so that Orochimaru could hear. Something twisted inside him that he didn't quite understand "Date with who?" he asked sternly. Anko didn't hear him and ran past him. He grabbed her just as she got out the door.

"Hey-"

"Date with who?" he asked again, this time more darkly.

Anko eyes him annoyed "Jiraiya."

Orochimaru's eyes widened "What are you doing with him!?" his grip accidentally tightened.

Anko winced while trying to pull out of his grip "It's just food for God sakes...YOUR OUT OF YOUR MIND!" she finally got out. She rubbed her sore arm. It would be blistered by noon "He's leaving today so it's a way of saying goodbye. God knows when I'll see him again."

Orochimaru relaxed knowing it wasn't what he thought it was. Despite how long he had neglected her, he hated thought of her having a relationship with his ex-comrade. He frowned though when he saw Anko scowling at him about her reddened arm "Bastard." she mumbled while leaving, stepping over the broken bits of door that was still there. A few seconds later he heard "I want you gone when I get back!" and then a door slam.

He shook his head "When will you learn that I stick to my word Anko."

Jiraiya stared into his breakfast tea as the clock above his head ticked away. "Guess she forgot." she thought. He was about to pull out his wallet to pay when something hard and panty hit the table. "I am so sorry!" Anko apologized loudly. Jiraiya laughed "I should just be thankful you showed up. Still what happened to you?"

Anko flopped down beside him "It's a long, exhausting story." she panted. l"I rather just leave it at that."

"Okay okay." Jiraiya laughed. "I already ordered for you, I hope that's okay."

"Sure, I'll eat anything." she looked at the plate Jiraiya slid to her. It was some kind of sweet roll. "Looks good."

As they finished there meal, Jiraiya decided it was time to bring up the issue he had wanted to discuss with her "Anko, I need to ask you something important."

"Shoot."

He hestitated before speaking "I was wondering if you would like to come traveling with me."

Anko almost choked on the tea she was drinking "What?" she choked out.

"Well, you and I get along so I thought maybe you coming with me would be a good change."

Anko stared down in shock "But what about my missions and shinobi duties. Hokage sama won't like that."

"I've talked over with him already, you can work on your training with me and I report back to him everynow and again to let him know how your doing."

Anko gritted her teeth together "Jiraiya, this is big."

"I know it's sudden but I really like to see you more. Your becomeing a great shinobi and everytime I come here I'll be seeing less and less of you. What do you say?"

To leave Konaha? Leave the world she was use to, the people she knew, her life...it seemed impossible. Another thought hit her. Orochimaru. Will he follow her? Would he hurt Jiraiya? The bruise on her arm was a testimony that he could and most likely would. Possesive little demon.

"Jiraiya...I...I appreciate the offer but..." she wasn't sure how to word her sentence. She didn't want him to know yet that Orochimaru was in the village so she had to choose her reasons wisely. "My world is here; I know I'm not well liked by Konaha but due time they'll see past there dislike and except me as a ninja."

Jiraiya's smile twitched "So that's a no?"

Anko smiled "Yeah."

He sighed and stood up "I guess I owe Lord Hokage 50 bucks then."

"What!?"

He smiled over his tea cup "He bet that you would want to stay while I bet that you would jump at the oppertunity to leave this place. I half suspected he might win but it never hurts to try."

Anko stood up "I'm sorry."

He put his cup down and placed his hands on her shoulders "I'm glad you said no. It puts me at ease that you have a Shinobi way in you; despite the prejustice and critisism you face, you still find a reason to look past all of that and fight for the ones who can't fight for thereselves." He hugged her, Anko pressed her fingertips against his shoulders unsurely; she was almost afraid to hug him back. "Take care of yourself." he said, releaseing her. He laid down some money and waved goodbye "I'll see you again."

"When do you think you'll be back?"

He shrugged "Not sure. My travels will take me far and wide I might just get lost." he smiled like a drunk cheshire cat "Hopefully I'll get lost in a city full of women and great drinks-" Anko smacked him upside the head "You're leaving to write those pervertict books of yours! I'm glad I'm not going to be there; the last thing I need is you walking on me if I'm changing or something."

He chuckled "It would scar you for life." he joked

Anko smiled slightly "Goodbye pervert." she said

He turned to leave. Anko watched him until he was a tiny dot in the distance. One less person in her life that would look at her with a smile instead of scorn. One less to whisper that she had just as much to do with Orochimaru's experiments than he did. One less person she actully liked gone.

The rest of the day went by quickly; Anko walked around the village, threw a few needles at a tree, even stopped by the hospital the hospital to get a bandage for her blistering arm and check up on Tsubaki...

"I should be able to leave in the morning." she said cheerfully "A blood tranfussion takes a minute to heal from."

Anko grinned "That's good news." her eyes wondered to the window. She hadn't seen Mizuki since the night before she left the hospital. "How's Mizuki?"

Tusbaki didn't answer at first but when Anko turned back to her for an answer she spoke up "He's fine I suppose. He had to have the seal on his arm sealed away and he has to go through two months worth of therapy before he can attend anything shinobi." there was saddness in her voice. Anko felt guilty, most of this was on her behalf "I'm sorry to hear that, truely I am."

Tsubaki flashed a fake smile "Don't be rediculous it wasn't your fault!"

Anko turned away 'No but it is the mans who was in my house last night.' Her mind wondered to Orochimaru. Was he still there after she gave him that sorry excuse of a command? Would she have to look forward to another beating and healing before she swallowed her pride and called ANBU enforcements? She sighed "I better get going."

Tsubaki nodded "Maybe we could hang out sometime after I get out of the hospital." she suggested.

"Yeah maybe." Anko answered without really thinking "Bye." As soon as she was out of the room she was fast walking down the hallways. She was so suddenly eager to see that snake and personally throw him out of her apartment. She would relish the blood he would bleed; the bruises she would give him; the pure vengence she would have on him.

She slowed her pace as she got into the main office. There were people scattered all around: nurses talking to people trying to get emited, patience, family members waiting to see someone and a receptionist Anko quickly nodded to so that she could hurry up and leave. She was less that twenty feet out the door when she felt a strong presence above her. She grabbed a kunai expecting the worse; the second she turned back to the hospital the window on the eighth floor busted open with flames and glass spewing out of it. As the flames settled, a person jumped out of it and landed directly beside Anko.

She could feel the heat radiating off of him as he stood; despit the warmth, the...boy was shaking. Anko gasped at his appearence: he was clothed in a white T-shirt and sweat pants with white socks but the shirt looked as though someone had tried to tear it off him. He had a thick frame and came up just below Anko's collar bone;he was tall but looked so young. His exposed arms were labored with pink cuts, some old some new due to the broken glass, that stood out on his dark skin. And since Anko was on his left, she could see that this temple down to the left portion of neck was a red burn that oddly enough looked as though it belonged there.

The boy stood from his crouching positon, brushing excess glass off his body. He then noticed Anko beside him and turned to adknowledge her. The second there eyes met, the world seemed to pause around them. Dark brown eyes were meeting light brown ones for the first time. Two unknown Martyrs were walking into each others lifes.

"SOMEONE STOP THAT KID!"

They both turned around to see a doctor [he must be since he was wearing a white coat] and two ANBU running torwards them. The boy dashed into the city, he was amazingly fast for his small age. Anko watched him and barely felt the wind that brushed against her as the ANBU rushed past her. She saw a two more versions of the boy appear and separate into different directions, the real version going to the left. The ANBU's stopped for a second to decide what to do. One went straight forward while the other went to the rigtht; the child was going to get away. Anko smirked of how a mere child was able to out smart two alite ninjas.

The doctor stopped beside her panting. Anko turned to him "Who was that?"

The doctor breathed "A boy who was brought in yesterday...not sure of his name..." He gasped a few times before bringing out a clipboard he had consealed in his coat "For the moment he is know as Ryik, nothing else is know." He retreated back to the hospital "He's caused nothing but trouble since he was brought in and I hope he gets killed before he's brought back into my hospital."

Anko glared at the back of him. If she wasn't already in hot water she beat the breakshoes off that guy. She turned back to the direction the child was in. She hoped the ANBU didn't catch him.

She cracked her door carefully as she entered her home. She crept into her livingroom and closed the door gently so she wouldn't make a sound. She pulled out a kunai incase Orochimaru was still there and wanted to give her a warm welcome. "Here snaky snaky." she mumbled as if she was calling a dog "Come on out I don't want to play no games." There was a creak in the hallway leading to her room. "Moron stayed in my room all day." she mumbled angerly. She sneaked down the hallway and leaned against the wall beside the door frame. She was going to cuss Orochimaru out about the broken door. Taking in a deep breath, she stormed into her room ready to attack "GOT CHA!"

Her room was empty. Anko kept the kunai leveled with her chin while checking her closet and bathroom before relaxing. She wondered 'Is he really gone this time?' She sat down on her bed and her hand landed on a sheet of paper...

Had to check up on Kimimaro's progress. I'll be back by tomorrow evening if not earlier. You will never be free of me.

Anko crumpled up the note in her hand and threw it some where. "We'll see about that you bastard." She got up and went to the kitchen, some food would calm her down. She opened her refrigerator and was greeted with a msuky smell, most of the food was spoiled and dripping down the shelves. She slammed it shut and resisted the urgue to vomit, her appitite comepletely gone. "Thanks for eating my good food Snaky!" she screamed into infinity. Growling, she grabbed a trashsack from under the sink and held her breath while cleaning out the grossness of her kitchen. She knew what she ws doing tomorrow...major grocery shopping.

As she was throwing a milkcarton away, there was a loud, fast knock on her door. "W-what do you want I'm busy!" she screamed, disgusted and annoyed with Orochimaru and the mess. The person knocked again, this time more urgently. This interested Anko to an extent. Throwing the garbage sack in a corner, she wiped her hands and answered the door, the person was still knocking when she opened the door.

She opened the door and the person collasped on her, panting. "Whoa whoa..." Anko said as she re-positioned the person so that she could she his\hers face. Her eyes widened when she met the eyes of the person who jumped eigtht stories out of a hospital...Ryik.

The boy sat up and looked at her. "Hi." he panted. His voice had a hint of a southern accsent in it.

Anko's eye twitched "Hi?"

From his place on the ground, he extended a hand "Names Ryik."

Anko took it unsurely "Anko Mitarashi."

He stood up and leaned against her doorframe "I'm sorry for showing up here so late but...I..." he seemed embarrased and shaky as he got the words out "I didn't know where else I could go."

Anko arched an eyebrow "Do I want to know why your here and how you found out where I live."

Ryik smirked, his teeth were white with dull fangs. His eyes as he smiled had a hint of insanity "I wanted to see you again and I followed you after I running from those Halloween boys." He stated, proud of himself.

Anko frowned. crossing her arms "Am I about to let a crimanal into my house?" she asked, fingering a kitchen knife she had concealed incase it came to this. Ryik's smile dissapeared, his eyes angery but not dangerous "Hey there the ones who brought me here I didn't do anything!"

"Okay okay chill out." she said trying to calm him down. The boy lowered his head, his long brown locks hiding his eyes. Anko couldn't help but pity him as she examined his body. His clothes were filthy from the day of running and he looked too young to be having to run from ANBU anyway. "How old are you?" she asked smiling, trying to ease some of the tension.

Ryik looked up "I...I'm not sure." he answered

Anko stared at him curioulsy "Where are you from?"

He grinned slightly "Formaly crazy snake faces prison cell."

Anko's stomach jumped. "Crazy snake face?"

Ryik chuckled "He reminded me of one with all the snake summonings, not to mention his eyes..." his voice trailed off as he looked behind him "Can we finish this inside please?" he asked, he was begging.

"Yeah sure." she said stepping aside so that he could enter. 'It wouldn't be teh first time I allowed a dangerous felon into my home.'

Ryik smiled and stepped in, looking around. The living room had wooden floors and was painted navy blue which was beautiful but still the room seemed like it needed more than what was already in it. There was a couch with a coffee table in front of it, a TV on top of a shelf against the wall. "You don't decorate too much do you?"

"I was just appointed Kunochi so I don't have much time to do anything personal." she yelled back from the kitchen. Ryik walked up and leaned against her counter. He watched her take food out of refrigiator, sniff it, look away disgustedly and toss it in a trash back she was holding.

"Your shinobi ways are strange to the people of my valley." she said impassively but it was meant as a sort of joke "What are you doing?"

Anko grimaced as she threw old ramen in the sack "I've been out for about a week and all the food in my house spoiled." she answered. "Oh fuck I think somethings moving in here."

Ryik laughed at her mockingly "Rule one of a shinobi, don't bye groceries before a mission."

Anko turned to him and glared "Watch it kid or I'll kick your ass out." she growled.

Ryik cleared his throat, still smileing "Right right sorry." he watched her until she turned away "Do you want some help?"

Anko grinned "Getting me something to eat would be a big help."

Ryik looked back at the door. The thought of being taken back to a prison cell fucked with his head. "I don't want to leave."

The kunochi smirked, leaning over the counter and handing him the trashbag "Then you clean while I go scavage us some grub."

Ryik stared at the bag and caught on as she walked past him "I just fell into a trap didn't I?"

Anko pulled on her trench coat and said with her back to him "Watch your back or you'll fall into something a lot worse." she closed the door behind her "Be back whenever."

"See you whenever." he called back.

Anko paused at her closed door, her hand rested on the knob. Was it safe to leave this stranger in her home. He seemed alright but after the break out at the hospital Anko felt she should watch her back with this one around. She sighed. If she lasted with Orochimaru in her bed for one night it was apparent that she could last with a teen in her kitchen. "Now to find some grub."

After half an hour of searching, she found a foodstand that she thought that she and what's his name would enjoy. Seame chicken and fried rice with sweet buns for dessert.

She decided to take the rooftops home to save time. The kid was probably eating eating the chairs by now. She tied the plastic sacks to her wrist and strided across the roofs of the sleeping villagers homes. She steped onto an old office building and started to wonder if any of the people below her ever had days like hers; days when you wake up to find your ex-sensai in the same bed with you and come home to have a kid that you didn't even know come to your door and clean out you refrigiator while you went out and got food for you both. Most likely not.

Her thoughts were interupted when something wrapped around her ankels and dragged her to the ground. Anko landed on her stomach. She groaned, opening her eyes to see her food had been spilt everywhere. 'I'm going to beat the Hell out of the person who made me do that.' she thought angerly. Anko glanced back at the object tighting around her ankles, causing then to go numb. The end of a long Manrikigusari was wrapped around her legs. She followed the chain and discovered it was being held to her great dismae Mizuki.

"Don't you ever give in you little nutcase!" she shouted at him. Mizuki yanked at the Manrikigusari causing it to cut into her flesh. Anko whimpered and stayed completely still. "I'll make the comments if you please." Mizuki said. Anko noticed that there was something strangly different about his voice. It didn't hold the mocking 'I'm going to kill you' tone it usally did; it was darker and more angry than she had ever heard it. She dared turn to see his face. His eyes made it clear that she was in trouble.

"I see Lord Orochimaru resisted in ending your exsistence." Mizuki commented, wrapping the the chains around his arm as he walked slowly closer.

"No he tried to kill me," Anko said "I just cheated him out big time."

Mizuki reached her and grabbed her hair, yanking her up slightly "Well I'm going to finish what he didn't do." Anko felt something sharp press into her stomach. "Won't that...displease him." she asked, unsure of how this nutjob thought.

Mizuki pressed the knife in her harder, grinning nastily "Probably... but I'm sure when he realizes what a nuistence you were he'll forgive me."

Anko felt the pint ener her skin "Besides..." he whispered huskily "You are nothing to him."

'Just kill me already.'

"ANKO!"

Mizuki and Anko looked to the direction of the scream. Running towards them at amazing speed was Ryik. He dessapeared suddenly in a myride of tiny flames.

Mizuki dropped Anko to the ground, ready to figth the intruder "What the-" Ryik appeared again and slamed in fist into Mizuki's gut. Mizuki gasped, blood trinkleing down the corners of his mouth. Ryik dissapeared again for two seconds and reappeared behind him, grabbing his hair and throwing him with streanth that shouldn't belong to him. Mizuki skid across the roofs like a pebble, finally stopping when half his body was off hanging off the building.

Anko turned on her side and her eyes widened as she saw the changes to Ryiks appearence. There werewere orange marking covered the explosed portions of his body. This dull fangs were longer and shrper and gave him and animalistic look. He turned slowly to Anko; his pupils were slited and were glowing dark orange. "Are you alright?" he asked;his voice was the only thing normal.

He crouched down beside her "I guess not." he untangled the chains from her legs; he took her arm and wrapped it around his shoulder, easing her up. "My legs are numb." she whispered indirectly. "They are?" he looked back at the Manrikigusari. At this time Mizuki was getting up.

Ryik and Anko noticed him "Chakra absorbant?" Ryik asked referring to the weapon, he already knew the answer though. Mizuki smirked "Yeah."

Anko removed Ryik's arm away from her "I'm fine now." she said, turning back to Mizuki.

"He's a little too young for you isn't he Anko?" Mizuki asked sarcasticly. Anko growled.

Ryik smirked "What can I say, she likes em young and with virgenity."

Anko stared at him in humiliated shock, she was going to hit him for that later.

Mizuki laughed "At least you go down together." He resummoned the Manrikigusari; it slowly coiled around his arm like a snake on prey.

Anko smirked "This is a rematch." she brought out a kunai and licked her lips "Bring it on."

Before either one of them could make there move, Ryik stepped in front of Anko and leveled his fist to the ground "Sorry, not this time." he lifted hsi fist and slamed it to the ground. The ground under them shook tremendously like an 8.5 earthquake. Anko used her arms to keep derbre from hitting her eyes, she didn't see Ryik grab her.

Suddenly they were off the building and on the ground somewhere else but Anko could still hear the building crashing somewhere of in the distance. She opened her eyes and Ryik was staring at her. He looked away and dragged her away "Come on."

Anko opened the door and she and Ryik stepped in exausted. Anko however was angery and had questions she wanted answered immediantly. "What the Hell was that!?" she yelled at him.

Ryik flopped down on her couch "I think the weapon was a Manrikigusari-"

"I know what the weapon was I meant that- that- teleportation jutsu! And those markings on your body and all that other crazy shit you pull"

"It wasn't a jutsu." Ryik stated tiredly "It was part of my curse."

Anko eyed him suspiciously "Curse?"

Ryik sat up, he looked exhausted "It's a long story and I'm too tired from saving your ass to tell it."

"I didn't ask you to save me! You were suppose to stay here because you said you didn't want to leave."

"Well what the hell was I suppose to do!? You just stood there and let that guy try and kill you, you were goin to die."

Anko turned her back to him, she couldn't handle the truth "I would have figured something out."

"Before or after you woke in a hospital." His rage wasn't as much as he wanted it to be but he was thankful, still, it didn't me he couldn't hurt her "Some Kunochi you turned out to be." he said.

That was cold. It felt like he had shoved a kunai in her stomach and left it there. She wanted to hit him, to cry, to scream, anything to get his words out of her head. She took in a deep breath and grabbed him, throwing him out side. He hit the porch fence and Anko slammed the door before she saw what he did next. She blindly walked into her hallway and got out an extra pillow and blanket because there was something her her mind that told her not to leave a child on her porch with out something to keep him warm and comfortable.

Ryik had just recoveredd from the blow of the porch when he heard Anko's angery footsteps; he looked up when the door open only to have a pillow and blanket thrown into his face "Ouch." She slamed the door at his face.

She then walked back to her room and flopped down on her bed, angery and miserable.

'Some Kunochi you turned out to be.'

'You are nothing to him.'

Those sentences ran through her head over and over again. Deep in her mind she knew that there was truth in what they said. She had given up too easily; she should have been able to beat Mizuki's sorry ass instead of cowaring like a little girl. And as for what Mizuki said...

She rolled onto her back, a small tear sliding down her cheek. Mizuki may have been wrong or at least she wanted him to be. After yeserday...past the pain and the confusion, she was glad he had been around, even for that one night. She hated him but at the same time craved the company of the man who was the reason for her misery.

'You can run forever but you will never get away from me.' Those words terrified her then but now they gave her hope.

Anko smiled as she slipped into a dreamless sleep; she was looking forward to tomorrow night.

I am a total screw up

Ryik's name is pronouced [Rue-ik] His teleportation abilities are simular to those of Nightcrawler from the X-Men just so you can get a mental image of what he does. More about him will be reveiled later on.