"Hello?" Ryik called into Anko's apartment. He stepped inside, Itachi following him. "Maybe she's in the yard somewhere."

"She's under house arrest." He replied, peeking in her kitchen. "This yard ain't gonna keep her occupied."

Itachi had silent activated his Sharingan. There were ghost like charkas floating in the air, on the couch and in the doorway of the hall leading to Anko's room. He stared at the devastated couch as well as the black markings on the floor, a sure sign of a struggle. "Maybe we should call for backup."

"Hell, no!" Ryik exclaimed while looking through Anko's pots and pans cabinets and then her refrigerator. Why he thought she would be in there is unknown. "She already in enough trouble, no need to…Ooh, eggs!"

Itachi twitched. "Ryik, focus, will you?"

"Heh, heh." He laughed. "How ya like ya omelets, Uchiha?"

"We need to find Anko Mitarashi." Itachi reminded. "And I really don't think she's going to like it very much when she finds that you cooked half her food-" He was silenced by a gooey eggshell.

"Just 'cause ya'll have those swirls in ya'll eyes, don't mean you can function on an empty stomach." Ryik said. He smirked and his next words came out in individual snickers. "'Sides, I know you skipped breakfast, them Sharingan eyes won't do you no good if ya dead."

Itachi slowly wiped the white shells off his face and pulled out a kunai.

Ryik's eyes widened. "Whoa! WHOA, UCHIHA!"

A loud crash stopped him. The two boys froze and listened very carefully. There was crash, followed by a pain-filled groan.

"Anko!" Ryik shouted, throwing the entire carton of eggs down. He and Itachi quickly reached her room.

She apparently had fallen out of the bed because of the way the bed sheets were twisted around her ankles. Her breasts down to the skin below her navel were covered in blood seeped bandages, proof of a serious injury. Her arms were shaking as she tried to get back up; it was hard to believe she had any strength left.

Ryik tried to run to her, but Itachi grabbed his arm to stop him. Ryik looked at him questionably but wasn't answered words, only an impassive stare. They watched Anko find her fire again and rise to show them that she was still a bad ass.

She stared at them in annoyance. "Glad, you're here, but get your asses over here and help me get the fuck out."

Ryik was by her side in a second. "Girl, what happened to you?"

Anko found it very hard to breath, as she stood up straighter. Itachi held up his hands to stop her but she did not relent. "I-Iruka…" her eyes rolled to the back of her head. "…dead…"

Itachi caught her as she fell into his chest, dropping to his knees with her. Ryik slowly squatted beside his two comrades. He touched Anko's cheek, immediately pulling back when he felt how cold she was.

"Ryik." Itachi whispered, his voice suddenly gone from the shock. Ryik was shaking, his brown eyes larger in fear. Itachi reached an arm out and shook him, earning his stare. "Ryik, who is Iruka?"

Ryik shook his head, his mouth opening, but not making sounds until Itachi squeezed his arm as a warning to pull himself together. "I…I don't know."

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Iruka stared at his remaining noodles of his spicy ramen. He hadn't exactly developed a taste for the stuff, but just looking at it made him feel at ease about Anko. He could almost see her face in the yellow liquid and he smiled. She was with him.

"Can I get you anything else, son?"

Iruka looked up at the aged waitress and smiled politely. "I'll get some of this to go."

The woman mumbled something and left as Iruka stared at the ramen again. Anko was gone.

He left the restaurant soon afterwards and walked down the dusty, dark roads back to the Leaf Village. The Styrofoam ramen bowl under his arm was still warm and provided a small source of heat to the cold night.

Iruka's senses sparked when he heard a rustle. He stopped and studied this surroundings but sensing no other presence but his own carried on. He continued in silence for about five more minutes until he heard the light scuffling of shoes in the dirt.

"If you're trying to mug me…" he shot around, kunais shooting towards the invisible person "then just say so!"

He heard the kunais hit a hard object and sped to it. He was ready to stab, but stopped when he saw what was behind the bushes. The kunais had made a circle to a fear frozen squirrel. Iruka smiled, un-hitching the creature from the tree bark.

"Sorry about that." He apologized. The squirrel jumped from his hands and scurried away.

The male Chūnin laughed and went back to the rode. He frowned at the spilled container of ramen. He sighed and picked to Styrofoam up to throw away later. The second he was up again, something slammed into his spine with enough force to make blood come out of his mouth.

He hit the ground with blood still trickling down the corners of his mouth. He tried to get up but the same person who had brought him down slammed their foot into the crater on his back. His breathing became labored, and nausea took over.

"I honestly don't see why Anko wastes her time with you."

Iruka's eyes widened at the familiar chill in the persons voice as he leaned beside him. "Remember me?"

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"102." Itachi read out loud, taking the thermometer out of Anko's mouth. Her other injuries consisted of a gash that had been suspiciously healed to the extent where it wouldn't get infected. Somehow, he didn't Anko had healed herself, not with the fever she had had since a day and a half ago. Perhaps the person who had done this to her had not wanted her completely dead, coward.

He arched his back. "She needs to go to a hospital."

Ryik laid a bag of partially frozen peas on his friends' forehead. "It looks like she got attacked by a damn lion!"

"That's what I'm saying. She can't go on with just home remedies, she needs actual medicine."

"We can take care of her. See, her fever's already breaking." He ran a hand over Anko's slightly cooler skin.

"Ryik, she was stabbed." Itachi pointed out. "She could have organ damage or something else that we can't treat."

"Weren't you the one who said that nobody should be bothered anymore 'cause of her?" he snapped.

Itachi rolled his eyes. "This is different-"

"Like Hell it is!"

"Ryik, I don't care if I have to drag her out of here myself! She's going to a hospital right now!" he had his arms under her and was beginning to pick her up when Ryik grabbed his hair and dragged him to the middle of the room, throwing him on the floor.

Itachi looked back at him from where he was on the floor. "You don't want to start something with me, Katzan."

Ryik pulled out a kunai. "I ain't about to let you walk out of here without an ass whooping!'"

Itachi rose gracefully. "You won't even get to lay a finger on me."

Ryik laughed. "Fool, you don't know me. This is from Saktraz-…"

Itachi was suddenly behind him, hands on his shoulders. As his fingers moved in a massage-like fashion, Ryik fell deeper into the illusion that was created just for him. "I can see that..."

Ryik froze as pain took over every nerve and sense he had. Images of red and fire flashed across his eyes.

"Dad! Dad, please stop!"

The man, engulfed by shadows despite being a holy man, stepped closer and slapped young Ryik down with the bible. He opened the blood book to a random page. "…and God said thou shall not let a witch live…"

Those words echoed through his head as Itachi pushed him to his knees.

Hot blood was everywhere: in his nose, mouth, and even in his ears. And yet he didn't know how it got there. His fathers' voice became louder; he couldn't block out the sounds. "AND GOD SHALL WIPE OUT ALL WICKEDNESS FROM THE EARTH AND MAKE IT HOLY…"

Ryik barely felt the boiling fire spread over his skin. A melting spring was tensing inside of him, becoming hotter and more twisted. He didn't.

All he knew was the hate toward this man. How could God allow such torture towards a child who couldn't help what he was?

"Dad…" the fire became hotter. "Please…"

Itachi studied Ryik's chakra. It was bright red and rose and fell with each pained breath that came out of his mouth.

"You're quite strong," he commented, twisting his fingers in Ryik's spiky locks. "I hope there's a way you could forgive me." He tightened his grip and slammed Ryik's head into the wooden floor hard enough to cause a small crater.

He stared him for a moment, contemplating the memories that he had just seen running through his head. Ryik was a suffering, yet he found something to laugh and smile about…just like him…

He shook his head and went back to Anko, shaking her gently. "Anko? Miss Mitarashi, I'm taking you to the hospital. You need to wake up so that you can tell them what happened, okay?"

Anko groaned in response. He looked around quickly for a more decent piece of clothing to put over her.

He went straight to her closet hoping to find a jacket of some sort. As he flipped through the small variety of clothes, a shadow covered his 5'2 form. The second he glanced around, the closet door closed with a click.

"Ryik?" he shouted twisting the lock. Locked. "Ryik, open this door!"

Anko put her hands against the smooth wood as she tried to fight of the wariness from getting up too fast. The bangs from Itachi's hits were causing Anko a migraine. She used her arms to repeal herself from the source of her pain until she hit the doorframe.

She pressed her back into it the wall, testing her nerves and feeling. She opened her eyes and stared at Ryik's out cold form. She wondered if he was dead but the thought barely triggered an emotion except of who really could be dead.

"…Iruka?" she squeaked. She blinked and in a haze limped into her living room. She stared impassively at her destroyed couch, the droplets of blood on the glossy wood, and the cotton that was strung out like intestines.

Behind the piece of furniture was her white trench coat that, other than a few wrinkles, was un-devastated by the previous fight between her and Mizuki. She picked it up and slipped it over her almost naked chest, hissing slightly as the heavy cloth skimmed across her developing bruises. She walked outside her apartment and took a moment to bath in the afternoon sunshine. How could the world be so bright when her closest friend was on deaths doorstep?

She was about to slip on her shoes but stopped when she noticed the damage her house arrest bracelet was in. the small seal on it was lighter, like a fading paint. This caused her stomach to jump at the thought of being able to get it off…but if she did, she'd be stopped and most likely locked up. She shook her head, not caring; her friends' life was on the line, fuck whoever tried to stop her from getting to him!

With this in mind, she walked carefully down the steps, which seemed so much longer in her wary state. She reached the bottom and stopped to catch her breath, the small task already draining her. She continued through the apartment complex until she was at the very spot where she thought she was going to die that morning. But there were no signs of a struggle at all. She kept her eyes close until she felt the thin wire scrap her knee.

Childish laughter caused her to look up. There was a group of children were playing in the street; one in particular had his hair in a spiky jet-black ponytail and a gentle smile as he laughed and helped picked up a boy with spiky blond hair.

"Iruka…" she whispered. He had been there to pick her up when she was falling in the dirt, why couldn't she be there for him? Fear, that's why. She feared she would be too late and would have to see his corpse; the corpse she helped lay out. She was afraid of putting him in an early grave like she did with his parents four years earlier. She was afraid of losing the only person who looked at her with a smile instead of hate.

She watched to boys laugh and brush dirt of each other. Something about their movements, their speed and quick reflexes sparked something in her.

"Hey…HEY, YOU GUYS!" she called out, looking at her bracelet. She had earned their confused stares. "Yeah, over here!"

The boys looked at each other and slowly approached her.

"What's up, lady?" the blond one asked.

She forced a smile. "You guys think you can get this off of me?" she motioned to her wrist.

The four gathered around and took turns studying the object on her.

"Looks like a normal bracelet to me." stated one with a tan face and spiky brown hair; he looked almost like Ryik.

"I…can't unhook it. And it's a friend's, so I want to be careful getting it off."

The boys looked at one another and then smirked at the Ryik looking one. He eyed them.

"Alright." He took hold of Anko's arm. "Try not to move…" he bit into the metal band and chewed it until it was nothing, but dented chewed pieces.

"Oops…sorry." He apologized.

Anko's entire face brightened. "Hell, yeah! Thanks, kids!"

The four watched her run away. "I have a feeling that you just helped out a criminal there, Kiba."

"Say what? You're the one who-…"

"Oh, relax." The Iruka-looking one assured him. "Naruto's just going to get the blame, anyway."

"What!" exclaimed the blond one, Naruto, apparently. "Oh, come on! You said that we should see what she wants-…"

"Oh, come off it!"

You come off it!"

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"Iruka…" His name was the only thing on her mind as she soared through the awakening streets of the Leaf Village. Some people stopped and stared at the mad woman running half naked through the streets, but Anko paid them no mind. "Iruka…Wherever you are, PLEASE, just hold on!"

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"All right, but make sure he's turn-in an excuse form for his absents." The Ox ANBU ordered.

"Yes sir." Tsubaki nodded, bowing respectable. The ANBU noticed the daze expression but didn't think too much of it considering she was a ninja. He returned he bowed and disappeared.

Tsubaki opened the door and stepped into Mizuki's dark home.

"Does he suspect anything?" the shadow figure asked.

Tsubaki shook her head.

He chuckled. "That's a relief, it would be ashamed if I had to get rid of a subordinate this early." He turned back to Mizuki. He was sprawled out on the couch, a ragged blanket covering the upper half of his body while his legs hung over the cushions.

"I may have to illuminate, anyway." He spoke more to himself than out loud. He looked back at Tsubaki; silent and saluted like a true soldier. "You've served me well, marionette." He smirked, running a hand across her cheek. "In light of that," he leaned into her, his lips brushing her neck "I release you from this spell…"

Tsubaki blinked and he was gone, whoever "he" was. She knew that there had been another person in that room with her, but she couldn't…

A loud, desperate knock at the door snapped her out of her troubling thoughts. She opened the door and a very pissed off Anko barged in and grabbed her shoulder.

"Where is he!"

Tsubaki looked down at the shaking hand connected to the pale, bloody body. Anko's tight grip was starting to make her shoulder throb. "You're hurting me-…!"

"Your mother said you came here to see why Mizuki didn't make it to his therapy session! WHERE THE FUCK IS HE NOW!"

"Anko, I don't-…"

"Tsubaki?"

Anko and Tsubaki turned to the groan coming from the living room. Anko's brows furrowed and she pushed Tsubaki into the wall.

"Anko, wait!"

She stopped when she saw Mizuki's damaged form. He was sickly pale, almost like her, and there was a light sweat screen all over his face and bare arms. This caused unwanted mercy to rise up in her, the same kind that formed when she met Ryik. Her heart told him to leave him be but her flesh wanted to break him into a million pieces. This one time, as Iruka's image crossed her mind, the flesh won.

She grabbed his leg and dragged him to the floor.

"Wake up!" His eyes opened and he shook his head as he tried to sit up. Anko grabbed him by his neck and threw him half way across the room. "Where is he?" she shouted as she went after him again. She kicked him as hard as she could in his side, earning a nice yelp from him. "WHERE THE HELL IS HE, MIZUKI!"

Suddenly, she was pulled back. "Anko, stop!"

Anko glared at Tsubaki, but her anger was more out on Mizuki.

"Anko, he's sick. He's been here since I showed up this morning!" Tsubaki defended.

"It's a lie…" she whispered.

"Anko, you're delusional. Look at yourself, you look as though you fell off a building-…"

"He tried to kill me!" she screamed. She tore off her trench coat halfway. "You think I did all of this to myself!" she glared at the mournful expression on Tsubaki's face. The heart part of her wanted to apologize, but the flesh was thinking the exact opposite.

"I'm calling the police." Tsubaki stated suddenly. Before Anko could grab her, something grabbed her ankle. She looked down at the withering Mizuki. He was panting and he looked as though he were trying to force his words out. Anko just squatted down and took his chin between her fingers.

"If he's hurt, I'm coming back, and so help me, I will kill you and your girlfriend if it's unavoidable." She threw him back down and skimmed out the house.

Mizuki smirked. "I guess I'll be seeing you very soon then, Iruka…"

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Anko spent until sunset looking for him but was soon too worn out from exhaustion to continue. She stopped at the very restaurant that she and Iruka had visited less than three days ago. There were barely any people there and it made Anko feel better now that she had some thinking room.

She took a seat at the counters, the exact place where she had sat days before. A waitress drying a glass was waiting. "What can I get you?"

"…Just some water, please."

The woman raised an eyebrow at the dirt and dried blood on her clothes. "Everything alright, hon?"

Anko forced a smile. "Peachy."

The woman shrugged and went to oblige to Anko's order. Anko frowned and stared down at the swirl wood patterns. They were the color of Iruka's eyes. Would she ever see those eyes again?

"First, I lost a comrade to that son of a bitch and now I've lost my…Oh, Hell, what is he to me again?" Was he a friend? Anko had been taught that having friends was more dangerous than going on an S-ranked mission. They clouded judgment and could cost you a mission or your own life if you became too attached to them. She could feel Orochimaru's words echoing off the walls of her brain.

"You're willing to kill yourself for a complete stranger. Why is that?"

But Iruka wasn't a stranger, nor was he a friend. He was just someone who cared enough about her to want to help her get through the Hell she was momentarily going through. As soon as it was over, he would have probably walked away, just like everyone else in her life. However, he had been showing…strange interests in her lately.

A water glass appeared in front of her. She muttered a thanks and drunk the water quickly. She hadn't realized how thirsty she was.

"What can I get ya?" the woman inquired again.

A child's voice answered. "Just some plain ramen, please."

Anko started gagging. That voice…It sounded so…

She turned slowly to the person two seats away from her. Her eyes widened in shock and surprised. "It's that kid from Orochimaru's hideout! Oh, shit!"

The child, Kimimaro, from Anko's memory, didn't even seem to notice her. She had that advantage to watch him. Soon, his order arrived and he picked up a pair of chopsticks and began eating.

Anko's heart was pounding in anticipation. Could this mean that Orochimaru was nearby? Better yet, could he be coming soon? Anko couldn't help the grin that spread to her face. "I got you now, you bastard!"

Kimimaro suddenly stood up and laid a few crumpled up bills on the counter. "Thank you for the meal."

Anko jumped out of her chair, but was grabbed by the collar. "What the…?"

The waitress holding her tapped on the empty glass. "No freebies, even if it's just water."

Anko glared at her and dug through her empty pockets. "Uh, hold that thought."

She dashed out of the restaurant with a very pissed off waitress screaming after her. She sped down the dirt road to catch up with him, but there was no sign of all.

"Shit, where did that kid go?" she sighed and before she could breathe had a kunai to her neck. Anko smiled. "Long time no see."

"Why did you follow me? I thought walking away would indicate that I meant you no harm."

Anko laughed, this kid knew too much. "The better question is, why are you in the Leaf Village?"

She was butted with the end of the kunai and dropped like a heavy load to the ground. She didn't have time to blackout due to Kimimaro turning her on her back.

He was about to stab her when the feeling of her skin radiated to his fingertips. She was warm. Too warm. The Sclera's of her eyes were slightly pink, showing sickness. She was ill and this brought a deep concern in the young Kaguya.

Anko's soft hand brushed against his, causing him to twitch. "Kid…I think Orochimaru has a friend of mine. I have to find him to be sure."

His eyes expanded in shock.

"That's right. I don't want to fight him; I just want to know where my friend is."

Kimimaro stared at her for a moment. She may not be in the fighting position by he had seen before how dangerous she was. But then again, there was little chance that she could stand up against Orochimaru…

He held out a hand. "Follow me."

"Perfect." She took it.

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Heat was everywhere. In his clothes, swimming in his veins, even in the air that he was breathing. Damn, it was hot! Iruka panted and opened his eyes only to be blinded with a sharp white light. Someone was watching him, like a guardian angel, but the evil that he saw made him think otherwise.

"Anko…" He was craving her cold arms right now.

The white disappeared and was replaced by glowing golden orbs and a dark chuckle. "You think she's going to come find you don't you?"

Iruka couldn't help but arch up at the cold hand that brushed over his face.

"Hmm, well, she just might. My poor ex-apprentice has a distasteful habit of putting her life on the line."

Iruka groaned when the cold disappeared and his eyes followed the golden orbs until all he saw was black.

"I may have to disappoint her this time, though."

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Kimimaro glanced back worried at the girl behind him. "You sure you don't want me to-…"

"Just move along, kid!" Anko shouted irritated. The throbbing pain was returning at a very wrong time and she was starting to get too warm, but didn't want to mess with Kimimaro's virgin eyes by taking off her jacket.

Kimimaro shrugged and moved along. Barely thirty seconds later, he heard something heavy hit the ground. He shot around ready to fight but stopped when he saw Anko, shaking, on the ground. He ran to her as she tried to pick her head up.

"Are you alright?" he asked franticly. Orochimaru's number two rules that were running through his head.

"If a comrade is useless, especially during a mission, kill them immediately."

Despite that, Kimimaro for once could not bring himself to oblige to his master's request.

Anko sat up on her knees. "I'm…"

Kimimaro put his arm around her waist and helped her stand despite her protests. He led, well, more liked dragged, her the rest of the way until they reached the wanted location: a cave rising from the ground. He leaned against the moist wall and helped her sit down.

"I'll be right back, okay?"

Anko just nodded as a response. He stared at her one last time before running off into the stomach of the cave.

Anko smirked and pushed her sweaty head into the cool rock. 'I'm here, Iruka, just…'

Her sensitive ears picked up the sound of footsteps clanking through the cave as the came closer to her.

She turned her head, which felt like more than just ten pounds. Her eyes widened as the person came closer and closer with a glistening needle in his hand.

"Kabuto…KABUTO, DON'T!"

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"RYIK, DO NOT MAKE ME SET THIS APARTMENT ON FIRE!" A very irritated Itachi hit his head on the door, thinking what an idiot he had been. Screaming and slamming his body on the door for over six hours took virtually all his chakra out of him, not to mention he was fool enough to leave his weapons in the room. "RYIK, I MEAN IT! OPEN THE FUCKING-"

The doorknob twisted and a weary tanned head grabbed his collar. "All right, smart ass, where is she?"

"…What?" Itachi looked past Ryik and saw that Anko was gone. He pushed him aside and searched the room.

"She ain't here, moron." Ryik answered drunkenly, leaning against the wall. "Man, I have one Hell of a headache…"

Itachi clenched his fist and turned back to Ryik, yanking him up violently.

"JESUS MAN, MY ARM!"

"We have a huge problem here, Ryik! I need you to go back to base and assemble a search party for this Iruka character and Anko Mitarashi." Ryik yanked himself out of his grip. "Fool, I ain't doing shit for-…"

Itachi grabbed his collar and lifted him up a few feet. "If either one of them is truly hurt, their blood will be one our hands, Ryik! Do you want that to happen to Anko?"

Ryik pushed Itachi away, finally coming to his senses. "Hell no! I don't even know why the Hell you holding us up, Uchiha, we gotta go find my main girl! ANKO! ANKO, GIRL, HANG ON! WE're COMMIN'!"

Itachi shook his head and ran after Ryik.

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Kabuto laid a limp Anko down a few feet away from Iruka. "She's running a fever. It may just be simple stress or pneumonia."

Orochimaru watched over them silently, his eyes focused on the now trench coat-less Anko bathed in candlelight. She was growing out nicely…

"What would you like me to do, my lord?"

Orochimaru looked at Kabuto and then at Kimimaro, who was standing in the median of the shadows, and the light, fists clenched as if he were resisting something. Orochimaru smirked at his newest attachment.

"Treat her." he started to leave. "Do what you have to for her, but make sure that she and the boy here make a recovery."

Kabuto gritted his teeth in disappointment but answered his master in a respectful tone. "Yes, my lord."

Kimimaro sighed in thanks, earning Kabuto's disappointed glare. "You're a fool, Kimimaro. This girl can't do a thing for you, and yet you're willing to keep her like a dog. Pathetic."

Kimimaro glared back at him, but held his tongue. He hoped Anko will woke up and beat him again.

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I am a total screw up

I've realized lately that God has blessed me with ideas and good writers who have given me inspiration. I give him and NinjaSheik the honor as I write this.

For those of you who have voted "Other" on my pole, who was it that you thought Anko belonged with? Please answer in a message or review. [Messages make me smile ^-^]

For those of you who are shaking their heads at Ryik spelling mistakes, Ryik has a southern accent he pronounces his words with that country tongue that most of us want to rip out.

I can't wait for the next chapter…

But once more…what do you want to read more of: Martyrs or Cure Me?