Where should I go?
What should I do?
I don't understand what you want from me
Cause I don't know
If I can trust you
I don't understand what you want from me
Hoobastank- "Out of Control"
"Oi…" Ryik groaned as he awakened. "Oh, man…my head…" He rolled around on the uncomfortable bedding under him. "I'll kill him, I'll kill that perverted, wart-ass, son of a gun, I'll do it… Oh, crap." Ryik uncurled from his ball of pain and looked around. "Uchiha?" he called out. He slowly sat up, cursing in pain. "Anko-girl?"
He stumbled forward, feeling for a wall or something else to keep him balance. There was a stub of a candle burning in the distance, but it was too dim for Ryik to see at all.
"Hello?" he called out. He growled with irritation and finally screamed. "IS THERE ANY FUCKING BODY HERE—"
Ryik shrieked as he fell face-first into the dirt. He felt a mass under his feet and kicked it away, only to feel its human softness. He heard a groan from the mass and pressed down on it, earning another sound.
"Uchiha?" Ryik questioned carefully.
A groan was his answer.
"Itachi, you all right, man?" Ryik shouted as he picked him up by the shoulders and shook him. "Speak to me, boy!"
Itachi's limp hand slapped Ryik's shoulders. "Let go of me, you idiot…" He ordered hoarsely.
Ryik sighed with relief, his hatred he had felt over a week towards for the Uchiha gone. He positioned him in his lap and just let him sit there for a while.
"…You've got to get us…out of here, Ryik…"
"Yeah, I know," Ryik laughed, not sensing the urgency in Itachi's voice. "Small places creep the hell out of me too."
"…No." Itachi coughed, something warm shooting out of his mouth and hitting Ryik's cheek. "We've got to save Anko… He's got her…"
Ryik wiped the substance off his face and sniffed it. Blood. He began to panic, but Itachi wouldn't allow him to go any further than that.
"Find a way for us to get out." Itachi growled as blood poured down his cheeks. "Master Jiraiya is gone…and I can't move. It's up to you, Ryik. You have to get us out of her so we can save Anko."
Ryik's senses sparked when Anko was mentioned again. "What about Anko-girl? What do you mean save her? What kind of trouble is she in?"
Itachi was beginning to black out once more, but he could feel Ryik shake him and hear his screams to keep him conscious so that he would answer him.
"Where is Anko, Itachi? What's going on?"
Itachi didn't feel like he could hold on much longer, so he squeezed Ryik's arm with the last bit of strength he had. "Orochimaru… That kid that…attacked me… He…" Itachi's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he went limp in Ryik's arms.
"Itachi!" Ryik screamed, shaking him violently. "Come on, man, wake up! This ain't funny!" He gripped the sides of his head and shook him. "Itachi! Please, Itachi, wake up!" He felt Itachi's liquor of life spill into his hand and he knew it was no good. "No…"
Ryik sobbed, pulling Itachi to his chest. "Come on… This isn't fair…" He squeezed Itachi. "Damn it, Uchiha, you know I didn't mean any of it!" He broke down; the idea of losing the closest thing he had ever had to real family was dying too much for his nine-year-old mind to handle.
After a moment, however, something even scarier than Itachi's possible death hit him. He was in some unknown prison with a corpse in his arms and the girl he was in love with was nowhere in sight. Orochimaru was doing this to him. He had Anko, and had nearly killed Itachi. God only knows what he had done to Jiraiya.
His head began to spin with the dim memories of the last time he was in the evil man's presence. He had been a fool then, after Orochimaru had given a false promise of helping him after…a terrible event. He'd helped him—helped get a second taste of death. Ryik wasn't entirely sure what went on during those innumerable events, but Ryik now got sick with fear every time his name was brought up.
"Anko?" Ryik screamed, running to the wall. He felt all over those four walls for a door, but didn't feel the slightest knob. "Anko, for the love of God, where are you?" he screamed to the top of his lungs. He snapped and finally started to punch in the invisible stone. "Anko!"
./,/./../…/
"Anko."
Anko slowly came to so that she could answer the being calling her name. Despite the lack of light in the room, she was able to make out the silhouette of someone hovering over her.
"Itachi…" she murmured, noticing the smallness of the person's head and the scratchiness of his voice. She was proven wrong when a brighter light came on and revealed a semi-familiar face.
The glasses-wearing medical nin smirked. "Other than the bump she got on her head when she fainted, she should be fine."
"Very good," a darker voice spoke. A man with most of his face covered in bandages stepped out into the light, eagerly surveying the girl on his bed. "They'll be all, Kabuto."
The medic bowed before leaving, sparring one last glance back at Anko.
They stared at each other, thinking of things to say and actions they were going to take.
Anko took in a deep breath and sat up, jerking slightly at the stiffness in her joints. "You look like hell." she said as she studied the bloody bandages on his usually flawless face.
"It's nice to see you as well, Anko." Orochimaru chuckled, sitting on the side of the bed.
Anko moved back some, the lack of distance between them still very unusual to her. She tried to focus, to remember why she was here in the first place. "Where…" A wave of dizziness hit her and she gently lowered herself on the cool sheets.
"Easy now…" Orochimaru soothed. His eyes wondered over her disheveled form. The burns and other scars from the past week were beginning to fade, but it was what was underneath them that had him concerned.
Images of the men she had been traveling with crossed her mind in a blurry path that led into darkness. "Itachi…and Ryik… Where are they?" Her gaze lifted slightly to meet Orochimaru's. "Where are my boys, Orochimaru?"
Orochimaru chuckled lightly at the way Anko referred to them. "Somewhere where they can't interrupt our—" One of his hands barely grazed her thigh, "—reunion."
Anko pulled away and glared at him. "This is not why I'm here." She growled, disgust etched on her face.
Orochimaru frowned, a little taken aback that she would decline his advances in such a way.
"Now answer my question."
Orochimaru glared at her. "Watch your tone, or I'll put your "boys" in body bags before you get the chance to see them again."
Anko snarled. "Yeah, right."
Orochimaru grabbed her chin and forced their gazes to meet. "You don't seem to quite understand where your place is now."
Anko shoved his hand away. "My place?"
He grabbed the hand she assaulted him with and squeezed it. "When I left you crying in your home like a bitchy little girl, I broke off any and all ties I made. That means you do not have even the slightest incentive to command me around."
Anko growled and bit down as hard as she could on his limb, the taste of thick blood spilling between her teeth. Orochimaru grabbed the back of her hair and tried to yank the savage woman off of him, but she would not relent.
"Bitch!" he continued to pull until her teeth slipped just enough for him yank her up and throw her off the bed.
Anko landed on her side. She hissed and picked herself back up, spitting out Orochimaru's blood.
Orochimaru grabbed the back of her hair and slung her into a wall, pinning her arms as he did. "I ought to break your fucking little neck. " he hissed.
Anko's knee came up to just barely hammer him in between his legs. She watched Orochimaru staggered back, clutching his thigh as he hit the bed. It was then Anko noticed the discolored patches on his arms and neck.
"What's wrong with your skin?" Anko demanded.
Orochimaru's golden eyes shot up and glared at her. "None of your damn business."
Anko was about to retort, but a thought came to her.
"Does it have something to do with the… sickness you had before you left?"
"I said it's none of your damn business!" Orochimaru screeched as he turned around to better hide himself.
Anko's hands clenched up. "Fine! I don't have to take your crap!" she shouted. "I'm leaving!"
"Don't even think about it."
Anko scoffed as she walked to the door. "Drop dead." She opened the door and was greeted by a wave of cold air.
"I mean it, Anko."
Anko shot him a smirk. "I guess you don't know your place, do you, Sensei? You don't hold any weight over me. I'm my own person, whether we're fucking or not."
Orochimaru glared at her. The idea of breaking her neck became more and more enticing as she stared at him defiantly.
"That's what I thought." Anko said in triumphant, storming off. "Balding jerk." She added quietly to herself. Suddenly, she felt another presence rush up behind her and before she knew it, her arm was grabbed and she was spun around to face the angry Sannin.
"What the hell?" she screeched as she snatched away from his grip. She backed up a few feet and stared him down. Just the day before she was worried to death about him, but now after seeing what he had done to himself, she wanted to get as far away from him as possible. "Goodbye!" she growled again, turning away from him again.
However, Orochimaru grabbed her once more, but when he turned her around this time, he met her with a harsh kiss instead of a glare.
Anko was greatly taken aback by her ex-lover's spontaneous action. Didn't he just say they were through or is there some kind of bi-polar gas in the air?
Orochimaru pulled back after a moment, panting lightly as he stared into the wide, confused eyes of the most amazing woman he knew. He ran the back of his normal colored fingers over her cheek and lent down to take her lips once more, but was stopped by Anko's securing grip on his shoulder.
"No…" she panted, wiggling out of his grasp and stepping back to survey him. His taste wasn't his, but the creature he had taken over.
The hand that he had been holding her with dropped lifelessly to his side. "No?"
Anko took in a deep breath before wiping her mouth off with her sleeve. "I…I just can't do it when you're…like this."
"What?" Orochimaru snapped.
"…Your body…" Anko whispered. "Well, the body you're in… I… It's just not right."
Orochimaru looked angry, but he somehow managed to force a smile. "But it is my body, Anko." he reassured. "It'll just take some time for everything to set back into place."
Anko moved away even more. "I can't…I just can't." She turned her back to him.
"Just take me to Jiraiya, Ryik, and Itachi, okay?"
Orochimaru glared at her. Rejection was something he was not use to, nor had he experienced it more than once in his entire life. But this girl, this seventeen year old, backstabbing, hoodlum of a girl… How was she able to do these kind of things to him? One second he could have her wrapped around his finger, but suddenly she'd be pulling the reins on him! He hated it! He had spent too long, given up too much to be taken over by a recalcitrant teenager!
He turned back towards his room. "Either you come back with me, or I'll have Kabuto kill them immediately."
Anko's stomach dropped some, but she didn't really think he'd go through with something that drastic; not after what they had been through. "Yeah, right." She scoffed.
Orochimaru shot her a dirty smirk, "I see you obviously don't care too much about "your boys" to take a death threat seriously." He crossed his arm, sensing he was gaining a certain amount of control back. "You should know by now, Anko, I never go back on my word."
Anko frowned. "You did once, five years ago, in fact."
Orochimaru shook his head, knowing where this was leading to. "That's beside the point. You do not want to know what will happen if you don't cooperate. "
Anko suddenly burst out into insane laughter. "You are so pathetic. I can't even take you seriously."
Orochimaru's eyes almost popped out of his head. Did she just… Oh, hell to the no! "What did you say?" he growled in the lowest, dangerous tone a human being could have.
"You heard me." Anko stated proudly, though her heart rate had gone up some due to Orochimaru's tone. "You have everyone else thinking you're the strongest, deadliest man on the face of the world." She glared at him then, "But you're really a just a scared little boy, and to be honest, I'm starting to wonder what I saw in you."
Orochimaru slowly approached, his eyes burning with a deep fire that reflected darkness that even Lucifer himself would be afraid of.
Anko kept her eyes matched with his, knowing that if she looked away the next thing she'd be seeing was black. She knew she had pushed her limits, but she couldn't help it. She was tired, scared out of her wits, and completely irritated with Orochimaru. Honestly, the first thing he wanted to do was have sex with her after everything he had put her through! That was worth chewing him out.
Orochimaru was so close to her now that his hot breath easily washed over her lips while his broad chest brushed against hers.
She stared at him defiantly, but couldn't surpass the shudder that ran through him just by staring at his orbs. She felt the rush of air hit her stomach, but didn't have enough reaction time to stop Orochimaru's fist from hitting her stomach. She dropped on her side, to breathless and wounded to try to retain balance. She felt the blood swirl in her empty stomach; if Orochimaru had used just a slight bit more force, he probably would have busted the whole organ.
The Snake Devil didn't give her any time to recuperate. He snatched her up by her hair and dragged her back to his room. He threw her inside, watching her hit the corner of the bed before landing on the floor and mewing in agony. He smirked with glee and kicked the door shut before locking it so that his payback could not be disturbed.
He loomed over Anko with a sadistic smile. "Who's the pathetic one now, Anko?" he sneered.
Anko's head shot up, her watery eyes glistening with vengeance. "Still you!" she spat before throwing her leg up nab him in the groin.
Orochimaru grabbed her ankle before it reached its destination. "Ahaha… Nice try, but no."
He pulled her by her leg roughly to the middle of the room where he forced her down. Anko tried to kick him with her free leg, but Orochimaru grabbed that one as well and forced both of them open. She hissed as he grounded his front into her.
"Get…off me…" she demanded.
Orochimaru picked her up by the throat and slammed her into the wall, earning a grunt from her. He kept his discolored sights set on hers as one of his hands soothed down to her pants and opened them just enough so that he would be able to get inside of her.
"Not this time, darling." He shoved into her roughly, immediately beginning to pound without giving Anko a bit of consent. This was hit payback, and he was going to milk every ounce of it from her.
./,/./../…/
Ryik slammed himself into the wall again, causing the swollen bruise on his arm to bleed.
"Let us out!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. But as always, he was given no answer. He fell to his knees, trying to hold back the sobs that were trying to escape from his prison of a throat. He hissed as a shard of pain ran up his arm.
He winced as he felt the wound on his limb. "Should of used Itachi's damn unconscious body for this." He growled. He glanced over at the lump that was the Uchiha's body and felt the sobs rebuilding. What if Anko was dead like he was? If he lost him both, where would he go?
He ran an arm over his eyes and whispered, "Anko… Mama…"
He looked up as the sound metal twisting vibrated against his back. He shot up quickly and looked down as a slot in the door edged open and a small tray of rotten looking food.
Ryik growled and knelt down out of sight as the first tray slid in. But as soon as the second on appeared, he grabbed the offensive arm and pulled it in until he heard an "oof"from the stranger.
"Open the door!" he growled at the struggling person.
"Let go of me, you idiot!" the other, Kimimaro, shouted.
Ryik twisted the person's arm, placing his foot on the shoulder. "So help me God, I will break your arm in two if you don't—"
"No!" the person cried. "Just let me go!"
"Not until you let me out!"
"I can't!"
Ryik twisted the limb again. "You better try!"
"No!" the child screamed in agony. "Lord Orochimaru told me not to! He said he needed you alive until he killed that Anko woman!"
"Anko?" Ryik's heartbeat began skipping.
"Put the keys through the slot!"
"I told you, I can't!"
"Look, asshole!" Ryik shouted, "If that son of a bitch harms one hair on her spiky, little head, I'll kill him and any other fucker who gets in my way."
The child on the other side was quiet for a moment, but then said, "Go ahead, then."
"What?"
"I want Lord Orochimaru to kill her! She's nothing but a nuisance!"
Ryik wanted to break him right then and there, however, he wondered why he felt so strongly about his Anko. "What did she ever do to you?"
"…She took my father from me."
Ryik's eyes widened. Had Anko killed someone? Or maybe this kid was just crazy as Hell.
"What do you mean?"
"Lord Orochimaru has always been like a father to me, the only real one I've ever had. But then he found started to spend time with that Anko girl and now he doesn't want anything to do with me. It's all because of her! If she goes away, I'll have him back, but only if she goes away forever!"
Ryik frowned. "Look, man, I knows what it's like to have someone you love taken from you," he glanced at Itachi's unmoving form, "Lord knows I do, but Anko is not the blame in this, whether you think so or not. And killing her sure as hell ain't gonna make your problem go away."
"How would you know?" the boy shouted in rage.
Ryik smirked. "Snakey's a grown-ass man, and there are millions of girls out there that might catch his eye. You can't just kill all of them and not expect some sort of hell to break loose eventually."
Kimimaro's jaw clenched. In the back of his mind, he knew this all along, yet just the idea of Anko being the only problem was too much of a satisfaction to him. He needed it to be that.
"Still, she has to go—Ah!" Kimimaro screamed as something popped out of place in his shoulder.
"Wrong answer!" Ryik shouted. He squatted down and stuck his hand out of the opening. "Now give me the dang keys!"
Kimimaro bit Ryik's arm as hard as he could, and recieved a screech from him.
"Let go, you little ******!" Ryik screamed
"Oo wet ro!" he said through his teeth.
Ryik finally did, and as promised, Kimimaro released him.
"Hey…HEY!" Ryik yelled as Kimimaro retreated. "Damn it all!" he screeched as he slammed his head into the door. A headache and a small dint was the result of it. He turned back around and rested his pounding head against the metal. He stared at Itachi's still dead to the world form. "Sorry, Uchiha, it don't look like we getting out of her any time soon."
But as those words left his lips, a wave of anger slapped him down. How could he, Ryik Katzan, just give up like that?
"Oh, hell no…" Ryik mumbled as he shot up. "I ain't stayin' in here a moment longer." He trotted to the other end of the cell and set his sights on the door. "Head," he said as he rubbed the bump down. "Don't fail me now." He took in a deep breath and rammed himself into the door.
"Oh…shit…"
Anko covered her cold shoulder with the remains of her shirt. Orochimaru was in the bathroom, cleaning himself. Her sore body told her to take the chance and run, but she didn't have the strength or the gall to. And she knew that's exactly what Orochimaru thought, which was the only reason she hadn't been tied down or beaten into unconsciousness after Orochimaru had his way with her. She felt like screaming, crying, or at least walking into that bathroom and beat the hell out of Orochimaru for what he had to done her.
However, all she could do was lie there and stared wide-eyed in shock at the ceiling on the bed where Orochimaru had dumped her body. She'd never imagined he'd force himself on her like that; it just wasn't like the Orochimaru she knew. He had not once been that violent with her, not even when she was a child. He had scorned her so bad a few times that she couldn't even look him in the eyes for several days, but he was always serine about it.
Sex was a terrifying experience to her now. It meant having your ribs punched in or the flesh on your thighs clawed off. She hoped whatever Orochimaru had in store for her, it didn't mean she'd have to go through that again.
Her sensitive ears picked up the sound of the hard water stopping, and then the creak of the shower door opening.
"Hoping for a round two?" Anko hissed as he walked into the room.
Orochimaru ignored her as he dried his hair and strolled over to the closet.
Anko took in a shaky breath and sat up on her sore arms. She grimaced at the patches of light brown skin covering his back and the strands of brown in his usually dark hair.
"You've turned yourself into a monster." she mumbled, not expecting him to retort.
"A monster you enjoy fucking." he commented, shooting her a sarcastic smirk before turning away to finish dressing.
Anko's rage finally boiled over. She slowly, and painfully, pushed herself up and placed her feet on the ground. She looked off to the side where the candle stood; illuminating all of their sins plus what she was about to do. She clutched the moist, warm candlestick and lifted it from its holder. She crept up behind him slowly and glared at his back as the light became stronger.
Just when she was only a foot away from him, Orochimaru shot around, eyes wide with astonishment.
Anko wasted no time and yelled as she rammed the hot wax into Orochimaru's eyes.
His screech of agony echoed all around the base, including the prison cells where the battle between the two youths was going on.
Anko didn't stick around to see what damage it caused to him. She sped out of there as fast as her rubbery legs would allow. She picked up her speed when she heard Orochimaru screamed: "I KILL YOU, ANKO! AND I'LL SLICE THOSE BASTARD BOYS' THROATS AND DROWN YOU IN THEIR BLOOD, YOU FUCKING WRETCH!"
Anko felt the sting of tears as they filled her eyes, but she pressed forward, frantically looking for any sign of Itachi, Ryik, or even Jiraiya in the candle-lit corridors.
"Ryik! Itachi!" she hoarsely called out. "Guys, if you're here please say something."
She finally had to stop to catch her breath. She leaned against the wall and squinted through the darkness for some kind of sign. "Damn it! Where are they? I was supposed to protect them and now…" She couldn't finish her own thought. Trying to take in the fact that one of her comrades had been killed on her account was too large of a lump for her to swallow.
They were right. Everyone was right about her. She didn't have what it takes to be a Jounin, or any type of Shinobi for that mattered. She was nothing but a fuck toy that finally got too ragged for its owner.
Some of those frustrated tears finally slipped out, but she wiped them away quickly and thought about the people who were in her life. Even if all they said was true, she knew that Itachi and Ryik, or Ryik at least, never thought any of that of her. He just wanted someone to care about, and he chose her. And no matter what happened, his opinion about her wouldn't change. Itachi cared, even if he tried not to, and Jiraiya had watched her back from the start. But Anko knew that even if his respect for her dropped if he found her and Orochimaru, his love would stay the same. And then there was Iruka…
Suddenly a slam echoed through the air. Anko shot up and looked around in the dim darkness, expecting Orochimaru or one of his minions to jump out at any moment. But she heard the slam again, and this time some kind of mumble.
"Ryik?" she thought with her heart racing. She tiptoed into the deep darkness until she could feel the vibrating metal under her feet. "Ryik!" she called out.
"What?" the fire summoner shouted.
Anko rolled her eyes. "It's me you idiot."
There was two seconds of silence before the clash of metal made the sound of thunder as Ryik tried to break the door down. "GIRL, GET ME THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!"
"Calm down." Anko said as she pressed against the door.
"I can't calm down, Anko!" Ryik whined, "If I have to stay in this hell-hole one more second with Itachi's corpse, I'm gonna—"
Anko's senses stopped the second Ryik said "corpse". "Itachi?" she squeaked, "Are you sure? Did you check his pulse?" she was answered with silence. "Ryik?"
"Anko, please just get me out of here."
Anko swallowed a sob as she seared for something to break the door open with. She had been stripped of all weapons when she arrived and her chakra must have been depleted since she wasn't able to heal herself earlier. "Do you have anything on you? Something sharp maybe?"
Ryik wiped the tears from his eyes as he paced. "I… Girl, I don't-" Suddenly he felt a squishing substance under his foot. He looked down and saw the tray Kimimaro had brought him earlier. "Damn." He cursed under his breath as he tried to scrap the food off his shoe. His eyes fell upon the fork that came with he meal. He picked it up, and examined it with false hope. "Here." he said, shoving it under the slot. "Go nuts."
Anko grabbed it and bent the first and last points of the utensil. She then bended the second one just slightly and pushed the fork into the keyhole. She decided it would be best to try to keep up some kind of conversation with the panicked Ryik.
"Have you seen Jiraiya?"
"No." Ryik answered simply.
Anko sighed with irritation at both Ryik and the keyhole. "It's not your fault, if that's what's got you so upset."
"You don't know that... You were too busy with snake man, weren't you?
"I was busy trying to find you!" Anko retorted in rage.
"Then why is Uchiha...gone... And why am I locked up like a damn caged animal?"
"...Because you were captured!" Anko shouted. She really didn't want to answer Ryik's first question for she knew the blame would be turned on her, which she wouldn't be able to stand that. She hastily twisted the fork over and over again. Just as she was about to say "TO HELL WITH IT!", she heard a click.
She jumped up and twisted the bar and the door edged open. She pushed it and was met with a slightly surprised, and very crestfallen Ryik. She glanced past him and saw Itachi's stiff body. Her mind stopped functioning for a second, the very thought of Itachi dying wrenching her heart clear out of her chest. She thought about their fight from earlier and now wished she could take back every moment she treated him wrongly.
She knew he was just trying to protect the village, and even her despite how he wouldn't openly admit it. In a way, he was like a brother to her, a brother she had lost. She walked stiffly past Ryik and crouched beside Itachi. She hesitantly pressed a hand to his cheek. He was ice cold, but there was rapid pulse under his skin.
She looked back at Ryik and smiled as tears ran down her eyes. "He's alive."
Ryik gasped and fell back, covering his face.
Anko picked Itachi up gently, groaning lowly as her sore muscles twisted. She waited patiently outside the cell for Ryik to pull himself together. She stared at the blood in the corner of Itachi's mouth. Her hatred began to build up again. "Orochimaru...why do you always have to get innocent people pulled in to your shit?"
Ryik stepped out, wiping his eyes with his ratted sleeve. "Sorry, just..."
"Don't worry about it." Anko said, smiling. "Let's go."
Ryik raised an eyebrow. "But where?"
Anko looked into the deep hallway. She had no idea what part of the base they were in let alone how to get out. She strengthened her grip on Itachi and said, "I guess we just keep walking until something pops up."
Ryik shrugged and followed her. He didn't say anything for a long time, something very unusual for him.
Anko far too distracted to notice anyhow. Itachi wasn't too heavy, but her arms were already sore from Orochimaru's assault and carrying a hundred and something boy wasn't helping. However, the sinking fact that he would lay less once he was dead set her agony astray.
"Anko-girl!" Ryik shrieked.
"What!" Anko gasped, the sudden noise frightening her.
Ryik began to run ahead. "I see light! Come on!"
Anko smiled slightly and after adjusting Itachi onto her back, ran after him. "Ryik, wait up!"
Her heart was swelling with relief. Now they could leave this horror house and get to a hospital. Of course, her mission would be an utter failure, and there was the possibility that Orochimaru might come back for a bit of manual revenge. But she'd worry about that after Itachi and Ryik were taken care of.
She saw a dim, but large, orange light. "Hold on, Itachi." she whispered. She rounded the corner and half-expected to see Ryik jumping around and basking in the sunlight.
But what she saw was much more terrifying.
She skid to a stop when she met the shining eyes of Orochimaru's medical nin who was pinning Ryik to the wall.
"Now, Miss Mitarashi, isn't it a bit too early for you to be up and about?" he released Ryik, causing the boy to hit the ground gagging.
The medic leaned against the wall and smirked all knowingly at her. "Shouldn't you be fucking Lord Orochimaru right now?"
Anko glared fiercely at him. "Ryik," she said without taking her eyes off Kabuto, "get Itachi and run."
Ryik nodded and carefully edged his way past Kabuto. He took one of Itachi's arms and slung him over his shoulder before looking back at Anko. "What about..."
"Don't worry about me. Just get out of here."
"I'm afraid I can't allow that." Kabuto sighed, blocking their path.
"Leave them out of this!" Anko shouted. "I'm the one he wants, they're just the unneeded extras."
Kabuto pondered on this thought for a moment. Letting them out would most certainly fuel Orochimaru's rage, not mention it would be one less specimen he'd be able to experiment on. He always wondered what the inside of a Uchiha looked like. Still, even in her weakest state, Anko Mitarashi was too much of a Hell-cat to deal with.
He laughed at his dark thought and shrugged. "All right, you two leave, but you must stay Miss Mitarashi. Just keep walking straight, you should find it."
Anko's hands slipped into her pockets looking for anything she could use against this weirdo. Her fingers eagerly gripped the fork she used for Ryik's escape earlier. An idea sprung into her head but she needed the boys out of her way to go through with it.
She nodded to Kabuto's agreement and looked down at Ryik. "Get Itachi to the hospital as soon as you reach Konoha."
"But—"
Anko crouched down in front of him. "And by no means come back for me. Got it?"
Ryik gulped. He didn't want to leave Anko in this horrible place, but he didn't want to get on her bad side either. Besides, Itachi wasn't going to last much longer if he didn't do something soon. He slowly walked past them, his eyes locked in a glare on the medical nin. "You hurt her, I will come back and kill you."
Kabuto rolled his eyes. "I look forward to it."
Their eyes broke as Ryik disappeared.
Kabuto turned back to Anko. She had the fiercest look he had ever seen on a woman. To be honest, it was quite attractive, even for a boy of his age. "I suppose I'll escort back to Lord Orochimaru's quarters."
Anko didn't budge.
Kabuto shrugged, walking up to her to drag her back.
Suddenly though, with lightening speed, Anko whipped out the utensil and stuck it into his stomach.
He gasped and went limp in her arms.
Anko grimaced at the blood seeping in-between her fingers. She pushed him back, watching him spasm on the ground as he struggled to survive. She turned her back on him, the gruesome scene too much for her.
"Wait..."
Anko squeezed her eyes shut and ran away from his pleas. "I'm sorry."
Kabuto finally got the offending object out of his gut and stared in disbelief at the fork. He smirked after a moment. "She almost killed me...with this..."
He began applying chakra into his lung. As he did, a dark figure hung over him. Kabuto stared at him, fresh death in his eyes. "I'd leave her waiting any day, Lord Orochimaru."
The Snake Sannin simply walked over him and went to find the woman causing mayhem in his base.
./,/./../…/
Anko ran as fast as her bruised legs would take her down the never-ending hallway. "Ryik!" She screamed. She was in a lot of pain now, and scared out of her mind to say the least.
So help me if that little runt was lying about "Keep going straight" I'll murder his little ass!" she shouted inside her head. This just kept on happening to her! Somehow she always ended up in the snake's lair running for her life with an unconscious kid somewhere in the mix. But this time, she was determined not to let Orochimaru get mixed up in her life again.
"Ryik!" she called out again, almost stumbling slightly. "Ry—" This time, she fell face first into the dirt. She sat up after a few seconds, spitting dirt out. She shuddered as she stood and looked down at her knee. "Damn." she mumbled, studying her wound. A low wave washed over her. Was she really so pathetic that she couldn't keep herself from scratching herself up.
She shook her head. "Don't think like that right now. Just get home." She regained her stance and looked a head where something bright caught her eyes. She had to squint to see it, but she knew instantly that there was light ahead, and not the false kind. She broke out into a jog, ignoring her injury or any other pain running through her body.
"Ryik!"
She slammed her body into the light and the wall concealing it fell down. She was instantly blinded by bright sunlight. She crawled around, groping the cool grass and soaking in the autumn breeze, some of the few things she believed she wasn't going to ever feel again.
"Ryik!" she called out again. There was no way he could have gotten too far, not while he was dragging Itachi around. Just as she began to get slightly adjusted to the sun and stand up, a pang of darkness fell over the land. She looked around, searching for its source. Her heart was pounding but she didn't know why. She was afraid, but didn't see anything to be afraid of.
"Anko?"
Anko looked to her left and saw Ryik standing in a shaded area. Infant droplets of water were dripping from is arms where he had washed them in the small stream there. Itachi was leaning against a tree, but he was still unconscious.
She smiled gratefully. They would go home now. She'd tell the Hokage the truth, she'd tell him anything he's want to know. Everything. She walked up to the boys. It was over.
At least it would have been if the unremembered pain hadn't have shot across her body.
She dropped on shaky knees and clawed at the mark on her neck and looked around franticly.
"You didn't even say goodbye."
Anko shot around and stared in horror at the man looming over her. There were red blotches on his face from the candle, which added to his angry appearance. His eyes were tearing her into pieces.
She scrambled to her feet, but the pain of the curse mark increased each time she moved.
He lifted a sword, Anko's reflection glistening in it. "But you want have to anymore."
Ryik's eyes widened as Orochimaru lifted the sword over Anko's neck. "No..." His jello-like legs shot forward. "Anko, no!"
Orochimaru centered the blade over her chest. "You're mine now. Forever."
"No!"
The blade flew from Orochimaru's grip as a weight slammed into him. He hit the ground and was immediately attacked by small, brown fists.
"You bastard!" Ryik screamed.
Orochimaru gritted his blood teeth and punched Ryik in the face. He grabbed the child by the hair and was a second away from snapping his neck when another hand grabbed him, but this one was not trying to fight him.
"Orochimaru...please!"
Orochimaru stared down at her, some of his hatred quenched by the sorrowful expression on Anko's face.
"Don't hurt him! Don't hurt any of them! They have nothing to do with this, please, just let them go!"
Orochimaru released Ryik, who fell back in surprise. He turned his attention back to the crying woman below him. No matter what she said to him, what she did, he would never regret what he had done earlier.
"Trust me, darling, you'll learn to love it."
And she would have, if she hadn't have thoroughly pissed him off. He didn't really want to kill her, but his actions weren't really his own after all. The body he had taken over was once that of a rapist and murderer, a lout he had lured into his trap; using him had been a last-minute notion.
He wanted it to be that way, to know he wasn't entirely to blame for what was about to happen. His fingers tangled themselves into her matted hair and yanked her up slightly.
Anko was afraid, but at the same time she wasn't. She could tell from the glow in his eyes that she was about to die. She couldn't think of anything else but that, but she was grateful for it; she wouldn't have to think of the people she had left behind.
"See you in hell, wretch."
Anko locked her eyes to his. Sadly, though, they weren't the ones of the man she thought she had been falling in love with.
"No…I can't…die yet…"
Orochimaru's grin suddenly changed into one of pain.
Anko gasped as a warm, wet substance splattered on her shirt. Orochimaru's grip on her fell and he toppled off to the side, leaving a petrified Anko standing there as she tried to steady Orochimaru's sword in the snake's gut. She gasped and quickly let go when. She dropped to her knees again and watched as Orochimaru slowly bled to death.
"No..."
There eyes met one last time, both filled with pain, but not regret. His mouth opened, as if he wanted to say something, but a river of blood choked his words.
Her mind cut itself off and on as everything that was going on sunk in. Orochimaru, her ex-sensei, her lover, her monster in the closet, was dead. And it should have been her in his place.
"Lord Orochimaru was the first person to look at me as something other than a monster!" Kimimaro sobbed. "He's treated me like ason,something my own father didn't do. Everything was perfect." He went quiet for a moment, but soon his flushed face rose and stared at Anko. "And then you showed up."
Anko gripped the grass under her hand. "No... It's not my fault."
"I'm not leaving you..."
"I swear to God, it's not my fault!"
Anko didn't remember what happened after that. Blurry figures came in and out of her view, some who shined tiny orbs in her eyes, and others who just stared at her. She heard voices, but didn't know the words they were trying to say. Something soothing in the back of her mind told her that they were taking Ryik and Itachi away, but she knew they were better off wherever they were going to.
However, one of the figures touched Orochimaru's cold body. She attacked them like a lion defending their kill. She felt warm droplets scratch her face but shouldn't see what she was doing to get them there.
Something grabbed her and pulled her back roughly. For an insane moment, she thought it was Orochimaru and went ballistic. Corpse weren't supposed to be able to grab like that. However, this thing stuck a sharp piece of ice in her neck, and her entire body went warm and fuzzy. She decided she would choose that feeling over blood any day.
Corpses don't come back to life, right?
'Whose hand is this?" Anko asked herself as the familiar pale hand she had seen over and over again appeared in front of her face.
'Is it…mine?" The hand turned, for she wanted to examine it. 'No.'
The hand was too masculine, too rough from touching so many things, to belong to hers.
"Then who's is it?" She blinked slowly. When she opened her eyes, the hand was covered with blood.
.,.,.,.,.,
Anko awoke with a gasp, blotches of red flashing over her eyes.
"Anko!"
Anko looked to her left franticly, meeting the exhausted, but joyful smile of her dear friend Iruka.
"Oh, thank God," he stood up. "Nurse! Nurse, she's awake!" he stepped out of the room and all Anko could hear was his voice drift down the hall.
She looked around and noticed the white walls, and glowing windows. She was in a hospital. Again. She tried to sit up, but she was out of breath and sore all over. She reluctantly lay back down. Her head was spinning and she couldn't remember why she was there or why her skin reeked of blood.
"I killed him. I killed Orochimaru."
She clenched her teeth together. They words seemed so unreal to her. She didn't want it to be real.
Iruka re-entered with a nurse and, to Anko's great surprise, Jiraiya, who was covered in bandages.
She allowed the nurse to check her pulse and other vitals before she whispered something to Jiraiya before walking out. Jiraiya and Iruka were very quiet for a moment, as if they were afraid to break something to her.
"Iruka, why are you looking at me like that?"
Iruka forced a smile before sitting on the side of Anko's bed and wrapped her in a hug. "It's nothing."
Anko frowned as he held her close. She didn't deserve his embrace. It was like sin touching God's cloak. It shouldn't be done. And unlike Iruka, God knew what she had done.
Iruka released her and just studied her face. He saw the beauty past the scars and the confusion in her eyes. "I thought you were gone for good this time."
Anko opened her mouth, but only a tired sigh came out. Iruka's warmth helped her smile as she ran a hand over his cheek. "You know I don't know how to die."
He leaned into her hand and cupped it with one of his own.
Jiraiya cleared his thought, breaking the young couple up.
Anko gulped, fearing he was pissed at her for not looking for him. "Look," she began quickly, "about—"
Jiraiya chuckled. "Anko, you don't have to apologize for anything. You completed the mission, that's all that matters."
Anko's eyes widened. "What?" she pulled away from Iruka. "What about Ryik, and Itachi, or even you? Doesn't that matter?"
Jiraiya's eyes lower, as if he were ashamed of his answer. "I thought Orochimaru would have taught you that when you were a genin."
Anko was even more shocked that he was able to say Orochimaru's name so lightly considering the circumstances.
Jiraiya began to leave, but stopped. "Anko... What we asked you to kill an S-ranked killer, not baby sit a middle aged man and two tag-alongs." He turned around and gave her the hardest look Anko had ever received from him. "You did what you had to do. That is all that matters. If you hadn't learned that by now, then you sure as hell don't deserve to be a Jonin."
Iruka stood up. "Master Jiraiya, with all do respect, I believe you are being just a bit too hard on Anko right now."
Jiraiya shrugged. "She had to hear it from someone."
"...It's more than that."
Jiraiya looked down at Anko, who had her head slumped down.
She clenched hands were shaking. She looked up with teary eyes. "You would have preferred Ryik or Itachi, or even you, died rather than Orochimaru."
Jiraiya gulped and stepped out of the room.
"That's it isn't it!" Anko yelled after him. "You hate me because I killed your best friend!" Her voice rose and the tears poured faster. She threw the covers off of herself.
Iruka panicked. "Anko, no-"
Anko ignored him and limped to the doorway to see Jiraiya leaving the hospital.
"Well, guess what you, perverted bastard!" she screamed. "I hate myself for it too!"
Iruka grabbed her shoulders gently. "Anko, it's okay."
Anko thrashed from his grip, causing her lower strength to give way. "I wish I was dead instead of him!" She broke down after that. All she saw was he wet darkness behind her eyelids that blurred out Orochimaru's image.
Iruka held her close, whispering soothing words into her shaking form.
"I'm sorry, Iruka, but I just miss him so much..."
Jiraiya sat the six-pack of wine coolers down and popped one open immediately. The bottle was empty in two gulps. He did the same with four other bottles before the alcohol lost it's flavor. As he lifted the last bottle to his lips, the sobs were choking him.
.,.,.,.
"You think you're so perfect."
Eleven-year-old Orochimaru looked back at him and smirked. "I am, though."
.,.,.,.
Orochimaru ran a hand over the fresh stone of his parents combined tombstone. "When do you think they'll come back?"
It was a childish question, and a strange one for a twelve year old.
Jiraiya shrugged and pressed a hand on his comrade's shoulder. "Hate to break it to you, buddy, but last time I checked, the dead doesn't come back to life."
.,.,.,.
Jiraiya through the red bottle against the gritty hotel room and covered his face with his hands to block out his own screams of pain. The dead wasn't supposed to come back to life, but right now he sure as hell wished it did.
SO SORRY for the wait! My computer totally crashed, thus I've been stuck in the Stone Age for over two months. But I am back, and I know what I want to write. I MUST FIRST READ AND REVIEW ALL OF Jigoku-Dayu93 AND NinjaSheik'S STORIES!
Also, I've posted "Orochimaru's best Quote 2" , so check it out.
One last thing: It is possible to injure someone with a fork. My sister has taught me to blind a man with an uncooked spaghetti noodle plus several other items. :) Love ya, sis!