Neither of them barely had enough time to wolf down breakfast. Anko was eating on the go, as she hastily stuffed things into her bag, as they struggled to get out on time.
"Anko, have you seen my sweater?"
"This one," she asked, pulling the hem of her jumper down and out so it was taut over her breasts.
Give me a break already.
"Yeah, the one that looks like that."
"This is it," she said, brightly. " You had already gone downstairs. I didn't have anything else to wear."
Kakashi raised his eyebrows.
"So you thought you would help yourself to my property?" He said, with amusement.
"Hey pity-party for one over here," she murmured, as she held up her cast. "I promise you'll get it back-"
"-After you've stretched it out beyond recognition?" Kakashi laughed, with mock-outrage. And then, as if he hadn't committed those dimensions to memory.
"42? 48? Wasn't it, buddy? I'm definitely a few inches out."
"You should be thanking me, pops." Anko said, as she zipped up her bag. "I'm improving it."
Oh I don't doubt it.
The journey back to the village was made mostly in silence. Anko's hair streaked behind her as they ran, it had evidently been too much to ask Kakashi to put it up. As they ran he saw it more than once, a hand reaching to adjust the hitai-ate that wasn't there. What had made him to decide to leave his in his pocket that morning? He couldn't pinpoint it but whether by choice or not it's absence was felt just as deeply by each shinobi.
Kakashi had always enjoyed this part of the mission. As they approached the landscape became more and more familiar with every kilometre but today the signposts were unwelcome. Too soon the village gates were in sight, the setting sun lengthened the shadows from the surrounding trees so they became claws grasping at them.
Anko had stopped just beyond their reach, turning to him she sank into a deep bow, her hair fell in a curtain shielding her face.
"Thank you Kakashi- san."
Where had that come from?
"If I could be with anyone it would be you."
She really hadn't meant it like that buddy.
This uncharacteristic display of politeness from Anko unsettled him more than a volley of shuriken and a storm of cursing.
"-I'm glad it was me," Kakashi said as he scratched the back of his head, sure he was flushing like a maniac.
"Uh, if you ever need help, " he said, thankfully addressing the top of her head. "You know I'll help you, if you wanted me too."
Dear god you were actually babbling. Stop!
Kakashi put a hand on her shoulder and gently shook her, she looked at the hand then up at him.
"So do you need some help getting that collar on?" Anko frowned.
"For the crawl back to Tsunade on your hands and knees?" And for the loveliest moment Anko was back. Groaning and giggling then before she held her neck, gasping for air.
"Kakashi" she wheezed. "If I knew you were going to throw that back in my face- "
Drawing the hitai-ate out of his pocket he tied it back round his head, with a nod from Anko they headed to Hokage mountain together.
The gate guards had evidently notified Tsunade had been notified of their approach by the guards on gate duty. One of the guards stationed at Tsunade's door stopped them and beckoned Anko forward. Kakashi gave her a solemn salute, which she returned before she was in.
Yeah, nice knowing you too Anko.
But the door creaked open...and he was being ushered in.
Tsunade and Ibiki Morino? Bad cop, worse cop.
Taking his place beside Anko, they faced Tsunade and Ibiki over her desk. Several kilos of Ajna had been bagged and were piled high on her desk, the fruits of their labour but there would be no celebrating. Regardless of rank or gender or age, debriefing intended to encourage full disclosure without fear of reproach; identifying mistakes and opportunities for improvement. Well, that's debriefing in theory.
Fuck me, I'd never thought I'd be begging to complete a mission report, Kakashi thought as Tsunade asked the same question for the third time.
" -as I was no longer able to continue, I headed to the site of interest immediately."
Ibiki stood straight as a rod, arms crossed as unreadable as ever. But the vein that throbbed at Tsunade's temple ticked ferociously, as a tell-tell flush crept from her ample cleavage, to neck, to face giving her away. Like the rattle of a lid on a pressure cooker, Kakashi felt an imminent explosion building but Anko delivered her desertion on an A-rank in the same way other people talked of ducking-out of a dinner reservation.
Did Anko have fucking balls or concussion? Kakashi couldn't tell.
"Mitarashi..." Tsunade hissed, warningly. "Get on it."
If Anko experienced any humiliation or embarrassment in relaying the events that led to the destruction of the laboratory she showed no signs of it. Moreover Kakashi had a suspicion that the level of detail Anko divulged was not entirely inspired by professional probity.
"Junko Toshio alias Tiger, was Head of Security. After reviewing the file I knew I conformed most to the profile of sexual partners that had been linked to her previously."
Profile? Had Anko stolen information from T. & I.?
"I contrived a meeting at the club, and initiated a relationship. Our first sexual encounter occurred that night - "
"Neither do we need or are interested in that level of detail Mitarashi." Tsunade said, impatiently. "Tell us about the lab. "
Don't we need that level of detail Tsunade?
So Anko reframed her style of retelling, describing the events leading up to the destruction of the lab with cold detachment. Without context the relationship diminished to a transactional one of convenience.
But that kiss...
The image of Tiger possessing her in a way he never would insinuated itself like a snake coiling and uncoiling. So vivid, he was tormented to the point of distraction.
At the club was it? Tiger must have followed Anko into a toilet cubicle closing the door behind.
"-certain about the money laundering?"
Tiger pushed Anko against the wall.
"- Kakashi's involvement?"
Hearing his name was enough to bring him back from his reverie but only momentarily before he was lost again hearing only fragments but Anko had responded.
"There was no way of evading it Godaime-san, not without compromising my cover."
It would have been wise to keep his head in the game as Ibiki and Tsunade had evidently decided to take it in turns to tear shreds out of them...but his mind was taking him there as the images intruded.
Tiger's hand cupping Anko's face, kissing her neck as she moaned, nuzzling her face against her like a kitten.
"No way of evading it?" Ibiko said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Might have been useful to have one shinobi with chakra control, no?"
Tiger's hand creeping up the inside of Anko's thigh, damn it! Focus.
"-Hand signs? Hardly discreet."
"-Why?"
"- Broad daylight?"
"-Reckless-"
"-stupidity-"
"-Training-"
Unfairly, Anko seemed to be bearing the brunt of Ibiki and Tsunade's coordinated attack as defended her decisions and judgements. Kakashi had been presented as a tourist with no stake in the decision making.
It was the worst debrief he had ever experienced. Feeling as wrung out as damp flannel. Evidently they were going to beaten into submission with the shinobi handbook, and any other rule and regulation they have flouted during the course of mission.
"Are you certain that there is nothing connected you to Konoha?"
Kakashi had said nothing for so long he was sure his vocal cords would shoot dust.
"No," he said. "I am absolutely certain of it. The security footage was destroyed with the paperbombs I set in the archive. We remained in disguise until we crossed the border, we were in civ's until the inn."
Tsunade nodded but looked between them, her head resting on her hands, her fingers interlocked.
"Witnesses then? " Ibiki probed. "The guards? The vet?"
"-Kakashi's sharingan?-"
"- aim is to determine best practice and whether a review of tactics and decisions deployed-"
"Genjitsu-"
"After he expunged the record of treatment."
Ibiki was evidently satisfied, as he exchanged a look with Tsunade.
"Mitarashi you are on your last life, gamble it at your peril." Tsunade said sharply. "Get yourself to the hospital."
Anko bowed deep, following Ibiki who had held the door open for her. One last look at Kakashi, and a wink?
Surely not Mitarashi.
"Not you Hatake," as she indicated the seat.
What now?
"I want a medical examination report in three days."
Fine, that was routine.
"-And I'm suspending you from active service until I get a satisfactory psych eval'. "
"With respect, Madam Hokage is that necessary?" he asked softly, appealing to reason. "I accepted the mission and all the associated risks and Tsunade-san I can assure you I'm fine.
Tsunade's temper was frayed and in no mood to barter.
"You can judge the necessity yourself Hatake," she hissed. "As I said - you are suspended until I have a satisfactory evaluation. It's your decision as to how quickly that will happen."
She stood up. Was he imagining it? A slight softening of her facial features. A touch of concern or pity that felt so disingenuous.
"Lady Tsunade, " he said, sinking into a bow. Whatever it was had disappeared by the time he was standing.
Konoha comes first. Always.
Anko wasn't outside, a little flicker of disappointment but then relief. The idea of Anko with her was agony enough at least he wasn't being tortured with her proximity too. Unable to help himself he cycled through the images again..
Heading back to his apartment, he walked slowly, buffeted by the cool early morning breeze. He almost missed a step when a new image emerged.
"I contrived a meeting at the club, and initiated a relationship."
So Anko, not Tiger taking the lead. Anko, the real architect of the affair.
As a life-long girl-on girl-fan, it felt to Kakashi as though the universe had conspired to meter out a colossal and very personal punishment just for him.
Letting himself in to the apartment he looked at the clock. With a sigh, he pulled the card from the fridge magnet and punched the numbers into the phone and pressing his forhead against the fridge door as he waited.
"Hi, Miss Yanamoto. This is Kakashi Hatake. Please could I have an appointment with Dr Rosenmato?"