Anko sat on a tree that had been cut. Tadashi had been begging her to take him to a river to swim with his friends. He had learned how to swim recently. He had started the academy and had gotten good marks on his first exam, so it was Anko's way to congratulate him. Tadashi had chosen Hanabi and Itsuki to come with them. So there she was, watching them play in the water.

Someone put his hand on her shoulder, gently pressing their fingers on her skin, and she turned her attention from the playing children to check if it was Shisui, like she expected it to be. She knew no one else would get her attention that way.

"I was hoping to startle you a little."

"I knew it was you, you had told me you might finish your shift early, and besides, I had heard some branches cracking."

She kissed him, before turning back her attention to the children. The Hyuuga and Yamanaka clan heads wouldn't be happy if their spare drowned because she wasn't paying attention.

Shisui took his shirt off and lay down on the grass. He used his shirt as a makeshift pillow. He had his eyes closed and Anko thought he was hot like that, sunbathing. Why was he teasing her with children around, again?

"I trained with Itachi last night and he updated me on some talks he had with Lord Fugaku," Shisui said, eyes still shut. He had a relaxed posture, as if he was enjoying the sound of the birds chipping and the children splashing water around.

"What about Itachi? Do I want to know?"

"Itachi has been asking him if there were any possibilities to change the clan rule that you can't date outside the clan." Shisui opened his eyes to look at her. "Fugaku thinks it's about Itachi's girlfriend being half Uchiha, so we're in the clear, but the thing is, he won't change his mind."

Anko suddenly looked at Shisui with a frown. "Wait, so dating outside the clan happened before? Why do you think it'll be such a big deal if people knew about us, then?"

Shisui sat down to look at her. He took a deep breath and Anko knew that it meant he didn't like what he was about to say, or that he knew Anko wouldn't.

"It happened only on occasion, and it's very frowned upon. And Izumi's family had been kicked out of the compound. The only reason they returned is because her father died during the nine-tail attack. Even after all those years, people still look at her mother with disdain, all of this because she fell in love with someone not Uchiha. I don't care if people judge me, but I can't bear people treating Tadashi how Izumi's been treated."

Anko wanted to argue she didn't care about people looking at her, because she had never done so before. She had always been the freak that had followed Orochimaru, after all. But despite Anko being used to critics and not caring, Shisui was right about one thing. Tadashi didn't deserve the hate. It was bad enough that children mocked his snake-like eyes, which he never took very well. So if the Uchiha clan started talking about him negatively on top of a bunch of kids at school, it would break Anko's heart. Home was supposed to be a safe place, if Shisui's clanmates learned about the relationship, they could take it on Tadashi or make him unsafe. Anko wasn't ready for that yet. Her son was the most precious person to protect.

"So we must keep our relationship secret for all our lives, or at least until Tadashi is old enough to understand and fight against some of your clan's bullies?" Anko was annoyed. She never gave a shit about people's opinions before. If Tadashi wasn't in the picture, she'd say fuck them, but she didn't want to be the reason her child gets picked on.

"It's up to you to decide, but it would break my heart to see Tadashi being treated unfairly by my clan. To the villagers, he's just a cute academy kid, but who knows what people will say then. The elders of my clan can be very mean and are very strict with rules. My parents are in the number, they always whisper about Izumi and her mother when they think I'm not listening and they tried to convince me she isn't a friend for me. It's also likely that I'll be excluded from the compound, but I don't care about living in the compound or not, personally. My only issue is really Tadashi here."

"I feel the same way, Shisui. I… I hate it for myself, for us, but for now, let's keep our relationship private and as secret as it can be. I had already told Tadashi not to talk about it, though I suspect at least Hanabi and Itsuki figured it out, if he didn't straight up told them." Anko knew her son wasn't really a good secret keeper. She sighed. "If the bullies at the academy stop, I'll consider letting you tell your clan head. For now, I prefer protecting Tadashi."

Tadashi came running towards her at that exact moment.

"Shisui! I'm happy you are here, can you get in the water with us?"

Shisui made a shy smile. "I'll join you in a few seconds, I was talking with your mom."

"Please!" He said, pouting.

Shisui laughed. "I'll be there in a sec. Go back to your friends."

Anko decided to join Shisui too. The water was a bit cold, especially when it reached her belly button. Tadashi immediately started splashing her.

"The best way to enter is to run straight into it in one go, Anko!" Shisui teased her. He had taken one plunge underwater and was already claiming to start acclimating to the cold.

Anko took a deep breath and dived. The cold made her shiver and she felt her head was freezing, but she ignored it. To please the kids. The water was quite shallow, so she could touch the sand without any issue, so she planted her feet and grabbed Itsuki by the waist, he was just next to her. She then pulled him above the water, making him do a jump motion. He fell back into the water with a laugh.

"My turn!" Tadashi said, turning to Shisui.

Hanabi blushed. Anko turned to her. "Do you want me to do it with you?"

The Hyuuga girl shook her head. "I don't swim underwater yet."

Anko realised that Hanabi hadn't been the most at ease in the water since she had started watching her. She didn't want to force the child.

"Tadashi, your parents are so much cooler than mine!" Itsuki said.

Parents. Plural. The young Yamanaka definitely knew about Anko and Shisui dating. Tadashi suddenly looked down to the water as he was swimming, avoiding his mother's look, his cheeks turning a little pink.

"You told them, did you?" Anko's tone wasn't even accusing, it was just stating a fact.

"I… uh, I mentioned Shisui was around often so they asked and I couldn't lie. I didn't tell anyone else."

"We know it's a secret," Hanabi immediately said in Tadashi's defence. "Besides, I get why, father has some weird rules too regarding our clan. I mean, my grandfather wanted to get rid of Amaya," she added, before grabbing Anko's back to rest. Anko realised that even though she and Shisui touched the ground, the children didn't, and Hanabi was likely starting to feel the fatigue.

Itsuki was busier trying to swim underwater than listening to the adult conversation.

"Hanabi, do you want to go with me and build a sandcastle? I'm not liking how cold the water is."

"Mom! You just haven't been in long enough!" Tadashi complained.

Anko sticked out her tongue. While it was cold, the truth was she didn't want Hanabi to drown on her watch, but saying it aloud would only embarrass the child. Anko could tease her family as she wanted, but Hanabi was too respectful of a child for that. So she kissed Tadashi and Shisui and got back to land.

"Let's race, the first girl with a towel in hand gets an ice cream on our way back home!" Anko yelled at the child, intending to let her win, though she rushed a bit, because she wanted to dry off as soon as possible.