191I do not, I repeat DO NOT, own these characters.
My Golden Heart
Chapter 14-Settling in
"We're walking!?" Anko screamed as she, Orochimaru, Kabuto, and the recently remembered Sasuke stood outside what used to be their hideout.
"How did you think we would get there, Anko?" Kabuto asked, annoyed by how loud she was being.
"Well…" Anko hesitantly began. "I thought that you all had some secret portal hidden in a tree that would take us into the sky until we came across a tube that would slide us down into the ground where we would come across a door which would then contain a hallway that was our new secret hideout."
There was a long moment of silence between all of them as Anko just continued smiling and looking so proud of herself.
"Did you drink any of vials that where in my medical bag by any chance?" Kabuto asked as the three men stared at her.
"No, you jackass, I'm not stupid!" Anko replied bitterly as she stomped her foot into the ground to further express her anger. What a jerk, did he really think that she would go through and drink whatever he had in that ridiculous bag of his?
"Oh dear," Orochimaru sighed amusingly as he stepped closer to Anko. "The heat must've gotten to her since she's already forgotten what I told her just. This. Morning."
Orochimaru emphasized these last words while wrapping his arms around the girl tighter and tighter with each pause.
"No, sir…Of course not." Anko breathed out with the little remaining oxygen she had left. With that, Orochimaru dropped the girl onto the ground and stepped over her to make his way back to Kabuto and Sasuke.
"But seriously," Anko said as she stood up while brushing dirt off herself. "Can't we at least ride Manda for part of the way?"
"Anko," Kabuto sighed out of sheer annoyance. "We are criminals constantly on the run from other villages. When we travel, we don't want to have attention drawn to us. SO WHY WOULD WE GO AND RIDE A GIANT, PURPLE SNAKE TO OUR NEXT HIDEOUT!?"
"…What's your point?"
Orochimaru had to grab onto Kabuto as he jumped toward the girl in a fit of fury.
"Don't worry, Anko," Orochimaru chuckled as he held back the medical ninja with one hand by his shirt collar. "Kabuto just isn't very fond of Manda because of our last encounter with him."
"Awww! But Manda is so sweet!" Anko replied happily.
"Yeah, Manda is as sweet as Sasuke is hyper." Kabuto chuckled while Sasuke silently fumed behind him from all of their antics as well as being brought into them.
"Let's go before we're all captured already." The Uchiha impatiently said as he stormed off ahead.
The three remaining just looked at each other before going on ahead to catch up with the youngest of their group. However, Anko paused for a moment to just remember something important.
"Wait, Sensei! I still didn't get my dango!"
Anko walked side by side with Orochimaru, Kabuto, and Sasuke. They had left transporting the rest of the supplies to the other ninjas back at the hideout so that they could go on ahead. The only thing that was being carried was Anko's backpack which was currently in the possession of Orochimaru since she didn't want to carry it; another backpack that had all their essentials, which was being carried by Kabuto; and Kabuto's medical kit which was, of course, being carried by Kabuto. Notice how a dango was failed mentioned. Instead of the delicious treat Anko now had a small lump forming on her head, courtesy of Kabuto. Thankfully it was well hidden under a cloak that Kabuto made each of them wear.
"Tell me again why we have to wear these stupid cloaks?" Anko asked as she stared at the long material.
"Because," Kabuto hissed. "We would surely be attacked if people saw us without them."
Anko just rolled her eyes at the statement, like they didn't look suspicious in these cloaks either. They all continued on in silence. Anko looked around a bit, there was too much silence here, not a bird or cricket to be heard…how odd. While in thought Anko continued on ahead until she felt herself being sharply pulled back by her cloak. Just when she was about to turn around to see what happened, Orochimaru swiftly came up behind and tugged the tip of her hood down in front of her face as he tackled her to the ground
"Orochimaru wh-" She began but was immediately silenced when she noticed a kunai in the spot where she used to stand.
"Keep your face hidden." Orochimaru hissed in her ear as another few kunai came shooting out. Orochimaru quickly looked toward Kabuto and with a swift nod, Kabuto ran towards them, grabbed Anko, and ran leaving Orochimaru and Sasuke behind. Clashes of metal could be heard as they ran from the area leaving Orochimaru and Sasuke to keep the other ninjas off their trail.
"Wait Kabuto!" Anko said breathlessly as she tried to keep up with Kabuto as he pulled her along by her arm. "We have to go back! Orochimaru and Sasuke-"
"They'll be fine," he interrupted. "Remember who they are." Anko turned to look at the medical ninja to see a small, reassuring smile on his face. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all.
"What do we do now?" Anko asked quietly as she in Kabuto sat in booth that was located in a dark corner of the pub they were in.
"We just wait a bit." Kabuto replied in the same hushed tone as Anko. "It would be too suspicious if we went right to the hideout."
Anko took a sip of the sake she got before focusing back on Kabuto. He had somehow managed to carry three bags and drag her along without losing anything, quite amazing actually.
"You mean the hideout is in this village?" She asked. Kabuto nodded back in response.
"You see," Kabuto explained. "This hideout has to be entered at a specific spot at first. However, once entered, I can go down to the control room to lock or unlock any door I please."
"And this main entrance is-" Anko started.
"Yes, right in this very restaurant, through that back door to be more precise." Kabuto finished while quickly looking around to make sure no one was nearby.
"I see, so why can't we just go through there?" Anko asked. She had to lean more toward Kabuto so that she could still speak softly but he could still hear her above all the surrounding noise.
"It's roped off. No one is allowed back there, not even faculty, just as Orochimaru planned." Kabuto replied with a triumphant smirk.
"Where is Orochimaru?" Anko asked worriedly, fearing the worst. Kabuto's smirk left his face.
"I don't know," Kabuto sighed. "He never told me that part of the plan. All he said was that if there was trouble to get you and run. He didn't want to tell you because he knew you would protest."
"But why me?" Anko asked.
"Can't you tell?" Kabuto replied, "We are near the land of fire's border, many Leaf ninja are roaming around in the forest, they would recognize you in a heartbeat."
"That's why he said to keep my face hidden." Anko realized and Kabuto nodded. Anko felt slightly embarrassed having to ask Kabuto all these questions, how foolish she was to not even recognize her old borders and fellow ninja. Anko quickly shook her head and drowned what was left of her sake.
"Shouldn't be long now," Kabuto whispered toward her bringing her out of her thoughts. "A fight is bound to start soon by the looks of all these guys."
"That's our distraction." Anko replied piecing everything together. Kabuto nodded as he stood up from his seat.
"Stay put," he said sternly as he grabbed the bags. "I'm going to start this rally."
Anko nodded as Kabuto disappeared into the crowd of people to start some form of mayhem. However, Anko only had a few minutes alone till a large shadow hovered over her.
"Hey there cutie," A deep voice said from behind her. "Why're you hidin' under that cloak there?"
"Leave me alone." Anko sternly said to the man. She didn't want to make a scene since Kabuto was away.
The man didn't take the hint though as he sat down in the spot that Kabuto was recently at. He was large, hairy man and had a lot of tattoos covering his arms. Even though his face was far from hers, Anko could smell the strong scent of alcohol radiating off of him which made her want to gag.
"Aren't you a sweet thing," The man slurred clearly not noticing her disgust. "Why don't you remove that ragged thing so I could get a better look at pretty face?"
When the man reached toward her Anko immediately stood up while holding the cloak tighter around herself.
"I said leave me alone." Anko repeated with more anger in her voice. But the man still didn't listen. Instead he grabbed Anko by the back of her cloak and pulled her against him as he tried to force her hood down. Anko squirmed against his grip on her but froze for a second when she felt his large hand grab onto her breast. Feeling her fury rise Anko stomped down on his foot with all her strength causing the man to yelp out in pain. Before the man could strike back, Anko spun around and kicked the man in the stomach causing him to fall a few steps back and run into somebody. In a few seconds a fight had started between everyone in the pub.
Anko crawled away, hoping to not get any more attention but almost screamed when she felt herself being tugged up by her cloak.
"Anko, it's me! Are you alright?' Kabuto asked. If Anko wasn't so distracted, she would have realized the amount of concern in his voice when he said that.
"Yeah, let's just go." Anko replied breathlessly. She felt someone else grab onto her cloak which caused her hood to fall down, but she was too concerned with keeping up with Kabuto to care.
Meanwhile, a man with long, white hair sat at a table by the pub entrance door calmly as if there wasn't a huge bar fight happening around him. He was glancing around to see who would be the first to try and challenge the great sanin Jiraiya when he saw a familiar patch of brown spiky making its way through the crowd. When the figure turned its head, Jiraiya almost fell out of his chair. Could that really be the little Anko he knew? Last time he saw her she was just a little tike following Orochimaru around like she was his shadow. Man did she grow up nicely. What would she be doing in a place like this? Jiraiya's entire body froze when he saw the other cloaked figure ahead of her turn around to whisper something to her, that glare of glasses and gray hair could only belong to one person.
"I have to talk to Tsunade." Jiraiya whispered before slipping out the door so that he wouldn't be noticed.
Kabuto shut the door and sighed, their plan had worked. Bending down on his hands and knees Kabuto began knocking on the wooden floor boards.
"What took you so long to start that fight?" Anko asked as she still tried to regain her breath.
"Well, I had to get out bags out of the way so I had to sneak back here," Kabuto replied still crawling around on the floor "And thanks to you I couldn't start the fight, and I've always wanted to start a bar fight."
Anko just chuckled at this. "I'm sure you'll get another chance, Kabuto."
He just smirked back as he opened up the trap door which revealed a bunch of stone steps that went further into the ground.
"After you," Kabuto said jokingly. Anko just rolled her eyes and made her way down, Kabuto following shortly after and closing the door firmly shut. The cracks from the floor boards gave a little light but it didn't last long as they walked further in the tunnel. Kabuto took a lantern out of his bag to help them see in the rocky tunnel. After taking one look, Anko knew she would pick the hallways from their old hideout over this one any day. After a few moments of silence, Anko looked over at the ninja beside her.
"Kabuto," Anko said sincerely. "Thanks for helping me."
He just let out a small laugh, before replying. "Thanks for punching that guy in the bar."
"What did he ever do to you?" Anko asked as they continued down until they reached a door.
"He told me I was one hot babe." Kabuto grumbled while he pulled the wooden door open.
Anko couldn't help herself as her laugh echoed off the wall of their new hideout and soon she found Kabuto laughing along beside her.
"Tsunade-sama!" A leaf ninja came running into the office, his body covered in blood and his arm completely limp do to a set of snake bites on his arm.
"What happened?" The Hogake responded looking down at his arm.
"O-Orochimaru he and t-that Sasuke boy attacked me as well as my men." The ninja stuttered out, the venom was spreading quickly through his system. Orochimaru must have been in a rush to use such tactics and let them leave alive.
"Where's the rest of your team?" Tsunade asked worriedly wondering if perhaps Anko came back with the troop.
"The hospital." The ninja replied as Tsunade began healing his arm while he sat in one of the chairs. "But that's not all."
"What do you mean?" The blond haired women replied.
"There was a fourth one." The ninja continued. "I couldn't see its face because Orochimaru hid it and sent it off."
Tsunade felt her heart stop. It couldn't be…
"I stopped the poison, go quickly to the hospital, alright?" Tsunade told the ninja quickly and he disappeared in a puff of smoke.
There's no way…Anko couldn't possibly be…
"Tsunade!" Jiraiya's voice called out as he hopped through her open window.
He was breathless as he stood before her, there was clearly something wrong.
"It's Anko. I saw her with Kabuto."
To Be Continued
I'm alive! Yes! Another chapter is out and ready to go! I'm such a lazy bum….T^T
Anyway, I have to say this chapter was really fun to write. Probably some of the most fun I've had in awhile. So I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it had a lot of action, no? XD Sadly, Orochimaru didn't have a big role, but don't worry, we'll see more of him soon and we'll finally find out why they had to leave the old hideout!
Thanks so much for all the wonderful support!
See you in chapter 15!