Title – He Cares
Rating – Less then Naruto itself.
Pairings – Anko/Iruka
Summary – :ONESHOT: Despite what others may say, he truly cares for her. He doesn't get to see her that often, so this is what he does to show his affections. Implied Anko/Iruka. There needs to be more of this pairing.
Author – Mistress DragonFlame
Beta – kopykat kakashi

Seriously, there does need to be more of Anko/Iruka pairings. They're so cute together!

Also, this story spends a lot of time about a single task, and in the end there's a twist. Don't spoil it by going down there and reading it, or giving up half way!

He sighed. There was some time he had to kill before he would be needed elsewhere, business of course, so he decided to take a stroll to where his favorite woman lived.

Many questioned their relationship, not seeing as how it could possibly work, but he didn't care. He liked her, and that was it for him. End of discussion. Many also thought he was insane for it, his 'friends' included, but then again, he thought so too. Not that he'd ever admit it to them.

He walked through the entrance of her apartment complex, noting that no one seemed to be around, and started to make his way up the broken stairs, edging away from a strange substance on one of railings. He questioned why she lived here, as he knew her status as a special-nin, as well as the money she earned as such, would mean she could easily get a much better place to reside.

He loped up the stairs to the topmost floor, and turned to the left to where he knew her apartment was. He reached for the handle, and frowned at how it was unlocked. He then supposed that her reputation she draped freely over her shoulders would probably scare away any would-be trespassers. But still...

He pushed the door open and walked in, putting his vest on the unused, if you don't count the hideous hat that looked like it hadn't been touched in years, coat rack next to the door and surveyed the damage of her living quarters. Was this his dear Anko's place, or a three-roommate bachelor pad? There were clothes of both genders, ninja and civilian alike, scattered on the floor, as well as a few wrappers of various food items, not to mention the empty soda cans. On the poor, crowded, coffee table had to have been three years worth of dust, not to mention the piles of papers and the decomposing mysterious items that probably once was edible. He put his hands on his hips and frowned again. This would take a while. At least it was morning and he wouldn't be needed until quite a few hours yet.

With that thought, he strapped on some gloves and a cute, frilly, pink apron (he was shocked when he found it buried under the kitchen sink with other untouched cleaning supplies), he got to work tossing the trash into a handy trash bag.

As he worked his way through the living room, he tossed the clothes, the ones he assumed not to be hers, next to the door for later depositary to the lost and found, while the others went to the door that lead to her laundry/spare room (which was cleaner then the rest of the place, it having only a few spilled detergents, a toppled over unused vacuum, and a few kunai around). He put the many weapons in their proper place, the larger ones hanging on the walls as decorations.

While he struggled with the tedious task of separating the whites from the darks (did fishnet count as a light, or a dark?), the thought of creating a few kage bunshin went through his mind. No... He was going to do this all by himself.

Once the living room was notably cleaner, and the clothes were washing, a good two hours had passed, and there still was the kitchen, bathroom, and the bedroom to take care of. So, taking the closest to him, he went into the kitchen and immediately formed a sweat drop. Piles of dirty dishes were in, and around the sink, and a weird green fungus, he assumed, was trying to eat the corner of the microwave. The handle to the freezer was half-way broken off, and most of the cupboards were open and bare to him. The lonely table had no chairs around it, instead they were scattered around the area, some in front of the stove, while others were next to the cabinets over the freezer.

He needed new gloves for this mess.

He tackled the dishes first, having to throw away a few that were too far gone to save. He took a steel brush, normally used for the caked on fat on grills, to attack and destroy the mold stuck to the microwave, before deciding it would be easier to just get her a newer, better one. Besides, it looked about as old as she was; it was time for a new model. Thank goodness he saved that coupon he found in the Konoha Times the other day.

He made his way through the cabinets, organizing the few items in there and killing all manner of insects he found. At least he knew, with Anko, there would be no rodents of any kind due to the manner of animal she summoned. But that didn't mean weevils had their merry way with any type of pasta she had. Nearly all items went straight into the growing trash pile, the only ones he spared were a can of turnips, and a can of pigs feet. Why that was in her house to begin with, he had no idea, and probably didn't want to know.

It was then he opened the fridge. A putrid smell of decay billowed out upon opening, and he nearly gagged. Everything in there was in some form of decay; even the hearty Konoha potatoes, which were said to survive almost anything. Heh. Trust Anko to find a way to kill even that. No cool air came from the appliance, and he looked at the back for the reason why. All seemed fine, until he realized it was unplugged. With a small smile, he plugged it in, and heard it kick-start. Nodding to himself and his awesome appliance skillz (cough), he completely emptied the freezer, and the fridge. Taking a bucket and a sponge, he frowned. He couldn't just leave her kitchen in such a empty state; he'll have to go shopping. Oh! He could pick up that microwave while he was out as well. He smiled as he went to work whipping the thick, syrup like alcohol (he could smell it from across the room) from the egg holder.

After putting the wet, clean, clothes in the dryer, and putting another load in the washer a while later, he grabbed himself a few bags of trash and made his way out, locking the door after him.

When he came back a while later, layered down with the bags of fresh produce, and a cumbersome box, the dish washer was done, and the clothes were almost ready as well. He put away the food, set up the microwave, fixed the freezer handle, and made his way to the bathroom. Thankful that he had the sense to pick up some toilet paper, as Anko was out, he set up a roll and put the rest under the sink, after he had organized/tossed a few things out, of course. The bathroom was small, and thus simple to clean.

With an foreboding, long, creak, he opened the bedroom door. If he thought the rest of the house was messy before, he was fooling himself. Compared to this room right now, it was like the person was a clean freak. There was, literally, a path to the bed from the door in the mess of clothing, wrappers, shoes, weapons, scrolls, books, dolls (?), candles, ashes from matches and the stubs left behind, plates, chopsticks, and bandage wrappings, to name a few. In front of him, in the middle of the room against the wall, the double bed stood, just a pile of sheets and blankets, with nearly flat pillows scattered about it. A nightstand with a wind-up alarm clock and a lamp was next to it, so dusty he thought it was gray. A large bookcase, chock full of books, scrolls, and various other items was on the wall with the door, opposite the end of the bed. In the wall next to the swing-in door, was a closet, with one of its' sliding doors haphazardly hanging there. Taking a peak inside, he saw a few coat hangers and a small, nearly empty dresser on one side. On the far wall was the only organized thing in the house. Covered in a rich, red velvet, it proudly displayed items more suited to a torture room then a bedroom. Whips, chains, bars with handcuffs on each end, leather outfits, and other questionable articles were hanging perfectly from hidden hooks. Even the lighting was perfectly set up for the display. Well, he knew where her priorities laid, he thought with a faint blush. He turned away from the site, and again looked at the room.

Even he had his limits; he cracked. He created two other kage bunshin to help him take on this mess. So, the three of him started their own tasks, one gathering all the clothing, another stripping the messy bed linen, and the last organizing the bookcase.

He washed the sheets while another him sorted the colors (again) of the newly found clothes, and decided to start vacuuming, and doing all the other finishing touches he didn't do the first round. When that was done, the buzzer went off, and a muffled crash was heard from the bedroom, followed closely with a puff of a dissipating bunshin.

Peaking his head in to see the other bunshin staring at the toppled over bookcase, he signed. With its' help, he lifted it back up to its proper position, before ordering it to take up the job the other one left when it was squished by the aforementioned bookcase.

He made the bed nice and crisp, enjoying the feeling of the clean sheets as he tucked it in under the mattress. He arranged the pillows neat and perfect, taking the time to fluff them from their compressed state. Ordering, again, the dopple-ganger he made to finish up the washing the clothes, he went about to vacuum the room, making sure to get the spiderwebs in the ceiling corners with the extension. Once it was done, he dismissed the clone and started to put away the fresh-smelling clothes in their respective place.

When he finished, he cracked his back and then realized something. Throughout the entire home, there was not one picture. None of friends, herself, students, boyfriends... nothing. He frowned, before digging something out of his shirt. He smiled at it. In it were two people, himself, and Anko. She was smiling happily towards the camera, giving a peace sign with both hands while he was trying to smile his best, while still looking like he'd rather had not have taken it. It was a sweet picture, and he remembered that day well. He had just good off a mission, and all he wanted was to go home and sleep, but she was not to have that. She pestered him until he relented, and dragged him into the city. They had been passing by the photographer and she steered him there, and told him to smile. Of course, even if he didn't want to have taken the image in the first place, he still was squandered into paying for it.

The photo was well taken care of, it having it's own little black frame around it. He had a copy at his home, but he always took this one with him. A smile crept its way onto his face, and he set the image onto the now clean nightstand. He could always make another copy.

With that, he finished the almost done book case, before putting away all the cleaning supplies he used. With a final sweep through the house, he deemed it livable again.

He glanced out the kitchen window and realized he had to get going. So, putting on his green vest, he went out the front door, feeling an odd sense of accomplishment and joy at what he had done for the girl he loved.


Anko rotated her sore shoulder, and winced as the motion caused her to jar her bruised back. It was going to be painful in the morning, but not agonizing, thanks to the Third. Her hand had been healed too, by that kind old man. She did think, however, that he was too kind; he could be used very easily by a cruel person. But, she reasoned, he was the Professor Hokage, and wouldn't fall for such things. It was now night, and she had been sent home to rest before returning the next day for the rest of the exam.

She opened the door of her apartment and stepped in, and realized something was off. Way off. Her place... was clean.

She smiled. It appears Iruka, that cute chuunin she snagged for her own, had followed through with his threat of cleaning up the usual pig-sty, saying it just wouldn't do for an adult as her to live like that. How sweet. But now, of course, she had no idea where anything was.

So, after dropping her coat onto the couch, she wandered to her fridge, a little happier since this afternoon as her mood had darkened considerably from meeting her old teacher in the Forest of Death. She slung the door open, and was pleasantly surprised that it was well stocked with quality food. She giggled, she'd just have to thank Iruka 'properly' later. After pouring herself a glass of cow-juice, she decided she would go and meet the man she was dating for some fun, and that would require a change of clothing on her part, and she went to her bedroom to do just that.

As Anko walked in, she looked at her old wooden floor for the first time in a while, her crisply made bed, neat book case (Ha! There it was! She lost that book awhile ago) before something on her bed side table caught her eye, mid-way through a gulp of milk. Her eyes widened as it traveled the picture. Only two people had a copy of it, and she had burned hers years ago. The other one was...

The glass shattered on the spotless floor.

Orochimaru.

Teehee, what do you think? Did I surprise you? I sure hope so!

If you were confused with the time line, it was the day Anko tracked him in the Forest of Death, starting in the morning after she left to prepare (roughly around the time of the written exam). He had one of his subordinates take his place until he was finished, which was about 45 minutes before he bit Sasuke; if Gaara can beat the test in just a few hours, Orochimaru can find Sasuke, a genin, in that short time. Oh, and Orochimaru doesn't love her romantically; but like a teacher would a student. She was his favorite he ever taught, even though he did end up using her.

I know I kinda cheated you out of the Anko/Iruka, but I'm actually planning on writing a full on out one. I'm just hoping I'll start a trend. :3 However, I do admit to not being the first. I think there's only two other so far. There is a semi-Anko/Iruka, called 'Like Summer' by mI.ShOE. The other one, which is just a story-in-a-story, is longer and more actually 'Anko/Iruka', but I can't find it currently. Sorry! I do remember, however, that it was called, "The Tales of the Amazing Chuunin, Iruka!" or something, and that he got together over a dare with... Kakashi? Anyway, he said (as if he was terrified of what she'd do to him once he said it), "If your right leg was Christmas, and your left was Easter, I'd like to visit between holidays." Hey, it was Kakashi who put him up to it.

Oh, and please review! I want at least 10! If I don't get that much, I'll cry! ;-; Please?