Disclaimer: "Points to another man sitting across the room" "Although I wish I owned it, he does." I said. The reporters immediately rushed off, their cameramen following like little puppies. A smirk appeared on my face while I put a hand in my pocket and felt the money sitting in my possession.

"Kukukuku, have fun Kishi!," I whispered before leaving the restaurant and an angry Kishi.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP

"Oh god damn it!" I sighed before walking into the shower to get ready for another day that I don't own Naruto.

A/N: As I said in the interlude, I will be diverging from canon and going AU for a bit until we start the Chunin exams. We will soon be introduced to Naruto's extended Harem, eh hem. As for the harem, I now introduce the two newest members of Naruto's harem: Nii Yugito (Naruto's age in my fic!) and Mei Terumi (Fifth Mizu). And for those who are wondering about Konan, no she is not in the Harem… unless you want me to add her… :]. I now present to you the next chapter of Crystals.

Crystals

Dates

A guttural scream rings out of the man's throat as a sword protrudes from his back. The owner of the sword gives it a twist, making the man scream again in agony at the pain racking his body. The owner of the sword gives it a tug and pulls it out of the cavity in the man, leaving a bleeding hole in the man's stomach. The man falls forward, his face landing in the soft grass as his blood leaks out around him and mixes with the mud of the clearing.

He swings his sword again, impaling another right through the neck. Bones crunch and vessels pop as he rips his sword back out of the man's larynx. The man falls next to his fallen comrade, their blood intermixing to create a canvas of blood. He swings his sword once, ridding it of the crimson liquid. It stains the tree and ground, splatter marks splaying off in a straight line.

Anko lands gracefully behind him and watches as he swings his sword and the blood flies off in different direction. She takes a moment to admire his sword and she unconsciously compares it to the Kusanagi Kusanagi looked like a standard Katana, but it has many different functions. She has seen Orochimaru use it in action and has seen the power it holds. Looking at Naruto's sword, she can distinctly see different whitet seals running down the black blade of his sword. The hand guard is white and has black seals etched on it. At the pommel, she can see another seal in red. He turns around and looks at her.

"Why are you looking at my sword?" Naruto asks while he tosses it up in the air.

She watches as it flies and was going to yell, "Are you crazy?" She stops when she watches him shift and the sword lands back in its sheath on his back with a click.

"Were you about to say something? And I ask again, why were you looking at my sword?" Naruto asks before sealing up the heads of the bodies.

"Who says I was looking at your sword. There are more interesting things to look at," Anko says and Naruto stops what he is doing.

"So you weren't looking at my sword, but you were looking at me?" Naruto teases, a small smirk of victory appearing on his face

Anko then notices the double entrende in her sentence and a blush appears on her face. Her face forms a scowl, "Don't make me castrate you."

Anko's scowl depends when Naruto's smirk got bigger, "Oh Anko, I never thought you would want to see me like that. You could have asked and I would have shown you."

Anko's mouth opens for a second before she blushes and lude pictures begin to appear in her head. She gains a slight nosebleed before a cough breaks her out of her thoughts, "You okay Anko?"

His smirk infuriates her and she yells, "That's it. You're so losing your balls." She throws a kunai at his crotch and it hits him and she opens her mouth in surprise. She runs towards his fallen figure who is now holding his groin in pain.

When she kneels down, she sees the smirk on his face before he disappears in a poof of smoke. She then feels an arm around her waist and a kunai on her cheek.

With a quick flick, he gives her a small cut on the cheek and she stiffens when she feels his rough tongue licking at her wound. "You taste good Anko. You're a full course meal. Appetizing body that you yearn for, an entrée that you can eat at your leisure, and your body a dessert that you can just devour," he whispers in her ear with a husky voice. His warm breath tickles her ear and she lets out a small whimper before remembering his words.

"I'm going to gut you like a fish," she says and turns around suddenly, slashing her kunai. He takes the hit and she opens her mouth only to have it shut again as the clone disappears.

A small note sits on the ground and she reads it.

Mitarashi Anko,

Naruto isn't here at the moment. He is currently on his way to Konoha. Leave a message after the beep.

Sincerely yours,

Uzumaki Naruto ;)

"Beep," somebody says from behind her. She whirls around and tosses the kunai and strikes another clone who disappears in a puff of smoke.

"NARUTO, YOU'RE SO GETTING IT WHEN WE GET BACK," she whispers sadistically.

"Message taken, here is his retort," A clone next to her says. "Hello, and if you are listening to this, that means I am already in Konoha. See you there!"

Anko's grin grows even wider before she sets off. Her palm drags along the edge of the kunai and her mind wanders through what kind of pain she can put the blond through.

Hokage's Office

Anko bursts through the oak door and wildly looks around. The Hokage looks up from his orange book and discreetly puts it away in a filing cabinet. "How was your first mission with Naruto-kun, Anko-chan?"

Anko finally levels her gaze on the Hokage who flinches at the gaze. Her voice is throaty and laced with murderous intent, "Where is he?"

The Hokage prays for Naruto's safety before telling her, "After he gave our mission report, he told me to tell you to go find him at the place where a pond sits, trees grow heavenward, and where children play at."

Anko ponders it for a moment before the sadistic grin appears on her face, "Thank you Hokage-sama. You might want to set up a hospital room for wittle Naruto when I'm done with him." She disappears in a swirl of leaves, leaving the Hokage by himself in his office.

He snaps his fingers and a man decked out in ANBU armor appears next to him, "Hokage-sama?"

"Set up a room for one Uzumaki Naruto in the hospital. Keep it open as I have an inkling of a feeling that he might be needing it," Sarutobi says. The ANBU officer nods his head and disappears in a poof of smoke.

The Sandaime goes back to his face and a goofy grin appears on his face as he reads, "Suki slowly licked her lips of his juices before she went down on him again. Her tongue swirled at the tip of his erection and she felt him squirm under het touch. His hand shots out and dug deep into her golden locks as she began to bob her head up and down. He groans and a moment later, she felt his cock hit the back of her throat and she fought down the gag reflex and started to hum. Her hand shot out and grabbed his balls and she felt them tighten and the next thing she knew his manhood twitched-"

"HOKAGE-SAMA, TEAM 9 REPORTING MISSION SUCCESS.,"the Hokage looks up with annoyed expression and puts the book away.

"Yes, yes. Report quickly, I'm quite busy," the Hokage says irritably as his mind tries to put the finisher on the small section of the story.

"YOSH HOKAGE-SAMA. TEAM 9 AND I USED OUR FLAMES OF YOUTH TO DESTROY THE OPPOSTION…" Gai went on to explain the rest while the Sandaime thought, 'I WANT TO READ MY SMUT NOW!'

Naruto walks into the Hokage's office with a small yawn and finds Anko and the Hokage already there. Stifling another yawn, he lazily walks over, biting the apple he has in his right hand. A large crunch behind them alerts the two shinobi in the room and they go on alert as they didn't even sense the intrusion of another person.

"Relax, it's just me," a voice says from behind the two. They instantly turn to see one Uzumaki Naruto with a cheeky grin on his face. They both sigh in relief, but both are a little incensed that has is able to sneak into the office undetected.

"Ah, Naruto-kun you're here. I was just discussing your next mission with Anko-chan," the Hokage says when Naruto tosses his apple out the window of the building. Naruto watches it as it falls on top of a guy's head and knocks him down.

With a smile he turns around to find them both staring at him. He is still chewing on his apple and when he swallows, he sheepishly says, "What?"

Anko rolls her eyes while the Hokage clears his throat, "Um, well now. This is an S-rank escort mission. Both of you know that the Fifth Mizukage is here in Konoha yes?" Both nod their head, "You two are going to accompany her back next week. You will meet with her in 5 days to discuss plans. This is on a need to know basis as information leaked here can be very, very detrimental to the health of the Mizukage. If she dies going from here to Kirigakure no Sato, there will be a political fallout and we don't need that now. Understood?"

"Hai Hokage-sama," Naruto and Anko say together before walking out the door. The Hokage watches them leave and then surreptitiously pulls out his orange book and begins to read only to have team 9 barge in.

"HOKAGE-SAMA. TEAM 9 REPORTING A SUCCESSFUL MISSION! YOSH, OUR FLAMES OF YOUTH BURN BRIGHTLY," the Hokage looks up with an annoyed expression and puts his book away with a sigh.

"Alright, start with your report…"

***

Naruto and Anko appear inside training ground 8 and they find Kurenai and her team doing some training. Kurenai who is busy training Hinata, looks over and finds Naruto and Anko walking over to her.

"Hello Nai-chan," Anko happily says. Naruto gives her a small wave as he looks over the field. Hinata who is standing next to Kurenai faints after seeing Naruto.

Naruto cocks an eyebrow in Hinata's direction and turns to Kurenai, "Will she be okay?"

Kurenai sighs and shakes her head, "She'll be fine. She's rather shy and her father puts her down pretty much. She's grown up in a household where her father doesn't really care."

Naruto shrugs his shoulder and looks over at the two boys sparring. He watches as they run through taijutsu and ninjutsu and he notices how most of them revolve around their family jutsu. He speaks up, making the two women look at him, "They have good tactics, but there jutsu is rather predictable."

"What do you mean?" Kurenai asks, still watching her students.

"Well, if you look at Kiba," he points at Kiba, "He uses his clan jutsu way too much and depends on Akamaru a lot. Shino, he uses his bugs in various ways, but that can easily be countered with a simple wind jutsu. Now, I suggest you start teaching them how to utilize their affinities."

Naruto reaches into his pocket and extracts three pieces of chakra paper, "Take these and at the end of the lesson, help them pump chakra into it. I'll be able to help them if you need me. I'm sure Anko will help too."

He smirks as Anko growls at him, "No way I'm training gakis. Looking after you is hard enough as it is."

Naruto laughs while Kurenai cocks an eyebrow at their banter, "Well, if you're going to look after me as you say it, might as well help me out whenever I'm here. Sitting around and eating dango doesn't help your figure you know." He waggles his eyebrows and she shoots a glare at him.

"Don't make me castrate you," she growls out.

Kurenai sighs and claps her hand, "Enough. Why are you two here anyway? I wouldn't imagine you two showing up to give me tips for training my students."

"This one," he points at Anko's shorter figure, "Wanted a quick spar." Anko growls and attempts to cut his finger off with her kunai.

"Nuh uh Anko," he waggles his finger in a childish way for no, "No handicaps."

"Who says I need a handicap. I can kick your ass from here to Sunday buddy," Anko threatens.

"Sure, sure. Kurenai, mind refereeing the match. Call in your students, they might like to watch as I kick Anko's ass," he says, while he shifts his head to the left when Anko throws a kunai at him.

Kurenai rolls her eyes and calls to her students. They walk over, both are panting and sweating from the spar they had. "Take a break and watch."

The three made their way into the middle of the clearing. Naruto and Anko jump away form the middle, leaving Kurenai to look back and forth. "Keep the fight clean," she glares at Anko who waves back with a sadistic grin. The three genin can't help but shy away while Naruto smirks. "Go."

The wind howls and whips around them and Anko shoots off like a cannon, her legs becoming a blur. She tosses a kunai at his unmoving form and continues to sprint with a kunai held out in a reverse grip. She watches as he shifts his head to the left while flicking out his right hand and sends a kunai right at her. She slashes her kunai and the clang reverberates through the trees. The force of her kunai smacks it back towards him. He raises his hand and plucks it out of the air by the handle.

By this time, Anko is upon him and he raises the blade to block her overhead slash. She follows it up with a reverse left hook kick which he ducks under. She follows through the rotation with a right side arc slash with her kunai. He catches her hand and twists it to the side, causing a spike of pain in her hand. She drops the kunai, but her other hand goes in for a punch directed at his face.

His other hand flies up and catches it mere inches from his face. Unable to move from his grasp, she uses her feet and aims a kick at his groin and he simply shifts his leg to block the kick. With both her hands captive, he head butts her and releases her hands. She hits the ground with both hands and backflips back into her stance, hands up and at the ready.

Naruto blurs out of vision and a moment later, he is right in her face, hand cocked back. She manages to duck and sweep at his legs. Sending chakra to his legs, he jumps back in a back flip and begins to form handseals, "Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu (Fire Release: Phoenix Immortal Fire)."

He spits out several large globs of fire at Anko who begins to cartwheel, roll, jump, and backflip away from the large fireballs. When she lands on her feet, her hand immediately flies through a set of handseals, "Doton: Doryuudan (Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet)."

A mud dragon forms next to Anko and begins to spit ball while Naruto mentally curses as he begins to weave in and out of the paths of the giant mud balls. As Naruto edges closer, she cuts off the chakra flow to dragon and calls out, "Sen'eijashu (Hidden Shadow Snake Hands)." She lifts her arms out and points towards him and snakes begin to slither out of her coat sleeve.

Without any handseals, he shouts, "Kaze no Yaiba (Blade of Wind)." As the snakes approach him, he slashes the greenish blade in front of him and sends five small boomerang shaped shards of wind at the snakes.

They impact the snakes and the snakes soon fall to the ground with their bodies severed all over. Naruto sends another salvo of wind blades at Anko and she immediately yells, "Doton: Doryuuheki (Earth Release: Earth Encampment Wall)." She spits out a line of mud in front of her and it shoots up to create a mud wall.

The wind blades clash against the wall and she can feel it crumbling under the force. A few seconds later, the blades begin to cut through the mud and she quickly Kawamiri (Body Replacement) out of there, replacing herself with a log as the wind blades bring down her barrier.

She appears behind him in the thicket of the woods and mentally sighs in relief that she wasn't in the way of the wind blades. She watched as they destroyed her mud wall and cut through the trees behind it. She begins to stalk his movements, but unknown to her, he is smirking.

He already knows where Anko is and he disappears in a blue flash, startling everybody at his disappearance.

"Hello Anko," a husky voice says next to her ear. She feels the cold steel of the kunai at her neck and she shivers as his warm breath rolls over her tender skin. The kunai then leaves the flesh of her neck…

Only to cut her cheek as she feels his tongue lap her blood. She gasps out as his rough tongue rolls over her soft skin and a small, burning heat builds in the pit of her stomach. He growls against her cheek and the vibrations make her moan again. "Your blood… still... taste… good…" he says in between alternating talking and sucking at her blood.

His hand moves to her hips, his fingers trailing paths of fire through her trench coat. Her hands fly up and find purchase in his hair and she pulls him closer. He abandons her cut and moves to the side of her mouth, his tongue leaving a slick trail of saliva. His arms wrap around her stomach, his fingers interlacing with each other and she leans back into his muscled chest. His warm tongue and lips leave her face and she pouts, only to feel them again nibbling on her earlobe. She gasps and her hands fists in his hair.

He stops and then in a husky voice he says, "That's payback for last time…" He laughs and then disappears in a blue flash, leaving a very angry, albeit aroused Anko. She marches out of the thicket, her head swiveling wildly as she tries to spot the blond.

She spots the blond locks talking with the three genin and she stalks over, fire in her eyes for leaving her hanging. "Um, Naruto…" Kurenai says, catching his attention. She points at Anko and he looks over, catching the sadistic grin on her face.

He gulps before saying… "Uh… you okay Anko?" She nods her head and disappears, only to put a kunai next to his throat, the cold steel treading shapes into his neck.

She puts her lips on his ear and he lets out a low gasp as her warm tongue rolls his earlobe in her mouth. "You," she says, "are going to take me on a date. Tomorrow at 7. If you're late… let's just say very unpleasant things will happen. Dress to impress Naruto-kun." Naruto gulps again before nodding his head sheepishly.

She let's go and gives him a big smile, "I'm expecting a very good date Naruto-kun... and…" she lets him fill in the blanks."

"Got it," he says, nodding his head while he scours his brain for possible restaurants. She smiles and waves at Kurenai, shoots a glare at her genin, pecks Naruto on the cheek, and then disappears in a swirl of leaves.

When she is gone, Kurenai looks at the dazed expression on Naruto's face and laughs, "Oh Naruto… I'll help you out." He looks over, giving her a grateful smile.

"You're dismissed," she says to her three genin who are severely traumatized by the so called "Snake Lady" as one Inuzaka Kiba dubs. They stalk off and out of sight.

Kurenai turns back to Naruto who arcs an eyebrow before settling in a smile. "So… what am I going to do about this date?" he cheekily says.

Kurenai smiles and grabs his hands before turning around so he doesn't see the blush rise on her face. The contours of her palm mingle with his soft and tender skin and she bites her lip to try and stop the rush of blood to her cheeks. She takes one deep breath before turning and giving him a smile, "Well… we're going shopping!"

Naruto groans and mumbles, "Oh joy…" She squeezes his hand and rushes off towards the shopping district with him in tow at high speeds that they look like a blur as they move.

"Women and their shopping," Naruto groans again. Kurenai turns around and gives him the evil eye before pulling him into a clothing shop.

***

Naruto walks out of the fitting room and finds Kurenai with a massive blush on her face. He cocks an eyebrow and disappears in a blue flash, ending up behind Kurenai in another flash. "Like what you see?" he says in her ear. He gives it a nip before she turns around and tries to hit him on the head.

He disappears in another blue flash and ends up in his old spot. He chuckles and shakes his head, "I guess you do. Enjoy the free show." Kurenai's face turns redder than a tomato before she looks away.

After they both calm down, although Kurenai still has the blush on her cheek, he says, "So, what do you think?" Kurenai gives him a once over before the blush turns even more crimson.

She clears her throat and tries to get her face under control and she squeaks, "Um… you look… good."

"Just good?" he teases as Kurenai's blush takes over again. "Relax, I'm just teasing."

He walks back into the fitting room and takes off the blue yukata. The seams are canary yellow as well as the sash holding the yukata together. He walks back into the fitting room and strips out of the yukata before pulling on another one except in red with black seams and sash.

The trend continues back and forth with Naruto constantly changing his clothes while Kurenai enjoys the free show Naruto gives her. When they finally finish, Naruto ends up with 4 new yukatas, 4 sets of dress shirts and slacks, and a new pair of getas. For Kurenai, she gets a free show and 4 nose bleeds. All in all, it's a good day.

As they continue to walk along the shopping district, they stop in front of the flower shop and Kurenai pull him in. Ino looks up to find the new Jounin everybody is talking about with Kurenai-sensei holding his hand. She arcs an eyebrow before asking, "Can I help you?"

Naruto looks over at the platinum blond and smiles, "I'm looking for a dozen gardenias if you have any."

Ino cocks her head to the left, "Why gardenias?"

Naruto says, "The meaning."

Kurenai looks at him in confusion while Ino catches up with him. Ino looks directly at Kurenai, who drops Naruto's hand and blushes, "Is it for a girl?" Ino keeps her eyes on Kurenai who looks down.

"It's not me Ino," Kurenai says, making Ino blush at her mistake. 'Although I wish it was. Lucky Anko.'

"I don't have gardenias on display, but we have patches of them in the back. When do you need them by?" Ino asks.

"Tomorrow afternoon, say… around 6? Yeah, 6. I'll stop by to pick them up," Naruto says before handing her the money for the flowers.

"Good luck," Ino says as they leave the shop. He smiles and gives her a wave before they both leave.

Kurenai looks up at him and cocks an eyebrow, "What do gardenias mean?" Kurenai had absolutely no experience in flowers so she didn't know that different flowers have different meanings.

"Well… gardenias mean… secret love," Naruto says. Kurenai's mouth opens wide before it snaps shut and a wide smile appears on her face.

"Nice. Anko has always been a lonely one and I really haven't seen her this lively before you became her partner. It's good for you two."

Naruto smiles and leads her to the dango shop where they grab a bite to eat. While they eat, they small talk and get to know each other better. Naruto learns that like him, Kurenai is an orphan and her parents died because of the Kyuubi attack.

"I'm sorry," he says, his eyes downcast.

She sees his expression before whispering, "It's fine. I don't blame you, I blame the fox that is stuck inside of you. You're not a demon, but a person who has the unlucky job of caging the beast."

Naruto smiles, "Thank you." He looks out at the sky and notices the rapidly darkening sky and he gets up. "It's getting late and I have things to do tomorrow. Good night Kurenai-san," he says. He leans over and gives her a peck on the cheek, leaves some money on the counter, and walks out the door.

Kurenai's hand reaches up to touch her cheek where his lips had touched and a dazed expression appears on her face. A giddy smile forms and the inner and more emotional Kurenai goes, "He kissed me! OH MY GOD, HE KISSED ME!"

Anko walks into the dango shop at that exact moment and sees Kurenai with a hand on her cheek and that dazed expression on her face. Anko takes a seat next to Kurenai and arcs an eyebrow, "Ne, Nai-chan, you okay?"

Kurenai who hadn't noticed Anko spins around and comes face to face with Anko, "I-I'm fine. Hehe, I just had dinner so I'm going to go now." She quickly stands up and leaves before Anko can ask any more questions.

Anko watches her rapidly departing form before shrugging it off and orders some dango before she starts to go shopping for clothes for tomorrow's date.

***

Tomorrow rolls around and it quickly turns into night and the upcoming date. Naruto paces in his apartment before he remembers the gardenias. He rushes off, picks them up with just enough time to get to Anko's home before 7.

At 7, Naruto knocks on the door and he hears scuffling inside as things fall and land on the floor. He cocks an eyebrow at the sounds and the door opens to reveal Anko and his mouth opens wide and he almost drops the flowers in his hands out of shock.

Anko is wearing a deep, sleeveless purple dress that covers her back, but has a plunging neckline that end in the middle of chest. It covers her assets generously, but shows just enough skin to entice a human male. It ends at mid thigh and shows off her pale, but muscled legs. She wears a pair of sandals that show off her red toenails. Her purple hair that is usually set up in a spiky pineapple shaped ponytail is down and it reaches the middle of her back. She has on a small charm bracelet and a necklace with a small locket on it that says, "From Mom." Her angelic face has no makeup as it isn't needed and her onyx eyes seem to pierce his amethyst.

Anko opens the door to find Naruto wearing a white dress shirt that showed off his figure. A charcoal sports jacket hangs from his shoulder and a black and white tie hangs down the middle in between the gaps in his sports jacket. He wears a pair of black slacks and his getas peek out from under the pants legs. His hair is spiked and it falls down to the back of his heck and his face has a goofy expression, but it morphs into a dazed expression.

They ogle each other for a few moments before Naruto grasps himself again and clears his throat, "Um, these are for you." He hands over the gardenias he is holding behind his back and hands it to her. She takes a sniff and smiles before putting it in a vase next to her on the table.

"Thank you," she says. She takes his proffered arm and they walk out of her apartment arm in arm. They walk down the streets, people looking at them with the women glaring at Anko and all the men drooling and raging on the inside at Naruto.

They walk into the more quite parts of Konoha where they stop outside a small and quaint restaurant. She has never been here before and she looks at Naruto who chuckles, "Trust me."

"I do."

He nods and opens the door for her and she appreciates the gentlemanly (is that a word?) gesture. He walks in after her and they are stopped by matradee. "Do you have reservations?" he asks.

"7 'o clock, Uzumaki," Naruto states. The man checks the list and sees his name.

"Right this way, sir," he says, taking out two menus and leading them up the stairs to a second floor. He leads them to a verandah hidden by white curtains and a wooden roof. The waiter parts the curtains, allowing the night to suffuse through the now gaping hole in between the white fabric.

They sit at a table closest to the railing of the balcony, allowing them to see a little bit of Konoha. The district of Konoha they are in is slightly more elevated than the other part, allowing them to see over the lower parts of Konoha and its night life.

"Would you like anything to drink?" the waiter asks while taking out a notepad.

Naruto gestures for Anko to go first and she flashes him a smile, "Chilled sake is fine."

"For the sir?"

"Chilled green tea."

"Thank you, I will be back with your drinks and to take your orders," the waiter says, bowing and then walking down the stairs. They stay silent for a few moments as they listen to his footfalls disappear completely.

"Green tea?" she asks incredulously. "Who drinks green tea?"

Naruto smiles and chuckles at her shocked expression, "I'd have you know that green tea is rather popular around the Elemental Nations. Besides, I want to be at least half cognizant by the end of this date. Wouldn't pay to have our best assassination team out like a light until the afternoon."

"I guess, but you're still a pansy," she says, smirking while he rolls his eyes.

"Shut up."

"Whatever, let's get our orders ready shall we?" Naruto says, picking up his menu and scanning it over. Anko mirrors his action and begins to scan the menu, mentally picking and choosing what she wants and what she doesn't want.

The waiter comes back a few minutes later with their drinks on a platter. He sets them down and takes out his notepad and pen, "What would you like?"

"Ladies first," Naruto says.

"Can I get an order of sashimi, followed by a lobster salad with a side of spring rolls, no zucchini," she orders,

"And for the sir?"

"Can I have an order of Shu Mai (Steamed Wontons), followed by a plate of Yakisoba (Stir Fry Noodles w/vegetable and or meat) with a side of shrimp spring rolls," Naruto says, handing the menus over to the waiter.

"Very good, your food should arrive in no less than 15 minutes," he says, taking the menus and descending back down the stairs.

They sip their drinks in silence, and Anko clears her throat, "So, why do they call you Ichihane Tenshi?"

Naruto smiles and swirls his straw in his drink, "It's a surprise." He gives her a knowing look while winking.

With that question unanswered she changes to another one, "What was it like to study under Hanzo? I heard he was ruthless and could take on the 3 sennin."

Naruto chuckles at her awed tone, "It was quite an… shall we say experience. He pushed me, and he pushed hard. I was up really early everyday and stayed up late into the night. Although he was a slave driver, he was a father figure to me. He taught me how to fight, how to defend myself, and how to act around people. Everything a father usually does. When he died, it felt like a part of myself went with him."

Anko nods her head in understanding, "He trusted me with carrying on his legacy. He trusted me with the Salamander contract. It was his final wish and I intend to do just that."

At this moment, the waiter comes back with their food and he sets them on the table and retreats quickly. They lapse back into silence, the only noise is their mouths chewing and their forks and chopsticks banging against their plates. They soon finish and he calls for the check. They pay up and walk out the door, Naruto's hand wrapping around her waist.

"So… what's next on the schedule?" Anko says as they walk back into the more populated section of Konoha. He smiles knowingly, but he doesn't answer and chooses to keep her in the dark. She cuddles into his arm, the warmth drawing her to his side and he wraps her up tighter in his grasp.

They start walking in the direction of the Hokage monument and the next thing she knows, he leads her up by the hand and they sit on top of the Yondaime's head. She looks at him oddly, wondering what they can possibly be doing up here. He gives her a smile and points out towards Konoha.

When she looks, she gasps at the beautiful sight beneath them. It is a picture perfect image of Konoha, people moving around and giving the city life during the darker time of the day. They are small, much like ants from their distance away from the village. Pinpricks of light escape from windows, illuminating the image with firefly sized lights. The houses speckle the image with their pointed roofs and arching tiles as they spear into the night sky. A pair of arms wrap around behind her as she continues to look into the night sky and she leans back into the chest as she feels his lips on her forehead.

"Beautiful isn't it," he says, while he rests his cheek on top of her purple hair. He breathes in her familiar scent, a cross of lilies and the lavender shampoo she uses.

She takes a deep breath, inhaling his scent that smells much like the scent after a spring rain, "It is." They stay like that for a few moments until she hears a rustling behind them. She twists her head to see over his shoulder and finds a single black wing extending from his right shoulder.

"You wanted to know why my name was Ichihane Tenshi didn't you?" he says, huskily as his wings start to flap. They hover in the air for a moment before he whispers, "Close your eyes."

She listens to him and closes her eyes and he jumps. "Don't open your eyes," he whispers as they plummet towards the lower region of the monument. She can feel the air rush next to her and his arms wrapping around her waist tightly as they make their descent. She can feel the adrenaline rush through her as her fight or flight system begins to kick in, but she suppresses it through sheer will and allows herself to calm down in his arms.

They fall for what seems like an eternity, but in reality it is only half a minute. They begin to slow as his wing begins to flap and level out their speed. Her feet touches solid ground and the adrenaline begins to ebb away into nothing. "You can open your eyes now," he whispers softly in her ears. She listens to his command and opens her eyes to find a plate of sweet dango and chilled sake in front of her.

She turns in the cocoon of his arms and pushes back to get a full glimpse of him. He is virtually the same, except his eyes have changed to a more dark purple instead of their bright amethyst and the black wing extends to his right for a meter and a half. She reaches out and touches the soft, delicate feathers of his angel like wings and he groans under her touch. He has always known that his wing is an erogenous spot on his body and he has to bite his lips to stop from crying out in pleasure.

She looks to him, silently asking permission to pluck a feather from his wing and he nods, whispering, "Go ahead." She reaches a hand out, stroking the soft skin of his wing and she finds a particularly large feather and she grasps it, the texture of it soft and silky like his hair. She gently pulls and he gasps out in pleasure and pain as the sensation of losing a feather.

She rolls the feather in her fingers, allowing her skin to remember and compartmentalize the texture. The stem like structure in the middle is hard, but elastic and flexible in her grip. She puts him up to her nose and inhales his scent, cooing in pleasure as the smell of him assaults her nervous system. After inhaling his scent, she shifts the feather to her other hand and puts it behind her left ear for safekeeping and uses her right hand to pull him down to the blanket.

They sit side by side, their hands intertwining and resting in between the junction their thighs make. Soft skin brushes against her exposed thigh and she shivers, the mixture of the cold air and his warm skin causing her to break out in a shudder. Noticing her shaking, he slips off his sports jacket and places it around her shoulders, cocooning her in the soft fabric. His scent is everywhere on the jacket and she snuggles into it, allowing the scent to wrap around in its embrace.

He lets go of her hand in favor of putting a hand over her shoulder and drawing her close while his right hand feeds her the skewers of dango on the blanket. They eat in silence, feeding each other food as they snuggle closer to each other, their bodies radiating heat to keep them warm. They stare out into the dark expanse, allowing the flickers of light in the village enrapture them as they soon start blinking out and the hustle and bustle of the village slow down.

Soon, most of the lights are out, leaving the village and plunging it into darkness. They sit quietly for a few moments before she feels his soft hand on her chin. It tugs her chin to the right, allowing her to glimpse into his eyes and see the happy and emotional undertones underneath the cover of his amethyst orbs. His left hand leaves the comfort of her shoulder in favor of her left hand sitting in her lap. Her onyx eyes gaze into his and they intermix, his amethyst eyes giving her a safe and warm feeling that she hasn't really felt before.

He stares into her eyes for a full minute before he takes a deep breath. His voice comes out soft and light, but she can sense the underlying emotion of elation and excitement hidden in the tone. "Anko… the first time I met you, I thought you were crazy," he says, causing them both to chuckle, "As time went on and I got to know you better, I knew that the insanity you use was a mask. I got to see a glimpse, a sliver beneath that mask and I liked what I saw. What I saw was a strong woman with a good will and strong heart and my heart went out for yours. Ever since that time, every touch and every action we made together made my heart jump and spring into action. I could hear the blood pumping in my ears when you almost died."

"I've never been shown love before so I don't know what it is like, but I'm sure as hell think I'm feeling it now. Anko ever since that day we met, I've found you attractive and couldn't deny your beauty, but what is underneath is what is the most beautiful thing about you. My heat plummets whenever we are in public and people send glares at you for something you didn't do. You drop your mask around me and I am glad that you allowed me in. I just feel so disappointed whenever you put up your mask and I feel elated when you open up with me."

"Do you remember the day of the start of the Wave mission and what I was about to say?" Anko nod her head, a few tears glazing her eyes and making them shine like a beacon in a stormy night, "Well, before that Uchiha interrupted, I was going to say…"

A few tears leak out of her eyes, and he uses his thumb to wipe them away. She looks up and sees the tiny sheen of tears on his eyes as well and she anticipates with a hungry need to what he is going to say. He takes one last breath before he says three simple words, "I love you."

Tears streak down her face as the floodgates open and her emotions tip over the mental defenses she has put up over the years of hate and hostility shown towards her. A single tear falls down his face as both his hands wind around her and pick her up, gently settling her in her lap. Both her legs straddle his as she cries into his chest and he gently rubs and pats her back, allowing her to cry into his shirt.

They stay in that position for a good 15 minutes, allowing Anko to cry and sob away all the negative emotions she has felt throughout her life. After 15 minutes, her tears and sobs begin to die down, the tears that assault his shirt lessening and soon ebb away into a light purr. She looks up with her glistening onyx eyes and gives him a teary smile.

With a shaky breath that racks her whole body, she begins, "Naruto, I remember the first time we met and the first thing I thought was, "Who is this kid?" she laughs, her melodic voice causing him to join her as well.

She takes another shaky breath before continuing in the same shaky voice, "When I learned I was going to be partnered with you, I groaned and begged the Hokage not to, but he wouldn't relent. So, I was stuck with you and I'm glad I did. I found somebody who could past my apprenticeship with Orochimaru and see the real woman underneath the mask I wear to protect myself from people. Every time you looked at me, I could see the genuine emotion under your eyes and every time you spoke to me, I could hear the concern lacing your voice. We teased and we taunted each other all in good fun, so similar in our mannerism. I have people that care for me, the Sandaime, Kurenai, and now, I've found you."

"Uzumaki Naruto, I love you," she says as she cranes her neck up and forwards. He sees her movements and leans forward as well, closing the quickly withering gap between their pink lips. He steals a glance at her awaiting lips before looking back at her closed eyes. When their lips meet, he closes his eyes, allowing the sensation to roll over him in waves of warmth and satisfaction as the woman next to him shares his love.

Their lips move and mix in rhythm, their lips moving in sync with each other like they could read the other's thoughts. Their lips mold together to become one and they soon part the chaste kiss, their lips shining with a little gloss of saliva. A small bridge of saliva bridges their lips together between the gap, but as they pull away it breaks away as well. Their foreheads rests against the other, both sets of eyes closed, allowing the sensation to run amuck in their nervous system.

Both sets of eyes snap open in an instant, the onyx mixing with the amethyst and their lips meet again in another crash. Their noses touch while their lips meet their significant others in a residing tidal wave of emotion. Their supple lips graze the other in a chaste kiss, but Naruto stars to throw in nips and pecks as he works from the left to the right side of her mouth. He nibbles on her lower lip, his rough teeth grazing the soft skin of her ruby red lips. He gives her a peck on the right side of her mouth before giving her another chaste kiss, this time allowing his mouth to open, allowing his tongue to snake out and lap at her lips.

She feels his lips and understands what he is asking for and she opens up, allowing his tongue snake into her mouth and intertwine with her squishy tongue. Their tongues clash and dance in a battle of dominance, their tongues trying to one up the other as they move in time with the other. She moans as their tongues move together in tandem, their tongues rubbing against every inch of her mouth. Their tongues wrestle for a good three minutes before they break for air and that is only for a few seconds before they collide together again with a wet smack.

Her mouth opens first this time, allowing her tongue to slither out and she flicked her tongue in a knocking motion on his lips. He gladly opens up, allowing her tongue to slip in, but his own ambushes her and wraps around her squishy tongue and pull it into his mouth. The air begins to drain into his lungs as he sucks on her tongue, savoring the taste of the dango they had eaten. She moans when his tongue wraps around her and she moans again when he releases it and they push back into her cavernous cavity.

His tongue begins to explore like a spelunker would explore a cave. His tongue rubs against the roof of her mouth and she moans into his open cavity, the sound music to his ears. He mixes it up, allowing his tongue to lick the back of her bottom teeth and then allowing it to graze the teeth on the top row. While his tongue is doing that, her tongue is suppressed under the pressure of his tongue and she gasps again when his appendage pulls her own into his mouth.

She can feel his arousal poking and rubbing against her left thigh as her pelvis grinds into his. Her own nether regions begin to soak, the kisses powerful enough to elicit a response in her hot sex. He moans into her mouth after she pulls the same trick on him, her tongue snaking around his and pulling it into her mouth. She light bites down on it, the sensation making his eyes roll into the back of his head. They soon break away, their lips swollen and shiny with the slick of their saliva. Their eyes are wild and searching, their foreheads pressing against the other. Hunger and primal lust hide behind their eyes which cover for the more obscure emotion of love that everyone yearns for.

They pant hard, their breaths shallow and short as they swallow gasps of air like it is a nectar from Kami. They stare into each other's eyes, neither wanting to break the contact. When their breathing returns to normal and their chests stop heaving, they close their eyes, allowing the situation to finally sink in.

Naruto opens his eyes first, taking in the spectacle that is Anko, "I love you Anko."

Anko's eyes flutter open and a wide smile appears on her face as she gives him a small peck on the lips, "I love you too Naruto, you big romantic."

Naruto rolls his eyes before they both start chuckling. He quickly cleans up, storing everything inside a storage scroll. When every trace of food is gone, he turns around and swipes at Anko's legs, making her yelp in surprise. He deftly catches her and settles her into a bridal style carry and they both disappear in a blue flash towards her apartment. A line of blue flashes appear over the skies in Konoha, making those who remembered the Yondaime's justsu gape in awe.

A blue flash appears inside the living room of her apartment building and two figures soon follow. Naruto lands on his feet, Anko in his arms as her arms circle his neck. Anko's eyes are closed but a gentle nuzzle of her neck makes her crack her eyes open and she is suddenly hit with a dizzy feeling.

"Woah," she says from the canopy of his arms. He laughs and walks into her bedroom, gently laying her down on the white sheets.

"You'll get use to it," he says, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. Her head rests on a violet pillow. She unwraps herself from his jacket and bundles it up in a ball and pulls it to her nose and deeply inhales the scent.

"You smell good, like the scent after a spring rain," she says while still inhaling his scent. He chuckles softly and his left hand caresses her cheek and he leans forward, giving her a small peck on the lips.

"I like the smell of your shampoo," he says, before they descend back into the realm of chuckling.

He looks down at her once more, his hand still cupping her cheek and he draws her in for one more chaste kiss before he breaks it apart and moves to leave. Her soft hand grabs his wrists, stopping him in place. He turns around to find the pleading face of Anko, "Stay with me tonight?"

Her cute look makes him stop and he smiles, "Anything for you tenshi." She drops his wrists and he begins to strip, unbuttoning and removing his dress shirt. A white Tee-shirt lays underneath, the Tee-shirt showing off his chest. He then strips off his black slacks, revealing his black fox boxers underneath. She giggles when she sees them, the sound escaping her throat. He smiles and slips in next to her, their bodies facing the other.

She slips out of her dress quickly, leaving her only in her bra and panties. He ogles her in turn for a moment, noticing her C-cup sized breast and shapely bottom. She has an hourglass figure with curves in all the right spots that make a man shiver in delight if he gets the chance to touch.

They face each other and smile before Naruto says, "Goodnight Anko-chan."

She smiles back, tossing an arm over his side. She closes her eyes and whispers faintly, "Goodnight Naruto-kun."

Their breathing begins to slow down, the deep and rhythmic rise and falls of their chest moving in tandem with each other. They soon shift for the night, Naruto moving onto his back with an arm under Anko. Anko's head is buried in the crook of his neck while her left arm is tossed over him. Their legs mix together at the end of the bed, their limbs intertwining with their lovers. If anybody is to see them right now, they would have been the perfect picture for a couple.

***

A perverted giggle escapes the man with white hair's throats as he scribbles fiercely in his notebook. His smile stretches to his ears and he takes off into the night, leaving nothing behind but a small toad that croaks and disappears with a small poof of smoke.

A/N: Merry Christmas guys. Hope you enjoyed. Another chapter sometime next week!

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