A/N: Hi everyone! This is the 4th installment of the Anko/Kakashi story I've cooked up. If you haven't already, please read (in this order) "Friends," "Benefits," and "Tag," as there are references to these three in this story. The cat and mouse game continues but with a bit more emotional involvement. Now, with the customary statement, "I don't own Naruto," let's begin. Enjoy!

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Anko woke up and stared out her bedroom window, like she did just about every morning she woke up at home. It had been five days since Kakashi had left on his last mission. "Two more days," she said to no one in particular. She sighed. She never thought she'd feel as alone as she did since he'd been gone. She figured it would be no big deal when he left. They were friends who got along well and shared "benefits" with each other. They had a lot of fun together – a LOT of fun. But to her surprise it became a big deal after three days of him not being around. Everything had been so electric between the two of them. The way they had been carrying on had been some of the funnest and most exciting times of her life! They'd had amazing unbelievably incredibly spontaneous sexual escapades for three days. But it was only for three days. They were just two friends blowing off energy and frustration with each other over a very short period of just three days. But that was before he left. They were friends, that's all. Then why did she feel so empty and alone?

She never thought she'd actually miss him like she did. She figured she might, just a little, especially since he'd bought her new underwear. She was sure he wanted her to try them on for him, just to let him tear them off her. She REALLY missed that part. The spontaneous way they just combusted when they were around each other. It was sudden and hot and like a flash point when they were together. It was fucking brilliant and she missed him more the more she thought about it and him. She thought she'd just miss the sex, but instead, she found she'd started missing "him."

Anko knew it wasn't good to think this way. They were friends. They had fun together, and anything more than that would just complicate things. No, what they had was good – great even. Then why did she feel so lonely without him around? She let out a big breath again and turned on her back. She looked at the ceiling. There was a very distinct crack running across it. She hadn't noticed it before. She'd never looked that closely at the ceiling. Even though she and Kakashi had spent hours together in her bed the day before he left, not once had she noticed that crack. Whatever, she though, it's a crack in the ceiling and my total source of entertainment in this bedroom for now. Then she breathed out, completely exasperated, "Two more days."

She'd make it, a bit distracted, but she'd make it. She couldn't let on that she was in a bit of a funk. If she did, people would ask questions at work, and she did NOT want to have to explain that her mood was caused by Kakashi being gone. No fucking way. This was their quiet (sometimes not), private, dirty little secret and it was nobody's business but their own.

Only two more days. Two long days with nothing, or more likely, no one to look forward to. Two more days of not worrying if Kakashi would jump out of somewhere unexpectedly and take her forcibly in a public place. Two more days of not being concerned that he might stealthily grope her in public. Two more days of quiet peace. Two more long days by herself. God she missed him and all his fun.

She rolled off her bed and said to herself, "I can't keep doing this. It's like I'm obsessing over the man. I've got to distract myself. I'd better get ready for work." She went into her bathroom and prepared to take a quick shower. Then she looked at her tub. She'd never been a bath person – they took too long, and showers were so much quicker and easier. Kakashi liked baths, and upon his suggestion of taking one after a night of passion with her, she'd tried them more often and found she did like them. Her muscles loved it; sitting in hot water was soothing to her body and her mind as well. The more she took baths, the more she liked them. "I wonder if Kakashi would like to take a bath together some time . . ." and her mind went right back to him again. She shook her head, trying to dislodge his image from her mind. He wasn't there with her, but he seemed to be all she could think about. She turned from her tub and flipped on her shower thinking, this is not good.

After her shower, Anko dried off. She looked at her neck. All the "marks" Kakashi had left on her were gone now. They had faded like happy memories that had lost their importance over time. She had no more physical reminders on her body of the explosive passion she'd shared with him. It was a good thing – she didn't have to hide behind scarves and jackets anymore, but she knew she'd happily hide again, if he marked her up again.

She reached for her undergarments, and sighed. She picked up her new underwear, the ones Kakashi had sent her before he left. "Tuesday" was sewn into the underwear, as were all the other days of the week sewn into the others. Funny how the Friday pants were a bit more suggestive than the rest, what with their black lace trim and partly see through material, not to mention their Velcro sides.

"I can't believe the guy bought me underwear," she said out loud. But it was only because for the three days they'd been together, he'd torn three pair from her. That was fine! They had been lost in the moment and it just happened, and he loved to do it. She loved it when he did it. But the only bad thing was that he kept them! Because of his "sticky fingers," she was down a few pair, before he surprised her with the package of seven pair to replace the three he'd taken, as well as give her a few "spares" for the future. She thought to herself, I wonder if this is going to be a regular thing – the whole "tear the undies off Anko before you fuck her" thing. I wonder . . .

Then she wondered if he'd even care to get together with her again. It had been five days and would be two more yet. What if he tired of their fun and games? What if he didn't want to share any "benefits" with her anymore? What if he wanted to go back to just being friends, and not "friends." What if it's just done and over and time to move on? He did say that her place was the first place he'd go to as soon as he got home. Did he mean it? Would he really come to her first? Before his place even? Before reporting in? She told him before he left, "Don't even bathe, just come over as soon as you get back." The thought of him in the bath surfaced again. He'd said he'd be at her place as soon as he got back into town. She'd have to wait two more days to see if he really meant it or not.

She pulled up her "Tuesdays" and got dressed the rest of the way. As she left her apartment and started down the hall, she turned back, hoping to see Kakashi, wishing he'd come home early. She turned away disappointed because she knew he wouldn't be coming back early. Tsunade had ordered him out for seven days, and he'd be gone for seven days – those were the rules. If anything happened to keep him out there longer, he'd stay longer. Kakashi was very good at what he did in so many ways. She could attest to his many skills. Still, as she walked to work, she wished he'd jump out of a dark doorway and grab her and pull her in there with him and kiss her and . . . she shook her head again to clear it as the training academy came into view. It was time that she regained some focus. It was time to get to work, and let the thoughts of Kakashi alone for a while. Let her thoughts become as alone as she felt right then.

The Chunin exams were underway at the academy. Students had already endured the written tests that she, Ibiki and Genma had devised for them (and Kakashi had knocked over, while trying to disguise the fact that they'd been naked on the copier just moments before being discovered). Not too many candidates had passed the written test. It had been designed to test their memorization skills, and their abilities to retain information. It was important for a ninja to be able to travel without written information that could be taken and used against them if they happened to be captured. Therefore memorization and retention of information was key. A lot of candidates were sent back to the academy in hopes that they'd get better at that. Next up would be the physical exams, and at least Anko could find some distraction there. She was always looking for unusual jutsu that were uncommon among the leaf village ninjas. There were always a few surprises, and she looked forward to them. She'd then make her own mental notes on who she would recommend to advance to final rounds.

After an exhausting day at work, she went home, still distracted, but glad that the day was almost over. As tired as she was, she decided a bath would be in order. She stepped into the steamy water and immediately thought only about a day and a half before he's back. I can wait, but I wish I didn't have to. She soaked and thought about Kakashi, letting steaming thoughts swirl in the air amongst the steam from her bath. The two coalesced to make Anko one frustrated ninja.

She went to bed thinking that if she slept early, that she wouldn't be up all night thinking about him. She had responsibilities. She had to get some sleep to make sure the rest of the exams were executed properly. She had to be professional, and a tired ninja was not a professional one. So she decided to clear her mind. She stared at her ceiling and the crack running through it. Hello crack, my only source of entertainment. She traced it from one end to the next. Then she turned over quickly averting her eyes from it when she realized that it was reminding her of Kakashi's scar. This is CRAZY! She thought to herself. Everything I do or see makes me think about HIM! He's only my friend! He's only my friend. After mentally beating herself for thinking of Kakashi again, Anko looked at her clock and after a short time, she dozed off.

The next morning, Anko woke early, and decided to get to work as soon as she could. She figured that the earlier she distracted herself and kept busy, the faster the day would go. There was only one more day to wait until Kakashi was back and at her door. She started getting a bit excited when she realized that in about 24 hours, she'd have him back again. He'd be back in her apartment, her bathroom, her bed. He'd come back to her, and shower her again with the explosive passion that her body yearned for. Anko held back a small whimper as she thought of all the things she wanted him to do to her, or with her, or on her, it didn't matter, as long as he was back with her.

Then she stared to doubt herself again. What if he's done with me? Without bothering to linger on the doubting thought, she decided to let work occupy her mind.

The day did go by quickly. Anko kept herself busy. She tirelessly helped supervise the physical matches the remaining chunin applicants participated in. Still, the whole day, she kept rehashing the things that she and Kakashi had done in the three days they'd been together before he left. She found herself walking past the copy room, where he had quickly taken her on the copy machine before he left. She ate her lunch at the same table where he put his hand up her skirt, even though Gai and Iruka happened to be sitting across from her at the time. When she walked home later that evening, she passed the alley he'd ambushed her in, where she'd almost killed him, before they ended up having crazy sex while she was hanging from a fire escape. Finally, she wandered to the sake bar where she'd accidentally run into him that first night, where their innocent drink turned into something not so innocent at all. She even visited the stone slab where they let their lust overtake them that first night.

By the time she got home, she was exhausted, not only physically, but mentally. The thoughts of Kakashi that she'd brought back through her mind caused a pain in her that she physically felt. She didn't know if it was lust or longing, or what it was. She only knew that it hurt. It pulled at her, frustrated her, made her think about how Kakashi just being there, could probably make it all go away. She went to bed knowing that he'd be back the next day. She could wait a little longer.

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A/N: I'm teasing you. The game is coming.

Next up: Where's Kakashi? See you soon!