The light turned green at the very moment her car door closed and she saw a charming smile grace a handsome face.

“What?”

“Twenty thousand if you don’t get caught and I’ll double it if you take me where I need to go.”

The horn two cars behind her started to blow and she made her decision. Fuck the traffic, fuck the stranger, fuck the entire world, she was not missing this goddamn light.

She was on the freeway and finally moving at the speed she wanted before she considered the proposition before her.

“You normally hop into stranger’s cars and offer them thousands of dollars?”

“Only after I get done robbing a bank.”

Anko blinked. She heard the words, she understood the words, she knew what the words meant, but she didn’t really get them. “Sorry, I just heard you say you robbed a bank?”

The man patted the backpack resting on his lap, almost like one would a dog. “My partner didn’t show. I wasn’t going to wait for something to happen and you had an open seat.” He turned and she saw another grin out of the corner of her eye. “Shisui.”

“Anko.” Wait — why was she giving this man her name? “Pretty shitty bank robber if you have to rely on a stranger to help you out.”

“Pretty successful one, if you ask me.”

“Explain how this is successful to you.”

“Because you’re driving away and no one knows I got in your car.”

“I could just drive you to the police station.”

“Ah, but then you’d be admitting to aiding a crime because you let me get in your car and helped me escape the scene.”

Well, shit on a fuckstick. “Alright, then explain why you decided to trust some random person with information about you.”

“If you weren’t going to do this, you wouldn’t have driven away,” he replied easily as he fished for the seatbelt. “You did and you even pulled onto the freeway, so I figure I have a bit of leeway before you kick me out.”

It was always her. No one else in Anko’s life ever got caught up in shit like this, but damn if it didn’t happen to her. “Forty thousand just for driving you to your destination?”

“Well,” Shisui hedged, “in essence.”

“You need to explain that,” she shot back. “My exit’s coming up pretty soon.”

“We need to take a round about route to get there.”

“Making sure no one’s following me?” she guessed.

“And making sure the place is safe.”

Casing the place, checking out the neighborhoods, it was amazing how easily she could slip back into the thought process. “Is there a lookout?”

“No,” he answered. “At least there better not be. They’d have to explain why they stood me up.”

“So you’re leaving a scene and taking a stranger to a potentially empty safe house with a bag full of money and no idea of where to go from there?”

“When you say it like that—”

“That’s a terrible idea.” Anko passed her exit, making a quick decision on where to go next. The house should still be available. “Whoever knew you were doing this is setting you up.”

His hand froze on the buckle and she felt his eyes studying her. His body shifted, tensing in the shoulders as the click of the seat belt sounded in the car. “Sounds like you’ve done this before,” he said and it didn’t take a genius to hear the distrust in his voice.

“Not this per say,” Anko couldn’t ever remember entertaining the idea of robbing a bank, let alone planning it out, “but maybe a few other things in a past life.”

“How recent was this past life?”

“Locked away in a juvie record.”

Shisui sat back, stretching out his legs in the small space available to him. The man was tall and really rocked that head of curly hair he had going on. She hadn’t gotten a good look at him yet, but she was almost certain the charming grin was a gateway to a pretty face.

“And you’re just going to jump right back in?”

She furrowed her brows, not liking the thought of that. “This entire thing smells like a set up. I bring you to your location, something’s going to be waiting for us and,” she spared a glance at him, “like you said, I’m now an accomplice. Best case scenario is that we both end up in jail.”

“No, best case scenario is no one’s there.”

Anko rolled her eyes. “That’s a pipe dream. You threw out forty thousand as if it were change to catch a ride, so whatever’s actually in that bag is one hell of a haul. No way your missing piece is just going to let you go with that kind of money when their cut was probably more than what you offered me.”

“Let me get this straight,” he began with humor starting to seep into his voice. “You’re refusing to take me where I want to go because you think your read on the situation is more accurate than mine—”

“It is.”

“—and instead you’re taking me wherever you feel like going while I don’t have a say?”

She considered. He could technically have a say depending on his thought process, but considering his genius plan of ignoring the threat a loose end gives, Anko didn’t have high hopes. “Sounds about right.”

“I can’t believe you’re kidnapping me.”

“I can’t believe you jumped in a stranger’s car and thought it would work.”

He looked at her even though she was focused on the road then heaved a sigh. “Fair.”

Shisui didn’t say anything else and Anko felt no need to fill the silence. Too many things were happening. The house was two and a half hours away and she’d probably have to get gas before then. Then she’d have to stock up food because she learned the hard way not to count on anything she might have left there still being present. And as soon as she got settled, she’d have to figure out how to call in from work, even though the promise of forty thousand dollars would set her up well enough to not have to go back to work.

Honestly, with that kind of money and the right planning, she could pick up another job somewhere else that didn’t have to pay as much and live comfortably for a while. Or maybe use that to pack up her shit and move to a new city. She’d always wanted to live further north.

“I never thought robbing a bank would be the least stupid thing I did today.”

That brought out a laugh. “When were you supposed to meet up with your friend?”

“In about forty-five minutes.”

“Give it an hour and when he calls, you’ll be glad you’re doing this.”

She felt his gaze return to her, that quiet study filling the space between them.

“You learned this the hard way,” he guessed. “That kind of thinking — where loose ends cause threats? — you don’t learn that from stuff they keep sealed in juvie records.”

He was right, but she wasn’t surprised. It wasn’t hard to see into her past when one considered how she was handling the situation. Still, she didn’t say a word.

“Either you got one hell of a deal to get it all sealed away or you were taught by someone else.”

Anko had been trained too well to give away anything and she was proud to see those lessons stuck.

“If you made a deal, I would imagine you wouldn’t jump right into the risk of helping me.” He was getting closer. “But if you were being groomed into the life, they’d teach you how to get away first.”

Nail on the head. Fuck.

“You going to tell me who it was or am I going to start guessing?”

Glancing at the clock and then at her speed, they had a minimum of two hours left in the car and longer at the house. And considering how much money she was assuming in his bag, she might not be walking away clean from this one.

“I remember hearing about a bust quite a few years ago,” Shisui continued. “Bunch of young kids abandoned in a warehouse with nothing but the clothes on their backs. According to reports, the bastard that collected them disappeared and the only one to get away alive was a teenage girl.”

Her hand tightened on the wheel.

“You one of those kids? Or were you the lucky one that got away?”

She pulled in a slow breath, waiting to see if Shisui had any more to say.

He didn’t.

“I was picked up two nights before the bust,” she explained quietly. “They were waiting for my guardian to show up before they released me.”

Silence fell again, this one different. Outside the officers working the case, the lawyer assigned her, and the judge, Anko had never told that story to a soul.

“You’ve been working with people who knew Orochimaru,” she said.

He didn’t deny it.

“Who?”

“It might be better—”

“Who?”

“Root.”

Fuck. “We’d have been dead before I parked.”

When Shisui didn’t say anything, Anko considered everything he’d told her.

“You knew it was a setup?”

“I had a hunch.”

“Your partner showed, you just didn’t trust them.” When he didn’t say anything, she continued. “You jumped in my car because you were compromised. That’s why you were going to case the place first.”

“I…” He ran a hand through that curly mess of hair and she moved the car over to take an upcoming exit. “I don’t know what happened.”

“You want to believe they wouldn’t betray you.”

He was silent for so long, she thought he wouldn’t answer, but then he did. “I still can’t believe that.”

“Your partner close?”

“Cousin.”

“Then why don’t you trust him?”

“I do trust him,” Shisui insisted. “I just don’t trust who’s pulling the strings.”

“You’re getting him out.”

He didn’t answer and they both knew he didn’t need to.

“Fuck.” Her hands tightened on the wheel. “Fuck.”

“Know anyone that could help?”

She did. Anko absolutely did and she just so happened to be heading in the right direction. “You know, I just might.”

Itachi’s compromised, Danzo’s using Itachi to get to Shisui (for some reason), Anko is taking them to Kakashi for help.

Shisui pays her back by eating her out.

ShikaChouwho takes longer showers?Chouji on hair-washing days; Shikamaru otherwise.

how do they make up after a fight?Cuddling, mostly. Quiet physical closeness/affection means a lot to both of them, and re-establishing that after an argument or disagreement is very important.

who prefers rain and who prefers sun?They both prefer sunny days, but both of them have things they can appreciate about the rain as well.

what’s their favorite place to go together?Probably the back hills where they went to watch the clouds as kids - nostalgia, and all.

who’s more likely to be voted prom king/queen?Shikamaru. Though I can’t really see him accepting, honestly.

do they celebrate anniversaries, etc.?Yes. Usually in quiet little ways that’s just the two of them.

who’d pressure the other into singing karaoke?Neither. Well, maybe Chouji might wheedle just a little if Shikamaru was only refusing out of apathy.

what’s their nightly routine?Cooking, dinner, kitchen cleanup, maybe sometimes a walk in the woods or through the village and other times just chilling at home with ninja TV or whatever they have, sometimes sex, sometimes not. Chouji is an evening showerer and Shikamaru is a morning showerer but sometimes they’ll switch up and share.

who’s more likely to burn dinner?Chouji, if he’s got too many things going at once in his kitchen. It would have to be a lot of things, though.~~~

KankuSaiwho takes longer showers?…Sai. Not that they’re terribly long, but Kankurou-of-the-desert has the art of the Quick Shower nailed. Except when he’s visiting Konoha. Then he’ll take at least one Very Long shower simply because water conservation is so much less of an issue and it’s such a luxury to him. Sai doesn’t mind the small spikes this sometimes causes in his water bill.

how do they make up after a fight?Apologies and cuddles, generally.

who prefers rain and who prefers sun?Sai finds merit in both, and drawbacks to both. Kankurou-of-the-desert prefers rain because it happens so rarely in Suna, but he doesn’t have anything against sun either. Watching the delight Kankurou takes in rainstorms is a source of great fascination for Sai, who often ends up sketching the other repeatedly, trying to pin down the sort of electric joy in his expression.

what’s their favorite place to go together?Out in the forest during quiet rainstorms. There’s a little cave they’ve found that’s good for sheltering while still observing and with light enough usually for Sai to draw, and secluded enough that they’re assured of not being disturbed if the moment turns intimate. Sometimes they pack along a picnic and they usually pack along a blanket and they don’t just go when it’s raining but yeah.

who’s more likely to be voted prom king/queen?…based on looks? Sai. Based on personality and interpersonal skills? Probably Kankurou.

do they celebrate anniversaries, etc.?Of course. Sai was very by-the-book about gifts and how to celebrate at first and Kankurou found it kind of endearing, while at the same time he has helped him expand beyond what books say and become a bit more personal and personalized about it.

who’d pressure the other into singing karaoke?Kankurou, but there wouldn’t be much pressuring involved. Sai is not generally averse to new experiences and it’s not like he’d be embarrassed if he sucked at it. It’d just be a matter of Kankurou suggesting it, Sai trying it, and then deciding whether or not he liked it and whether he’d want to do it again.

what’s their nightly routine?Cooking together or Kankurou cooking and Sai sketching, dinner, then staying in or going out or whatever. They usually stay up later when they’re together the either of them does when they’re not.

who’s more likely to burn dinner?Kankurou does all the cooking, though Sai has taken an interest in learning beyond his own basic skills so Kankurou teaches him stuff here and there. So, uh. Probably Sai.~~~

ShiAnkowho takes longer showers?Mmh, toss-up. Neither takes them terribly long on a regular basis, but neither are they strictly in-and-out. They often shower together when they can, and there’s always time for singing.

how do they make up after a fight?…Pillow fights, probably. Something playfully aggressive that kind of lets them let off any lingering tension while shifting the mood to a place where apologies can happen naturally.

who prefers rain and who prefers sun?Shisui finds the beauty in both. Anko definitely prefers the sunshine.

what’s their favorite place to go together?Their favorite little tea-and-dango house where no one bothers them and no one who matters will pass judgement on the time they spend together.

who’s more likely to be voted prom king/queen?…hm. They both have a lot going for them in looks and personality but they also both have black marks for familial associations. So basing it purely on their interpersonal skills? I’d say Shisui probably has a friendlier less-intimidating vibe about him, so. Shisui.

do they celebrate anniversaries, etc.?Privately. Discreetly. Yes.

who’d pressure the other into singing karaoke?Neither. I mean, neither’d really have any qualms about it? It’s probably Anko’s idea, though, and Shisui is more likely to get embarrassed about it if it’s public karaoke and not the booth/private room arrangement.

what’s their nightly routine?They don’t spend nights together on a terribly frequent-regular basis, definitely not an everyday thing. So usually food and alcohol and shenanigans of all sorts including between-the-sheets, and often there’s cuddly things happening when they go to sleep.

who’s more likely to burn dinner?…Um. Neither is the greatest cook in the world but I think we’ve established that Anko is worse, so. Anko.~~~

KakaTenzwho takes longer showers?Tenzou, on hair-washing days especially. Can’t be helped with hair that long.

how do they make up after a fight?Quietly, low-key. Just apologies and semi-awkward shrugging off of leftover hurt feelings and such.

who prefers rain and who prefers sun?They both prefer sun. Tenzou appreciates the rain more than Kakashi does, though.

what’s their favorite place to go together?They don’t really have one? There’s a lot of time spent on missions so ‘home’ kind of counts, to be honest.

who’s more likely to be voted prom king/queen?Kakashi. Everybody’s always thought he was the coolest all his life, pretty much, so. Plus Tenzou is more of a prefers-not-to-stand-out type.

do they celebrate anniversaries, etc.?Bigger ones, maybe, assuming they’re dating/together long enough to have a couple of yearly anniversaries.

who’d pressure the other into singing karaoke?Hrm. Assuming a teenage/young adult Kakashi willing to engage in that kind of frivolity, he’d probably be the one using peer pressure and persuasive-senpai tactics on Tenzou. Although I can see Tenzou being the one to wheedle Kakashi into going in the first place, which is probably why he’s being so insistent about embarrassing Tenzou once they’re there.

what’s their nightly routine?One or the other cooking, dinner and cleanup, showers and reading before bed usually.

who’s more likely to burn dinner?Kakashi, maybe. Neither of them is really anything more than 'capable and efficient’ in the kitchen, but Tenzou usually has the better sense of timing as to when things are properly done.~~~

YamaSaiwho takes longer showers?Yamato, in general, though Sai will occasionally be self-indulgent in that regard, more so as time goes on.

how do they make up after a fight?They don’t really fight in a way that facilitates 'making up’? Most of their disagreements are calm discussions, but Yamato’s always adamant about making sure Sai understands his feelings regarding whatever topic and is satisfied with the discussion before they move on from it.

who prefers rain and who prefers sun?Getting Sai to identify preferences can be like pulling teeth sometimes. They both find merit in either option. Yamato has a mild preference for sunshine.

what’s their favorite place to go together?That Mokuton treehouse high up in the forest canopy, best accessible by one of Sai’s birds.

who’s more likely to be voted prom king/queen?Based on who’s prettiest? Sai. Based on personality and social-interpersonal skill? Could be either; Sai is learning every day and while Yamato can handle all the social niceties with ease, he’s not a naturally-social person and would rather go unnoticed than be spotlighted.

do they celebrate anniversaries, etc.?Of course. Yamato’s been helping Sai think outside the book in this regard.

who’d pressure the other into singing karaoke?Neither. If Sai suggested it, Yamato would probably agree because Sai is expressing an interest /desire in something, which is a good thing. If Yamato suggested it, Sai would agree for the sake of the experience and decide after whether or not it should bear repeating.

what’s their nightly routine?Cooking. Dinner. Whatever after, going out or staying in, reading and arting and whatever else they might feel like. Sometimes Yamato models for Sai. Sometimes Sai uses Yamato for his canvas.

who’s more likely to burn dinner?Yamato, if Sai decides to be distracting.~~~

SasuSuiwho takes longer showers?Suigetsu.

how do they make up after a fight?…Uh. Honestly I’m not sure they’d even bother with the making up part.

who prefers rain and who prefers sun?Suigetsu prefers rain because it makes staying hydrated that much easier. Sasuke won’t complain about the rain but would probably prefer drier weather for the most part.

what’s their favorite place to go together?…off in the wild hunting swords for Suigetsu’s collection?

who’s more likely to be voted prom king/queen?Sasuke. God knows why, but Sasuke.

do they celebrate anniversaries, etc.?Pfffffft, no. No. I highly highly doubt it.

who’d pressure the other into singing karaoke?Suigetsu. Obnoxiously.

what’s their nightly routine?Er. Well. For awhile there it was make camp, eat, bed down,take turns on watch and fuck while the other two are sleeping when they’d switch.

who’s more likely to burn dinner?…Sasuke.~~~

ShikaTemawho takes longer showers?Shikamaru.

how do they make up after a fight?Short, terse apologies and probably handholding. Hugs and cuddles as needed.

who prefers rain and who prefers sun?Shikamaru prefers sunny days with just the right amount of clouds. Temari-of-the-desert shares her brother’s appreciation for the rain that’s such a rarity in Suna.

what’s their favorite place to go together?The marketplace in either village, strolling through and people-watching; it reminds them of the early days when people would ask if they were dating and they’d vehemently deny it.

who’s more likely to be voted prom king/queen?…Hm. Probably Temari.

do they celebrate anniversaries, etc.?Yes, generally in the usual ways.

who’d pressure the other into singing karaoke?Temari, most likely. Not that Shikamaru has any real objection, but sometimes he enjoys being a pain and Temari is adept and recognizing when that’s the case.

what’s their nightly routine?Dinner, a little training with the kid, getting the kid bathed and into bed, then relaxing for a little while before bed themselves and finishing off any last things they may need to do for the next day.

who’s more likely to burn dinner?Probably Shikamaru.~~~

ChouInowho takes longer showers?They both have plenty of hair to wash so neither is terribly quick on hair-washing days. But in general?Probably Chouji. Ino is more conscious of the correlation between longer hotter showers and dry skin.

how do they make up after a fight?With apologies, sometimes sullen but always sincere. Sometimes with small gifts if it’s been a long argument over days. Sometimes Ino brings Chouji flowers. He was never sure if she would appreciate flowers in return; she’s the daughter of a ninja florist and a ninja florist herself, who’s seen plenty of bouquets in her time. Besides, they kind of own the flower shop so it always felt a little weird - he’s either buying from a competitor, buying her apology offering directly from her, or airing some aspect of their private life to her employees. If he wants to bring her flowers, as apology or just because, he’ll usually go pick them himself.

who prefers rain and who prefers sun?Chouji prefers sunshine. Ino likes the sun as well but she also loves the rain; there are certain rare flowers that only bloom in the rain and she takes pride in being able to collect and cultivate enough specimens to offer them on special to clients.

what’s their favorite place to go together?The barbecue place Asuma always took them to as a team. They’re turning it into a family tradition.

who’s more likely to be voted prom king/queen?Ino.

do they celebrate anniversaries, etc.?Yes. Like Ino’s going to let Chouji forget their important dates, no. Not that he’d want to, mind. Just. She definitely keeps track of such things and usually spearheads any big plans.

who’d pressure the other into singing karaoke?Ino. Not like in front of people, or anything; she’s adapted to Chouji’s not being a social butterfly but she still tries to get him to open up/let loose more when it’s just the two of them.

what’s their nightly routine?Dinner. Dealing with the kids; they have two. Relaxing and unwinding before bed.