[Bedroom]
Getting pushed down again, Aoba scratched his messy hair, feeling a bit of something he couldn't put into words.
Why did it feel like he was always the passive one every time, though not that he really disliked it.
"Aoba…"
He glanced at the half-asleep, still muttering-in-her-dreams Anko, and couldn't help tidying her hair a little.
After planting a kiss on her forehead, he gently pulled away the fair arm that was wrapped around him. Just as he was about to get out of bed, he was grabbed tightly again.
Aoba looked down at her, only to realize that Anko had woken up at some point, gazing at him with a delicate expression.
"You still want to leave?"
Aoba had never thought he'd see this kind of look on Anko's face. Maybe it was an act, but he still hugged her back a little.
"I'm not leaving, I'm just going to get a glass of water. We used up a lot just now, gotta replenish a bit."
"Really?", Anko looked insecure.
Aoba didn't say much, just leaned in closer again.
Anko felt her brain go short of oxygen and pushed him away.
After pushing him, her face flushed red. Before today, she had never kissed anyone, and never imagined kissing could feel so...
Because of that, Anko also let go of her hold on him.
Freed from the suddenly clingy Anko, Aoba walked to the kitchen, poured himself a glass of water, and drained it in one gulp.
Then he carried another glass of water back to the bedroom.
On the way, when he saw the sofa that had been utterly wrecked, he couldn't help but sigh at Anko's combat strength.
Come to think of it, the first time he met Anko at Kurenai's house, he had already marveled at Anko's… technique.
'Truly impressive.'
"Drink some."
Aoba helped Anko sit up and held the glass to her lips.
Anko cooperated, finishing the water.
Then, as soon as he set the cup down, she yanked him back into bed, leaning her head against his chest with a lazy look.
Aoba stroked her messy hair and softly asked, "Did you remember something unpleasant?"
He remembered that the sealed memory in her past was pretty dark.
Anko's body trembled slightly, then she nodded, "In the Land of Sea, there's an island. That was Orochimaru's secret lab. I spent some time there."
"…", Aoba already guessed.
"That place was for Orochimaru's human experiments. There's a little girl, she should still be on that island…"
"Then let's go check that island together," Aoba suddenly cut her off.
"Eh?"
Anko was stunned, then looked at his serious face, nodded, and smiled, "Then in a couple of days I'll ask Lady Tsunade for permission."
"Mm."
"But there's one thing that really surprised me," Anko suddenly said.
"What is it?", He followed along.
Anko's expression turned complicated, "I always thought I was abandoned, but actually Orochimaru did ask me if I wanted to go with him. Back then, I refused."
She let out a self-mocking laugh, "When I remembered that, I actually felt kind of proud."
"Of course. At that time you were just a genin, yet you rejected one of the Legendary Sannin. That means you were already a determined kunoichi back then."
Aoba said seriously.
Anko rolled her eyes, "So you're saying now I'm not?"
Aoba studied her for a moment before saying, "Now you're a kunoichi who's stopped striving forward."
"That's called having clear self-awareness."
Anko snapped, "I know I don't have much talent. Reaching special jonin is already my limit. Orochimaru probably only chose me as his student because he needed a tool."
"Who says? You have one gift most people can't compare to," Aoba suddenly said.
"What?"
Anko looked puzzled.
"Isn't Anko-nee really good at endurance?"
Anko: "…"
Her stamina was indeed high.
But she felt Aoba was clearly teasing her, not talking about ninja endurance but that just now.
"You bastard!"
Anko pinched his waist hard.
"Hiss!"
Aoba sucked in cold air.
Anko rubbed the spot she'd pinched, "You're not allowed to go home tonight. Stay with me."
"Alright."
Aoba answered smoothly, though he was already thinking what excuse he should use tomorrow to deal with Konan and Shizune, who would be left alone tonight.
"Were you just now thinking of how to cover things up with your other girls at home?", Anko suddenly asked.
"Uh…", Aoba broke into a sweat, 'Since when did Anko become this sharp?'
She just gave him a look, then nestled in his arms and whispered, "Just stay with me tonight, that's enough."
"Anko-nee…", Aoba wanted to say something, but she cut him off.
"I'm not some eighteen-year-old girl. Before, I didn't know what love was, and I wasn't planning on it either. I just thought you looked pleasing to the eye, so I wanted to try."
Aoba was speechless. Anko went on.
"I've long since gotten used to living alone, I don't need you with me all the time. You've got too many little girlfriends to keep up with anyway. But you must come see me regularly."
"I don't want to have a boyfriend but still be left to manage everything by myself."
Seeing her speak with such a detached, world-weary look, Aoba couldn't help sweating.
'What is this?'
'Calling me only when needed?'
'Isn't that basically… that?'
"Anko-nee, your way of thinking is really progressive," Aoba couldn't help sighing.
"What do you mean?", She didn't get what he meant.
Aoba only shook his head, smiling, "I'll listen to whatever Anko-nee says."
Hearing that, her eyes turned, "You'll listen to me?"
"Mm."
"Then keep going!"
"Your body?", Aoba looked worried.
Anko's face, however, was full of curiosity, eager to try new things.
"It's fine, there's another way. I read about it in a book, it said it was pretty good."
"?"
'What kind of indecent book was that?'
Aoba's eyes widened, "Anko-nee, isn't that… not okay?"
This was totally crooked and unorthodox.
"Cut the crap. If you won't, I'll do it myself!"
———
As it turned out, Anko really was very enduring.
Though it was the first time for both of them exploring this kind of crooked, unorthodox practice, the process went surprisingly smoothly.
Even though Aoba was overwhelmingly strong, able to fight ten Ankos alone, he nearly lost to her simply due to lack of experience.
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