I'LL SHOOT ALL YOUR MONSTERS

She's frowning in her sleep, in between every toss and turn, taking the bed sheets with her in every movement, leaving you completely cold for the lack of clothes to cover you up, just like every night with hard raining and thundering. You sigh and move closer to her, trying to keep some warm by putting your bodies together, hugging her from behind and placing your arm around her waist, trying to calm her down and make her feel protected somehow from her nightmares.

She never wants to talk about it, about the nightmares that only appear in these kind of nights and you don't know if it's because she's too proud to admit something might have to do with the weather that bothers her, if she's scared of who knows what or if she's simply being stubborn but you don't know how much you can take this situation going on. Everything that overwhelms her but tries to hide from you, unknown if it's to not worry you o scare you away, not wanting to talk to you about it or let you help her in any possible way, since you both started dating. Every time you try to approach to her and talk about it, you're just dismissed and left alone in silence and with a cold glare.

Nobody said that being with Anko Mitarashi would be easy but neither so complicated...

Eventually, she stops moving in your arms and pulls you closer, warming you more and go back to sleep with ease, and you follow her, wondering if next day would be as hard as others in question to try and approach about the subject but as soon as you woke up next morning, you found yourself alone in the bed, with the space next to you completely cold. She would never run away like that, she's not a coward but you wonder why she almost never sticks around after a heavy thundering night.

You're already at work with the Hokage, contemplating which jounin would be the best one and suitable for the next mission when she mentions that the mission is about protect a shipping convoy in the Land of Sea and also try to research one of the Orochimaru's whereabouts or secret places for experiments and reunite information about it. It might not be too complicated but knowing it involves Orochimaru, it's better to considerate to send somebody with experience and a little team in support, just in case.

She's still sorting out names when you propose Anko's name. You know she's the best one for the mission. You've been reading her file uncountable times, trying to figure out, to gain some clue to solve or help her with her nightmares. You know the answer is there, in between those black classified lines that hides everything about her sensei, her training and her past. You feel this mission is the key to answer her questions and yours by extend, so you insist to Tsunade-sama of sending her.

Anko can't keep running away, can't keep hurting herself and you're tired of it, of her doing that to herself so you would find a way to stop it, even if this costs you to lose her...

Reluctantly, Tsunade-sama agrees with the condition of sending somebody with her. You're about to offer yourself when she stops you, placing the files of the team members that would accompany her: Shino Aburame, Ino Yamanaka and Naruto Uzumaki. You don't doubt about them but you still worry about Anko.

Soon enough after being called, Anko is entering at the office, not giving you a single glance and goes directly to eat Tsunade's dango, horrifying you.

- Sooooo, what's up? - she says calmly, unbothered by steal Tsunade's dango and still eating it in front of her like nothing. God please, forgive her and save your girlfriend from an young death, crushed by Tsunade's rage... You see Tsunade's front vein bulging as she tries to calm down and not punch your girlfriend.

- You have a mission - she says in a very cold way. - You have to protect a shipping convoy in the Land of the Sea and try to investigate one of Orochimaru's secret places.

You can't help but observe your girlfriend the entire time, seeing her paling at the mention of the Land of the Sea, the place where she was found. You know she wants to discover things about the place but she's also scared of it, what she would find and what might bring to her, the memories, everything and it breaks your heart not being able to help her with it, to let her know she's not alone.

- You'd be the leader of a team... - Tsunade keeps talking as hear "team mates" appears and Naruto starts to make a fuss about going on a mission with the crazy proctor and a little but funny fight starts.

The day progresses slowly and as soon as you're off work, you go home to find Anko sat in your bed, ready to argue with you about the mission without any contemplation.

- The truth Shizune, did you asked Tsunade to put me in charge of the mission? - she asks coldly, angry and if you were in one of her interrogations, you'd be already fearing for your life.

- I did. You can't keep escaping or running away from your past Anko. You need to face it, to face your monsters, You need to stop hiding them so I can shoot them all and help you to be finally free.

- You don't know shit about it Shizune, so fuck off - she says, breathing quickly as prove of how furious she is, as you never see her before - I don't need you to take care of me, I don't need anything from you.

And with that, she leaves slamming the door hard after her. You know she's just angry and need some time to cool off and prepare herself for the mission and for everything she might remember at the mission, which hopefully, would help her and you, it's help both to move forward finally and freely, with no secrets or fears, just you two emotionally naked in front of the other.

You know she's a great ninja but as soon as you see Ino-san and Naruto-kun getting ready to part for the mission, you ask them to take care of Anko and not let her be hurt in any way. Naruto doesn't even know what you're talking about since the "crazy proctor" it's too strong for anything to happen to her but Ino, somehow, perceives what you might talk about.

You don't care if she gets angrier at you as soon as she notices them paying more attention to her because you'd never forgive yourself if because of you, because the pressure and everything, something happens to her and she doesn't come back or she gets seriously injured.

It's been two weeks, two worrying and long weeks of not knowing anything about her or the team's whereabouts in a mission that shouldn't take longer than a week, something that concerns you but can't do anything about, just wait until they return.

And tonight, it's one of those nights which remembers you to her with the heavy raining hitting the windows as try to sleep in her bed but failing miserably, thinking about her in between every thunder, when a pair of strong arms wrap you and hold you against the front of a tone up body, knowing instantly by her aroma and chakra that it's her and relaxing you in them, knowing she finally came back.

- You're back - you say softly, turning around to hug her and hide in her chest, hearing your heart beat to let you know she's here for real and okay.

- I promised you that I'd always come back to you - she says hugging you tighter, nuzzling your head as she inhales your aroma - I'm sorry Shizu.

You shake your head, cupping her cheek and kiss her deeply and tenderly, letting her know she has nothing to be sorry about.

- You were right, I needed to stop running, to stop hurting myself by thinking I was weak and a failure so Orochimaru abandoned me but the truth is, I was the one choosing to leave as I didn't like the experiments and weird things he did. Thank you for everything, for pushing me to confront my fears, to know and face the truth. Thank you for supporting me.

She's calm, there's no fear or anything troubling her, just a complete peace and pride about it and what she did in the past, erasing all the guilt, and you can't help but feel happy and proud to see her finally free from the monsters that taunted and chained her.

You kiss her again this time with more emotion, smiling in it and strip each other from all the secrets, from the past, the fears and vulnerability. You strip each other souls to finally be one and confess your mutual love for the other.

You will shoot all her monsters and replace them with nothing but your love.