I would like to make clear that this is a Kakashi x Anko fan fiction where there will be romance. However, it is going to be far different from my previous work on the site and will only have one small soft-core lemon scene near the end. This fan fiction takes place during the 2 ½ year time lapse in the Naruto storyline. I hope you like this romance/lemon/comedy fan fiction.

Chapter 1: The Ominous Mission

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A ninja's life is full of danger and sadness. Some go insane to deal with the pain while others take comfort in their families and friends to help them during the tough times. A select few ninja do either. They do not express their pain to others and try to cut themselves off from others, showing a different facade in public. A life like this is fraught with loneliness even when one appears happy and carefree. Only on special circumstances, can someone like that find a friend or lover that can save them from that loneliness...

As the sun rose over the treetops bordering Konohagakure, no activity arose from the hobble of an apartment housing a silver haired jounin. The man simply known as Kakashi Hatake slept in his bed peacefully without a care in the world. His navy blue sheets laid half off his twin sized bed from his restless shifting. The elite ninja had been reading the newest volume from the Icha Icha Paradise series the night before and with his mind filled with the newest plot, sleep was hard to come by. As he dreamt of being the protagonist of the story, he was abruptly interrupted by his alarm clock. With a deep sigh, Kakashi lazily opened his right eye to look at the time. It was six o'clock and he had an appointment with someone special today. Raising himself to a sitting position, the ninja rubbed the back of his neck with a half opened eye. "Today is going to be a lousy day." He said half asleep as he stumbled to his feet.

Across the village in a larger but more cluttered apartment arose a cranky violet haired kunoichi with a foul morning attitude by the name of Anko Mitarashi. Looking annoyingly at her alarm clock, her dream involving a candlelit dinner with Mr. Right that was interrupted slowly drifted into her subconscious. With a half-assed slam of her fist, she turned her snooze set alarm off and lifted her arms above her head in a morning stretch. Wiping a tear resulting from a yawn, she looked grumpily at the sunrise that announced the start of a brand new day. "Fucking sun." She grumbled, proceeding to trip out of her lumpy bed and face first into a coffee table.

An hour after waking from his slumber, Kakashi was already out the door and walking down the busy streets of the village. The clanking, banging, and shouting of the bustling streets made it hard for him to hear himself think. However, after several years of this, he managed to get used to it. As he walked, he heard a familiar and friendly voice coming from his left as it shouted out his name. "Oh, good morning Katsu." Kakashi said as he put on a smile barely noticeable with his mask on.

The person he greeted was a woman two years his junior with a beautiful and slender body. Her bright brown eyes were accented by her jet black hair that went almost all the way down her back. The young woman was busy sweeping the front of her pottery store before her usual customers arrived. Katsu knew Kakashi for two years and saw him every morning as he walked by her store. When she called to him, Kakashi wasn't surprised. Katsu was a very friendly woman that was especially kind to Kakashi. "You look tired Kakashi, were you up late last night? I just made some coffee if you want any."

"Ah, thank you for the offer, but I'm kind of late. I'll see you later." He politely declined as he walked past her. As he walked away he waved at her without averting his gaze from the street in front of him. Katsu frowned disappointingly as she returned to her sweeping. When Kakashi finally reached his destination, he had made his way down the path he created from years of walking. "Hey, old friend." Kakashi spoke in a soft silent voice as he looked at the memorial of all the ninja that died in the war. Not a day has gone by that he hasn't gone to the memorial to visit Obito. Even to this day, Kakashi hasn't forgiven himself for his friend's death.

Kakashi wasn't the only one late for a meeting as Anko was speeding through the streets while eating her breakfast. She hollered warningly as she dodged oncoming people. As she took a break from shouting, she took a quick bite from her anpan; a sweet bun filled with red bean paste. It was at this time that she collided into the back of a casual walker at full speed. Being knocked onto her fanny and dropping her bun, she looked up at the pedestrian with a foul face. "Hey, watch where you're going pal!"

The accused pedestrian looked at her with his one opened eye with a confused look. The silver haired ninja who was only knocked off balance turned around to look at the fallen Kunoichi. "Normally when a person knocks into someone else, they apologize instead of accusing others of wrongdoing." Kakashi stated, bending down to help pick up Anko's dropped anpan.

The violet haired woman knocked his hand away and grabbed the bun herself. "Shut up mask boy." She said agitated as she stood up and brushed herself off. "You can really be irritating, you know that? Thanks to you, I'm going to be late." She muttered as she ran past him, purposely bumping into his shoulder. As she ran, she took another bite from her anpan that had fallen onto the dirt earlier.

"That can't be very healthy." Kakashi said to himself as he saw the Kunoichi gnaw on the bun as she sped off towards the Hokage's residence. Kakashi then proceeded to make his way down the same path but in a more casual and slower speed. He felt no need to be in a rush since he was already late for his other meeting. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he couldn't help but wonder why Anko was in such a hurry.

As Anko sped up the stairs of the Hokage's residence with crumbs still on her face, she nearly stumbles into Tsunade's office. Looking up, she sees the blonde haired and large breasted woman leaning on her desk with her hands gripping the edge of the fine maple top. A look of agitation adorned her face as she looked at the nervous kunoichi.

"You were supposed to be here thirty minutes ago." Tsunade growled, trying to keep calm. Because of Shizune's ranting about her drinking sake while on duty, she hadn't had a drink since yesterday. This lack of alcohol left her in an already grump mood. "Care to explain?" She asked, not really caring what the reason was, unless it was a good one involving Anko retrieving sake for her. Tonton crawled out from behind the angry Hokage on the desk with an inquisitive look about its face.

Anko quickly stood upright and gave a small bow in respect and slight fear. "I'm sorry Lady Tsunade; I'm not really what you call a morning person. Also, I bumped into that lazy bastard Kakashi on the way here. Forgive me." She proceeded to stand up correctly with an alert and professional gaze. "May I ask why you wanted to meet with me so early in the morning? I was busy preparing last night for the mission you assigned me for today when I received your message."

Tsunade left her place at her desk and walked over to the large window behind it, gazing down at a couple walking down the street holding hands. The sight softened her serious face but then reminded her of the reason for the meeting. Letting out a cough to clear out her throat, Tsunade spoke up in a serious voice. "This is about the mission. As you've probably memorized by now, the mission is to go undercover in the small town of Sagakawa in the Land of Fire to uncover the drug ring that is rumored to reside there. The feudal lord is extremely concerned about the effect that the ring might have on the welfare and reputation of the country. I share his worries, so that is the reason I've assigned you to this A-rank mission."

Anko brought her forearm across her stomach and performed another slight bow. "Thank you for trusting me with a mission of such high priority Lord Hokage." Bringing herself back to an upright position once again, a question arose in her mind. "But why did you bring me here this morning Lord Hokage? I already knew all of the information about the mission and I have already come up with a plan of action."

Tsunade turned around to face purple haired woman and leaned on the shimmering glass behind her. "Looking over information about the small town, I've realized that the town in question is mostly inhabited by newly weds and couples trying to start a family. Even under a seemingly great guise, a single woman taking up residence in the area would attract a bit of attention to the public gossip and also the drug ring. That's why I've decided to assign you a partner. On this mission you two will be under the guise of a newly wed husband and wife trying to start a new life together. This will allow you to blend into the townsfolk with somewhat ease."

At this update in the mission, Anko let out an irritated sigh. It was just her luck that she of all kunoichi would have to play the role of a supporting wife to some asshole ninja who will get a great kick out of it. "Lord Hokage, I really don't think that I'm the best person for this mission. I would suggest Asuma and Kurenai for this mission since they are well skilled and can pass off as a couple quite easily in my opinion." Anko sweated as she tried to get off the god forsaken mission.

Tsunade nodded in agreement as she crossed her arms and closed her eyes. "You are correct in that those two would be perfect for this mission Mitarashi." As she said this, a small glimmer of hope sparked inside Anko at the prospect of going back home to her apartment and drifting back to sleep. "However, there is a slight problem with that plan. As I've said before, the drug ring is only rumored to be residing in Sagakawa. There were also rumors that a nearby village might actually be hiding the drug ring. That's why I've assigned Asuma and Kurenai to that village. Now, going back to your assigned partner, I sent a message to him explaining the mission details and his role in it. However, it turns out that he is late as well."

As Tsunade finished her sentence, a knock arose from the door without a word from the new arrival. Tsunade returned to her seat at her desk, knowing full well who the new arrival was. "It looks like he finally decided to show up." She said with a smile as she turned her attention from the kunoichi to the door. "Come in, you're late."

As the door slowly opened, Anko began to hope that the man she was to be paired off with was decent. In her mind, her dream partner would be someone kind and considerate to her feelings, possibly someone good at playing a husband role. As the man walked into the room, Anko's look of hopeful optimism suddenly changes to a look of total disbelief and horror. "No freaking waaay!!!"

The man that walked into the door was, to Anko's dismay, Kakashi Hatake. At the sudden burst from Anko, Kakashi's attention immediately goes towards the purple hair kunoichi. "Why are you here?" Kakashi immediately uttered, the look of callousness still splattered on his face. Not getting an answer from the devastated kunoichi, he turns his attention to the Hokage who is getting a little kick out of Anko's reaction. "Lady Tsunade, is she the one I am to be partnered up with on the mission?" He asked, seemingly uncaring of the answer. However, when Tsunade simply nodded to confirm his inference, he swiftly spun around on the ball of his foot and quickly began to walk out of the room.

Acting faster than Jiraiya flirting with women, Tsunade grabs the back of his vest and drags him back into the room, producing a moonwalk effect on Kakashi as he continues to try and casually walk away. "Not so fast copy ninja. You have been assigned a mission and you are forbidden from refusing it. You've been on sick leave so many times that you can't afford to miss this mission." She says firmly, forcing him into a standing position and turning him around. Gripping both the horror struck Kunoichi and the stoic faced ninja by the shoulder, Tsunade looking at them both with a wide smile. "Until the end of the mission, I happily pronounce you two man and wife."

Turning her head creakily towards Kakashi, Anko forces a smile onto her face for the Hokage's sake and mutters to him words that are too inaudible for her to hear.

"I really hate you, you know that?"