Tempting You 1

Chapter One: The Bet Between One-Sided Rivals

SUMMARY: It has been fifteen years since Lord Hiashi’s wife, Lady Hana had died. And Anko figured one day, “He’s free game now.”

Main Pairing: HiashixAnko

There was nothing more she can’t stand other than silence. It gave her too much time to think. Think, regret, and imagine the ways she could’ve – but didn’t – avoid making such stupid mistakes. That was why she liked being so loud. Thinking gave her headaches.

Anko sat at the elite Jounin lounge in boredom. She stirred her coffee moodily while she contemplated grabbing a magazine to read…or think about reading, anyways. She needed something—anything to distract her from her boredom and irritation – the silence. She glanced at the magazine a few feet away from her. “Nope, it’s too far away.” She decided grimly. “I won’t make it.”

Using her spoon as a drum stick, she made rapid clicks against the glass coffee table, hoping that the repetitive sounds would ease her irritation like it usually does. It just irked her further. She looked around the usually full lounge with annoyance. Now it was abandoned. Why? Because it’s Valentine’s Day. The day where everyone was filled with crap about ‘finding someone special’ or ‘sharing their love with a loved one’. It was just a commercial holiday for companies to make money off of anyways, Anko thought.

That annoyed Anko. What about the poor people who have no family? Like her? No boyfriend? No husband? Anko scoffed as she downed the rest of her coffee. Who the hell has time for this? They should be partying and living it up, because you can never be so sure when that kunai would pierce through your heart. She’s an independent woman. She doesn’t need a man to live her life to the fullest. She’s young, sexy, single, and loving it.

A voice brought her out of her reverie. “Anko, are you all alone, again?” A chirpy voice asked from beside her. Anko held in a groan but did nothing to push away the newcomer.

“What is it now, Yuna?” Anko asked with barely concealed irritation as she saw the blonde woman.

“Every Valentine’s Day, I see you here drowning yourself in coffee, poor, poor, Anko.” Yuna drawled in a pouty voice. It made Anko want to break her fake face. Everyone knew she had plastic surgery anyways, Anko thought cattily. Yuna had been her classmate back at the academy and considered herself her rival. The girl never got the hint to leave her alone!

“This is the Elite Jounin Lounge, Yuna…” Anko said wearily, rubbing her rank into the blonde’s face. “And unlike you, I don’t need a sugar daddy to live my life.”

Yuna glared at Anko in a sad attempt to look threatening, Yuna just managed to look like a cute girl who didn’t get her way. Anko was her rival, but she had never caught up to her. Even now, while she was a Chuunin, Anko was Elite. And it made her angry, unlike Anko; she had actually tried to be a good kunoichi. Anko just was a good kunoichi. “Oh yeah?” Yuna huffed. Compared to Anko, she never won. “Or is it because no one would have you?” But today, she was going to score a point for herself.

“I’ll have you know, I’m very satisfied with my sex life.” Anko grinned cheekily up at her. And another thing about Anko, she had no shame!

That grin infuriated her even further. Anko always had this kind of effect on her. “By next Valentine’s Day, if you can spend your day with a steady boyfriend of at least three months, I’ll admit that you’re better than me.” Yuna huffed.

“Not interested.” Anko dismissed as she resumed drumming out an upbeat rhythm with her spoon on her cup. Idly, she noticed that her feet had made dirty marks on the glass coffee table. Boy was the cleaning lady not going to be happy with her.

“I’ll pay you three months paycheck?” Yuna offered.

“Nope!” Anko smirked. “I have my own money. Hey, did you hear that Genma had bet that Kakashi couldn’t bed his student Sakura by Valentine’s Day and Kakashi said, ‘I already did.’?”

“Really?” Yuna asked with interest. “What did Tsunade-sama say?—Hey! Stop distracting me!”

“Whatever. It’s not like you’ll get a rise from me.” Anko smirked.

“Aha! I got it,” Yuna snapped her fingers. Anko rolled her eyes at the bubbly girl. “I’ll be your slave for a year and stop bothering you.”

Anko threw the cup and spoon down and she stood up. She towered over the blonde woman by a good two inches. Yuna backed away slightly. “And if I lose?” Anko knew that Yuna wasn’t going to give up until she gave in this time.

“You buy me two Suzi Meri dresses.” Yuna grinned.

Anko raised a brow. “A little greedy aren’t we? Your sugar daddy not rich enough to buy you your designer dresses?”

“Do you accept or not?” Yuna continued, ignoring Anko’s jibe. Yuna was pretty focused, for once.

“Throw in that three months’ salary and I’m in.” Anko grinned. She did love a good challenge, after all.

“Done.” Yuna smirked. “I’ll be looking forward to seeing those dresses, Anko.”

“Don’t count on it, Yuna.” Anko shot back as she watched Yuna walk off.

“And just how are you going to find someone?” A feminine voice, rife with condescension and disbelief shot in.

Anko spun around to face Shizune. Ah, she had forgotten that Shizune was otherwise just as lonely and single as she was. It was probably because of Tsunade. The blonde Hokage was very needy. Anko grinned unabashedly. “I have no idea.”

Shizune sighed in exasperation. “Anko, do you know how much one Suzi Meri dress costs?”

“Duh,” Anko shrugged. “I have more than enough. I’m almost as cheap as Kakashi, y’know.”

“Right.” Shizune said, with a roll of her dark eyes. “Who do you have in mind then?”

“I haven’t a clue.” Anko shrugged with a care-free manner.

“Then how are you going to pull this off?” She asked, this time, disbelief laced her tone.

“I don’t know, Shizune. Relax, it’s not like I’m asking you to buy those dresses.” Anko smirked. “I have a year. If I can last with Orochimaru as my sensei, I think I’ll manage bagging a man for three months.”

Shizune nodded. “Good point there.”

“Well, I’m going to get a head start on my manhunt, see you, Shizune.” Anko left. Shizune turned around and thought, Wait till the girls back at the club hears about this. Mitarashi Anko finally wanting a man… Suddenly, Anko returned, popping her head in through the doorway.

“What is it now, Anko?”

Anko grinned happily, but somehow, the woman’s smile put her on edge. “And, uh, how do I say this nicely…Hm…” Anko paused for a moment in thought and continued brightly. “If you tell anyone, I’m feeding you to Manda. Bye!” She disappeared.

“A-Alright.” Shizune. Sorry girls…

Man, what did I get myself into? She mused as she walked out of the Elite Jounin Lounge. She didn’t even know why she agreed. It was the spur of the moment thing. Damned her rash nature. The weight of the bet didn’t set until she saw Yuna out the door. But she’ll go through with it of course. “Okay, now who’s available to a bribe?” Anko asked herself. Hey, it wasn’t her fault no one taught Yuna to make wagers properly. She didn’t say anything about a real boyfriend. Anko couldn’t help but cackle at her own ingenious thinking. Suddenly someone tapped her on the shoulder. Anko turned around, it was Yuna.

“I forgot to tell you,” Yuna smiled. “And this guy, whoever the sucker is, must be a real boyfriend. No bribes, no blackmail, no favours, pure, one hundred percent devotion only.”

“Can he have fifty percent devotion? Men like to wander…”

“Whatever, just no fakies!” Yuna chirped before running off.

Anko’s eye twitched, who the fuck says ‘Fakies’? “Just my luck, Yuna sprouted a brain the very last second.” She sighed at her mess with disgust. “Well, it’s time for a real manhunt.”

---

Anko sighed as she sat at a restaurant idly. Two days have passed. All the men she knew were either involved in a relationship, scared shitless of her, or too boring. “I’m not that picky…” Anko muttered to herself. All she needed was a man brave enough, or stupid enough, to date her for the minimum length of three months. She leaned on the two hind legs of her chair, placing both feet on the table, and her arms behind her head; she stared out the restaurant window.

A gangly looking waiter approached her and Anko immediately made eye contact. All human beings with the XY chromosome were fair game – even this ridiculous looking weakling. “Excuse me, Mitarashi-san, would you mind sharing a table with-”

“Not someone annoying I hope.” Anko smirked. “I’m paying for this table right? I want a peaceful meal.” The young waiter nodded nervously. Anko smirked; obviously her reputation has preceded her.

“Mitarashi-san, please-” The waiter tried again, only to be interrupted. It was amazing how he was still standing here. She was going out of her way and being difficult. After all, any man of hers – fake as it may be – must be able to stand up to her. Sort of.

“Are you going to answer me?” Anko asked dully, lazily staring at the waiter. “Will I have a peaceful meal?”

The waiter sensed a trick question when he saw one. The words peaceful and Anko simply do not mix. “But…but are—”

“Get me a cup of coffee and I’ll share the stupid table.” With a thump, the two legs of her chair met the ground as she sat upright. The waiter dashed away. Anko grinned, she didn’t want to scare them, but they were just so easy to intimidate…No fun at all.

The waiter brought a cup of coffee and led a man before her. Hyuuga Hiashi met her gaze head on and Anko sat up in anticipation. She hadn’t had the chance to talk to her old teammate very often. Well, well, well, it must be fate. Anko thought as she accepted the coffee from the nervous waiter and sipped calmly as she assessed him. I didn’t even think about old’ stick up his arse, Hiashi. “You, what’s your name?” Anko demanded in a deceptively calm and serene voice.

The waiter gulped, “K-K-Kito, Mitarashi-san.”

Anko’s grin widened. “Thanks for the coffee. You single?”

The waiter walked off swiftly as if an ocean wasn’t far enough a distance from Anko. “What a wuss, eh?” Anko said to the man across from her.

“I suppose you find it funny.” Hiashi remarked dryly, taking a seat opposite from her. “Your sense of humor hasn’t changed, Mitarashi.”

“Of course, I’m a bit of a sadist.” Anko grinned. “So, how are things for my good old teammate, hm?” Anko smiled as Hiashi twitched. It had always irked him that a kunoichi five

years younger than him had been skilled enough to be placed in his squadron.

“Everything is fine, thank you for asking,” Hiashi answered in a stifling polite tone. Anko sighed inwardly; this guy needs to get out more.

“Nothing important going on?” Anko pressed, leaning closer. “I thought we could catch up, now that we’re here.”

“I have nothing to say to you.” Hiashi sniffed. “We haven’t talked to one another in years.”

“Let’s start then, hmm?” Anko snapped with a smirk. “Let’s start with why you didn’t invite me to your wedding. I thought you were all into propriety and being polite. Not inviting your old teammate is rather rude, you know.”

“I barely knew you.” Hiashi said defensively. “You were with us for a few months, and then Orochimaru pulled you out.” Hiashi bit his tongue angrily. He knew that he didn’t need to be so defensive…but it was just something about Anko that provoked him into fits of anger and frustration. It seemed like the years haven’t dulled their tensions.

“I was just kidding, Shi-kun. You should relax.” Anko sighed playfully. “I would’ve died of stress.” She glanced at him slyly. “Or are you just simply uninterested in your life and trying to end it this way?”

Hiashi frowned. She just had to call him that, after years of not speaking to one another. He narrowed his eyes in barely concealed irritation. Did she just suggest that he wanted to die? “I—”

“Don’t worry, Shi-kun, I have a very good therapist I can introduce to you!” She chirped cheerily, paying no mind to him – as usual.

Hiashi stared at the woman in front of him in shock. “Are you implying that…Mitarashi, I assure you, that I—” I’m stammering! Hiashi thought in fascination and horror. This woman is making me stammer! And she was just as annoying as he remembered her to be!

“Oh my.” She noted. “You’re stammering, Shi-kun it’s really adorable.”

“Mitarashi!” Hiashi hissed angrily. Feeling his composure slip quickly.

“Anko, really, there’s no need to be so formal with your own teammate. I think I should be offended.” Anko grinned. “I was just joking, Shi-kun. No need to look so cross.”

“I—” He tried to explain himself. She had only been in his team for a few months before Orochimaru pulled her out anyways! He hadn’t spoken to her in ages! What had he done recently to deserve this torture?

“I’m joking! I’m joking!” She held up her hands in a docile manner. As if she could look docile. “Well, I’ll be going now. I’m late for an appointment.”

“With your therapist, I presume?” Hiashi quipped coldly. As soon as the words left his mouth his eyes widened. Every time he riled her up, thusly falling into her trap, Anko always came back for more. Hiashi wondered how long he’ll have to wait out before she finally loses interest in him.

Anko stiffened and turned to him with an eerie smile on her face. “My, my, my, you’ve still got some spunk in you, Shi-kun. I was getting worried for a bit, ha! Well, you know the drill. You should expect to see me soon.”

“I’m going to kill you one of these days.” Hiashi hissed, sounding strangled.

“I’d like to see you try, Hiashi.” Anko laughed. “Maybe I’ll drop by tomorrow. Maybe not.”

“Mitarashi …”

“I told you its Anko.” She chided him playfully. Hiashi wanted to wring her neck, never in his life had he met someone so vexing. “Well, I’ll see you later then.” With a swish of her coat, she walked out of the restaurant…leaving him with her tab. “Damn it.” Hiashi uttered as he examined the empty plates in front of him.

“Sir, the bill…” The waiter, Kito, handed him the sheet of paper. Hiashi cursed once more as he paid for the food, half of which, he didn’t even eat.

---

Hiashi sighed as he arrived in front of his clan’s large gates. He thought back to the purple-haired woman who had tricked him into paying for her food and grimaced. He’ll rather spend time with his temperamental youngest daughter than be seen with Anko again.

“Hanabi.” Hiashi greeted his daughter as he entered the family compound. She was going out. “Where are you going?”

“Out.” Hanabi replied, not meeting his eyes fully. “I’m going to be on a mission for a few days, Father.”

“Be careful.” Hiashi said awkwardly.

“I…I will.” He hurried in as she shifted sideways to slip through, careful to avoid contact with one another.