"What for?" Katsuko asked, the corner of her mouth crooking up in a jagged little smile. "He won't want me."

Because she'd let her guard down for one night--just one. Because she'd let herself feel human again, and lonely. And because he'd saved her life, and been on the border of Lightning with her all those years ago.

Because they'd shared their scars.

Now she was glad she'd turned down Ryou--Tousaki on the second night. She'd been afraid (How long had it been since she'd let someone in? Since that time a year ago when the special jounin had nearly retched at the sight of her old wounds?) of what would happen. Would he change his mind? Turn away if confronted, again, with the signs of torture marring her body? Would she get attached, even, to a man who seemed to court death as easily as he courted her?

Now Katsuko knew she shouldn't have bothered. Tousaki apparently liked to screw anything on two legs, up to and including angry, male ANBU legends and scarred, androgynous kunoichi.

She shoved her hands into her pockets and leaned her weight on one foot, feeling unaccountably drained. "I was just for one night, Hatake. If you're this serious about it I'm guessing you mean a lot more to him. To each other. Go talk to him about it."

Her lips thinned into a flat line as her eyes hardened. "And when you're done...I'd like a little chat with him, myself."