Tsunade shifted through papers trying to create some order to the overgrowing piles. Her long time apprentice, Shizune, busted through the doors grabbing her chest crouched down. "Tsun…ade… I tried…to stop them…but…" Jiraiya and Kakashi entered through the doors. Jiraiya smiled and nodded his head at Tsunade as he sat down on the chair across from her desk. Kakashi was a little less cocky about their entrance.
" I see your finally getting to your work," Jiraiya laid his elbow on the desk only to remove it quickly after Tsunade glared at him. "Have you thought about our little suggestion?" he lifted his eyebrows as he spoke.
"Yes and I decline." Tsunade put away the final stack of papers.
"What!" Jiraiya slammed the desk as he knocked his chair down.
"Calm down Jiraiya, geese being with Naruto sure has brought out the impatient side of you." Tsunade grinned.
"Well I don't understand why won't you call her? I mean she is the fourth's daughter after all, and very powerful." Jiraiya said.
"We don't need her here, she needs to be where she is stationed more than here, Jiraiya!" Tsunade stood up matching Jiraiya's stare.
"I know that she is needed there but we need her to get Sasuke back." Kakashi smoothly interrupted.
"What do you mean?" Tsunade sat back down smoothing out her clothes.
"Sasuke is trying to get revenge on Itachi and she was the only person to be friends with Itachi. Therefore if she helps us she would know how to lure Sasuke back to us, through Itachi." Kakashi explained.
"I don't know… if we send her on this mission who is to guard the village near the sea." Tsunade stroked her chin.
"I will guard it until she returns." Jiraiya interjected.
"You! But what about your…research?" Tsunade said.
"Don't worry if she can get in contact with Itachi she can do that for me, well that is if they are willing to recollect old times. Plus I need a vacation to do other research." Jiraiya smiled as he thought about all the peeking he could accomplish. He imagined innocent village girls bathing in the open waters that surrounded the village.
"Both of you aren't going to stop pestering me about this are you?" Tsunade picked up a deck of cards.
"Nope." Jiraiya replied still smiling.
"Well let's decide this on a game of cards and Jiraiya wipe that perverted grin off your face. If I let you go I expect you to be on your best behavior. That means no peeking!" Tsunade dealt the cards.
"You take the fun out of everything." Jiraiya picked his cards up.
A young lady stood on the cliff that over looked the ocean. She let her long brown hair down so that the sun would reflect the golden tones in it. Her blue eyes glistened as she unwrapped her towel tossing it to the side. She went to the edge of the cliff and took a couple of deep breaths before diving into the ocean. She went as far down as she dare before swimming to the surface. The waves let go of her once she reached the shore, lying on her back letting the sun's warmth engulf her body. Her breathing slowed as she went closer and closer to being completely relaxed when a faint voice brought her back to reality.
"Lady Ayame, the elders need you?" a small child crouched next to her.
"Thank you, could you get my towel I left it on the cliff." Ayame pointed the child in the right direction. Once she received her towel she wrapped her self up and walked back to the village with the child.
All the village council was sitting in the hall with the elders at the front behind a long table. Ayame hurried to take her seat next to the highest elder. Then a prisoner was brought in with his head covered. He wore ninja shoes and his captures showed the elders his weapons; food pills, smoke bombs, and a couple of kunais.
"Do you know that person?" the highest elder, Matoka, whispered to Ayame, as he saw her reaction.
"Well that is to be determined but I know he is ninja, those are the typical weapons for a ninja to possess. Tell them to take the sack off and explain, please." Ayame asked and the elder nodded.
"Explain?" Matoka demanded.
"We found this one snooping around the perimeter of the village." One of the man's captures said.
"Well did he do anything?" Matoka asked.
"Not really, but he did draw out our village on this map."
"I see, well in that case let's ask him. Uncover his head so that Ayame might be able to identify him." Matoka ordered and the rest of the elders nodded their heads in agreement. They took of the sack to reveal a young man with white hair pulled back into a short ponytail with glasses. Ayame gasped at the man and Matoka gave her a questioning glance.
"Kabuto!" Ayame spurted out.
"Do you know him?" Matoka asked.
"Well it's been a long time but yes, we were umm… friends." Ayame said quietly in Matoka's ear.
"Well it seems that our friend knows you, Kabuto is it?" Matoka said.
"Yes," He said still looking down at the floor.
"Well why were you coping our village?"
"It was my mission to get a record of every village since the attack on Konoha, we fear there might be traitors among us." Kabuto lifted his eyes off the floor looking at Ayame and Matoka.
"Really?" Matoka said and then whispered to Ayame. "He is not to leave this village until he proves himself worthy, I am going to trust him in your care. Is that all right?" Ayame nodded her head and the Matoka faced the council and Kabuto. "It seems that I cannot disapprove of what you say, since our communication with Konoha has been disrupted since the attack on Konoha. You are going to be in the charge of Ayame until we can prove what you say is true. All elders in favor?" Matoka raised her hand as well as the rest of the elders. "Well them you are under Ayame's care and are confined to this village until otherwise noticed."
After the meeting the village people flooded the outside of the hall in whispers, some louder than others. Ayame met with Kabuto as they released his shackles. "Sorry, they're not the most friendliest people." Ayame smiled.
"We are only to people we trust. Ayame keep an eye on him I don't trust him." The capture whispered to Ayame as he left. "Oh yeah boy, if anything happens to our Ayame… I mean anything there will be consequences."
"He doesn't mean it?" Ayame handed Kabuto his weapons back
"Oh yes I do." The capture said before he disappeared into the forest.
"Is he a ninja?" Kabuto put his things back into their place.
"Yeah, he and his buddies guard the outside to keep unannounced outsiders from coming in," She winked at him.
Ayame led Kabuto to a condo. It was bigger on the inside with a basement on the ground level; the living room with kitchen and a study on the second floor; and the master bedroom and bath taking up the whole top floor with balcony that over looked the ocean. By looking at Ayame's room designs no one would guess that she fights with knives, beats people up, goes on dangerous mission, and doesn't mind getting dirty. There are sharp clean lines through out the place, top of the art technology, and has a loft feeling to it. The only room that is completely different is her bedroom, where it reflects the nature of the ocean with lots of fabrics and blues and greens. Her condo is actually the farthest from the inner village and closest to the sea.
Kabuto took in all the sights, since he's been living underneath the stars for so long this felt like a dream to him. He placed his things in the basement, where Ayame showed him his room.
"Oh Kabuto, what did you want for dinner, I was thinking fish but I'm not sure?" Ayame peeked her head around a corner.
"Fish is fine." Kabuto replied speechless.
"Good, cause it's already cooking." Ayame disappeared and Kabuto heard ouch. He ran upstairs to find Ayame sucking on her finger.
"I burnt myself. I guess I'm still clumsy."
Kabuto grabbed her finger, inspecting it and wrapped it gently up. Ayame eyes softened at his touch and he looked her into the eyes. "I see you still have the medical touch?"
"I see you're still hurting yourself. How did you manage this long without me to take care of your bruises?" Kabuto chuckled.
"You'd be surprised. Oh the stories that I have for you." Ayame released her hand from his and went back to her cooking.
Kabuto sat on a stool next to the kitchen just staring at her. He noticed how much she had matured and not just in height or personality. Ayame was even more attractive than when she was 12, but now she was clearly a young woman. Everything that he found attractive when they were younger just multiplied at this very moment, he found himself…but that one third began to resent all these feelings that Kabuto relieved. Realizing that controlling that one-third was going to be more difficult than, Naruto showed him. He have to get what he needed and get out of here as soon as possible before he slipped up. Right at this moment it seemed very possible that might actually happen.
"Kabuto is something the matter?" Ayame stood in front of him waving her spoon up and down in his eyes.
"No, I spaced out, that's all?"
"Oh k, well dinner is ready?"
After dinner Ayame made them two cups of hot chocolate and sat on her couch watching her gas fire go. "So how's Konoha?" Ayame broke the silence.
"It's…. it's a wreak?" Kabuto found himself not wanting to lie to her, but he couldn't tell her what has happened since she left. Ayame is a very forgiving person but even she has limits and he found himself already falling for her again. She sipped her drink only to form a whip cream mustache. Kabuto took the advantage of leaning in to clean it. Ayame laughed lowering her head, then moving her eyes up to his. That was all it took, he leaned in closer cupping her head in his hands, gazing into those eyes. She closed her eyes slowly and he followed. He parted her lips and he parted his until they connected. It has been a while since either one of them has had an actually kiss, it was like reminiscing of old times. When Itachi came into Ayame's mind and she instantly pulled away.
"What? Is something wrong?" Kabuto puzzled.
"No, it's nothing. I'm just tired." Ayame laid her head on his shoulder. 'Only that Itachi is in my mind.' She thought as they cuddled by the fire. Now it was like old times, Ayame thought. Only Kabuto seemed different and she didn't know what it was but he seemed more… sinister.