Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, or any of the Naruto characters used in this fic. They all belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own any original characters that I choose to include, as well as any of my own original plot ideas.

Fascination With A Demon

Chapter 1: Kaoru Akiyama

A/N: Okay! New Naruto fic! Huzzah! For the record, I blame my Naruto games and manga. One minute, I'm reading the manga again during what free time I have, and the next thing I know, I'm sitting in front of the TV for three hours playing every freaking Naruto game I own. -.- Ah, well. It's a phase, as usual. I'll get over it eventually. Though I hope that my Naruto obsession won't end before I finish this fic. If it does, then I'll have to wait until I become re-addicted to Naruto again.

"Hey, watch where you're walking, ya douche bag!" a fierce-eyed teenage girl snarled, glowering at Zabuza as he entered the bar.

The Demon shrugged and ignored the girl. He'd been on the run from the Hidden Mist's Undertaker Squad for several weeks now, and it was high-time he had a break. He smirked to himself as he imagined the hunters' frustration with him. They couldn't chase him forever, he decided. After all, they were only human, and, in the Demon's mind, hopeless fools who, even in their wildest dreams, would never get their hands on him. Besides, they'd never think to look for him within the border of the Land of Earth. And even if they did, they'd never suspect he was stopping in such a run-down town as this.

Putting the whole situation at the back of his mind, he took a seat, intent on getting his drink. Stupid kids, he thought, as he ordered a glass of sake. Can't be bothered to keep their damn mouths shut when they need to. It's no wonder they're always running amok on the-- The sound of his sword scraping against the floor suddenly caught his attention. The loud-mouthed brat he'd run into at the door was trying her best to drag the damn thing away from him, fascination brimming in her dark eyes.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, brat?" he sneered, yanking the blade away from her with ease. "Didn't your parents ever teach you not to touch things that don't belong to you?"

The girl's eyes narrowed from beneath her short dark hair. "Fuck you!" she shot back, sitting on the stool beside him and grabbing the sake from his hand. "Adults can't tell me what to do, fathead," she said, downing the drink. "I do whatever the hell I want, and everyone else gets over it. So, if I were you, I'd shut the fuck up and go back to whatever hole I crawled out of."

Zabuza rolled his eyes. "Real tough, aren't you?" he muttered sarcastically, smacking the sake cup from her hand. "Now what do you want? Can't you see I'm busy?"

"Um, no," she said, "I can't. Besides, I don't consider drinking sake to be any real business. Now, if you were a real man, you'd be out there choppin' some heads or something. Ohhh!" The girl smacked her forehead with a laugh. "I'm so sorry! Only ninjas have the balls to be out in the field doing something as badass as that! And there's no way you're a ninja!"

Zabuza sighed. This punk was wearing thin on his patience, and she knew it. "Look girl," he said, trying to calm down. "Why don't you run back outside and do whatever the hell little bitches like you do, okay? I'm a busy man, and I don't have time to be putting up with your shit."

Before the girl could respond, Zabuza paid the bartender and walked out the door, silently hoping that the girl wouldn't follow him.

"Hey, wait!!"

Oh, shit....

He turned and, unfortunately, found her staring up at him. "I thought I told you to buzz off," he growled.

"You really are a ninja, aren't you?" she said, pointing at his headband.

"What of it?"

She bit her lip, kicking up small clouds of dirt with her shoes. "Take me with you!" she demanded.

"Let me think about it... NO," Zabuza said, turning his back on her. This is exactly why I hate kids....

"Aww, come on, mister!" the girl whined. "I'm plenty old enough to be a ninja, anyway!! Come on!! Please?!"

Zabuza spun around, grabbing the girl by the collar and slamming her into the nearest wall. Being experienced in the art of silent killing, his first thought was to dispose of her before anyone got the wrong idea. Then again, he didn't give a fuck what anyone thought. Never had. "Listen and listen good, brat," he scowled, "You're not coming with me. Got it? Now, get lost!"

With a grin, the girl simply shoved a hand in his face as he set her on the ground. "Okay, not to be rude, but you really gotta lay off the booze. I mean, you're never gonna get any girls if you smell like sake all the time. I mean, yuck!"

"What the hell is with you?!" he demanded.

The girl sighed. "I already told you, dumbass. I wanna be a ninja. Or rather, your apprentice... or something like that... But..." she said tauntingly, scuffing her feet against the ground, "if you don't want me to be your apprentice, then I guess you'll never know..."

Know what? he thought. No! No, I'm not even gonna ask.... But what the fuck is she going on about?

"You'll never know about my kekkei genkai," she said with a smirk, as if she had read his mind. "Oh, well. See ya later!"

Zabuza sighed, cursing the girl's tricks as well as his own damned fascination with the subject of kekkei genkai. "What's your name, brat?"

The girl ran a hand through her short brown hair, obviously proud of having connned Zabuza into accepting her as his apprentice. "Kaoru," she said proudly. "Kaoru Akiyama. I'm eighteen years old, and I'm originally from the Hidden Rain, although I ended up in the Hidden Mist Village after my parents died."

"Fascinating..." Zabuza muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he looked her over. "And there's no way you're that old," he said. "You're too damn short to be eighteen, so quit jerking me around, brat. How old are you really?"

Kaoru's eyes widened. "Did... Did you just call me short?" She spat the last word with venom, and something told Zabuza that calling Kaoru "short" was taboo.

"I'm not short!!" she screamed. "Don't you dare call me short, you fathead!! I am not short! I'm not!! And I don't give a damn who the hell you are, you are not to call me short! Ya got that, asshole?! There's no way in hell I'm short!! You're just... freakishly tall!!"

In all honesty, Zabuza really didn't want anything to do with this girl. And, as far as he was concerned, it was far too soon to be taking on another apprentice. Especially after having narrowly escaped death and having lost Haku during the battle with Kakashi Hatake and his brats two years earlier.

The Demon sighed. How the hell did I get myself into this mess...? "All right! You're not short... Just shut the fuck up before I change my mind and decide to strangle you... And where the hell do you get off calling me names? Do you even know who I am?"

Kaoru faked a yawn as she leaned against a nearby wall. "Like I said earlier, I do what I want, and everyone else gets over it. And, duh, I do know who you are. You're Zabuza Momochi, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, and the criminal wanted by the Land of Water for the failed assassination of the Mizukage a few years ago. You're an expert in the art of silent killing, also known as the 'Demon of the Hidden Mist.' And that's exactly why I've decided to become your apprentice." She glowered at him. "Do you have any idea how hard it was tracking you down? I mean, sheesh! Do you ever stay in one place?"

"Of course not," he sneered, heading down the street toward the gate of the little village. "I'm a wanted criminal, so I naturally don't sit still for very long. You know, for a kid that knows me this well, you're pretty dense. You honestly can't expect a missing-nin to lounge around with hunters on his tail, now can you?"

"Whatever," Kaoru replied nonchalantly. "So, where to?" Then, to Zabuza's surprise, Kaoru pulled a headband from her pocket, securing it around her neck. "What?"

The Demon smirked. "Devious little thing, aren't you? Making up stories just to talk me into bringing you along."

Kaoru scowled. "I wasn't making up stories!"

Zabuza raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh, really? Then what was that you were spouting about wanting to be a ninja? Hmm?"

"Whatev," she replied. "And, for the record, I would've followed you regardless of your answer, so don't start pointing fingers at me. Besides," Kaoru crossed her arms over her chest, "there are plenty of fingers I could point at you. For example, you made a vain and foolish attempt to assassinate the Mizukage; you very nearly got yourself killed by a well-known shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village; you--"

"Enough!" Zabuza said, cutting Kaoru off. "I've lived through it all, so I already know what I've done. Now shut up."

With a grin, Kaoru mimed zipping her lip and throwing away the key, knowing that the childish notion would make the Demon groan with frustration. She quite enjoyed bugging him, especially given his constant reactions to every little thing she did.

As the two left the village, Kaoru smirked inwardly. This is gonna be so much fun.

As I'm sure you've noticed, Kaoru Akiyama isn't a real character in Naruto, and thus belongs to me. Kaoru Akiyama is, more-or-less, based on myself and the random little musings that go on inside my head. :) (Be very afraid. XD) "Kaoru" translates to "Fragrance," and "Akiyama" to "Autumn Mountain." In other words, "Fragrance of the Autumn Mountain." I quite like the sound of the name, and I'm very proud of my crazy little Kunoichi. Here's hoping you enjoyed this chapter. Now, please favorite and review! ;)