He stared down from his perch, unsure of whether to attack and create another puppet or to leave well enough alone. His eyes watched the girl twirl, finger alive with the soft violet of chakra. Her hands touched one another, bringing forth a flash of lightning between her palms.

She pulled her hands apart, staring down at the burn that had settled itself on her pale flesh. Still unknowing of what to do, he leaned over, watching as she knelt beneath the tree he'd claimed and pulled a small container of salve. She closed her eyes and winced, probably from the initial contact of her fingers to the wound.

By this time he was curious. He couldn't quite catch sight of her eyes, but from her form, he knew he wanted her to be his next masterpiece. Failing to greet her, his feet made contact with the ground and his sharp eyes met a strange purity.

She was unlike those he knew, her eyes without a hint of fright, her mouth upturned in a soft smile.

"Ohayou," she mumbled quietly, looking away from him and down at her fingers.

Perchance, she'd known he was there. He refrained from shaking his head. She couldn't have known. He was a great shinobi, able to hide from any enemy. Her teeth had captured her lower lip when he'd come to, staring at her hunched shoulders.

She looked up at him once again, probably wondering why he hadn't replied. However, instead of asking him a question, a hue of pink found her cheeks. She continued to apply salve. "You were… watching me," she said with a gentle whisper.

"Hai," he said, questioning where she was going with this.

"Did you… Did I…" she bit back more stumbling, finally creating sentences. "Why?"

He shrugged before smiling. He knelt before her, eyes catching hers for a few stray seconds. "You are beautiful."

Her pale eyes widened before she snapped them shut and shook her head frantically. "Iie," she mustered. When her eyes had opened once again, her chin was caught in his hand, the other wiping away an unwanted tear, the first drop of rain.

"Hai. You are," he told her, standing up. She followed suit, her hand having made its way to the fingertips that held her in place. Taking his hand in one hand and his wrist with the other, she planted a soft kiss on his fingertips.

With a sincere smile, she shook her head. "I am no beauty," she began, squeezing his hand to halt his words, "but thank you for the compliment, none-the-less."

He leaned over her smaller frame and pressed his lips against her forehead, feeling cool pattering against his neck. He pulled back and pressed a finger to his lips in an effort to tell her that he had not been there. "Bye," he said, turning to leave.

"Will I see you again?" she asked quietly, letting go of his hand.

He smiled gently and waved a little at her. "Maybe," he teased, walking away into the growing fog.

He took a small peek back, watching as her short black bangs stuck to her forehead and her form-fitting shirt began to wrinkle as it attempted to get closer to her. Taking the next step and the one after that, he wondered if he really would ever see her again.

- - -

I'm not sure 'bout Sasori's personality, so I… improvised a little…
Standard disclaimers apply.