A/N: Is it a bird, is it a plane? No. It's the start of what will hopefully become my first ever completed Naruto fic. Reviews appreciated, flames welcome too. :) Enjoy! xo

The Only Exception.

"Sasori, Yumi, pack your things. I'm sending you on a mission. Here's a scroll explaining what you have to do." Pain's ominous voice spoke from behind the shadows.

This news didn't please Sasori. He had only ever been on a mission with her once before, and that ended in disaster. From what he had gathered, her personality was the almost the exact clone of Deidara's - everything that he hated and disagreed with. He certainly wasn't going to enjoy this.

He sighed whole-heartedly and bought his hand up to rub his eyes. "Hai, master.." He stepped forward and took the scroll from Pain, gritting his teeth as he did so. He turned back angrily and left the room. His eyes were fixed in front of him, glaring daggers at whatever dared to cross their path. He made his way to his room and slammed the door in anger.

"What's got you so angry, un?" His blonde roommate spoke, looking up from his book.

"What's got me angry? What's got me fucking angry? I've been teamed up with that annoying cow, AGAIN." He spoke, wrath apparent in his voice.

"Calm down, Sasori Danna. She can't be that bad.." Deidara spoke, rolling his eyes at the red haired ninja.

Sasori let out a long, frustrated sigh and continued to pull a bag from under his bed. Throwing a few items of clothing, scrolls and weapons into it, he stormed back out of the room and stood by the front door of the building, waiting for Yumi.

"Hey Sasori Danna!" Her chirpy voice called from behind him. He turned swiftly to meet the somehow warm grey eyes of the auburn haired, five-foot-three kunoichi. She moved her fringe from her eyes, a questioning expression on her face. "What's wrong?" She spoke, softly. "Nothing, let's go." Were the only words that were said back to her before they left.

Well, this is gonna be a long mission.. She thought as she frowned slightly, walking behind the older ninja.

Even after ten minutes of walking, he still found her company unbearable. The pair hadn't even spoke a single word to each other since they left the hideout. The silence was awkward and tense, but he made no attempt to break it. He didn't want to speak to her. He'd rather sit through the entire of 'Friday' by Rebecca Black.

They had been walking for what must've been three hours now, the only communicating being what small talk he'd accept from her, when Yumi decided to break the silence. "Soooo.." Her voice spoke from behind him. His eyes narrowed in impatience. He hated nothing more about her than the way she would make small talk. A few seconds passed and before he spoke back, a tone of annoyance crystal clear in his voice. "What?" Came the reply. "What's the mission, then..?" Yumi said awkwardly, hoping that he wouldn't get any angrier. Sasori pulled the scroll from inside his cloak and unraveled it, skimming over the contents. She stood behind him and peered over his shoulder, trying to make out what it said.

He glanced over at the young kunoichi behind him and moved the scroll out of her line of view. "I'm reading it first.." He said, almost childishly. "Wha-" She was cut off by him shushing her harshly. He shook his head as he read and muttered something that sounded like 'unbelievable' under his breath. He rolled his eyes as he explained the mission. "We have to go to the Hidden Village of Sound to assassinate their chairman of weapons. He has important information about the Akatsuki and we can't take any risks in letting that get out." He stood with his hand on his hip, looking thoroughly unamused. "Whatever.." He said, before Yumi could say anything. "We should stop for the night. It's getting dark."

The pair sat beside a small campfire in the middle of the woods, trying to warm themselves on this unusually cold summer evening. Sasori glanced at the younger ninja over the burning golden flames. She was painting in an old sketchbook of hers. He moved closer to her, trying to work out what it was that she was painting. Upon further examination, he realized that it was a family. A mother, a father, and a young girl. It looked just like her.

"That girl looks just like you.." The words just slipped from his mouth, he'd been so caught up remembering his own family in her painting that he'd forgotten to keep his guard up. "It is me.." She said in response, smiling at him as she did so. He realized now that he was sitting only about ten centimeters away from her. Looking somewhat flustered, he scooted away from her swiftly. "It's good." He said briskly, trying to regain his composure. He'd never let his guard slip enough to actually speak to her nicely before. He couldn't help but wonder if she was like him too..

"So you're an only child, then?.." He said casually, actually making conversation. To say the least, Yumi was shocked at this. She didn't expect him to want to talk to her after how quiet he'd been earlier. "Yeah, my older brother died at war with another nation when I was six. That's the reason I joined Akatsuki - to try to bring peace to this world, whatever it takes.." Yumi said, sadness in her voice as she looked at a picture stuck in the front cover of her book, a picture of what Sasori presumed to be her brother. At this, he reached down to the floor and gathered a handful of sand. Letting it fall from his palm like an hourglass, he spoke softly "Time heals all wounds.."

She smiled slightly as she yawned and stretched her arms behind her head. "I guess so.." She said as she rose to her feet and made her way over to where she was sleeping. "Goodnight, Sasori Danna."

He smiled into the shadows.

"Goodnight, Yumi.."

A/N: So there it is, the start of my first ever complete (hopefully) Naruto fic! :D How about it then, folks? ;D R&R please, because personally I think this is.. Good-ish :) You know what to do! xo