A soft moan escaped through a closed door as Baki walked through the Manor of Roses. It wasn't typical for him to enter such a house, but the Kazekage had sent him to conduct a research on their newest study since his first experiment was failing. Baki kept his gaze ahead of him until he reached the more lavish part of the manor. Servants were going about their morning chores as a draped and robed woman sat in front of her tea table. At least he could get an appointment with this woman, she was hard to pin-down.

"I'm glad you could make it, Shinobi-san," the woman gave him a cold smile.

Immediately, Baki didn't trust this woman. He didn't like the looks he was recieving from her servants. Where were this woman's pupils? More importantly, where was the next experiment? The woman must've noticed his watchful eyes, because she gave a soft sigh before sipping her tea, "She is doing her chores. I don't allow any of my students to be properly seen until they're of age."

"We're not talking about any child here," Baki grimaced as he sat on the other side of the tea table, "There's no other reason why i'd be here, I don't trust your kind."

The woman's deep brown eyes glanced up at Baki with a hint of aggression for a brief moment, but calmed down instantly. This woman, her private empire, were known as Geisha of the Sand. But, to those who knew what they really were, they were more than just pretty faces who were hired for parties and their own traditions. Those selected by the Kazekage and the matriarch were used as Floral Assassins, young geisha that had the same abilities as a typical kunoichi. The woman sat her tea down before responding to Baki, "Surely you didn't come all this way to banter with me, Shinobi. We're on the same side in every battle. Now, if you wish to discuss a price, I'd like to-"

"Anything," Baki interupted, causing a gasp from a servant, "The Kazekage has stated that he'd be willing to pay in full for the kid's expenses and whatever else she'll need for your training. Any debt she causes you will be reimbursed."

Her eyes glistened with anticipation as she hid her small grin with her hand-held fan. Baki's stomach churned at the sight. This woman was full of greed no matter how beautiful she was. He watched as she ordered one of her servants to retrieve the girl before turning back to Baki. She placed the fan on the table before sipping her tea once again. This time, her smile slowly faded and she calmly gazed into his own eyes, "You Shinobi know of war and assassination, but you do not know the art of true assassination. If the Kazekage is true to his word and her debt to me is paid in full, I will present the best Desert Rose the likes of Suna has ever seen."

Baki didn't want to question this woman further. The look she kept giving him, her cold gaze, was sending a wave of panic throughout his body. If this was just the surface of her kind, then he needed to hurry up his research. Then, the sliding doors behind the woman crept open and out walked the child the Kazekage was putting all of his efforts into. She was rather young...then again, he'd experimented a weapon out of a newborn. Baki didn't think twice about the Kazekage's decision and stood up as well as the woman. The woman went to the girl and placed her hand on the child's head as she looked over at Baki, "This is Oroshi, a native to the Sunagakure and orphaned as an infant. Her parents died in the war a month after her birth. She was lucky I found her in the stinking orphanage she was placed in."

"I couldn't imagine why you'd be in such a place," Baki retorted.

The woman gave a hint of a glare towards him before smiling. She gently pulled Oroshi behind her, "I pick out all my best pupils in such hideous places, they always end up blooming to be one of the loveliest. Now that you've seen my prize, we can discuss the fees of her lessons, clothing, shelter, food, and accessories."

Baki wasn't surprised by the price that the woman was placing on the child. However, he wasn't entirely sure that the Kazekage was willing to put all the money of his village into jeopardy for one child to turn into the assassin he desired. The shinobi left the manor feeling uneasy as he walked through the village. He'd be back to the manor as soon as Oroshi's lessons begin, but he'd wished he had grabbed another mission instead of this one.

Soon enough, he was at the Kazekage's office with his written report. The Kazekage skimmed through the pages before allowing the pages to fall onto his desk. He glanced up at Baki with a half smile, "This is going to work. I know this for sure."

"Lord Kazekage, may I speak freely?" Baki asked, then breathed easy when the Kazekage waved his question, "What about Gaara?"

This was the wrong question to ask. The Kazekage hardened his gaze before answering, "It's a lost cause. My mistakes won't happen again. Going through a demon wasn't the best idea, but having an assassin built with my instructions is fool proof."

"She'll still be a geisha with business still in her mind," Baki debated, "We can't send her to the war front, we can't make her go on missions for income. What will you do with her?"

"She'll be the first of her kind," the Kazekage sat down in his chair before leaning back, "A new kind of kunoichi, a special kind. It'll be a new tactic for war that no one will see coming. But this one, this little project of mine, i'm going to have her kill Gaara, too."

Baki froze. The child he had seen earlier, Oroshi, was supposed to kill Gaara, the Kazekage's youngest son? But...Gaara had managed to kill dozens of shinobi so far, even his own uncle. He could easily tear through a girl with some skill to her. Baki glanced away from the Kazekage before taking a step back, "I'll leave you with your work, Lord Kazekage. My next report will be on her first lesson."

"Good work, Baki," the Kazekage stated as the Sand Shinobi left the office.

"The day has finally come, Oroshi."

The bidding war was over, and the Daimyo of the Sound Country has won. From his portrait, he looked like a seemingly handsome man, but Hana, the woman who mentored Oroshi's lessons, always said that these portraits were painted lies. Hana, who had aged gently over the years, tucked the gray strands of hair behind her ear as she examined the portrait alongside Oroshi, "He should be an easy one. The thinner they are on these landscape of lies the more guillable they are to our faces. Take heed, however, Sound is not on many good terms and our country is one of their few allies. Don't start a war."

"I won't," Oroshi bowed gently to Hana, "All the precautions have been made. The shinobi have been contacted as my escort."

Hana had Oroshi sit up before gazing down at her pupil, "This will be our last meeting, Oroshi. After tonight, you will be sent off for the night i've been working hard for. Your payment has been made, and you shall be in the Kazekage's hands. Don't let him take your petals."

Oroshi nodded, her rich brown hair cascaded down her back as her silver eyes turned to the window. She would be escorted any minute now by a team of shinobi. Hana already informed her of her duties, and meeting them would start her ultimate mission. A servant entered Oroshi's room and bowed roughly onto the tatami mats, "My ladies, the shinobi have arrived."

"Retrieve Oroshi's luggage into the carriage," Hana stood up.

"Yes, ma'am," the servant bowed once again before leaving the room.

Oroshi stood and fixed her dark blue kimono, smoothing out the wrinkles before turning to Hana. This would not be a good bye. The young maiko knew that she was leaving a pupil and coming back a geisha. Since Hana has retired they couldn't be rivals. However, Oroshi gave the same cold gaze back to her once-mentor, any pupil that Hana has would be Oroshi's rival. The two gave each other a bow before Oroshi turned and left her old room. Each room that held another soon-to-be maiko gave her a look, each varying it's own weight. Some held contempt for the opportunity she was given, and some were of utter fear for the role she has been given. Not only was she dancing along the line of danger, but she was also becoming that danger as well.

The burning desert sun brazenly bestowed it's rays down heavily on the village that day. Oroshi opened her parasol as soon as she entered the outdoors to see the shinobi that she would be departing with. Baki was a familiar face throughout her 9 years of training for this moment, the other three were recognizeable faces. One stood out. Gaara. Their gaze met and Oroshi felt the air leave her body. She remained outwardly unphased as she turned her gaze to the oldest Sand sibling, Temari, and then to the middle child, Kankurou. Baki stepped forward, "If you're ready, we can depart soon."

"We're going to have to wait," Temari grudgingly commented on the number of suitcases being packed onto the large carriage solely for Oroshi, "It looks like the beauty queen is still getting her things ready."

"Any girl should have multiple choices for clothing and care about her looks," Oroshi stepped onto the stone path towards the carriage, giving Temari a disdainful look as she looked the kunoichi up and down, "Even you have the potential of caring, but it seems you have over-looked this."

"You little-" Temari growled towards Oroshi, until Kankurou pulled Temari back, "Let me go!"

"Calm down, Temari," Kankurou grumbled before pulling Temari behind him, "Hey there, my name is Kankurou if you're interested to know."

Without giving an answer, Oroshi smiled briskly up at Kankurou before entering the carriage. Temari noticed Kankurou frozen and transfixed on the path Oroshi had walked on. She angrily smacked the back of his head before turning ot Baki, "Is this a serious mission? We're taking this girl to get laid by some rich guy in Sound!?"

"Watch your mouth!" Baki snapped on Temari, then smacked the back of Kankurou's head as well, "Both of you will keep your distance from her from this point on. We're only escorts. When we reach the borders of Sounds, we'll still be her escorts. On her way back from sound, we can't be seen."

Both Temari and Kankurou looked at each other with some understanding. Then, Temari turned to see Gaara was just looking at the carraige with some interest, but soon turn towards his siblings, "What are we waiting for."

Not even a question. Temari looked back at Baki, "Are we going after anyone?"

"Not us," Baki answered as the carriage began to move and the team followed around the carriage, "If this mission goes as planned, we have ourselves a new weapon for our village."