A/N: This is my first fanfiction written in years. My skills are a little rusty, but I think I may be getting the hang of it again. I'll insert the disclaimer in a little bit after my note. This story has been haunting me for years, literally, and I finally decided to write some of it down. The plot is not set in stone and I have not been reading the manga since Tobi's identity was revealed, so suggestions and critiques would still be appreciated. Thankies!
Disclaimer: The characters and the franchise belong to Masashi Kishimoto and Shueisha. The plot here belongs to me.
And with that, let the story begin.
The Best Laid Plans
It was worth it. Hell. It was worth it.
She knew he was watching her; she could feel his eyes following her every move. She tried to ignore him, concentrating on her drink, and inwardly cursing herself for coming here alone. There were a few vital facts that had to be accepted when entering hostile territory. The first was that danger was omnipresent; few were lucky (either that or unbelievably skilled) enough to return home without being inflicted a single fatal injury. Only the most trusted shinobi, in the direst circumstances, were sent on missions to through this zone. The second fact was that for survival, trust is often abandoned; every person met was a potential spy. The third fact, usually forgotten in a place rife with violence, was that it was no use holding onto grudges because it typically resulted in death.
The first two Temari had grasped at an early age in a family ravaged by greed and ambition. Constantly sent on back-to-back high level missions, the Sand Siblings were accustomed to the hardships in foreign conflicts. In addition, Kankuro was born a prankster, thus distrust was learned naturally. However, she had not yet accepted the third fact. Teeth clenched and fist drawn, she glared at the lone man sitting across the bar largely responsible for her brother's (temporary) death.
Sasori. He was a large man adorned with a large straw hat and a black cloak with red cloud patterns. A black bandana concealed the lower portion of his face, leaving his fierce eyes to meet her equally hostile dark green orbs. Despite having a bottle before him, he seemed uninterested in the drink. He had not yet touched it in the three hours she sat waiting here. Meanwhile, a couple of empty glasses littered her counter. Taking another small sip of the amber liquid, she performed a quick visual sweep around the room. Most of the customers were preoccupied with their own mugs and bottles. Whispered flirtations and high-pitched giggles could be heard from the smoky corner of the room. At another end, loud, burly voices sang tunelessly to a local melody but with great vigor. Whoever he was waiting for obviously had not arrived yet. Neither was the one for her.
Her current mission involved espionage in the Village Hidden in Rain. Baki-sensei was supposed to brief her on the important details sometime in the late afternoon. It was now evening. Her fear for her instructor and the presence of her brother's murderer kept her on edge, but the alcohol helped calm some of the nerves. If only another ally could appear, there was a chance they could overpower the missing nin. However, alone, she knew would be futile. There was greater safety in numbers. Typically, she engaged in missions with her siblings, but this was one of the few exceptions. Gaara was still recuperating from his resurrection, and Kankuro served as his fulltime bodyguard, leaving her with the task of fulfilling their shinobi duties. The demand had been high for this particular mission, with ties rumored leading to the Akatsuki, and the proof lay before her in the figure of the dangerous man.
She was a sip away from finishing her drink when he finally began to stir. A flash of blond appeared outside the window. The beverage and the mission were momentarily forgotten as the bulky figure gracefully made his way to the exit. She slipped out of her seat and whisked towards the man's direction, regardless of the prior appointment.
The first blast of icy wind sent a blanket of goose bumps over her skin, and she sharply bit her tongue to hold back a whimper of discomfort. Apparently, the drinks had not dulled enough of her senses. Rubbing her hands against her upper arms, she made her way down the cobblestone path. The damp road was dimly lit by the lights of surrounding stores. Few people loitered around at night, and the ones that did bore indications of a high ninja ranking. She scanned across the top of the heads until she found her target with his hat removed. He was conversing with a similarly dressed young blond male, his partner and another adversary the woman recognized.
An unhappy groan itched to escape her throat. Great. Another drawback. If handling one was going to be a miracle, then two would be next to impossible. She would have to wait patiently. Temari preoccupied herself with a local sign as she waited for the duo to separate. Their hushed voices were a mixture of urgency from the bomber and impatience from the puppeteer. Whatever they were discussing appeared significant and highly confidential. Straining to hear more of the conversation, she enhanced her ears with small traces of chakra. Only a few faint words reached them.
"…two tailed beast…"
"…Kakuzu…"
"…Extraction…"
Extraction… extraction... Her eyes widened in alarm in recognition of the subject. However, when she glanced towards their original location, the Akatsuki had disappeared. Her heart gave a worried lurch. Where did they-
Suddenly, the girl felt slight pressure on her shoulder and hot breath from behind as a sickening sweet voice whispered in her ear, "So, we've got a little eavesdropper, now do we, yeah? I wonder what this little mouse is here for."
She was unofficially dead as of now.
His partner materialized before her, his expression cold, impassive, and blank. Scratch that. Now she was dead. The passerby seemed to recognize the cloaks because the streets were soon cleared. Trains of profanity ran through her head. Temari tried to ignore the new sheen of sweat the broke out and instead threw out the most venomous glare she could muster at the puppeteer. If looks could kill, she was going to make sure hers would massacre. Unfortunately, he appeared unfazed and walked slowly towards the girl. Quick green eyes darted around the shopping district in search of an escape route only to find none. Where was Baki-sensei when she needed him the most? Perhaps leaving the bar alone hadn't been her most brilliant idea. Her eyes shifted back to the bulky man before her. He was now close enough for her to make out the wood grains on his skin.
Sasori's deep voice spoke void of humor, "It appears that the Ichibi's elder sister is here to exact revenge. …And judging by her current situation, all signs are indicating that her attempt was unsuccessful." Her dark eyes narrowed in contempt. The blond's sadistic laughter grated against her ear.
"No words can describe the loathing I feel for you village traitors," Temari bit out.
"Oh. Of that, I have no doubt," the shrouded man shrugged uninterestedly, "but I do question the nature of your visit." A wooden scorpion tail slithered out from under his cloak and wrapped gingerly around the girl's slender neck. Upon second inspection, she noticed that each blade was carefully sharpened. If this man was any bit like her brother, there was a high probability each blade was covered in poison. "What is Suna doing so far away from its allies?"
"I could ask the same of you," she growled. Her wooden choker tightened.
"Spare us the time and effort, and just cough out the information, yeah."
"…Escort," the lie slipped easily from her lips. "I was escorting an ambassador back home."
The two men exchanged skeptical glances; it was clear that none of them believed her words. Still she maintained her confident, hateful façade. "What is Akatsuki doing out here?"
At the question, the blond man sinisterly smiled, "Well, you wouldn't believe our luck. After receiving reports of unusually large influxes of foreign tourists, it seems we chanced upon a couple of Suna and Konoha shinobi, one of which should be awfully familiar to you." A bingo book flipped to the page of Baki-sensei was shoved before her. Name. Age. Nature type. It was all there. She felt the muscles in her face harden. "A shame, really. You missed it all. We just finished our battle less than half an hour ago."
It seemed an eternity had passed before she could finally respond. A new breakout of goose bumps popped up over her body, and she directed her eyes away from the men. Dampness in dark green threatened to spill out. Never before had she wanted to murder another person more than now. The textured hand left its place on her shoulder, moving under her chin and lifting her face up to level with Deidara's. The mocking voice cooed, "Oh, don't worry your pretty little face about him yet, yeah. He's still alive, at least for now."
Sasori joined in, "And he may remain so if you give us the information we need."
Shit. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and there seemed to be no way out.
A/N: How's that for the first chapter? Remember to R&R and press that little button on the bottom of the page. Suggestions and critiques are appreciated. Thankies again!