AN: This is co-written with the great Sailor Ronin Usa-chan, and without her.... you would be reading a chapter with a whopping 99 mistakes --;;;;;; So all hail Usa-chan! Spoiler warning! This chapter picks up from around episode 90 of Naruto.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything, except for the story plot of course =P

Prologue

To describe the day as merely 'hot' was a huge understatement. It was days like these that made Usagi wish (and not for the first time) that she was born as a boy. She looked enviously at a passing man who was bare from the waist up, and then looked down at her own kimono that covered her from head to foot, because it was the 'proper' attire for a young girl. Properness her bum, she was being steamed alive in the thick cloth, and as if that wasn't enough, the lacquered sandals were cutting into her delicate feet, making every step seem like walking on a thousand needles.

Water... she needed water. Anymore walking in the sun, and she was sure that she would be a piece of human jerky by the end of the day. Why did she have to be such a fool? Wouldn't it have been easier to just stay where she used to be? She winced, better not think of that, she wanted to prove that she was more than a leech. She was capable of living on her own. She would prove to them all that she was an independent woman. Her lips curled into a sneer, she didn't need to be married to survive... not like all the other girls.

But back to the topic at hand, she still needed something to drink before she could take another step. And some food would be good too, her stomach growled, reminding her.

She brushed back her sweat soaked bangs, and shaded her eyes with her hand, looking over the sun-baked hills for something, anything that could offer the dearly needed shelter and refreshments. Slowly, as if answering her prayer... something small and brown appeared amidst the rising heat waves. It was definitely rooted to the ground and resembled a human establishment.

Giving out a cry of relief through her dry throat and patched lips, she picked up the hem of her kimono and tried to run on her sore feet. Forgotten was the pain as the promises of sweet cool water to quench her unbearable thirst and wonderful sweets that would melt in her mouth to sate her empty stomach made her feet as light as air. Closer and closer she came, but for some reason the closer she became the farther the little building seemed. God must be playing a trick on her.

Wiping the sweat away from her tired and stinging eyes, she was so tempted to just reach out and grab the building and hold it still so that it wouldn't run away from her. It was probably due to the heat of the desert, but she certainly forgot everything the old man told her... that there was such a thing called a mirage. Certainly even if it wasn't because of the heat, someone as carefree as Usagi would not remember it anyway. It had been like this forever, information would just go in one ear and out the other... making everyone give up on her after countless tries. That was why instead of going to the Ninja Academy like most kids her age, her caretaker decided that it was best to teach the girl at home.

It wasn't her fault that she found other things more interesting than learning the best way to kill someone. Usagi frowned, she hated how everyone thought so highly of ninjutsu, she hated blood and killing with a passion. Actually she hated all violence. How could people pride their killing skills above all else was beyond her. If she was the Kage of her village, she would make everyone abandon fighting, after all, peace was best attained through peaceful measures. She would one day show them how wrong it was... one day, she would take her teachings far and wide, she would show how enemies could become friends and embrace. Tears spilled over as she pictured it in her mind, two bitter rivals hugging each other crying with the setting sun behind them. She would achieve it one day.

She had to admit though, even though she was against all the fighting and blood spilling, there were some pretty neat tricks that she picked up on the way. Too bad that none of them involved turning hot sand into water and food though, Usagi thought bitterly as she trudged on, eyes closed against the dry wind and walked on blindly.

The blond continued like that for quite a while, not caring where she was going, if her eyes couldn't be trusted than might as well not use them and give them a rest. Her sharp nose picked up a faint odor.

"Odangos!" The blue eyes opened wildly, and it was as if a whole new person was standing in the place of the dehydrated girl. Just the smell of the tantalizing meal was enough to rejuvenate her. Her mouth watered with just the thought of the delicious meal ahead of her. And sure enough not even fifty meters directly ahead was the welcoming sight of large building that seemed oddly out of place in the middle of the desert.

Doing what she was famed for, the blond made a mad dash through the polished front doors. The coolness was such a shock to the heat outside that she was almost knocked out off her feet.

"Irasshai!" An old but friendly old man said. "Sit sit young lady. What can I get you on such a hot day?"

Usagi all but collapsed on the wooden bench. The cool smooth surface felt so nice against her hot skin, she missed the frown on the owner's face as some of the sweat from her skin dripped on to his clean table.

"To start things off, can I have some chilled tea please?" the reply was muffled as the bunny was still in heaven rubbing her face against the table. "And after that, I want a serving of everything on your menu."

"I'm sorry young lady. But we only sell sake and odango here," the old man said.

"Then get me some cold sake please and fifty odangos," she only had sake once before, and after her guardian saw the effect of alcohol on her, it was no wonder he forbid her to drink that delicious drink again. But her guardian wasn't here...

"Fifty odangos?" The man asked wide eyed. "As in five tens?"

"Yes FIFTY odangos," Usagi nodded gravely. That should be enough for an appetizer right?


A loud burp echoed in the empty restaurant. The owner winced at the rude behavior. The girl had no etiquette at all. Food particles were sprayed everywhere on the table and sake was splashed on the floor. The blond girl was singing out of tune at the top of her lungs and her face was covered in bits of hanging food. He felt sorry for her parents... surely they must be troubled about marrying such a swine of a girl off.

"Yo! You old man," a drunken hand pointed at the owner and beckoned him over.

He pasted on a smile and tried not to wince when she patted him hard on his back, almost hard enough to make him fall to his knees. "I have to tell you a little secret." Usagi whispered in his ear, her face pinked by the alcohol.

"Are you sure you want to tell me about it young lady?" The old man tried to pull away, but the strangely strong arm held him in place.

"Of course I want to!" Usagi looked a little offended. "I tell what I want to whoever I want to! No one dares to boss me around!" she practically roared out making the old man's ear ring, but then an alcohol induced smile graced her face. "But this concerns you too." She dropped her voice to a whisper again. "You see, I don't have any money."

"YOU DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY?!?!?!" This time it was the old restaurant owner's turn to cry out.

Immediately five huge men came out of what had looked like a wall, all brandishing knives that were too long to be kitchen utensils. Suddenly it was as if a pail of cold water was poured over Usagi's head, making her head as clear as ice. She blinked at the five men who leered down at her, and only one phrase came out of her mouth. "Oh crap."

"You just ate fifty odangos and drank six jugs of cold sake young lady, care to tell us how you are going to pay us back if you don't have any money?" The old man who seemed to be so friendly before suddenly seemed as evil as the devil himself to the young girl.

Usagi laughed nervously. "I... er... I have this nice little flower bracelet that I made..." She yelled and covered her head as one of the long knives flew by her head, missing her skin by a scant millimeter.

"Ha ha, I guess you don't want that," her voice rose a few octaves higher and also a few decibels louder. "What if I clean all your dishes, make new odangos, and wash this whole room from the top to bottom with a tooth brush?"

"We don't have that many customers, and I don't want someone as sloppy as you to work for me," the grouchy old man said, making Usagi swallow thickly eying the remaining knives that the five 'bodyguards' were caressing so lovingly in their thick hands.

"She's pretty enough, we can make a lot if we keep her here," one rogue spoke, sending shivers of disgust down the blonde's spine. The man's words made the restaurant owner inspect the girl carefully. It was true that she did have a pretty face. There was some baby fat left but that would disappear soon enough. The hair was nice and long, men liked girls with long hair. The color was pretty rare too, not to mention it was a very pure gold not the dirty blonds that most people have and it shinned like the metal under the sun. Her eyes were attractive too, wide and innocent, how his clients would fight for her... she would fetch a nice price if he could only polish her manners up a little.

Oh god, she was going to be forced into a prostitution ring, scared eyes moved back and forth as the men closed in on her. There was only one way... she didn't want to do this... and truth be told she had never done this before... but desperate times called for desperate measures.

Biting her thumb hard until she tasted blood, she put her hands together and moved them into the seals she saw her guardian performed once when she was bored and decided to spy. This might not work... but she had nothing to lose and everything to gain if it worked.

"Is she a ninja?" One of the men asked as Usagi slammed her hand down and a poof of smoke went up, hiding her from their view.

"What the hell?"

When the smoke cleared, all the men were surprised to see Usagi still standing there. Wasn't she supposed to flee when they were blinded by the smoke? But there she was, standing and gawking at a pink haired little girl standing at her feet with the most outlandish and not to mention revealing outfit ever. If the child wasn't so small it would've been considered to be public indecency to be walking around in nothing but a bathing suite kind of clothes.

"Sailor Moon! I've been waiting forever to meet you!" The pink haired child cried out happily and glomped Usagi's legs.

"What... what happened?" the blond girl stared at the abnormality that was currently hugging her. "It's supposed to be an animal isn't it? Why did a little girl pop out? How is she suppose to protect me when she's like four?" Usagi groaned. Why did things always go wrong when she tried to perform them? Now instead of being protected, it looked like she would have to be the one to protect. Anomaly or not, she would not let such a small child be harassed by a group of coldhearted slave traders.

"Hey! My name may be Chibi-Usa but I'm not an animal!" the little girl kicked the legs she was hugging, grinning as Usagi winced in pain. "And secondly, I may be only five years old but I am a sailor senshi and I stand for love and justice! I will not let any innocent girls be sold into prostitution while I'm around!" the pink haired senshi ended with a strange pose that had everyone stare at her.

"Hey boss... is that little brat supposed to defeat us?" One of the men asked pointing at the little girl. He got a slap in the head for that question.

"What do you think you idiot?"

Taking her chance while the men were distracted, Usgai watched in curiosity as the pink haired girl whipped out an equally pink stick from out of nowhere.

"Pink Sugar Heart Attack!" Pink hearts shot out of the end of the stick and hit everyone in the face.

"Ouch! That stings! Watch where you point that thing brat!" All around them, knives were dropped as the bandits covered their faces from the pink hearts.

"What are you waiting for Usagi? Let's go!" Small hands pushed the back of her legs trying to make them move.

"But... but... I can't just leave like that! I know that I don't have money but it's just not right to eat and run!" The blond argued.

"What? You want them to sell you to every man who comes here?!" the pink haired girl said in annoyance.

"No! But it's just not right! I'm just trying to solve a problem without using violence," The blond stubbornly held her place. She walked to where the old owner was sitting on the ground still protecting his face and helped him up. "I'm sorry that I don't have money, and I refuse to be used as a prostitute, but if there's anything else that you can help me with, I'd be glad to help to repay my debt... as long as it's within my abilities and not breaking any laws of course." She added the last part.

"You want to pay... a ninja with bizarre skills..." The old man murmured. Well if there was one person who owed him more money than this girl...

"Fine, if you want to pay me back, there is another way," the picture was thrust in front of Usagi's face.

The bunny blinked and backed away until the picture wasn't just a blurry mass of colors. She swallowed thickly when she saw the subject. It looked like a woman in her late twenties, also blond. But the big difference here was that unlike Usagi who was as slim as a lily, this blond was muscled and strong like an oak, her eyes were brown and full of stubborn determination.

"Find this woman for me and make her pay back all the money she stole from me, and I'll consider your debt repaid."

AN: Read and review please, constructive criticism appreciated, and please let Usa-chan know if you like the story (she's suppose to write the next chapter =P).