Mission

"You cannot be serious!" Haruka shouted angrily.
"I know this seems unreasonable," the Kazekage replied calmly, "but there is no one of a higher rank currently available. This responsibility therefore falls to you."
"What about you? You do realise that I'll be killed?"
"It is my responsibility to protect the village. I cannot simply let this incident pass."
"So, you've already given up?" She rolled her eyes. "You don't want him stopped, do you? You just want to see what clever tricks he's got up his sleeve."
"It is your duty as a shinobi of the village to follow orders." The Kazekage was losing his patience now. "Follow him as far as you can. See where he is headed and I will send reinforcements as soon as they become available. Go!"
Then, knowing she had no choice, Haruka left the Kazekage's office and pursued her target – Akasuna no Sasori.

She could travel much faster than him since she didn't need to remain hidden from any passersby so caught up to him quickly on the outskirts of Suna. This did, however, mean that he was completely aware of being followed. Finally, he turned around to face her. Stood before him was a girl he estimated to be about fifteen with tanned, exotic looking skin and shoulder length white hair. Intricate braids circled her head and framed the village symbol on her headband.
"Is this who they send?" he questioned with a casual sigh. "I had no idea they thought so little of me."
"Well, I'm not thrilled with this arrangement either," she grumbled, reaching to her weapon pouch.
A thin smile played on his lips. "Oh? Well I'll play with you for a while. If you were to simply let me leave, you would be betraying the village too."

Despite her regular arguments with the Kazekage, it was nothing she would leave the village for. She was too young to understand or care about politics, she had never been in trouble with any of the authorities, she was not especially rebellious, so even though she often disagreed with him, it would never influence her to leave the village. She wondered what kind of person you had to be to desert and looked at the red-head in front of her. She frowned. Evil?
She didn't move, reluctant to start a fight with the notoriously skilful puppeteer. She doubted she could even hold him off until reinforcements arrived. That would be at least half an hour.
"Won't you fight me?" her opponent asked lightly with the same tone one might ask a lady to dance.

She suddenly snapped, throwing handfuls of kunai at him. Disappearing in an explosion of thick, purple smoke, he evaded them easily.
"I'll have to hold my breath," she thought, cursing him. The lack of oxygen quickly made her dizzy but she managed to quickly make a clone and hide herself under the sand.
Before the smoke cleared, he managed to trap her with thin wires, restraining her movements and pulling tight so she bled. He sighed. This battle couldn't drag. It was wasting his time and he knew the village would send more skilful reinforcements soon. He had to end it quickly, but killing a girl with this little skill was pointless. He would prove his ability to the village in a different way - a way that would make them fear him.

Her chakra control was better than expected and the clone continued to resist. Concentrating on the clone, he failed to locate his real target and released the wires in shock as he was suddenly kicked from below. How had he fallen for such a cheap trick? As he fell, he saw her forming hand seals for another attack. Before her attack could be revealed, he had already summoned a slightly disfigured puppet. Its mouth opened and released a needle which pierced the skin at the base of her neck. The effect was immediate - she suddenly stopped moving, stared straight forward, wide eyed and within seconds, collapsed.

"I can see you have questions," Sasori drawled.
"Ah," she replied, finding herself unable to speak.
"This is a very effective paralysis drug." Sensing her shock, he continued. "Don't worry. Its effects are temporary. Now…"
She lay uncomfortably on the ground as he knelt beside her and opened a leather pouch. Inside she could see vials in a whole spectrum of colours.
"The problem is this," he began, holding up an amber liquid to the light before placing it back in the pouch. "My grandmother, Chiyo, will be able to make antidotes from any sample in your blood. You see? I'd be giving away my secrets if I used my most dangerous poisons on you."
She longed for her movement back so she could punch him. Couldn't he just get on with torturing her?
"You don't mind me testing something, do you?"
An angry noise escaped her clenched teeth.
"Impatient? I'm not a man who likes to be kept waiting myself."
Then, he injected the dark, inky contents of a vial into her upper arm and taking a kunai from her pouch, slashed across her shoulder, tearing her clothing.
"Now, before I go," he murmured and began looking through her pockets. She made sounds of protest, thinking he would rob her. When he produced her ID card, she was surprised. "I'm no petty thief," he said, disgusted. "Thank you, Haruka. I expect someone will be here to fetch you shortly. I'd recommend closing your eyes now so the drug doesn't force them open. If the wind rises anymore, you'll get sand in them."
With that, he rose from his kneeling position, turned on his heel and with a swish of his robes, was gone. Haruka was left lying in the sand, paralysed and with torn clothing, with no idea of the real damage caused.


This is the first chapter of my new (and first ever) series devoted to the lovely Akasuna no Sasori (: This is just a little intro, a bit of backgroud etc.

Hope you enjoy it - and let me know what you think so far! ^^ Otherwise I'll be disheartened and never update. True story.
- Lu Ci.