"You know, when Kane told me that he had to skip out on this mission, I didn't think we'd get stuck with Raiko again…" Hiro muttered as we continued our journey back to the Sand Village, our mission almost complete.

I just smiled and looked ahead at Raiko, who was sprinting about 20 meters in front of Hiro and I, doing everything in her power to beat us to the village, "Be kind Hiro. I feel a bit bad for her." I admitted as I gingerly walked through the sand in order not to wake the sleeping 3 year old in my arms.

Hiro chuckled a bit and turned his head toward me, "Usual response for you, but why do you feel bad for her? She's been a pain and a liability this whole mission." The white haired 18 year old stated the dead honest truth.

I shrugged, "Well, I mean, she was originally in our class, then you got out when you were 10 along with Kane, and I got out when I was 8. I don't think she liked having to wait till she was 13 to graduate. Think about it, even now she's only a chunin, and we're up with the high jonin. I'd feel bad if I was her," I explained my reasoning.

He smiled, "But of course in the end, you'd rather have Kane here instead of her?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

I rolled my eyes, "He's my brother. Quit acting like he's my boyfriend, and yes. I'd rather have Kane here any day over her, but that's just because we're close… and he's smart with battle plans." I refuted.

Hiro, Kane, and I made up one of the Suna's highest and youngest jonin teams. Usually villages didn't put siblings together on the same ninja team, but we had gotten an acceptation. Actually, Kane and I had gotten a lot of acceptations throughout our lives, but that was another story. In the end, I didn't really think the conditions in which Kane and I had gotten where we were mattered as long as our team completed the missions and protected Suna faithfully. Unfortunately, since Kane was also one of the lead battle coordinators in the village, he got pulled from this mission to help deal with the impending attack on Konoha. It was sad that we had to attack one of the other 5 Great Shinobi Villages, but at the same time, I'd rather have Suna thrive than be in troubled times like they were now.

It was alright though; it was a pretty basic A-rank mission, locate and save the princess of one of the smaller, yet powerful villages in the Land of Wind. The father had been kidnapped 3 days before we were sent, and it was our job to protect the little three year old girl and bring her back to the Sand village for safety. Rogue ninjas were expected to come after the girl, yet we had seen none, so really it felt like a B-rank, possibly a C, but it didn't matter as long as Hiro and I had accomplished it and made sure Raiko didn't mess it up. A successful A-rank would help her resume a bit.

Hiro smirked, "So, you're open to a boyfriend then?" he chuckled.

I stopped in my tracks for a moment and just stared at him, "Was that your attempt to ask me out? Heckling me about my brother?" I asked.

He shrugged, "You got the message."

I smirked and walked right up to him, "Well… you're best friends with Kane… Maybe he wouldn't kill you too painfully if I went out with you…" I spoke nonchalantly.

Hiro smirked, "Eh, you're cute, I'm pretty sure you'd be worth dying for…" he chuckled, but all of a sudden his attitude changed and he starting speaking again, "300 meters back…" he stated, his voice a lot more strict and serious now.

I nodded, "I know. There are 3; they've been following for about the last hour or so, yet they are now speeding up…" I added on.

"What do you think…?" Hiro asked looking at the Sand Village, which was only about 3 miles away.

I sighed, "We're so close, and I really rather not get Raiko involved or wake up the child… if they speed up anymore or come any closer, then we will think of attacking. Could always just be merchants from another village." I analyzed the situation.

Hiro nodded and went back on topic, "So? Tonight? You and Me?"

I shook my head and smiled, "Will you buy sweets?" I asked raising my eyebrow, already knowing that Hiro was well aware of unhealthy love of sugar.

He chuckled, "Course," he smiled, a slight pride coming across his face that he had just gotten himself a date before he had even gotten home, yet that pride quickly left. Hiro then sighed and turned around, "What do you all want?" his voice now cold and heartless, the opposite of only a few seconds ago.

"We want the Gypsy." a scratchy voice growled.

I turned around to face 3 black cloaks with red clouds on them. The one who spoke wore a bandana over his mouth, and looked as he was all hunched over, almost as if he was crawling. On either side of the speaking one stood two other beings in identical cloaks, but stood up straight like normal people.
Gypsy… that was an almost unheard term ever since the purge… I tightened my grip on the small child and spoke in a steady tone, "Why would you want a Gypsy? All they are is a group of low lying thieves and liars; nothing decent comes from them… Besides, they were all killed off a decade ago."

Hiro shifted his gaze quickly at me, because of the statement I just made, but quickly put his attention back on the three enemies. "We have no Gypsies, they were all taken care of long ago," His voice apathetic.

The one who was hunched over began again, "…Sand Village ninja… pathetic as ever…" he growled.

As the center one made that remark, the one on the left slowly took off his straw hat to reveal his face. A cocky smile stretched across his young looking demeanor, which was accompanied by blue eyes and blonde hair that had half tied up in a ponytail, half down, and a partial bit covering his left eye. He was no older than I, only 16 years, yet he by the way he was presented, he seemed just as skilled as I or Hiro. As I looked at his forehead protector to see where these ninja were from, I saw a thick scratch deliberately carved into the metal plate. "You sure don't like your home village, Sasori no danna." The blonde chuckled.

I shot a glance to Hiro, who looked as equally shocked as I did. If it was the Sasori of the Red Sand, we were in loads of trouble at the moment. Hiro regained his composure quickly as he started to stall the group in order to gain a few moments to think of a plan, "Sasori of the Red Sand left the village years ago… are you saying he has returned?"

The center one chuckled "Return to that village… surprised that it hasn't died out yet." He muttered in disgust. As he spoke, I quickly took out a vial of a very weak poison from my belt that was currently hidden by the child who I was still holding at the moment, but was starting to stir. I gently injected the little girl with the harmless poison, which would only cause her to sleep for another 2 hours or so.

"Let's just get this over with," the one on the right spoke his voice monotone and bored.

The blonde one chuckled, "Let's teach these two about art, hmm" he declared as reached into a bag on his belt. The moment he put his hand in the bag, Hiro quickly grabbed for his twin broadswords from their holster that was slung across his back, unsure on what he was doing, but still prepared. As Hiro stood ready for combat wielding the two identical swords, the blonde threw a small, moving clay figure out toward us.

For a moment we stared at the small figure that slightly resembled a miniature cow, "What the hell is this?!" Hiro finally snapped slicing the small figure with his sword, yet his sword seemed to get caught in the substance that made the little creature causing Hiro to let go of his beloved weapon.

I saw the blonde chuckle and start to put his hands together in a seal. "BACK!" I yelled at Hiro as I jumped backwards, not sure what was going to happen. As I was still in mid-jump I heard the guy yell something else, but couldn't make it out, because the little figurine just exploded.

"That's what you call real art, Sweetheart, hm" the blonde smirked looking toward me as I landed.

"Real art blinds you then?" Hiro asked as he stood behind the blonde with a kunai against the front of his neck. "Or, at least the clouds that surround whatever that piece of clay do. So basically, whatever you call art, leaves you vulnerable, just like you are now," Hiro shrugged.

He then sighed, "You blew up my sword… Do you realize how much trouble those are to make?" he asked calmly as he brought the kunai to the back of his neck and slid the edge of the blade against the vertebrae in his neck, so that you could hear the blade going across the bone.

It was not a lethal cut at all, but Hiro wasn't looking for a lethal injury, just one that drew blood. "Hiro." I stated coldly, but he knew it was a warning. He quickly turned to his right to see a large metal tail from the center ninja coming straight at him. The tail came at him with incredible speed, but Hiro was quicker and had enough time to back away and pull out the sword that hadn't been blown up to block the tail from coming in contact.

He quickly deflected the tail, and as it was pulled back in order for the second strike to come, Hiro darted back over to where I stood, still holding the blood cover kunai. I quickly gave him the girl and took the kunai with the blonde's blood. "You sure?" he questioned raising an eyebrow.

I simply nodded, "Just get backup as soon as possible. I can hold 'em off now." I reassured him as I kept on eye on the enemy and twisted the kunai around in my hand. Hiro nodded and started sprinting off toward the village with the little girl.

I turned and fully face the three. I gave them a small smiled as I slid up my right fishnet sleeve to reveal the tattooed underneath of my forearm. "You're the Gypsy," the center one stated.

I gave a small chuckle, "Yep, you found me…" I said as I wiped the blood off the kunai and onto the black curses and seals that covered my arm. "Yet… Senpai…" I closed my eyes as the seal started to take in all the blood that I had smeared on it, "why control puppets when you can control people?" My eyes shot open and I quickly closed my hand into a fist and the blonde fell to the ground.