Author's Note: Remember that in Japanese culture, the last names always come before the first. Uh, yeah - that's all I really need to talk about.
Reviews are always appreciated - fand so is constructive critism.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or it's characters. The only character I do own however, is Arisa Oshiro.
"I'm sorry, Zabuza-sensei, Haku." She spoke as if they could hear her apologies. "I should've been there. It would've been different."
But you weren't. Instead, you were divulging yourself in analyzing useless jutsus in another village. As usual.
Guilt. Yes, that was what she was feeling. It was yet another emotion she hadn't felt for quite sometime.
Her eyes avoided looking at their lifeless bodies. Instead, she maneuvered her fingers expertly into various handseals, sealing their secrets away with them. A green glow had connected her hands with theirs, and within a fraction of a second, disappeared. She sighed softly. Now she would be the only one who knew the secrets of the Mist, and Haku's no longer existing bloodline.
Her hands went through another jutsu, eyes concentrated. A blue aura appeared, outlining the ground before her in a neat rectangle. Silently, she reached down and touched it with her fingertips, activating the jutsu. The rectangle suddenly started to grow hollow, as the dirt within it softened and compacted into a firm concrete-like state around the edges.
She then proceeded to steadily lift a lifeless Zabuza, and lower him into the ground. He looked so much more serene, at peace, now that she had cleared the blood stains and pulled out the sharp weapons buried within his skin. A frown appeared on her lips. It was a shame she hadn't retrieved his sword as well. The blade had meant a lot to him.
"Thank you for what you have taught me." She whispered softly, before lifting up Haku and placing him next to Zabuza. "Thank you to you as well, Haku. You accepted me, along with my jutsu craving obsessions." A genuine smile tugged at her lips. "You never protested even when I forced you to use your bloodline limit for twenty-four hours straight, just to see if I could find a flaw."
Silence.
"I'm not sure what I will do now. Both of you..were the only things that made me..human. You made me experience emotions besides rage and hate." She hesitated. "I..was content, being your tool, Zabuza-sensei. But as of now, I suppose I am tool who has her own ideals. A tool that can make her own decisions, and achieve her ambitions.
"I am Oshiro Arisa, assassin of the Mist."
She leaned back on the tree, dark eyes scanning the view before her in a lazy manner. It took a couple weeks, but the bridge was finally completed. It stood boldly, in it's red and yellow glory; representing something the village never had...Pride.
It was amazing, how something like a bridge could drastically change the village in a mere day. No more were they hiding in the shadows or avoiding eye contact with one another. No, instead they were laughing happily, cracking jokes with another every now and then.
'Tazuna's really something, ain't he?'
'..We really kicked their asses! You shoulda seen it..'
'Cheers to the Naruto Big Bridge!'
To her displeasure, the villagers had decided to name the bridge after one of those Konoha brats. They spoke highly of them, praising them whenever the topic came up. She couldn't stand it - it disgusted her to a point where she merely avoided going into the village unless it was necessary. Their high spirits would soon be crushed, sooner or later. The thieves would be back, and without Gatoo to pay them, would raid the village of all processions. It's a real shame. She thought, halfheartedly.
"Arisa-san.." She lifted her head slightly, acknowledging the man before her with ease.
"Yes, Tetsuo?" He stepped away from the shadows.
"A man named Nagak Masashi, has stolen something valuable from one of our dearest clients." Tetsuo stated casually, sharp eyes fixated on her. "It's a scroll that's been passed down from generations of his family."
Arisa stood up, brushing off the dirt from her attire.
"Dead or alive?" She inquired, the calm tone of her voice never wavering. Tetsuo smiled.
"Dead." The wind rustled around them, having a calming effect over her, as she briefly went over the..'mission.'
It was nothing special, her objectives were to find out who the man was, kill him, and retrieve the scroll. Maybe she could even bring back the head for the client.
But like all assassinations, there was always risks. She had no information on her target besides his name; he could be a petty thief, or even a skilled shinobi. 'Nagak Masashi' might not even be his name. It was these factors that always seemed to complicate her task. Tetsuo knew she hated not knowing the slightest information about her victim. He probably doesn't know much about this guy, either.
"On one condition," She responded casually. "You're doubling my original price."
Tetsuo's charming smile turned into an unattractive scowl. Her eyes flickered with amusement. Ever since Gatoo's incompetent bandits were chased away by the villagers, the business was moving gruelingly slow. The bandits - though unimpressive - were usually paid one-fourth of her normal pay to complete assassinations. Tetsuo had once told her that they were a expendable, unlimited resource that helped him earn a lot of money. What better opportunity to increase her price, than now?
"Really, Arisa-san, remember who helped you--" Arisa rolled her eyes.
"You supervised over the academy. I was the one who killed my way to the top." She interrupted curtly, "All you did was introduce me to a service which I would've eventually found on my own accord. Now, it's double the price, or I'm leaving."
Tetsuo heaved a large sigh, knowing that he'd have to give in. At the moment, she was his only reliable source who would get the job done quickly.
"Fine." He snarled, "I expect to see you in two and a half weeks." Her eyes danced.
"Make it two."
Like every other assassination mission, Arisa was given a name. Nagak Masashi.
What came next was the part she disliked the most. She had to figure out his daily routine, weaknesses and even hobbies. Unfortunately, it always seemed to result in her hiding in a tree, or some uncomfortable area for approximately.. twenty-four hours. She knew it was essential for the mission to be completed successfully.. but it was so boring. Plus, it was always the same type of guy: rich, obese, and an alcoholic. A sigh escaped her lips.
Maybe if she was lucky, this Masashi guy could turn out to be a shinobi. Chuunin? Jounin? Maybe even ANBU? She would categorize his skill with a bat of her eyelashes, and then analyze him for an opening like a predator. And when she did, he would be gone. Just like the rest of the her victims. Lifeless.
And then she would clean her blade, with care like she usually did, before returning to retrieve yet another mission. This had become her life; a never ending cycle of cold assassinations, money that she no longer cared for, and more bodies. It would continue like this..until she was killed.
Yet, strangely enough it didn't bother her. Nor did the fact that she could never experience the comfort of feeling safe. Why would she, when death itself meant nothing to her? She could feel it's familiar presence, trailing her wherever she went and breathing down her neck. It was waiting for her. One falter, one slip up..was all it took.
And she was accustomed to it. There was no other option.
If she was scared of death like every other human being was, she would crumble. Her presence at the top of the food chain would topple over, and shatter, and she would become nothing. It was something she couldn't afford, for her sake and her sanity. Oshiro, Arisa could not be scared of death.
And so, she stayed where she was; on the very edge of death and insanity, where her demons could almost catch a taste of her, but not quite. It was where she would always remain.
Yet another sigh escaped her lips, as she directed her attention to the task at hand. Focus.
"Henge no jutsu!" Arisa, like all assassins, knew that changing her appearance was completely necessary. The mask she usually wore would be too suspicious, so she discarded it aside for later. Casually, she unsheathed her sword, and examined her reflection.
The woman staring back at her was the complete opposite of what she was. She had light strands of chestnut hair that gleamed in the sunlight and framed not dark blue, but warm hazel eyes. Arisa tilted her head from side to side, carefully inspecting all angles. It was perfect - the disguise showed not a particularly attractive woman, nor an unpleasant one. No, it was somewhere in between; a plain face, innocent eyes, and most importantly, a face that would blend into the crowd. She looked approachable, harmless, and even friendly.
Though no jutsu could conceal the distinct edge to her eyes. Nevertheless, this was as good as it gets.
Even her attire had changed -- no longer the black, customized kimono, but neutral shorts and a simple creamy shirt. It too, was designed to be plain, and discreet. She looked normal, like a business woman of sorts, who carried a bag that held items for trade. (Though many would be quite surprised to see swords and weapons inside.)
Studying herself once more, Arisa forced a fake smile onto her lips, before disappearing into the Water Country.
She walked casually into the streets, at the edges where there were more shadows than people. Every once and a while she would stray off her path, her figure effortlessly sliding through the crowds of people. But at the same time, her eyes would be alert, listening to the conversations.
"I can't believe she's going to marry someone--"
"--how much is it?"
"What?! I can't hear you?"
"Did you hear about the Chuunin exams?!"
"It's hosted in Konoha--"
Her eyes narrowed in annoyance, hearing no information of value. This Masashi guy either kept to himself, or she was not in the right place. Maybe she would travel to the Fire country if she didn't get any answers here.
Suddenly, a young man collided into her, causing her bag to tumble to the ground.
"Oh--miss, I am so sorry! Sometimes I'm just too clumsy for my own good." His wide, green eyes stared down at her. "Here, let me help you.."
Arisa watched him pick up her bag, calculating his moves. But once his eyes locked onto hers again, she smiled.
"No, it's alright." She let out a laugh, "Really, it was my fault." The man looked relieved, and chuckled.
"That's quite a heavy bag you got there." He spoke, running his hands through his short hair. "I hope nothing inside of it's broken."
Why is he still talking to me? Arisa's suspicion grew stronger, but she let out another laugh that made her want to cringe.
"I'm sure it's fine.." She replied, her eyes scanning him, "But I would like my wallet back." His eyes widened in alarm, and he quickly bolted in the other direction. Arisa merely watched him run, her eyes lazily trailing after him. There was no need to make a big fuss, and draw attention to herself; she could handle this easily.
Once he started to vanish from sight, she stepped into the shadows, and disappeared in a blink of an eye to the rooftops. It was easy to spot his hasty, panicked silhouette from this height. She even found it a bit amusing to see him run into people, constantly turning his head in paranoia. Of course, Arisa wouldn't kill him in the middle of the streets, where there was many witnesses, so he was safe for now.
Oh. She mused cruelly. He turned a corner.
The idiot had disappeared into an alley, where the shadows were even darker, and the walls, close. There was no where to run besides forward, or backward. The perfect spot for an assassin to strike. She leaped down.
"Holy shit!" The man yelped in a mixture of horror and surprise, as she appeared gracefully in front of him. Immediately, he began pleading on his knees. "I-I'm so so sorry. I should have known there was something wrong when I heard metal in your bag.. Here!" He hastily threw her wallet at her, before taking out everything in his pocket. Jewelery, more money and all sorts valuable items. "Take it!"
Arisa merely tilted her head slightly, before pulling out a kunai. He paled considerably.
"Those," She started in a calm voice, gesturing towards the items on the floor. "Are of no use to me. But perhaps you are."
The man trembled. She stepped closer.
"Do you know someone named Nagak Masashi?" She questioned, in a tauntingly, slow voice. His eyes lit up with recognition.
"Masashi? Y-Yes, I do!" He stumbled over his words slightly, "I sold something to him a couple weeks ago. Uh, it-it was..a..a.."
"A scroll?" Arisa prompted, raising an eyebrow. He nodded vigorously, but kept his eyes trained on the kunai twirling in her hand.
"Yes! He was a collector, a retired Chuunin, who gave me a lot of money for it. Uh," His face screwed up in concentration, "he's old. Forty eight, or something. You can tell because of his roots."
"So he dyes his hair?"
"Yeah, to black. I think he was tall, complained about his chest a bit." Arisa nodded.
"You said he was a retired Chuunin, from..?" The man answered instantly.
"Konoha." Her eyes darkened.
"I see, and whereabouts did you get the scroll from?" He hesitated. She stepped closer.
"There was a dead man in the woods, killed by someone. I--I thought he'd have some money on him, but found the scroll instead."
"Ah. Thank you."
His green eyes widened.
"So--I can go now, right?" She smiled, and shrugged.
"You're of..no use to me anymore."
The man looked terrified, and got up from his knees, ready to run. "But you..you said..!"
"I promised nothing."
And with that, she lodged the kunai to his throat.