I don't own Naruto.

File #1; Chapter 13

Sasori stood in the small room between the ladies' room and the club. As Heiko died, her barrier that had kept the bathroom watertight and sealed so that no one could get past had weakened enough so that Sasori could dispell it. She collected herself as best as she could and patched herself up however, Gensou would easily be able to tell that she had been fighting. There were burn holes from the acid rain attack in her kimono and her neck still hurt like a bitch from where that one drop had grazed her skin, leaving a swelled up and nasty looking wound. She couldn't go back to the guys. Even if she cloaked herself with genjutsu, Gensou was a Genjutsu master and he would be able to see right through it. Her mind worked furiously. What would she do? What could she do?

First, she had to find Genma.

Meanwhile, Gensou and Genma had been sipping their drinks. Each had been sizing the other up and speaking in veiled words with double meanings. Gensou had noticed how precisely Genma moved- it was how a ninja moved.

"So how long have you been married?"

"Newlyweds. We are here on our honeymoon."

"I congradulate you then. Sasoriko is indeed a treasure."

They sipped their drinks. It was odd, but an understanding passed between them. Genma felt it strongly. From their conversation, Gensou could tell that Genma was lying but the ninja blended truth and fact so well that it was hard to seperate the two. Genma read Gensou's cool exterior and came to a single conclusion.

'He knows.'

"Shall we move out to the garden? It is quite loud in here. That and I have decided to discuss business with you."

"Certainly. I know Sasoriko will find us."

Outside was a better setting for the fight. Despite the fact that Gensou had no trouble killing, he was a gentleman just as much as he was a ninja- if one person could effectively hold both titles.

So the two men moved outdoors. Thankfully, the garden had few guests in it. The garden that sprawled out before him was beautiful. In the far end of the garden, there was a magnificent natural waterfall that fanned out into a natural spring. The plants were tropical and the flowers exotic and aromatic to the point where their scent drifted into the club but wasn't overwhelming. Against the wall of the club, there was a bar and Gensou motioned for Genma to have a seat. He ordered them drinks and the two sipped them while sizing the other up.

"Let us speak plainly," Gensou said as he sipped his scotch.

"I'm listening," Genma replied.

"You are here to kill me, I have figured that much by the way you move. You move as I do for we are both shinobi of high caliber," Gensou said smoothly," Am I right?"

"Yes you are," Genma replied.

"Now before you draw whatever weapon you have, let us chat for some time," Gensou said.

"Why?"

Gensou smiled and had the bartender refill his scotch.

"How often does one get the chance to talk with his opponent? Besides, I don't quite feel like fighting yet. Another scotch or two."

"I'll play your game," Genma responded," What do you want to talk about?"

"You," Gensou said simply," And that beautiful partner of yours."

Genma was loathe to give information to the enemy but he figured since Gensou was going to be dead soon, it really didn't matter. Gensou already figured him out just as he had him figured out. But whatever, Genma decided to go with the flow and when the man was ready, they would fight. Despite that fact that it went rudely against ninja custom, Genma wasn't going to take any chances on pissing him off.

"Okay, ask."

"Well, what is your name?"

"Shiranui Genma."

"Truthfully?"

"That is the truth. My name is Shiranui Genma. My partner is Shiranui Sasori."

Genma said it casually, not wanting to reveal Sasori's true last name. The Shiranui clan wasn't a remarkable clan by any stretch of the imagination but the Dokugamoto were renowned poison masters. Genma had to keep that part of the act up still.

"And she's your wife?"

"Yes, and she's been my wife for a few months now."

As if on cue, Sasori came striding up to the two men. She approached Genma with a smile and hopped onto a stool beside him. To keep up the charade, she leaned onto Genma's shoulder and nuzzled his neck with her nose lightly.

"I'm back," she purred into his ear.

Genma somehow prevented himself from jumping at that purr. The softness of it, the sensation of warm breath scented with plums that carried with it, and the way it made him feel most of all. A purr like that, hell, he could get used to that! Genma slid his eyes closed and laid a hand on hers (which was curled around his other arm). He turned his head and placed a knuckle under her chin. His eyes slowly opened and he was met with a smile from her. A small, gentle smile that made him smile back.

'She doesn't know our covers' been compromised,' he thought. He smirked, ran his thumb over her bottom lip and then pulled her into a kiss.

Sasori, still thinking their identities as ninja were still secret from Gensou, went with it. She placed a hand lightly on his cheek and lightly stroked his skin with her fingertips. She purred again softly. Sasori was enjoying the kiss even though she probably wouldn't admit it to anyone other than Arashi. She had had many scripted kisses before when she was on missions with her fellow Cloud ANBU but those kisses were all nothing more than what they were intended to be- part of an act. However, this kiss was different. The feeling here was not comraderie but a sweet mixture of desperation and genuine affection. It was slightly awkward for the female Jounin because it was a truely new feeling. That and Genma was... well, Genma.

Genma was enjoying the kiss as well. It was easy for him to pretend to love her but why? He mentally jumped a bit as a thought hit him. Perhaps it was easy not because he was trained to be deceptive but because there was an element of truth to their play. Did he really like her? Was that what made their act so believable and so easy to carry out?

Gensou had been watching the pair with great interest. Many ninja had tried to fake their affection for the other but when it came to that critical moment, there was always some hesitation or reluctance that would give them away as not being what they said they were. These two though, there was something there. Gensou, one of the seven masters of genjutsu, could easily see that there was no illusion in their affection for one another.

Genma sighed as he felt her pull away and inwardly wished that he had had a few more minutes but the kiss had gone on long enough. Any longer would have been excessive. He smiled at her again before putting an arm around her and looking over at Gensou.

"You two make a great couple," Gensou said politely, sipping his scotch.

"Thank you!" Sasori said cheerfully.

"Sasori-chan, Gensou-san knows that we are ninja here to assassinate him," Genma said calmly.

Sasori's smile fell a bit, causing Gensou some degree of displeasure. He liked the kunoichi's smile and was sad to see it go.

"Sasori-san," he entreatied," You two do not make good civilians. Both of you move like seasoned ninja. Normally, I would have killed you by now but after this scotch, we shall fight. Sasori-san, you shall fight my associate, Mayonaka Heiko. I will fight your husband."

"Heiko is dead," Sasori said, her voice laced with steel.

"I beg your pardon?" Gensou said.

"I killed Heiko," Sasori said as a scream ripped through the club and was audible even outside.

Gensou set his glass of scotch down on the bar but didn't let go of it. Heiko couldn't be dead! She was one of his best ninja! However... it was entirely possible that Heiko was avictim of her own vices once again. He had to know more. The screams from inside the club increased. It was then that he noticed the small burn marks on her kimono. She was telling the truth.

"Let me guess... Heiko didn't know you were a ninja before she attacked?"

"Yes," Sasori said," That and she vastly underestimated me. Jealousy can really poison a woman."

"Then she really was a silly twit," Gensou said.

He finished his scotch and set the glass down as his associate Kyosuke came out.

"Gensou-sama! Something momentous has happened!"

"Heiko's dead, I know," Gensou said flatly.

"We must find who did it! There are surely other ninja around here! Gensou-sama, we must get you someplace safe," Kyosuke sputtered.

"I have already found who killed Heiko," Gensou said slowly," And I am going to kill her and her husband."

Gensou's grip on the glass increased and a second later it shattered, a few shards piercing his hand. He regained his composure and picked the glass fragments out immediately.

"Kyosuke, please go take care of Heiko and clear out the garden."

"Hai Gensou-sama!"

Kyosuke started to clear people out of the garden and Gensou stood up. He looked determined and resolute.

"Genma-san and Sasori-san," he said," I am ready to fight."

-End Chapter 13-