Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
Summary: Between love and duty, an undercover agent finds herself caught in a dangerous game between three notorious gang leaders of Konoha. Alternate universe.
Kakashi. Asuma. Genma. x Kurenai.
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Shoot Me Down
By: kamenbutoukai
Chapter 3 - Commence / Hajimeru
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Kurenai staggered towards the entrance of the only coffee place she ever went to, which was called Cafe Spot.
There were dark bags beginning to grow underneath her fatigued eyes. Her rosy lips were set in a tight, grim line, and her wild hair gave a frantic appearance. She bent her shoulders forward with hands shoved into the pockets of her gray jacket. Her head dipped with each stride, and each strained step was dragged across the pavement.
Her baggy, denim pants had rips on each side of her legs, and her white shirt looked a bit too big for her.
It was almost as if a gloomy cloud hovered on top of her head and spat several times.
But the hollering of people forced Kurenai out of her miserable thoughts.
The past few days were just too much to handle.
Were Shiranui and Hatake the two men she was assigned to? And what about Sarutobi? Wasn't he supposed to be with them if those two people were the gang leaders?
Her fingers enclosed around the steel handle of the door, and she put some effort in pulling it open.
There was no one else in the cafe, except maybe a few construction workers.
Kurenai walked up to the line and looked up to the menu.
The man taking orders had his back facing against her as he made some donuts.
"Excuse me?" Kurenai sounded like a croaking frog.
The man turned around. But halfway during that process, his heart almost stopped.
"May I take...y-your o-order?"
Kurenai looked up to see the man with his eyes wide with dread. He had a forced smile, and his shoulders were apparently shaking.
"Yuuhi-san...w-what happened to you? You d-don't look s-so good," he stammered with a small voice.
Kurenai blinked her eyes a few times, clearing the blurry image of the man's face.
"I didn't get a good night sleep last night."
"Oh...that's it? You don't need to look menacing like that. I thought you were going to shoot me or something," the man said with a more confident tone.
Kurenai looked at her apparel and reflection on the glass counter. Then she rested her gaze onto the man in front of her.
"Do I look that bad Iruka-san?" she asked.
Iruka shook his head and grinned.
"You look like you."
Kurenai gave a careless smile and ran a hand through her shadowy tresses.
"I'd like a green tea with the tea-bag in, to go please."
"Coming right up."
The crimson-eyed woman leaned against the counter with a fist supporting her chin up.
"What are you doing here so early in the morning anyways Yuuhi-san? It's only 6:30!" Iruka asked.
"I got an important assignment from Morino yesterday. So I have to get ready today."
Iruka stirred the tea with a coffee stick.
"But I thought you were supposed to get a break sometime now."
Kurenai shrugged.
"Here you go. No need to pay for it. It's on me since you've been working so hard," he said
"Thanks Iruka-san."
Iruka nodded and continued to place pastries in the trays.
Kurenai took the cup and sipped it along her way out the cafe. The tea relaxed her muscles and the strain in her brain from all the thinking.
As she looked around her surroundings, Kurenai began to realize how much influence gangs put on this city.
It was dirty. The streets were dirty. Houses and buildings appeared as though they were going to collapse any minute. There were no trees or flowers to call Konoha a beautiful place. The ground had cracks in them, and if one looked close enough, they could see bullet holes engraved in the cement.
The air was dull and it seemed to be polluted continually. Sunlight barely got through the clouds and rain, even though it was the middle of summer.
Sirens were constantly resonating throughout the homes of people, and there were frequent gang fights that broke through the communities and bars.
People threw their futures away to become a part of a mere gang, only to be shot dead the moment they are considered no longer needed.
Everything was based on rank. If an individual was part of a gang, then they would live like kings until they breathed their last breath. However, if they were simply a normal citizen with no status, but a normal job, it would be complicated for them just to make a living.
In Konoha, gangsters were admired and cops were scorned.
Homeless people sat in corners of buildings with no hope. Families barely had food to bring onto their tables. Education was no longer a big concern for the future of teenagers.
Women were considered a mere doll for men to play around with. They had no position, even if they had an occupation like a doctor or an agent. It didn't matter. Men had the power.
Kurenai sighed wearily.
When she returned home, Kurenai looked around the house. She brought all her belongings and clothes out to the backyard. All her memories and past mission reports were added to the pile. She stopped in her living room, and took her jacket and books with her. There was an umbrella placed beside her couch.
It belonged to Mr. Rain.
Kurenai hesitated as she held it in her hand.
'Should I keep it or not?'
She shrugged as she took it along with her.
Kurenai brought out a container of gasoline from her garage and poured its contents over her possessions.
With one last glance, she flicked a match and threw it onto the heap. Black smoke rose into the air, and the bits and pieces of her life gradually vanished in front of her eyes.
Just before the fire died out, Kurenai pulled photos of her childhood and thrust them into the blazing flames. It seethed, but the fire completed its purpose.
Her past life has departed. Almost.
A photo of her family was clutched in her hands.
'Dad, mom and me.'
All she had now was a photograph, an umbrella, a folder, her badge and a gun.
Party time.
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"Yo Hayate, did you give Kurenai the cell phone yet?"
"No...-cough- what are you talking about?"
"I told you to give her the cell phone I made."
"No you -cough- didn't."
"Mou...this is so troublesome."
"...You didn't say anything about a cell phone."
"Well I guess I didn't…because I just found it in my pocket."
"…"
"…Give it to her when she gets to the apartment."
Shikamaru reached into his pocket and pulled out a slim black phone, and threw it towards the kitchen table. Hayate barely caught in his hands, since he was coughing at the same time.
"Why don't you just give it to her yourself?" Hayate asked as he peered at the cell phone.
Shikamaru laid onto the couch in the living room and sighed into a pillow.
"It's too troublesome."
Hayate's tired eyes somewhat scrutinized at Shikamaru.
"You're supposed to come with me."
Shikamaru remained silent as he stared at the ceiling.
"Do you know Sarutobi Asuma?
Hayate coughed a few times, and then thought carefully.
"Isn't he one of the gang leaders that Kurenai's after?"
"Yeah..."
"What about him?"
"He...Never mind. Let's go to Kurenai's new place."
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Kurenai left her home a while ago and just donated her car to a family in need of a vehicle.
'I'm done. Now I just have to go to my brand new apartment.'
She walked around the streets until she saw a tall building. At the corner of the street, there was a pole that had a small flag which read "Main Street."
Kurenai cautiously walked into the apartment building and became aware of the cameras at the entrance door.
It was a pretty new building, seeing that it didn't smell nor did it have any damage. It was sanitary!
Kurenai slowly walked up the stairs and found the door with the number '3' on it. She dug her keys out of her pocket and unlocked the door.
It was a pretty standard apartment. Nice and comfortable.
The kitchen was the first thing she saw to her left. It already had an oven and a fridge. When Kurenai opened the cupboards, there were already cups and plates placed inside.
On the right side was the living room. There were gray couches and a television set placed on the right wall. Nearest to the balcony was a book shelf. The hallway to her right stopped at room.
In the room, there was a queen-sized bed with gray sheeting. A drawer, with clothes already full in them, was placed by her bed. The closet had apparel chosen for her to wear. There was only a small window, but it allowed at least some light into the room. There was a bathroom on the left side and a desk by the window.
Kurenai lips twitched. This brand new apartment was better than her previous house.
"Knock knock."
The man's voice drawled and sounded lazy. Nara Shikamaru...
"Come in! Door's not locked!" she hollered.
She heard the door open and close with people shifting their feet as they got their shoes off.
Kurenai walked out of her room and into the living room.
"Hayate, Shikamaru! What are you guys doing here?"
"Shikamaru and I –cough- have to give you equipment before you start your new job as a waitress."
Hayate handed her a black cell phone.
"I made it myself. So no one can trace your calls to headquarters. But I'm going to be listening to them, since you might be talking to any of the leaders using the phone," explained Shikamaru. "But only call us if you feel obligated to."
He took out a suitcase and unfastened it.
"This is an earpiece, where you can hear us communicating with you. And this bracelet has a mouthpiece, so you can be in contact with us. Only wear these when you are in the bar."
Hayate handed her a small black device and a silver bangle with a little red dot placed on it.
Shikamaru pulled out a miniature revolver and held it in his hands.
"This gun is as small as your palm. It is only needed when necessary. Never reveal to them that you are a sharpshooter or that you can use a gun," Shikamaru said as he gave it to her. "In other cases not involving the assignment, you can use your standard revolver. But don't get caught wielding it."
Kurenai remained silent throughout the process. She examined the petit gun and placed it in her pocket.
"Kurenai, you're going to have to give me back your badge," Hayate said. "We're not going to take any risks. They might find out that you're an agent."
Without hesitance, she handed him the badge.
"This is all we are going to do for the assignment, except to help you if you are in a tough situation. Otherwise, you're on your own," said Shikamaru.
Kurenai nodded.
"Gai wanted to give you some advice though," said Hayate. He coughed a small number of times before continuing. "He has been trying to catch Hatake Kakashi for a while, but it seems that even Hatake is too quick for Gai."
Her crimson eyes widened as the information traveled through her head. Gai was the fastest person she knew. This Hatake is faster!
"That's impossible! Maito-san is fast, and he never failed an assignment yet!" Kurenai exclaimed.
Shikamaru grunted with a shrug.
"Maito was never sent on an assignment to catch Hatake. He just tried to," explained Shikamaru. "Hatake is a quick person reasoning in intellect terms. So watch out for him. He likes playing games with people's minds."
Hayate nodded in agreement.
"Not only that, but he has the Sharingan which is a rare technique. He can hypnotize you. He can make you see things that aren't real. Be aware of that," Hayate warned.
"Thanks...I'll keep those points in mind."
Hayate grinned at her and Shikamaru only scowled.
"Sarutobi Asuma. Make sure he's under your sight. His appearances and tactics will deceive you," Shikamaru said with a sigh. "He's very troublesome."
"You've met him before?" asked Kurenai.
Shikamaru only sighed and shook his head.
"No...I just have a feeling."
Kurenai knitted her eyebrows together. Shikamaru did NOT just lie to her.
"Well, what about Shiranui Genma? Do you have any information on him?"
Hayate shook his head.
"No information on him. He's a genuine mystery."
Kurenai slowly digested the newly found information about her objectives.
Hatake Kakashi is a clever man. Sarutobi Asuma is illusive. Shiranui Genma is an obscurity.
"We'll be leaving now. Be at The Cell at 8 o'clock sharp, so you know how things work. There's lots of treacherous men there."
"Yes, I know Shikamaru."
"Oh, by the way, Tsunade picked out the apartment for you. She thought that you'd be pissed off, so she got you nice one," said Hayate.
Kurenai laughed as she waved them out of the apartment. When they left, she sighed and sat on the floor.
What a pain...
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"Yo Kakashi, how's your wound?" The man gnawed on a sharp needle.
"It's minor. But besides that, we should be a little more aware of the Akatsuki gang, especially the Uchiha."
"Yeah, tell me 'bout it. It was a good thing that we split up." He puffed on his cigarette, which created small wisps of smoke into the air.
"You should stop smoking Asuma. You might die of cancer earlier than you can die of a gunshot."
"I already know that."
"Che, I was just kidding man. Anyways, I met a hot chick yesterday in front of a convenience store."
"You think every chick is hot." He tapped the cigarette onto the ash tray.
"Shut up Asuma. You should find yourself a woman."
"Nah, my devotion will remain to my smoking."
The caramel haired man rolled his eyes and then looked over to the person with silver tresses.
"How did you manage to get away with an injury like that anyways, Kakashi? You seemed pretty beat up since the Uchiha aimed specifically at you."
"I don't know. I was losing a lot of blood...but I remember someone saved me."
"What happened anyways? When we found you, you were kinda all screwed up, like you were on drugs."
"...I don't remember much. But it was a woman, and she saved me from a truck that was about to run me over. It was all blurry. When I heard her voice, I was basically stunned. So I ran. That's all I can remember."
"...You ran from a chick?"
"Nice going Kakashi."
The man with chewing on the senbon laughed.
"She would have been scared anyways."
"Besides that, we should call up a meeting tonight at The Cell with our other gang members. We need to think about dealing with the Akatsuki."
"You're right Asuma. Call up the other members and tell them to be at the bar tonight at 10:00pm."
"Gotcha."
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"Welcome to The Cell Yue-chan! I think we're going to be great friends here!"
Kurenai's legs jolted a few times, and her shoulders somewhat shivered.
The Cell was indeed a bar, but it could also be considered a strip club.
The uniform every female staff member wore was downright disturbing. It was consisted of a lacy black tank top and a pair of very petite denim shorts.
Kurenai pointed to the attire the cherry-haired girl was dressed in.
"Uh...do I have to wear that? Or can I fix it up just a little bit?" She gave a nervous chuckle and rubbed the back of her neck.
The young girl shook her head.
"Sorry Yue-chan. But Jiraiya wouldn't want to let down the gang with an employee who is overdressed," she explained.
Kurenai's eyes twitched a few times.
'Overdressed? I might as well go around serving drinks in a bra and underwear!' she thought furiously. Despite the irritation, Kurenai kept her composed facial expressions in check.
"Oh, by the way. My name is Haruno Sakura. You can call me Sakura."
"Ah...Sakura-chan. You can just call me Kurenai if you want."
Sakura gave a bright smile and grabbed her hand.
"You gotta meet the other girls here. They'll really like you!"
She dragged her into the dressing room where four other girls were beginning to get dressed into their uniforms.
"Hey girls, this is Yue Kurenai. She's new here!"
The young girls suddenly turned their heads at her with interest in their eyes. They all looked much younger than she was. Why would such young females have a job at this freaking strip club/bar?
The girl with straight, long blonde hair and azure eyes nodded her head in acknowledgement at Kurenai.
"Name's Yamanaka Ino. I've been best friends with Sakura since childhood," she said cheerfully.
A girl with two brown buns on both sides of her head got off her chair and punched Kurenai on the shoulder, and then took out a hand. Kurenai almost fell forward because of the punch. She's young but she's strong.
"Nice to meet ya, Kurenai! I'm Tenten. Sorry about the punch. I have a habit of punching people at random times," she said.
'Wow. This girl was like me in high school,' Kurenai thought as she shook hands with Tenten.
"And my name is Sabaku Temari," called a voice from behind.
It was another blonde-head. But she had four ponytails sticking out, and she had a grin on her face. She waved her hand and continued getting dressed.
Beside Temari was a navy haired girl sitting with her head down. The girl wore a different uniform from the rest. She adorned a pair of black slacks with a button-up blouse and a black tie. She poked for fingers a while, and her feet shuffled from beneath.
"Don't be scared Hinata. She's not going to do anything to you," encouraged Temari as she retied her hair.
The girl looked up to reveal silver-white eyes. She stood up and bowed to her.
"It is m-my p-pleasure to meet y-you, Kurenai-san. I'm H-Hyuuga Hinata," she said in a shaky and hushed voice.
Kurenai bowed back and flashed a smile.
"So, are you all waitresses at The Cell?"
"Yeah, we all are, except for Hinata-chan. She's the bartender. We can't exploit her innocence with these uniforms," laughed Tenten.
"It sucks being a waitress here, since you get hit on by the gang members. But you'll get used to it. Most of them are cute anyways," Sakura said with a blush.
Ino threw a mischievous look at Sakura.
"Thinking of your precious Sasuke-kun?" she teased.
"You like him too, Ino-pig!"
Sakura stuck out her tongue as she daydreamt about this 'Sasuke.'
"So uh, why are you guys working at place like this?" Kurenai asked trying not to sound suspicious.
"We all live together in a house, and we go to the same school together. Tuition is really expensive. So we decided to get a job here," responded Ino. "There's not a lot of days to work, but the pay is awesome."
"How old are you guys?"
"Everyone here is seventeen except for me and Temari-chan. We're a year older," Tenten replied. "How old are you Kurenai-san?"
"I'm...twenty-five."
"Wow, you look so young."
Kurenai softly laughed at them with a hand rubbing behind her neck.
Then suddenly, the door opened and a man with long white, bristly tresses broke in.
"Jiraiya, you shouldn't just go into a girl's dressing room like that," Ino complained.
"Ho ho, I am the great Jiraiya-sama. I can do what I want."
The girls stayed silent as they sweat dropped. He looked at Kurenai.
"Oh, you're Yue Kurenai, no? Tsunade sent you, right?"
"Uh, yeah. She did."
He knows Tsunade?
Jiraiya handed her the so-called 'uniform' and told her to get dressed.
"The gang is coming in ten minutes. Make sure you're ready."
They got dressed quickly and put on the necessary make-up. Kurenai, however, hesitantly put on the uniform and refused putting the cosmetics on her face. She was definitely still not used to any of that 'womanly' stuff
'Damn you, Morino...'
"Oh yeah, a word of advice Kurenai-chan. If they hit on you or touch you, try not to scream or freak out. Just blend in and coax him out of touching you," Sakura called to her from the counter.
Kurenai nodded as she put her dark locks into a high ponytail.
"And try not to be so stiff," said Ino. "Be...flexible."
Inside the dressing room, they could hear the bells of the door ring and the trundle of people entering the bar.
"Hey, you guys. Settle down and I'll get the girls out for you," they heard Jiraiya state.
"Oh right Ero-sennin! You're such a great man! Bring a lot of drinks for me and make sure you cook a lot of ramen too!"
The voice of this man sounded extremely loud. It could practically shatter someone's eardrums.
"Shut up, dobe," another man muttered.
"What? You want to fight, Sasuke-teme? I'll give a black eye right now!"
Sasuke was the one both Sakura and Ino liked...was he not?
"Both of you be quiet. Naruto, there is no ramen at a bar like this."
"You want to fight too, white-eyes! Your ass is mine!"
"NARUTO! Behave yourself! I'm in charge of this bar. I don't want any shit fights here!" Jiraiya roared.
"Let's all sit down and enjoy ourselves, right guys?"
"We need to discuss about the Akatsuki afterwards too, Genma. So don't get wasted that quick."
"Hai, hai. Asuma-sama."
Hearing the two names made Kurenai's heart race. She didn't know why, but her pulse just suddenly increased rapidly. She inhaled and exhaled slowly, willing herself to calm down.
"Good luck Kurenai. The first day is always the toughest," Temari chuckled, interrupting her thoughts.
They all left the dressing room, leaving Kurenai alone. She made sure all the girls left, and then she raised her bracelet to her mouth.
"The Unknown has entered the bar."
"Roger that," drawled Shikamaru's voice.
Kurenai hurriedly exited out of the room and strolled towards the counter where Hinata was making the drinks at one side, and where Jiraiya was leaning on the other.
She observed the other girls at their own tables making orders. And surely enough, they were being hit on.
"You're probably wondering how I know Tsunade, right Kurenai?"
Kurenai gave Jiraiya a glance with her crimson eyes.
"We were childhood friends. So basically, I had to let you work here. Tsunade would have beaten me up anyways. I know what kind of business both you and Tsunade are in. I won't squeal on you. I don't care about anyone here. Well, maybe except Naruto." He pointed to a bright, blond man with cerulean eyes.
Jiraiya gave her a serious look.
"I promised to let you work here in exchange you won't cause any of the members danger or harm."
Kurenai watched the Naruto kid recklessly chug alcohol down his throat.
"I'll make sure that I don't."
"Alright then. You have my trust. Make sure you don't break it."
Jiraiya abruptly changed his tone into a more lively tone.
"Kurenai-chan, I want you to serve the leaders' table. They can have a taste of women their own age," Jiraiya said. He pointed to the table at the far left corner.
Kurenai walked over to the table with a slight swing in her hips.
As she went, she caught eye-contact with a young man who had sharp red-eyes at Sakura's table.
'Those eyes look familiar...'
He continued to watch her, and then turned his head away from her.
As she approached the table, Kurenai made out that there were three figures seated in the darkness.
Kurenai stopped an inch away from the table.
Their figures were concealed in the dimness, but she could distinguish a glint of silver hair and a senbon. Chains of smoke raised around the table.
"May I take your order?" she asked in a sugary tone with a notepad in hand.
The three individuals lifted their heads to gaze at her, but the shadows made it tricky for her to see their faces.
Then suddenly, the glow of a candle flickered in the darkness.
The man seated directly in front of her was unmistakably the man from the raining incident. He sat in a casual position on the chair with his hands placed behind his head. He wore a black bandana over his caramel locks. The familiar man set a pleased expression on his face and a playful smirk on his lips. The recognizable senbon bounced at he chewed on it.
To the left of her, Kurenai identified the male from the truck accident. He had both elbows on the table with his fists supporting his chin. The lower portion of his face was masked with a dark piece of material. His silver tresses was no longer in his face, but still obscured the unusual single, scarlet eye. His knife-like black eye pierced through her eyes with attentiveness.
There was an unknown man who had his backside faced against her. Kurenai could hear him breathe out with strings of smoke following it. Spiked coffee hair stuck out from behind a navy bandana. He was unquestionably the tallest. His legs were spread out, and his heels touched the floor. The fingers of his hand expertly held onto a cigarette. He slowly turned his head to gaze at her with idle amusement in his shady eyes.
Shiranui Genma, Hatake Kakashi, Sarutobi Asuma.
Objectives in sight.
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Hello...! Sorry for a late update. I'm so busy these days...-shakes head-
I know this chapter was kinda boring...-runs and hide- But I left a small cliffhanger! Yay for those. I'm still wondering if I should continue this fanfic...
This my first piece of writing I've ever done. I'm such a crappy writer.
Queen Dopplepoppleous - Thank you for reviewing! Yeah, I noticed that there wasn't a lot of Kurenai fanfics. So I thought I should create one myself!
Chibi06 - Thank you for telling me about my grammar. It's not my first language, so my writing might be a bit awkward. Sorry if my grammar bothers you. I will try my best to make it better! I will take your advice into consideration .
RurouniGochan - Yay Kurenai fanfics! cheers Thanks for reviewing
Constructive criticism, suggestions and reviews are highly appreciated!