Standard disclaimers apply

Chapter 1

"The Return"

Thin red lips were pulled back in a tight grimace as onyx black eyes surveyed the filth surrounding him. It had been years since he'd last stepped foot on this land. And he had hoped that he never would again. Of course, he had not counted on the sick sense of humor his employer possessed. And so he was forced to traverse these streets again, uprooting deeply buried memories that he once thought he'd lain to rest. He brutally quashed these before the images of his past came to haunt his mind again. It would not do well for him to lose his attentiveness, particularly in this city that hid horrors he had first hand experience in.

He kept himself firmly in the more illuminated areas, despite the attention he was receiving from the patrons and workers from the bars across the street. Catcalls and suggestive comments he could ignore. A blade in the back was a little harder, which was practically a guarantee if he wandered too closely to the all too deceptive shadows in the alleys he passed by. The fact that the hairs on the back of his neck have been tingling for a while now attested to that.

He veered sharply to the right once he reached an intersection, then kept on turning at certain corners till he found the building he was looking for. He almost felt amused that his memory of the place was still clear enough to guide him despite his years of absence, if not for what it implied. Instead, the half-formed smirk turned into a dark scowl as he once again turned his thoughts away from dangerous territory.

The building was old and bordering on decrepit, the walls dirt-stained and stinking of human feces. He remembered it to be an abandoned warehouse in his younger years, which often catered to homeless people who needed a shelter for a night or two. It was certainly wide enough to fill a couple of hundred people. The drafts coming from the various openings littering the walls and ceilings – no doubt courtesy of poverty-stricken individuals hauling off the metal hoping for an additional income – and the lack of toilet facilities leaved much to be desired however. At least for those of them who were fortunate enough to have a shelter to come home to at night. Never mind that it was only a few steps higher than this dump.

"Like the view? Brings back memories, doesn't it?"

The voice, smooth and mocking came from inside the structure. He recognized it as Kabuto's, and he frowned despite his best effort to keep an impassive face. The distinct feeling of unease being in his old neighborhood brought, coupled with the brief flare of anger at his taunting made the normally easy task quite difficult.

"Why are we here?" he asked instead as he watched the other detach himself from the shadows of the entrance to the building.

It was disconcerting how well the other man blended with his surroundings, despite how striking his hair was, and how revealing it should be in the darkness. It simply boggled his mind to no end.

Silvery strands of hair tied back into a loose ponytail heralded the other's approach as silent footfalls reached his sensitive ears. A break in the clouds enabled the dim glow of the moon to permeate the darkness and provide enough light for him to catch a glimpse of the other.

He was attired in a nondescript black shirt and pants, the quality substandard enough not to catch any undesired attention or to cast undue suspicion. His features were also fairly plain. Not quite ugly, but not very attractive either. Save for his hair, he appeared relatively inconspicuous, the type of man that would easily be forgotten. But those were the exact traits that made him a great spy in their organization. Those added to his sharp intellect and his perverse delight in causing suffering to others equal to their leader's earned him the position of second-in-command in the organization.

"And why not? Do you not miss your old home town?"

It was for that reason that he held back the scathing words that wanted to spill from his mouth. He did not fear the other man's displeasure, nor Orochimaru's, - he is considered the best in his profession for a reason – but he did intend to keep his job. True he had other clients that would pay a generous amount for his services, but Orochimaru still had some things that he needed. And to get that, he had to stay on his good graces. Thus, he pointedly ignored the question and asked an inane one of his own.

"What happened to the homeless people that used to reside here?"

The smirk Kabuto had been wearing since the start of their conversation widened even more at this, though he obligingly followed the other's lead. "Let's just say Orochimaru now runs this place and he saw it fit to dispose of the…useless garbage."

Kabuto watched his face closely for his reaction as he delivered these words. Upon finding none, he went on. "Orochimaru thought the setting would be apt considering the target he acquired for you."

Here he fished a sealed manila envelope from his back and threw it at him. Sasuke wasted no time in opening it and revealing its contents. Inside was an enlarged large picture of a busty, blonde woman walking in the streets and clutching a bag of groceries in one hand. She was dressed quite conservatively in a simple white wrap-around polo and a pencil cut black skirt, if not for the gaping low neckline showing her considerable cleavage. Another shake of the envelope showed some documents on the identity of his target and other pertinent information they felt he should know. A quick glance on top of the page nearly made his heart stop beating.

"Tsunade, head of the council ruling over the Fire country. She's also the aunt of Arashi Uzumaki, the one you killed eleven years ago. Your first, isn't that right?" he paused here as if waiting for a reply; for him to confirm or deny. When none was forthcoming, he continued, voice a tad bit amused. "The job you nearly mangled if I remember correctly. Orochimaru and I are hoping things would be different this time. Do try your best Sasuke-kun."

With that the other pivoted on his heels and walked away, disappearing moments after. And then he was left alone drowning in his memories.

A/N: R&R please! Feel free to ask for questions and clarifications. Also, since this is my first SasuNaru fic, I'd appreciate it if you'd point out if I'm getting too OOC. I don't think I was able to pull of Kabuto's personality very well. (disheartened sigh)