Death Gods

By: Seiryuu – East God

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Chapter Three

A girl with shoulder-length raven black hair stood in the kitchen, dressed in a simple black t-shirt, loose black trousers, and a white apron. Yes, an apron. Although the picture doesn't look right, she's still wearing an apron. She simply stood there, a piece of bread in her left hand while she was glaring heatedly at the device that had two slots, cable, and something she didn't really know what to call.

"Nee-san, if you can't use the device, you should just eat it without testing… erm, tossing, eh, toasting it, as he had said," a small orange frog said as he sat on top of one of the counters, staring at the girl who was still glaring at the device that is commonly called as a toaster.

"I don't see why we should have this piece of junk," Sasuke grunted as she turned around and left the toaster on its own. Naruto had asked her to make a toast for him, but who cares? He could make one on his own later. "The only thing here that I know is the coffee machine," she added glumly as she stared at the cup of coffee she had just made with the familiar device that she had known for so long –and had grown to love dearly. But all Shinigami do love the coffee machine-.

She smeared strawberry jam on the piece of bread, and started munching on it while she examined her surroundings. She liked Meifu far better, because it was so much simpler in Meifu than in the human world. Luckily, though, the guest room doesn't hold anything she doesn't know.

"Morning," a blond boy said as he walked inside the kitchen, dressed in black t-shirt and orange trousers –she had asked the same question over and over in her head "Why orange?"-. He stopped to examine the raven haired girl who was sitting on one of the dining chairs.

"What?" she looked back as she brought up the cup of coffee to her lips and sipped on it. "Did I accidentally get something on my face?" she added, putting the cup back down. "Oh, anyway, morning Uzumaki-san," she added the belated greeting.

"The apron doesn't suit you," Naruto said and Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him. "I mean, okay, you look cute and all, but you look like a cross-dresser when you wear an apron," he added as he shrugged. He walked over to the dining table, and raised an eyebrow, before he turned around to face Sasuke and look at her questioningly.

Sasuke stared back with the same intensity.

"Where's the toast?" Naruto asked as he started to get impatient.

"You didn't tell me how to operate that… what was it again? Tester?" Sasuke retorted back rather sharply.

"And where's the cup of instant ramen I asked you to make? Surely you can make a cup of instant ramen?" Naruto asked as he noticed the missing cup of instant ramen on the table.

"You didn't tell me where it is,"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The two of them –three plus Gamakichi- sat on the sofa in the living room, staring at the screen of the television that was currently displaying some kind of cartoon about superheroes who live in a T-shaped tower (1). The screen turned black for a moment before it started showing advertisements.

Sasuke stared at the screen in utter boredom. How could humans enjoy watching these kind of things?

She stood up, put on her shoes, and walked over to the front door, followed closely by the hopping Gamakichi who had gotten off of the couch as soon as Sasuke got up. She was about to turn the knob and walk out when she was interrupted by a voice.

"Where are you going?" Naruto asked as he turned the television off. He put the remote controller on the coffee table in front of him and stood up as well.

"I'm going to visit my personal mentor, didn't I say so yesterday?" Sasuke looked back at him with bored-looking eyes.

"You did say 'later or tomorrow', so I didn't know if you have or haven't visited him," Naruto retorted back, but then walked to the front door as well. He put on his shoes, and stared at her.

"Where are you going?" Sasuke asked, raising an eyebrow at him. She didn't know he was going to go out as well.

"Where you are going," Naruto replied simply. "I can't afford to lose my housemate just because she gets lost, can I?" he asked as he laughed loudly.

"I will not get lost," Sasuke replied sharply as she glared at him. "As I've told you, I've been here ten times, and I know my way around," she added.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Naruto shrugged his shoulders at the girl's sharp comeback, "If you're going, then what are you doing here?" he asked, and she grudgingly walked out of the house, followed by him.

Gamakichi jumped up to rest on her arms, as to not invite any suspicions. Sasuke folded her arms in front of her chest, and let Gamakichi sit on her arms, acting as if she was holding a stuffed doll.

"So where is the house of this mentor of yours?" Naruto asked as he locked the door to his house, and walked over to fall into steps between the slightly –read: more than ten centimeters- shorter girl.

"Not far from here," Sasuke replied as she looked around. "Just slightly farther from the ramen stand near here (2)," she added, and started walking off towards a direction.

"Hey, are you sure that's the right way?" Naruto raised an eyebrow. Of course he knew which one is the right way, since he visited the ramen stand almost on a daily basis, though he didn't yesterday, but he didn't know Sasuke knew. After all, she had never been to his house, right?

"I can sense my mentor's aura," Sasuke answered. "Shinigamis and Shikigamis have stronger auras than normal human beings," she added.

"There are only four auras here," Gamakichi piped up, seeing that Sasuke wasn't going to continue. It was like she left the explanation hanging for him to continue. "Mine, yours, 'nee-san's, and Jiraiya-sama's," he finished.

"I see," Naruto nodded his head. He didn't know about those yet, but he had started to be able to sense the auras of other beings like Shinigamis, though he could only sense Sasuke's, since her spirit force is somehow higher than even the strongest Hollow could have.

They walked, and finally stopped in front of an old Japanese-styled building that stood gracefully behind a well-built wooden fence. In the middle of the row of fence, a wooden gate stood, separating the inner part of the mansion-like shop –yes, it is a shop-, and the outer part of it.

"This is his house?" Naruto asked as he looked up and stared at the house. Just how many people live in there? Thirty?

"Yes," Sasuke nodded her head. "There's a big yard at the side, and I think he has a research lab as well," she added as she shrugged, and raised her hand to knock on the gate.

Not long afterwards, the gate was opened by a man with bowl-like haircut, thick eyebrows, and a toothy grin that almost plastered his face all the time.

"Don't tell me he's your mentor," Naruto looked up at the man, seemingly traumatized.

"Nah, he's the servant of my mentor, to put it bluntly," Sasuke answered as she noticed the look of terror in Naruto's eyes. It was no wonder. Almost everyone had the same reaction when they first saw the man. Even she had gaped, and chanted 'Please tell me he's not my mentor' as quickly as she can.

He grinned widely and toothily when he saw the raven haired girl standing in front of the gate –that almost bumped into her head because of the man's enthusiasm in opening the gate-. "Why, welcome Sasuke-dono, it's not everyday that we see you here," he welcomed her in, and she walked inside with Gamakichi in her arms, and Naruto following closely by behind her, trying not to look at the man.

"Ah? Is that the rumored Shinigami?" the man asked as he pointed at Naruto.

Sasuke stopped and turned around. "I think I'll have to say so, Gai-san,"

"Doesn't look like it, does he?" Gai asked as he ruffled Naruto's blond hair. "Jiraiya-han is waiting inside,"

"Thank you," Sasuke said. She stepped onto the corridor, and pulled the paper door open, moving to the right, following the movement of the paper door.

"Sasuke-chan! I've been waiting for you!" a white-haired old-looking man lunged forward through the paper door, and ended up landing on the ground, right beside where Naruto was standing.

"So this one is your mentor?" Naruto asked as he looked disbelievingly at the white-haired man.

"Yes," Sasuke nodded her head grimly. "He doesn't look like it, but he's really smart, a genius even, and he's a hell of a swordsman," she added with a shrug.

"Aw, it makes me happy to hear it coming from your mouth!" Jiraiya said as he sat on the ground, grinning widely at his student. His only student. He turned around and acknowledged the presence of the blond boy. "Hm, so this is the rumored Shinigami," he mumbled to himself.

"Yeah," Sasuke said, "Should I bring him to Meifu or-"

"It wouldn't do," Jiraiya shook his head. "He can't protect you," he added with a very audible sigh.

"What do you mean, Jiraiya-san?" Sasuke asked, letting Gamakichi jump down and sit beside its trainer.

"Nothing," Jiraiya shook his head. "For now, this will do. Have you contacted Itachi or Shisui?" he asked as he looked up to stare at his student, and sighed when he saw her with trousers. He must've known. Sasuke despised skirts ever since she was a small kid. Maybe living with boys didn't do well, after all.

"Jiraiya-sama! Are you kidding? They must've received the order to kill 'nee-san!" Gamakichi shouted at the white-haired man.

"No I haven't," Sasuke answered in a calm tone. "I have lost contact with Meifu. I do not know why, but as you've known, I lost my ability to enter the portal. It's as if… I've become a human," she finished.

"Trapped in a human body," Jiraiya muttered. "Do not worry about the two of them. I will help you as I can. There are cases like this before," he said, trying to assure Sasuke that everything would turn out fine.

"And they all ended up dead," Sasuke said simply. "It's as if… everything is planned. Or is it something that happens to Shinigamis from time to time?" she asked silently.

"I do not really know," Jiraiya shook his head. "Do not worry about it, the order from the Council will come out after a month, and before that, you have nothing to worry about," he said optimistically, and everyone shot him a strange look.

Jiraiya cleared his throat. "Ahem, anyway, why are you here in the first place?" Jiraiya asked as he stared at Sasuke. "You want to ask for a device to detect the presence of a Hollow?" he asked.

"I do not lose my ability, Jiraiya-san, I merely came here for a visit," Sasuke remarked as she glared at Jiraiya who merely grinned at her. "But that would prove to be useful. Can you please give one to him?" she asked as she looked over to Naruto.

"No problem, I'll give it to him later," Jiraiya waved his hand. "Oh, probably you're here to look for a place to stay? I can easily put you up, you know how many rooms there are here," he added.

"She's staying with me," Naruto suddenly said, and all pairs of eyes were set on him.

"Such a possessive one, I don't think they will be happy when they see him," Jiraiya chuckled a bit. "So, are you up for a spar, eh, Sasuke?" he asked as he turned around.

"I am ready anytime you are," Sasuke said as she bowed her head a bit to show her respect. Her clothes changed from the casual clothes to the Shinigami's uniform.

"Good, do the sankai now," Jiraiya said. "Come to me, child of mist, Kirigama," he said, and a sword formed in his hand. The lower part of it was filled with ice that looked like stalactites.

"Such an interesting way of doing sankai, Jiraiya-san," Sasuke complimented as she nodded her head. She raised her hand, and gripped the forming sword as she muttered, "Mangetsu – Fuu, come to me, the wind of kaleidoscope,"

They rushed at each other. No sound was made. Not even the clanking of metal. The three of them could see nothing, but the next second, the two were standing on opposite sides, backing each other, as their swords started to deform.

Slashes and cuts appeared on Sasuke's body, letting fresh blood splash out. She didn't even wince in pain as she fell onto the ground, unconscious.

"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted as he ran towards Sasuke, followed by Gai and Gamakichi.

"You really have improved a lot, Sasuke," Jiraiya said.

With that said and done, he also fell onto the ground, a large cut forming on his back.

End of Chapter Three

(1) I'm referring to Teen Titans. They do live in a T-shaped tower, don't they?

(2) In this one, I'm referring to Ichiraku. Is there any other ramen shop that Naruto visits on a daily basis other than that?

Finished, at last. It really made my head spin, and I think I'm suffering from headache now… oh well, hope you enjoy.