Rating: M

Words: 4700

Pairing: Eventual Genma/OC and other various pairings will pop up along the way

Warnings: Language, innuendos, general bad behavior, drinking, overhead sex

Author's Note: So these two are an absolute pleasure to write. The more I write, the more I adore them and their hatred of each other. Let me know what you want to see more of, less of, any questions or ideas. Thanks for reading! Reviews are life! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much as I did. Also, huge thanks to Cinlat and Lisa Flowers for helping make this a stronger chapter!

Mission Report - Day Three: After much discussion, the consensus is that I will act as captain for the duration of this mission. No other information is available at present. Check-ins will continue at regular intervals, or if high priority intelligence becoming available. Next check in will be upon arrival, approximately one week.

The perfectly-formed, angular lettering could only belong to Setsumi. Though Kakashi wasn't familiar with her handwriting in the way that he was with Genma's, it fit her personality. The woman was an overachiever in every sense of the word. She wanted to be the best at absolutely everything, and it showed on her mission record. There were only a handful of failures, including the one with Genma.

This mission was one of the first that Kakashi had sent her on as Hokage, so the woman would undoubtedly seek to gain his favor. Which meant she would probably drive him insane with updates. It could have been worse, though. Genma could have become team captain, then Kakashi would be left to wonder what was happening, or if they were even alive. At least Setsumi would keep in touch.

It was a positive trade-off. Setsumi and Genma were the best, currently-available shinobi for this mission, and both could use some time out of the village, and it got Genma out of Kakashi's hair. Recently, the tokujo had been trying to set Kakashi up with a plethora of different women. In the weeks before he left, Genma had started hinting that Sakura was an attractive option for Kakashi's affections, and he might as well act since she spent so much time around his office. No amount of arguing with the infuriating man could make him see reason. Not having to put up with his unending comments on which women were good in bed, and which ones were only decent was one of the perks of sending Genma away too.

Setsumi was another story. Kakashi didn't know her that well, though he knew she was close with Kurenai. They'd hung out often enough together, but the girl was mostly standoffish and quiet, from what he'd seen. Asuma had known her by extension, and he'd been fiercely protective of the girl. Once, he'd confided to Kakashi that he was worried about her, and talked a little about her past. There weren't many shinobi who didn't have a history of loss and pain, though. Kakashi knew that as well as anyone, and hoped that getting out of the village would be good for her. Plus, he wanted to test her skills in difficult situations. Partnering with Genma certainly qualified for that.

While Kakashi could have sent Anbu on the mission, both Genma and Setsumi were tokujo with specialties in the necessary areas. While it was dangerous, they were easily the most prepared for it, if neither of them blew their cover this time. If things fell through, Kakashi could send Tenzo, or Sai, to finish the mission and pull the other shinobi out. Tenzo was gone from the village on a mission of his own, at the moment though.

Thinking of the former Anbu made Kakashi's lips curl in a smile beneath his mask. He'd been adept at pissing off his friends with mission assignments lately. Though Tenzo would never complain, Kakashi had seen the frustration slide into his shoulders when he'd been assigned to partner with Anko. The boisterous woman would irritate his calm best friend, but they would get the mission done quickly, and hopefully without killing one another. Kakashi didn't really havehave time to pick his teams based on friendship, anyway. Village safety was more important than petty things like personality differences.

Kakashi refolded the note, and noticed a spidery scrawl across the bottom of the page. That messy writing belonged to Genma, and looked as if he'd written it in a hurry. Probably hoping that Setsumi didn't notice him writing on her mission report, the Hokage thought with an amused smile. Kakashi could taste the panic in Genma's words as he read them. Is it too early to request leave for insanity?

Chuckling softly under his breath, Kakashi incinerated the report.

The sun sank near the horizon as the two shinobi walked toward next village. Well, Genma walked, and Setsumi stalked. If the woman had been a cat, her tail would have been lashing the air in fury. "Of all the tasteless, vulgar, uncivilized-" Her words sputtered as she growled low in her throat.

Genma threw his hands up in innocence. "It had nothing to do with you. It's a perfectly normal reaction in the morn-"

"Don't start." Setsumi's snarl dropped an octave, and Genma couldn't help but chuckle. Only two days gone from the village, and the woman was already annoyed with him. Since he couldn't get out of the mission or request a better partner, Genma had decided to make the best of things. That loosely translated to making Setsumi as miserable as possible, and she was surprisingly easy to unsettle.

As they walked, Genma glanced at the woman out of the corner of his eye. Her dark hair was long, unusually so for a kunoichi. Long hair made an easy target in combat, which meant that Setsumi either wasn't a fighter, or she was an exceptionally good one. Genma assumed it was the former from what he knew of her. It wasn't that he doubted her prowess on the battlefield necessarily, but as a tokujo with a specialty in intelligence gathering, it made sense that she would work mostly behind the scenes.

Raido hadn't been lying when he said half the men in the village would have killed for six months along with Setsumi. Her heart-shaped face was undoubtedly pretty, surrounded by black curls, and inky blue-purple eyes that held a challenging spark. Four long, pale scars ran over Setsumi's right cheek, down her neck, then disappeared into her shirt. Genma wanted to know what had caused them, but he didn't ask.

"What are you looking at?" Setsumi faced him squarely, eyes furious for no real reason that Genma could tell. The most comical thing about the woman had to be her height, Genma decided. Many of the kunoichi from the village were short, but Setsumi was excessively so. The top of her head barely reached Genma's shoulder.

When Genma smirked without answering, Setsumi shook her head. "You know what? I don't care; I'm sure it's indecent anyway. Can we please just talk about the mission?"

"We aren't even there yet," Genma complained. "What could there possibly be to talk about?"

"Since this mission is mostly in the realm of intelligence gathering, I think Hokage-sama would prefer that I took charge. I assume you'll be useful when it comes to the assassination of our target, but everything else is my specialty." Setsumi managed to sound both arrogant and conciliatory at the same time.

Genma doubted that Kakashi had meant for Setsumi to lead, but he couldn't bring himself to care. The captain would take the blame if they failed, and Genma had no intention of being that person. "Okay," he answered with a shrug.

Setsumi missed a step. "What do you mean okay?"

"I mean it's fine. I'll be a good boy, obeying whatever you say, as long as it's reasonable." Genma almost laughed when the woman frowned and eyed him, immediately on edge. Flustering Setsumi was far more fun than dominating her. Well, in theory anyway.

Since they'd left Konoha, Genma had been thinking about the possibilities of this mission. While the Land of Water wasn't a place where he'd spent much time, it had been enjoyable. There were plenty of beaches, bathing suits, beautiful women, and men who weren't quite as attractive as he was. If Genma let Setsumi deal with the mission details, he could look at this almost as a vacation. Long missions required a vast majority of time in intelligence gathering, which meant talking to people, and that came naturally to Genma. He wouldn't be expected to work constantly, so there would be ample time for enjoying the locals, and letting them enjoy him.

Setsumi's frown deepened, but Genma shrugged. "You can write the mission reports, and face Kakashi when we're done. I don't need his validation." Genma knew the insinuation that she needed a man's approval would rankle, but he hadn't expected the fist the slammed into his side, hard enough to take his breath.

"I do not need Hokage-sama's validation," Setsumi snarled. Genma wondered if she was capable of the finer points of language. She had to understand seduction as a means of gathering intelligence, but teasing might be beyond her range.

"Well, you do actually," Genma reasoned with a grin, once he got his breath back, of course. "He has to approve whatever the captain does on this mission, and I don't want that pressure. Since we're stuck together, I'm going to make the best of it."

Setsumi snorted. "You're not exactly my idea of a good time, either, you know."

"I could be," Genma let the words die off with insinuation, then spun away before Setsumi could hit him again.

"This is exactly what I'm talking about," Setsumi snapped. "You can't take anything serious, you always have to bring sex into it. What's wrong with you?"

Genma chuckled. "You obviously need to get laid more often if it bothers you that much. Seriously, when was the last time you got some?"

Setsumi's skin flushed crimson, but Genma knew it was from anger, not embarrassment. She exhaled slowly, and he got the impression she was counting under her breath. "That is none of your business."

"You know, you're kind-of attractive, in a frigid sort of a way. A lot of guys wanted to come on this mission, Raido included, but Kakashi has a demented sense of humor," Genma remarked, shifting the pack on his shoulder. He made a show of studying her, smirking inwardly while she tried to hide her discomfort. "I don't think you're getting nearly as much as you should. Maybe it's your personality; you should try smiling more, and talking less."

"Life isn't just about sex," Setsumi sighed, and to Genma's surprise, she didn't try to hit him this time. "When are you going to grow up? You act like a sixteen-year-old boy who just figured out how it works."

Genma burst out laughing at Setsumi's failed insult. The woman had no idea how wrong she was. He hadn't expected to grow older, even making it past twenty had come as a surprise. Genma had been marked as an assassin from birth, hardly a job that lent itself to longevity. Then, he'd become a bodyguard, another position that shortened his life expectancy. After Genma had been unable to stop Minato's death, he'd-Genma shied away from that thought like fire.

Assassin and bodyguard notwithstanding, the life of shinobi was a difficult and uncertain one. Genma had always known that he wasn't guaranteed tomorrow. The man wasn't even guaranteed another hour, so he'd learned to enjoy life as it came, and he refused to apologize for taking pleasure where he could find it. In the bedroom, or elsewhere. The thrill of the chase coursing through his body, the heady rush of desire as clothes were pulled off and discarded, the world stopping moment of completion when nothing else mattered, then the hazy bliss that followed. They were almost enough to blunt the razor-edged reminder of the blood on his hands.

At twenty-five, Setsumi should have been old enough to understand that, but she was still painfully naive in some ways.

The night before they were due to leave on the mission, Genma had been surprised to find Kurenai on his doorstep. Part of the shock came from the fact that Genma didn't realize that she knew where he lived. He was fiercely protective of the safe haven his home provided. He never brought women back to it, one of the quirks Genma had developed over the years, and no matter what was happening, he knew that he could always escape to the safety and solitude of his apartment. Rather than inviting Kurenai in, Genma had offered to walk her back down to the street in a thinly veiled statement that his home was off limits.

It hadn't taken Kurenai long to reveal that she knew about Genma and Setsumi's mission, and she didn't mention his odd behavior. Perhaps Asuma had told her more about him than Genma realized. He knew the woman was close with Setsumi, of course, si it hadn't come as a surprise when she became the topic of discussion.

"Setsumi has been having a tough time lately," Kurenai said, biting her lower lip, and looking guilty for being there. "Please try not to make things more difficult for her, okay?"

Genma laughed at the shrouded implication. "She hates me. I have no intention of making things more difficult for her; I don't need that kind of drama in my life." He rolled his senbon playfully across his lips, then grinned. "There are plenty of girls that want to be caught."

"I didn't say you couldn't sleep with her, just don't complicate matters. She needs to get her mind off things, and I've heard you're a decent distraction." Kurenai blushed slightly when she said the words, putting Genma off-balance.

"Want to give me a try and see for yourself?" Genma teased halfheartedly.

Genma had never made a move for Kurenai. Not since the time that Asuma had shoved him into a wall hard enough to knock the air from his lungs, then held Genma there with a forearm against his throat. The tokujo had been quick to choke out that he'd only been kidding when he said he wouldn't mind getting a peek at what lie beneath the kunoichi's bandage dress.

Kurenai smiled at him with unreadable red eyes. "I think I'll pass."

After offering his signature smirk, and telling her that she didn't know what she was missing, Genma and Kurenai had parted ways. He'd promised to try and behave himself for her sake-and he meant it-until two hours after leaving the village when he and Setsumi had gotten into their first argument.

"Are you even listening to me?" Genma glanced up, unmuting the buzz of Setsumi trying to plan the mission as they walked. She'd been doing this since they left, and while Genma understood the necessity of having a plan, how many extras could they possibly need?

"Of course I am," Genma lied through a cheeky grin, then ducked into an inn before she could hit him. While he'd been lost in his own thoughts, the pair had reached the nearest village. Hopefully, they'd be able to sleep in a bed, rather than out in the elements. Genma wasn't opposed to sleeping rough, but he didn't see the point if it wasn't necessary.

This village was small enough to only have one inn. As expected, the common room was full of people, including a pretty redhead. Genma grinned to himself, this place would do just fine.

The inn was noisy and crowded, but at least it was dry. Last night it had rained during most of Setsumi's watch, which left her in a terrible mood. Then, she'd kicked Genma out of his blankets an attempt to make the man empathize. Her disposition had only worsened when she realized that the bulge she'd thought was his hand, most definitely wasn't. Why did working with men had to be so difficult?

Though Genma had agreed to follow Setsumi's lead on the mission, the man sauntered up to the innkeeper with a smile. He leaned against the counter in a way that Setsumi was sure was meant to put him at his best advantage. Before Genma could do more than flash his teeth in a smile that he must have learned from Gai, Setsumi spoke. "We need two rooms for the night, please."

"I'm sorry, I only have one room," the little old woman said, smiling at Genma while patting her powder white hair into place. Setsumi groaned audibly, then the innkeeper laughed. "Sorry, I've always wanted to say that to two young travelers who clearly want nothing more to do with one another. I have two rooms available on the second floor, they're side by side."

Genma laughed deep in his throat, and the woman seemed pleased. Setsumi was less amused. Her heart had nearly stopped at the idea of having to share not only a room, but a bed with Genma. She would have rather slept in the rain.

"That'll work," Setsumi agreed quickly. The woman smiled at Genma again, explained which rooms would be theirs, then hurried off to answer the call of another patron.

As they walked up the stairs toward the first two doors on the right, Genma frowned down at Setsumi. "Could you try to loosen up a bit? If you're wound this tight before we even reach our destination, you're going to blow the whole mission again."

"Again?" Setsumi asked icily, cutting her eyes at the arrogant man before lifting her chin. "If I remember correctly, you were the one that ruined our last mission with your screaming." Her tone was slightly more smug than necessary.

Genma sniffed dismissively. "You almost broke my nose. And it was your knee that caused the scream." His face darkened at the memory, hand lowering protectively over his groin, which only made Setsumi's smile grow.

"All the same, keep your charms to yourself tonight." Setsumi grinned with mock sweetness as she spun to retreat to her room, verbal battle won. At least, until Genma chuckled.

"Don't worry, love," Genma called after her with a vindictive sneer. "You're perfectly safe. I prefer women with curves."

The irritating man stepped into his room before Setsumi could calm herself enough to respond with words. Huffing, she went to the second room, and slammed the door shut. She dropped her pack on the small bed, and took a moment to stretch her back. Her muscles were stiff from not being able to train beyond walking. He's an idiot, Setsumi consoled herself as she considered the best training schedule before they set out tomorrow, or whenever she managed to drag Genma back on the road again. Tonight, she wanted to eat, and get some decent sleep without having to worry about her exasperating partner.

Setsumi ventured back to common room for dinner, rice balls with flaky fish worked inside, and found Genma already there. He was obvious in his Leaf Shinobi armor, the only person in the room wearing it. Though Setsumi had a flak vest and jonin blues tucked away in her bag, she almost never wore them. Comfortably tight black pants ended midway down her calf and hugged her body-she had curves dammit, no matter what Genma thought-and tucked into strapped black sandals. A matching black shirt sheathed her torso, chest, and arms, while the three-quarter length sleeves showed off, rather than hid, her muscles. Over all the black, Setsumi wore a deep blue vest, and a matching sash around her waist, the longer side trailing down her right hip.

The outfit wasn't meant to be seductive or attractive, Setsumi had plenty of clothes for that when necessary. This was simply what she wore to work, fight, and train in. A weapons pouch rested on her left hip, and there were others hidden on her body for emergencies. Normally, Setsumi didn't need them, but she refused to be without a weapon. Too many shinobi let their guards down, and died for their own stupidity.

As her eyes roved the room, Setsumi thought about trying to get some information, then disregarded it. They were far enough away from their destination that she wouldn't expect to learn anything useful here. One of the men, who looked nearly as old as Genma, gave her a flirty smile when her eyes lingered. Setsumi looked away pointedly, and never turned back. Unlike her teammate, she had no interest in fraternizing. Genma was talking to not one, but two women, who had probably been friends before he came in and disrupted things. Now, they were eyeing him possessively, and glaring at each other when he wasn't looking.

Setsumi watched the women curiously, wondering what they saw in Genma. He was average as far as shinobi went, neither tall nor short, bulky or lean. Perhaps it was that he projected the dangerous, bad boy image. Anyone who walked hand in hand with death could look that way if they wanted to, but Genma did it casually, with an easy smile and amusement in his eye. Setsumi remembered the self-assured way he'd pushed her against the wall on their last mission. She hadn't been afraid Genma would force her, he'd actually thought she'd wanted him to be rough.

Shaking her head, Setsumi pushed her loose, frizzy curls out of her face. Genma's hand rested on the lower back of one of the women as he leaned in close to whisper in her ear. He moved like a cat, slinking nearer with easy confidence. The shinobi had the smugness of a feline as well, lips curling with amusement. Setsumi bet the man even purred. How any woman could fall for such an obvious ruse, she had no idea. Deciding that she didn't care, Setsumi finished dinner, then retired to her room for the evening.

Setsumi washed her face, hands, and feet before removing her weapons and undressing down to her black outfit. Content, she crawled into bed. It was on the smaller side, but the blankets were warm and inviting. She thought about Kurenai's suggestion to enjoy herself for the next few months, but Setsumi had a hard time turning off the logical part of her mind when on a mission, or ever, for that matter. Thinking about the past, she fell into an uneasy sleep.

A deafening crash tore Setsumi awake, and she leaped out of bed with a kunai in hand. Moonlight glinted through the tiny window, but otherwise, darkness bathed the room. Heart pounding, she swept the corners, looking for a threat. It took several moments for the rushing of blood in her ears to slow down enough for her to focus. Another impact shook the wall, and a gasp immediately followed it.

Setsumi's mouth fell open as she heard Genma chuckle. "Like that?"

A series of soft moans answered. Setsumi stood frozen in the center of her room, hand wrapped around the kunai. She didn't know whether to be horrified or furious at what she was hearing. Setsumi and Genma had talked about this, about not getting involved with anyone while on this mission. In fact, she'd directly told him that he wasn't to form any attachments. They hadn't even been out of the village a week for Kami's sake.

"Yes, oh god, yes," the woman answered breathily. Setsumi tucked the weapon away in her pouch, groaning. It was late, well past midnight, judging by the position of the moon. She'd been asleep less than two hours before this nonsense started.

More muffled sounds issued from Genma's room, then a second voice complained. "You have to share."

Genma laughed, a deep rumble that was clear through the thin walls. "There's enough of me to go around." There was a grunt, then a breathless giggle from one of the women.

"It certainly looks like it," the second voice tittered, drawing out a masculine growl.

There was a creaking sound, then another thud against the wall. Setsumi's cheeks flushed crimson as her mind conjured images that she most certainly did not want. She was wondering how they could all fit on the bed, when her room echoed with the loudest bang yet, followed by laughter. Setsumi didn't want to imagine it, but her mind helpfully supplied the image of three bodies falling to the floor in a tangle of limbs.

As much as she wanted to be angry, Setsumi was too embarrassed. She walked to the other side of the room, and splashed cool water in her face. Thankfully, the noises from Genma's room had slowed, which hopefully meant that falling off the bed was enough to calm them down. Setsumi settled on the edge of her bed, trying to think of anything except Genma, and the fact that he was having sex next door.

"Fuck, don't stop," Genma moaned, then made a sound that Setsumi had never heard. She could imagine the way he must have thrown his head back to-

Setsumi shot to her feet, crossed the room before her mind caught up, and fled. Only the proprietor, and the man who'd been eying Setsumi earlier, were left in the common room. She dropped onto a stool at the bar, and ordered sake. The woman poured her a small glass, then patted Setsumi's hand. Her dark eyes crinkled with a tender smile. "Don't worry dearie, he'll come around eventually. You two will work things out before you know it."

"It's not-we're not-"Setsumi didn't argue; it wasn't worth explaining. Instead, she drained the glass, and ordered another.

Repeating that procedure, Setsumi waited until sufficient time had passed, nearly half an hour, before stumbling back to her room. Though she knew she would pay for it with a hangover in the morning, at least she'd be able to sleep now. The alcohol dragged her toward sweet oblivion, and Setsumi dropped onto her bed, eyes drifting shut to blessed silence. Her stomach heaved from the sake, but that was preferable to earlier.

Then, the noise filled her room again, but this time it didn't stop. The frantic pounding left little to the imagination as it wrung moans from the women, and grunts from Genma.

"I want to hear you scream my name," Genma's rasped, voice on the edge of control.

"Make me," the woman challenged breathlessly.

The tempo changed; Setsumi had only thought it was urgent before. Genma's name soon joined the expletives his lover screamed, voice arcing higher in pleasure, until the moans ceased suddenly. He must have covered the woman's mouth, because the pounding against the wall didn't slow. If anything, it grew more desperate.

Setsumi buried her head beneath the pillows and blankets. Whatever Genma had done earlier, had silenced the woman, but the sound of their bodies colliding against each other was still obvious. He kept talking, encouraging his lover with low mumbles that Setsumi only half heard through the hands pressed over her ears. The woman gasped, then stuttered Genma's name in a broken scream.

The sounds slowed, becoming softer, but no less passionate. Setsumi dared to peek from under her blankets, then pushed them off her head. She had accepted that there were still a few hours of peace left in the night when she heard the second woman laugh. "My turn."

Setsumi was so exhausted and hungover the next morning that she skipped breakfast in hopes of getting a little more sleep. When the sun rose completely, the woman pushed herself up, and packed quickly. Her stomach roiled, and her head ached, but there was nothing to be done for it. Maybe walking would ease some of the self-inflicted agony.

Genma sat by the bar when Setsumi came downstairs, looking amazingly chipper despite his escapades the night before. He chatted with the little old woman, and settled their bill for the night. The proprietor looked up at Setsumi with pitying eyes, and the kunoichi had never wanted to stab someone so much as she did in that moment.

"About time," Genma complained. "You were the one who insisted we leave at first light."

Setsumi glared at the man before her, at the easy smile on his lips, and the sparkle of amusement in his eyes. She thought of three dozen different answers, before settling on the one that seemed most apt. "Fuck you."

Genma winked. "I've already paid for our rooms, but I could change that if you want."

Hearing the air explode from Genma lungs was almost reparation for last night. Almost.