NO I don't own any of the Naruto characters. I own Kasumi, Ayane, and Azn-Ryu only. Perhaps your momma 2. Just kidding! I'm sorry the beginning chapters are so short. I promise after chapter five they will expand with length. So. To all you people reading this, leave me a review if you have any comments of suggestions. It would be greatly appreciated and thanks so much for reading so far.
Chapter Four: The Ninja Clash over the New Mission by edlovergirl
Kasumi walked into the village with Ryu a step behind her. She looked for the ramen stand where she was meeting her partner, wondering why anyone would want to meet there besides to eat. She found a teenage girl matching the description she had been given who had a redheaded boy sitting beside her. Kasumi walked over to them and started talking.
"You must be Ayane, the kunoichi of the Sand, I assume?" Kasumi said with a shrug and turned towards the boy. She noticed the red character on his forehead and wondered in Ryu had also seen it.
"You must be Gaara, Kazekage of Sunagakure. Why are you here?" asked Ryu rather flatly.
"I'm here because I feel like it," he responded back with a hunger in his eyes.
Ayane looked at Ryu sharply and elaborated. "He has a meeting with the Hokage."
"I'm Kasumi, known as the Shadows' Heart. We should get going. I want to get to Konoha by noon," she replied.
"Well, that was sure a long introduction," Ayane said sarcastically. "Gaara is traveling with us to Konoha since we're going to the same place."
"Is that a problem?" asked Gaara with an eyebrow lifted as if in humor.
"Not unless you want to make it one," Ryu said defensively, standing in front of Kasumi.
"Ryu-Chan, control yourself and let's head off," Kasumi said, turning out of the shop.
The group walked in silence with the each pair largely ignoring the other. Kasumi already felt like Ayane and Gaara were nuisances. She wondered if she would actually be ready when the time came to fight her sister. The more she thought about this, the angrier and more worked up she got. Kasumi could be a real low life, but shinobi simply followed orders. Perhaps it was necessary to be a low life in order to keep emotions in check when someone died. She sighed, annoyed, and turned her anger against someone she did not even know.
"I wonder who this Sasuke kid is and why I have to protect him. He must be a pathetic little genin."
Although Ayane and Gaara both knew better, they decided against interjecting.
Ryu said, "That, or he's being forced to have a bodyguard and doesn't like the idea of having a babysitter any more than you like the idea of being one."
Ayane finally decided to give her opinion. "That seems much more likely."
"If he hates being babysat, then he should protect himself," Kasumi argued.
"What a pointless conversation," said Gaara from his position next to Ayane.
I hate this punk, Kasumi thought to herself angrily.
As they continued walking, Ryu kept trying to engage the others in conversation. He finally gave up when Ayane was the only one who answered, and her answers were somewhat patronizing and sarcastic. Kasumi sighed when Konoha came into sight. The group went straight to the office of the Hokage, where Kasumi entered without knocking and the others followed after her. Several Jounin stood in defense, but she simply walked past them, ignoring the shocked looks on their faces. Kasumi was anxious to give Tsunade a piece of her mind for making her baby-sit a sixteen-year-old boy, but Tsunade only smiled.
"So you are the famous Shadow's Heart, hmm? I expected someone like you, and you certainly seem fit for the task.
"There has been a change in the mission. Uchiha Sasuke has left Konohagakure to be taught by the S-class criminal Orochimaru. We concealed this fact for the safety and security of all involved. He left three years ago when he was twelve. Uzumaki Naruto is now your mission. The Akatsuki organization attempted to kidnap and murder him to extract the chakra of the Kyuubi demon inside him.
"I'm glad you're here, Kazekage Gaara, because this is why I requested a meeting with you. Akatsuki is after all the demon hosts, and I would like Kasumi and Ayane to guard them, including you."
"What?" asked Kasumi. "There are nine demon hosts, and you want me to look after all of them?" She sighed before continuing with a smirk. "I'll do it, but I expect to be paid for each host. I have three safe already, although I'm not looking forward to having to baby-sit Gaara."
Gaara scowled and directed at Kasumi a look that would have made any Jounin go pale and run. Not long before, he would have slowly crushed her to death, but now he simply let out a low growl and stalked out of the room.
Ayane thought the way Kasumi had spoken to the Hokage was disrespectful, but she still found it amusing. On the other hand, Kasumi had insulted her best friend. She said, "Gaara doesn't need anyone to protect him. He's the Kazekage: strongest in his village. He can look after himself." With that, she turned and followed him out the door.
As Ryu and Kasumi followed, he gave her a look that clearly showed he was wondering if he was the third.
They walked to the apartment to which they had been directed and climbed the stairs. Kasumi knocked on the door, frustrated, and sighed. She had heard about Uzumaki Naruto. Who went around saying "believe it" all the time, anyway?