Cocaine Cowgirl

Looking back on the chapters of your life
Searching for the storyline
'Cause the one you live now's doing nothing for you
Say goodbye to your friends and the ones who lover you.
Movin' on.

Cocaine cowgirl
She's out catchin' eyes
On the other end of the desert skies
Takin' you down to the dark side of town
Cocaine cowgirl nobody knows

Matt Maes and El Torpedo

Isn't this just like Konoha, Kasumi thought, smiling a little to herself. The Hokage's house was big, with plenty of room to accommodate visitors and all the people that helped run the village. It was better kept than the houses of the Mizokage and the Kazekage, whose villages had been decimated by wars over the years and now struggled to maintain their place in the world. Yet it wasn't big and imposing, as was the house of the Tsuchikage in the Hidden Rock village, nor a palatial as that of Raikage, in the Hidden Cloud. Right in the middle, that was where Konoha always fell. A by and large practical people, although she had noticed a tendency towards thick-headedness that could rival even the shinobi of the Hidden Rock.

Still, they were hospitable enough. The door had been opened by a dark haired young woman that the taller of her two escorts - who surely didn't wear those ridiculous green outfits all the time! - had called Shizune. Shizune-san had taken a single look at the three of them, out in the rain, and bundled them inside with the efficiency that Kasumi had come to associate with nurses everywhere, scolding the taller of her guides the whole time about the dangers of being out in weather like this, "especially in that ridiculous outfit of yours!" So I'm not the only one who thinks those are stupid, she thoughts.

Of course not. In all my years…

That's enough.

"Would you take off your coat, please?" Shizune-san asked, handing her a mug of tea that she had just brought. Kasumi's fingers closed around it, and for a moment she lost herself in enjoying the feeling of warmth under her fingers. It wasn't really that cold out, and the rain was nothing to what she was used to, growing up in the Water Country, but it was still nice to be warm and dry.

"Even surrounded by ninja, you're worried about an assassination attempt?" she asked. The tea, when she tasted it, was wonderful. She had never been to Konoha before, but she remembered the wonderful food of the Fire Country from the few villages along its edges that she had stopped in before.

Shizune-san glared at her. "Right now, I'm more worried that you'll catch your death of cold," she snapped. She can't be two years older than me, and she's already as catty as an old woman, Kasumi thought bitterly. What will I be like at that age?

Don't be ridiculous. She's a good eight years older than you are. And what makes you think I'd let you have anything other than a sweet disposition?

Don't even start.

With a small sigh, Kasumi removed her coat and hat, feeling as she did that she was removing her armor against the world. She handed them over to Shizune-san, who took them with the same efficiency she had done everything else so far. Although she was careful not to look anywhere but into her tea mug, she could still feel the eyes of her two guides on her. There were times when she didn't mind being pretty, but most of the time it was just plain annoying.

There you go again, whining about being beautiful. There's a fair number who would give anything to be you.

Somehow, that only made it worse.

"Would you like me to hand over my weapons before I go to see the Hokage?" Never mind that the rank of Kage was never achieved by any but the most talented of ninja, or that most ninja could kill without weapons, in all countries she had had to turn over her kunai before going in. And yet, here in Konoha…

"You're from the Hidden Mist, are you?" Shizune-san's eyes were understanding, but at the same time held an edge of suspicion that hadn't been there before. Kasumi resisted the urge to cover the offending symbol that was etched into the forehead protector she wore tied about her arm. For what seemed the hundredth time, she wondered why she insisted on wearing the thing. She had forsaken the Hidden Mist as much as it had her, but she still felt a lingering connection. I'm not a ninja if I'm not from a village, I suppose. "We don't require that here. We trust our guests."

Kasumi couldn't think of anything to say, either to the open hospitality or the implication that, as a guest, she had better be trustworth. "Thank you."

"Finish your tea. The Hokage will be ready to see you in a minute."

And you're actually doing what you're told.

Shut up. It's good tea.