This chapter has a slight NatsuSomeone pairing in it if you read between the lines. READ I SAY. And no, it's not Orochimaru.

Memories of Nobody

Chapter 6: The Assassin and the Artist

Two long years had gone by since Orochimaru had found Kisetsu Natsu, at the brink of death, her two fallen comrades besides her.

Natsu was different. Not in appearance, (she looked almost the same except maybe in height, age, and cup size), but in state of mind. She was about two times colder than she used to and never showed any emotion except to her master, Orochimaru. She was even more ruthless than before and those painful memories that she wished she could rip out of her heart and crush them until they bled, were still there. Her struggles with being a 'nobody' and a 'somebody' still persisted, now even more so. But now, instead of being a shinobi, she was an assassin.

Natsu appeared before the infamous Orochimaru and bowed on one knee, "How may I be of service, Orochimaru-sama-dayo?"

Orochimaru smiled, cupping her face, stating into her beautiful, haunting pale orange eyes, "It's been a while, Natsu-chan."

"Have you forgotten about me already, Orochimaru-sama?" she taunted. She was half sarcastic, half curious. She pulled a strand of her magenta hair behind her ear.

Orochimaru laughed, "Hm! I could never forget a face as unique and beautiful as yours." He smiled, "I have… a killing for you. Do you remember that servant boy on the day you awoke from you slumber?"

She nodded, "What about him, Orochimaru-sama-dayo?"

"Kill him," he stated bluntly.

Natsu nodded – she would not question her master's motives, she trusted him and dared not defy him. "Wakarimashite-yo." And then she was gone into the shadows.

Natsu smiled, breathing in the fresh air of Otogakure. It had been a while since she had gone outside – nearly three months. She was nearly in ecstasy from feeling the sun caress her pale cheeks. She deeply sighed, wistfully wishing that the sky here had that wonderful misty scent. She bit her lip. She had still not fully gotten over the deaths of her beloved friends to that monster, Jun. Sadly, the two had not crossed paths… yet. And when they did, Natsu would let the cunning shinobi feel her wrath. She shook her head, 'I shouldn't be thinking about that-dayo.' She let the subject go and looked around her, looking for the boy.

'What did he look like again-dayo?' she asked herself. 'Did he have black hair? Brown? Green eyes? Blue? Orange?' All she remembered was that he was painfully shy and stuttered a lot looking at her. She also could have sworn that he had blushed when he had seen her. She sighed, 'It's a shame, really. Demo, whatever Orochimaru-sama says, I do without question.'

There was a rustle in the trees. Natsu curiously stopped and decided to follow the noise. She shrugged, 'Maybe it's him, maybe it isn't. Who knows, da ne?'

Whoever she was following was certainly very fast. Natsu panted heavily, 'Kuso-dayo! Teme! If it is that little boy, I'll kill him in the most painful way possible!' She gave a sigh of relief as soon as the figure came into seeing distance. She squinted her eyes to make out a light blue-purple blob with a mop of golden hair. The figure looked back at her, swore, and went even faster.

The chase continued for more than an hour. Natsu smirking when the foolish boy tripped and fell from the branch he had landed on. He crashed down onto the grass, wincing.

Natsu gracefully landed on top of him, smirking, "Sashiburi, da na, ne?" She looked down at the boy below her; he had messy golden-blond hair that fell at his face and stuck up at random places. He had sad lavender-blue eyes that stared back at her, shaking. He had a tattered shirt that matched his eyes, light purple gloves and sandals, and dark indigo pants.

The boy looked up at her fearfully and swallowed, "N-Natsu-s-sama?"

Natsu gave him a quaint smile, "I see that you still remember my name-dayo. I'm honored." She stepped off of him, smiling evilly when he let out a groan of pain.

There was a soft rustling behind the trees. A figure with shining cool brown eyes looked at the two. He blinked, 'Nani?'
Natsu then gave him a playful frown, "You know why I'm here, da ne?"

The boy nodded, "H-hai, I do."

Natsu frowned, she took one of her long blood red fingernails and put it under his chin, giggling as he squirmed uncomfortably, "Tell me, why did you run away from Orochimaru-sama?"

The figure behind the trees' eyes widened slightly, 'Orochimaru, ne?'

The boy swallowed, "I was… afraid of him." He sighed, "Boku wa…Kiokure Osore da. My family name means timid and my first name is fear, ironic, ne?"

Natsu chuckled, "Quite." She stroked his chin with her fingers, "I'll be nice and ask you this… do you want a slow, painful death, or a quick, painful death? Either way… it's both painful." She wore an eerie, maniacal grin on her face.

Osore sighed, "Slow. I deserve it."

Natsu blinked, "Really, now?" She smirked, "Don't go regretting your decision now, Osore-kun." She charged at him with her nail, slashing his face and ripping slices of his clothes. The boy, not knowing what to do, just ran for his life, screaming in horror.

Natsu sighed, "You're no fun, Osore-kun!" She then jumped up into the air and flew after him – she managed to accomplish the feat of 'flying' with months and months of training. Whenever she didn't have a mission (which was fairly common) she would improve her technique and try to fly. At first, it was just a simple levitation-like thing and she couldn't hold herself up in the sky for more than five seconds at a time. But now, she could be up in the air for as long as she wanted to.

Osore gaped at the girl flying after him. He turned focused his chakra into his legs and ran like mad for the trees. Natsu smirked, "Ah-ah-ah! I'm not letting you get away." She appeared in front of him and kicked him forcefully in the gut, sending him stumbling backwards, coughing and wheezing.

Natsu sighed, stepping on his neck, causing him to choke and gag. She looked at her long nails, "Maybe I should kill you right now? It seems to me like you want to die."

Then, out of the blue, Osore spit at her. However, this wasn't ordinary spit, for when it reached Natsu's check, it nearly burned most of her skin off. Natsu cried in pain and swatted blindly at him, her other hand grabbing tightly onto the burned patch.

The figure behind the tree nodded in approval, 'Interesting. I haven't seen someone like that before.'

Osore then got up, deciding that he would form his resolve, "I may be a coward, but I don't want to die one!" He formed his chakra in his hands and feet and looked at her, his eyes shining a bright turquoise color. He charged at her and kicked her hard, sending blood streaming down the corner of her lips from the impact.

Natsu smirked, backing away. She wiped the blood from her lips, "Impressive. I didn't know ya had it in ya, Osore-kun-dayo." She smirked, "Now let's see you deal… WITH THIS!" She jumped up into the sky, yelling, "Sinu Ame Sakuhin!" (The Art of Death Rain.)

Osore swore as a rain of red needles fell from the sky. He managed to spit at some, melting them before they hit any vital organs, but it still didn't save him from getting scratched.

The man chuckled, 'This battle is getting interesting; maybe I'll stay a while longer?'

Osore bit his lip, "Kisama." He got out a kunai from one of his pant's back pockets, cut his arm, and threw it at her stomach.

Natsu gasped, she looked down at the kunai and winced, "P-poi-son?" She chuckled, blood streaming down her pale lips, "You are full of surprises, Osore-kun-dayo."

'A boy who can spit acid-like fire and bleeds poison?' the man kept an eye on the boy. 'He may be a fitting piece to my… collection.'

Natsu stumbled when she hit the ground, her left arm pulled out the kunai. She threw it spitefully at the floor, spitting on it, "Tch, you'll pay for that, Osore-kun." She looked him hatefully in the eyes, "Zannen-dayo. Maybe Orochimaru-sama could have used you. There's more to you than meets the eye, da ne?"

Osore shivered fearfully as he looked into her pale, bleak eyes. They had no emotion, no love, no remorse. He backed up against the tree, shivering. He tried to bargain with her, "P-Please don't kill me! Please, Natsu-sama! Have mercy on me!" He bowed low before her, nearly low enough to kiss her feet, "I beg you, kudasai!"

She looked down at him in disgust, "Iie-yo. I take back what I said about you." She growled at him, "Kurai Yuki Sakuhin!" (The Art of Dark Snow.)

A painfully dreadful chill spread through Osore's veins. He fell backwards, shivering, groaning in pain.

Finally, the figure from behind the trees stepped out. He spoke with a smooth voice, "Don't kill him."

Natsu looked up at him in shock, "Dare ka-dayo?"

The man bent over looking at the boy. He looked like an eighteen year old boy. He had maroon-red hair and pale brown eyes. His face looked very young, almost feminine. He had on a black cloak with red clouds and purple nails. He smirked, "Ore wa Sasori, Sasori no Akasuna da. I believe that you've heard of me from my former… partner."

Natsu nodded, fixing one of her red ribbons that was braided into her hair, "Ee, I have." She looked at him, her eyes wide with curiosity, "What are you going to do with him-dayo?"

"Why turn him into a puppet, of course. That's what I do. It's my… form of art," he smiled, running his hands over the boy, "Art is best when it can be immortal – long lasting and beautiful, not aging, not wilting."

Natsu smiled, "I like that." She then winced, gripping her stomach tightly.

Sasori raised an eye at her, "The poison is taking effect, ne?" He reached into his cloak and gave her a kunai, "It's laced with my own poison and it should counter-act against the toxins."

Natsu took it and looked at him uneasily, "Can I… trust you?"

Sasori sighed, "I don't stoop as low to kill one of my former-allies treasured assassins." He started to perform his ritual of turning the body into a puppet. He stabbed the heart and took off the now-dead Osore's clothes. He made a long cut along his body and began to empty out his internal organs.

Natsu forced herself not to look, no matter how much curiosity tapped her on the shoulder and whispered to her, 'Look, look. You want to. It won't hurt you. Do it.' She stabbed herself with the kunai and sighed, the poison was beginning to take effect.

Sasori looked at the heart and then at her, "You… froze him?"

Natsu nodded, "What about it-dayo?"

He showed her the frozen heart and looked inside, "All of the internal organs are frozen." He looked at the body, muscle tissue, and bones, "Will that effect how he'll move?"

Natsu bit her lip, "Possibly. I made the jutsu last so that even if I died it would still take effect." She sat next to him, "I'll undo it for you, sumimasen-dayo." She chuckled, "I'll need his heart back, if you will-dayo."

Sasori gave it to her and watched her put the heart back in. She whispered them softly as she did her hand signs, "Ryu, usagi, tori, inu, saru – kai!" (Dragon, hare, bird, dog, monkey – release) Bright blue light shot out of her finger tips, covering the heart. She then closed her eyes and muttered, "Sai no Kurai Yuki Sakuhin!" (Restrain the Art of Dark Snow.)

Sasori watched in wonder as the body returned to its normal color and the remaining organs in the body and muscle tissue and bones unfroze and turned back to normal. Natsu brushed her blood red-clad self off and smiled, "He's all yours."

Sasori nodded and knelt down, returning with his work of removing the organs and so on. He said to her without looking, "You may leave now; I don't know why you're staying."

Natsu shrugged, "It's not everyday that you see someone being turned into a puppet-dayo."

Sasori then threw his own shrug at her, "Suit yourself."

"Sasori-san?"

"Hn?"

"Why… are you doing that to him… instead of me."

Sasori withdrew his right hand, blood dripping from his long and slender fingers, "Because I respect Orochimaru, even if he isn't part of the Akatsuki and would not kill you." He then added darkly as he plunged his hand back in, "However, if you weren't Orochimaru's faithful servant, it would be an entirely different story."

Natsu swallowed lightly.

Sasori chuckled, "Don't worry your little head off, nothing will happen to you."

Natsu sat down beside him, staring at him. She took her hand and ran her fingers down his cheeks, feeling the smooth quality of his face that told her it wasn't skin. She looked calmly at him, "You're… a puppet aren't you?"

Sasori nodded, "I'm surprised you could find out by just running your fingers down my face." He smiled, "Art is something that endures the test of time beautifully and gracefully. True art is eternal beauty. I am my greatest creation; I am art." He smiled, "Everything's out, now to prevent it from aging and decaying." He motioned for her to step back. He got out a small bottle out of his cloak and began to rub the bright purple ointment all over the body. It gave off a vinegar-alcohol like smell mixed with metal and sand. He then did a variety of hand signs and transferred his chakra into the body. Natsu watched in awe as the body began to harden like that of a puppet's. She uttered, "Sugoi-yo!"

Sasori couldn't help but laugh at her, "I'm not done yet."

Sasori got up, "Finished." He looked back at Natsu who had almost fallen asleep on his shoulder. He sighed, muttering under his breaths, "Humans." He gently slapped her cheek to wake her up.

Natsu tiredly blinked her teal painted eyes at him, "N-nanda-yo?"

Sasori gave her an agitated sigh and stated, "You feel asleep… on my shoulder."

Natsu blushed and got up, "W-wari."

Sasori shook his head. He slung the body over his shoulder and began to walk away. He then turned to her, forgetting something, "I… didn't get your name."

Natsu smirked, "Why would you want that? We probably won't ever see each other again, Sasori-san."

Sasori gave her a soft smile, "True, but I'm just curious."

"Kisetsu, Kisetsu Natsu-da-yo."

Sasori nodded, "Natsu." He smiled again, "I like that name." He walked away, telling her over his back, "I'd rather you not tell Orochimaru about our meeting. It'd just be a waste of his time."

Natsu turned and started to walk the other way, "So ka-yo. I won't then."

He chuckled, "I never thought that I'd bump into someone like you… Natsu-san. Sayonara. I would like it if we met each other again." He turned back to her, his brown eyes shining brightly. "Maybe I could… turn you into a puppet and you'll be just like me."

Natsu shook her head, "Sumimasen, Sasori-san. My art isn't like yours-dayo." She looked up at the now darkening sky, "My art lies in my sakuhins, my jutsus." She turned back to him, "Although I do like your art style, it just doesn't suit me. Wakateru ka-yo?"

Sasori nodded, "Wakarimashite." He then turned back onto his foot, "Well, I'll be off now."

Natsu nodded. A cold wind blew between the two of them, sending leaves and twigs swirling around them. She grinned, "Ja ne-dayo, Sasori-san." She smirked, "You are truly more of an artist that I am." She jumped up into the trees, saying before she leapt off, "Ki o tsukete, Sasori-san." (In this context, 'good luck.')

Sasori smirked, "Aa, you, too, Natsu-san."

To tell you the truth, I would rather ship NatsuSasori than NatsuDeidara. Just a thought. I know some people read El Manana and like Deidara and Natsu together. Don't get mad at me for this chapter then.