Red Kunai Bolts
3/6/2023 - After much thought, I've decided to repost the original RKB again in batches. I've made some headway rewriting and editing this story, but not enough to justify just not leaving it up again. I've received many messages about it, and so, I bring it back to you! :) If you'd like to know what happens at the end, feel free to PM me. I've always known the end of it (and where to go from Chapter 55 onward); it's just such a shame that I never did manage to finish writing it for you and for myself as I went to grad school. All my love.
Here's the second chapter, which features Gaara-sama! I hope you enjoy it. The time period I put between traveling from country to country in a caravan was made up; there's no information on the traveling period done this way. But since I need it, I had to come up with one. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. However, I do own Akemi, Asumi, the Amano clan, the nagare shogai, any OCs that appear here and the plot.
Chapter Two
A Painter for Suna
-o-
Asumi smiled to herself as she remembered how well things had turned out for her elder sister five days ago. The marriage was successfully approved and Akemi had been accepted as a Konoha kunoichi. But what was best was the fact that she had been able to retain her rank after demonstrating her skills and abilities. She was still a Jounin.
After the visit to the Hokage, her brother-in-law had taken the two of them on a small walk around the village before returning to the estate for supper. She'd discovered he was a Jounin as well and that he seemed to be somewhat arrogant. She remembered she'd chuckled to herself when she came upon that thought; he was guaranteed to have some troubles with her sister.
That night she slept over at her sister's room. During their long hours of conversation, they exchanged ideas about how their lives were going to change from that point on. They went to bed late and awakened early the next day. Then she parted to Suna with her father.
Now it's the beginning of my part in this double mission, Asumi thought as a chuckle reached her ears from across the caravan.
She directed her attention to her only companion, her father, and noted he was smiling darkly.
"Have you considered how you're going to kill the Kazekage or do you need some ideas?" he asked, studying her.
The honey-brown eyed girl shot him a glare before uttering her reply. "Showing your true colors at last, are you? It was about time. To answer your question I'll simply say that yes, I have."
"He'll be extremely difficult to assassinate," Yomiuri observed, "I heard he's a monster that controls sand."
"My current teacher is a monster," Asumi mumbled as her glower intensified. She spoke louder to her father. "I don't need any opinions from you. I'll form my own when I meet him. But note that just because he has a demon inside of him doesn't mean he is one."
"I see you've informed yourself quite well," Yomiuri smiled, pleased.
"He is my target, after all," Asumi replied, looking away with slight irritation. "Orochimaru-san told me what he knew about him and Kabuto-kun provided me with some gathered data."
"You talk about them with such fondness," her father smiled tauntingly.
He knew perfectly well she and Akemi hated Orochimaru. The sisters were very reluctant about what they had been forced to do by the Sannin and him.
Asumi was not up for any more provocation; she'd had enough to last her two weeks. That was why she was so intent on making her father grow silent.
"Oh, you know how much I grew to love them after you put me in their hands," she smiled wryly, "and they became so much like my family! Which is precisely why Orochimaru-san favors me over you."
The smile on Yomiuri's lips instantly dropped. Asumi knew how much it irked her father that Orochimaru had a preference over her and Akemi. Not that they had a penchant for him. The filthy snake.
"Be quiet you insolent fool," Yomiuri snapped as he glared at her, "I can't wait to get rid of you in Suna."
"Likewise," Asumi smiled.
He spoke no more.
Good, she mused, pleased.
There was a gentle tap on one of the doors and then a male voice spoke. "We've reached Suna, Yomiuri-sama, Asumi-sama."
"Oh good," the father replied sarcastically, "arigatou for the information."
Asumi rolled her eyes and unfolded her fan. She'd come prepared for the temperature in the wagon, which had begun to rise more with every day they came closer to the shinobi village. She started to agitate the wooden object in her right hand when the vehicle she sat in came to a halt.
"We seemed to have reached the offices so let's get out and be done with this," Yomiuri said, irritated.
Asumi shut her fan and followed her father out of the vehicle. When she stepped out she was surprised at the marvelous sight that came into view. The buildings around them were made of some sort of material that had a yellow-brown hue. And there was no green anywhere. It was unlike Iwa.
This is wonderful, she smiled with delight, I have a feeling I will be painting a lot during my stay.
She followed Yomiuri into the edifice and allowed him to register them as visitors of the village. Afterwards, she permitted him to give word and send all her profile papers to the Kazekage for inspection. The secretary at the counter smiled at them as she gathered the paperwork.
"I will immediately hand these to Kazekage-sama," she said as she rose from her chair, "would you please give me some sort of address where we may contact you? He's busy these days and can't see you right away."
"Asumi?" Yomiuri called, looking at her over his shoulder.
The young girl rose from her chair and walked over to the desk. She pulled out a slip of paper from a pocket in her shorts and handed it to the secretary.
"That's my apartment," Asumi said as the woman scribbled the information down on another paper, "would you please tell us where to find it?"
The secretary gave them directions as to where to find such place and, after they thanked her, they walked out of the Kazekage tower and met with their four escorts.
"Let's deliver the girl to her new home," Yomiuri told them as Asumi gathered some of the boxes in the caravan.
"Yes, Yomiuri-sama," the four shinobi nodded and began to collect the rest of the luggage.
The six of them carefully made their way down the crowded street following the instructions received; after several minutes they found the complex where the apartment was located.
Asumi exchanged several words with the building keeper, whose home was on the first floor, and received the key to her residence. She directed herself to the third level, closely followed by the five males that accompanied her. On her way up she noted that the third floor's stairs led to a door. She frowned.
"Your apartment is the whole third story, my dear," Yomiuri said from somewhere behind her, "as specified by your Grandfather."
Asumi couldn't help but chuckle. Her Grandfather, the Amano clan leader, had been the one to search for her new home in Suna. When he'd told her about her new dwelling she'd never imagined it was going to be so big. She'd simply asked for a place comfortable enough for one person.
She settled all the painting equipment she'd been carrying on the floor to open the front entry. When she walked inside, she grinned. To her right was a large circular room with windows of the same shape. To her left was a small square shaped space with round portholes as well. Two doors she assumed were the bedroom and bathroom were connected to that particular room. Directly across the windowpanes of such a scope lay a long corridor she assumed was the kitchen.
"Arigatou, Grandpapa," she murmured as she walked into the circular area, "I'll make this space my study."
"That's the living room, girl," her father told her sternly as the four shinobi placed the luggage in the other extent.
Asumi shrugged and began to accommodate all her painting utensils around the newly appointed study.
-o-
About an hour after Asumi had unpacked all her belongings, someone knocked on the door. She told her father she would answer and quickly made her way to it. When she pulled it open, she came across a young man a few years older than her. He seemed to study her for a moment before he spoke.
"Are you Amano Asumi-san?" he asked, gazing down at her.
She nodded. "I am."
"Come with me to the Kazekage's office, he's asked to see you," he stated.
Asumi swiftly informed her father that she would depart and then exited her penthouse behind her escort. On their way, they started to converse.
"I'm Kankuro," he introduced himself as he walked beside her.
"Nice to meet you, Kankuro-san," Asumi smiled, "you can call me Asumi."
"Nice to meet you too; and you can call me Kankuro," he replied, glancing at her with a slight smirk, "you're new here, right?"
She nodded, still smiling. "I arrived over an hour ago."
"Well then, I can show you around Suna if you want, but that will have to be after Gaara sees you," he said as they approached the Kazekage tower.
"I'd like that. It would be nice!" she smiled happily as they stepped inside.
"Okay then," he smirked, "well, here we are."
He knocked on the door of the Kage's office and pushed it open to lead the way inside.
"I brought her," he told the figure sitting behind the desk at one end of the room.
It was Gaara, who seemed to be examining a paper he had in hands. When Asumi sat down on the chair across from the desk, she realized such document was part of her profile.
"You can go," he told his brother without removing his gaze from the information he was studying.
Kankuro nodded and walked out, leaving them to themselves.
I wonder what Kazekage-sama is thinking…, she thought as she dropped her gaze to her lap.
The air that surrounded the young man sitting in front of her was powerful; she instantly knew he was a difficult individual and one that was not to be taken lightly. She couldn't help but feel a little nervous in his presence. But it was not the air that had her in such a state; it was the knowledge that the Kazekage had in his hands a crucial decision to her mission. She wanted to know what he was going to do.
"You will keep your current shinobi rank," Gaara said in a monotone, interrupting her trail of thought, "and you'll work in the office as my secretary. You'll be assigned missions every now and then."
He placed the paper back on the desk and opened a drawer. He pulled out a brand new Suna headband. He pushed the drawer closed and presented Asumi with the forehead protector.
Asumi smiled gratefully. "Arigatou."
She carefully untied her Iwa headband and gingerly put it on her lap. Then she replaced it new hitai-ate.
"You start tomorrow morning at seven," he stated and his eyes flickered to her, "you can go."
The young girl nodded. She rose to her feet and treaded out of the office with a thoughtful expression.
Under other circumstances I would be glad about what Kazekage-sama told me, but…, she mused as she strolled over to the reception, …things are not different…
Kankuro was waiting for her by the entrance, talking to a young woman that had several folders in her arms. When he spotted Asumi over the girl's shoulder, he called out to her.
"Hey, Asumi, come over here!" he said, smiling slightly, "this is Temari, my elder sister."
The blonde turned around to face Asumi and she got a better view of her face. She seemed older than Akemi and didn't have much of a welcoming face.
"You're Gaara's new assistant, right?" Temari asked, looking down at her, "report to his office tomorrow morning, I'll tell you what you have to do."
Asumi nodded. "All right."
"Let's go," Kankuro interrupted as he strode out and motioned her to follow.
"Until tomorrow," Asumi said to Temari with a slight smile.
Then she walked out after Kankuro.
He was kind enough to show her where to find a grocery store, a weapon's shop and several places she might need to know of just in case. Afterward he showed her several furniture stores so she could decorate her home and, as requested by her, he showed her the location of an art store. When he was finished with the tour, he walked her to the apartment.
"Arigatou for showing me around," she told him as they treaded together down the road of the apartment complex, "and for waiting patiently while I paid for the furnishings."
She grinned. When he'd shown her the furniture stores she'd bought several items for the ornamentation of her dwelling and had settled to come pick them up during the rest of the afternoon. Kankuro had waited with tolerance for her to be done with the agreements before he'd led her to another shop.
"Are you sure you don't need any help with all the stuff you bought?" he asked casually as they entered the building.
"I'm sure, my comrades and I will handle it," Asumi answered with a smile, "but arigatou nevertheless."
"Well, if you need anything, just tell me," he smirked as they stopped on the second story, "later."
He waved a lazy goodbye and retreated outside. Asumi watched until his receding figure disappeared and then moved upstairs to her penthouse.
It seems like I already have a friend of some sort, she thought happily as she unlocked the front entrance, well, let's start furnishing.
-o-
End of chapter! I hope it wasn't too boring. And I also hope the characters where in character. I'm trying to portray them that way. Next chapter, Neji!
Please review and keep reading.