"We're tracking down a man by the name of Hajii Matsuko. He's a gang lord in a village near here, and we've been hired to exterminate him." Kisame said aloud. Saya fiddled with the side of her shirt, a loose thread holding her attention as she delicately yanked it, trying to separate it from the rest of the material. Apparently the village was a small fishing village, near the coast and bordering on a large lake. It was also dangerously close to one particular village that Saya personally didn't want to visit. In fact, she would much rather jump off a cliff…
She flinched. Poor choice in words, ne Saya?
"Oi, Hoshigake. Were you born blue, or did you accidentally bathe in indigo when you were a child?" She wondered innocently.
"I don't know onna, were you dropped on your head a few times, or were you born this stupid?" He retorted. So much for maturing, even being sober she's still an annoying wench, Kisame thought to himself.
"So why does Geshi-san guard the base door?" Saya changed the subject suddenly. The fur-ball had bade them a farewell before hampering back off into the branches, leaving Saya to the mercy of the two men. Kisame, chuckling to hide something Saya never saw, had regarded her state of dress with a quick glance before adjusting Samehada on his back. Itachi, but of course, silently began walking in a direction, leaving Saya to trail behind them leisurely.
"He's a summoning of a past Akatsuki member that died a while back. His summoner liked this base in particularly, so even when he died, the rodent stayed in his memory." He paused. "Besides, Leader made some deal with him." Saya scoffed.
"And let me guess, you have no idea what it is." She twirled her wrist as she ripped the thread.
Kisame grunted in reply, but otherwise made no move to contradict her assumption. "So am I getting paid for this or what, 'cause if I'm not then this is a total drag." She drawled.
"Leader did not specify." Itachi murmured.
"Besides, what do you need money for? You can't drink anymore." Kisame asked. Saya watched both men's backs as she slipped her feet along the grass. The day was just beginning, the sun just starting to arise from the shadows, casting long shapes between the trees and bushes.
"Well, for one, I need new clothes…" She replied. "Wearing your stuff makes me look like a geisha or something."
"Or something." Kisame agreed. Saya shrugged, her half-lidded expression accenting her lazy attire and attitude. "Tell me onna," He continued "Why join Akatsuki? I thought you were some sort of police?" Saya snorted in mock reply before turning her gaze up at the tree tops.
"Why join, ne? That's a good question." She said. "I want to join because I want to."
"That's vague." Kisame sneered. She shrugged again, the path they were traveling becoming more distinct in the morning light.
"And as for the police part, no. I was not 'some sort of police'."
"Then what are you?" Kisame wasn't usually so inclined to making small talk, especially with annoying, unfeminine women. However, he was suspicious of Saya's ambitions, and would rather not be caught off guard if a time came when she would make trouble. It was a smart move on his part, but then again, Kisame wasn't dumb. But we already knew that.
"I'm not anything." She sighed. "What I was, was a captain commander for a squadron in the south. Here." She rolled her eyes to the left, where a rustle in the leaves made scratching noises. "It was a hereditary job, one my older sister exempted from through special circumstances. I was better built for the role anyways." She said on a side note. "So wait, do I actually have to do something, or can I go shopping while you guys are out killing this guy?" She suddenly asked.
"And with what money would you go shopping with, onna?" Kisame snidely asked.
"Why, yours of course." She replied quickly. Kisame looked back at her as she sleepily regarded him. "Or would you like me to waltz around in your clothes all the time, ne? She asked. She smiled in a feline manner. "I bet you just like that idea, dontcha?" Kisame turned back around and made a sound.
"Don't get too full of yourself." He called back.
"Why, want me to save you some?" She called out. Kisame would have stuttered if he weren't used to this sort of banter. But he was, especially considering how many visits he had to make into ghettos that contained brothels, for mission purposes of course. He had heard much worse in those situations. Besides, he was a grown man.
"Don't make me sick." He threw back at her. She shrugged, yes, for a third time.
"Your loss."
The morning continued quietly as the sun rose sluggishly above the trio's heads. The tree's hid them in the safety of shade, a cool breeze ruffling the leaves every now and then. They were nearing the village that had the targeted suspect, only a mere thirty minute walk away. But as they got closer, Saya also suspected a sentinel group would spot them. Even if the Uchiha's genjustu magic hid them as well as it probably did, it didn't really matter with these guys. A dispel charm was embedded in their armor, one strong enough to even disarm an Uchiha's work. In fact, the charm was specifically made for the purpose of facing the Uchiha line, a long time ago when Madara Uchiha himself left what was now the Hidden Leaf. In fear of him starting a coup among the nations, the Imatsura clan, taking precautions, sought out a renown genjustu specialist in the far north. The clan wanted something that could easily defend it's underlings in case of an attack, something that would allow its soldiers to concentrate on other things while in the heat of battle and not have to worry over illusions. The Imatusura's got what they wanted, to say the least.
It might sound iffy, but the southern unit was immaculate in the art of battle strategy, and such planning was usual among the leaders of the squad.
Surprisingly enough, however, they were left uncomforted, and the three entered the village without trouble.
This left Saya with a stone in her belly, for reasons of her own.
Regardless, they arrived at the village in easy time and without hassles of any sort. It was a bustling village, actually, filled with many vendors and markets selling mostly foods, but also the occasional rare jewelry and what-not. There were even some clothes shops, a couple catching Saya's attention. The buildings weren't very high, but they were closely built together, providing only the main street for mobility other than a few narrow alleyways and side yards.
Truth be told, Itachi, Kisame, and Saya didn't stick out too much among the fruitful characters buying and selling merchandise. For a fishing village, the place was huge. It wasn't at all what Saya remembered it as. Then again, almost a decade could change a place, especially if it was doing financially well, and it seemed to be doing just that. A group of children laughed playfully as they ran by the three strangers, chasing after a dog that held a ball in its slobbering mouth. A couple of mothers chuckled nearby and a couple of marketers beckoned to the passer-buyers.
"I can't imagine gang activity in this village." Saya said. Suddenly a fist fight broke out near a ramen stand, curses flying up in the air along with blood from a spurting broken nose. She deadpanned. "Never mind." She added. She looked up to Kisame and Itachi, a twinkle in her eye. "So…" Kisame looked to her as Itachi stopped by a vendor buying rare goods, or so said his sign.
"So what onna?" Kisame snapped. Saya rubbed the back of her head and looked to the side tiredly. Then, she whipped her eyes back to him.
"Give me some cash." She told him.
"And what makes you think I should do that?"
"I'm prettier than you." She replied, as if the answer were obvious. He scoffed.
"What type of reason is that?"
"The only one yer gonna get, Baka-teme." She stuck out her tongue, pulling at her eyes. Kisame was about to throw a kunai at her, but Itachi turned back from a smiling vendor, facing the two, and handed Saya a small sack of Ryo. Saya handled the bag, testing its weight before grinning.
"Use the money wisely." Itachi said before continuing down the road. Kisame clucked his tongue, closing his eyes in discontent.
"Don't do anything stupid, onna. We'll find you when we're done." He turned to follow Itachi. "And if you even think about running away, we'll find you and drag you back to the base by your hair before locking you up in the dirtiest room available." He waved. "And we'll hang you by your toes." Saya threw him a Cheshire grin.
"I'm shaking in my sandals, fish-face. Don't trip and die, Baka ka."
"Ama." He grumbled under his breath. The woman got under his skin so bad he could strangle a small child without remorse. As he caught up with Itachi, he spoke with him.
"You're spoiling her. What did you sell to get that much?" Itachi's eyes were focused to the right, near the next district, and where their target was. Both of their cloaks rustled in the cool breeze that wafted through the streets.
"An old trinket." He responded. Kisame shrugged and adjusted the his straw hat, a little bloodthirsty and definitely ready for a fight.
/
Saya smiled contently about an hour or so later, holding an ice cream cone in her hand that contained two large scoops of vanilla. She licked it, savoring the sweet taste. Her shopping had been quite successful: That being an understatement. She had spent almost none of the money Itachi had given her, which actually made her quite proud. Saya had never been much of a shopper, not even when she was younger. But she did know how to talk to people. More so, she knew how to confuse people. Looking down at her new attire, she smiled. The shop had been fairly big, with a handful of other women glancing at the skirts and shoes that it had. It was nestled in between a bookstore, and a weapon store among the buildings on the street the two Akatsuki members had left her on. A few cat-calls and whistles from a group of rowdy men later, Saya had walked into the store, confident in what she was looking for: Something durable, something mobile, and anything that would get her out of Hoshigakes pants. She had twitched at that thought and almost immediately ripped them off right then and there, and she would have had a preteen girl not ran into her while rushing to a stand of blouses with floral patterns.
Making quick work of what they had to offer, Saya had a bit of fun trying on a few outfits before settling on one she knew would be most applicable to her situation. Looking to the mirror, she approved of the set. They were women's white dress hakama that had a two inch thick waist band, and made of very fine cloth. The top was a tank top, similar to her old one, but an aqua color rather than black. But of course, she needed something to go over it, so she browsed over the over-shirts in the way back. Unfortunately, though, she found nothing that caught her eye. Shrugging it off, she went next in search of new shoes, but also found nothing that really caught her attention. But she was fine with this, for the sandals she wore, though old and very easy to slip out of, were extremely durable and she was used to them as it was. As she was about to purchase her items, she came across a thick black scarf, one that could hold up her hair nicely as her bandana once had. So snatching that up, she made her way to the store owner. The man had been stingy at first, asking a decent but also hefty price for her stuff. But like I said before, Saya knew how to talk to people. After a few bartering techniques, and a few little white lies about fake silk among those pretty dresses in the back (A hunch, but a correct one), she got the price down to almost making the outfit free. Satisfied, she changed out of Hoshigakes clothes and into her simple new ones, then walking out of the store, she threw the old clothes into a trash bin that hosted a flaring fire, letting them roast into dust. Smacking away the nonexistent dust on her hands, and leaving behind two confused old men who were watching her, she strode away, ready to look at other stands.
She took the time to glance around, finding a few cool and strange toys and objects. Soon, though, her feet led her around and soon she found herself inside a musky and dusty little shop. An elderly woman stood near a rack of moth-eaten cloaks, the shop devoid of any other life besides that of ants and perhaps rodents. Wind chimes and sparkling dangling contraptions hung from the ceiling, and the sound of running water echoed from the back.
"Hello dear, how can I help you?" The woman had said. Her wispy white hair was pulled into a loose bun on her head, and she was dressed in jaded colors, large rings atop each one of her fingers.
"To tell you the truth," Saya admitted, "I'm looking for an over coat, something lightweight and easy to move in." The woman rubbed her chin for only a second before walking over to a small table. The table had an assortment of stones on it, cards, and a large clear crystal on a stand. The room was smoky, probably from the granny's pipe that was settled on the same table, and made the place smell of tobacco and something sweet but otherwise unidentifiable. Picking up a card, the woman clucked her tongue and looked back at Saya.
"I think I have just the thing." She croaked. Shuffling through a row of clothing, she pulled from it a faded blue haori, one similar to her disposed one, with mid-length sleeves and a length that would touch her mid-thigh. It had black trimming around it, and it, Saya thought, looked strangely familiar and acceptable. "I found this long ago. It was on the back of a spunky young woman, very beautiful she was. I had perky breasts back then…" Saya chuckled at the woman's rambling.
"Oh? And who was the girl?" Saya asked, playing along. The woman's eyes shined with a hidden amusement.
"The girl was from a village near here. She wanted to sell the jacket because I wanted to buy it from her. Very generous to do so, she was." The woman turned the shirt around, which revealed writing. Saya's eyes clicked the moment she saw the kanji sloppily scrawled down the back in white.
To The Death
A slow, coy smile lifted Saya's face.
"That was a long time ago, granny. I almost forgot. Why'd ya keep it so long?" She asked. The woman cackled, handing the haori back to Saya.
"So I could give it back to you when you came to visit me again. I adjusted the length and fitting, so it should still fit you." The woman walked back to the table, lit her pipe, and took a long drag from it, letting smoke drift from her nostrils.
"So how much do I owe ya?" Saya asked, trying the top on: It fit just as it had when she was fourteen. Perfectly.
"Nothing, it was my pleasure holding onto such a treasure. I'm just glad I could keep it safe while it otherwise might have met its demise" She replied, delicately holding the pipe. Saya looked up to her.
"How did you know it was a-."
"I just do." She interrupted Saya. The shirt had been given to her by her father before he died, knowing how much Saya loved to brawl with his soldiers. He had seen Saya's fighting potential when she was very young, her style very liberal and very…street. Never the less, it was efficient and she was quick, unlike her sister. Her sister had been born a girl, with no battle talent what-so ever. This was why Saya had been his favorite. That, and he got along better with Saya altogether. He preferred Saya's easy-going, witty, and hard-working attitude over her sisters catty, empathetic, and high-maintained personality.
It was the only thing her father had ever given her, including birthdays.
Bowing, Saya inclined her head and thanked the woman deeply. As she turned to leave, the woman called back to her. As Saya went to look around, she threw something at her, something Saya easily caught in the air. Opening her palm, she saw it to be a prayer bead necklace, akin to the kind Buddhist priests wear. She raised a brow at the woman, who gave a coy smile of her own.
"For luck." She explained. Shrugging, Saya put on the necklace and waved the woman goodbye before going in search for a snack.
And that's where we are now.
Euphoric with her finds, Saya licked the cone happily as she walked down the street. She was nearing the next district, and the vendors were fewer in numbers in the area she was in: There were about five spread among a few alley-ways leading to the opening of area she stood in. Another group of children sat near a small fountain just ahead of her, eating dango and telling jokes. A larger group of elderly ladies sat near-by, gossiping and sharing cooking secrets. There was a prick at the edge of Saya's conscience to her right. With a smile and another lick of her treat, Saya stuck her leg out in front of her, suddenly tripping someone who was speeding by at startling pace. Whoever it was slammed into the cobbled path, a bloody puddle beginning to form, probably from a broken nose. A few of the children turned their attention to Sayas victim as he groaned from the impact. Moments later, a form strode out from a shadowy alley, and another jumped down from one of the buildings, sheathing a large blade, gaining a few looks from the pedestrians.
Hoshigake Kisame and Uchiha Itachi.
Both walked up to Saya, who continued to eat her snack with large licks and a bright smile.
"So who's this?" She asked. Kisame grabbed the scruff of the mans neck, bringing him to his feet as he let out a gurgled gasp.
"One of Matsuko's men. It seems they were expecting an assassination attempt, so they replaced him with a decoy." He shook the man in emphasis. "Once we get answers out of him, we need to contact Leader and depending on this rats answers, will decide where we go next." Saya took the last bite of her ice cream, smacking away at the taste.
/
They were back on the path in the dense forest that surrounded the market, away from the fishing village that Saya had forgotten the name of. According to the man, the Matsuko guy was in another village, and not just any village.
Omashu village. The village just a few silly miles away from Sayas exiled home.
This information had put a dampen on Sayas good mood. And now, they were on their way there.
The joys of irony.
She was walking along side both men, on the right of Itachi in the light of dusk. However, Saya jumped up when she remembered something.
"Oh! Uchiha," She dug in the pocket of her haori, grabbing something as both men halted to wait for her as she retrieved an object. From her clothes she grabbed the small satchel of money Itachi had given her earlier, basically just as full as it had been when he had given it to her. Smiling, she held it out to Itachi. "Here's your money back. I only needed a little." She said. Itachi regarded her for a moment before accepting the money and placing it in his ninja bag on his hip (AKA Fanny Pack, because we all know that's what it is. That's right, ninjas wear fanny packs. Straight up gangsta.). Kisame raised a brow.
"What'd you do, steal your clothes? There's hardly any money missing."
Saya gave him a feline smirk, her pupils almost narrowed.
"They say women are the best shoppers." She checked her nails and looked at him. "They're right." He snorted.
"By the way, what's up with that haori? 'To the death'?" He questioned her. She gave him a knowing smile as they continued walking.
"Quite a find, ne?" They walked on in silence for a few minutes as the sun dipped lower and lower, casting an orange glow. Saya began to widen her small smile to a wide grin.
"We're being followed." Itachi murmured.
"There's ten of them." Kisame added. Saya nodded, a grim but happy motion.
"I'm surprised you could sense them. Back in the day it was almost impossible to do such a thing." Her hands were in her pockets, her shoulders relaxed as she brought them up to fold behind her head. Both men stopped and looked back at her.
" 'Them' who?" Kisame asked aloud as Itachi activated his Sharringan. He looked back to Saya and regarded her with cold eyes.
"Come on out boys, we already know you're there. Must be getting rusty with your leader's bad habits." She called out. There was a rustle above them in the foliage before eight figures descended before them in a flurry of leaves. They were all dressed in blue and black armor, a sea-shell symbol on the front of each breast-plate. Two swords were attached to each one of their hips on the right, and they all wore black eye masks tied around their heads and knotted in the back. At least two were women: One in the back and one beside the leading figure in the front formation. The first three rose from a kneeling position, including the woman, and the leading one spoke.
"Sotaicho, you are violating your sentence. Leave now willingly, or we will be forced to make you." The man said sternly, addressing Saya. Saya only smiled at him as she looked above her. Then, looking back down, she watched the man as he stiffly observed her. Kisame and Itachi took note of the group, all seemingly young, and probably in their late teens. Itachi's age, at most. Kisame wondered if this had something to do with the woman's old job. The group really didn't look like any anbu he knew, so he assumed it was this southern detention unit thing the woman supposedly once lead. According to the way the leader addressed her, it obviously was. In his opinion, it was a group of brats, easily taken care of.
"Is that you Jushiro? Wow, you've grown quite a bit." She commented lightly, lowering her arms and giving a shrug. "Sorry, but you see, my friends and I have some business, and we can't leave until it's finished." As if suddenly noticing both Akatsuki men, the so-called Jushiro regarded both of them, his mouth firmly forming a harsh frown as he noted their cloaks and headbands. After inspecting both Itachi and Kisame carefully, he returned his gaze back to Saya.
"Sotaich-No. Imatsura. I see you are now associated with Akatsuki." He seemed to be glaring at her now. "You have fallen even lower, scum. Much lower since you murdered-."
"Ne, Shiro-kun." Saya interrupted, here eyes opening. The man suppressed a shiver as Saya sent him a hard stare. "Little boys shouldn't talk about things they don't understand." She advised him a light voice. The man shifted his stance and placed a hand on the hilt of his sword.
"Is this that detention unit?" Kisame asked readily.
"Yeah, it's one of 'em." Saya dropped her arms completely.
"You no longer have any connections to them, correct?" Itachi questioned. Saya gazed at the Uchiha.
"No. But it wouldn't matter if I did, would it?" Itachi didn't answer him, but she knew what he would say.
"Brats." Kisame sneered, handling the hold of his own sword. Itachi unbuttoned his cloak to allow him more room for jutsu. In fact, he already ensnared five of the eight in an illusion, easily as that.
Or so he thought.
"We cannot allow criminals to wander free, especially in our domain." The man said, wielding a thin sword from its sheath. "Prepare to be eliminated." The rest of the group took fighting positions, readying themselves to take on not only two, probably powerful Akatsuki members, but also their exiled commander. Saya chuckled.
"Shiro-kun, if you guys are as bad at fighting as you are at hiding, then maybe you should tone down the arrogance a bit, ne?" She asked. The man spat, raising his sword in a leisure twirl.
"Ete-baka. We'll make you grovel for mercy once we're done with you!" And with that, he spun to attack.
/
"Oh Yin, it seems as though Saya-Oneesan is almost home! Brining her back is going to be so much easier than we thought!" Fuu giggled and spun around to punch victoriously into the air with a fist. Both were in the midle of a small bridge hovering over a steadily flowing river.
"But first we must travel back home ourselves." Yin said quietly. Fuu instantly sunk to the ground.
"Neeeeaw, Yin-chan! Why'd ya have to remind me, ne?" Fuu dragged herself up to the bridge's railing, drooping over the side. "We're forever and a day away!" She continued to complain.
"Approximately forty kilometers." Yin corrected. Fuu smacked her face.
"That's forever!"
"It's two days."
"Forever!" Yin continued walking with dulled eyes, ignoring the other girls noises.
"She's been confronted." Yin added. Fuu smacked her face again, this time with more emphasis.
"See! We're missing all the action!"
"We are missing the beginning" Yin corrected again. Her feet made contact with a dirt path, one that was lined with thickening trees and tropical flowers. Fuu picked up her head, following the snowy girl with curious eyes.
"The beginning of what, Yin-chan?" She chirped. The wind picked up, howling and shifting Yin's white hair into the air as she clutched a small object in her palm. Without looking back to the bright girls form, which had began to follow in her footsteps, she answered.
"The beginning of the end."
.
.
.
.
"You're really creepy, ya know that Yin-chan?"
Okay, just so ya know:
Baka ka, what Saya called Kisame, means 'stupid asshole'.
And what Kisame called Saya, 'Ama', means 'bitch'.
Also, what Jushiro calls Saya, Sotaicho, means 'Captain Commander. He also calls her 'Eme', which means 'Outcast'.
WARNING: I'll probably use a lot of Japanese slang in the future, just FYI.
Thanks for the recent reviews guys, and I apologize that the last chapter was so short. I hope this one was okay. Regardless, I'll update again soon, and hopefully with some action you guys will like. I also hope Saya wasn't too mary-sue in this chapter. The reason she smiles so much, if you hadn't caught it, is so she can hide her internal insecurities. Not only that, but she finds it easier to smile than frown, and it's in her nature to be happy, even in bad situations.
Later.
~Serb