Chapter 11: I'm Going to Have to Kill You Now

Shadow sighed as she looked out the window of her pink room. It was pouring out, and it was killing her because as much as she wanted to play, she couldn't because of the study sessions that had been arranged with Yura. She sighed again woefully and looked back down to the boring arrangement of books stacked beside her. Shadow rubbed her temples in aggravation. Why the hell am I doing this? I should be outside getting soaked or even reading records in the record hall, even that would be more entertaining than this.

Shadow leaned back and closed her eyes, remembering a certain memory from long ago.

"Hey Sakura-Chan! Look, it's raining, wanna go out and play tag?" Naruto asked excitedly, shoving open the slide door of the classroom the group was meeting in.

"No way Naruto. Unlike you, I actually act my age." Sakura flipped her pink hair, which she had recently cut off during the Chunin exams to save her team. An admirable act that Shadow respected.

Naruto looked down, enthusiasm evaporating. Shadow looked up from a book she was reading, "Naruto", a well done masterpiece by Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sanin.

"I'll go with you Naruto." Shadow said.

"Really?"

"Sure. I actually like the rain; it's almost like purification for me." She pulled on a sweater and began to follow the hyper child out of the room. She looked back into the room at Sakura, who was staring out the window, dazed.

"You're worried about him aren't you? You're worried about Sasuke, right?"

"How did you-"

"I know these things Sakura. You're easy to read. And by the way, in case you haven't noticed, you've been zoning more times than I can count."

Sakura looked at the slightly younger kunoichi. "Well… Yeah, of course I am. Sasuke was… I mean, is, my first love. And I want him to notice that but…"

Shadow sighed as she thought of a response.

"Love…" She began slowly. "Is such a silly and unneeded emotion."

"What?"

"Girl swoons for boy. Girl worships boy. Girl loses boy. It all results in nothing."

"What… Are you talking about?"

"I'm saying." Shadow paused to stare Sakura right in the eyes. "That Sasuke will leave this village, and you will be heartbroken. He isn't the type to work with a lame group like us, and neither am I. Trust me, he'll leave us all to find someone stronger to teach him."

"That's not possible. I know Sasuke! He wouldn't leave us, we're a team, we stick together."

"If you believe in that, then you are a fool."

"Hey slowpokes!" Naruto yelled. "Are ya comin' or what?"

"Yeah!" Shadow called back. She grabbed a pink coat sitting on a nearby and threw at Sakura. It hit her lamely in the face as Shadow smiled and said, "Coming?" and she walked out of the room swiftly, joining Naruto in the pouring rain. The next day, all three ninja caught a cold, but they regretted nothing.

Shadow was in a daze when she felt a cruel jab to her forehead. She jumped slightly as she looked up to see familiar brown eyes.

"What the hell?!" Shadow yelled. "What are you doing in here?"

Sasori sighed and in mock pain said, "I was just here to talk with you Shadow-Chan."

"Get out," Shadow commanded, practically destroying her sliding door leading to the hallway with the force she used.

Sasori rolled his eyes and said calmly, "I can't, or else they'll see me."

"Who?"

"Lord Kazekage himself and the whole of the village. You know, they came out all the way to see us here." Sasori said sarcastically.

Shadow sighed in impatience and she crossed her arms.

"Your employers of course. They don't know I'm here," Sasori finally clarified.

"Then how'd you get in?" she asked curiously.

"I flew in of course. Gods, you're spacey. You didn't see me walk in through the balcony? You were staring right at the door. Which reminds me, you should really learn to work a lock. Great for keeping intruders out."

Shadow sighed again in annoyance, "Why are you here?"

"Why not?" was Sasori's reply. "Actually, I came to ask you to try this new poison I made earlier today."

"P-poison?!" Shadow yelled in amazement, wondering if she really just heard her partner ask her to try a poison.

Sasori silenced her by using his chakra strings to force her own hand to cover her mouth.

"Shh!" he hissed. He listened quietly for any sounds of movement outside the room. Hearing none, Sasori relaxed, but did not take the hand away from Shadow's mouth.

"Well, it's not poison per say, more like a speed potion. The drinker will be able to increase their speed by three times every sniff… Though too many and the user could speed up his own heart, resulting in cardiac arrest." He pulled out a clear, pink spiral bottle with a strange murky substance inside.

He forced Shadow to sit across the table from him, and removed the hand covering her mouth so she could speak. Even with the freedom of speech, Shadow could still feel the compressed feeling of chakra strings wrapped around her body.

"Just try it."

"Is this some trick? Are you secretly trying to assassinate me or something?" Shadow asked, although the bottle had already been forced half way to her face.

Just as she unscrewed the cork a knock on Shadow's door interrupted the process. Shadow jumped to her feet and looked at the door.

"Yumi-chan? It's me, Yura. May I come in?"

"Uh… J-just a second!" Shadow called back.

She grabbed Sasori by the arm and began to shove him into the large wardrobe that sat across the bed.

"Get in!" She hissed.

"What if I don't want to?" he inquired lazily. "Women really can't make their minds up huh? First you tell me to get out and now you tell me to get in. Which is it anyways?"

"You moron! You're the one who said they didn't know you were here!"

"They don't. And if she sees I'm here with you… Without her knowledge… And we're alone in your room together…" He trailed off; smirking when he saw Shadow's face turn a dark crimson when she realized what would probably come to mind to the unknowing Yura. Shadow shoved her annoying partner even harder.

"Shut up and get in the damned wardrobe, it'll only be a few minutes."

"More like a few minutes of my youth… Good bye! I'm sorry for wasting you so."

With a full shove from a telekinetic wave (summoned by Shadow) Sasori was pushed into the wardrobe successfully, and the door was closed just as Yura walked into the room.

"Oh Yumi-Chan, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were changing."

Shadow forced a relaxed smile to her face as she said, "Um… Yes! I'm sorry it took so long."

She pressed herself harder onto the doors of the giant wardrobe because she could feel Sasori pressing his shoulder into the door, trying equally as hard to open it. He knew full well of the consequences for Shadow if he were to be found.

"Oh, Yumi dear, are you alright? You're shaking. Are you sick?"

Small beads of perspiration slipped down Shadow's face as she shook with the effort of forcing the closet doors shut. Despite the fact that Shadow had never seen Sasori use taijutsu and his strength, it was obvious that he was stronger than her and if she wasn't careful, he'd be able to burst out of the wardrobe.

"O-oh… Yes, I-I'm just a little tired!" she said. She said the word "tired" a little more forceful than she intended to because she slammed her back onto the wardrobe doors. This seemed to jolt Sasori and made him fall back in the closet. Shadow sighed with relief.

Good. She thought. Seems as if he's settled down.

She looked up to see the startled face of Yura, who looked confused and a little frightened of the behavior Shadow was showing.

"U-um.. A cat."

"I'm sorry?"

"Yes! A cat. I uh… Found a stray cat wandering around earlier but it got rather frisky so I err… Put it in here to … Um… Calm down."

"Oh well, I do love kittens! May I see this one?" Yura asked, she blushed.

"No!" Shadow said, rather forcefully. Yura looked taken back and Shadow repeated herself in a calmer tone, "Um… Sorry… No this cat is… A bit of a beast really. A ferocious thing that had tried to gouge my eyes out earlier so um-"

"Oh… Okay dear… Well, anyways, I just came up to- Oh my goodness!"

Without warning Shadow's right arm shot up into the air and positioned itself into a salute. Shadow's eyes widened when she saw a flash of silver and blue wave out of the corner of her eye.

Chakra strings?! Damn it Sasori, cut it out you thick headed bastard!

"Um, uh, yes well ehrm… I guess I should be going. Uh, k-keep up the good work!" Yura turned around and began to walk out.

When her back was turned Shadow felt both of her middle fingers raise unconditionally. Without turning around Shadow kicked the flaps of the wardrobe and a satisfying thump resounded. She felt the chakra strings release her middle fingers and she sighed.

I'm going to kill you. Shadow though furiously. She turned to open the walk-in wardrobe when she heard Yura say, "Ooh! Is this a new perfume? It smells lovely."

Shadow turned back to Yura and was horrified to see Yura sniffing from the pink bottle Sasori had brought.

"Urk! Um, well yeah… I guess… So... heh…" Shadow said warily.

"Oh well, keep up with your studies!" Yura said cheerily as she walked out of the room and slid the door shut.

No effect?

Shadow walked back to the doors of the wardrobe and was about to open it when Sasori beat her to it, and slammed the doors open.

Sasori gasped for air as he said, "Never… Again… Will I go in that hell hole… No… Matter what…. It is you pay me…."

Shadow stared at him blankly for a few moments when she shouted equally as loud. "You bastard! You're right, no way in hell I'm allowing you in here again!"

Sasori sighed as he said, "Well… I did find this."

He held up one of her black laced bras, and Shadow blushed a deep red, as she lunged for it.

He dodged and nimbly landed in front of her in front of her bed. Sasori held the undergarment in front of him and commented, "Not very large are we? What are you an A? Or perhaps smaller. Perhaps I should begin calling you 'Pancake-chest' or 'Paper-thin'. Which sounds bet-"

He was interrupted when he felt a body tackle him and he landed on the bed. The younger girl pinned him to the bed as she reached for her underclothes. Sasori held it away at his arm length as Shadow tried desperately to grab back her bra.

"You… Damned pervert. Give... It back to me. Gods' damn it!" the kunoichi said through clenched teeth.

Sasori sighed as he said sarcastically. "Apparently little girls are both violent and flat chested. Great traits that every guy must go for. " He sighed tauntingly.

Shadow stretched across his body, straining her arms to stretch as far as they could.

"I... Swear to the gods'… Give me that damned bra, or I'll strangle you." Sasori looked back at the younger girl and was surprised to see how he never noticed how unusually attractive she was.

Long black hair cascaded in front of her, as she huffed irritably, reaching for her clothing. Sharp, determined blue eyes glared in determination and pale arms stretched to their limits.

Full pink lips were tugged into a deep frown and thin black eyebrows were furrowed in a deep concentration and her unusually large silver-ish charm on her black chocker dangled. The white beads surrounding it clicked gently against one another.

Sasori chuckled to himself and nodded his head in disgust with himself as he handed his flustered partner her garment. She snatched it, but kept Sasori pinned down.

"You… Bastard…" Shadow said in between breaths.

Sasori calmly breathed in her lavender and rose perfume, feeling accomplished for making his partner agitated.

He looked out the window leading to the balcony and was glad to see clear pale blue patches of sky peeking out of the grey clouds.

The rain has cleared. He thought. He allowed Shadow to calm her breathes when he rolled out from under her. Despite her special powers she was granted with, she was actually not very strong. She lacked strength, but he knew that she had agility to make up for her lacking muscles.

Shadow watched him warily, but did nothing to stop the young man from walking out onto the balcony.

"Well Doll," he called to her sarcastically, he sat on the fence out on the balcony. "I had fun." Cold water began to seep into the long sleeves of his robe, as he perched and prepared himself to jump off.

"And Sasori?" Shadow called warily. Shadow paused, then finally said, "Just for the record… I'm not A. I'm B."

Sasori laughed as he said, "Sure you are Doll." He jumped off the balcony and Shadow sighed. She let the after rain breeze fill the room and sighed again as she turned her back to the balcony, and went to sleep.

Edited: August 7, 2012