Chapter Three: The Gunwoman
"The Council has come to the conclusion that we cannot allow you to continue your Jedi training, Padawan," Danzou said clearly.
"The risk is too great, now that Orochimaru has revealed himself as a Sith and has murdered Grand Master Sarutobi," Konan said calmly, her hands folded pristinely in her lap.
The girl in the middle of the circle was silent, but her eyes spoke of her fury, narrowed in on Danzou's face as her small fists clenched at her sides. Never before had a person looked so isolated standing in the middle of the Council's circle.
"There is a great anger in you," Pein said, his ringed eyes staring straight through the girl, looking at something far away, "You let your emotions control you, and because of that you can never truly follow the Code."
The girl stayed quiet, moving her poisonous glare to the circle seated around her until it landed on each and every member of the Council.
"It's obvious to any Force sensitive that Orochimaru has left his mark on you," said Master Kakuzu, his green, glowing eyes holding no pity as he stared down the young child.
"We have secured a spot for you within the Republic military academy," continued Pein, "Hopefully your time there can remove the taint of the dark side from you."
The girl's jaw clenched, her small shoulders shaking in barely suppressed rage.
"As acting Grand Master," Danzou said with finality, "I officially disband you from the Jedi Order. You are to turn in your lightsaber and your robes, a shuttle will leave for the academy early tomorrow morning."
The girl did not bow as she left, her frame rattling and her strides long. She only paused for one moment, to meet the gaze of the younger Padawan who had been watching the entire exchange, a nod of goodbye escaping, as well as a hasty ruffle of his hair.
He watched her go, his dark eyes curious and calculating.
---
Seventeen years later…
When Anko walked into Cantina Yamato!, she wasn't all that shocked when everyone's heads looked up and the group did a collective shrug before returning to their drinks.
She stalked over to the bar, drunk but not drunk enough for tonight, and she was surprised to see a newcomer sitting in her usual spot. The imposter was young, probably still a teenager, with the most obnoxious hair Anko had ever seen. But at her hip was a blaster, and not a shiny one with all the toys and buttons the naïve used to play hero, but one that was dingy and had seen a lot of firefights from the looks of things. Anko's eyes narrowed, she recognized the make of that gun. She used to have one. They were only issued by one manufacturer, a manufacturer that had a government contract with the Republic.
Anko decided not to kick her out of her seat. Let it never be said that Mitarashi Anko was devoid of mercy.
"Yamato! Drink!" She barked, planting herself in the chair next to the drunk girl and rubbing the spot between her neck and shoulder for the millionth time that evening, whether it was physical pain or phantom from memories, tonight she couldn't be sure.
"Hello Anko," Yamato said, his plain face mustering a weak smile as he filled her the usual, sliding the glass over the counter where she caught it with a grace that betrayed her current state of sobriety.
"Hey," she said, swallowing down the whole thing before gesturing for another.
Yamato gladly obliged, "Looks like you've got a head start."
Anko smirked, "The other place kicked me out."
"I wish I could say I was surprised," Yamato said with a smile before returning to her tarisian ale.
While he was busy preparing her the second drink, her eyes went up to the holonet in the corner of the cantina, and when she read the message she wanted to hurl, and not just from the unforceable amount of liver poison she had consumed.
--MASTER UCHIHA ITACHI WAS BEST KNOWN FOR HIS EXPLOITS ON THE PLANET ONDERON DURING THE SECOND SITH WAR--
"Idiots," Anko snarled, tossing back the drink that she sure didn't need but she sure as hell wanted, and glaring at the words as they scrolled by in Basic.
"Tell me about it," grumbled the girl to her side, her pink, drunken head rolling over to stare away from the holonet.
Anko sent her a quizzical look, but turned back to her drink. If there was something Mitarashi Anko knew how to do, it was mind her own business.
Apparently her drinking neighbor didn't.
"What's wrong with your neck?" She murmured.
"Nothing," Anko bit off tersely, "Where's that drink Yamato?"
"Coming."
"It's not nothing," the girl said matter of factly.
Anko pulled up the collar of her coat higher, even though she knew that the marking wasn't visible to begin with, "It's not your kriffing business."
The girl seemed undeterred, and the goofy smile of a drunk with an idea spread across her face, "I could take a look, if you want. I used to be a medic-"
Something passed over the girl's face then, a sort of hollowness that made her grip her half empty glass tighter. And Anko immediately deducted when the girl used to be a medic.
"Don't worry about it," Anko said, her tone a little less harsh if not with pity than a sense of camaraderie that all survivors felt, "Nothing a medic can do for it anyway."
She bit her lip, "My…friend used to have the same problem."
Anko thought the girl was a little too drunk for her own good, but she felt compelled to keep talking to her, "What's your name, kid?"
"Haruno."
"I'm Anko."
"Nice to meet you," she said, her cheek pressed against the counter and the slightest bit of drool coming out of the corner of her mouth.
"Here you go Anko," Yamato said, his dark gaze going to the drunken pile of girl to her side with something resembling concern.
"Thanks," Anko snorted gesturing to the girl who was in an inebriated pile of mush, "Did you ID her? Are you sure the runt's even old enough to get as keyed as she is?"
Yamato gave the wane smile that was becoming customary for his face, "Since the war, I let anyone who needs one, have one."
"Fair point," Anko said with a slight hiss as she downed the drink, gesturing for yet another. Yamato shook his head with disapproval but his hands went to the glasses anyway.
"I've had a helluva night, Yamato," Anko said, her eyes still flickering to the holonet despite herself.
"Me too," mumbled Haruno.
Anko snorted, deciding that some amusement was in order, "Oh yeah? What makes you say that, pinkie?"
The girl's nose crumpled at the nickname, "Brought a Rodian in."
Anko made a spinning motion with her index finger, not even breaking her gaze from the holonet.
The conversation was broken by the sound of the pressurized doors opening to the cantina, and as per routine, everyone's heads swerved to look at the newcomer, even Haruno's.
"Mitarashi!" Proclaimed an older man from the doorway, and Anko groaned deeply, cradling her head in her hands, "I knew I'd find you here!"
Haruno squinted as the man came rushing up to the bar, "Hey I know you," she slurred, "I gave you a hundred credits to pay off your debt once…"
The old man rubbed his hands together nervously, "…that's very nice," he turned to Anko, "I need your help!"
"No," Anko said, gladly taking the drink Yamato had quickly procured.
"But the Jedi-!"
"Beat it!" She snarled, throwing back the tarisian ale.
"The Jedi left me to die!"
"Apparently he didn't do a good job of it," Anko said dispassionately, ignoring the man completely.
Haruno turned towards the man, "Maybe I can," she hiccupped, "Help. I'm a bounty hunter, you know."
"He's trash, Haruno, you're better off in a contract with Katsuya," Anko muttered.
The old man now paid Anko next to no attention, turning to grasp Haruno's hands dramatically, "If you could just spare a few credits…"
Haruno snorted, bitter laughter escaping her, "I'm broke."
The man promptly threw away Haruno's hands.
"Go away," Anko said to the pest, hand waving him off.
The old man frowned, crossing his arms over his chest, "You're heartless, both of you. You're worse than that Jedi, running off after he promised to help. I bet you're both after Uchiha Sasuke too-"
While Anko paused from her drink at the name, the reaction from Haruno was far more pronounced.
Instantly, all traces of inebriation were gone, replaced by a stern, cold determination as she hopped off her barstool and gripped the man by his collar.
"Where did he go?" She demanded carefully, her green eyes narrowed and her mouth frowning. Anko watched the exchange from the corner of her eye, a stiffness in her shoulders.
"Entertainment district, towards the swoop tracks," the old man squeaked, his thumb pointing over his shoulder.
Haruno didn't even wait for him to hit the ground before she was running out of the cantina.
"Looks like you've got yourself another regular," Anko said dryly to Yamato as the pressure door slammed closed, nudging the terrified old man in the ribs with the toe of her boot.
Yamato let out a very low, long sigh, before going back to cleaning glasses.
---
"GogogoGO you lazy son of a nerf herder!" The woman screamed at her screen, which depicted a swoop racer maneuvering throughout the course, going faster than safety and mortality required but still not enough for the spectator as she started beating her fist against the monitor, "YOU CALL THAT RACING? You completely missed the launcher pad!"
Unbeknownst to her, a small astromechanical droid was watching the scene with great interest, even letting loose a low, tinny whistle of appreciation at the swears that were escaping her mouth as the swoop racer she had bet on clipped its left engine on a wall after overcorrecting a turn.
"Moron! That'll shave at least two nanoseconds off of your time!"
The droid let off a chorus of beeps that could have been construed as a human snicker.
"Ugh," the woman proclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air after the swoop racer crossed the finish line, "That is the last time I'm betting on Aburame Shino," she said sternly, turning off the monitor and blowing a strand of dark brown hair out of her eyes.
"You said that last time, and the time before that," chuckled a larger man to her right, his eyes creasing with his smile.
The woman scowled, her hands going up to readjust the brown buns covering both of her ears, "Yeah, well, I-!" Her more than likely brilliant retort was cut off when she seemed to notice her audience for the first time, "What?"
The droid swiveled its head a complete 360 degrees, looking around the crowd.
"Yeah, I'm talking to you," the woman said, kneeling down in front of the droid, "Whoever your owner is must have kak for brains, letting someone as expensive as you run around," her eyes widened when she checked the blue green band around its core, "No obedience chip, that's weird."
It whistled proudly.
"Hmm, I'm no expert on droids, that would be my good for nothing husband," the woman said pointedly towards her monitor, "But I'd say you're a Kilobyte N-type astromechanical droid, probably a custom model," she pursed her lips, "Am I close?
K0-N0 let out a small beep.
Her pursed lips morphed into a frown, "Oh you are too, don't give me that," she scrutinized the small droid, "Looks like you don't have an owner," she mumbled, "And I could certainly use someone good with computers to help me with the shop, how about it? If someone shows up to claim you, I'll let you go, but until then it looks like you could really use a lubrication soak."
K0-N0 whistled happily.
"Well, that's settled then," the woman stood, looking at the monitor to see that Aburame Shino was gearing up for his second heat, "I'll take you back now, that way I don't have to watch him conveniently forget what a power accelerator is," she waved nonchalantly at the larger man next to her, "See you around."
He smiled, "Take care of yourself Tenten."
"Always do."
When she started walking towards the market portion of Nar Shadaar, K0-N0 followed her without a second's remorse.
---
Sakura's fists clenched closed as she made her way to the swoop racing docks, her teeth pressed together so tightly a groaning sound was emanating from them. This wasn't the first time she had to go seek out some hotshot bounty hunter that was after Sasuke, but like with all the other times she hoped this would be the last.
She felt the strange tingle on the back of her neck that had saved her countless times during the war, and she had to catch her breath for a moment. That's right, Jedi, not bounty hunter.
Her mind was fuzzy due to all the juma she had consumed, but it wasn't stupid yet. A Jedi on Nar Shadaar could only mean one thing: that Sasuke was now the prime suspect for Jedi Master Itachi's death.
Jedi. The word left a heavy bitterness in her like it did all veterans of the war, the war where the Jedi Council did nothing, watching entire planets be destroyed with a detachment more suited to a pazaak player counting cards. She honestly was surprised that more members of the Council hadn't been assassinated before now.
Her heart sped up as her legs broke into a sprint once the swoop racing viewing station became visible. She would stop the Jedi sent to capture Sasuke, just like she'd…convinced all the other bounty hunters that had come before him or her. There was no way she could live with herself if Sasuke became a prisoner of the Jedi Council.
---
Sai looked around the area carefully, his face a blank, unnerving mask as he took in the crowd of the swoop deck. Something that was almost irritation filled him as he realized that his droid was not among them. He was certain he had seen the K0-N0 unit enter this portion of the hub before he was sidetracked by the man and the thugs. The droid was long gone by now.
He heard a chorus of cheers as the favored racer beat the lowest time, and his eyes flickered up to one of the large viewing screens to see a man with a racer's hood, goggles, and high collar exit the swoop racer and take a pouch full of credits from one of the Hutts that was sponsoring the races.
He frowned minutely, turning to instead find someone to question in the crowd. His eyes landed on a big, happy looking man, who was gladly taking credits from a disgruntled looking Zabrak.
Sai approached the man carefully, plastering on his hugest smile, "Excuse me?"
The man turned from the Zabrak to stare at Sai, his happy face falling somewhat when he took in the robes and the lightsaber attached to his belt, "Yes?" The one word question was heavily guarded.
"Have you seen an astromechanical droid, a K0-N0 unit?"
The man shifted uncomfortably between his two feet, "I may have," he admitted, eyes once again landing on the lightsaber.
Sai's smile began to wane, and he pressed his two index fingers together, waving them in front of the man's eyes, "Where did the K0-N0 unit go?"
The man's face went lax, a glazed look covering his stare, "With Tenten."
"Where can I find Tenten?"
"She's an arms dealer in the Merchant's Quarter," the man droned.
Sai dropped the Force persuade he had over the man, politely bowing his head, "Thank you, Mr.-?"
The man blinked after leaving the trance, and somewhat confused, he muttered, "Akimichi."
"Mr. Akimichi, you've been most helpful," Sai said, preparing to head over to the arms dealer immediately.
However, when the Jedi turned around, he was surprised to see a pink haired woman standing in front of him. Her eyes were widened as they stared at him.
"S…Sasuke?" She whispered quietly, staring at Sai in a way not unlike the Akimichi had when under his trance.
Sai smiled, his luck was surely changing, "I am searching for an Uchiha Sasuke, yes."
His words were like a switch being thrown, and the woman's fists tensed as a sharpened look entered her gaze.
Sai kept smiling, as he had been instructed by his Masters that a pleasant disposition was the best way to enter a diplomatic conversation.
The last thing Sai heard before a strong stinging sensation hit, and possibly fractured, his cheek bone was the young woman crying shrilly.
"You stay the kriff away from Sasuke!"