A.N.

Bless all of those who have reviewed, faved, and followed my story. I really, truly appreciate it!

Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me.

This is a little side story about Sayuri's parents.

Please Review!

Antecedent

The first day he saw her they were on opposite sides of a dead body. She stood firm and proud with her teammate at her back, he crouched warily with his Konoha team behind him. She wore the standard uniform for her job, mask firmly in place. He wore his uniform, however his headband had fallen somewhere off to the side during his fight.

"Pathetic." A man, with blue almost purple hair said from behind her. "And these are Konoha's best?"

Behind him his redhead teammate growled. "What did you say?" she ground out while her blonde boyfriend tried to hold her back. "Come and say that to my face, you ass hole!"

"Hah." The man scoffed. "Look at all of you, all worn out…and by one single ninja."

He felt as his third and fourth teammate's chakra flared. Mentally he sighed, they had activated their Sharingan. Well this is just great…we're going to start another war.

"Oh look… two Uchiha's." The man continued his taunt. "Konoha really brought in the cavalry!"

"Shut up!" the woman beside him yelled, red-almost orange-eyes bright in anger. "Don't you know who you're talking to!?" He silently prayed that some deity above would take pity on him and shut the woman up. "He is Yūkan Marihasha! The heir—"

"To one of the strongest clans in Konoha…" The woman sighed shaking her head. "…I've heard it all before." Her voice was calm and smooth and completely soothing to his ears. "In any case Lord Yūkan didn't take down the rogue…" she stepped closer to the dead body. "I did, and consequently I saved his life so I think it's only fair that I am rewarded and this dead man is just the thing."

"Are you crazy! That man is a rogue from Rain, he killed several of our ninja!" The tall dark haired man behind him exclaimed. "He belongs to us!"

The woman looked at them as if contemplating the new information and spoke, "Did he get into your village?" she directed her question to him.

"No." He answered.

"Ah." She tilted her head. "Then you don't need him like we do. This man," she signaled to the one on the ground. "Was able to get his hands on important information only privy to the Mizukage…for that we need him back with us."

"Yeah well…" the redhead stepped up. "We found him first so he's ours."

"Kushina…" the blonde one of the team whispered holding the woman's forearm. "Calm down…she has a point. She took him down and saved Yūkan's life."

"I DON'T GIVE A RAT'S ASS IF SHE SAVED HIM! THAT MAN KILLED SEVERAL OF OUR NINJA!"

"Kushina!" the dark haired woman holding Sharingan eyes admonished. "Don't be childish."

The redhead turned to her friend. "But Mikoto…" she began.

"She's right Kushina. This woman saved my dear Yūkan! You owe her some respect…" the woman next to him latched on to his injured arm, completely ignoring his grunt of pain. "…that is if you know what that is."

"Oh shut up Chinatsu! I wasn't talking to you!"

"Know your place, you stupid—"

"Chinatsu." He whispered a bit menacingly. The dark haired woman snapped her mouth shut and blinked up at him. Ignoring her he turned to the female Hunter nin. "Take him, he's yours."

"WHAT?!" they all exclaimed.

"Great!" her companion clapped his hands and took a step forward until a small dainty hand blocked his path. At that moment he realized that she was short and he thought it was…adorable.

"How about a compromise," she suggested as she gingerly picked up the katana, that he had dropped during his skirmish. "…After all you did find him," he watched as she tilted her head as she regarded the silver piece of metal, well at least he thought she was looking at it. It was hard to tell with that mask of hers. "And tired him out…I suppose." She added as an afterthought.

"What kind of compromise?" the male Sharingan wielder asked.

She turned to the man's general direction. "This kind." She flicked her wrist and with ease beheaded the man. They all looked shocked, with the exception of Chinatsu who looked like she was ready to throw up. They watched as with another flick of the wrist the blood on his sword fell off, then as she casually bent down, picked the head up and placed it in a bag as if it was something she did every day…and considering what she was she probably did do this every day. "I won't destroy the body…you can keep it, all I really need is this." She held up the bagged man's head and slung it over her shoulder, sticking the katana in the dirt. "Come." She ordered her companion and they disappeared with the wind.

"Wow…" Kushina was the first to react. "Did she just seriously take that man's head?" her blue-green eyes turned to the blonde beside her.

"Yes, that's their custom…although we seem to have come across a rather understanding Hunter, considering she didn't turn the body into nothing more than bones."

"She…she can do that?" Chinatsu asked the blonde who nodded his head solemnly, and within a few seconds the grass before them was covered in the woman's lunch.

XXX

The second time they met she had been running. His team minus two Uchiha leapt from tree to tree as they heard painful blood curdling scream. Once they arrived at the scene the saw the huntress leaning over two bodies. They stood frozen in shock until a few senbon were sent their way.

She straightened and turned to the group of leaf ninja. That was when they got a good look at the bodies, two men from the mist…both of them Hunters. His ruby red eyes snapped to her as she stood before them in complete calm.

"Her mask…" Kushina whispered. His attention went to the piece of porcelain that hid her face and he saw it. A single line ran across her forehead. She had gone rogue.

At that point two more hunters showed up throwing senbon at her. All of them easily evaded. She landed on the river, standing over it easily as she raised her hands and started to perform a series of seals until a series of water bullets shut out at them.

The ninja took to the trees one of them waited for mere seconds before dashing at her. He swung a kunai back and forth until he managed to cut the mask. She crouched and kicked him in the abdomen sending her assailant flying back into a tree. The other appeared behind her and aimed a senbon at her neck. She merely sidestepped him, took his wrist snapped it, and swung him over her shoulder.

At that moment her hair bun went loose, letting her long silver and wavy mane fall down her shoulders. She turned just in time as another attacker came, this time he was no Hunter…it was a swords man.

Using his shoulder as leverage she flipped over him and swept his feet. The man jumped and turned ready to kill her as his sword came slashing down. The strike sent water splashing down at him. With a grin the man looked down expecting to see his kill until he saw nothing. Suddenly he felt a hand on his back.

"I'm sorry." She uttered and sent an electric current into his system. The swordsman fell forward and sunk into the water. At that point her mask completely cracked and revealed the most piercing blue eyes he had ever seen.

Yes they were blue, but they were two completely different shades of blue. Her right eye was a deep sapphire blue while her left eye was an icy cold piercing lighter blue. Never in his life did he feel that he loved the color more than at that moment.

The woman standing before him had completely captivated him from the very beginning. From her style of fighting, her voice, her hair, to her eyes…yes she captivated him, mesmerized him, bewitched him from the very start.

On that very second he realized that without really knowing her, he had fallen in love with the Huntress. Just as their eyes met, her piercing blue with his piercing red, she began to sway and fell forward sinking into the water.

Moving rather quickly he pulled her up and held her looking her body over. He noticed the water staining red before looking back at her body, and there it was on her torso, a large gash looking injury bleeding profusely.

XXX

The third time he saw her she was asleep. The hospital had been reluctant to treat her; she was a rogue after all. It took much convincing from his part and four ANBU outside her door to get the doctors to treat her. She lay on the bed in a fitful sleep. She would wince and mumble under her breath at something, or he would see a ghost of a smile on her lips. Vaguely he came to the realization that he didn't know her name.

XXX

The fourth time he saw her she sat before the third Hokage, chakra restraints on her hands and feet. She looked up as he entered and glared.

"You…!" she exclaimed and stood up angrily only to be shoved back down by the ANBU behind her. She let a small growl escape her lips as she closed her eyes and looked away.

"Ah Yūkan, glad you could make it." The old man smiled.

"Hokage." He bowed. Red eyes slid over to her sitting figure. "Miss." Her frowned deepen as she scoffed and looked away. He looked back at the third in question.

"I would like to introduce you to Nagisa Mizuchi." The woman huffed. "I would like to inform you that she will be living under the careful watch of your ANBU until further notice."

Her head snapped up at that bit of information but she said nothing. He felt her murderous aura from where he stood and almost shivered. This woman was something else.

"As you wish Hokage." He turned to her and noticed that her hair was still loose. "Nagisa—"

She stood abruptly. "Let's go." Taken by surprise he slowly made his way to the door before leading the way. At the entrance of the tower stood a masked ANBU, immediately he bowed.

"Lord Yukan, we were informed that she will be lodging at one of the houses by the compound." The masked man offered him a key.

Yukan raised an eyebrow. "Where were they keeping her before?"

"The jail sir."

Alarmed he turned to the silver haired woman. A jail!? He thought as he mulled over her calm complexion. They had kept her in a jail for three weeks? And for what!? Now he understood why her initial reaction was one of anger. Because of him she had been treated as a common criminal. But wasn't that what she was? A criminal?

Nagisa's striking blue eyes were on the paved ground. Her back was straight and her hair was loose. Despite her worn clothing and chakra restraints, she looked more like a woman of high class rather than a commoner.

"Ah." Yūkan finally answered. "Let's go then."

The two walked in silence through the crowed and entered the compound under the critical eye of his clansmen. Taking the key from his pocket he opened the door to an almost completely empty small house. He stepped aside to let the woman through.

Nagisa stood at the center of the receiving room and looked about her. Blood red eyes focused on her wrists. Ice blue eyes caught his gaze.

"They are there to retain my chakra." Yūkan glanced up.

"I know what they do." He answered rather irritated. What did she take him for? A dimwit? "What I'm wondering is why they put them on you."

She raised a delicate eyebrow. "For being the heir to one of the strongest clans in this village, you really aren't privy to much information are you?"

Red eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"

She sighed. "You brought in a rogue from an enemy country, that alone raises suspicion about me. Everyone that's interrogated me so far has deemed me untrustworthy, and so to keep me from going back to the Hidden Mist, they've sealed me in a way."

"You've been interrogated?" was all he could muster after a long pause.

Nagisa looked almost irritated. "Of course I've been interrogated. They don't just let anyone walk through those village gates without suspicion." She shook her head. "Honestly…How did you become a ninja?"

It was his fault. He had brought her here without her consent, automatically assuming that it was for the best, but instead he'd manage to cage her. Needless to say he felt guilty.

XXX

The fifth time he saw her she was cooking, and as he stood by the entrance to the small kitchen he figured it was out of boredom. The ANBU had told him that she had done nothing more than read the scrolls they had brought her, clean, and cook. Somehow he felt that the ANBU felt sorry for the young, silver haired, woman. None the less she really was a sight to behold.

She moved to the refrigerator and peeked in. "Are you just going to stand there?" her calm voice snapped him out of his thoughts and with a blush he cleared his throat.

"Ah, how has your stay been?" She closed the fridge, juice in hand, and raised a delicate silver eyebrow as if telling him silently 'what do you think?' "Oh. Um right." He scratched his head and laughed nervously.

She turned to a cabinet and took a glass out. "Juice?" she asked with a sidelong glance.

"Uh, yes!" he watched as she poured the drink with a form of delicate ease that had him at awe. Suddenly the glass was right in front of his eyes, a somewhat annoyed Nagisa holding it. Quickly he took the glass from her, his fingers brushing hers. For a brief moment he felt a slight tingle.

"I need more food." She said as she poured herself a glass. Yūkan looked at her confused. "Your ANBU eat like they're starving children."

"My…" he paused before her statement sunk in. "You've been feeding them?"

"Yes." She took a sip. "I feel weird eating in front of people while they stare."

"I'll tell them to take you to the market tomorrow." That would explain why the ANBU currently outside her door seemed to feel sorry for her. She cooked for them every day while she stayed under house arrest. "Do you want to train?" he asked suddenly.

"Train?" she echoed.

"Yes. You might have your chakra sealed but you still have your taijutsu."

He watched as she glanced off to the side. "Won't they be alarmed?"

"The ANBU?" he asked to which she nodded. "No, I think they want you to do something other than cook."

Hesitantly she nodded in agreement. The two ventured out to the backyard where the two began their spar. Soon he came to realize that despite the fact that she hadn't done any training for a moth she was still strong. Soon her two guards joined in; by the end of the day she had managed to take both guards down. It wasn't until he stopped pulling punches that he managed to beat her.

XXX

The sixth time he saw her she had been walking around Konoha. The Hokage had lifted her house arrest but she still had to be followed by the ANBU. It had been three months since he had last seen her. Yet, just like every time she crossed his path she managed to take his breath away.

"Lord Yūkan." She bowed. He smiled.

"Miss Nagisa…" He turned to the two ANBU. "Gentlemen," they bowed. "What brings you here?"

The ANBU held up a couple of plastic bags. "Groceries." She answered.

"Still cooking for them?" He turned his blood red eyes to the two men. "You realize that you're taking advantage of her."

"I don't mind." She answered. "Besides training, this keeps me entertained."

He raised a brow at her and smiled. "I didn't—"

"Yūkan!" a high pitched voice called out to him making him cringe. "There you are sweet heart!" Suddenly he felt a weight at his back.

The ANBU behind Nagisa tensed and took a step back as they watched their commander being groped on by a black haired woman. She nuzzled his cheek while he stood uncomfortable under her touch. Nagisa looked at the two with curiosity.

"I've been looking for you everywhere, Yūkan!" she laughed. "You've been avoiding me." She stretched out the 'e' in a playful manner.

"Of course not, Chinatsu…" The Marihasha heir said nervously. "I've just been busy." He gave the three ninja before him an apologetic group.

Noticing that his eyes where no longer on her, Chinatsu looked up. That's the little traitor from the Mist. Her eyes narrowed at the silver haired woman then smirked. She's no big deal. The dark haired konoichi let go of Yūkan and flipped her hair back.

"Aren't you going to introduce me?" she asked Yūkan who seemed to cringe every time she spoke.

"Ah…right…Nagisa, this is—"

"I'm Chinatsu, Yūkan's fiancé." She placed a hand on her hip and smirked.

Nagisa, impassive as ever, gave her a once over. Black long hair, red-orange eyes, red intricate kimono with an orange sash, thin and tall. She'd be pretty…Nagisa thought, If it wasn't for that big mouth and presumptuous attitude of hers. Noticing that the ANBU behind her where rather uncomfortable she decided that it was time to leave.

"Ah." She nodded to the woman before turning to the heir. "I'll be leaving now." She bowed before turning and continuing her walk not sparing Chinatsu another glance. Quickly the ANBU straightened up and followed their charge.

XXX

The seventh time he saw her she was no longer under the scrutiny of the ANBU, although he assumed that they still went to visit he for her cooking. It had been almost eight months since she had been in Konoha, and now she stood before the Hokage in the middle of a sealing circle. Yūkan looked around him and noticed the heads of the other clans as well as their heirs present. His father stood to his left as he regarded everything with a calm demeanor.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this, Nagisa?" the third asked before he began.

"Yes." She answered without hesitation. It was the only way she could stay in the village that she had slowly started to love.

The Hokage sighed before giving the red head that stood off to the side the 'go ahead.' They all watched as Kushina easily sealed away Nagisa's chakra.

XXX

The eighth time he saw her she was by the lake. It was hot, and briefly he noted that it was the same day in which he had first met her in the clearing a year ago. She sat by the edge dipping her feet in the water a content look on her face.

She had been allowed by the Hokage to become a ninja again. Slowly but surely Nagisa had earned the trust of almost everyone in the village. With her calm and cool demeanor she was able to make it to ANBU, until she decided enough was enough and opted to teaching children in the Academy. He didn't get the chance to see her after her sealing.

Now he stood by one of the many trees looking at her. It seemed that no matter how much time passed she always made him feel nervous.

"Are you just going to stand there?" her soft voice called him out. He smiled before moving closer to her. He noticed that her attire had changed to that of a blue kimono top, with a black chest guard and black pants. Her boots were off to the side.

"Good afternoon." He nodded as he took a seat beside her. She gave him a curt nod before turning back to the small waterfall of to the side. He contemplated her appearance for a second before speaking. "Do you miss it?" She tilted her head to him in question. "You're old home? Do you miss it?"

Nagisa looked back up at the blue sky. "At times." She responded. "But those are rare." She looked down at her hands. "It was too much unnecessary killing. When I spoke against it the Mizukage ordered my death."

He listened attentively, it was the first time she had ever opened up about her past. He listened as she told him about the examinations, how she had to kill one of her friends in order to become a Genin, how she had been order to kill others at the age of ten, and how by the age of thirteen she had already killed countless of innocent people. He listened how suddenly everyone she had once thought of as a friend, was out for her head.

Yūkan understood now why she was the way she was. She was always calm and calculating, because that was how she coped with all the killing she did. If everyone was but a mere person, and not someone she knew then she would never feel remorse for ending their lives. She kept her distance from everyone because she figured that if she didn't know them then she wouldn't feel hurt when they turned on her.

"I won't turn on you." He said after a long minute of silence.

"You don't know that." She shook her head.

"I'm not like them." He said referring to her comrades. "I won't hunt you down and neither will the others, so long as you don't give them a reason to." She looked up at him.

For once in the time that he had known her did he see a hint of sadness in her eyes. Slowly he reached for her cheek and caressed it. Nagisa bit her lip. He could see it. She was confused and scared. She wanted to bring down her guard but something at the back of her mind told her not to.

"I…I…" She whispered her unique piercing blue eyes meeting his piercing red.

He leaned closer to her. "I won't hurt you." He said firmly before kissing her. A second later she returned his kiss. He relishing in her touch as did she, finally trusting someone after spending most of her life on guard.

A.N.

Please review.

Next chapter we'll be back to Sayuri.

I just wanted to include a little tidbit about how Sayuri's parents met. I have a continuation to the story. If you would like to read it please review and let me know! :D