Naruto was going to kill Ero-sennin, she decided with an angry huff as she kicked a stray rock in her path. Interlocking her fingers behind her head, her large blue eyes taking in the trees above her as she walked down the dirt pathway, she honestly couldn't help the scowl that was growing deeper and deeper with each passing second. That perverted bastard better watch himself the next time I see him, Naruto thought to herself, because I am going to murder him.

Their training trip was coming to an end soon. Naruto had turned 15 a few months ago, and she had learned all she can from the toad sage. It was only a matter of wrapping up Jiraya's work outside the village before heading back to Konoha for what was considered to be an extended trip for him. The Uzumaki, while proud beyond reason of her accomplishments over the last three years, was looking forward to being back home again. She had missed her friends, their easy banter and fond memories bringing comfort to her during the particularly hard training sessions. She missed the trees, soaring up into the sky and seemingly embracing the clouds. Hell, she even missed Baa-chan with her alcoholic tendencies and acute ability to put Ero-sennin in his place.

But there was still quite a bit of work to do before she could go home. They were still far from Konoha, and Jiraya had far too many stops to make in the meantime. It was with this in mind that Naruto had foolishly suggested that they split up to accomplish their separate tasks, in an effort to half the time wasted before they can go home. The first sign that this was a terrible idea should have been when Jiraya had immediately agreed with the idea with no further prompting. So as discussed, Naruto and her sensei said they momentary goodbyes before splitting up to accomplish their own set of tasks. It had taken a few weeks, but Naruto had finished her goals in record timing without the pervert there to slow down their expedition with his stupid research.

It was then that Naruto realized with a jolt just how idiotic she'd been. Without her presence being there as a deterrent for Jiraya to rein in his more perverted behavior, more out of fear of retaliation and violence than of any semblance of respect, he would take much longer than usual to accomplish his set of tasks. All it took was a measly summons to confirm Naruto's theory; Jiraya had in fact been wasting most of his time in hot springs and brothels and has only about a quarter way through his list.

Naruto groaned once more at the reminder. Here she was, tasks completed and little else to do, walking to some no-name civilian fishing village deep within the Land of Rivers where she and Ero-sennin had previously set as their meet-up location. She was going to be stuck there for weeks, she just knew it.

"Ah, good morning neighbor! Fine weather we're having, eh?" A kind civilian waved to a strikingly handsome individual as she leaned over her basin of laundry.

The red-haired man nodded politely at his neighbor as he unlocked the front door to his quaint little shop, "Good morning Yasuki-san. The weather is quite pleasant for this time of year, yes. How's your son, still struggling with his mathematics?"

Yasuki rolled her eyes is faux exasperation, the wrinkles in the corner of her eyes deepening with the movement, "Like always. I honestly don't know what I'm going to do with that boy, he just refuses to take his classes seriously!"

"May I suggest getting a tutor," The youthful looking man spoke, his monotonous tone never wavering despite his kind words.

Yasuki waved her hands, "Oh no, my husband and I could never afford something like that. Especially not with these new tariffs imposed upon us. How the Daimyo's think a poor little fishing village like ours can afford such steep taxes is beyond me."

"Hm, there's nothing I can do about the taxes, however I will be glad to help your son with his mathematics. Have him come by the shop with his homework whenever it's convenient for him to do so," The man proposed.

The elder woman grinned, "You would do that?"

The man nodded sharply. Oh how he detested repeating himself, "Yes."

"Thank you Sasori-san! It's mighty kind of you!"

Sasori nodded in reply, entering his store and calmly shutting the door behind him. Oh the things he did for some peace and quiet.

Akasuna no Sasori lived a quiet life. He resided in a small village in the Land of Rivers, where he owned and operated a small and humble toy shop known throughout the little civilian town. Children of all ages flocked to his store, aptly named "Sand's Dollhouse", where they would spend hours upon hours gazing at the sheer splendor of the different dolls made available to them. Even adults enjoyed coming to his store, delighting in an intelligent conversation with the calm young man as he offered them a cup of tea as he presented his latest work of artistry. There was no doubt to anyone in this small village that Sasori was an artist; one with a plethora of talent as he crafted his infamously beautiful puppets.

He showed up to the village out of the blue one winter morning; when the sky was clear and the wind held a certain chill to it. Despite the frost in the air, this young man who looked not a day above 15 wore nothing more than a tight black tank top and cargo pants, his forearms wrapped tightly in white bandages, dragging a large wagon behind him filled to the brim with meticulously crafted dolls and a myriad of tools. At a glance he almost could have been mistaken for a ninja, had it not been for the absence of a distinguishing forehead protector. This was five years ago, and ever since Sasori had integrated himself into the village as though he were a fixture from the very start.

The villagers loved him. He must be at the very least 20 by now, yet his youthful features never changed. He had a calm disposition, and his soft spoken attitude coupled with his strikingly handsome features made him a quick favorite of the housewives. He was always quick to offer help, his talent in construction going far further than merely toy crafting. While seemingly apathetic about most things, he would always join a spirited debate about art across the nations, displaying his vast intellect for all to see.

He claimed to be an orphan, which wasn't uncommon at all. Wars and battles occurred everyday in a world filled with ninjas, so no one was surprised to hear his tale of woe. Fortunately, unlike many teen orphans, Sasori had a craft he could use as a source of income. After leaving his home village, which he never spoke about, he came here to the Land of Rivers where he decided to open his tiny shop. He made enough money to get by, everyone in a village like theirs helped each other in this respect. So while everyone in this village knew Sasori, they did not know him as well as they thought.

20 years after escaping Suna, with the third Kazekage and an S-ranked page in the bingo book dedicated to him in hand, Akasuna no Sasori painted the sands red as he murdered his way out of his village and into a life of solitary freedom. As a missing nin, one with great power and a terrifying reputation, there was an endless amount of work for him available as both a mercenary and a guard. He was constantly approached by those who recognized his signature blood red hair and boyish features; after all not many 15 year olds could claim to have single handily slaughtered the strongest Suna ninja to ever exist. He was even approached by a team of S-ranked missing ninjas that go by the name the Akatsuki. Yet with his usual apathetic countenance he refused every offer that was presented to him.

While he was tempted by some of the offers, the one made by the Akatsuki came to mind, Sasori had other goals he needed to accomplish. Goals that would only be hindered by the presence of others. He was obsessed with finding true everlasting beauty, a way to immortalize himself beyond the confines of human belief. For this he needed to be alone with his craft, dedicating himself completely to discovering a way of immortalizing an aesthetic.

His first step was perhaps his greatest creation yet; turning his own body into a living puppet so that he would never grow old. It was a masterpiece; his ability to immortalize his body without changing a single component. His first sketches of the plan all included using different body parts, turning his real body into one that resembles a doll. However, after spending all his time with this idea in mind he was able to figure out a way to keep his flesh and bone, making him appear human even when completely bare, while stripping him of all his organs. Most people never realized that a large part of puppetry laid in seals and jutsu creation; and it was through this that Sasori succeeded in keeping his body in stasis while also keeping it human.

He was a puppet unlike anything anyone had ever dreamed of creating; a mixture of real and artificial all interlocked into a beautiful device. But he wasn't done yet. He wasn't sure the pursuit of art would ever be done.

Yet people kept bothering him. With every village he approached he was inevitably recognized, no matter which precaution he took. One particularly brave kunoichi even told him that he was much too gorgeous to not recognize, especially when his all-too-pretty face was combined with his dangerous reputation. This bother, this hindrance to his art had quickly gotten on his nerves. So a mere year after his famous departure from the hidden village, he faked his own death. It was easy, in retrospect. All it took was a few dozen witnesses of both reputable and not so credible reputations, an ill timed accident with a puppet, and a house exploding along with a hundred of his lesser puppets he cared not for.

When a year had passed from that incident, a year of him laying low and hiding in remote forests, he let out a grin he did not know he was still capable of possessing as he gazed upon the latest edition of the bingo book: his visage and profile was no where to be found. Slowly, as the years passed on by, people began to forget about Akasuna no Sasori and his army of puppets. The ultimate test of this, however, was when 10 years after his death he entered Konoha with fake papers, walked throughout the village, had a conversation with a jonin in full view of the Hokage, stayed a week and left with no one even glancing at his visage.

He was forgotten. A figure lost in history as a mere footnote in books of puppetry. No one alive, barring his elderly grandmother who never left Suna, could even remember his face. He was free to do as he pleased. And Sasori couldn't be more delighted.

It was due to this that he didn't fear using his real name in public. Sasori was far from an uncommon name, and the tales of his murderous actions had been long forgotten. A relic best left in the past. He lived a comfortable life, always taking residence in a small remote village as a kind toy maker. Nobody ever bothered a kindhearted artist who was clearly passionate about his craft. There was nothing suspicious about him, nothing seemingly mysterious. He was a regular orphan who took pride in creating beautiful pieces. He was simple. He was forgetful. Just as he liked it.

He worked on his craft religiously. Hundreds upon hundreds of puppets were made, sold and/or discarded. He found delight in his art, immortalizing his creations for everyone to behold in reverence. He even did not mind the children who tended to frequent his shop, even immature brats had an appreciation for his beautiful creations, and Sasori always enjoyed a compliment. He would always stay in a village for a few years, until he was sure his childish features could no longer work for his supposed age before moving to another and beginning again. It had become almost like a game by this point.

He was almost fond of this particular village, if he could feel any type of emotion for something besides his art that is. However he knew he only had a year at most before the civilians around him began wondering just how his charming features never seemed to mature, never seemed to dimmer. It did not bother him, he had no particular attachments whatsoever, but it was a bother to move and Sasori always avoided doing something bothersome.

His musings were cut short however by the chiming of the storefront door. Sasori wiped the oil off of his hands as he made his way out of the back of the shop. He had a customer.

Naruto walked through the village calmly, professionally ignoring the curious stares of the civilians who had more than likely never seen a real ninja before. She had been to dozens of villages such as these throughout the years with Ero-sennin, small towns where everyone knew each other and strangers were rarely welcomed. It was no matter to Naruto, she was accustomed to not being welcomed.

She was able to find the village leaders home with ease. It was a rule of thumb in these types of villages, she had come to learn, to place the leaders home directly in the middle of the village so that they are covered from all sides. After explaining the situation to the elderly man and his wife, she was granted permission to stay in the town as long as she didn't start any fights or damage any property. After promising to keep her training in the forest outside of the village borders, she was given a list of a few families who most likely wouldn't mind putting up with her for a few weeks.

In a village like this, one so small and remote she had never even heard of it prior to this, it wasn't a surprise that there was no inn to house her. Despite knowing this, she was disappointed. It had been a while since she had a proper bed to sleep on, having spent most of the last three years sleeping in a tent outside. She smiled at the old man, taking the list from him and thanking him profusely for going to the trouble of outlining one for her in the first place.

Leaving the leaders home, she decided to take a look around the village before deciding what to do about her current living situations. In all honesty, she could just camp outside of the village in the peace and quiet of her own tent, but she was always a person who craved the company of others. Maybe rooming with a nice family for a weeks wouldn't be such a bad idea.

It didn't take her long to find the first family on the short list, the one the town leader suggested she look up first. It was a small little home quite close to the center of the village, with a charming garden gracing the front. It was quite obvious that someone who lived here took great pride in their garden, going through painstaking measures to keep it tended. As someone who enjoyed plants, Naruto could appreciate it.

Knocking on the door, she grinned at the older woman who answered, "Good morning Yasuki-san. My name is Uzumaki Naruto, a ninja of Konoha and current guest of this village. The village leader suggested I come talk to you before I do anything else."

The woman smiled at the youthful blond, opening her door a fraction wider and gesturing inside, "Well come in, dear. Let's talk inside. Would you like a cup of tea?"

"I would love one."

Naruto laughed as Yasuki poured yet another cup of tea, "And then all of a sudden my son Riku, may Kami bless his soul, jumped up onto the table and began to sing! I couldn't believe my eyes. Honestly, young boys would do just about anything on a dare."

The kunoichi wiped tears of mirth away from her eyes as she replied, "Don't I know it. My old classmates back in the academy were infamous for that type of reckless behavior."

Yasuki gave the young girl a knowing smile, "And I bet you were in the thick of it just as well."

Naruto sweat dropped, nervously scratching the back of her head, "What gave you that idea?"

"Naruto-chan, I may have only known you for a few hours but it is quite clear that you, dear, are as reckless as they come."

Naruto couldn't deny it if she tried, "I suppose you're right. I've been trying to rein it in a bit though, promise!"

Yasuki giggled, "Oh I'm certain you have. But to get back to our previous subject before the story of my sons antics derailed us, my family and I will be happy to house you for a few weeks Naruto-chan. It is always an honor to aid a ninja who fights for our safety."

"Thank you so much, Yasuki!" Naruto cried, a grin scratching across her lips, "I sincerely appreciate the help."

The kind elder woman waved away her concerns, "Nonsense, do not worry about it. Now my son is still in his classes, and my husband does not get off of work until dusk. How about you look around the village while I get lunch started?"

Naruto bowed her head to the lady in thanks, "My sincerest thanks, Yasuki. I won't take too long."

As Naruto exited the small home, she let out a chuckle. Yasuki was just too kind of a woman, honestly Naruto couldn't find a sweeter woman if she tried. With her advice in mind, Naruto set off to look around the small village. To her right she could see the main road that led down to the docks, the site of this villages main source of income. To her left she could see a small brown shop, with a simple red sign hanging above the door: Sand's Dollhouse.

With a curious gaze, she opened the door to the inconspicuous shop, only to be shocked still at the sight that laid before her. Dozens upon dozens of dolls were meticulously lined upon the shelves, each puppet a beauty of its own. Naruto took a quick glance around, noticing that not a single doll matched another. Each and every one was completely unique, a piece of art on a scale of its own. Naruto walked slowly by the shelves, her eyes dragging upon every puppet; a petite dancer, a rogue pirate, a small child. Each puppet was crafted with such meticulous detail that they looked almost life like.

A low apathetic voice interrupted her admiration, "May I help you?"

Naruto spun around in place to see the bored expression of a boy her age, his vibrant red hair and cool gray eyes contrasting his pale skin and black clothing. He held himself confidently, almost like a ninja, a look that was shattered by the plain brown apron tied around his lithe waist.

Fuck, Naruto lamented to herself, he's kind of hot.

"Did you make this?" Naruto asked, gesturing towards the shelves that covered every wall of the shop.

The handsome boy nodded sharply, "I did."

Naruto gasped, almost in disbelief. There must have been almost a hundred dolls here, each a work of art on its own, and this man who look no older than her had the talent to create this? "They're beautiful."

"Thank you for your kind words."

Naruto grinned, walking up to the pretty boy, and he was certainly the prettiest boy she had ever seen, and stuck her hand out, "My name's Naruto Uzumaki, nice to meet you!"

The pretty boy wrapped his hand around hers, shaking it for a few seconds before releasing, "Sasori. And the pleasure is all mine."