Hello! This is my first fanfic I've written and posted before. I would love if if I got feedback on this from you guys. Any advice would be very much appreciated. Thanks! And I hope you enjoy the first chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters but my own OCs

"Kazuo-san! Kazuo-san, look!"

"What is it, Nina-chan?"

"I'm not sure. It looks icky, though!"

It was a nice, warm evening in the small village of Yoake. Not too dark or bright, cold or hot. Just the right time to go for a nice stroll. In this specific village, no one dared to come out at nightfall for fear of bandits and wild animals. But unlike most nights, there was a change. A young man and what could be his little sister were skipping rocks at a nearby river.

The young girl pointed to the bank of the river and glared at it with disdain, her violet eyes sparkling like an opal to the light. What sat there had only a face a mother could love- a brown toad with a second head. Quite an oddity around most parts of the land, but quite abundant around this peculiar village.

"Nina-chan, it's just a toad."

"But look at its head! It's all deformed.." The girl cringed at the creature and covered her eyes with her long, black bangs.

"It's not going to harm you," the man said as he picked up the toad and held it in his palms. He laughed a hearty laugh and put it inches to the girl's face. When she uncovered her eyes, she shrieked and jumped away, falling into the river.

"Aah! Kazuo-san, get it away from me!"

"Aww, Nina-chan, you know it's not gonna do anything." Kazuo sat down with the toad and pet its slimy body, to which it bellowed a noisy croak. He smiled and turned to the girl who was now soaked,"Besides, it's more afraid of you than you are of it."

"What do you mean Kazuo-san?" She cocked her head to the side and stared into this light green eyes.

"Well, through its eyes, we look like giants. Giants that could hurt it-"

"But I don't wanna hurt anyone! I'm a good girl! I like being nice!"

"That's why our job is to protect. Every living creature deserves to live life. But even more, they deserve a chance to be loved. Even if they have flaws like this little guy here," Kazuo put the toad back in the water and watched it hop away. "At least, that's my ninja way."

With a grin on her face, the girl sprang up from the river and stood in a heroic stance. Kazuo chuckled and held out his arms as she waded towards him. Glomp! She fell into his arms and hugged him around his neck.

"Kazuo-san, can it be mine too?"

"I don't see why not!" He smiled happily, "As long as you keep a promise to me."

"Anything Kazuo-san!" She cheered in glee.

"Keep my memory in your heart. Never forget me."

"Of course! Ninamori will never forget Kazuo-san!"

With that said, Kazuo sighed in relief as the two stayed in that embrace. But neither knew of the event that would take place later that night...

'Flannery shines the Sky In a dark blue night;
A cry? No.
Writhing in the heat, eyes pierce through the immolation.
Seething, breathing,
Waiting for sweet release.
They collapse...and all that's left is my soul.

And of course..
The stench of death.'

I woke up in a heavy sweat. Panting loudly, I shot up from the ground and leaned against a tree. "Wha..Where am I?" My head throbbed and I had found my skin blotched with black ash. It was coming from the tree, which was noticeably burned up. How did I get here..?

Smoke was rising to the sky further ahead. I realized I wasn't in my village and tried running as fast as I could. Something had to have happened while I was out.

However, the more I ran the more I noticed how much my leg stung. I tried to ignore it until I saw a piece of metal glinting out of it. I stumbled to the ground as Yoake came into view.

All of the cabins and stores I remembered had became smoldering piles of wood. What looked like limbs were scattered around the ground. The people I knew..Every single one of them...

They're all gone.

"Kazuo-sama!" I crawled into the disaster. Where is he?

"Kazuo-sama! Please answer me!" But no one replies.

"...Anyone?"

No one is here. And it makes me wonder…Am I the only one left?

Then I hear rustling in the greenery around me. Fear came over me as I jerked to the source. My body froze when I heard voices coming from it.

"Kakuzu! Are you fuckin' done yet? You're taking way too damn long."

"Patience, Hidan. Leader-sama told us to be thorough. We can't go back until we check everything."

"Well, this fuckin' sucks!" The voices carried on and the rustling was even louder. Should I talk to them? They sound angry.. So instead I jumped behind one of the piles of wood and waited.

Two men made their way out of the brush and walked into the filth. What really made them stand out were their black and red cloaks. Other than that, I distinguished them by their hair. I could see the grey haired man ranting and yelling his head off. He didn't seem to be too interested in what they were doing; He just wanted to go elsewhere. The man opposite of him was busy searching for something. Only a hood and a mask were visible from where I was, but I got nervous very quickly.
He was staring right at me.

"Heh. Coming back here might not be as bad as I first thought," he said in a gruff voice. I ducked my head and tried crawling away, but when I turned around he was right behind me with a smirk plastered behind his mask. I whimpered as he picked me up by the collar of my shirt and stared at me. Grey hair approached me and looked me over a couple times, his hand cupping his chin.

"Well, well. What do we have here?" His hand traced my jaw. I clamped my eyes shut as he touched me. "She'd make a nice sacrifice for Jashin." His grip tightened and I cried in pain.

"Shut up. Where is the Jinchuuriki?" He leered at me and raised me into the air.

"W-what? What's that?"

"She doesn't look like she knows shit Kakuzu."

The hooded man, assuming he was Kakuzu, kept silent. It scared me to see him staring at me so intently. Almost as if his eyes bore into me like a drill. I took a deep breath to calm myself.

"I'm sorry to say, but I haven't the faintest clue what you're looking for." Kakuzu breathed a deep sigh. "If she has no bounty, she is of no use to us." He walked back into the woods, putting me down and tugging me roughly behind him. Hidan followed with a frown on his face. Heh, I was glad that bastard wasn't gonna have his fun with me. But if he wasn't, then what would this guy do? With every footstep I forced, the more erratic my heartbeat was.

As soon as I heard rushing water, I immediately knew where I was. Back at the river. I haven't been outside the village, but from what Kazuo-sama told me, this river started from the Land of Lightning and flowed down the the Fire Country, eventually into the waters by the Hidden Whirlpool village. But did he know that?

The water was flowing much faster than normal today. There were even some rapids forming further down. Kakuzu turned around and glared at me, pulling me towards him. Before I could figure out what happened, I felt a sharp pain in my chest. He had knocked the wind out of me and, from what it sounded like, cracked one of my ribs. I shrieked and started falling to the dirt. Before I could land he kicked me into the river and I was being pulled into the current. I couldn't think straight for my life - I just needed to escape. Before I drifted too far down, I could see Kakuzu doing something with his hands. Maybe..Hand signs? With water clouding my eyes, I couldn't see very clear. A glowing light came from them. Oh no.. NO!

A bolt of lightning traveled towards me as fast as I blinked my eyes. I could feel it traveling through the entirety of my body, shocking and burning me alive. My sight became even blurrier. All I can do to stay on the surface is float. My nerves are numb and my body exhausted. I wonder...

Will I live to see the day?