The morning was bright, sun shining in my eyes as I pried myself from my bed. It was so warm and the air was a bit frosty. It was the end of spring, patches of snow melting on the ground still. By next week all remains of the snow would be gone in time for summer. Slowly I sat up, rubbing my eyes taking in the scent of breakfast. Bacon and orange juice filled my nose sending a shiver through my body, I felt famished.
I left my bed and found a pair of sweat pants with my school's logo on my floor, I put them on and walked down the stairs, into the kitchen where my younger sister and parents sat waiting for me. "Good morning Kakashi!" My younger sister shouted from across the table. I slid into my seat next to my mother. She kissed my cheek and handed me a plate. Grape jelly spread across golden brown toast next to scrambled eggs smothered in ketchup and finally my favorite bacon.
We ate breakfast slowly, savoring the family time, since we never really got it anymore. School had gotten in the way with everyone schedules. It bore me. I more than often just wished that I never had to go. I checked the time on the wall clock praying that it was right before I had to get dressed and leave for school. Sighing audibly and I walked back up to my bedroom and simply put on a shirt.
"Kakashi, don't be late!" My mother called from down the hall, always worried about us. It was annoying really, but I loved her anyway. I grabbed my bag and headed for the door to hear my mother scream and glass breaking.
I dropped everything I had and practically flew down the stairs. Four men with guns stood with my sister and mother captive. One pointed at each of their heads and one pointed at my father and myself. I looked at him, but his eyes never left the men.
"Out the door." One of them spoke as gestured towards my front door. None of us made any movements. "Now!" He shouted from behind a mask. We began to shuffle outside where the rest of the village had started to gather in the streets.
"What do you think they're going to do to us?" A voice from behind me asked.
Another answered her. "Kill us. Undoubtedly." the male said in a monotone voice. I heard someone step on his foot. "Ow. Don't do that Rin. I mean come on. We're going to die anyway, at least let me go without hurting my foot."
The sound of a slap to the face echoed in my ears. "Don't say stuff like that Shikamaru. We aren't dying!" She had gotten a little louder with anger.
One of the older people in the village turned to face the two teenagers. "I suggest you be quiet before they do kill us." I heard her gasp and whisper a yes sir.
They stood with their backs facing us. Two of which were clearly female bodies and the other seven were male. One stood facing them, he must have been the one in charge. "About face!" He shouted at the line and at the same time they turned on their heals to face us. One of the females caught my eye, her pink hair hung in a low loose ponytail. She had a devilish smirk on her face. "Announce yourselves." The commanding officer said in a monotone voice.
One by one they stepped forward and announced their names and their positions. The first male stepped up with his hands behind his back and his red hair in his eyes. "Sasori. Weapons." As he stepped back into line the next stepped forward, his black hair tied in nearly the same way as the girl with pink hair. "Itachi. None of your business." He stated plainly. Falling back in line a blonde stepped forward. "Deidara. Bombs." He said smiling. The girl with blue hair was up next. "Konan. You'll find out." she said with a wink.
It was as if this were all a game to them. They were having fun with us. Next was guy in a mask. "Tobi!" he shouted excitedly. "I'm here to have fun!" I wondered if he had some mental illness and was just here because they felt sorry for him. After him, a person with white hair. "Hidan. Secrets." He said quietly, then stepped back into line. A man with a bluish face stepped up. "My name is Kisame. I handle the imports and exports to and from this village from here on out."
After him there were two more. Another man trying to hide his face, and the pink haired girl. The man trying to hide his face stepped forward saying nothing, then stepped backward. Finally the girl with pink hair stepped forward, her cargo pants baggy obviously hiding something. "Sakura." she said with a smile. "Expert on torture. I suggest you don't fuck with me."
As she stepped back into line the leader of the group started pacing back and forth in front of them. "I, am Pein. You, are nothing. You will obey my command, or you will die. I have no use for the weak or the stupid." Well that answered my question about Tobi, so, what was his secret? "The sick and anyone too young to work will die. Don't try and hide either. Because we will find you, and anyone thought to be hiding something will die as well." He paused for a brief moment. "Now, on with business. Women and children under the age of ten to one side and men older than that to the other."
The entire village separated into the two groups. I stood next to my father and my mother and sister stood next to each other. My heart raced as I thought about what might happen to them. My sister was only eight. She could barely wash the dishes after breakfast, what would they do to her here?
Sakura stepped forward. "Line up in groups of five. This is the selection. We decide which of you get to stay.." she paused. "And which of you don't." She stepped back into line her hands behind her back just like the rest of them had begun to stand.
Pein smiled as he looked around at the rest of us doing what she had said. I looked around quickly, women and children were crying, men and boys were standing trying to be brave for their wives and sisters or daughters. My father stood, not nearly as straight as he would have to someone he respected, but he didn't slouch either, afraid of the threat Pein had said I imagined.
Sakura and Konan started weaving in and out of the groups. Konan walked through the woman's group and Sakura walked through ours. She looked every one of us up and down at least twice before moving on. I saw a few men blush and the boys quivered in fright. Sakura smiled at a younger boy, about the age of five, his dark brown hair shaggy length. He looked up at her as she offered him a hand. Hesitantly he took it and together they began to walk around.
Before she had gotten to me or my father she picked the little boy up. "Where is your mother?" She asked much gentler than she had spoken to any of us. A tear ran down the boys cheek as he pointed toward the sky. "And your father?" He pointed to the man standing next to the empty spot where he once stood. His head was down and I couldn't tell if he was crying or not.
She walked back up to him and whispered something inaudible to anyone else. He lifted his head to see her smiling. I saw his body relax as she and the young boy continued to walk back around. She stopped in front of me and I tried to refrain from blushing. What would my father think if he saw me blushing because of a woman who threatened to kill us all? She and the boy continued to walk and I felt my body relax itself.
She paused at my father and looked between the two of us. "It's clear that they're related isn't it?" She asked the boy with a smile. He looked between us then nodded. When she had finished her walk Konan was already up at the line looking at her and the boy with an envious eye.
"That's a very risky game Sakura." I faintly heard her say. Sakura set the boy down to stand beside her.
Pein walked over to them and looked at Sakura before bending down to talk to the boy. "What is your name?"
The boy looked at his father who just looked away. What kind of father would do that to his son? What if they were going to kill him? Snap his neck to prove that they would do it? And he's just going to look away? "Kiba." The boy spoke with an obvious new found courage. "My name is Kiba."
"Kiba." Pein said repeating the name aloud. "Very well Kiba. You will stay with Sakura at all times, and if I find you not with her, I will kill you." The boy's eyes went wide and his grip on Sakura's hand tightened visibly. The boy's father flinched not an inch. They had just threatened his son's life and he hadn't moved a muscle.
If my father had done that with my sister I would have killed him myself. I looked over to see my mother crying and my sister clinging to her arm. I took a deep breath and looked back to the group to see Pein had gone back to his original position.
Itachi and the man who gave no name walked away. Pein looked at Konan, "take the women and children away." he said plainly. I heard several gasps come from both groups. I looked down at the ground, next to me I saw my father's fists clench. Silently I begged that he didn't do anything that would get him killed. Pein began to taunt the men. "Are there any objections to my request? If so, speak now." I looked up and saw a few bodies twitch but none moved to stop him.
I wanted to scream at them all and shout that they were cowards. But, here I was, not making any movements, not even blinking as my mother and sister were torn from my father and I. Sakura looked down at the boy, "Kiba.." She said quietly. "Are you hungry?" He looked up at her and nodded with bright eyes. She picked him up again and carried him into a building. Leaving us with the remainder of the group.
Sasori stepped from the line as Pein followed Sakura. "Strip. It's time for the showers." When no one moved anger showed in his features. "Now Maggots!" Still no one moved. He growled in anger and reached into his pocket retrieving a throwing knife.
I was to stunned to move but several men began slowly taking off their clothes. My father nudged me insisting that I listened. My muscles went weak but they responded slowly. I stripped off my shirt and tossed it onto the ground then my pants fell and not long after that, we were all fully naked.
"Now move." Sasori said as he pointed towards a separate building from the one Sakura, Kiba and Pein had gone into. Slowly we walked, heading into the showers. There wasn't any soap, just cold water. What was the point of this? It shouldn't even be considered a shower. As we left they handed each of us a set of clothes. One size fits all I guess. They consisted of workers clothes. Some type of material that resembled khaki pants and a shirt made out of a slightly thinner material. A few kids from my school were here, like Iruka, Shikamaru, Gaara, and Asuma. They'd already gotten dressed and were waiting for their next command. I looked around for my father, and saw him doing the same.
I didn't waste my time before putting on clothes. I hadn't quite gotten my shirt back on before Sakura walked back out with Kiba. He had been changed as well. He went from his pajamas to clothes with the same symbols on it. It was black and I wondered how he managed not to die of heat exhaustion. I felt like it in just these pants. I slid the shirt over my head as I heard hear yell for us to line back up. We were told to stand in alphabetical order, it was supposed to make things easier on them. Getting us there was even harder.