The lone kunoichi ran faster, throwing a frantic glance over her shoulder as she neared the marker. She could hear them now, swooping towards her through the trees. Her chakra had long ran out so she had been forced to flee along the forest floor, forcing her to move more slowly than her pursuers as she feared that she might trip over a root. Highly trained or not, accidents could still happen and she could not afford to lose even a second. Still, she bled.
She and her team had traveled from Sand, departing three days before this chase on what they had believed to be a simple messenger misson. A nice D-rank to bump up her wage. It had not been anything of the sort. Keiko, the first night watcher had reported strange noises and movements in the dark desert outside their camp but had not made much of it, safe in the belief that it had just been her mind playing tricks on her. Ironically, Keiko had been the first to fall. The next day had been normal and they'd felt so secure as to re-use a previous campsite. They should have heeded the ninja credo that stated that no campsite should be used more than once- for security reasons. The ambush had fallen swiftly, the first signal being the poisoned kunai that severed Keiko's spine. The next to fall had been their medic as he bent over Keiko's unnaturally still body, his throat slit as he furiously pumped healing chakra into his stricken teammate.
It had taken a katana through the shoulder to finally persuade her to turn tain and sprint for Konoha with her jounin instructor bringing up the rear. She'd passed her own chuunin exams recently, Sabako had been so proud of his team that he'd treated them all to the largest icecream sundaes he could find. Sabako's last act to her was to give her the missive from Suna and warn her to destroy it if she failed to reach safety. She feared for her life more than ever as she desperately resumed her sprint to Konoha and to safety. Sabako failed to halt their followers for long, giving his life in order to give his teammate more time. She mourned his passing as she ran.
Up ahead, a dark shape was beginning to solidify into what looked like Konoha's boundary wall and she nearly wept with relief. She would soon be back where she belonged and would find help and treatment for her wounds.
The breath rushed from her in a mighty gush as something large fell on her from above.
"Caught you, little mouse." His breath was rancid.
Around her, she could hear faint noises as her other pursuers descended from the branches. Quashing a strangled sob, she used her last ounce of strength to ignite the scroll she had been carrying-feeling a slight smile of satisfaction bloom across her face as she watched the paper blacken and curl.
Abruptly, she was tossed roughly against a tree. The six people in the clearing looked as if they had been trained for this. They were ninjas, or at the very least were trained mercenaries. The last spark of hope that she would reach Konoha and survive faded quickly as she watched them curse menacingly and begin to walk towards her.
From her academy days she had been taught that good nin went down fighting and faced their ends with if not dignity, then composure and courage. She forgot this as she saw the broadsword swinging for her. Too injured and hopeless to move, she closed her eyes and waited for the blow.
Elsewhere in the forest, a flock of birds took flight as a haunting scream was suddenly cut off.