Hello. :)

Welcome to my second fanfiction. I've been working on this for quite a while now, and I'm hoping that I'll be able to continue writing this without much writer's block. I personally love my OC in this one (although her personality doesn't really shine through in this chapter)... and I'm hoping you will, too.

As I'm sure you read from the summary, Suigetsu is also involved. I don't see many SuigetsuXOC fanfictions, so I'm glad this one can add to that small number... I just absolutely love him, and I feel like he's underrated.

Reviewing is encouraged! :)

Disclaimer: I am not Masashi Kishimoto. Therefore, I do not own Naruto/Naruto Shippuden.

Chapter One

He silently opened the door, allowing a sliver of light to stream into the dark room. Fear struck me like lightning as he did so, but no matter how much I tried, I couldn't raise myself up from the bed for more than two inches. His lips curled into his usual sadistic sneer as he slowly took each step required to reach my helpless form on the dilapidated bed. Despite the lack of sufficient light, I absorbed in every detail with my wide eyes. I was fully conscious, but I wasn't going to be for long.

When his overpowering frame finally stood above me, I stopped trying to move my muscles; it was no use. Resigning this time, I braced myself for what was about to come.

He chuckled, but there was nothing but malice in his laugh. "Well, well. You're feeling obedient today, aren't you?"

Sucking up as much of my saliva as I could, I spat at him in an act of defiance, albeit very small. Nonetheless, his expression contorted to that of fury as he slapped me across the face. I felt a strong sting on my cheek where he hit me, but it wasn't the worst thing he had done to me by far.

"Respect me, you ingrate," he growled. "You should feel grateful that I'm even keeping you alive."

"Like hell... I will..." I managed to croak out.

His eyebrows furrowed even more as he slapped me again. "You'll regret what you've done. Unfortunately, I have to do it quickly this time, but you will definitely be punished later."

Just the prospect of the future punishment filled me with large amounts of apprehension and terror, but I still wasn't going to do anything but oppose him. I could only glare when he placed his hands on my stomach. I could only try to glare when blue chakra enveloped them, illuminating the surrounding area. When I felt the life being sucked out of me, my facial features fell slack, but I cursed him in my mind until the world of unconsciousness temporarily took me away from the torture.

The beginning of the cycle started again when I felt myself return to reality. It was always like this- he would suck out my chakra until he rendered me unconscious, I would wake up, and he would proceed to do it again and again. He never took enough to kill me, but I was always too weak to walk, let alone stand. Even though he left me bread and water on the nightstand next to my degraded bed, it never provided enough energy for me. This had all been going on for nearly three years now. Sometimes, I really wanted to die... The endless torture would stop if I did.

But with a jolt, I realized that one aspect of my whirlpool of anguish was missing.

I was alone. Completely alone.

And I was a little stronger than usual... I must have been unconscious for longer than the last time. This was very, very rare. I couldn't not take advantage of this situation, so I kept my eyes closed in an attempt to gain more strength. Maybe he wouldn't return for a while...

My hopes were crushed when I heard the wooden door creak open followed with the sounds of footsteps against hard stone. By listening closely, I inferred that there was probably another person with the leader. I definitely did not want to experience the torment involved in the horrendous process I would possibly undergo, so I kept my eyes closed and feigned unconsciousness. Of course, my hearing remained as clear as day.

The footsteps ceased once they reached the side of my bed. My heart was beating frantically, but I focused on keeping my breathing slow and even. The low voice of the leader reverberated through the air after a few seconds.

"She seems to still be unconscious," he observed. "...Or is she really?"

Panic shot through my system, but I still didn't blow my cover. I nearly yelped when he placed his hands on my shoulders and shook my body, sending waves of pain cascading from head to toe. Keeping my eyes closed, I let out a barely audible groan.

"Well, she's not asleep," I heard his comrade mutter. "She's still unconscious! Jeez, Ruga. How much did you take?"

"I don't believe that I took enough for her to die," said Ruga. "I must have taken a little more than usual, that's all. Give her a few more days, and she'll be ready again. We have an abundance of her stored chakra right now, anyway."

"Alright," the other rogue replied. After conversing for a couple of minutes, I felt their presences recede as the sound of their footsteps faded away. The door leading into the hallway closed softly with a click.

As soon as they left, my eyelids snapped open and a smile broke across my face. A few more days! A few more days! I basked in the joy of that thought, slowly feeling part of my strength returning to my limbs. The only downside was that I couldn't consume the bread and the water they left for me... If I did, they would surely know that I was awake when they came to check on me again. I would have to find some nourishment on my own, but I was positive that they had plenty of food hidden somewhere.

For the remainder of the day, I lay on my bed, still acting unconscious whenever Ruga came in to check on me. Every time I did, my heart stopped, but he luckily didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. Eventually, the clock on my nightstand read 10:00 a.m. (there were no windows, so I never had any idea of what time it was). Ruga had just checked on me a few minutes earlier, so I assumed it was safe for me to attempt to stand and find something to eat; my stomach caved in from the lack of food.

Very, very carefully, I sat up on my bed, holding myself still for a moment. So far, so good... Now, I felt like I was capable of walking. Slowly, I slid one leg off the bed. Waiting a couple of seconds, I repeated the motion with the other leg.

Feeling confident, I tensed my muscles and pushed myself into a standing position. Almost immediately, my knees buckled under me. I saved myself from crashing to the floor by desperately grabbing the edge of my nightstand. Being bedridden for three years really did have a profound effect on walking...

After an hour of vehemently trying to take as many steps as I could around my room, I leaned against the wall, my breathing already heavy. It took all of that time just for me to regain the ability to walk again, but it was worth it. Would I even dare to venture out of my room? The room I was so familiar with? The room that I hadn't left in a few years?

If I was going to escape this hellhole, then I was definitely going to follow through with my plan. Building up my resolve, I crept over to the door and rested my hand on the cool metal of the knob. Applying only the slightest amount of pressure, I slowly rotated my wrist and gently popped the door open without producing a sound.

Hesitantly, I stepped out into the long corridor. There were still no windows; the only source of light came from a few lanterns hanging from the ceiling. The possibility of me being caught sent adrenaline running through my veins. If they found me out of my room, they would surely punish me worse than they had ever done before. Holding onto the stone wall for support, I guided myself down the poorly-lit hallway until I stumbled across a large room stocked with huge cylinder containers the size of humans.

And the tubes were filled to the brims with glowing blue chakra.

If I wasn't so weak at the moment, I would have jumped for joy. This was my chakra- I could feel it! The energy within the capsules felt so familiar, it almost made me nostalgic. The amount of chakra was bewildering; what Ruga mentioned was, in fact, true. There was certainly an abundance of my stored chakra. I probably couldn't take in all of it right now because there was so much...

Speaking of absorbing chakra, it was imperative that I did it right away so I would have a greater chance of escaping the horrid rogues who were keeping me captive. But how was I going to somehow take my stolen chakra back? I didn't see any lid I could lift...

Breathing out a hopeless sigh, I approached one of the tubes and rested my forehead against the cool glass. After coming all this way, I had finally hit a brick wall. I guess I had always innately known that this was the imminent outcome of my efforts. Now what? Would I just wait for Ruga to discover me?

No. I decided that I wasn't going to blow possibly the only chance I had to reach freedom. As I began contemplating about how I was going to escape from the rogue ninja's grasps, a small part of my brain informed me that I was already a lot stronger than I was a few seconds ago. With a jolt, I craned my head up, regarding the tube now filled only three-fourths of the way.

Oh my god... I was already absorbing my chakra! Pressing the palms of my hands against the surface of the tube, I watched with awe as the level of chakra slowly decreased with each passing minute, correlating with my increasing strength. Soon, I finally felt rejuvenated again, and the declining line of chakra halted when it was a few inches above the ground. Still marveling at my acquired power, I deliberately took long strides around the room and relished in the glorious moment. For once, it didn't matter how many steps I took... They didn't make me feel faint or weak.

However, there was still the horrendous hunger gnawing at my stomach. The amount of chakra I possessed wouldn't matter if I didn't consume any food, although it did greatly boost my energy. Now that I didn't require any support from the walls, I quickly and stealthily crept down each corridor in search of something- anything- to eat.

Luckily, I reached a huge kitchen after half an hour or so. I had a feeling that Ruga would check to see if I was still unconscious soon, so I resolved to consume as much food as I could in the limited amount of time I had. Luckily, no one was present in the kitchen, so I stalked over to the fridge, opened it, and peered inside.

The sight of all the food in the fridge made my mouth water. There were many assortments: meat, eggs, cheese, fruits, and good bread- not the bread that was always provided for me when I was bedridden, but bread actually worth eating. Grabbing the bread, meat, and cheese, I didn't even bother to sit down; I ate them right there in front of the fridge. I stuffed myself until I couldn't hold any more food in my stomach, but I savored every single bite. Actually eating something other than crappy bread and water felt so foreign, yet so good...

As time passed, a sense of uneasiness started to grow within me. I had to get out of here as soon as possible... Just one mistake on my part would blow the closest chance I had of achieving freedom. Now feeling almost completely rejuvenated, I silently darted through each room I came across without any idea of where I was going. I just needed to find an exit... Why was this so hard? I was so close to escaping...

After a while, I got so absorbed in the habit of running into each room without slowing down that I barely managed to screech to a stop once I encountered a room with one of Ruga's followers lightly dozing on a couch. I saw him stir a little at my approach, so I quickly hid behind the door and desperately hoped that he wouldn't discover me. I stayed as still as a deer, and every second seemed to last a minute.

Luckily, Ruga's comrade didn't come around to where I pressed myself against the wall... I wasn't even sure if he left the couch. After hearing him mumble incoherent gibberish, it finally fell silent once more. Hesitantly, I peered around the corner and took in the sight of him sleeping like he had never woken up. Thank goodness... I was safe.

I almost turned around and continued in the direction I had come from, but something on the coffee table caught my eye. Focusing on it, I discovered that it was a satchel filled to the brim with shuriken. Joy immediately overwhelmed me- whenever I fought, I had the best chances of victory when I used shuriken. Silently, I walked into the room and swiped the bag from the table. Wow, this guy sure had to be an idiot in order to leave dangerous weapons out in the open like this...

Basking in the happiness of the moment, I clutched the satchel close to my body as I weeded out all of the places in the hideout that I hadn't checked yet. When was this going to end? I never would have guessed that this place would be so huge! I didn't come across any of the same rooms, so I took it as a sign that I was on the right track towards finding the exit.

About ten minutes later, I jumped when I heard the rise of furious voices along with pounding footsteps somewhere not far from where I was. At that moment, I was positive that the rogues had discovered my empty room. As more adrenaline coursed through my veins, I broke into a sprint and desperately searched for a way out.

I regretted that action immediately. My legs quickly gave out from under me due to my lack of recent mobility. As a result, I stumbled into a nearby lamp, causing it to fall to the floor with a loud crash. Damn... Now they surely knew my location! Cursing, I scrambled to my feet and forced my legs to move me as quickly as they could down each corridor, the angry voices growing in volume with every passing second.

Due to the large strain on my legs, I stumbled to the floor periodically with an increasingly higher frequency over time. Soon, I started to hate my weak legs with a passion. Sweat made some long strands of my brown hair stick to the sides of my face, and I wouldn't have been surprised if the rogues heard my heavy breathing and the loud pounding of my shoes against the stone floor.

Corridor after corridor I ran, my eyes darting to every little sound or movement. Most of my fears turned out to be just a flicker of a lamp or the scuttling of a mouse, but the constant sound of the rogue ninjas' shouts nearly drove me crazy. At one point, when I looked above me, I could even see the rays of the sun penetrating through little holes in the ceiling here and there. Freedom was so, so close... I could almost feel it at my fingertips. I could sense that the barrier between my independence and custody was gradually weakening, even if it was only a minute amount. Just as I allowed a droplet of hope to trickle into me, the sight at the end of the hall made me plant my feet in place.

Two of Ruga's henchman leaned against the wall, twirling kunai around their fingers with malicious smirks on their faces.

What striked me as unusual was their ages; Ruga and the other rogues whom I had seen thus far were well near their thirties, but these shinobi... They were probably seventeen or eighteen, about my age. This only fueled the flames of my hatred against Ruga. How could he? Did he not give a damn about the lives of his recruits which he was throwing away?

...No. Deep down inside, I knew that Ruga couldn't care less about the ages of his recruits... All that mattered to him was power. He viewed his henchman as tools, and nothing more. If I wasn't held captive by him and had a chance to practice ninjutsu, I would have beaten the pulp out of him by now. Sure, I did know a few Jutsu, but I couldn't do them very well, and they were only weak water style ones. I felt afraid that I would only fail and make myself look like a fool if I attempted to do them... My real strength laid within shuriken and kunai. Shuriken and kunai... Wait. Didn't I have shuriken?

The guy on the left chuckled and flicked his blonde strands of hair towards me. "Heh... We found her."

"Yep," the other one replied. "She's not going to get past here, for sure."

The smirks on their faces made me want to vomit, but I only directed a glare towards them as I reached for the satchel now strapped to my waistline.

The blonde one spoke again. "Oooooooh, is she trying to be scary? How pathetic! Why don't you go back to your room, Kisara... It'll be easier for both of us."

I gritted my teeth in irritation as I listened to his arrogant tone. Of course, it would actually be easier if I just returned to my jail cell, but freedom was never easily obtained. By escaping, I had chosen the difficult path, but I wasn't about to stray from it.

"There's no way in hell I'm staying in this god forsaken place," I spat. "I'm breaking out of here... You'd better get out of my way, or you'll regret it."

Despite my harsh words, the two rogues remained in their positions, the only change being them stopping the twirling of their kunai. Huh... I guess they felt somewhat intimidated by me.

The sneer from the other rogue faded as it was replaced with a frown. "This is your last chance," he warned. "If you return to your room like a good girl, we won't have to kill you."

Immediately, I knew that he was totally bluffing. Ruga needed me... Well, rather, he needed my chakra. He wasn't going to waste a perfectly good source of power- I shuddered as I referred to myself as that- because I possessed an unusually large chakra reserve. So, I knew that these two punks weren't going to take my life. However, I was fairly positive that they were going to bring me close to death if the task of recapturing me required for them to go that far. And to be honest, reverting back to being Ruga's power vessel wasn't much better than death.

My eyebrows furrowed further as I prepared myself for the impending attack. "Get lost!" I growled.

"You little..." The blonde rogue seethed. He jerked his head towards his partner, but he kept his eyes glued to me. "Let's go, Hachirou!"

My body tensed for what was about to come. Suddenly, the two rogue ninja shot down the hall towards me like rockets. After being rendered immobile in that small room for years, I had totally become unaccustomed to the speed with which shinobi ran. However, before Ruga held me captive, I was especially known among my home village for my shuriken and kunai throwing skills. I really hoped I had retained those qualities...

As Ruga's henchman drew near, they flicked their wrists and sent two kunai zipping towards me. My right hand automatically flashed to the stolen satchel and grasped as many shuriken as it could hold (three; one shuriken between each finger minus the thumb), much to my surprise. Taking advantage of my fast reflexes, I threw the shuriken with as much energy as I could muster. With elation, I discovered that my skills weren't lacking when two of the shuriken clashed with the thrown kunai, preventing them from coming into contact with my body. The remaining shuriken nicked the blonde on the face, conjuring a line of blood across his cheek. Not allowing myself to hesitate, I ignored the searing pain in my legs and sprinted down the hallway in an attempt to distance myself from my enemies. I decided to find the place with the rays of sunlight beaming down from a few holes in the ceiling; if I had any chance of reaching freedom, I figured that the light signaled for the entrance to the outside world to be nearby.

I heard the blonde growl in frustration as the two shinobi started trailing me, but I continued to dash for my goal. By some miracle, I managed to fend off the many kunai thrown at me with the shuriken from my satchel, but the satchel was rapidly becoming lighter.

Eventually, just as I felt like I was going to collapse from exhaustion, I briefly felt the warmth of the sun on my skin. Jerking my head towards the ceiling, I happily squinted against the rays of sunlight beaming down on my face. Now, the only task left was to locate the exit...

"Get back here, you little bitch!"

I didn't know if I stumbled from the weakness of my legs or the surprise from hearing Ruga's voice, but whatever the reason was, it almost made me face-plant on the ground. A new dose of adrenaline surged through my veins, and I made use of it by straining my legs harder than ever to propel me down the endless corridors. Don't look back, don't look back, I kept on telling myself. Instead, I focused my attention on discovering an exit and ignored the kunai zipping past my face.

My hopes continued to decline with every passing minute, for an exit seemed impossible to find. It looked like my intuition was incorrect- If the exit wasn't near the rays of sunlight, then where would it be located? I almost froze in my tracks as I considered the possibility that I was taken to this place by the Transportation Jutsu. Oh, god... I had no idea how to perform that Jutsu! What if the outside world was inaccessible from the inside without it? What would I do, then?

As I ran without any sense of where I was going, I suddenly picked up on a small change in my peripheral vision. My eyes immediately flashed to a kunai that just barely whizzed past me- but unlike the others, it had a small piece of paper with an imprinted seal attached. A jolt of panic shot through my body, but before my reflexes could kick in, the paper bomb exploded.