Chapter 1

Darkness. You know when, it's so dark that even, flapping your hand in front of your face won't work? That's what was happening. I couldn't see anything. I looked up to see if anyone could help. But there was no one around. I didn't know where I was, I didn't know what was happening, all I knew was it was dark, and for some reason my hair was wet. I reached out to grab, something to help me out. There was something on the floor. Something hard. I couldn't tell what it was. I looked down and, I felt my glasses slide down my nose. I continued to feel the thing on the floor. It was big, but not massive. I ran my hand along it, only to find out it suddenly went up. I continued to follow it up, until I felt a joint.

'Do you mind?' Said a calm, unfamiliar voice.

I jumped out of my skin. I took my hand off of the thing, which I now realised was someone's foot and leg. I tried to tell them I was sorry, but all that came out, was a sore, croaky cough. The person bent down to look at me. He put his hand on my head and looked into my eyes. I could see his eyes. In the black abyss that I had been sitting in, for an hour, I could finally see something shining. Massive, purple eyes.

'Your eyes are blood-shot,' The person said, 'You've been here for a while haven't you?'

I nodded, although I thought it was pointless considering we were in darkness. He took something out of his bag and handed it to me.

'Drink it,' he said, 'it's only water, it'll help,'

I took it from him and drank it. My throat was automatically cleared. It felt fresh and free. I looked up at him; he was still looking at me.

'Thank you,' I said. 'Sorry, but, who are you?'

He laughed. I personally, didn't see what was so funny; all I had done was ask him a question. I looked at him, questioningly. He looked down.

'Oh sorry, I just find it funny how, someone who doesn't even know me, was touching my leg up, not, five minutes ago.'

He started laughing again. I stood up, slowly as I still felt weak, and slapped him on the arm. He stopped laughing and looked at me, seriously. Trying his best not to crack a smile, or that's what I guessed anyway.

'My name is Nagato Uzumaki,' he said, proudly.

'Nagato?!' I said, 'From the Akatsuki organization?! Oh no!' I started to get louder, 'Oh, no no no no, I can't be with the Akatsuki! I've heard stories about you! My mother told me a few weeks ago about you! No! Please leave me alone! I can't...'

'You know, it's says a lot about a person who asks someone their name, when they don't even have the decency to tell you theirs,' he said, interrupting me.

I stopped. I wasn't really sure what to say. It was so random what he had said that it had thrown me off course. I even slightly fell over. I stuttered a bit and then stood up straight, took a deep breath and began to speak.

'My name,' I began, 'is, Ayako Yamazaki,'

'Pretty child is the meaning for Ayako, right? I will have to see for myself, when we get out,' he said.

'I wouldn't count on getting out,' I said, 'I've been in this place for a week and it's impossible to get out.'

'Yes, well you're not me, I'm an expert at these things.' he said.

He was so cocky. I wanted to punch him, but that would mean making those intriguing eyes close. He looked around, searching for a way out.

'I may not be you, but I am from the...'

'Yamazaki Clan. The only clan to ever know the blueprints of a building just by looking at it. Yes I know. Your clan knows the ins and outs of any building you see. You can also tell where the guards are due to your sensory type skills.' he interrupted, again.

'Yes, well,'

I didn't want to admit that I was the only one in my clan who wasn't a sensory type. It was so embarrassing. It was the reason I was in this place. My father happily got rid of their worst shinobi, as it would be a benefit for the clan. I wasn't good at anything.

'I know.' Nagato said.

I looked up at him. Shocked. Had he read my thoughts? No, that was impossible. He was looking at a silhouette, in the distance. His eyes were so hauntingly interesting.

'I've heard about the famous, Useless Shinobi of the Yamazaki Clan. As soon as you said your name, I knew your whole life history. You were bu...'

'That's enough.' I said, 'If you're going to get us out of here, do it, and do it quickly. I can't wait to leave this wretched dump and get away from you.'

'Fine' he said.

He ran over to the silhouette. In a flash, his eyes and left their original spot and had got to where the silhouette was. All it took was the sound of a kunai stabbing and the silhouette fell to the ground. Nagato began running away. He was about 5 meters away when, he stopped and turned around.

'Are you coming, or not?' he shouted.

I took a breath and ran towards him. I don't know why I hadn't moved when I saw the silhouette fall. As soon as I had caught up with him, he grabbed my arm and ran. My legs were dragging, but I knew we were going really fast. How was he doing this? The way he moved it looked as if he was just running without carrying anything. It was amazing. He was amazing. 'No!' I thought to myself, 'He's trouble. As soon as I got out, I was to say goodbye and never see him again.'

We came to an exit. Finally! A way out! I was saved! Or at least that's what I thought. A man jumped in front of him and almost hit him with a kunai but Nagato managed to dodge it. The man seemed to slither into the shadow. Out of nowhere, came a hissing noise. Nagato placed me down and leaned me up against a wall.

'Keep an eye on that arm.' he said to me.

'What?' I said, 'what do you mean? My arm's fi...'

I stopped a pain had shot up my arm, I was so confused. I looked down and there was a cut on my forearm with a purple liquid dropping from it. Poison. The man's poisoned kunai had missed its target but hit me instead. Great.

'I'd heard you were planning to betray us,' Nagato said, bringing me back to earth. 'But I didn't realise you would do it now,'

'Nagato, I'm ashamed. You know me, I'm a man of surprise.' said an unfamiliar voice which sounded cold and sharp.

'You were one of the ones I trusted the most.' Nagato said.

'I'm flattered.' the voice said, 'but you know I can't let you have the girl. She's a key part of my...experiments, and Kabuto's been itching to investigate her.' he began to laugh, menacingly. His laugh reminded me of a bird being torn to shreds by a snake. But wait. Where they talking about me? What had I done? What did they want with me? What experiments? Who was Kabuto? And who was he? So many questions rushed through my mind, like a steam train on a track.

'You don't have to do this! You can work with us! The Akatsuki is the most powerful shinobi organization out there, and yet you chose to stand against us? Why?' Nagato said. He was beginning to shout. He seemed to be getting angry.

'Now, now Nagato, no need to get angry. My reasons for being in the Akatsuki have been proved pointless. So I see no reason to be part of this anymore.' the man said.

'What were your reasons then?' Nagato said, very angrily.

'You really don't know? I thought it would've been obvious! My objective all this time has been so clear, I mean really?' he said. He paused, breathing very heavily. I could tell he was smiling, but I wasn't sure why. 'Nagato, poor naive Nagato, I'm after eyes. Itachi's Sharingan, your Rinnegan,' Rinnegan? That was it! That was what was so interesting about Nagato's eyes! He had one of the three great Dojutsu! In fact the most powerful! How could I have been so stupid?! I continued thinking about how stupid I'd been for, what felt like, an hour, when I remembered this man was still talking, 'Sasuke Uchiha's eyes, and of course Ayako Yamazaki's,'

I stopped. My heart started beating faster than a tempted nun. My eyes? I had special eyes? No. That was insane? There was nothing special about me. I was a useless girl from a clan full of people who didn't even want me. They got rid of me, the first chance they could. I was dumped in this sick, vile landfill site, full of trash, torture and murder. It just so happened that, after having my head dunked under water for half an hour I met Nagato, who seemed to want to save me...

'OF COURSE!' I shouted out, by accident. This seemed to remind the men that I was there. They both looked at me. Nagato looked surprised and worried, and the man looked at me longingly and with a hint of evil in his eyes. 'So that's why you were here?' I decided to continue talking, 'That's why you know about my clan? You did research on me? You were going to use me for my eyes?' I said.

Nagato opened his mouth to continue but he was interrupted.

'Of course he was.' said the man. 'You didn't actually think he was saving you, did you? Are you insane? Or have you been her so long you've forgotten what shinobi are really like?'

I looked at Nagato, angrily. How could I have been so stupid? Thinking someone actually cared about me? I walked over to the man.

'You,' I said, 'Who are you? And what's so special about my eyes?'

'My name is Orochimaru,' he said, 'One of the three legendary Sannin of the Hidden Leaf. I've been a member of the Akatsuki for a year, I am a Scorpio and my favourite foods are eggs. Is that enough information for you? Or would you like to know my birthday, and who my best friends are?' he said, sarcastically.

Orochimaru? Wow. I was in the presence of a Sannin?! Amazing.

'No. That's enough.' I said, 'Now answer my second question. What's so special about my eyes?'

'You have a special...ability, which makes your eyes almost as powerful as the Sharingan and the Rinnegan. But, unfortunately, it's so rare that when someone has this ability it is impossible to tell if they do and it's even more difficult to track someone who does.' he said.

'What kind of ability?!' I said.

'Well...' he began.

'That's enough!' Nagato interrupted, 'You will not take her, Orochimaru. I'm taking her with me.'

'Oh are you?' I said.

'If you try to take her, I'm afraid I will have no choice but to fight you.' Orochimaru said.

'So be it,' Nagato said. 'Ayako, get out of the way.'

'Why should I?'

'Yeah, why should she?' Orochimaru mimicked.

'I don't want you getting hurt.' Nagato said.

'Aww, look, he's pretending to care about you.' Orochimaru said.

I was angry, but also scared. I took a deep breath and went back to the wall, still clutching my arm. Orochimaru looked at Nagato. Nagato looked at Orochimaru. Orochimaru licked his lips. His tongue was long and wet, and quite like a snake's. Nagato gritted his teeth. Orochimaru started making hand signs, that I couldn't understand. I'd never seen them before.

'I don't think so,' Nagato said, he had just finished making hand signs. 'Universal Pull!' He shouted.

Orochimaru fell forward. Like he was being pulled by a lasso, only there was nothing there. When Orochimaru finally reached Nagato, he grabbed Orochimaru by the throat and started strangling him.

'Orochimaru if you don't leave when I let go, I will have no choice but to kill you, and Ayako is leaving with me, today.' Nagato said, turning Orochimaru red.

Orochimaru laughed. Quite psychotically, actually.

'You think you can kill me?' he said.

'No. I know I can.'

'Ok. Suppose you do manage to kill me, there will be others. Others that come after you, searching for her. What are you going to do about them?'

'Exactly, what I'm about to do to you.' Nagato said. He dropped Orochimaru, who started coughing and rubbing his throat. 'Don't make me do this, Orochimaru; I don't want to kill you.'

'If you don't 'kill me' I'll only come back for her.' he said.

'Fine. If you insist.' He said.

He started flashing hand signs faster than anything I had ever seen before. When he was done, he put his hands together. When he moved them away a tiny black orb emerged. 'I don't like the idea of wasting a jutsu like this on a cretin like you but, sometimes, it can't be helped,' he said. He let the orb fly off and ran over to me. He grabbed me by the arm and said, 'come on, we have to leave,' before pulling me off with him. Orochimaru started laughing again. We ran to the exit, doing a dramatic jump out of it as everything in there began being attracted by the tiny orb. Nagato and I sat up. Looking at the large sphere that was floating above where the landfill factory had been. It was huge and a massive crater was forming. I turned and looked at Nagato. He was panting and seemed to be in a lot of pain. He screamed and fell backwards. I ran over to him, I don't know why, I wouldn't have been able to do anything. A giant piece of earth fell down next to me.

'What's happening?!' I shouted.

'Ayako, we have to get out of here! My jutsu is failing, I haven't mastered it yet and I don't have enough chakra.' Nagato said, through heavy breathings.

I was so scared. What was I supposed to do? I was weak and couldn't do anything. But, I didn't want Nagato to get hurt. I didn't know why, but, I felt something for him. Something different. Like I could trust him. It was weird. I didn't know what to do. I really didn't want him to get hurt. I began to cry. How pathetic. Crying over something like this. Over a person I had met, not even, half an hour ago. I was getting so angry. Massive chunks of earth were falling down from the sky, and I was sitting there, crying. I was so stupid! What was wrong with me? I was getting angrier and angrier. I noticed a massive piece of rock falling towards me. I couldn't do anything! Nagato and I were going to die! And it was all because I couldn't do anything!

'Why?! Why me?! AHHHHHHHHH!' I screamed and then everything went black.