Taken
by: Maverick

A/N: Well, here it is folks, my first fanfic. Frankly, I'm getting sick of the good winning. This wont have a happy ending I promise you...

Prologue

"...also, Hidan and Kazuku were beaten by those leaf 3 months ago." said Zetsu to the shadowy figure. "...Why did it take so long to tell me this Zetsu?" he asked coldly. Zetsu flinched.

"Well...we had to be sure and..." his voice trailed away. "Never mind." said leader. "We must replace them all...Zetsu!"

"Yes?"

"Your demon can wait. We must search for people worthy of being an Akatsuki."

"Yes, leader" said Zetsu.

"And also there is someone who seems to have an urge to come." he motioned to the other figure behined Zetsu. The room was lit by only a candle so it was hard to see the figure clearly.

Zetsu cleared his throat. "Where shall I start?"

"Leaf."

"...97...98...99..." muttered 17 year old Tenten. She was doing her early morning routines. "...100" she stopped. Tenten looked outside for a while.It was a nice morning, the sun was rising, stalls were opening, and the streets were almost empty. She sighed at the sight of it. Ever since the akatsuki were moving, everyone was training hard. She, Sakura, and Shikamaru became ANBU captains while Neji was a jounin. Hinata has been an ANBU before them. Naruto was...well, Naruto. He has been training as well, for the chunin exams.

It was a week away, and the security was was strengthened due to last time's fiasco. It was going to be her shift at the eastern gate with Shinta, another ANBU. She straightened her uniform, put on her eagle mask and headed towards the gate.

Her hair, now in a ponytail sped past her as she got nearer to the gate. A glimpse of blue was visible in a corner of her eye. "Hey, Hinata!" she said cheerfully. They stopped abrutly at the gate. "Hi, Tenten" she said quietly. She wore a fox mask. Her blue hair long and free alond with her pale violet eyes, watching the other 2 ANBU.

The two ANBU noded and left in a puff of smoke. "How've you been?" asked Tenten, siting down at the table next to the Gate. It was a 3 hour shift every day. Hinata sat next to her. "Fine actually," she said, taking out a scroll. "but..." her voice trailed off. She buisly wrote on the scroll" Tenten just took out a kunai and began to sharpen it.

It had been an hour until someone came out of the forest. Tenten looked at him. He had black shoulder-length hair and blue eyes. He wore a red sleevless shirt, revealing toned muscles and wore black cargo pants. He was from mist. He also had a rather large blade on his back, nothing else. Hinata watched him carefully, her bayakugan looking into him. Tenten stood up. "State your purpose" she said calmly.

Never let your emotions come between your job as ANBU

The new guy looked at her. "I'm here for the chinin exams" he said cheerfully, grining. She looked at Hinata, whom noded, giving the guy the scroll she was holding. Fill this form and you can enter" she said, eyeing him. They didn't trust him. No-one has ever been this cheerful to an ANBU unless they know the ANBU. He filled it and handed it to Tenten, his soft gaze watching her cold eyes. The gate creaked open as he entered it.

"I'll take it" said Hinata, disappearing in smoke. Tenten sat down. She was confused. She thought she saw...never mind. She kept on looking at the forest.

Naruto was bored. It had been a year since he came back. He was in a clearing where he trained in every day. He layed on the grass, looking up at the sky. Chunnin exams...why take it? he thought, pondering at the argument he had with Tsunade.

"Why should I take the chunnin exams?! I'm way stronger than that!" Naruto shouted.

"You must Naruto! It's a tradition! Something that must be done by every shinobi" Shouted Shizune, her notepad falling from her hand.

"Why? It's pointless to go and beat up genins when I could be beating up Sasuke back here!"

"Enough."

Tsunade entered the room, her head in a hangover. She wasn't in the mood of arguing. She raised her hand and slapped Naruto on the side of his head. "You WILL go and take the chunnin exams. You WILL become chunnin." Tsunade said, sitting down.

"But how'll I find a tea-"

"You'll be alone in the exam. If I ever put you in a team..well, let's hope not," she said with a smile.

"You'll take it and that's that!"

He stood up, brushing off the dirt from his pants. He grabed his jaket and walked away.

Neji looked at the traing area. It was almost time for his students to come. He was outside training grounds 8. ...Will they pass? he thought but denied it. Of course they will. After all, they're being taught by Neji Hyuuga, a genius. Uncertainties crawled over him. What if they fail, what if...they die?

Let's hope not. Suddenly 3 kids walk to him. "Neji-sensei! Can we go to the chunnin exams?" asked a boy, panting.

"...Fine."

Shikamaru lighted a cigarrete. He was in front of a grave, carved in it: Here lies Asuma, a Hero of Konoha. Today is just troublsome to him, yet satisfying. He's leaving to Sand shortly to make some connections with the Kazekage and the Hokage.

Aneko was five feet away from him, looking at her parent's grave.

He shouldn't waste anymore time. A cemetary isn't a place to be at this time. He walked away from the graveyard, throwing the cigarrete to the ground.

It was nightfall, Aburame Shino walked home silently, his mind running. He too was an ANBU yet they have been sending him on missions frequently. Today was his day off. Shikamaru left again he thought, his bugs squirming inside him. Everyone has gone their own way eh?

His bugs were uncomfortable. He took his arm out, letting out some onto his palm. They told him an interesting story. He looked at the sky.

We're not alone, never alone. He looked around swiftly.

There's someone here

The swordsman sat down, waited for someone. Just then, in a puff of smoke, a man in what seemed to be in a venus fly trap appeared. His face, cut in half; the left side black, the other white. His yellow eyes watched the swordsman calmly.

"Well?"

"It was a success. Yet I do regret putting my head a little higher from the ground level that ANBU almost saw me."

"She better hadn't. Or we'll have to kill her."

"Why not kill her?"

The swordsman scowled. "Because, there's no need." he said curtly.

The plant-like man noded. He knew why.

"Anyway, What did you find?"

"Interesting things. Perhaps, we don't need to search anymore."

(A/N: Well, that's all folks. This must be my first time writing a naruto fic so feel free to review! Things have gotten interesting eh? Wonder how the Leader is expecting them to...well, I'll let you find out. No flames! Yet constructive critisism always helps.)

[V[averick - san