Right now, I'm running. I'm running through a dense forest, one that I've never seen before, but it's strangely familiar. I look up at the dark, clouded sky, cursing my bad luck. Cold droplets of rain fall all around me, the chill in the air increasing. As the droplets continue to poor down upon, the curtain of rain thickens. After the hungry forest floor swallows up its share, the water pools upon the ground, causing me to stumble every few steps. Yes, I'm a klutz, and I'm usually proud to admit it, but at times like this, not so much. The rain helps me to forget my current worries, but when you're running through a forest in the middle of the night while it's raining, and you're not crazy, ones thoughts tend to drift to the problem at hand. I automatically increase my pace thinking about the person…-er, group of people who are chasing me. Sure, all of them scare the hell out of me, but some of them are just plain weird. I would laugh right now at the oddity of it all if they weren't chasing me, trying to kidnap me…or worse.

My legs begin to tire, and breathing becomes a painful necessity. I make a mental note to run more or even work-out if -or when- I escape. In attempt to use some of what little time remains, I ponder on the struggles of my situation. There's one of me and seven, eight, nine…ten of them –I'm ignoring that factor. I'm running through a forest that I vaguely know, but they probably know their way around as well, and probably better at that. To top it all off I'm a huge klutz, and they're top-notch shinobi, if I remember correctly from what I've read. So the odds are against me. That makes me feel a whole lot better. In that slim moment of desperation, my conscience and thoughts begin to turn on me as well.

They'll probably catch me soon, so what's the point in running away?

They're evil! If you keep running, sure, they'll catch you, but you can keep your dignity.

Shut up!

I'm going to have to stop arguing with myself, or I may actually go crazy, if it's not too late already.

I look up at the still starry sky, causing myself to skid to a halt. Observing the tree towering above me, I begin to dawn upon the realization that I've been running in circles this entire time.

You've been running straight all this time, how could you have already been here?

Ignoring the nagging voice inside of me, I observe my surroundings one last time, my photographic memory coming into play. Everything looks the same! A sudden thought comes to mind. The sky! My view darts up, and I was right; the night has not grown lighter, or fallen darker in the slightest since I began this race. I know that I'm dealing with ninja, and of the highest ranking. What type of jutsu is this? When I think about it, the answers becomes clearer. So clear that I'm surprised I didn't notice it earlier.

"Genjutsu," I whisper, the wind carrying my words with it.

"So you figured it out," A mysterious figure steps out from behind the protection of a large oak. Raven bangs frame his pale face, the rest of his hair is held securely in a pony-tail. His emotionless gaze send shivers down my spine, the vibrant shade of crimson glowing from within the darkness. I send him the most threatening glare that I can muster in my tired state. He doesn't react in the least, gaze remaining fixated on me. It appears as if he's just looking through me, penetrating my soul. I slowly back up, the hope of escape propelling me on.

I was almost out of the Itachi's sight when I collide with something- no, someone- who is blocking my means of exit. Under my breath, I silently curse.

I can't believe how stupid I am!

I bet its Kisame, that Uchiha's idiotic partner, that's blocking my exit.

They're always together, how come I didn't see it earlier?

I swiftly jump away, which is surprising for me. I catch a glimpse of the only person whose standing between me and freedom, and the culprit is indeed Kisame. He smirks, taking notice to the helplessness on my face. At least he shows more emotion than his partner, no matter how annoying it can be. I retrace my steps until I rest in the middle of the vacant clearing once more.

Drawing up my courage, I demand, "I know that there are more than two of you here. So where are the other eight? A small number of people won't be able to catch me, especially noting who they are," Yes, I lied about the last part. After my little speech, I smirk. Not only because of how strong my voice sounded, but because of the scowl that forms on the swordsman's lips. Causing one to be overcome with anger clouds ones judgement, and that increases my chances of escape. Itachi just shakes his head, a gleam of annoyance in his eyes.

"She's not worth it, Kisame," he blankly implies.

Hello! I'm standing right here!

After silently cursing Itachi in my mind, I observe my surroundings and immediately my muscles tense -I got my wish. Surrounding me were all of the Akatsuki. Their robes are the colour of dusk itself; the clouds embedded upon them the very colour of blood. They are known for many slaughters of innocents, giving the, all their rank. One note of them left unknown is their objective, and that is one thing that could have saved many lives. In desperation, my mind begins to swirl with ideas, though none of them are logical.

I could jump and try to knock into someone, hoping that they lose their balance.

That's pointless! You'll just end up getting yourself caught quicker!

It might surprise them though.

Just giv…

"Tobi's a good boy!" That sudden voice interrupts my internal argument. The others members just shake their heads, disappointment clear on their features. "Deidara-senpai? Why are you and the others shaking your heads? Deidara-senpai?" The voice piped with desperation is none other than Tobi, the newest addition to this group. Not much is known about this boy, and his appearance is no exception. A circular orange mask hides his face, only leaving one eye visible. Inky black is the colour of his hair. Other than those two features, the rest of his body is hidden by the Akatsuki's cloak, and he never removes his mask for others to see. He sounds mysterious, but his personality is near the complete opposite. He's the more energetic (and idiotic) of the group. Some people wonder why someone so innocent is in this S-ranked group of shinobi, but I'm not one of them. Even though I believe that he may be devious, I relax upon hearing his voice. My shoulders droop a little.

"You're not scaring her-yeah! You're supposed to be scaring her, not comforting her!" Tobi's senpai finally replies. A lot of people might mistake him for a girl, but I know better. Blond hair is waves down from his head, one bang carefully covering one of his eyes. Some is piled upon his head in a messy hold.

I've been keeping track of their positions by the sound of their voices and the restless movement they provide as time drags on. Upon hearing Deidara's voice, coming nearby on my right, my suspicions are confirmed- I'm surrounded. All exits are blocked, and even the treetops are occupied by a few.

How dangerous do they think I am?

What about the ground?

I slightly tapped my bare foot on the grassy forest floor.

Like that would help?

At least I'm trying! What are you doing?

Hello! We're the same person!

…I think I am going crazy.

I take a shaky step towards Itachi, who seems to be the one to talk to in this situation. As I continue moving closer, everyone tenses, as if I could somehow manage something dangerous. After a few more steps, everyone closes in around me, and all of my hopes of escape are dispelled. I attempt to appear unaffected, but my fear manages to show.

"What do you want?" I demand, fright clearly heard in my shaking voice. There's a chance that I can give them what they want. No more running, and no more hiding. These thoughts immediately lift my spirits. Itachi takes a single step forward, and I fight the urge to scramble away from him; away from here. Itachi keeps advancing upon me. He only stops inching towards me when I can feel his breath upon my pale face. My body erupts in shivers, and I brace myself for his reply.

"You," he whispers, no trace emotion in his voice. Even though his voice is quiet, his words hit me hard –that's one thing that I'm not willing to give up. I stumble backwards, directly into Deidara's grasp. I struggle to move away from him as I feel pain, only managing to trip over my own two feet. As I tumble to the ground, I look all around me. I'm trapped in a small circle, with me in the center. I try not to scream, but I know that my efforts won't continue to work for long. All of their gazes lock onto me, devious smirks formed on all of their lips –excluding Itachi of course.

I'm going to die, aren't I?

No! Don't think that!

I continue to argue with myself, perhaps for the last time. A fiery pain erupts through my head, causing me to fall to the ground. As I hit the cold ground, I notice a dark figure looming over me. The dark figure lowers them-self towards me, as if attempting to pick me up. My scream pierces through the air like a gunshot, with only one difference between the two –my voice can't kill.

Author's note: Mashi Kishimoto owns all of the Akatsuki. The only character who I own in this chapter is the main.

Me: Ah! Cliffhanger!
Deidara: I want to find out what happens next-yeah!
Me: You will, if I get enough reviews.*turns and smiles innocently ay the reader*
Tobi: *jumps into Deidara's arms* This is a scary story Deidara-senpai. Tobi's scared!
Deidara: *drops Tobi* It's just a story, er, just a dream-yeah.
Me: Look forward to flirtatious boys, psychotic friends, emos (I have nothing against them), and lots of surprises!
Deidara: *passes paper and a pen* Hurry up and write-hn!

Updated:
Cuba: Same old prologue, with the same old plotline, only better! I wrote this about a year ago, and it sounded so out of date compared to my current chapters. Most of it remains the, only I changed the tense to present, added some descriptions, and edited a few small errors. I hope that you enjoy this chapter more than the old one!