Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters in any way, shape or form.
This is my first try at writing.. so in other words I have no idea what I'm doing!
Most of this story will center around my own orginal character who will meet up with the cast of Naruto...eventually.
Find Yourself+
Chapter One: Spirited Away?
Faith had lived alone for the past 5 years and she was a hard working girl that seldom did anything exciting, it wasnt that she didnt want to go out and have a kick ass time but that she just didnt have the time for it with all the hours her job required of her at the local family clinic where she worked as a nurse. She liked her job very much and it paid nicely as well, but it was still lacking something and she didnt know what it was. Everyday at the clinic was the same, day in and day out the same thing. She liked helping people, but she needed a challenge every now and then to keep her from going crazy so when her best friend Mark called her up for a round of paint ball on her next day off she immediately agreed, she was all for it. It had been awhile since they had last played and Mark had recruited some of his wild and crazy friends to join in on the fun.
Bright and early Saturday morning Faith woke up ready to shoot someone.
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Paintball-a-rama+
Faith pulled her car into the paintball parking lot and smiled wickedly at the large 20 acre forest that was to be the 'battle field'.' Time to relieve some boredom.', she thought to herself as she was getting out of her car.
"Hey Faith," shouted Mark from across the parking the lot, " glad you could makeit, it's been a long time since we played this. Everyone else is here so I'll introduce you to the players. Of course you already know Kyle, Luke, Brian and Chris" he siad pointing to the familiar faces and standing next to Kyle were two other guys, big muscle looking guys, "and those two are Brent and Ethan, they go to the same college as Kyle."
"You didnt bring your girlfriend along with you this time?", Faith asked Kyle teasingly. His girlfriend he brought with him last year when they played was in no way ready for the way they played the game, nor was she all for lurking in the forest and getting dirty. She complained often and loudly too, she was the first one to be shot by a paintball.
He frowned, "She said we took this game to seriously and didnt want to come within a hundred miles of this place."
"Hopefully you brought some better players with you this time Kyle, cause last time you and your team got your asses handed to you. Do you think they can handle this?" She looked the other two guys up and down questioningly which in turn made the two guys scoff at her wondering if she lost her mind.
The tall blonde guy named Brent just laughed, "You got some spunk little girl, but the real question is can you handle this? I wont go easy on you just cause you are a girl and I would hate to stop the game when you get hurt."
It was Faith's turn to laugh. " You will see soon enough. Have teams been assigend yet?"
"Not yet, we were waiting on you." said her best friend. "Though we decided I would be team leader one and Luke would be team leader two since he paid for everyone. We are going to flip a coin to see who picks first. Heads or tails Luke?"
"Heads" called Luke as Mark flipped his coin. It landed on tails.
"Yes!", hollered Mark.
"Shit!", said Luke, "There goes my team winning."
"Damn Luke, just cause you dont get to pick first don't mean you are going to lose." Brent had no idea that the coin toss already determined who would win, but Luke knew good and well having already done this a few times with his brother and his two friends, Mark and Faith. The team that had Faith always won and the winner of the coin toss always choose Faith first. It was beyond him how she did it, but all the times he played with her she never once came out with so much as a paint splatter on her. It was only a matter of how long Luke's team could last now.
Luke choose the player with sharpest eye, "Fine, I will take Chris as my first pick. He is the best chance mt team has of winning."
"Wait a minute, I thought Mark won the coin toss and was going to pick first?", asked Ethan.
Luke just laughed, " I forgot this is the first time you are playing with us, but it goes with out saying that when Faith is playing who ever wins the coin toss chooses Faith. Whatever team she is on wins... the other gets slaughtered. "
Brent had a hard time believing that. "Why is that, did you have military training or something?" he asked Faith looking at her, she didnt look the type of person that would be out playing a round of paintball with a couple of 20 year old something guys, she looked much to delicate for that with her long brown hair, dark blue eyes and her small physique.
Faith looked at Brent with a sly grin."Nope, I run though the forest completely naked while my team mates sneak up behind you and shoot you while your guard is down."
"Well if thats the case I wouldnt mind losing." He was grining ear to ear staring off into space as he imagined her running through the woods totally and completly... SLAP
She jokingly slapped him across his shoulders, "You are worse than Chris. Just wait and play the game to find out what happens."
Mark and Luke finished choosing thier teams. Mark's team, Team Red, would be Faith, Ethan and Kyle while Luke's Team, Team Blue, would be Chris, Brent and Brian. The game was Annihilation, object was to shoot all the members of the other team and basically annihlate them as the name of the game suggests. Rules are: no shooting within close range, a critical shot is any where other than arms and legs, if you are shot in the legs you are immobile, if shot in the arm you may not use your arm, once you are critically shot you may not speak to any other players, inlcuding your own team, about of the where abouts of other players, when you are in close range of opposite team members the paint knife will be used and the first one marked is dead. Now the close range combat was something new Faith and Mark came up with on thier own several years ago, shooting someone at very close range was against the rules at the game park and it also hurt, but to determine the winner in thier fantasy mock battles they decided knives would work. Faith and Mark created foam knives that absorbed paint and easily came off when it came in contact with something or someone. Last but not the least, the first player shot bought dinner for everyone, if someone lost a close combat battle they had to pay $50 to the winner of the battle, it was an incentive to keep everyone on high alert and a little bonus to the game..well for the winners anyway.
After everyone geared up, locked and loaded the teams headed to opposite sides of the park to the starting points and once there they could begin.
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Action+
Team Read: Mark, Faith, Ethan, Kyle
Team Blue: Luke, Chris, Brent, Brian
Goal: Annihlate the other team.
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They arrived at the starting point for thier team with hearts pounding and trigger happy fingers ready to go off at the slightest sound, but it would be sometime before they actually made contact with a member of the oppostie team. First objective: locate enemy.
Team Red fanned out but stayed close enough to each other so they could see hand signals, talking openly was not allowed as it would give away thier postion if the enemy was near. Mark appointed Faith as the scout, she was small and light on her feet and less likely to be seen plus she had some other advantages the others did not have. When she was a ways off, almost out of sight she would signal for the others and they continued like this until they found the location of the other team. She was a very good scout for several reasons, and Mark knew this.
What seemed like hours searching into the woods they came across a small log pile, one of the many spots found throughout the woods for players to take refuge from incoming paintballs or to use for ambushing. It was a distance away, and they couldnt tell if anyone was on the other side or not. They would have to get closer or avoid the whole thing and walk around it the long way.
Mark looked at Faith and she nodded once telling him she knew someone was hiding close by, but she held her hand up indicating for them to wait. Mark nodded to her and signaled the other two to take defense postions behind trees, he would have to wait on Faith to do her thing before they could progress.
Faith stood behind the tree and concentrated on the surroundings, she already picked up on someone close by but she didnt know yet where.. 'Wait.' she thought.. 'There are two.' She felt for thier presence a little longer and it took her minute to figure out the other person was in a tree. She went to make her report to Mark, making sure to keep herself out of the line of fire.
"Well?" Mark whispered, "what did you find out?"
"Two guys up ahead. Niether one behind the log pile, one is within sight from log pile and the other behind him in a tree some where, niether one of them had a clear shot from that side, which is why they didn't shot at us, they didnt want to give away thier positions without a clear shot. I think the one on the ground was trying for the log pile but we got here before he could and hid. Whats your orders team captain?" This was what Faith was waiting for, the time to stalk and kill.
"I'll take Ethan with me and take advantage of the log pile, Kyle will stay behind has look out and you go around the long way and try to locate the guy in the tree, he has limited mobility but he can see everything if we get any closer and you are the only one that can get him. Hopefully he will be watching us when we go for the log pile while you sneak back and around. We will wait until you take care of the sniper in the tree before engaging with the target on the ground."
"Alright then, I'm off." she said with a most malicous grin.
Mark signaled from behind his tree to Kyle that he and Ethan were going to advance to the log pile but for him to stay back as look out and Faith was going to circle around. Things were about to get interesting.
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Chris sat high above in a tree with a smug smirk on his face, he was very pleased with himself for having climbed the tree and even more so now that he saw Team Red coming closer and closer but the trees were blocking his path of a clear shot. He only had to wait until one clear shot and shot them off one by one from his throne in the trees, by the time they relized he was in the tree it would be too late. He laughed in his head eyes gleaming, adrenaline rushing and heart beating fast. He took his gun and aimed waiting for one clear shot, waiting for one small opening, wait ... POP SPLAT
"SON OF A BI." Chris was startled out of his heavy concentration when something hard exploded against his side, red paint. I do believe he nearly fell over from shock, he was so damn sure no one would be able to see him up in the tree. He looked around and didnt see anyone but if he could have seen though bushes he would have seen Faith with a wicked smile plastered across her face.
'That sucked, I didnt even get in one shot.' Something in his mind told him it was all Faith's doing.
Game was over for Chris.
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'Hehehehe' Faith was silently laughing in her mind. 'That was too easy, he didnt even notice me coming up behind him. Though I have to give him some award, he chose one hell of a spot to hid in. I wouldn't have been able to see him at all if I hadnt of sensed he was there. Now for the other one.'
She crept forward keeping low behind the small bushes. The other guy she was now stalking knew someone was out to get him after he heard the pop and not to mention Chris' loud profane tell tale sign to the world he was out of the game, he was on high alert. Her team mates also heard Chris' loud exclamation and were now trying to flush out the second target with paint balls which were hitting much to close for his comfort. He was out numbered, and Faith was just about to deliever a fatal shot from behind when a red paint ball hit his face mask, a sure sign of a fatal blow. "Aww shit." she heard him mumble. She wasn't about to give away her position but it was very hard for her not to laugh. Brian was out of the game.
Two down, two to go.
She signaled to the others behind the wood pile that it was clear with a wave of her hand behind the tree. She watched and she waited, but no signal ever came back.
'What the hell are they doing over there. If I have to go get them they are going to be in so much trouble.' It was unusual for Mark to not pay attention, he took these mock battles seriously, he was a war freak after all but certain health conditions kept him from active duty so this was as close as he would ever get to combat.
Faith made her way closer to log pile where she knew three people were waiting for her, but why the hell were they not paying attention?
'There must be someone from the Blue Team that I missed earlier close by and thats why they didnt signal to me.' Faith was looking all around, her senses telling her something wierd was going on but her they kept telling her only 3 people were here. She would just have to get to wood pile herself and ask them what was up.
She peaked through the wood and saw Marks clothes. "Hey," she whispered fierecly,"why didnt you signal back."
Then the aura came, a sort of premonition in her head that was like an alarm bell for her when in a dangerouse situation or unexpected things were about to occur... like now. Seconds before the attacker made his move the image filled her head and she saw it happen in a flash, someone jumping out from the other side of the log pile with a knife in hand slashing out towards her, and it was not any one of her team mates.
She drew her knife in a split second with a sudden rush of adrenaline hitting her and she was ready for the attacker. Brent came fast from around the other side with his knife in hand only to find himself stabbed in the gut where Faith was waiting expantantly for him to come blindly running from around the corner. He froze when he felt it hit him and just stood there, looking at the red paint on his shirt with his eyes wide.
"You owe me $50 dollars." she whispered into Brents ears as she walked by him still stunned. Game over for Brent.
"So.. this is what happens when I leave you guys by yourself, huh?" She asked the dead men sitting side by side on the other side of the log pile. Both Mark and Ethan looked up at her with sheepish smiles, covered in blue paint. "You got slaughtered. Guess me and Kyle are the only ones left to track down his brother." The hunt wasn't over yet. She got up and looked around, and headed in the direction that they had come from and stopped at the tree she last saw Kyle at. It had a red paint mark it. So, it looked like the enemy had snuck up behind them and cought them by surprise while they were shooting at Brian, killed them and waited for her to return. Very clever she thought.
Three down, one to go she thought. She walked out into the woods alone to find her lost team mate.
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"You still think the team she is on is going to win?", Brent asked the two covered in blue paint. "She still has to kill two and doesnt even know it yet."
Mark looked up at him, "Well, this hasnt ever happened before, but I have my reasons for believing in her. You wanna make a bet?" This was going to be easy money in Mark's pocket.
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It wasnt too long until she finally caught up to Kyle who apparently had escaped the massacre at the wood pile unharmed. He was hiding behind a rather large tree stump, and signaled that the target was at 2 o' clock. Her heart was still pounding fast, blood rushing through her viens and senses on high alert, one could get addicted to this feeling.
She scanned the foliage and couldnt see the last remaing target with her eyes, but when she concentrated hard enough she was just barely able to make out where he was. He was right where Kyle said he was, but it wasnt a clear shot for either one of them since he was well covered from fire in the thick brambles. One of them would have to get closer, and Kyle was at a disadvantage with no cover nearby so it looked like it was up to Faith. She signaled to Kyle that she was going to try to go forward and to cover her. She was going to try and go around the back like she did with Chris in the tree.
She scanned for the best way to get behind him without being seen when she gasped as anouther aura hit her with images, ' That bastard.'
She ducked quickly behind the tree right as Kyle was getting up to take aim at Faith's back, it missed and hit the ground. Faith knowing where he was going to be standing before he did shot him right in the stomach, then she turned quickly to her left to shoot the figure that was moving fast out of the low shrubs to get a clear shot at her during the brief but distracting duel with Kyle and shot Luke in the chest right as he was taking aim.
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Paintball-a-rama parking lot+
"That was the best fucking game EVER! I still cant believe you betrayed us Kyle, but that was awesome." Mark was going non stop about the apparent betrayl of Team Red by Kyle. "Which ever one of you thought that up was pure genius! And then having Brent take your place was even more genius!"
Kyle just laughed, "That was pretty fun. You should have seen the look on your faces when I shot you both, it was priceless! Though I have to say the genius would have to be Faith. I didnt think she relized I betrayed you guys so when she had her back to me looking for my brother I thought I would finally be the one to shot her, though she proved me wrong. She turned around so fast and pulled the trigger without any hesitation. That was awesome, like it was out of the movies or something, then she turned around and shot Luke."
"You aint kidding me, you got some serious reflexes or something." said Brent agreeing with Kyle.
"Well Kyle," Faith tried to explain, "that red paint on the tree kinda tipped me off, it was odd to see it there at the tree you were last seen at. It didnt take a genius to figure it out."
"Shit. If you hadn't shot at me Mark I prolly would have gotten her."
"I doubt that Kyle. You just got to face it, you lost. Man o man am I starving after all that. Where are treating us Chris, you were the first casulity." Mark looked at Chris with a wide grin on his face.
"Aww crap. McDonalds?" It was the cheapest place Chris could think of.
"Ewww, if you say that agian I think you are going to be shot for real, by seven different people. " Brain did not like that place.
"And Brent, you owe me $50."
"Aww crap."
"You owe me $50 too Brent from our bet. Faith came out top dog."
"Double crap."
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After Dinner, which was not at McDonalds+
Everyone else but Mark and Faith had gone thier seperate ways, it was the two of them alone in the parking lot of the BBQ joint.
He had his arm around her shoulders walking to their cars still replaying the days events in his head. "That was the best round of paintball anyone could ask for. I dont think we are ever gonna top that."
"You're telling me! You have no idea how shocked I was to see Kyle shooting me, his team mate! Thankfully though I listened to what my vision showed me and I was able to recover from the shock, get out of the way and shoot him before he could me and then shoot his brother. Man, my heart was pounding and I loved every second of it. You are right though, I dont think we will ever top that game. Everyone was at thier best. Of course its always fun when the team you are on wins."
"Well," he said laughing, "I dont think it hurt that you are physcic either! Of course they didnt know that!! insane laughter inserted here You ought to be a bloody spy or something with those powers you have! When are you going to predict the lotto for me?"
"Pfft. If I could do that I would have done it already. I can only see things right before they happen and sometimes when I concentrate hard enough I can locate people or where they have been, but thats only if they had been there recently. Hmm, a spy you say? Sounds interesting, but it would most likely take forever to actually get there and be able to do actual field work, too much paper work." Faith really did consider a career in an active field like a once upon a time, but choose differently to be close to home and to someone she loved. It was as if her gift had and sense of adventure beckoned for her to pursue something crazy, something different, something normal people could not do. The limit of Faith's abiltiy was sensing immediate danger and some times it was visiual images, she had never been able to predict things more than a few seconds into the future and she never really thought of it has a pyshcic ability, but more of a sixth sense in tune with her surroundings.
"Since you cant tell me the lotto you wanna come over and watch the anime I just got in the mail? Its all your favorite! Naruto the 3rd movie and Fullmetal." He was looking at her pleading puppy dog eyes, she was the one person he could watch these movies with without being given a wierd look. The others just didnt get it.
True, those two were her favorite anime. She loved watching animated films, had a passion for drawing and like watching the different animation styles from hand drawn to computer. It had been a long while since she had seen any animated films so it was very tempting to take his invitation.
"I think I will have to pass Mark. It's getting late and I have alot of things to do before work." She sighed, she really did regret not going. Maybe it was because she didnt really want to go home to an empty house, but there were so many things to do. She kissed him on the check and said goodbye.
Just as she was about to get in her car he asked, " Are you alright?"
She knew what he was asking about, today was the 5 year anniversary. It was the whole reason why Mark had set up this whole thing today to get her mind off it and to a point it worked.
"Yeah. I'm fine. Thanks." She smiled at him. He really was a great friend, always there when she needed him.
"Call me if you ever need anything."
"Will do Mark. Really, thanks for everything. I had a great time" She started the engine and drove away as light rain drops came down.
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On The Highway
"Aww monkey nuts!! Why does it have to be a down pour on the way home, in the dark no less." Her wipers were going as fast as they could across the windshield and it was pratically useless. It was a flood falling down from the sky and straight onto the car. 'Now I really wish I would have taken Mark up on his offer to watch those movies.'
Has Faith drove through the rain cursing it, a driver in a semi-truck on the opposite side of the highway was also cursing, but for a whole different reason... he had lost control and the big rig was now hydro planing across the road and into incoming traffic. He desperatly tried to regain control of the truck and stop it, but it was futile on slick wet road.
For the thrid time that day Faith's sixth sense told her something was about to happen, but this time it wasnt with the thrill or excitment she felt earlier when playing with the guys. It was a deep gut renching feeling. She had just seen her own death.
Faith gripped the wheel tightly and tried to swerve the car out of the path of the oncoming semi, but the rain would not let her. The rain had taken control of the car, it was out of her hands now to control her fate. She closed her eyes and held her breath and all she could think was, 'I'm not ready. I still have promises to keep. Please.'
Faith died on impact.
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End Chapter - Author Notes.
When does this turn into a Naruto fanfiction you say? Next chapter of course! Who will she meet? Its a surprise!! No really, its a surprise.. I dont even know yet. Just kidding you... second chapter is one fourth of the way done.
