Author's Note: I am alive! I am so sorry for those who had originally been following The Haunting of 10 Ghosts, but fear not! I have finally started writing it again, but with new characters and twists, along with a major development of the plot. I sincerely hope you all enjoy this version better! Here is the prologue to start.
Warning! This story contains cussing, extreme violence, dark thoughts, and bloody deaths in future chapters! But I don't think it's bad enough to be rated as 'M', so it shall stay as 'T'.
Disclaimer: We all know that I don't own Naruto or its characters. I do, however, own the OCs in future chapters.
Rain fell heavily from the dark sky, soaking the ground until it turned muddy. Lightning flashed brightly as thunder echoed just after it, the earth seeming to shake from the sheer force of the sound. From the swiftly fading light in the sky, a sign could be seen, a pair of rotting wooden posts holding it up. The sign itself tilted slightly to the right, five legible words dripping red:
Welcome to Rising Dawn Ridge
Just beyond the sign, upon a lone hill, rested a large house surrounded by gnarled, leafless trees. The outside of the building appeared lonely and dark, but surprisingly well kept. It was large, reaching up to three stories tall with twin double doors serving as the entrance. Through the flashing lights of the storm, it could be seen that the windows remained in pristine condition, not a scratch on their clear surfaces. Even the roof seemed to fair well throughout the years. The whole place screamed 'ancient', yet 'extravagant' at the same time.
Through the doors and into the heart of the house, the living room on the first level, gathered ten, shadowed figures. Eight of the figures trained their unwavering attention to one particularly dark silhouette, another shadow standing beside him. The leader swept his gaze over the rest of the group, until his odd ripple-patterned eyes landed on the figure that stared back impassively with his own crimson orbs.
"Itachi, your report."
The demand hung in the air with no response until the person in question replied.
"The last of them were dealt with by Kisame and I mere hours ago," Itachi reported solemnly, nodding at the tallest figure identified as Kisame, who in turn gave a broad grin that showed off his two rows of sharp teeth.
"Yes, Leader. They were quite easy to 'take care of', if you catch my drift," Kisame stated, a large smirk on his face.
"When's the next fucking job? This shitty existence is fucking unbearable unless I'm wringing some fucker's throat!" A foul-mouthed male complained loudly, successfully ticking off the figure next to him.
"Hidan, you damn idiot! Don't shout in my fucking ear like that, or I'll kick your ass!" He said to Hidan, whacking him over the head. "Stop the excessive cussing while you're at it."
"You fucking hypocrite! I will kill you one day, Kakuzu, I swear on my fucking name!" Hidan screeched as he clutched his throbbing head in pain.
"Tobi thinks that everyone should be friends and never fight!" A slightly smaller male whined as he watched the two bicker. The figure beside him placed a hand upon his shoulder.
"Tobi, you should know that those two are fucking crazy and you should just ignore them," The yellow-eyed figure told him in two different voices. The other nodded.
"Okay, Mr. Zetsu. Hey, Deidara-Sempai," Tobi said as he looked over at another pair of figures, "When do you think more visitors will come?"
"Why are you asking me like I'm Leader when he's standing over there, hm?" Deidara asked, fuming slightly. When Tobi gave an innocent shrug, he looked to his partner for help.
"Sasori-" Deidara began.
"Deal with your crazed fan boy on your own, brat," Sasori snapped, cutting him off.
"All of you remain silent at once," The leader spoke in an icy tone. All conversation ceased as the rest of the group waited to hear what he had to say.
"Now, Konan," He said, looking over to the amber-eyed female, "I want you to lure in more 'visitors'. Make sure that it's a sizable group, though."
"Yes, Pein," She spoke in a quiet voice, "I'll leave immediately."
She swiftly disappeared in a flurry of white sheets of paper as Pein raised his arm, palm out, towards the ceiling. The rain ceased abruptly, allowing the slips of paper to escape outside without getting soaked. After the last trace of Konan was out the doors, they closed with a resounding slam. The attention returned to Pein.
"All right, you're all dismissed until further notice."
His words hung in the air for a moment, until the members of the group quickly disappeared simultaneously, leaving the lone leader to gather his thoughts. He heaved a sigh, leaning against the flawless beige-colored wall as he closed his rippled eyes.
'The Akatsuki is falling apart! This is not the future I dreamed of for the organization! But it's too late; we're forever trapped in the cycle of pain and hatred.'
Pein opened his eyes to peer down and examine his hand blankly. He watched in tired fascination, as the flesh grew transparent and regained a solid appearance as he willed it. Any bodiless spirit could accomplish such a simple trick. He clutched his fingers together, his hand forming into a fist, and punched the wall beside him in frustration. The impact left a spider web-like crack, but didn't damage the surface any further. He growled softly before heaving another sigh.
"Nagato."
The sound of her voice startled him slightly, though he remained stoic. He turned to face the only female in the group with a blank stare.
"Well?" He prodded.
"I caught the interest of a group of nine teenagers. They plan to stay here tomorrow night," Konan informed him with a slight bow.
"That's good to hear. Great work, Konan. You have been very useful, as always."
Konan acknowledged his praise with a nod before vanishing in another whirl of paper. Pein was left alone with his thoughts once more.
'I suppose the pain and suffering of others will suffice for the torture I withstand every day: To be alive, yet not exist, to die, yet never fade away…The world shall know of our pain soon enough.'
That is the end of the prologue! The chapters I post in the future shall be longer than this, though. Okay, the next chapter is mainly about the OCs so you can get a feel for their personalities, you know, before someone has to die… I am so mean. Anyways, I hope you guys are enjoying the new version! Let me know what you think! Review please!