Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, neither do I want to. I'd rather have Sasuke. Or Neji. Or perhaps Shikamaru. Or maybe Gaara...
Beta read by Midnight Memories.
Her eyes snapped open when she heard the sounds of drunken laughter and loud conversation; neither of which were helping her throbbing head. Through a tiny window, which was more of a hole in the wall than anything else, pale shafts of light infiltrated the dimmess of room. Whether it was early morning or early evening, Tenten couldn't possibly tell.
She had been staring at the same patch of dull grey wall since she had woken up with half lidded eyes. The cold hardness beneath the side of her face both soothed and added to the bruising there. But it wasn't just her cheek; every single inch of her seemed to hurt. Even with her long sleeved shirt and pants, she could feel the painfully fridgid stone floor and the chill of the air right down to her bones.
How long had she been here? Who brought her here? Where exactly was 'here'?
The position she was lying in was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. Tenten tried to shift her body, but the sudden movement after being immobile on the stone floor for god knows how long was too much.
Her choked scream bounced off the stone walls, mocking her agony.
Eventually the pain receded and her eyes cracked open for the second time that day. Breathing slowly, she fought to keep the waves of dizziness and nausea at bay.
Gritting her teeth, Tenten lifted her head from the floor, only managing to turn just enough to look out the window. Obscured by the lack of light and the mist, the vague silhouete of a mountain range was more than enough for her to know that she wasn't anywhere near Konoha.
"Damn it."
Tenten gently lowered her aching head back onto the floor, letting her eyes close for a moment.
The last thing she could remember before coming to in her cramped "cell" was fighting the group of bandits that had attacked the merchants she and her teammate were supposed to escort. Then a sharp pain at the base of her neck. Everything beyond that was a blur.
Escape first, you can figure out how to get back to Konoha later.
Lifting her hands, she studied the bindings around her wrists. They were nothing special, just your average piece of rope. Usually, something like this wouldn't be a problem, but her fingers were too numb to perform the necessary seals.
Tenten blew on her freezing digits, wishing that she could do the same for the rest of her body. With every warm breath that escaped her dry, cracked lips, her teeth chattered as she shivered unconsciously.
Hesitantly, she flexed her fingers and winced. They still hurt, but at least she could move them now.
A few hand seals later, Tenten was untying the knot securing the cord around her ankles with one hand, the other rubbing the raw, red marks on her wrist where the rope had cut into her skin.
She stood up slowly, not liking the way she had to clutch on the wall for support.
Gradually, the feeling returned to her legs and she headed for the door. As she was reaching for the knob, there was a loud click. Thinking quickly, Tenten affixed herself to the ceiling with chakra and waited.
When the door opened, Tenten jumped down and hit the pressure point on the neck of the man who had just entered the room.
After she closed the door, Tenten quickly tied up the unconsious man. He probably wouldn't wake up for a while, but it was best to be cautious.
These bandits obviously weren't the strongest or smartest ones around. The only way one of them would have managed to knock her out was if some of them were more powerful than the rest. It was unlikely that any of them were ninjas. No shinobi would ever tie up another's hands in front of them, especially with normal rope.
Unless, of course, they actually wanted her to escape.
Tenten quickly dismissed the thought.
But still, considering her condition and lack of weapons, she would just have to be careful not to get caught.
With that in mind, she used henge to take on the appearance of the bandit before quietly slipping out of the room.
The second the door slammed shut, there was a soft, almost undetectable 'poof' as the man lying in the middle of the room disappeared in a puff of smoke. All that was left were the two lengths of rope that landed gracefully on the stone floor.
Tenten wandered along the dimly lit corridor, trying to find a way out. She hadn't been looking for very long, but so far, she hadn't seen any windows or doors and seeing as most of the noise was coming from above, she was probably on one of the lower levels of the building.
Suddenly, she heard the sound of footsteps drawing nearer. Suppressing the impulse to run, she tried to act normally as she walked past the two unsuspecting bandits who were headed in the opposite direction.
When it finally occured to her where they were going, it was already too late.
"Hold it!"
Tenten quickly dispatched the two bandits and relieved them of their weapons, not bothering to hide their bodies. The others had no doubt heard the commotion and were most likely already on their way.
A tall, skinny man pushed past the double doors and walked into the room, wondering why he was the one stuck doing all the dirty work.
The boss wasn't going to be very happy when he found out.
"Err...The prisoner's escaped, Boss. She's already killed thirty of our men."
When he was finished, he looked up to see his leader's reaction. The man sitting on the plush divan was unphased as he said coldly, "Then go after her. And bring me more sake."
Half-stunned and half-relieved, the semi-drunk bandit nearly tripped over his own feet as he rushed off to carry out his orders. The other man paid his panicking subordinate no heed as he took another sip. He watched the clear liquid swirl the small cup, reflecting the flickering candle light.
Everything was going according to plan.
Droplets of blood splattered onto the floor as Tenten thrusted the katana deep into the last bandit's chest. A gasp came from his open mouth and he slid onto the ground to join the dozens of other lifeless bodies.
Tenten could slowly feel the effects of the andrenaline from earlier waning, but there wasn't any time to waste. She could already hear more of them coming.
I've gotten this far. I'm not going to give up now...
Panting heavily, she forced her aching legs to move. Her feet were carrying her further and further from the stone compound, but she had no idea whether she was getting any closer to freedom. After all, no matter where you were, forest was forest.
The foliage was becoming thicker with every step. Amidst the loud voices and hurried footsteps from behind, she heard something else drawing near. The sound of rushing water.
She almost sighed in relief. If she could get to the river, her trail would be lost forever and she would have one less thing to worry about.
Unfortunately, it wasn't quite what she had expected.
Tenten found herself standing on the edge of a rocky cliff, formed over the centuries by the elements. There was a river alright, but it was hidden somewhere in the depths of the gorge further down, barely visible in the darkness.
No one could survive a drop like that.
Tenten turned around, only to back up when she came face to face with her thirty-odd pursuers. All of them were armed with various weapons that glinted in the light of the torches they were carrying. The looks they were giving her were anything but pleasant.
And then, by a stroke of sheer misfortune, the rock beneath her feet started to crumble. By then, it was too late to do anything.