Disclaimer: I still don't own Naruto, but I still own the OCs and the plot of this story.

ENTRY TWO

I giggled as Shiina and JayJay began to bicker, as usual, while we were out on one of our daily walks. Tay strode beside me, shaking her head and persing her lips every so often, listening to the two ahead of us. They weren't fighting out of anger or spite - that was something they never did. They often bickered out of fun with each other. I'd come to the conclusion that that was how they had become such close friends over the years. I recall that one time there was an enormously steep hill that we had decided to climb. The problem was that Shiina was too nervous to climb it. So JayJay picked her up bridal style and made a run for it up the hill, Shiina screaming profanity the entire way. I'd expected her to start a fierce verbal battle with him when Tay and I arrived. Instead, they were both sitting near a stream complaining that we had taken too long. They were strange people, but definitely harmless and likeable.

We went for walks often, mostly because JayJay was a bit of a health nut and wanted us to be as active as possible as a team. The way he saw things, our legs would become stronger and we would be able to advance in our training due to various forms of exercise. We went for our small trips usually during the late afternoon, around three or so, meeting up for lunch first and sometimes for dinner afterwards. No matter what we were doing, we all enjoyed each other's company. There were many forests surrounding Konoha, so we usually took a random path that was chosen by Tay or JayJay. We governed ourselves based on the path and how thick the forest was.

I blinked, my chocolate brown orbs tracing the green leaves, spying some that were already morphing red and orange. Fall was approaching, and winter would soon be upon us. That's my least favourite time of the year. I'd have to make sure every single hole in my house was patched, and my cheap house had little to no insulation. I figured I'd have to get a small job to pay for the patching and the extra warmth this year. I get paid when I go on missions, but the small pay wasn't nearly enough to cover living expenses. On top of warmth, I also don't like nature dying before me. Winter is such a sorrowful time of the year.

'On the bright side, maybe with Sasori no Danna around, you won't have to worry about heat!' I nearly smacked myself on the forehead with that thought. I got these stupid thoughts all the time, and I couldn't prevent them from surfacing. They seemed to come from deep within me, where all of my hidden desires lay. They were embarrassing and usually made me red in the cheeks, resulting in countless questions from my comrades. Tay had once asked me if I had a secret boyfriend that I was constantly thinking about. I wished I could have told her that I had, but I knew she would catch my lie if she ever went snooping around. Tay is one of those friends that like to know a lot about your personal life.

I gave a soft sigh, slowly inhaling the sweet scented air that wafted within the nature surrounding us. The only thing that mattered right now was the present, Sheena, JayJay, and Tay - not winter or that disturbing puppet master that had a strange obsession with me. I smirked as I saw that Shiina and JayJay had run a little ways ahead of us and were now standing, looking upwards in wonder. Gazing beside me, I saw that Tay had also tilted her head to the right, looking upwards.

A soft rumbling in my stomach: "I've got a fuck of a bad feeling..."

I refused to look above me. It wasn't because I was scared, simply because I would rather look at my surrounds upon a surface than clouds floating upon nothing. Concern did indeed wash over me, and I did wish to know what my friends had laid their eyes on... but at the same time, deep within, I did not. I jumped when I felt someone gripping my upper arm tightly, and bit my lower lip to hold in a scream. My rational mind told me that it was only Tay, but ever since I'd been introduced to the conniving puppeteer, I felt like I was always a target of something. I stopped walking and turned to face her, worry clouding my eyes. She was still gazing upwards, where Sheena and JayJay were, but now she was quivering. One thing that I knew about my friend was she rarely feared anything; it took a lot to trouble her. If she saw something that made her tremble and gape, it was truly a terrible sight. I wondered if it would be Sasori and the blonde again, back to finish us all off.

I could hear Shiina's voice up ahead very faintly. It sounded like she was talking quietly with JayJay or someone nearby. She resembled a mouse at this point in time, not only because of her height due to how far we were from them, but because of the fear present within her voice. Her tone was very demanding and collected, or full of rage and disgust - I had never heard a tremor in it unless she was sick. This was yet another sign that the sight waiting for me just ahead would sting me.

"Ah... Hah... Eh... Ah... Wha..." The sentences that Tay had begun to form were ended before they could even start. For once, she was at a loss for words.

I gently set a hand on her shoulder, shaking my head to show her that I couldn't understand, but it was as if she could no longer tear her eyes from whatever was up there. Even then, as my friend suffered from the sights before her, I could not bear to look. It's alright to call me a coward here, because that's what I was. As much as I hate to admit it, I was a stupid little coward.

"O-One of you!" I recognized it as Shiina's voice, back to being authoritative. "Get the Anbu, NOW!"

I took note of the way that she'd said the word, 'now'. I now realize, as I write this entry, that she'd said the word 'fuck' in the exact same tone when we'd been in the Forbidden Woods. To hear her be that nervous twice when we were all together as a team seems almost haunting to me. It's as if her voice was a signal for Sasori to appear. I know better than to think that it was her intention to do such a thing. As I stated in the previous entry - she couldn't have known.

My body jolted forwards, as I felt a large hand dig into my wrist, and yank me back where we had come from. I immediately felt a tingling sensation run down my spine from the rough contact, and was surprised to looking up to meet JayJay's wide orbs. I'd expected something much worse. There was some form of insanity crawling within him, along with concern and authority, which unnerved me quite a bit. What could draw out even a small portion of madness inside of a man that is naturally very gentle with allies? I was suddenly almost completely positive that it had been Sasori. I felt the need to scream; my mind felt as though it was crashing down and being destroyed with every passing second. His hunt for me would never stop, and now he was going to take the lives of my friends. My eyes were wide and I felt as though I was going to vomit. JayJay, still disturbed and in a rush, didn't bother to notice my facial expressions becoming wilder and wilder. He jerked me forwards once again.

"Move! We're going back to get help!"

His voice rang through both my ears like a church bell, clear as day, and without even realizing it, my feet had begun to move alongside him. We were running in the direction of Konoha, to report something evil that appeared before my friends. I wondered if anyone in our village would be able to handle someone like Sasori. I thought that Kakashi and Asuma would definitely give him a run for him money, along with Tsunade. Hope began to swell within me as I ran - I began to believe that I was able to be saved from the dark master's clutches.

I twisted my head to the right and swallowed a thick gland of saliva before looking entirely over my shoulder. In the lush green above Shiina, was the most horrific sight I believe I'd ever laid eyes upon. There were cadavers everywhere. They were dangling by their feet from ropes that hung from tree limbs - they had no heads. Some were more grotesque than others. Some had their insides pulled out and strewn beneath them, and others had sharp nail-like objects through their necks. There were a few that had had their heads spared, and I could see that they had expressions of pure agony. They had suffered a great deal before dying, but I prayed that they could find some peace in the afterlife. Taking one last glance at a man who was hanging by one leg, I noted that his head looked like it had been blown clear off. I felt my body nearly fall into the bushes that lined the trail beside us. Thankfully, I caught myself before that occurred. I wondered if Sasori had remained at the scene of the crime, and I was worried for Shiina and Tay. I knew for sure that it had to have been him. The way the men were tied up looked a lot like his doing... his way of telling them that they were useless and imperfect... his way of telling me that I couldn't ever escape.

Beside me, JayJay had his teeth grit in anger and immense sorrow. It was hard to see him the way he was. He was frightened and worried for himself, the dead, and his friends. I knew that he was a true hero despite rarely revealing his true intentions and emotions during difficult circumstances. I knew that he would be able to help and I knew that he would be able to protect me. I was grateful.

"How does it feel, the blood on your hands?"

The voice reached me in a soft whisper. At first, I'd thought it to be the murderous doll, chasing after us and taunting us. I snapped my head towards JayJay and immediately felt relief, as I heard him mumbling to himself. He often talked to himself when grief-stricken events occurred. He mumbled curses under his breath to whoever he deemed were responsible. I wondered who he'd thought it was, and thought about asking, but found that my lips couldn't form proper words. I was still in shock from what I'd seen. I kept my eyes directed ahead of us, trying my best not to think of any images I'd gazed at from the scene behind us. I was still on the verge of vomiting, but I held back; we didn't have time to give into what our bodies wanted. We had to reach Konoha safety, and then I could do what I felt I needed to do.

'Safety...' The word echoed through my head, rising to my lips, wishing to escape. Such a powerful word it was, along with 'freedom' and 'power'. Those words, at that time, seemed so full of meaning. When JayJay and I reached Konoha, we would be within the veil of safety; we would stay in that veil for as long as we could, but...

What about Shiina and Tay? They couldn't be in the veil with us because they were back at the scene of the crime, awaiting our return. They were in danger, playing right into the hands of Sasori. I wasn't as worried as I should have been, as I knew and had faith in my friends and their skills. Had I actually had a clear mindset, I think I would have worried far more. They had been defeated and harshly injured in the Forbidden Woods due to only two Akatsuki members, one of them being Sasori. We'd had the advantage in number that time and they'd still whipped our asses. Fear often got the best of me in situations such as these, so I'm surprised I hadn't thought of the power VS power ratio. There was still that little place inside me that had a horrid feeling, but I managed to avert my thoughts from there. There were so many 'what ifs?' that I could contemplate, and would have if it hadn't been for JayJay lightly squeezing my wrist. He nodded to the village just up ahead - it really seemed like we were going to make it. For once, positivity leapt from the depths of me and became my dominant drive. I felt like we would be heroes and that I would be safe - I felt as though I would be able to tell someone about what Sasori had been doing to me, as well.

"Shii and Tay can handle themselves," He told me, as if reading my previous thoughts. "But we need to get help to them as soon as possible! I've got a fucked up feeling about all this..."

How I dreaded those three words, 'fucked up feeling'. I wanted to bark at him not say things like that, that he was pushing our luck, but I restrained all speech, not even sure if I would be able to produce any words. I felt weak physically and emotionally, but it was the hope I held onto that made me keep pushing forwards.

As we neared the large gate of our home village, JayJay took off ahead of me. He threw my wrist away in such a hurry, that I almost fell on my bottom. That was when reality hit me for the first time since I saw the gruesome sight as we ran. I stopped and held both my hands against my stomach, pressing into it. In mere seconds, I released what fluids I had needed to get out, all over the main road. Luckily for me, there hadn't been any people around to see me in such a weak state. Upon rising, I staggered to the right a bit, trying my best to steady my feet and stand as still as possible. I stood in one place for what seemed like an hour. The sickness was faint within me but still remained, making me grimace a bit. I didn't want to vomit again.

I took a few steps forward, arms still pressing into my gut. The only thing that was left to do was to find JayJay and receive the assistance that we required. Shiina had told us to fetch the Anbu, and I supposed we would definitely have to talk with Lady Tsunade. I thought that JayJay would be there before me, with his speed. I didn't see the need to run all the way to her office just to run all the way back. I didn't think I would be of any help. I knew they would most likely come back my way to reach the entrance of the village, so I did what I did best; I waited.

I sat by the gate and shook my head slowly. I pressed a hand lightly against my forehead and closed my eyes. The day I was having matched well with my dreadful nights. I removed my hand slowly, and blinked a few times, making sure I had no dizziness. My head turned towards the right of me, to see the small village stream glistening in the sun's light. That bit of water held so many thoughts, so many lives, and so many memories. I even had a few memories that I could tell. Shiina had always told me, 'the sea tells a tale', and I had no idea what she had meant by this. Did she mean that water could speak to me and tell me every tear, every raindrop's story? I shook my head and turned my gaze away from the stream. Forgive me for rambling again, but I feel that it's best to tell you everything that went through my head. Even if you never knew me, I want you to know me from reading this.

I looked to and fro, trying to spot some people I knew, but absolutely no one could be found. At the time, I found it extremely strange and worrisome. If you're from Konoha, or any other large village, you, yourself, would know that the village is never uninhabited during the day for no reason. I tried to take my mind off it, which was a stupid mistake. Instead, I should have tried to look for someone (anyone at all) that would look after me as I waited. My mind told me that I was sure that it wouldn't be long at all, before people came back my way. I leaned my back straight against the hard surface of the entryway and tried my best to ease myself as much as possible. I figured that I may as well make myself comfortable while waiting, there was no use being sore on the inside and the outside.

My eyes blinked a few times before closing, taking in sounds all around me. There were birds chirping, water twinkling, and the wind blowing against nature. I noted that the breeze hitting the leaves above sounded almost like people talking from a distance. I remember thinking that they were hiding from me, talking secretively about my flaws. I reopened my eyes, finding the thought rather disturbing on its own. My head tilted upwards a bit, taking in a tall evergreen tree nearby. Near Konoha, the trees seemed to morph faster when Fall was near. My eyes travelled down the large tree, past the first large branch, then the second. They moved their way down the bark, until they met with something that could easily be missed to a person that is not paranoid: the eyes of a calm person.

Perched like a bird in pursuit of its prey on the third large branch, was the silhouette of a human in a long robe. At first, I had suspected it to be a male in some kind of skirt, but I quickly remembered that cross-dressing was frowned upon in our village. It was a man in a cloak. Despite the shadows of the treetops painting him a darker colour, I could still make out his pale skin and his ketchup-coloured hair. I blinked quickly, to see if I was imagining it all. I cursed my paranoia with all my heart and begged for it to stop playing mind games with me.

But it wasn't my mind. He was still there, watching me.

I threw my head down, rubbing my eyes almost violently with the sides of my index fingers. I refused to believe that it was him; he could only come for me at night. He wasn't allowed to take my days as well. He couldn't do this, and he wouldn't. I wouldn't let him. I stopped my actions and forced my head up once more, scanning where I had seen the figure. I looked to where the third branch was and saw nothing. The second branch and the first held the same surprise. I scanned the entire tree over again, searching for the worst, but ending up with nothing. I blinked hard, sure of what I had seen before, sure that it had not been anything but what it looked like.

I was aware of my stress, anger, and frustration, so I told myself subtly that I'd merely jumped to a conclusion. I thought that today had been my final day, and that he was going to finish me off, behead me, and hang me with the rest of his murders. I told myself that I was being preposterous; he'd gotten what he had wanted last night, and much more than usual. Why would he return so soon to take me away with him and kill me? Why would he choose now to even turn me into a puppet? I realized that I was extremely fearful of the man to believe in such nonsense. He had mentioned turning me into one of his 'masterpieces' , various times, but had never done anything to make me believe he would actually do it anytime soon. He continuously told me things like:

"My tools would work well on such gorgeous flesh, blossom. One day, I'll bring you back to my workshop and transform you into true art."

There were times where he didn't make as much sense to me, but I didn't much care as long as he didn't act on true stupidity and take me from my human form. I didn't doubt that he would do it, but I kept a clear mind on the situation and decided that he would only do it when he was finished with me. I didn't want to be raped night after night, but I wanted to be a piece of wood even less. That would be a true living hell. I flexed my back against the stone behind me and leaned back once more. Upon my selfish fright, I had forced my body to climb up against the wall a bit. I slowed my breathing before leaning my head back and tilting it towards the sky again. Instead of coming eye to eye with a passing cloud, I came eye to lifeless eye with a madman.

Everything happened almost too fast for me to even recall. I opened my mouth to scream, but no noise came out, resulting in my lips flapping apart and together simultaneously. There was a sharp pain in my neck, and I spied a needle being shot into view. He ripped it from my neck so quickly that it had been practically painless. The painful part was whatever kind of fluids he'd injected into my system. It felt as though he'd put burning acid into my veins. My lips flapped even faster at this, my brain assuming that it was dangerous poison of some sort. I figured that Sasori was finally finished with me and had to dispose of me by order of the Akatsuki leader... or just because he wanted to. All positivity and hope that I'd been holding onto faded away, and I was left with only darkness. My eyesight was becoming blurry and my heart seemed to be slowing down. Were these what my final moments on Earth would be; staring into the eyes of my rapist? Would I wake up a wooden being the next time I opened my eyes?

As the last bit of sunlight faded from my view, I could hear chuckling. He always seemed to chuckle at my misfortune and his gain.

"I'm nowhere near through with your body yet, doll."

Authoresses' note:

I feel like I'm just speeding through these re-edited versions. I'm having a lot of fun with them! I hope they're enjoyable to read as well.

I'd appreciate reviews on how I'm doing - it's kind of like, why should I re-edit and re-upload if no one's enjoying them? Thanks!