All righty, second chpt's up ^x^ I have to say I'm glad I have this story. I'm using it as a loophole in my head to further stop myself on working on my history fair project. I'll have to do it eventually though (*cries*)

Warning: Thought of one. Ok, be prepare for some Avatar Last Air bender-ish stuff, not really anything major, just came with some of the traits for our main character and there's a Pokémon. Notice the emphases I put on a. No one will be breaking out in song or "gotta chatch'em all", just to go with the story. All incase you were curious or confused ;D

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it's all Mashashi Kishimoto.

Recap: My throat feels so constricted. I can't speak. I can't even breathe. Here, a yard away from me, stands two of the most dangerous criminals know in this crazy world. In front of me are two members of the Akatsuki.

Chapter 2: Change of plans

I can feel my eyes going to saucers and I'm positive I'm gapping at them like a fish. Akatsuki members; cloak, red clouds in all. I recognized one as Kisame Hoshigaki. There were a few posters of him in the little town I lived in. He used to be apart of the Seven Swordsmen in Mist. The other I figured to be Itachi Uchiha. He was a holder of this unique bloodline trait called sharingan and he became a rogue after he murdered some royal mailman or something.

The next thing I know is I see a flash of red eyes and I'm only left to stare at Kisame as a kunai is pressed to my throat from behind.

"State your business. How much did you hear of our conversation?" Itachi said.

"I… I'm only passing through the area."

"Sure", Kisame said. "And you just so happened to run over and eardrop."

"Now again, what did you hear about the Santaka."

I knew that I blinked at the name. They know of the Santaka? Are they here now? Itachi pressed the kunai harder to my throat. Enough for a small trickle of blood to slide down. I hissed, becoming irritated.

"I heard nothing of your conversation. I was merely traveling when your battle made me curious enough for a look. You guys were done by the time I got there."

Kisame snorted. "And we're supposed to believe that? No one travels in these woods."

"By all means", I gritted. "I only know the Santaka are another race of people who are searching for the life forces of planets in different dimensions. They're using it to do something. I'm not sure what but I know once they absorb the life energy from your planet, it slowly dies." I know Itachi's staring at me and Kisame's looking frustrated.

"Let's just kill her and go Itachi. We've been out here for weeks. I'm ready to go." He reaches behind him and takes off his jumbo sword. He swings it towards my face and I manage not to flinch.

"…No. We will bring her back to base with us." Itachi stated. Both Kisame and I managed a "Huh?" What? Base? Why? "Leader-sama will be pleased to have another person who has information on the Sanata. Almost no one has heard of them." He took his kunai away from my throat and turned to me. "Have you had any experience with these people?"

"Yes." I say carefully. "But nothing that significant to make a difference."

"No matter." He said. "You will be accompanying us with our journey back to base. Objection is futile. Come along."

Itachi grabbed some rope from his cloak and grabbed my arms, tying them around my back. Kisame sighed and I was nudged his way. We were all eventually walking in sync behind each other. Kisame in front of me and Itachi behind me. The sun was slowly made it's way down. When it got to sunset, orange and yellow colors were splashed over all of us. This and the fact of our three man walking formation faintly made me want to sing Hakuna Matata, but I had the feeling this wasn't the time nor correct event for it. I should be in a lot of worry right now. I scowled, forgetting my previous problem as well. Great. I manage to 'steal' a sacred scroll, making myself a wanted ninja, and get snuggly with a couple of S-class criminals. "Oh Mom, if only you could see me now. You'd be so proud." I though sarcastically.

The orange became blue as night quickly making it's appearance. I feel exhausted by this time. My arms are aching and my calves hurt all over again. It's been a complete 24 hours since I left the cottage and sleep is stabbing at me every time I blink. Itachi seems fine, or as far as I can tell since I don't turn around, and Kisame seems to be walking a bit more sluggishly.

I faintly wonder if we'll camp out for the rest of the night at some point. I'm sure it could be worse but I'm tired, hungry, and extremely irate to the mosquitoes happily sucking at my neck and face as my hands remain tied behind me.

"Oi, may we stop to rest for the night?" I say. Kisame and Itachi remain silent. Ok, maybe they didn't here me. My eyebrow twitched. "I said, MAY WE STOP FOR THE REST OF THE NIGHT!"

Kisame winced at my volume directed towards his ear. Itachi grunted "Hn" and we stopped at a little empty space by the trees.

"Kisame, I will go find some fire wood. Set out our sleeping bags." Kisame nodded and Itachi left into the trees.

I found a moderately comfortable position to sleep in by a tall oak. And I watched Kisame set out two sleeping bags. I knew the answer but just wanted to ask.

"Hey, I don't get a sleeping bag?"

"No, you don't. You're our prisoner so you're going to sleep on the ground like one." I scowled at his smirking face.

"You don't even look like your past six-teen. You're such a baby. I don't get why we're bringing you. You'll just cause us more trouble."

"Oh yeah?" I seethed. "Well I haven't caused you any problems thus far and what about you? What? Did you get separated from your school at Sea World? Or are you secretly a merman because that's the only sea creature I've heard of to get two legs."

"Kisame's face turned an interesting shade of purple and he started sputtering incoherent words. At that, I only smile and waited patiently till Itachi came back with firewood.

Itachi used this cool jutsu to light our campfire. Fire was always one of my weaker elements. I copied the jutsu hand and words in my head for later.

Onigiri was passed around and we all ate quietly. I watched the fire with my rice ball between my legs. I have to crane my neck to bite into it and I start thinking of ways to escape. I can always go back Home… I sighed. That'd be being desperate. Only if I'm down to no other options.

I finished eating and boardley watched the other two men quietly converse. So their leader wants knowledge on the Santaka. And how so ironic I'm the one who'll get questioned.

When I said I really didn't know anything, I meant it. Perhaps I knew a few smaller things that either I hypothesized or used with context clues. I'm just a blind bat.

It had me thinking of them though. What if they know something that will further help me? I sigh. No. Too risky.

I really wish I could just pull up a rock, cut my bindings, and be on my way but the Akatsuki members obviously knew what they were doing. I recalled what Kisame said earlier "No one travels in these woods." Why?

"Hey, you said no one travels in these woods right? Why is that?"

Kisame looked over at my than gave feral grin. "Oh, that? It was said that here is where a beast lies. One so terrible, its steps can cause the ground to split and its gaze will make you turn to stone."

"Sounds like Medusa." I thought.

"Only those fool enough come here. There is always some sort of demonic presence but you never will find the beast. They say if you fall asleep here at night, it will come and eat your soul. This is Tranquil Woods."

I knew this guy was only trying to freak me out but I soon noticed the weird aura presence he mentioned. It was warm, very warm, and it was close to making me feel prickly again. I wonder what really lays here…

"It's just a legend. Are you scared little girl?" Kisame asked.

"No, you? You don't need to worry. I promise I'll protect you from weirdo's that come popping out the bushes. I've got your back." I held my head high and grinned. He only rolled his eyes.

"You never mentioned your name" Itachi spoke quietly.

"Oh, it's Ginger. Ginger PawWood." I knew they must have found my name odd but never voiced it.

"My Name is Kisame Hoshigaki and that is Itachi Uchiha."

I nodded. "I've heard a bit about you from my previous village Kisame. You were a part of the seven swordsmen. And you became rouge for killing a mailman or one of the sorts from your village, Itachi. Quite infamous I hear"

Kisame choked on the water container he just started drinking and Itachi blinked. I raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"That was way off. Itachi did not kill a mailman." Kisame said.

I huffed. "Well he killed someone. Murder's a murder. It's the same thing."

"He killed his clan, his entire family, save his little brother Sasuke."

"Oh… Yes, well I suppose that is a little different." I said, raking my brain to remember who told me that one. Probably one of the know it all kids in town.

Time came around to when Kisame offered to take the first watch while Itachi and I slept. Kisame sat straightly on a rock with his back faced to us and Itachi laid down in his sleeping bag and closed his eyes. I puffed a lock of my shoulder length red hair with small annoyance. It would be a lie if I said I was laying eggs from worry of my capture. I actually felt pretty mellow. I think it's the lack of sleep to blame that on but what ever.

There was one grain of rice left on my legs and I tried to shake it off. I hissed though as I saw a purple blossom fall lightly out of one of my many pockets, onto my lap. These damn flowers. Why do they keep following me?

I was about to blow it away when an idea hit me and lift me grinning like a fool. "That's how I'm gana lose these guys." Carefully I shifted the flower in my lap so it was fully facing me. Then I sucked in a small breath and held it. "As quietly as you can" I thought and blew.

A clean slice went through the flower. It also nipped me pretty good through my khakis but I ignored it. These flowers are known to be toxic to the point of death if not used correctly. Also they can induce sleep if sniffed enough (1). If I got Itachi and Kisame to smell the halves of this flower, they'd be out cold and make a perfect opportunity to unnoticeably escape.

I wait for a draft to come by and I whistled with subdue. The flower halves magically float in the air. I calmly breathed, helping to guide them in the direction I wanted. One half landed easily on top of Itachi's nose. He didn't stir or wake. Either if he was still asleep or didn't care, I wasn't sure. Next, I did Kisame. He was a bit harder since he was sitting straight, awake and alert. I had to make the flower hover in the air around him. If anyone was looking, I'm sure I looked much like a snake charmer, staring into the air as I directed it.

Eventually, Kisame was wobbly and fell backwards down to the earth. I smiled at the sight. Ahh, sweet freedom at last. With my foot, I kicked a heel to the ground and felt a sharp rock pop up from behind be. I sawed through the bindings on my wrists and turned to my captors.

"Well, it was nice meeting you." I said to the sleeping men. With a salute, I start running in any direction. Hopefully, I'd reach a place I could call a home.

``````````shift````````````

Akatsuki POV

Ginger did seem to be quiet an odd girl. She would randomly space out and squint her eyes like she was searching for something and when she talked, she had the slightest of an accent but it was clear were she wasn't from.

Kisame almost found it amusing at the significant differences in appearance from the three of them. Itachi had moon pale skin and dark raven locks and eyes. Kisame himself had dark blue hair and grey blue skin with three lines under his eyes like gills. Ginger had shoulder lengthy fiery red hair and dark tanned skin. She also had these weird golden eyes that would involuntarily pull someone in. Different practically shouted at them all .

She seemed kind enough. She was not very bothering and hadn't tried any escape attempts, which silently pleased Itachi. They both knew once the information on the Santaka she knew was given to Leader-sama, he would kill and dispose of her. Just like it always was.

They watched her as she nibbled on her rice. All left now was to head back to base.

````````shift````````````

I ran quickly through the woods, not knowing how long the effects from the flower would last on the two. Foxgloves are strong flowers. I can already fell the skin on my thigh tingle from the small air contact. The wound cutting the blossom later wouldn't be pretty either.

After a while, I start to notice a couple of chakra signatures and I curse. Those flowers are supposed to be strong. It's only been twenty minuets. Shuriken come flying at me from behind and I dodge and jump up high in the trees. More shuriken come flying. This time from behind and I notice five other chakra signatures approaching as well. It left me confused for a minuet. If it wasn't the Akatsuki, then who would be chasing me. I soon got my answer as a tall man comes in the light of the moon and addresses myself.

"Ginger PawWood, thought you could get away, didn't you? We're some of the best shinobi in this country. There's no escaping us." He takes on a fighting position and clutches out a short blade that viding in his chakra. The others around me take positions similar in their own sorts.

I wanted to whine in plain disbelief. Again? Really? Geese. If this is how it has to be, "Then let's get started" I whisper.

Kisame was livid when he woke up. He was incredibly itchy all over his body, namely his face. He could feel bumps and blisters coating it and he could only imagine the embarrassing purple tint it was giving off. Itachi was no better. In fact, he was doing worse. His face was a cherry red and he had bumps all over as well. Kisame also noticed this weird dotted flower sitting nicely on his nose but he brushed it aside. He was mainly concerned to the fact Itachi wasn't waking up. No matter how many times he tried calling his name, shaking him, even slapping him, (which he hoped to never be recalled in Itachi's mind), he still slept on like a hibernating bear.

And finally, he noticed the girl was gone! All that was left to show of her presence was a stout rock in the place she'd been sitting and the ropes Itachi tied around her hands. Kisame groaned, about to slam his head in a tree. Why of all things at all times? Leader was going to be pissed off if he and Itachi didn't return soon with the info they got from the two men they traced down earlier in the forest. Time was short and Itachi out cold. Kisame felt he was going to have to let the girl slide for now. They had to get back.

Kisame hoisted the unconscious Itachi in his arms and he mad his way north to the base. It wasn't long before he felt the chakra signatures of ninja coming his way from the south behind him.

"Now what" he growled. He set Itachi down and lifted Samehada from his shoulders and prepared for attack. Two hooded figured came from the trees. They were wrapped in this strange metallic material. It glinted slyly making Kisame's eyes hurt.

One opens his mouth to speak so the cloth over it shifts. "Kisame Hoshigaki, you and your partner Itachi Uchiha are wanted dead-"

"Tell me something I don't know" Kisame snapped.

"for upsetting the balance the Santaka has worked very hard to create. Prepare to face your deaths!"

It clicked in his mind now. Oh, these must be two of the Santaka's lackeys. Leader had mentioned something like this may occur. They're there to help eliminate pediments that would stop their main plan. They're unnaturally strong.

Kisame had to grunt as a series of punches, kicks, and claws were swatted at him. He still had to cover Itachi's sleeping body and there's only so much he could do from that and still manage Samehada. He used a fast water style jutsu and grabbed onto Itachi in the trees before they were swept away. Then ninja kept it up and Kisame sighed and engaged in battle.

The ninja was coming from behind so I ripped water out of a tree nearby and used it, slicing the man in half. I could feel sweat and blood dribbling on my upper lip. I didn't have too much time left. My energy is almost nothing now. A sharp pinch in my foot almost makes me fall. There was a kunai standing nicely into the browns of my converse and I only hope it isn't poison in it.

A series of thunderbolts help me in bringing down my last target. He falls to the ground without a sound.

"Thanks Flaffy. You're always there when I need ya girl." I said to the pink pokémon. I'm huffing for air and she just jitters happily and knocks me down with a hug.

I know there're more ninja coming. I only got six so there's no doubt there're others waiting to jump me. I sit up and sling Flaffy onto my shoulders. Quickly I grab a bundle of used kunai and shurikin on the ground and stash them back in my bag then headed out.

Flaffy's an extra weight on my shoulders and I struggle with my fast pace. There's something powerful in the area, I know it. I just can't find out where. Scents are mixed in everywhere; ranging from sweat, blood, wood, and earth.

My breaths hitched in anticipation and my instincts tell me to jump. I stop so suddenly, Flaffy flies off into the brush. Spinning around I form signs for one the only wind jutsu I know and blow out three powerful gusts of wind. What looked to be coming was a small comet. The wind stops its burning tyrant and I grab on to Flaffy in the bushes by her scruff to dodge the rest of the flying rock.

Dust shoots up everywhere and we cough harshly. It's hardly visible so I hop aimlessly. When I hit a firm stop for landing, I shoot out more gusts of wind, this time clearing the air.

I'm shocked to see when the dust clears, Kismet battling two Elves. He looks fierce but I can see he's injured and tiring. Itachi, who's sprawled out beside him, looks utterly useless. There are also bumps on their faces like they had an allergic reaction to something. Foxgloves. I was amused at the sight but I had to think quickly. Those elves most likely had crucial info on the Santaka. I felt drained and fatigued but if I could get them to talk, before Kisame went all Chuck Norris on them, it'd make my job a thousand times easier in the end.

I set Flaffy down and she mewled in question. Waiting for the perfect moment, I hop out.

Things weren't looking to good, even Kisame admitted to himself. His body felt too tired, too weak. And he was positive the sweat coming down his face has something more to do from than just the exercise strain. One of the metallic ninja comes running. Kisame prepares to block but a sudden red blur comes out and deflects them.

"G-ginger! Where did you come from?" Kisame says, startled.

She doesn't answer him and hops into action. She uses the wind to thrash the two Elves together and pulls water out her pouch to strike. The two men both sync their arms in a similar pattern and make the atmosphere tense and unproportioned.

Ginger's attention becomes more lame and she can't move fast enough to catch them. She's punched in her jaw and kicked in her stomach all the way into a tree with a crack. The two ignore her then, and stalk back over to Kisame and Itachi. Kisame was doing better fighting them but not by too much. They were coming closer and closer for the final blow. If he could only get rid of this weird genjutsu.

He hovers more over Itachi and yells "Kai!" Nothing happens. He was about to swing until Ginger runs over and shoots water at the two men, freezing the bottom halves of their bodies solid to two standing trees. The weird illusion of the sort the two created was soon dropped and things were normal again.

Kisame stared then smirked at the girl. "You know, I thought you'd be one of those people who flee when things get rocky."

"I am", she grinned, "but I promised I wouldn't let some pedophiles come and get you guys earlier, didn't I?"

Ginger approached the two ninja spoke in a dark voice that surprised Kisame himself.

"Where is your leader habilitating and what are their goals once he's obtained all the energy from the planets."

"As if we'd tell anything to you. Go back home and stop meddling with adult business." One spat.

Ginger brought her foot up and pressed harshly on the guy's esophagus. "I will ask you again. What. Are. His. Goals."

The men smirk insanely at her. "You'll find out in time."

"And until then", the other spoke, "we shall continue our duty as we wither."

Ginger understood immediately what they were planning on doing and hoped over near the two Akatsuki members and made a think wall of rock to act as a barrier as the two frozen ninja exploded.

The impact was solid. Hot air flew around them and the earth shuddered with the explosion. The rock barrier Ginger made slowly chipped away. When things settled around them, she dropped it all together and groaned.

The area around them was a mess. The blood and bodies of the men were mixed with the few pools of created water, scorched grass, and broken, roasted trees stood, surrounding them. She coughed in her arms again, harshly. She was speechless when she saw dots of blood on her tan skin.

Kisame was hoisting Itachi onto his back and picked up Samehada who was leaning on a tree. Ginger knew he was going to pass out in a select few T seconds. She went over to his side when he started tipping dangerously.

"Kisame, hold onto my shoulder. I'll help you find a cave or something.", she murmured.

She was slightly surprised when he did just that. They tumbled through the brush and trees sloppily but they soon spotted a small opening inside a cave that would perfectly hide people inside easily. They entered and Ginger made two earth beads. Kisame lays Itachi down on one and he practically collapse on the other one.

"Why am I helping them?" she thought. Well, they're big boys, they can manage on there own. Now can leave and just pretend non of this ever happened…

Rain was softly now tinkling its way outside. It made a hushing sound. That same one the forest always seems to bring all the day. It was so peaceful… so soft. Maybe just a quick rest… and I'll leave the next hour.

Ginger slowly slid down one of the walls of the cave and fell asleep. It was unknown to her, but she missed the next hour, the next and the next.

Foxgloves can't really induce sleep. I just used it like that for the fic but foxgloves are poisonous and can kill if not used in the right way. Most likely you won't know what the right way is so it you ever come across one, don't screw around with it!

Now you know Ginger speaks not only Japanese but also English, I'll make it known now that:

Any words Italic will be either Ginger's or someone else's thoughts. Also if

"It is used in speaking like this,", It is standing for one speaking English. Since no one else really know it in this fic, It will for now primarily be Ginger.

Yay, now guess what time it is… Yup, you got it! Review time, my magnificent fellow readers.

Peace out *^;^*