The first thing Ume noticed as she woke up was that she was bouncing uncomfortably against a hard shoulder. The second thing she noticed was that she had a pounding headache. She opened her eyes, then snapped them shut, groaning in protest at the harsh light.
"Hey, Kakuzu, look! She's awake," A particularly loud and annoying voice rang in her ears.
She felt whoever was carrying her drop her on her butt rather unceremoniously. Still gripping her head, she looked up, and up, and up, until she met a familiar red and green glare. Panicking, she attempted to scramble away from the intimidating man. Before she could get to her feet, his hand shot out and wrapped around her neck, applying enough pressure to cause pain, but not enough to strangle her.
"Don't try that again, understand?" Kakuzu growled.
Ume nodded. He released her, and his hand returned to its rightful place. Kakuzu glared at her for a moment, prompting her to look at the ground next to her. She was surprised when she heard a metallic scrape and thud; a kunai landed next to her hand. She looked back at Kakuzu, who adjusted his forehead protector. Her hand flew up to her own, fingering a long scratch across the metal plate. Hidan walked around the two ex-Takigakure nin and strolled down the path. Kakuzu offered Ume his hand. She hesitated before taking it and allowing him to pull her up. He pushed her, causing her to stumble a few steps.
"Walk," He commanded.
Ume did not have the gall to disobey.
(Nightfall)
Hidan led them off the path into the forest, stopping in a clearing at the edge of a stream. He flopped down on the lush grass, weaving his fingers behind his head. Kakuzu sat cross-legged with his back against a large oak tree a few paces away and closed his eyes. Ume decided to lean against a tree on the far side of the clearing. She curled up, resting her chin on top of her knees. She nodded off now and then, waking with a jolt when an animal's cry broke the silence.
Kakuzu watched her with one eye, resting the other. He watched as she periodically relaxed, and then bolted upright at the call of a wolf. It irritated him that she was well aware of her impenetrable skin, but still feared a beast that she could easily take down with a well-aimed punch. It didn't help his mood that Hidan was snoring. He fell asleep himself for a few hours, one eye still trained on the Tamaishi girl. He awoke abruptly when he heard a twig snap from behind Ume.
"Kakuzu." Hidan said under his breath, wide awake as well.
"I know," He growled in reply.
"Hmm?" Ume rubbed her eyes sleepily.
Several things happened at once. Kunai and shuriken rained from the treetops. Ume hopped up, startled and ready to fight. Before she could so much as raise her fists, Kakuzu wrapped his arms around her waist and leaped onto a branch. He vaulted from tree to tree at a breakneck pace, but even so, they were being followed. Ume heard a sickening sound come from his chest. He let go of her with one arm and pulled down his mask. He turned around in mid-air and blew a fireball at their pursuers. They screamed, falling to the ground, writhing as they burned.
Kakuzu landed on the ground a short distance away from their corpses, setting Ume onto her own two feet.
"Who were they?" She stepped forward to get a closer look.
Kakuzu walked past her. "Takigakure ANBU from the looks of it. They must have tracked us during the night," He answered, looking at the rising sun.
"But it doesn't look like they know who they're dealing with," Kakuzu walked around the corpses and back towards the clearing.
"Coming?" He turned and looked over his shoulder.
Ume nodded and jogged to catch up. She played with the bottom of her dark blue t-shirt. She wanted to ask him something, but wasn't sure how to go about it.
"Ask your question," Kakuzu growled.
"Who exactly are you two? Where are we going? Why did you kidnap me? Are you fro-"
"My partner, Hidan, and I are part of an organization known as the Akatsuki. We're headed back to base. We kidnapped you because Leader gave us this mission. That's all I'm telling you,"
Ume looked down at the ground as she walked. He hadn't let her ask her last question. His forehead protector said that he was from the Hidden Waterfall Village, but there was a slash through it, meaning that he defected.
'I guess I have, too,' She thought as she passed her palm along the groove in her forehead protector.
The rest of the walk passed in silence, save the song of birds as they awoke. The sun sent rosy light streaming through the trees; Ume closed her eyes and appreciated the sun's warmth. It was about fifteen minutes before they reached the edge of the clearing.
'Did we really go that far last night?' It seemed impossible to Ume. Escape was seeming more and more impossible.
Her eyes widened when they fell upon the blood soaked clearing. Five corpses littered the ground, four ANBU, one Akatsuki.
"Get up," Kakuzu snarled.
"Aww, I was enjoying the sun," Hidan whined, sitting up with a pike through his chest. He pulled the weapon out and it collapsed to a fifth of its true length. He stowed it in his cloak before he noticed Ume's disbelieving gaze.
"What? Do I have something in my hair?" He slicked it back with his less bloody hand.
"No, no it's not that. Are you..." She gulped, "Are you immortal?"
"Yep. Old man is too," Hidan nodded his head at his partner.
Kakuzu looked down at Ume, expecting her to recoil in fear or disgust. His eyes met a look of sheer awe.
"Woah," Ume whispered to herself as they walked back to the road.