Touch Of Black (2) - Just Around The River Bend
Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing of Naruto. But I do own Maiko and all of her counterparts.
THE ALL IMPORTANT A/N: Woot, here is 2! Itachi finally appears! PLEASE review:'( Oh, and you may notice a Mulan 2 (I don't own any of that either) reference in this chapter too! The song just kind of inspired me! But, don't worry, Maiko isn't actually singing it! Haha. That would make me laugh though.
The days drifted by slowly, and everyone in Konoha waited nervously for the attack, they glanced at the gates and the land beyond whenever they passed. Wondering when Akatsuki would make their appearance. Of course, it seemed that the Fifth had not thought everything through. Most eyes were set on the gates, but of course; Akatsuki were not that stupid and had decided to take a different route into the village. A route along a certain river. It was definitely an odd thing to behold, lots of wooden boats and people in black cloaks with red clouds on them. Certainly someone would think it was very perculiar indeed. A man with blue skin and shark-like features glanced about and then turned to the man sat next to him.
"We've arrived, a few more minutes and we'll be at the drop off point," He said, a huge smirk appeared on his face and his pointy teeth glimmered slightly in the sunlight.
The man sat next to him, who had long, black hair which was tied back into a ponytail did nothing. He remained seemingly motionless. As if in deep thought.
"All bad people must be defeated!"
A high pitched voice rang out and birds fluttered out of their resting places in the forest that was situated around the river. It belonged to a young boy. The Akatsuki members frowned.
"No Ai, how many times must I tell you that you can't have one without the other?"
This time a womans voice rang out, it was smooth and calm, and as the Akatsuki's boats got closer and closer to the drop off point, the voices became more clear.
"Earth, sky. Day, night. Sound And silence. Dark And light. One alone is not enough, you need both together. Winter, summer. Moon and sun. Lesson number one," The womans voice said.
"What do you mean Nii-chan!?" The boys voice rang out loudly again.
"Like a rock, you must be hard. Like an oak you must stand firm. You must to cut quick like I do with my blade. Always think fast and be unafraid,"
The boy laughed.
"That rhymes!"
The woman smirked. "Perhaps,"
Finally, as the Akatsuki got just around the river bend towards the drop off point, they saw the owners of the voices. The boy was small and young, he had flaming red hair and was as pale as the woman. She had short, choppy black hair and wore a black and white kimono which bore the sign of the Emiri clan.
As it is probably now clear, the woman was Maiko, and the boy her little brother Ai. She had stuck true to her word and made sure Ai was wherever she was. Even if that meant having to bring him with her to the river. On this day she had decided that she was train her brother up a bit. Although he could not do much, he was eager to learn. Maiko did not notice the black cloaked men coming towards her until the last minute, when she turned swiftly around ot face them. Keeping her brother behind her.
A blue skinned, shark-like man pulled out a great sword and was about to strike Maiko with it when a hand reached out and stopped him.
"Leave it Kisame,"
The hand belonged to a blonde haired man, who looked rather feminine, it took Maiko only a moment to realise who these men were.
"A- ... Akatsuki," She mumbled, keeping her eyes on all of them.
Suddenly, she heard a loud piercing scream, which came from Ai, he had been picked up by one of the members, she thought they were going to kill him until they knocked him out, she could only look for a second, as she felt a presence directly behind her. Maiko felt hot breath against her neck , a shiver ran down her spine and she managed to strain her sight around to see who it was. A man with onyx eyes, and black hair tied up in a pony tail.
"Foolish woman," Was all she heard him mutter, before everything went black..
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When Maiko finally managed to open her eyes, the first thing she did was look down at the weight that rested on her chest. She smiled slightly when she saw the familiar red spikes that were her brothers. He lay curled up on her chest with his thumb in his mouth. However, the smile on the Jounin's face soon vanished when she saw where she was. It was too dark to workout the details, but what Maiko managed to comprehend was that she was in a large room, with many of the Konoha citizins and a few ninjas. The room was dark, and crowded. All she could hear were people muttering and even a few crying.
"Where are they?" Maiko puzzled aloud, desperately scanning the room with her eyes to try and see if she could find her clan..but they weren't there. "Kakashi? Iruka? Asuma? Genma? Kurenai?" She mumbled the names of a few of her friends but could not find them either. Something very bad was going to happen, she could tell.
On further inspection she noticed that most of the people in the room were women and children. There were about 5 men at that was it. Was this some kind of prison? She didn't know. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her brothers voice; it was quiet and low.
"Where are we Maiko-chan?" Ai asked, glancing up at his elder sister and then around the room.
"I don't know Ai," Maiko answered, noticing the look of worry on her brothers face she sighed, stroking his hair gently with her right hand, while the other was wrapped around his back. Now she really wouldn't let him go. Not for anyone or anything. Not if she could help it.
"Unafraid Ai, you must be unafraid. You are a ninja, this is no worry for you," She reassured him, knowing well she was lying even to herself. For perhaps she was the most frightened out of the two of them.
Although, her worries were soon pushed aside for the moment as Maiko heard a loud creak, the door opened and in poored a huge beam of light. She clutched Ai tightly and watched as several of the Akatsuki came in and grabbed a few of the people, quickly taking them out again. More came in, and more left. Half the room had gone by the time Maiko managed to see some of the Akatsuki that she recognized. The shark one known as Kisame, the blonde man and the black haired man. Maiko couldn't help but shiver as the black haired mans eyes rested on her, only...his eyes were different. They were red.
"Sharingan?" She said to herself, she knew because Kakashi had one sharingan eye that used to belong to one of his teammates. The only others that possessed the Sharingan were the Uchiha's. And they had all been killed off in the massacre. Except two...Sasuke (One of Kakashi's students) and then...his older brother. The one who had slaughtered the clan.
As thoughts raced through Maiko's mind she didn't notice being pulled up from her place on the ground. Ai fell from her arms and landed on the ground, he seemed so fragile to her. He wasn't that young, and yet she always saw him as a baby. Which of course he was not. The person who had moved her was Kisame...or whatever his name was.
"What about this one?" He asked, smirking and looking her up and down.
"Whats your name?" The blonde haired man asked.
"Maiko Emiri," She replied nervously, glancing quickly at her brother who was curled up on the floor.
"I thought as much," Kisame chuckled. "She certainly has that air around her that the other women of the Emiri clan had,"
'Had? Does that mean...'
"Who will have this one then?" The blonde haired man asked.
Kisame glanced at Maiko and that at the blonde. "Don't tell me you get her Deidara,"
He reached his hand out to touch Maiko's face, but was soon stopped.
"This one's mine,"
Maiko glanced up to see the black haired man with the red eyes, on looking at him properly, she saw that his cloak was covered in blood.
"Bu-"
"No arguments,"
And, as it had been before. Maiko felt everything around her fade into darkness. And her consciousness was lost.
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A/N: Okay, I know this was short, but I have to leave now. :'( Will be longer next time I promise! Now, review! Its just the click of a button. Remember all the good karma I shall give you! XD
Rocking21
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