"Erin," Lee said.
"Yeah?"
"Run."
"But…why?"
"Just go, NOW!!"
I looked up at him, my eyes filled with tears but I didn't know if it was from fear or sadness. I began to make my way into the forest but stopped, I had to see what was happening. The man Lee had told me to run from had long black hair, scarily pale skin (similar to that of his student) and yellow eyes. If a comic book villain escaped into the real world, he's what you would expect him to look like.
"Xmaru, what are you doing here?" The pale man said. His voice sounded serpent-like and sent a shiver down my spine.
"ALMIGHTY SNAKE LORD!" She shouted and saluted him. "I was extending my life sir!!"
"Fine," he said "Did you succeed then?"
She looked over at Lee who was standing from a safe distance, gawking at them like a pigeon on a park sidewalk, debating whether to beg for food or fly away.
"I see," The man said in his raspy voice. He flicked his tongue and it stretched so long that he could wrap it around Lee's neck and slam him on the ground. "Disgusting" I thought but not to forget my friend could die at this moment.
"…Then finish the job now."
I could see the girl, Xmaru take out something that looked like a knife and bring it close to Lee's throat. I don't know what I did the first time to save his life, but please, can I do it now? Tears started rolling down my cheeks and my eyesight blurred, which could have been a good thing since I get weak at the sight of blood.
"Dammit," I said over and over again punching the side of a tree until my hand was bleeding and raw. This doesn't happen in real life, this happens in stories, in movies, not in my life…I brought myself to look over at Lee and Xmaru and the man again, I forgot his name, and what I saw next was either a miracle or a freak of nature.
"GAH, get this thing OFF of me!!!"
A cat was clawing the mans head and was securely attached to it with it's claws from what I could tell. Lee was dropped to the ground and let out a moan, he had a gash across the side of his face but he seemed to be conscious. I wanted so much to go over there and say how happy I was that he was okay…and it was then I realized that I just met him, why do I care so much about him? Why was I staring at him in the first place? Am I some sort of stalker?
I discarded that though and quickly returned to reality.
"Don't worry sensei, I'll get it off!!" Xmaru tried to pull the cat off as hard as she could but it wouldn't budge. I laughed but tried to keep quiet.
Finally the cat jumped off, revealing the man's now scratch covered face.
"Crap," he said. "Now I new face."
It looked like an orange and white tabby, it had a hidden leaf village headband worn like a collar and a marking that made it look like it had a scar across one eye. It stood on two feet and did some sort of sign with it's paws.
"Meow!" Subsequently it multiplied. It looked like shadow clone jutsu but that's ridiculous. A ninja cat?
"Gahhhhhhh!! Get away from the snake lord you little rats or FEEL MY WRATH!"
The older man put a hand on the girl's shoulder.
"This is a waste of our time Xmaru, we should be going now. I'll find you other prey that is less…ugly," he glanced over at Lee and stuck out his snake tongue.
"Come along now."
When the sensei and student were out of sight I ran over to Lee who was trying to cover the wound on his face from the knife.
"Erin? I thought I told you to go," he said.
"But, I couldn't leave you…" I sobbed, trying not to face the boy.
"It's okay, I'm okay, you are okay right?" I nodded. "Then it is fine now, let's head back to the village. For real this time, okay?" I nodded again. Then, something furry brushed against the side of my leg. I looked down, it was the cat.
"Mew?" It looked up at me with a pitiful expression. "Um, here kitty, kitty," I chirped, not knowing what to say to a ninja cat. Does it understand humans?
"I think it likes you Erin," Lee elbowed me and I pushed him away jokingly. I picked up the cat so it's legs were hanging down and it's arms were stretched out like a zombie and shoved it in Lee's face. He smiled nervously and backed away.
"What?" I asked "Are you scared of the ninja kitty?"
"No! It's just that I have…allergies."
"Yeah riiiiigghtttt," I rolled my eyes.
We set off once again, to the village, swallowed up by the darkness of the night.
We were at the gate to the village when a faint rustling came from a nearby tree. Lee didn't notice but I turned to see if I was imagining things or not.
"Lee," I tugged on his jumpsuit. "Um, behind you…"
A giant Venus flytrap emerged from the tree and I fell backwards out of shock. And to make things worse, when the flytrap opened, there was a person inside. Or at least I though it was a person. It was half black, half white split down the middle with one yellow eye on his black side.
"Zetsu?" Lee asked.
"Lee…" the plant man seemed to be hiding something.
"It has been a while" Lee continued, eyeing the object that the creature was hiding. When I looked closer I could see blood dripping from behind him and smeared on his left arm.
"What is that?" Lee pointed to the white arm and came closer. Suddenly the plant-man collapsed and a teenage boy stood beside him with a large stick in his hand.
"Lee, you shouldn't be out this late, you know better…"
"Neji?"
"Yes, idiot. Who's your friend…don't tell me you got a girlfriend."
"NO!!" We both said at the same time, looking at each other.
"You people fail, more importantly…what is THIS?" The boy picked up a bloody leg off of the ground with a orange leg warmer still on it. Lee looked at it for a second and ran off into the village, screaming in horror and sobbing.
"Gai…sensei….It can't be." Neji placed the leg gently back on the ground.
"Hey kid," the plant spoke. I thought he was knocked out by the hit to the head.
The next thing I saw was the flytrap clamping down on the boy and blood spurting everywhere. I followed Lee, covering my mouth and wiping the tears from my eyes. I thought I was going to be sick.
I want to go home…I want to be safe…
XMARU POV
"ARGH!!!!! Where's my SASUKEEEE!?!?!?!??!" The snake man shouted flailing his arms around like an idiot.
"Stupid good for nothing, friggin' SOUND NINJA!!!!!!!!!! I want my Sasuke NOOOW!!!!!!"
"Lord Orochimaru sir!!!" I shouted saluting.
"DID YOU BRINGH ME MY SASUKE!?!?!?!" He shouted turning off angrily.
"Um sir, we just got back…How could I have?" I asked confused as my lord flailed his arms around pacing back and forth.
"Well GO GET HIIIM!!!!!" he shouted pointing to the door.
Kabuto ran in like the idiot I thought he was.
"Lord Orochimaru." I hated when he did that. LORD Orochimaru? He was MY lord not HIS!!!!! ARRGH!!!!
"We will find Sasuke, as soon as we actually MANAGE to get into the hidden leaf village."
"F U KONOAH!!!! I WANT SASUKEE!!!" He shouted storming off
