Two good friends sat next to each other at the local bar. "Then she ran off into the woods..." Kotetsu groaned; the wrapped injury of his causing him to sigh with slight pain. He eyed the other who held a feral grin, "Izumo?" said man giggled, "I had mind numbing sex through prison bars..."; Kotetsu choked on his drink, his eyes wide and on his partner, "You... YOU DID WHAT?!" Izumo couldn't help but laugh.
"How can that jerk laugh? That bitch he shagged put us in the hospital!" Sai sniggered at Naruto's choice of words. Sakura rolled her eyes, "What about you Sai? How are your wounds?" the two friends gazed at their newest team addition, he could only shrug, "I'm okay. Won't be in the field for a while..." Sai's kind smile, but Sasuke like features caused Naruto to die inside, "We completely failed our mission!" he exasperated, "man I'm bummed!" he slumped down in his seat and yawned.
"Winter is tomorrow..." Kiba smiled into his drink, coke with lime, as he spoke to the man sitting before him. "So it is..." their eyes met, smiles were swapped, hands held under the darkness of the table." Kankuro... What should we do for Yule?" the question itself threw Kankuro off. He had forgotten about the nearing holiday, "Err... I haven't thought of that yet..." he raised his hands before him as he received a death glare from Kiba, "Hey! No need to get angry! I've been busy!" He stood, slamming his hands to the table, "Doing what?! Flirting with sluts you don't even know?!" Kankuro thanked the loud music as his secret mate yelled at him, "Getting my mission done successfully!" he spat back. Kiba's eyebrow twitched, his knuckles popped from the strain of clenching fists, "Liar..." he dug money out of his pocket to pay for his share and left for home. Kankuro stared for a few moments after Kiba had already left; he too reaching for money to leave behind.
Sakura couldn't help but laugh at the haphazardly hidden display of love between dog breath and the puppet master. "Wow, that was special..." Sai looked at her with confusion, but didn't bother to ask. "Naruto! What's wrong?" she slapped her kitsune teammate on the back as he fell into dreamland, "wuah!" he rubbed the back of his neck as he shot her a glare, "Ne, ne! I was just thinking!" she had a shocked look on her face, he knew what was coming, "You can THINK!?" he glared, rolled his eyes, and then got comfortable again, "big shocker huh?" his response caused Sakura to regret her words.
Two young women stood at attention in the center of the small office, their forms unmoving as if paralyzed. Four shinobi were lined to the right of the women, while the rest, unnecessary pieces of the game were spewn about. The Hokage sat; her fingers folded before her face, at her desk, her eyes darting from the two key pieces to her puzzle and the four others. "You two know the consequences of being caught. Your superiors will receive notice of your failure to obtain Konoha's sacred scroll." Tsunade paused to gather all of the expressions from everyone in the room, "and you shall both be severely punished, if not killed."
Sakura swallowed rather loudly compared to Rika's silent, almost hidden gulp, "Killed?" Rika broke her bearing to gaze at the pinkette, "Yes, killed. These two were not only caught, but have committed high treason." Rika sunk, her heart plummeting into depression as Mai's composure nearly broke. "What treason would that be?" The mature of the sisters couldn't help but wonder. From her seat, Tsunade rose, waltzing over to the young kunoichi, "It was not you, my dear... so perhaps your elders would spare you..." her eyes fell onto Rika, who stood quivering, "...I don't know what your customs are... so I don't know what will happen to either of you." She turned her back on the two, the only person in her view was Shizune, "...Because neither of you murdered any of my shinobi, I will not give you the death sentence. Unless your Mizukage sends a team after you, you two are my prisoners."
Rika stiffened as the Hokage's words took place in her brain, "...Rika, you have been serving time in prison, while your sister, Mai, has been under the supervision of the Aburame Clan. As you know my reasoning for that was because, at the time, she was a cat and a gift to Shino." she spun around, the movement of her large bosom causing almost everyone to fall over. Naruto had pinched the bridge of his nose in embarrassment, muttering the words "so huge..." into her hand."But due to Mai's recent activities, I hereby sentence her to prison." Kotetsu could hardly hold back his smirk. It was because of him that she was to be placed into a cold, damp cell.
Mai's brows knotted in confusion, "What, may I ask, activities are you referring to?" Tsunade took her seat behind her desk yet again. She shuffled some papers about until she found the one she wanted, "Injuring Kotetsu, threatening the lives of Kiba, Kotetsu, and Shino..." she stared at the paper some more, "and then fleeing the scene." Though her face and body language displayed no anger, Rika could feel the heated aura from her twin, "I attacked Kotetsu in defense. He and Kiba entered Shino's room and Kotetsu was going to take me from there to I do not know where. Both Shino and his father used their insects to create a barrier, but Kotetsu still pursed on. I had used a replacement jutsu so I was not hurt, but even so, Kotetsu stabbed my replacement in the chest with a kunai." Their eyes met and held glances for quite some time before Tsunade confronted the two Aburame members, "What about running away afterwards?" Mai stared the woman square in the eye, "I have no defense for that action."
An unstable building was the most secure holding cell in all of Konoha. To prevent escape, Mai was chained to the floor, her wrists and ankles bound by rusted yet sturdy metal. She felt like an animal. Tsunade placed a seal on both of the girls so neither of them could perform any jutsus to aid them while imprisoned. The chains were long enough for her to stand and move about the room.
A rather large crack in the corner ceiling allowed the elements to enter. She had no extra blankets or anything to keep her warm -- considering her choice of clothing, the coming snow would surely freeze her body. She sighed, the cloud from her breath fading into the rest of the air, "At least Rika will be alright..." her thoughts turned to her sister who was to stay in the barracks of Konoha; the warm cells with bedding and pillows... Yeah, Rika was safe.
"Izumo... Where is my sister?" the two sat next to one another on the cot in the decent sized cage that belong to Rika. Izumo shrugged, "I think she was to be held in that tower over there." his finger pointed to a decaying building that could be seen from the small window. Rika pouted, "Why? Why can't she be here?" a rather devious chuckle caught their attention, both heads turning to see Kotetsu with his hands on his hips, "Getting cozy?" he frowned when the two didn't laugh, "Mai is in maximum security because she is the more dangerous one, according to the Hokage. She was going to murder Sai, and most likely me as well -- she doesn't like men does she?" the question made Rika sink behind Izumo, "Rika?" Kotetsu smirked when he got Rika's reaction, "Bingo... In time, she probably would have assassinated Shino." Izumo shook his head, "Why do you think that?" he laughed again, "Because she was angry with him, saying that she had no free will and that she was not his guest that she was his pet. She was disgusted! If I hadn't have arrived, bug freak would've been dead by dinner like your bait over there said."
"It's snowing already?" Rika sighed into her knees. Both men had left her around an hour ago, her mind thinking about nothing more than home. They should have completed their mission by now. Rika was worried about her house keeper. "She must be worried..." the sisters were supposed to be home for Yule, but considering their current position, Rika doubted that would happen.
Snow piled up in the open corner as the sun dove into a sea of trees. With her mind focused on the gathering flakes, Mai didn't notice the bugs slipping into her clothing. Only did she realize that insects were burrowing in her body when she felt their tiny feet dance across her sensitive flesh. Her body froze. Mai couldn't do anything to stop them; she was too exhausted to try anything. Rusted hinges sang into the room, their shriek not comforting Mai in the slightest.
The intruder walked closer to the prisoner, her back turned. "A feral cat does not last long after it has been caught and caged." the voice belonged to an experienced male she had met in the past few days. "Soon you'll break under pressure -- be it the lack of food or the insects invading your corpse, you will surrender."
"I have no idea what you mean. I am surrendering nothing. I have nothing to surrender. You already have my cooperation! What more do you want?!" she spat back at the figure behind her, her eyes not moving from their spot on the snow. The man laughed, "You'll understand..." with a movement of his hand, Mai gasped, her insides felt as if they were being cooked. She fell over in pain, the man laughed, "You will be visited again on Yule... Be ready." a few short strides and he was gone, the door sealed tight like before.
-end chapter 3-
a/n: sorry this was so short. When it came to the end I just felt like it should stop there. anywho, thanks for reading.