AN: I'm terrible. I made you all wait-but I have an excuse! I swear! If you're curious, then read about it at the end. Other than that, enjoy!

Warning! This story will contain cussing, dark thoughts, extreme violence, and bloody deaths, though not too severe, so it shall stay rated as 'T'.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own the characters of NARUTO, though I DO own my OCs

Character Mini Bios

Daisy Kaminari: 15-year old girl that has dark brown hair with the tips dyed cobalt blue and sapphire blue eyes

Nathan: 16-year old boy with coal black hair and hazel brown eyes

Ashley: 17-year old girl with dirty blonde hair typically pulled into a ponytail and ocean blue eyes; Ryan's twin sister

Grant: 17-year old boy with golden brown hair and light green eyes

Mackenzie: 16-year old girl with copper colored hair down to her ribs and big chocolate brown eyes

Drew: 16-year old boy with red hair and forest green eyes framed with black wire glasses

Leslie: 16-year old girl with platinum blonde hair and ice blue eyes

Ryan: 17-year old boy with dirty blonde hair and ocean blue eyes; Ashley's twin brother

Michael: 15-year old boy with light brown hair and green dotted hazel eyes

Daisy POV:

Panic jolted down my spine and a scream nearly tore itself from my own throat as a bloodcurdling shriek pierced the air. Instead of reacting how my body wanted to, I forced myself to slowly face the others, their expressions mirroring my own-one of fear.

"W-Was that…Leslie?" Ashley asked in a hoarse whisper. Her ocean blue eyes were wide with her unvoiced terror-her pupils were even dilated to mere pinpricks. Grant gave a grim nod.

"Sounds like her. I guess something went wrong downstairs, so we better hurry up and check it out," The older boy replied, his voice just as low.

We all made our way down the wooden steps without uttering another single word. Silence between us was inevitable at this point. Descending the final step, I followed along behind Nathan as Grant led us down an unfamiliar hallway located to the left of the staircase. It was just as dark as the hall upstairs, but with the knowledge that something horrible could've just happened to one of my friends, it appeared all the more uninviting.

As we sprinted further down the passage, the entrance to another room came into view. There was no door to block our entry, and the light that spilled at our feet lacked warmth. In fact, it was rather cold and gray. Frantic voices reached my ears once I was within hearing distance. I knew they belonged to those that had stayed downstairs, though Leslie's unique tone was not among them.

What would we find waiting beyond the open doorway? Could it have been something small, like a spider that caused Leslie to scream so loudly? Or was there something more sinister lurking in the dark?

My feet froze in place, and I watched as the three ahead of me passed through the doorframe, none of them showing any signs of hesitance. The noise beyond my line of sight only grew louder in response to their entrance, though it was not as reassuring as I would have liked. No, it sounded as though Grant, Nathan, and Ashley were voicing their own panic amongst the others.

Why didn't I follow? Why won't my feet move? These thoughts and more coursed through my mind at lightning speed, though none were answered. My heart beat erratically inside my chest as newfound fear formed a pit within my stomach once more-or was it growing? It suddenly occurred to me that I had been frightened ever since I first stepped foot within the house.

Another shriek from Leslie forced my thoughts to cease, and out of instinct to help my friend, I rushed forward. The strong scent of blood hit my nose immediately, testing my gag reflexes and causing my eyes to water. I don't really have a phobia with blood, but I certainly didn't like how strongly it smelled right then-which could only mean there was a lot of it.

"What happened?!" I demanded after fighting down the bile that had threatened to rise in my throat. Mackenzie whirled to face me, her newly applied mascara running in black streaks down her face. Her eyes were wild with fear and…confusion?

"L-Leslie's b-bleeding and sc-screaming a-and we d-don't know why!" She wailed in choked sobs. The situation had obviously gotten to her.

Just beyond the sobbing girl was the rest of the group, though all but Grant kept their distance. The rest chose to give him room and only looked on with concern. Grant was kneeled at Leslie's side while she writhed on the floor in agony. Blood bloomed from a wound located where her right kidney should be, and I could've sworn I saw a deep cut slowly form on her left shoulder. Seeing her wince at its appearance further proved my suspicion that something strange was going on within the house.

"Leslie, come on, stay with me!" Grant urged, lightly patting the side of her head. The blonde tried to speak, but was only able to cough bright blood onto the floor.

The sight and smell of all the blood, not to mention the pain etched onto Leslie's face, brought a wave of nausea to me. I promptly turned away from the scene and vomited. I remained on my hands and knees, trembling and gagging even when nothing else was left in my stomach. I felt someone rub soothing circles on my back through the material of my dress. Ashley.

"Hey, you feel better?" She soothed, choosing then to comb her fingers through my hair. I slowly raised myself to a kneeling position, careful to avoid my mess as I scooted away.

I had meant to stand up, but I saw someone. An unfamiliar someone. This person was not the blue-haired woman I was used to, but instead a strange man. He had silver hair and fuchsia eyes, his skin patterned black and white to resemble a skeleton. The oddest part about him was the fact that I could very nearly see the wall behind him while looking right through his body.

I looked around at my friends, but none of them seemed to notice the guy. I dared another glance at him and noticed he held a staff in his hand, one of the ends sharpened to a point. I heard him chuckle darkly before he pierced his own shoulder with it. At the same time, Leslie released a pained shriek and thrashed in Grant's arms.

You'll be dwelling in the presence of Jashin soon, blonde bitch,He laughed cruelly. The smirk on his face was downright twisted and evil. I glanced back at Leslie in horror, having easily guessed that the stranger had something to do with her wounds. And now he meant to kill her.

"Daisy, do you need to leave the room? You seem pale," Ashley asked.

I ignored her and shakily stood up, forcing myself to walk forward on unsteady feet to the bloody scene. I knew the others had seen me vomit and were still watching me, but I shook off their questioning gazes and planted myself firmly in front of Leslie, blocking her from the stranger's sight. I saw him pause and frown slightly, as though he were confused, but that quickly was replaced with a sick expression of amusement.

Ha! So you can fucking see me! Not like that'll do much, stupid bitch. Your friend is gonna fucking die tonight, and you can't do shit about it! He chuckled, his laughter reflecting the crazed look in his eyes.

"Leave her alone," I demanded, despite the fact that chills were creeping up my spine. Grant looked up at me, a look of confusion etched on his face.

"Uh, sorry, what was that?" He asked. I had almost forgotten that I was the only one that could see this guy.

Try and make me, fucking whore!

I decided that talking with the foul-mouthed man would prove pointless, so I returned my attention to my friends. Leslie no longer writhed or thrashed, heck she hardly moved, and I could only tell she was still alive due to her shallow breathing. I then noticed that Nathan had given up his ridiculous cape so Grant could use it as a cloth to soak up the blood flowing from Leslie's wounds. Grant was currently pressing the neon-colored material firmly onto the gash in the girl's side. The blood had quickly stained the material until not an inch of the original color remained, despite the older teen's efforts. Leslie's leotard was also stained red, and now her skin was paper white. She had lost too much blood.

"Grant, I-I tried to called an ambulance, but there's no signal on any of our cellphones!" Ryan informed. I saw him stiffen at the report from the jock.

"Damn…" He growled. He tore a sleeve from his suit off and used it to replace Nathan's cape.

Speaking of Nathan, he had been unusually silent until now. Looking around, I found that he, along with Michael and Drew, were currently missing. Mackenzie was still wailing her concern for Leslie, though at least Ashley was there to comfort her. Ryan now stood as lost as I felt just behind Grant. I didn't have to look up to know that the malevolent stranger from before still lingered just beyond my circle of friends.

He shrieked various profanities to gain my attention, and I could've sworn that he even moved forward a few steps, but I tried my best to ignore him. I knew he was dangerous, and if we weren't careful, he could very well kill us all. Provoking him would be an idiotic move at this point, and I had a feeling that he was quick to anger. With how I've seen him act so far, I would also guess that his way of expressing such rage would be through bloody violence.

However, the fact that he appeared to be practically transparent is what had me shaking.

After watching all of those horror films and reading several suspense novels, I considered myself well-versed with the supernatural. I'd joke with my friends at each and every thing meant to terrify and thrill young minds such as ours. I'd ride all the 'spooky' rides just for the heck of it, and laugh instead of scream like the rest of the passengers. Nothing about the afterlife had fazed me. Ghosts failed to strike terror within my being. I wasn't scared because I knew that none of it was real.

I was wrong.

Somewhere just behind me was an actual apparition oozing murderous intent, and things did not bode well for us. What could one do in a situation like this? There certainly was no priest or exorcist around to lend any assistance, and we were stuck indoors because of the vicious downpour outside. I was moments away from a full-on freak out; my nerves just could not bear this kind of stress.

"LESLIE!"

Mackenzie's sudden scream forced my attention back to the wounded girl, and upon noticing her condition my eyes blurred with tears. There was even more blood than before; it pooled around Leslie's thin frame and coated her costume. More leaked from her mouth and some scratches on her pale skin. I could not bring myself to look into her eyes, fearing they had already gone dull. A weak cough from her throat reignited a small flame of hope within my chest, though I knew the situation was now very critical. We were stuck in a house in the middle of nowhere during an ugly thunderstorm with a wounded person and no hopes of saving her. My heart may as well have stopped pounding because I felt as though I were already dead.

I squeezed my eyes shut and turned my head to face the floor, allowing bitter tears to wash down my cheeks. Why, why was this happening to us? What had we done to piss off the Universe? As far as I knew, nothing.

"L-Leslie…" I whimpered, rubbing furiously at my eyes as I tried to control my breathing. Passing out didn't seem like a good idea, considering that there was some evil presence lingering in the room with us.

Footsteps and a flurry of shouts sounded behind me. I didn't look up as the boys that had gone missing reentered the room in a clumsy stampede of concern. All sounded breathless, and I wanted to close off my ears to their words, but failed to ignore one crucial sentence:

"Guys, the doors are locked-we can't get out of here!"

Oh, shit.

-0-

No One's POV:

Elsewhere in the large building, Pein gathered with the rest of his group known as the Akatsuki-minus one member.

"So…Hidan's already started, I take it?" The leader asked, his ringed eyes indifferent. A nod from Itachi confirmed his suspicions.

"Deidara, Tobi, and I were witness to the start of his rampage. We can only hope he has more control…"

"Control my ass," Kakuzu snorted, crossing his arms in a show of annoyance.

"Unless you all want to miss out on this opportunity, then I suggest you all get to work on your targets," Pein warned before any more comments could be made.

"Um, Tobi has a question…" The masked member of the group said after a moment's pause.

"What is it?" Pein asked, his eyes narrowed slightly. There were only so many antics he could handle at once…

"Who kills who? And what should Tobi do? Oh, and how about-"

"That's more than one question!" Deidara growled, hand twitching at his side in poor self-restraint. It was clear to see that all he wanted to do was blow the immature idiot sky high.

"Figure it out," Pein replied through gritted teeth. Oh, how difficult it was to remain calm and indifferent around such idiocy…

"You all should head out now, before Hidan decides to slaughter the rest," Konan suggested smoothly, effectively interrupting the previous signs of hostility between the members.

"I think that's a good idea. What do you say, Itachi?" Kisame said with a predatory grin, turning to his partner. The raven-haired male gave a slight shrug.

"Might as well."

"Come on, Brat. Don't keep me waiting," Sasori warned in a dull tone as he took his leave as well.

"Hey! Wait up, hm," Deidara huffed in irritation before following after.

"We should go, too-before there's nothing left for us to devour," Zetsu grumbled, sinking through the floorboards.

"Wait for Tobi!"

"Are they all finally gone, Konan?" Pein questioned.

"Yes, Nagato. Hopefully they'll follow instructions better this time around."

"Those fools. They always try to go off on their own. It's because of this that nothing ever goes as planned. In fact, the last time we had a sizable group of targets, Hidan sacrificed them all to his supposedgod…" Pein seethed, the storm outside growing louder in response to his anger.

"I'm certain that it'll turn out better this time, despite everything else," Konan stated. The leader sighed and turned to face the distorted window.

"Perhaps you're right…"

-0-

Daisy POV:

Her hand grew colder in mine as I held it. Nothing else mattered around me. The others, I knew, felt the same as I did, but at the same time it felt as though no one could understand my feelings. I sniffled, searching ice blue eyes with my own blurry ones for signs of hope, confidence. There was none of that-only defeat.

"D-Daisy…*cough* Guys…please…it hurts s-so much," Leslie gasped out, immediately releasing another cough that splattered more blood onto the floor.

"J-Just hang on. You'll be alright. I mean, it's t-too soon," I choked out. I wanted to throw up again, but my throat was tight as feelings of grief overcame me. It was difficult to breathe.

"Leslie, you are not allowed to die!" Michael cried out, his anger momentarily surpassing any sadness he might have felt. Mackenzie held on to Ashley, screaming into her shoulder hysterically, while the others stood solemnly, tears building up in their own eyes.

"Please…Leslie!" I sobbed, squeezing her hand tightly in hopes that it would anchor her to the world we lived in.

"I-I *cough cough* can't feel…anything…tell my parents that I'm sorry…for not *cough* being a better daughter…" She rasped weakly.

"D-Don't talk as if it's too late! Leslie?"

Her eyes closed. "*cough* I-I'm sorry..."

It was summer. The day was bright and warm, unusual for the town known for its sudden downpours. I was new, just moving in with my older cousin. My parents made it clear that I was only a burden on their business trips, and I'd simply had enough. Moving in with Tetsu and his younger sister seemed like the best option, and so far I was not regretting my decision.

Since I was new in town, I wanted to become more accustomed to the place, familiarize myself with the scenery. The mall seemed like a good place to start, so I headed out. I admired the large structure and its elegant design in comparison to the other businesses before striding through the glass doors. I was greeted with a blast of cool air and a ton of unfamiliar scents that mingled together.

In dire need of new shoes for school, I located an affordable shoe store with a variety of selections to choose from. Baffled at where to begin, I quickly found one of the associates working that day and timidly asked for assistance. Her hair was platinum blonde and curled slightly, most of it flowing down her left shoulder as the rest cascaded down her back at moderate length. Her eyes were icy blue, yet they retained warmth. Just by looking at her, I could tell that she belonged in a more sociable crowd and immediately felt intimidated. But she only graced me with a friendly smile and pointed to the nametag pinned to her red polo shirt.

"Hey! I'm Leslie, so if you need assistance, then I'm your girl!"

"Daisy, Daisy, Daisy. You'll never get a boyfriend with that attitude!" Leslie scolded, wagging a finger with a perfectly manicure nail in my face. I had been sitting in the library at school when she had found me.

"Maybe I don't want one," I mumbled, sticking my face back into my book, feeling a bit self-conscious when I realized that Leslie's loud volume was drawing attention.

"…Are you lesbian?"

"W-What?! That's not what I meant!" I gasped, horrified. How could she jump to such conclusions?!

"Don't worry, I'm not one to judge!" She said with a sincere smile. Ugh, this girl…

"Okay, which dress defines my butt better?"

The two of us were at her favorite clothing store at the mall while the others split up at other stores. I was the unfortunate one stuck with the 'honor' of judging her appearance after every single outfit she tried on. Totally unfair.

"Leslie," I sighed, rolling my eyes, "That's not a question you ask someone that lacks taste in clothing."

"You don't have to have fashion sense to know if this black dress makes my ass look sexy or not!" She countered. I groaned.

"Fine. The purple one looks better-in my opinion."

"Okay! Thanks, Daisy! I knew I could count on you!" Leslie cheered, squeezing me tightly in a hug.

"…For what? Deciding if your ass was sexier when covered in violet fabric?"

"Daisy, I just wanted to thank you."

I glanced over at the platinum blonde-haired girl in confusion. We were sitting at the food court in the mall after Leslie had finally gotten over the devastating break-up she had with her boyfriend. That bastard. Oh, well. Thanks to Grant and Ryan, the jerk had a broken nose and a fractured ribcage. I still didn't think it was enough. After all, he had cheated on her with two different girls-at the same time.

"Huh? Thank me? For what?"

"For being there for me. For being the first person to realize that I wasn't some conceited bitch. You don't know how much it meant to me when I first met you that someone was willing to talk to me just because they wanted to.

"People typically found me unapproachable, or other girls just considered me some slut because they couldn't take the time to know me. But you were different. You allowed me to fit in with the others because you took the time to know me…" Leslie explained, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes.

"I-I didn't realize…" I said softly. I hesitantly pulled her into a hug, and the two of us sat there silently, enjoying each other's company with the knowledge that we were close friends. Friends that would do anything for the other.

"So, I just wanted to thank you…" Leslie whispered into my shoulder after a while. I allowed a small smile to form on my face.

"You're welcome, Leslie."

"LESLIE!"

The first victim! Okay, this is going to be extremely hard for me because I made the stupid mistake of getting too attached to my characters…

I'm still iffy on how this turned out, but I hope you guys enjoyed it nonetheless, and hopefully the next chapter will come quicker next time around.

As for why this was late, school got in the way. Too much homework! And then I had gotten sick for a period of nearly two weeks! Yeah, I can't type when my eye's infected or when I'm vomiting…

So I apologize for the wait, but thank you all for being so patient! I also want to thank you all for the reviews you've given so far! They really make my day!

See you all next chapter!