Hey guys! I was a little disappointed with the lack of reviews but I understand how some people are just too lazy to do it (I do that sometimes).

Anyways, this chapter is a little longer than normal and I'm wondering if I should add some sort of twisted romance. Tell me what you think okay?

And if you've noticed, I changed the summary to make it fit the story more. If something confuses you, write it in your review and I'll get back to you!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (I'm getting tired of writing this every time so remember it and apply it to the other chapters that follow)


Toria: watching the sky fall

Just what exactly have I done? I wondered as I lay on my back. I wanted so badly to sleep but I feel like I've forgotten how. I rolled over and sighed. I'm such an idiot, I mean really. I was playing the game the sneaky way, my way. I was so sure they'd underestimate my abilities, which they are, while I found a way to escape. Sure it seemed so quick and easy at the time, but I forgot to account for one important factor.

I have no ways of escaping this hell hole.

Everyone here was likely to be faster than me and I was clearly outnumbered. I couldn't use any jutsus because they'd sense it in an instant and come after me like bloodhounds. I couldn't even open the portal back home, for someone had somehow erased my portal markings. Now I had truly lost myself.

If they found out what I'd planned to do, they wouldn't hesitate to kill me. Heck, they'd probably be laughing as they did it. I sighed in desperation and closed my eyes. Eventually, I drifted off to sleep knowing full well what tomorrow will bring.

Welcome to Hell.


Toria: presently present at the training grounds, awaiting her fate

I was right. This is Hell. I was standing fairly close to Sasori and, you guessed it, my head was already killing me. Way to lose before the match begins, Toria! The rest of the Akatsuki members stood off to the side, silently judging me. The rules were quite simple.

The first one to knock out or kill the other wins.

I shuddered at that. Sasori noticed my discomfort and smirked. I glared at him in return. That seemed to amuse him even more. I grit my teeth in frustration. How the hell am I going to win? Before I could plan my first move, I heard the distinct shout of Pein telling us to begin.

Instinctively, I leapt backwards as far away from Sasori as I could get. While doing so, I sent a barrage of kunai in his direction. He easily dodged backwards and whipped out a scroll from behind his back. A poof of smoke appeared and with it, an unfamiliar puppet. I'd better be careful. Who knows what that thing can do...?

Sasori's puppet then opened its mouth and shot a shower of poisoned-tipped senbon at me. Gracefully, I jumped up as I dodged them, landed easily on a branch hanging overhead. I smirked. This is my territory. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Sasori's puppet emanating with toxic gases. Shit. One breath of that and it would be "Game Over."

I attempted to move out of his line of fire but soon found that I couldn't move my feet. Oh shit. I dared to glance down. Sure enough, there was fine charka strings wrapped tightly around my ankles. When did he- oh. I struggled but it was no use.

Hauntingly, the green cloud crept closer by the second. It was a mere 10 seconds away.

"Can't have you running away, now can we?"

I heard his smug tone but found that I was trapped in a one-way corner. I bit my lip in frustration to calm myself down. I tend to make rash decisions when I'm angry. But this was very bad. I had but two options and 5 seconds left. Option one, let the poison kill me and lose to Puppet Boy. Or I could use my specialty jutsu that may or may not give away my plans, which ultimately would get me killed.

I chose the latter.

Placing one hand on the trunk of the tree, I concentrated my charka and forced it into the tree. 2 seconds. The tree seemed to warp at my touch and instantly, it was almost like I had merged into the tree. But that wasn't the case here. I had merely opened a dimension hole and had entered the tree's shadow.

I sighed in relief for the green cloud descended on the place where I had once been. I glanced over at my befuddled opponent. I saw a flicker of confusion before his emotionless face returned. I smiled.

This particular technique was a specialty of mine and worked the best on trees. Don't ask me why. It was the ultimate escaping jutsu but required quite a bit of charka. Even now I was feeling weary. Nevertheless, my charka signature was untraceable because my being was essentially in the Shadow Realm. Yes it's that cool, it gets a name.

Quickly performing hand signs, I opened a miniature shadow wormhole and entered it. Instantly I was behind Sasori but for enough away so my head wasn't threatening to kill me. He was still in my range of view but unfortunately, I could only see in black and white here which can make things a perception problem.

But that's what makes the shadows so interesting.

They can't hear me, but I can hear them. And luckily for me, it only costs charka to enter, leave, and shadow-portal in this dimension. This could leave the game at a standstill. Right now, I didn't have immense charka to spare so my jutsus were limited. I wasn't sure what would happen should I run out of charka before escaping here. I assumed you would be stuck here forever seeing as your charka doesn't regenerate. But it's not for me to find out.

So, I began strategizing. From what I assumed, Sasori is a long ranged fighter with his puppet but can be all ranged since he himself is one. I was more a close ranged assassin type fighter which left me at a disadvantage, not that I already wasn't at one. Plus, I only have ranged jutsus that are too risky to use here. So yes, this was very bad. I couldn't really get close to him unless I could knock him out in one shot and it would be next to impossible to catch him off guard.

Oh hell, I'm stuck.

"Enough of these childish games," I heard Sasori call out.

I could tell he was annoyed and his patience was wearing thin. I took my time in observing the rest of him. He was in a defensive crouch with his puppet on standby. He was obviously on high alert searching for me. He was like those cute little boys searching for their lost puppies.

I stifled a giggle. Well he is cute What the hell am I thinking? Wondering just what I was thinking, a risky idea that could work came to me. I grinned. It was worth a shot!

Preparing my charka, I figured dwelling in his past wouldn't kill me so long as I won. Better now than never. I pushed charka into my feet as I use a shadow-portal, making me almost instantly appeared behind sasori in his shadow. He didn't seem to notice but I felt my head hurt like someone had thrown a boulder at it.

Swiftly and immediately, I focused a large reserve of my charka to numb the pain but kept enough for my checkmate move. It's all or nothing now. Manipulating the charka strings I'd attached to the kunai I threw earlier (Sound familiar?), I jumped over his head in a fluent motion.

I must applaud him for his excellent reflexes, but mine were better. By the time he acknowledged my movements and moved a finger, my charka strings had already pierced through his human core. He was paralyzed.

Making hand signs of my own, I bit my thumb for blood and drew a dying rose on the palm of my hand. I finished the jutsu by forcing the palm of my hand into his chest. Instantly, I felt woozy but the expression on his face was worth it. He showed shock and then confusion. I smiled in triumph as the jutsu took full effect and he collapsed. I was on the brink of collapsing too, but I forced myself to trudge back to my astounded audience.

I couldn't blame them for feeling a bit confused. I'll admit that I was too. How did I win? And soon remembered something, Did I just give myself away? Vaguely, I heard Pein clear his throat and announce me the winner. As expected, I heard no emotion in his voice. It figures. I didn't hear the rest because I collapsed in exhaustion.

I don't even remember if I hit the ground.


Toria: amnesia?

I awoke groggy and uncomfortable. I was lying on my bed and my muscles ached. Déjà vû, eh? I didn't feel like getting up but a note I soon found changed my mind.

Toria,

Do not make us wait.

Leader

"Good morning to you, sunshine," I muttered. Couldn't he be a little more specific?

As painful as it was, I somehow managed to make it to Pein's office. Inside, the usual Akatsuki members were already waiting for me, minus Sasori of course. I nodded a quick greeting as I turned my attention to Pein. I could feel everyone's eyes on me, not sure what to make of me.

"You passed." Oh whoop-de-doo. I still feel like shit.

What was even worse was that everyone in the room was suspicious of my abilities so they were all watching me like hawks. I suspect Itachi is watching me even more carefully.

"You are now an official member of the Akatsuki and as such, you will be given a cloak" –something was thrown into my face– "and a new partner."

Thankfully, that wasn't thrown at me too. A new partner? I wasn't aware of any other members besides the ones present right now.

"A new partner?" I mused out loud. I hadn't expected an answer, I was just thinking out loud.

"You will find out soon. He is expected to return from his mission shortly."

Great. Another guy and one I've never heard of.

"You are all dismissed."

I nodded hurriedly and went to my room. I threw the cloak on the floor in disgust. Like hell I'll wear that. Yes, my pride was acting up again. It was also against addressing Pein as "Leader."

Flopping on the bed face-first, I sighed into the blanket. I rolled on my back to face the ceiling.

"Great," I muttered, "Another jerk I'll have to deal with." I scowled in frustration.

"Oh, so now I'm a jerk?" asked an oddly familiar voice from the doorway.


There's the surprise I promised. Who could it be? And what is he/she doing here? Find out next chapter!