~Well, I'm back on top of things! Yay! ^_^ I'll be getting these things up somewhat regularly now.~
When I woke there was no one in the room. Perfect, I was so going to be gone. Pulling myself up off the table I pulled on my shirt and pants. Slowly and painfully I made my way to the window. I lifted the window and pulled myself out. Pausing on the windowsill, I reached behind me and pulled the window shut. I was now perched on a windowsill ledge in a wall of sheer rock… Wow… no wonder the Akatuski could keep their base hidden.
Taking a deep breath I jumped down from the ledge and took off running, much to my body's dismay. I had reached a large bank of trees and ran through them when I came to a sudden drop off. I froze at the edge; there was no way I would make it across in my condition. Numerous footsteps pounded behind me and instinct took over. Leaping over the edge into the black abyss I could only hope there was water somewhere below to cushion my fall.
As I fell I looked back up at the edge of the cliff and saw multiple men dressed in black cloaks gathered there. I recognized several as Zetsu, Deidara, Hidan, Tobi, Sasori and Itachi. Zetsu's figure dropped into the ground, most likely going to the bottom of the abyss. Itachi leapt over the edge and down towards me.
Rolling over in mid-air to face what I assumed was the ground, blackness swallowed me up. There was nothing but blackness to my right, left and below me. It felt as if I was unconscious again and drifting through the black with no sound but a dull roar. The roar slowly grew louder until it drowned out my thoughts. A moment passed and suddenly I slammed into ice-cold water.
My breath was taken right out of my lungs as the water pulled me under and I was tossed along the rough water. Breaking through the surface of the water I caught a glimpse of a slim line of daylight above me before being pulled under again. The current pulled me downstream before slamming me roughly into the rock wall. I desperately grabbed for something, anything, and my fingers caught onto a crevice.
Digging my fingers in I dragged myself out of the raging river and collapsed on the rough surface. I pushed myself up so that I was sitting up against the rock wall while the river roared and pushed at my feet. My clothing was cold and wet and clinging to me, causing me to shiver violently. A fireball suddenly rushed along the surface of the water, lighting everything up as it went. It fizzled out before it reached me, however a second fireball quickly followed. This one roared by me bringing a wave of warmth and intense light before it too fizzled out.
What was I going to do now? I was too tired to go anywhere after the ordeal in the river and even if I hadn't been exhausted, the pain was enough to keep me from going anywhere. Just then a small fireball flickered into existence directly in front of me. Itachi's form was illuminated as he walked across the water using his chakra. He came to a stop when he reached me and knelt down. "Are you alright?" His voice was soft. "Yeah, I'm fine." I lied and turned away. What would he want now, to take me back to his base as a prize?
His fingers traced my arm, "You're bleeding." I looked at him then down at my arm. "So I am Itachi." As soon as I said it I regretted it. His eyes looked down and a familiar sadness fell over them. "I'm sorry Itachi. I…" I didn't know what to say, "I didn't mean it like that. I wasn't trying to hurt you." He looked up in surprise. "You worry about hurting me? Have you thought about how much I have hurt you? I got you into that mess in the canyon, I failed to get you out of there and I couldn't even get you out of prison… and…" His voice choked, "I gave up on you. I thought you were dead and if you were alive… there was no way you actually cared for me. I hated you because I thought you lead me on."
I choked back a laugh, "It wasn't your fault. They were after me from the beginning." His hand brushed my cheek and he kissed my forehead. "You're safe now." He gathered me into his arms and stood up, the fireball flickering just above his shoulder. Sleepiness drifted over me and carried me off into the black as Itachi carried me out of the ravine.