Good Girl: Rewrite

Eternal: Whew, sorry for being dead for awhile there, guys. I had finals and now Christmas joy and preparation. Any who, I hope you all haven't suffered much from my lack of updating I know it's a pain and annoying. Please ignore the random typos, I writing this on a new laptop so the keys are all funny to me. And did anyone listen to "Think Twice" by Eve 6? Please give your opinions whether o not it kind of matched, pretty please.

So, I'll shut up and let you read now.

Chapter 14

"Call back your chakra," advised Kakuzu as the three man team jumped from branch to branch. Hidan raised an eyebrow at the strange comment before turning to look at Zetsu, who was trailing behind them. It was difficult to gauge his expression, his plant was pulled close to his face overshadowing basic facial features.

"We're still too far away to sense any specific signatures. Wait until we're closer before over spending your chakra."

"Hmph." Hidan's mouth formed a grimace. He didn't like that Taki's life was at stake and he certainly didn't like working with Zetsu. Apart from the obvious cannibalistic nature, he vaguely wondered when his last meal was.

It was a well-known fact that he flirted with the white haired kunoichi but it was just for shits and giggles. He didn't mean anything by it, mostly he just wanted to see how fast he could make her face turn red. Innocent fun, nothing serious. Sometimes he took things too far and he had the nagging suspicion that Zetsu hadn't really forgiven him for those times. After all, he was touching his partner. Possessive behavior seemed to be within the plant man's range, so for the time being he would buddy up to Kakuzu. He would regret it later, he just knew it.

"So...the weather isn't shitty today, huh?"

"Hn."

"Hey, I'm trying to start a conversation, you jackass!"

Only a little further to Konoha...thought Zetsu. Though only half of his mind could focus on the task ahead: sneaking into the village, breaking into the Hokage tower, locating Taki, setting her free and continuing with the war and destruction that would follow.

While the other half was flipping through every memory and every scenario that could have happened without him at her side. If she had been pushed to use her ace he needed to move faster and out run the two man team. They had never really pushed her trump card for long periods of time because after a few hours, twelve at most, it started to take a toll on her body which would not be good for the upcoming war. His hand clenched around the small container in his pocket containing the soldier pills. Without a doubt she would need them.

Roughly two and a half days had passed and her image was already growing fuzzy in his mind. He grasped the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb to apply pressure. God, he had to find her fast. He was going crazy.

Sasuke sometimes spoke to her. Well, at her could be a bit more accurate. She could gather that his eyes were covered which was why he couldn't pick up on the fact that she was practically an ice sculpture or maybe he was injected with the shot too, she couldn't quite remember if they had mentioned that he had or not.

How long had it been? Her sense of time was thrown off since it was always dark to her anyway. Longer than a day, maybe even two or more but she couldn't be certain. She couldn't ask either, trapped within her own jutsu. The sickening fear of being forever frozen sometimes surfaced but she always thought of something else in order to keep herself busy but nearing two or three days of only herself, she was running out of topics.

"I'm sure you're exhausted. Your chakra's been constant for the past few days. So, what's the catch? You stop using your chakra at a certain level, you die?" For having his eyes bound he was still really perceptive.

She kept her chakra flowing at a stable level because it meant that she was alright and that she was aware of what was going on around her. Never before had she lowered it past that degree and it was making her nervous because she was getting really tired, it was getting harder to keep her chakra flowing in the same pattern. She wished that she had practice more variations of the jutsu with Zetsu.

Not to mention that Ibiki and the doctors kept coming in to poke and prod at her, which meant that she had to extend her chakra further in order to get them to mind their own business. They tried hammering and she shocked them with pure chakra since she couldn't use hand signs. She felt their blows because whatever was done to the glass would appear on her skin after Zetsu disables the technique.

Her physical well-being was dwindling too. While she was incased in glass, she had to lower her body temperature and heartbeat, almost like hibernation for animals. So, she had to stay mentally active while her body was forced into slumber. More than once she accidentally dozed off and only woke up due to the sharp pain that stabbed at heart, reminding her to stay focused or else.

"God, here comes that moron, Naruto..." grumbled Sasuke. Inwardly, she smiled. Naruto Uzumaki had been coming every few hours to talk to his best friend and try to convince him to give up the hunt for Itachi and come back to Konoha. He was really trying to save his friend, in a sense, it was almost like what Reija and Buisura had tried to do. Then again, Naruto was the nice one trying to help the cold one while her teammates were the opposite. She wondered vaguely if they were still in the Leaf village.

Fire country. Konoha. The village hidden the leaves.

They were finally here.

Zetsu separated from the zombie team, barely hearing Hidan mutter some profanities of relief. He merged into one of the many trees and he started to scout out his partner's chakra signature. Nowhere in the outskirts obviously, the Hokage wouldn't keep prisoners so close to the border, that would be foolish. Instead, she would keep her near so that she could keep a close eye on her.

Like in the Hokage tower for example.

A smirk spread across his face when he found the signature blazing like a light house, practically screaming for him to find it. Centered in the Hokage building, below Tsunade's office but above where citizens would interact. Poised perfectly, as if daring someone to try and break in. Without a doubt there would be high security but what did it matter when the third ninja war was going to begin?

He melted into the ground and started for the large center building, adrenaline pumping. Already he could see Tobi creating fissures in the foundation, most likely they would rupture when he gave the hand sign. Buildings would shake, the ground would break apart and people would scream. Almost a poetic way to start a bloody war.

Zetsu was beneath the important structure in only a few minutes, now the only question was how he would enter undetected. The simplest way would be to crawl up within the wall and step out on Taki's floor. No problem.

Around the seventh floor her chakra started to get prominent so he moved out of the wall like an apparition from hell, the flytrap terrifying and intimidating while his skin tone shocked the science of life.

Someone screamed and he turned his gold eyes to the pale doctor who was cowardly hiding in the corner of the room. His stomach growled, reminding him when he last ate, which was too long ago to be ignored. He was on the man in an instant, sharp teeth bared and snapping.

"Where is she?" he growled. The doctor paled ashy gray and looked as if he wanted to faint, so Zetsu simply slammed him against the wall in order to keep him conscious.

"The Akatsuki prisoner! Where is she?" The poor man's glasses were slipping down his nose as he sweated profusely out of fear.

"I-I-I am not at l-l-l-liberty t-to say..." he stuttered. His eyes were wide and watering as the plant man brought his face closer, his voice a snarl.

"And I am not at liberty to let you live. What do you say to that?"

"Th-the floor b-b-below us. Sh-she won't wake, w-we've tried everything and even i-if she c-could, s-she can't s-s-see." At the end, the doctor sounded as if he was trying to show confidence by stating her weakness but all he did was provoke the beast and he instantly knew his error as soon as the words left his lips.

"No shit she won't wake and what do you mean she can't see?" A feeling of dread was building up in his gut. If they took her sight, they were in deep trouble. Her eyes were key in all of her attacks and defenses.

"I-i-it's protocol f-for criminals w-with s-sight related K-K-Kekkei G-Genkai. Wh-when they have con-convinced Ibiki th-that they're g-g-good we g-give them th-the antidote and th-they're up f-for par-parole..."

"Give us the antidote. Now."

"I-I can't-" His grip on his throat tightened and his voice rose a few octaves. "I-I don't have access to the case! Y-you need a key!" He shakily pointed to a small metal case that was shimmering with protective chakra.

"That case?" The man gave a squeak and a nod. With a huff, Zetsu gloved his own hand in chakra and it melted into the case. The doctor could only stare with his bulging eyes, gasping for air since the black grip would not slacken. A few moments later he pulled his hand back, a vile and syringe in his hand.

"That wasn't too difficult."

"N-now, l-let me go!"

"We should let you go because you gave us the information we asked for?"

"Y-yes!" His face was turning blue as the criminal smiled with his sharp teeth, an evil gleam shining in his eyes.

"Well, you see, if we let you go then you'll just run as fast as your pathetic legs will allow you and go straight to the Hokage-and we can't really allow that to happen." His breath was coming out in wheezes and sweat was dripping off his nose, matting the bangs of his black hair.

"Plus, we haven't had a real meal in ages. You're a little thin, but you'll do."

"Wh-what do y-you mean-"

His scream echoed in the sterile room as the monster dug his teeth into his skin, peeling back the flesh that he hungered for and spraying blood everywhere. After a few moments of continuous bleeding and ripping out his jugular, his screams finally died and his body stopped fighting. He only took enough bites to sate his stomach, he couldn't pig out or else he'd be sluggish in the fight. What a useless human being. He even tasted bland.

Not bothering to wipe the fresh red blood from his face, he took a breath and sunk into the floor.

"Hokage-sama! Urgent message!" The office door was forced open and the messenger stumbled inside, out of breath and shaking.

"Well, it better be important or else you owe me a new door, Konu." The blonde rested her chin on the heel of her hand, appearing bored. She was just reaching for the bottle of sake beneath her desk when he barged in.

"Yes, Hokage-sama! The message is from the Akatsuki!" Her eyes widened as she held out her hand.

"Give it here." The second it was in her grasp she could see the Akatsuki emblem and she tore it open without another thought. Her eyes scanned it furiously, even reading it a second time to make certain of what her eyes had just seen.

"Get me ANBU, Black Ops and get someone on that Akatsuki's room!" she demanded. The boy bowed and left the room in a sprint. She pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath, standing to look out her window at her beloved village.

"All this trouble for one girl..." she mumbled.

The door opened again and the room became filled with masked shinobi, every one of them standing at attention. All of them were dressed in their full gear. They would need it.

"I need you to guard the perimeters and some of you need to pass the word throughout the entire village." Tsunade took another breath and faced them fully. "And someone will need to stop the Grass nins from leaving, they'll be valuable too."

"Akatsuki is starting the third ninja war and every country's shinobi force is heading for Konoha."

The Iwasura head walked calmly to the meeting room, his white hair pushed back away from his face, his green eyes sharp. What the Kage wanted was beyond his imagination, he had more important things to do then listen to him prattle on about politics.

He slid the door open and stepped into the large room, the first one there. He was always one for punctuality. Early was on time and on time was late in his book. After waiting a few more minutes he gave an impatient sigh-

"A sigh chases away happiness, Tsakui. Haven't you heard that before?"

His wife's words echoed in his ears as he activated his genetic trait, in order to learn what the meeting was going to be about and whether or not it was worth wasting his time on.

The room was going to be filled with every important figure head. The Kage, himself and other clan leaders from all over Grass. The Kage was going to stand at the head of the table and read from a scroll that had a red cloud insignia holding it close. Everyone's expression was worried as the Kage read the scroll to himself and then placed it on the mahogany table. His face was very solemn, even grave as he turned his eyes to the people he gathered, specifically him.

"The Akatsuki have declared the third ninja war. The battlefield shall be Konoha for they have taken the criminal Taki Iwasura as hostage. We shall ready our shinobi and head for Konoha immediately. We fight only the Akatsuki, no one else."

His eyes narrowed as he left the room in sprint, sandals hitting the wooden floor harshly and he sped by the other meeting members without saying a word. Once he reached the end of the hall, he disappeared in a puff of nin smoke. Taki was his responsibility, no one else's. He would set this right.

"Man, I can't wait for the meeting now. I'd pay to see what got ol' Tsakui Iwasura in a fuss," joked a younger leader.

"Hey Reija," started Buisura, zipping a pocket closed. The copper head looked up idly from a magazine that he had been staring at the same page for fifteen minutes straight.

"Hm?" The blonde fidgeted slightly and straightened his glasses before turning to face his comrade.

"You never told me why you hated Taki so much when we were Genin." There. He said it. Now for the time bomb to erupt.

He stared blankly for a few seconds then returned to his magazine shrugging his shoulders.

"You never asked." He had to roll his eyes at the cryptic answer.

"Probably because you would've broken my glasses if I did." Reija gave a snort and got to his feet.

"You're probably right." He stretched and gave the room a lazy once over. "Are we packed?"

"So, why did you hate Taki so much when we were Genin?" he asked, ignoring the subject change. "And don't give me some macho BS either." He avoided eye contact for awhile and walked behind the island in the kitchen, opening a bottle of water and taking a swift drink.

"Reija-"

"I hated her family more than anything." He noticed the strange look that Buisura was giving him. "C'mon man, you know what I mean."

"I can't say that I do. Please elaborate." The glasses wearing shinobi took a seat on the edge of the other counter, studying him like a textbook needed for a test. Finally, he was going to get the story behind the unnecessary animosity. Reija gave a sigh and hopped up to sit on the island, so to be at equal height.

"You knew that my family wasn't very well off, right?" he asked. The blonde nodded.

"Well, my dad always ranted about the high class families, the higher ups. So, as a kid, I would follow my dad's example and hate those kinds of families too. It didn't take very long for it to become a blind hate fueled by nothing." He took another drink before continuing. "Already I had a humongous hate for rich families with their rich kids who get whatever they ask daddy for, and that was before I even officially started at the Academy."

"So, when our first day came around, I immediately spotted Taki. The kid had white hair and funny eyes, it was impossible not to notice her. She was with her dad, he was super tall at the time and he was wearing that fancy-high-class-family outfit and that immediately tipped me off that he was that Iwasura guy my dad kept ranting about at home." He leaned back on his hands and looked up, so to avoid eye contact. "So, I made the connection that she was his daughter, meaning that she was a bratty, high class girl that I was not allowed to like, which I had no trouble in doing. She was quiet too, which then I interpreted it as snob behavior and that was just another mark against her in my book. Rich, high class and too good to talk to anybody else. The teacher even gave her a special introduction on that first day."

"Taki hated that introduction," interrupted Buisura. "Her face was bright red and she was close to crying, she hates that kind of attention. I thought you knew that?" Reija raised an eyebrow at him.

"Now, do you think my 12-year old self knew that?" He rolled his eyes and sighed loudly.

"So, you're telling me that your behavior is due to impersonating your father all these years?"

"Basically. Plus it pissed me off that Taki was actually good at what she did. Accuracy, stealth, information gathering, you name it, she was good at it. She was even eligible for the Chuunin Exams early too, she completely out classed me." Shadows fell over Buisura's blue eyes for a moment.

"Do you even know why Taki didn't enter the Exams?" All of the fire wielder's reasons were superficial, false, not even past the cover of the book. "Do you?"

"Mm, she was scared? She usually was a baby about things like that-"

"She didn't want to leave the team. If she accepted the Exams, she would be put on a new team with prodigies like her, fly through the tests and become Chuunin. If she took that opportunity she could have her own three man cell right now." Irritation was rising in his chest like some kind of foreign fire. The calm, book smart Buisura was starting to lose his cool. "If she left, we would've gotten a new member, probably a transfer from a strange village. We would have to learn new team attacks and in fact, it would probably set us back for our own Chuunin Exams. She was thinking of us."

"Yeah? And how do you know that?"

"Because I talked to her!" he snapped. He got to his feet, sliding off the counter and pointed at him accusingly. "Whenever you weren't around or separated from us, I would talk to her or she would talk to me but we had to stop the second you came back. I couldn't be her real friend because I was stupid and worried about being yours!" His chest heaved as he tried to gain his even breathing again. Reija simply stared at him, dumb from shock.

"Buisura-" Suddenly there was a sharp knock and Grass nin marched over to open the door, revealing a team of ANBU.

"Can we help you?"

"You need to come with us, the Hokage summons you."

"Right now?" whined Reija, walking over. "Listen, we're getting ready to leave and-"

"Change of plans. You're staying."

Taki's room was sterile white, just like the previous room. There were a couple of metal tables decorated with doctor tools and a couple of ninja items: explosive tags, kunai, summoning scrolls and the like. In corner was another prisoner who was chained to the wall by his wrists and his legs were weighed down by specific shinobi tags. Furthermore, his sight was bound by a band of thick metal wrapping around his eyes, leaving him blind. His posture was limp, as if sleeping.

"Sasuke Uchiha-Itachi's brother?" His head snapped upright, attentive and alert.

"Who're you? And how do you know Itachi?!" he demanded, rather bossy for a restrained criminal.

"Relax, we're not here for you kid."

"You're that girls' team mate then." It was a statement, not a question. Itachi often pulls that trick.

"Partner-yes, we are." So, ignoring his next question, Zetsu stepped over to the other metal table, which resembled something that you would use in an operation room more than anything.

A colossal formation was seated on the table. Commoners would assume that it was ice but he knew better than anyone. It was glass, solely her own technique there was no one else who could copy it. Which the exception of maybe Itachi, being an Uchiha and all.

The heiress was trapped like a butterfly within crystal. She had curled up in order to protect herself with simpler means. Her head was angled down so to hide her face and her arms wrapped around as if she was hugging herself for some sort of comfort. Frozen in time, incapable of speaking or giving confidential information. Exactly how a shinobi should act, withholding their village's secrets, not bending to bribes or threats. Such a soldier.

Swiftly, he readied his hands with chakra and formed the appropriate hand signs. Appendages glowing he slowly placed his hands upon her barrier and it shimmered then started to thin and fade as he pushed more chakra into freeing her. The outside protection came down rather easily, leaving only her body. Gently, he laid her down, extending her legs and tilting her chin up so that she could breathe a little easier. Her arms were at her side and in a sense, she looked chillingly peaceful. Pale skin, white hair, closed eyes, low and inaudible breathing along with the faintest pulse. She could pass for dead.

"C'mon Taki...wake up..." He took another deep breath and focused his chakra into his black hand, making it glow like a torch, casting shadows across his face and over her still body. He grabbed his wrist in order to hold it steady as his power focused onto one chakra portal. Taking a breath he lowered his hand so that it was hovering over her heart, encouraging it to beat faster so that it would pass more blood and reanimate her once more.

As the minutes passed all too quickly, she hadn't moved. Gritting his teeth, he forced more power from himself and finally he couldn't wait patiently anymore. He pressed his hand to her and leaned into the effort, hoping to start her lifeline with either power or force, whichever worked first. Due to his plant, he was unable to see her finger twitch. Such a minuscule action, it was probably due from his pushing.

"Dammit Taki! You can't die on us!" He noticed that the bruises started to appear on her skin that he could see on her neck, the tops of her hands and most likely numerous others beneath her long sleeves and pants. This either meant that she was getting closer to waking up or that her body was finally quitting. His own pulse picked up as the realization struck. One half was thinking how that would cripple them in the upcoming war, it would take down one of their aces. The other was panicking because then she would be gone forever.

"Don't you dare leave us, Taki!"

You know the drill folks.

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