"Hey!" Storm screamed, running after Haru as fast as her frozen legs would allow. A rush of adrenaline kicked in, giving her the boost she needed to keep going.
The sound of Natski's laughter haunted the forest as she tried to catch up with the pair. She was able to make out Natski's figure in the rain accompany Haru's before they ducked into a clearing. By the time she turned the corner, they were gone. Coughing out the rainwater she'd been violently inhaling, Storm took a moment to regain her composure. She wringed out her hair, tied it up, then scanned the area. I know you're both hiding somewhere in these rocks. "Earth style!" She put her hands together but didn't feel any connection. Oh, come on, don't tell me I've already run out. I knew using transformation with this would be risky, but I didn't think I was out of time. "Earth style!" She tried again, but to no avail. Pacing the area, looking for any discrepancies in the landscape, she tried to find where Haru and Natski could be blending in. A cool wind pelted the rain even harder against her side, causing her to seek shelter. I can't stay out here much longer.
After cursing into the rain and swearing by revenge, Storm sighed, and headed back the way she came. Awesome. This is what happens when I let my guard down. I knew something didn't feel right about this mission. I'm guessing they never planned to pay me in the first place. Next time, I'll trust my intuition…even if I really need the money. As she got closer to where she'd been robbed, the yelling started up again. Who the hell is that? Now I know for a fact that it isn't Natski or Haru.
"Are you still there? I said get me out of here, dammit!"
Storm went back to the pit and loomed over it. Now I know for sure that it can't be Haru or Natski…but who the hell would be down there…and why? I really don't have time for this. "Are you with the Nara clan?"
"I'm sure as hell not," the voice replied.
"Then who are you?"
"Look, if you want to play 50 Questions, that's fine, but get me out of here first!"
Storm jumped down into the pit. How did he even get down here? It's relatively deep and couldn't have possibly been an accident. She guessed there were only a few layers of rock between her and the voice. I've already been fucked over by two strangers today…do I really want to risk dealing with one more? I'm a lot weaker than I was earlier, too. This whole day has gone wrong. "How do I know I can trust you? If you aren't a Nara, you shouldn't be out here…so I have a feeling you got yourself into this predicament."
"Why you—look, again, I'll answer whatever questions you have, but get me out of here before this hole fills up with water, will ya? You're one to talk, anyway!"
She shivered in the rain, contemplating what to do. Come on, Storm, you don't know why he's out here. There must be a reason the Naras did this to him…then again, he's right. You aren't supposed to be out here either…maybe this is how they handle their trespassers. If that's the case, I really should be going. I don't want to end up like that. Regardless, I can't just leave someone out here to die, can I? "How can I trust you?" she called back.
"I'll swear to Jashin right now if it means getting out of here. Look, I know you're not from around here…I can tell. I'll even put you up for the night!"
Jashin? Who the hell is that? "I mean…" All she wanted to do was get out of the rain, but she felt a twinge of guilt at the thought of leaving someone out there to die. I could use a place to rest my head for the night, and I just lost all of my money…but even then, I know I'm weak right now. This man could potentially overpower me. Then again, if he's been down here for a long time like he claims, he can't possibly have any strength left in him, right? At a minimum, his chakra should be depleted. Do I really want to chance—
"What are you waiting for? Do we have a deal or not?"
Damn my morals. "…yeah, we have a deal. Now keep up your end."
"Fine…I swear I won't hurt you when you get me out. Just help me out, and I'll owe you one."
Storm took a deep breath before starting to uncover more of the rocks, trying to ignore how sick she was starting to feel from the freezing cold rain. Why am I doing this? I need to start looking out for myself above others. Surely, I could find a place to stay without the assistance of someone else. Then again, I don't know how far I am able to travel right now. When she got down to the bottom, she removed a large rock and jumped back. "W-What?!"
"Oh, come on, I can't look that bad."
What the—how?! This can't be real. There's no way. She took a step back in shock, "Y-You're just…a…"
"Yeah, yeah, a head. First time, huh?" he asked, sarcastically, "The rest of me is around here somewhere. Just find the pieces, stitch me up, and I'll be as good as new."
She tightly closed her eyes then reopened them, "This isn't possible."
"Hurry up, will ya? I'd rather not drown!"
In a trance-like state, Storm used the last of her strength to uncovered pieces of the man's body. Grabbing a kit out of her jacket pocket, she checked to make sure all of the parts were there. I'm pretty good at basic stitches, but this? He has to be in at least ten pieces right now! I haven't done anything like this. Hell, the biggest wound I've dealt with was on myself.
The man clearly saw her panicked look, "It doesn't have to be perfect for now, I just need to be able to walk. Start with my body, will ya?"
Storm nodded and tried to stitch him back together quickly but cautiously limb by limb. This feels so wrong. I don't know how he's still alive. It's like I'm putting him back together as if he's a broken doll or something. When she finally finished with the body as best as possible, she picked up his head carefully and grimaced. How is this possible? She set it into place and began stitching his head on, muttering apologies as he winced in pain.
When she finished, she locked hands with him and helped him sit up. The man cracked his neck then stood up with ease. "That's so much better." Storm gathered her supplies silently as he picked up a necklace, headband, and large sheets of cloth from the ground. She turned to offer him a hand out of the pit but saw that he'd already climbed out without assistance. How the hell is he…fine? None of this makes any sense. Her hazy head pounded as she jumped up after him.
She was surprised that he'd yet to ditch her but acknowledged that it was the least insane thing about the situation. I've got to get out of here. He mentioned that the rocks needed to be replaced but wouldn't explain why. "No time," he said, "Just do it." She obliged and used her water style to force the rain against the rocks, causing them all to landslide back into the pit.
The man grinned and walked over to the other side, picking up a three-bladed scythe, "I was wondering what they were going to do with this!"
Storm looked him up and down as he took a few swings before strapping it to his back. That must've been what I tripped over earlier. She watched him slowly turn around in the rain. "So…are you going to keep your word?" Fear ran down her spine as she thought of the way this seemingly impossible being just swung around a weapon of that size with ease.
"Don't have much of a choice now," he shrugged, "Besides, since you clearly know how to stitch a guy up, I might need your help for a little while longer…but for now, we need to get the hell out of here."
She nodded, "I don't know what will kill me first, this weather or running into the wrong person. You were right, I'm not from this area at all…I'm quite a ways from home. Are you from around here?"
"The Leaf?" he laughed, "No…but I know a place we could stop for the night not too terribly far from here. Get me there in one piece, and I'll take care of the rest."
While normally Storm would have been skeptical of any stranger she encountered, she feared hypothermia was going to set in soon. She agreed to follow him against her better judgment. Under any other circumstance, Storm couldn't see herself putting up with this behavior without any questioning, but her low body temperature wasn't helping her think straight. All she could think about was how she badly needed to get somewhere warm and how the hell this man seemed unphased by not only being literally sewn back together, but by the temperature as well. He wasn't even wearing a shirt yet didn't so much as shiver.
"Don't worry, you don't have to go far." The man quickly led her to a spot outside of the forest and extended his arm. "A promise is a promise."
Storm looked around, "W-What? We aren't—"
"Just hold on," he said, looking around.
She reached out and steadied herself against his arm, watching as the area around her rapidly changed from just outside the Nara forest to the outskirts of the Hot Springs. We're a lot closer to home than I expected.
"This is where I'm from," the man said, before quietly laughing, "Can't say I'm exactly proud of that…or welcome here…but there's one spot on the edge where I know they won't care. They let in all kinds of people. My partner has paid them more than enough for them to reject us. Doubt they have many visitors this time of year, anyway."
Without protest, Storm followed him into a small building, where he emphasized at the front desk that he didn't want anyone else allowed to stay the night there. The ringing in her ears was deafening at this point, and she could hardly focus on the man's conversation with the attendant. Eventually, he was given a key and lead Storm down the hall before unlocking a door to a large suite. "Go soak. You look damn near death." he said.
She started to walk towards the washroom before turning around, "I-I'm sorry, I-I didn't catch your name." she tried to gain her composure, "I go by Storm."
He sat down on the edge of one of the beds and stretched out, "Oh, how rude of me." he said, sarcastically, "Storm, eh? Easy enough to remember."
"…and yours?"
"Hidan."