Deep in the Forest of Death outside of Konoha, three cloaked figures were walking silently along an overgrown footpath. The faint gurgle of water running could be heard from a nearby creek, only interrupted by the occasional chatter of a squirrel darting about in the trees. A branch snapped breaking the forest's calm, and the three Akatuski members froze in place, casting quick glances at each other. The thick foliage of the forest in either direction off the path hid any motion that might have caused the noise. Their black cloaks swayed as they split and wove their way through the underbrush in the direction they had heard the noise come from. Another snap rang through the air and the men leapt forward on cue, landing on the bank of the creek.
The creek was moderately deep, having cut a four foot channel into the earth over the years. Several tall trees lined the bank, roots dangling into empty space above the water where earth once was. A girl with long black hair sat at the base of one of the trees, frozen in place with a slender stick in her hand as she stared across the creek at the three men. One was nearly seven foot tall, with blue skin, blue hair, gills and a massive sword on his back, Kisame Hoshigaki. Hidan, a silver haired man of about six feet, held a long three-bladed scythe in his hand as he glowered at her. The last man was Zetsu, just as tall as the other two, with dark green hair, a split colored face and surrounded by a strange spiked collar on his cloak.
For a moment the four just stared blankly back at each other and then in a blink the girl leapt up and dashed off behind the tree, leaving behind the stick she had been snapping. A grunt of annoyance was heard from Kisame as the trio leapt over the creek, giving chase immediately.
I tore through the woods, cursing myself for allowing the men to sneak up on me like that. I shouldn't have missed such a suffocating presence just strolling past me. Heading for the far side of the forest, I could feel their presence behind me begin to overwhelm everything around it. Then without warning one vanished from the group. Instinct warned that he was likely looking to launch an attack from above. Although the trees covered the sky completely, there was no telling if he was in the treetops, so I just kept a wary eye above me as I sprinted on. Just as I rounded the top of a large boulder Zetsu appeared in front of me on the forest floor below. Using chakra to brace my footing in the air, I leapt back onto the boulder, the flytrap on his cloak snapping shut inches from where my foot had been.
A growth of vines sprang from his hands and lashed viciously through the air towards me. I summoned my chakra, grinning as the heat erupted from my lips and my vision was briefly obscured by the cloud of fire scorching over him. When the flames cleared he was on the other side of the burnt patch of earth that had just been formed by the fire. It was then that Kisame and Hidan caught up with us.
I dropped from atop the boulder ready to take off again, but my muscles locked tight to stop me dead in my tracks as the red blades of a scythe embedded itself in a tree trunk to my right; its long handle blocking my path. Twisting back around, I faced the two men.
**Author's Note: Thank you to all those who have given this story a shot, after three long years I have come back to it and have begun making updates to the story and some much needed corrections. All reviews are greatly appreciated, I would love to hear what you think and any suggestions for future chapters. Thanks again!**