Hello all. I'm finally back. I'm sorry it took me so long to update. This particular fic got somewhat left at the sidelines because of my inability to remember who the Hokage fought before they fought Uruha Scarlet (or Uruha Kurenai) depending upon your description. I've finally remembered that it was Uruha Maa (if I'm wrong, please correct me). Unfortunately, this knowledge has totally killed the angle I was originally aiming for. I've had to change the entire idea for the fic. I considered taking it down for a while, but it seemed like such a waste. Let me know if this new idea works. Da*mouse, I'm so glad you like my style. I appreciate the praise much more than you can know. I'm also really fond of the whole Kurei – Kurenai relationship. (I cried buckets over the episode where Neon told the story and immediately switched alliances from Fuuko – my previous favourite – to Kurei. There's just something about a man with a tragic past like that.) Aleah asenath, here's the next chapter. A little late maybe, but better late than never, right? Anyway, I'm moving onwards…
Chapter 2.
She was running down the corridors, her dark hair flaring behind her. She had to get back before anyone noticed that she had gone missing. But Oh God, the horrors that took place in that ring! She hadn't believed him when he had told her to keep away. She had assumed that it was just another of his ploys or tricks. He liked to see how scared he could make her. It repulsed her, the way he would soak in her fear as though fed on the finest of wines and meats, a bloated pig. No expressions were allowed in his world, except that of abject fear and subservience.
Well, she would not bow! He had no right to control her this way! He had taken her from her home, held her against her will and now, he would take anything he could get his hands on. He'd test her, just to see what sort of reaction he could get out of her – a puppy she'd received on her 13th birthday; gutted on her 16th, blood spilling over her hands as she tried to hold it's bowels inside it's body, or a friend she had made among one of the others; dying in the midst of them all, blood and vomit seeping from between his lips as the poison flowed through his system. He would stop at nothing to teach them that his power was absolute.
He was already working towards that goal with his hideous project. The project was an abomination and she refused to see it as anything else. How could anything good come from the hand of a man capable of so much evil? The thought that he could one day be revered for this knowledge made her feet tangle together, the repulsion causing her to stumble slightly. But she had to face the fact that it could and very possibly would happen. He already had the support of a number of world leaders. They didn't care to look beyond the shining prize he offered them, and those that did chose to ignore the miserable faces they had seen.
She ran on quickly. The crowds would soon disperse after the last match of the day and the people would only delay her. It was useless to think of escape – melting into the crowd and fading into oblivion outside. No one would survive long. And even if they did, who could stand against him when he came to look? A man with wealth and power at his fingertips, a man who obeyed no rules but his own… no one could save her from him. She had come to accept that a long time ago.
But tonight was for vengeance. It had been gossiped of that one of the Uruha had escaped, defected to Hokage and survived. Perhaps he would not last long, but he had done the impossible so far. If such was possible, then maybe she…
But she had seen the fight tonight. He was paying for his freedom with blood; his own and that of others. And he was just a boy, younger than her by at least four years if not more. It shocked her to see the anger in his eyes and the maturity, the need to protect. She wouldn't be able to survive that way. Her skills were limited to standing still while the scientists ran their tests. What use would that be in the world outside, or even the world caught within that ring? She would not last a day or so he told her each evening. And she was coming to believe him at last. Perhaps not all he spoke of were lies…
The corridor ended sharply in a metal door. Her pace slowed slightly as she approached the console. She would have to be stealthy now, and hope that no one had noticed her memorizing the pass-codes. If she was found out, she would pay for her act in more than blood – she would pay in ways that she could not even begin to imagine. A glance out of the side of her eye assured her that no one was in the immediate vicinity. She could hear people talking in the next corridor, but their voices were muted by wood and panelling. Sidestepping carefully, she avoided the surveillance camera's range and began to call up the numbers.
She was so involved in the sequences, three to be exact, that she failed to notice the soft footfalls behind her. On finding herself suddenly pulled back against someone, she reacted on pure instinct and slammed the back of her hand into their face. The result was disastrous. The dull shriek of steel sliding out of a casing sounded and before her next breath, the sharp tip of a blade was placed against her neck. Her automatic step backwards to avoid the blade only resulted in bringing their bodies closer together. Closing her eyes in dread, she conceded defeat and began to silently recite her one fervent hope "Please god, not him… please god, not him…"
A large, rough hand moved her around to face her assailant. The gentleness of the calloused hand didn't register at that point, nor did she register the care taken to prevent her flesh from being marred. All that registered was that her assailant was male, and large, and frightening… but not him. Breathing out a sigh of relief, she nearly collapsed back onto the wall. Dragging in long lung-fulls of air, she gazed curiously at the face of her captor. He really didn't look much like a lab guard. Long hair was held away from his face by a cloth band and was tied further down. His clothing proclaimed to all his status as a ninja, being designed for easy movement, as did the long sword on his back. The dagger he had held to her neck was now being slid into a plain sheath hidden within the folds of his belt.
His belt? Why was he putting his weapon away? Did he not plan to capture her? The thought finally struck her that perhaps he had only wanted to question her about something and had reacted on instinct to her slap. Perhaps it was all a slight misunderstanding… but a single glance into his serious grey eyes told her otherwise. Her terror was returning. Maybe her punishment was to be death after all – blessed relief and greatest fear all packed into one bloody package. But then, why had he put his weapon away? Surely he didn't mean to use just his own fists? The pain of that would be excruciating for her… but then, that was probably the point.
He was saying something. She jerked her thoughts away from the contemplation of the forms of her demise and tried to focus her terror filled thoughts on his words. If only the blood would stop roaring in her ears then she would be able to make sense of his sentences!
"Kurei-sama wishes your presence. Please follow me."
Kurei-sama? The son of that devil? Why would he want to see her? As far as she could remember she had never set eyes upon the man… but maybe he was in charge of punishments. She tended to steer clear of anything that would cause retribution for fear of the results, and most who had left the lab earlier either came back in a body bag or failed to return at all. It was possible for this Kurei-sama to be the one to deal with this sort of situation. She jerked her attention back to the man as he continued to speak.
" I'm sorry for my earlier behaviour. Visitors are not allowed in the lab without special permission and with your reaction… I'm sorry to say that I over reacted. Please accept my apology."
She nodded quickly, smiling absently as she processed this new bit of information. He didn't know she belonged in the lab! He thought she was a curious visitor trying to investigate something she had found curious! What luck! But wait… then why had she been called to meet with Kurei-sama? He had never met her before, was unaware of her existence as far as she knew of, and this was her first unescorted trip outside of the lab. So then… how did he know of her?
Her confusion must have been quite evident but the man failed to enlighten her at all. Instead, he took her arm quite firmly and began to lead her down the hall, away from the labs. Casting an anguished look back towards the metal door, she knew that her absence would not go unnoticed. Punishment was sure to be meted out and time was the only question now. She was smart enough not to tug her arm away from the ninja. Given his earlier response to her frightened slap, who knew what he would do if she attempted actual resistance now. She was not keen on finding herself skewered in the middle of the hallway when there was still a chance of escape. There was definitely no returning to the labs now…but maybe the ex-Uruha member of the Hokage would give her shelter. At least that would give her a fighting chance. All she had to do now was survive this meeting with the son and then she would be able to make a run for it.
So caught up in her thoughts was she, that she barely noticed the roundabout route they took until she soon realized that she could not identify any of the corridors. The ninja led her on purposefully, eyes fixed upon some further unseen image in the corridor. Giving up her attempts to memorize the route, she tried instead to pry answers to her questions out of her escort. Unfortunately, his standard response appeared to be "You'll find out just as soon as you meet Kurei-sama."
She was beginning to panic in regard to this Kurei-sama now. Was he as mean as his father? Was he cruel and violent in that same strange detached manner? What did he look like? Slightly tubby, with the same bulging eyes as his father? But no… she had heard of his having been adopted, so there was no real way for that to be possible. But her mind resolutely ignored this information and kept injecting the image of a younger Mori Koran into her conscious. She was jerked out of her thoughts by the sight of the ninja stopping outside a large set of ornate wooden double doors. Smiling slightly, he knocked twice before opening the door slightly and motioning for her to precede him into the room.
Smiling back nervously, she slipped through the narrow opening and into a dark room, illuminated only by the bright lighting of the corridor. The sound of a door shutting gently at her back, as well as the extinguishing of all light made her start nervously. Glancing about, she was unable to make out anything in the vast space of the room. Feeling a presence behind her, she didn't move, suspecting it was still her escort, possibly waiting as well for his Kurei-sama to put on a light. She felt no need to panic even when she felt him move in front of her; she assumed that he was perhaps going to find a light switch himself.
Suddenly feeling herself jerked forward again, not quite as gently as the last time, she restrained the urge to fling out an arm and settled for emitting a startled squeak instead. A harsh blue light suddenly emerged and she found herself staring into coal black eyes burning out of a smooth mask. Shocked, she tried to move away only to realize his hand was burning, a slow blue glow grew brighter as he brought it towards her cheek! Feeling it's heat, she leaned back in fear.
"Just who are you?" the mask snarled.
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Author's note: - That's the second chapter out. I've kept the chapter basically from her point of view. I've also deliberately not given her a name. I'm still searching for a really suitable one and any suggestions are welcome. The chapter's a little melodramatic – I seem to be leaning towards drama a lot lately. I hope the chapter is okay, I'm not proof reading it yet since I'm on someone else's computer right now, being that mine blew itself up. Also, the next chapter will possibly emerge after about 2 weeks. I hope everyone will bear with me – I'm on vacation. Any comments, constructive criticism, random reviews or opinions are more than welcome. I ask for no flames though – I'm a sensitive sort and I'm still learning.
As always I remain,
diabolque.