Chapter 8

My head is pounding. My body feels three times heavier than it normally does. The ground feels cold and wet. The air around me is too warm, my clothes clung to me from sweat. Why is it so warm in winter? I scramble to sit up on my side and regret it instantly. Waves of nausea hit me like a ton of bricks and my head begins to scream at me. I fall back to my side. God I feel like absolute crap, what was I drugged with?

After a few more moments I try to sit up again. My second time trying to sit up goes a lot better than the first. No killer headache but my body still feels heavy. Once I'm upright the first thing I feel is the ropes binding my arms and legs. As soon as I notice them it all comes flooding back, the castle was attacked and I was kidnapped again. Gaara. A small part of me had hoped I'd wake up safe in his arms again. No such luck this time around.

A lump begins to form in my throat. How long have I been gone? Just an hour or maybe a full day? Does anyone have any idea of how to find me? Would anyone even try to find me? Gaara seemed like he would, if only because of our arranged marriage. I have to believe Father would do anything to save me. I know he and Mother love me and want me safe. Right, of course they would. I just need to focus on staying alive long enough to be rescued.

I look around to try to get my bearings. It looks like we're in a cave. Is it one on the ground or in a mountainside? There are multiple of either option around the castle. Are we even near the castle anymore? How long have I been out? So many questions run through my mind. The people that kidnapped me said to keep people busy for five minutes so does that mean rescue is five minutes away? Unlikely, they wouldn't have stopped if someone were on our tail. Which means I may have to figure out a way out of this myself.

Looking around I see a single torch illuminating the entirety of the small cave. There's just enough room for four people to stand next to each other in here. There's a narrow opening; it looks like the only entrance or exit. On the other side of it I sense six different people outside the opening. If these are the same ninja that kidnapped Asuka then I wonder where seven and eight are? Patrolling the grounds?

All the people outside had varying levels of anger circling around them. One person's emotion burned brighter than the others. Intense satisfaction and anger radiated from them. They must be the ringleader. They stand next to the person guarding the entrance then begin to walk inside. Ok, a short ten second walk through the tunnel. The man that came inside was the same man Gaara fought at the waterfall. I couldn't tell what village he defected from, but I know he's a fire user. A new scar was forming on his right eye. From his fight with Gaara?

"Nice to see you finally awake princess." Finally awake? So I have been sleep for a while at least. "I've been looking for you for a while. You are very hard to track down." He's been looking for me for a while? I remember the fight and what he said to Gaara, he wanted to take me on a side quest. He wanted to find treasure and was in a time crunch. It's been three days since he first tried to kidnap me, how much time was left after that?

I muster up some courage, "Who are you? Why did you kidnap me?" If I do become rescued I want some answers to give Father. It'll also be nice to know his intentions and whether me dying is included in that. He chuckled at questions and it makes me shudder in fear, "My name is Kaito and kidnap is such a strong word. I'm just trying to help you make your prophecy come true." Help me make my prophecy come true? Is that even possible? What does he know that I don't?

Kaito pulls out a kunai then took a step towards me; I scoot as far back as I can until I hit the far wall. He laughs again, "Relax princess, I'm not going to hurt you." That's hard to believe when he has a kunai pointed towards me. He walks towards me again and I hold my breath until he cuts the ropes binding my legs and hands together. Next, he pulls me to my feet and I pull away from him as soon as I'm up, "I promise I'm not going to hurt you." He gave me a sickeningly sweet smile, but I could feel the menacing aura radiating off of him. I could see the way he was blocking me from escaping, pushing me up against the wall. I don't trust his promise.

"We're about to have dinner," he extends out a hand to me but I don't take it in mine, "why don't you join us?" I freeze in my spot. What should I do? I don't trust this guy. What if the food is poisoned? Would they poison the food? I don't know. I don't like how little I know right now. What if this is just a trap to lull me into a false sense of safety? Or maybe there's a threat I'm missing under the surface of his offer?

He took a step closer to me, boxing me in even more than before, "If you don't want to cooperate and eat outside with us," he looked me up and down, "I could always tie you up again and hand feed you myself." My stomach sinks and my throat runs dry. I should cooperate, I need to think about the best way to escape and I can't do that if my hands and feet are bound. Besides, I don't want to be tied up around this guy. I nod my head slowly and let him grab my hand, leading me out to the rest of the group.

It was a ground cave at the base of a mountain or cliffside. When we step outside, I'm met with the cool winter air. It chills me to the bone due to my sweat ridden clothes. The fire everyone is huddled around feels extra inviting despite the circumstances. I feel guilty for even wanting to get close to the fire, get close to my captors. I should be absolutely scared out of my mind right now but instead I'm focused on how to be less cold.

I take stock of the five other ninja here. There were the three men that kidnapped me, another man, and a woman. They all stare at me then at their boss, disbelief circled around them. One of the men from my latest kidnapping spoke up first, "Is it a good idea for her to be out and about like this?" The other ninja grumbled their agreement. So the don't trust me being able to move freely. I can understand that, I am actively trying to think of a way to escape, but I don't want them to think about that.

Kaito chuckled, "Relax, relax. She promised to behave, didn't you princess?" He placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezed it tightly. The pain he was causing me made it obvious what he wanted my answer to be. I quickly nod my head. I don't want to be tied up again. "Besides if she ever did try to escape we'd catch her easily." He looked at me with another sickeningly sweet smile, "And you wouldn't try to escape would you?" Just as quickly I shake my head no.

I quietly took stock of my surroundings during dinner. There are mountains to the east of us, are they the hot springs near the castle? Hopefully, then Gaara and Father would know we're traveling west like before. We're still in the dense forest but are we getting close to the edge? I wish I paid more attention in my geography lessons with Father, maybe I'd have a better idea of where I was. Besides trying to find out where I am, I keep my head low. I have to seem compliant.

During dinner Kaito went on about why he had kidnapped me, it made it easy to get the information I needed from him without drawing attention to myself. But the more he talked the more questions I had. He has a map to a temple where the prophecy was supposed to be completed. Why hadn't my parents known about this? Shouldn't we know more about my prophecy than rogue ninja? How did they even find the map? I didn't dare ask any of these questions though, I didn't know how they'd react. I just needed to keep my head low until I had my chance.

"Now the most exciting part," Kaito looked at me with a wide-eyed smile, "The hero. He's supposed to gain a large amount of power just for being tied to you." What? What is he talking about? What power and how is he going to be tied to me? "But I'm sure your family knew that, why else would you sign a marriage treaty with the Kazekage? I'm sure you agree with me that he has plenty of power and strength already."

I freeze. How did he know about my engagement to Gaara? How did he know any of this? "But in order to pass on this power we'll need the pendant of prosperity." I almost throw up, "I'm sure you have it don't you? Why don't you had it over?" The blue pendant I found in the hot spring cave. I resist the urge to touch my pocket, but I know it's in there, I felt it when I fell to my side in the cave before. I can't let them know I have it, "I don't have it." I pray they can't see through my lies but Kaito immediately reacts with anger.

His voice is calm and level but the amount of rage I can sense from him begins to suffocate me, "I thought you said you were going to be cooperative princess. This isn't being cooperative." The feeling I had to throw up only intensified under his gaze. How do I look right now? Scared and compliant or like I'm trying to cover up a lie to him. I hope compliant, I can't let them know that I have the pendant I found in the cave. Maybe it would have been better if I had left it where it was or told Gaara about it before it was too late to.

I shudder in fear but try to push through with the lie. "I don't have it. My parents hid it away for my protection." Please believe me. Kaito stares me down and I hold my breath. Finally he says, "Fine. Where is it?" I have to think quickly. How could I lead Gaara back here? Kaito tapped his foot impatiently. "Its in the hot spring cave," I quickly spit out, "Where you first fought Gaara. There's a cave where the prophesy is carved into the wall. On the alter is the pendant."

Kaito curses and I silently pray he sends some of his men back towards the mountain. Maybe Gaara will be able to tell where they came from and come find me. "Fuji! Habiki! Junichiro! Ahmya! Head back to the hot spring and retrieve the pendant then meet us at the temple. Kill anyone that gets in your way." The three men who kidnapped me and the woman stood up and quickly descended back towards the eastern mountain. I quietly sigh in relief. So we are heading west still.

"Boss," I freeze as the last man eyed me up and down, "is it a good idea to send two-thirds of our remaining forces for this? What if she tries to escape?" I swallow the breath I've been holding. So they're the last two I have to worry about. I'm sure Gaara and Father's men would be able to take care of the four that left. Kaito ignored his reservations, "Even if she did try to escape, she wouldn't get far. We, however, need that pendant for the prophecy to work." The man nods his head but looks me up and down again. I'm sure he could see right through me.

Kaito roughly grabs my shoulder again, pulling me up from my seat. I hold in the whimper that almost came out because of the pain. Kaito ignores me and continues talking to his man, "Anyway, we have to get moving. We're behind schedule. We need to be at the temple before the moon hits its peak or we'll have to wait another month to hold the ritual," The ritual? Kaito picks me up and swings me over his shoulder. "And I'm sure you understand how hard it'll be to keep ahold of her for another month." My stomach churns, a whole month? In his 'care'? I can't let that happen.

We begin traveling farther west into the forest, the mountain to our backs. I take stock of everything I just learned and try to think of an escape plan. There's two men left and they're taking me to a temple while heading west. The four ninja that left will lead a trail towards us. I have a pendant I absolutely cannot let Kaito have. When would be the best time to escape? Both men look pretty strong, they're right that I probably wouldn't be able to get far.

The only chance I have is if/when relief forces come to rescue me. I need to find the perfect time. They're being pretty lenient about my freedom so far. I'd just need to slip away somehow. I can wait until I sense more people coming towards us but I can't differentiate who people are based on their emotions. I can't think about the possibility that no one will come for me. I'll just have to trust that Gaara would save me like he promised.