Chapter One
Run. They're coming- I know it. Their footsteps are close behind. Oh god- I'm going to die. The forest rushes past me in blurs of green and brown, branches and leaves slap at my face and scratch at my arms and legs. I ignore it, if I don't escape, I'll die. I'll die.
Countless hours have passed since it started; the sun that was so high in the sky is now slipping away behind the trees on the horizon. Every turn I take and every single time I breathe, they key in on me, they know exactly where I am. The worst of it is, they're just toying with me, if they had a stronger desire to, they could have captured me within five minutes of it starting. I'm lost, where's Konoha?
Trying to hide, I search for a spot somewhere in the higher branches. Their cloaks, the ones that signify who they are, I can hear them in the wind, whipping about the person who wears it. I can hear it, they're so near, but I need to stop. I stop on a branch shrouded in shadow and try to clear my mind from the fear.
It's the Akatsuki- an organization of dark, seemingly heartless ninja who kill without a thought, and they're after me. Most details are still blurry, but there are a few things that I do know. They aren't after me because they want me, they're after me because they need to use me to get what they want, a ninja who is in my squad; Naruto Uzamaki. You see, they need naruto because he contains something that is of high value to them- Kyuubi the nine tailed fox demon. Their last attempts have been useless, so from what I can gather, they plan to get to Naruto through me.
My breath is shallow and loud, there's no chance that they'll miss it- they'll find me and they'll capture me, it's just a matter of time. But I- I can't let them, no, I have to escape, to tell Naruto, to see Sasuke again... Easing myself up, I start to try to run, but sadly, I stumble and fall. My legs collapsed under me- they won't move, why did I have to stop?!
Footsteps nearby falter and I know that they know I'm here. From the sounds of it, they're just a few feet from my left side. Their breathing is hardly audible, as if instead of chasing me, they had merely gone for a short walk. Holding my breath, I use an illusionary jutsu to hide myself from the one whom is following me. The footsteps start again but slowly, they aren't on my left side anymore, where are they?
"So I take it that you give up then, Sakura Haruno?" I keep my illusion, he's behind me, he knows I'm here- what do I do?!
"Itachi, she's over here," the voice says, after it stops moving.
I stop in terror, did he just say Itachi? Uchiha Itachi? No- not Sasukes brother... Sasuke is another ninja, the third and final member of my squad, squad seven. Sasuke... If I didn't know any better, I'd say that I love him. I have spent most of my life chasing after him, trying to get him to notice me in any way possible. You see, Sasuke is hot, he's dark and distant and he keeps mostly to himself, ever since he was seven years old. Seven. That was the age Sasuke was when every member of his clan, the Uchiha clan, was slain. His close family, the people he had spent his entire life around, slaughtered. Slaughtered by his older brother, Uchiha Itachi.
The figure being me grabs my shoulder and I release my illusionary jutsu, I have no strength to keep it up, no strength to fight back. Almost limp in his cold hand, I look to my captor. A giant blue man, about seven feet tall and ocean blue was gripping onto my shoulder. Shocked, I twisted my body to try and get him off of me, but I couldn't, I was too weak. Motion stirred in the trees before me and I watched terrified as a figure emerged from the trees, as Itachi emerged from the trees.
I was amazed, he looks so much like Sasuke, it was unreal. Not only that, but the expression on his face was one of boredom. How did I put up so little of a struggle?
"Good Kisame. Make sure she can't escape, we can't waste any more time," Itachi said, slowly walking towards me and the blue man.
Kisame nods, shifts his weight, and from behind him a large object wrapped in whit fabric appears. Smirking, he slings it over his shoulder. Quickly and silently, Kisame slams the object in to my stomach. Doubling over, I try not to puke. I try to cough, but the air was knocked out of me. Somehow, I felt even weaker than I had before, like even my chakra wasn't there. The thing gurgles and moves beneath the wrappings, was it alive?
"W-what was that?" I manage to say, wanting to know if what he just did is going to kill me.
"Quiet," Itachi commands. Kisame slides the wrapped thing back over his shoulder. I take my hand off of my stomach, I have to stop them- I have to! But soon it was back on it, trying to subdue the pain.
"They'll come for me- you do know that don't you?" I say, ignoring Itachis command, I wasn't going to let them take me, I have to make it.
"We're planning on that," Itachi states, then with a quick movement and hardly a sound, Itachi started away. Kisame picks me up roughly against his side and soon, we're off. My stomach lurches against it and I, again, find myself trying not to vomit.
Behind us, the sun finishes setting under the trees, and my hopes of escaping.