Disclaimer : I do not own Naruto...

Yay! This chapter didn't take me as long as the others, but it's also quite a bit shorter...Sorry about that...

Thanks again to everyone who read and a big thank you to you peeps who reviewed! It's nice to know that people are enjoying my story...

Now, i wonder what will happen about that big snake, hmm?

Chapter 3

Amaya and Hana both dodged as the snake lunged towards them, fangs bared and hissing wickedly. It almost knocked them both off their feet, but they caught themselves on the trees and managed to keep their balance.

They began to run in different directions. Hana was moving away from the snake, but not back the way they had come, as her mind was still on escaping. Amaya, on the other hand, was headed back towards the two men. To her, it seemed the sensible choice, as they wanted them alive and they were fast and able to fight.

Gabbing Hana, while barely being missed by one of the snakes long fangs, she pulled her in the direction of Itachi and Kisame.

"Amaya-chan!" Hana protested, but was silenced by Amaya's glare.

"Listen to me. Getting eaten by a giant snake, equals dead. Getting re-captured by two strange men, equals alive. Make your choice," she replied in a sharp tone, and with that she let go of her friend.

"Uh, good point," Hana said, as the snake snapped at them again, and followed Amaya willing back towards Itachi and Kisame.

Itachi watched calmly as a dozen ANBU materialised out of the trees, to land in a neat circle around both him and Kisame. He regarded them with cold sharingan eyes and waited for them to make the first move.

Standing back to back with his partner, he could sense Kisame's eagerness to begin fighting. Itachi did not share his love for pointless fighting.

They were currently on the border of the Earth country, headed to their base in the Sand, so it made sense that the ANBU were from the hidden village of Iwagakure. Itachi and Kisame were both aware of special earth jutsu that they used and not at all bothered. To them, they were just more ANBU, and just as easy to beat as anyone else.

Itachi's keen ears picked up the sounds of fast moving feet and the snapping of branches, as though something big was moving through the forest. He already knew what it was and wondered how long the two girls would last if the ANBU prevented him or Kisame from killing it.

He wasn't the only one who heard it, and a couple of the ANBU disappeared at a nod from the one stood directly in front of him. If the ANBU got hold of the two girls it would be harder to get them back than to keep them. Plus, it would be a waste of time. Itachi hated wasting time, especially on people who were weak. There weren't many people who could fight him equally and so, he hated wasting time on almost everyone.

He turned slightly to Kisame, "Finish it quickly," he said and followed the two ANBU.

"With pleasure," Kisame replied, grinning, and held up his Samehada, "Who's first?"

Looking over her shoulder, Amaya ran into something, knocking her to the floor. It was too soft to be a tree, but hard all the same. Taking her mind from the snake for a moment she looked up to find it was, in fact, a person that she had bumped into.

Note to self: don't run a look over your shoulder at the same time. You always bump into something!!

There were two of them, both men by the looks of it, and wearing strange masks which only had holes for their eyes. They were armed with swords which were strapped to their backs, the hilts sticking up over their shoulders, and dressed exactly the same.

The man she had run into watched her for a moment before slowly unsheathing his sword. Assuming, as any sane person would, that this stranger was intending to use his sword on the giant snake behind them, Amaya got to her feet and made to move out of the way.

The men absently threw some star shaped objects, which Amaya had never seen before, at the snake but, with a final hiss, it disappeared into a puff of smoke before it could be hit. Staring in surprise, Amaya's attention was pulled back to the man who was now advancing on her, his sword still drawn.

Oh, so it was intended for me?

This thought then raised the same question that she had been asking herself a lot the last few days:

Why?

Hana had tried to run again but had been easily caught. The other man had a hold on one of her arms, but she wasn't making it easy for him. She threw her fist at him, hitting him in the chest and making him grunt. His free hand can round to cut off her head with his sword, but she ducked so that it only clipped a few hairs from the top of her head.

A good point to being short, at last! She thought happily to herself.

Stamping down on his foot, Hana brought her other knee up to collide nicely with his stomach. His grip loosened momentarily, so she took the opportunity to pull her arm free. It was then just a matter of dodging all his attacks until she thought of a way to run away, knock him out or be rescued. The possibility of the first two happening was very low, so she opted for the third - even if it was by the shark-man.

Amaya wasn't doing quite so well as her friend. She'd never liked getting into fights. It was just as well, as she just didn't posses the right sort of fiery spirit for it. At this very moment though, she wished that she did.

Backing away she tried to think fast – something, thankfully, she was good at. If she tried to run she would most likely be caught, and killed, but if she stood and fought she would probably get killed anyway. If he was anything like Itachi and Kisame, as they seemed to jump around in the same sort of way, then he would easily be able to get behind her.

So, if I back my self up against a tree, then I don't have to worry about getting stabbed in the back.

As she moved the do that, all the while evading the sharp edge of the man's sword, she tried to remember some more of those self defence classes she'd never been to. Unfortunately, she had no luck and was now pressed back against a tree.

Then man disappeared.

She looked left. He wasn't there. She looked right. He wasn't there either. Turning her gaze upwards she found and empty tree. Peering through the trees she could see him anyway.

Where's he gone?

Looking around again she searched for him. He could easily be behind a tree somewhere. Repeating her glances to both sides and above she still could not see the man. He had to be somewhere. Somewhere close, too. He wouldn't have just stopped for no reason.

If he's not on the ground, or in the trees, then where is he?

Suddenly a hand closed tightly around her ankle.

Ooo, another cliff hanger! Heh, thanks to Kakashi for the jutsu at the end there...

So, nothing came of the snake and there was no point to it...Or was there? And why would random ANBU want to kill them? And what will happen to her?...

...Where did Itachi disappear to while all this was going on? Lol, really, i forgot about him! Nevermind, i'll make it work out eventually...

As always, i'd love to hear what you thought...

Until i manage to write the next chapter, sayonara!