The moon was shining brilliantly in the night sky, the starts twinkling happily beside the glowing orb, completely oblivious to the world beneath their heavenly domain. I stood in a dark alleyway, scarcely daring to breathe. I was surrounded on all sides.
I couldn't even begin to think about how long I had been running, my pursuers never gaining on me, but never letting me leave their sight, either. I was tired and it was cold out tonight. I was hungry and thirsty. My body was screaming at me to just give up, but giving up was different than surrendering.
Surrendering was an option. Failure was not. I knew that I could not win, not right now. I could have help with a single signal, but I was on my own for now. Twelve men had me, blocking my potential escape routes like mouse traps, baiting me. It was tempting, but demise was a promise, not a threat. I was safe for now, seeing as how I wasn't trying to escape. I was unsure of them, and they were unsure of me. We were at a standstill; a pause in the game; a stalemate.
I considered my options. I had already established that running or fighting back would be in vain; two to twelve was an unfair fight, even if the stronger opponent here was obvious. I had been backed into a corner, and I had little to no options available to me. Negotiating with my enemies was also highly unlikely. I had been chased to this spot, so it was obvious that I was coming with them alive, whether or not I was willing. Surrender seemed to be the most prudent of my choices. If I were to drop my weapons and give up, I could escape with my life and think of a plan later. This didn't end here.
I was not alone. Somewhere, I was being watched.
In the end, the decision was not a hard one to make. When the sound of steel on concrete reached the ears of my enemies, almost instantaneously, my arms were behind my back and my face was slammed against the brick wall to my left. It hurt, but I kept my expression neutral; I did not speak; I allowed myself to be lifted from the ground and hauled over a broad and pointy shoulder that dug painfully into my abdomen. And then they began running.
For hours they ran. For hours upon hours upon hours. Night turned to day, and day descended to night in a continuous cycle. They did not stop, they did not rest, and most importantly, they did not speak. I was now a prisoner, and even the simplest of details about the direction we were headed to could contribute to my escape plans. There was nothing I couldn't use to my benefit as a kunoichi, and they knew this perfectly well.
As they ran, I took notice of the fact that, even in captivity, I was surrounded on all sides, still mounted upon that broad and pointy shoulder. They ran in a circle surrounding my escort and I, a man protecting each point of the star, ready to guard the eastern, western, norther, and southern parts of our group. The others filled in the gaps, serving as backup in case something went wrong. I still wondered why a group this large had been sent after me, if they had been sent at all, and crossing paths had been a mere coincidence. In any case, what was done was done, and it could not be changed.
And so that was that. I kept my eyes cast downwards, counting the steps the man had taken as he ran in the direction of what I assumed was his home village so I could be chained and tossed into a room.
Five hundred thousand steps, and were still running, though the pace had slowed slightly. Dawn was breaking, turning the sky different shades of red, orange, and blue. When my captors stopped running entirely, I closed my eyes.
"Hokage-sama," the man holding me said. I knew it was him, mainly because I could feel the vibrations from his deep voice against my legs, which were secured against his chest. "The girl, as you requested."
"Well done, Funeno. Let her down," an even older man's voice said, further away. "And go home, all of you. After your long journey, you deserve some rest. A job well done."
Not as gently as I would have preferred, the man who had been called Funeno lifted me from his shoulder, sat me at a nearby chair, restrained me, and departed without a second glance, his men following him.
The Hokage did not speak, but I could feel his eyes on me. One, two, three, four; we were not alone. Two on the roof, one in the room, and one outside the door. I did not think that a girl in my current state could be worth so much precaution, but I didn't think on it too much.
"I can sense your confusion, girl."
I did not respond. Rule number one: only answer direct questions.
"What is your name?"
Rule number two: never answer a question directly.
"I am no one."
It was my turn to sense his confusion. He stood, his wooden chair screeching against the floor. It was not a pleasant sound, though despite my curiosity, I did not open my eyes. The people surrounding us, the calm air that surrounded the leader of this village, and the sounds he was making on purpose was not enough to make me open my eyes. It was dark, and I liked it that way.
"This can be difficult, or this can be easy. Your choice."
Rule number three: you have no choices.
The room was silent. Neither I nor the Hokage spoke. He was waiting for an answer, and I for my sentence. It should not be too far off now.
"This is your last chance. I do not control what happens to those who are unwilling to cooperate."
A bluff. I opened my eyes. "Rule number four: you cannot change destiny."