Sorry for the long wait, I had a lot to go through.
I don't own Naruto, I only made Red but even she is a mix of inspired characters i've liked.
Chapter 5: Home sweet home?
Red watched as Konan and the leader disappear, dismissing everyone back to the hideout for a group meeting, and introductions, leaving her with a masked man carrying Hidan, and shark man with his partner. The blond, Deidara and his partner flew away on a creature the man created by hand. Silence fell as she followed behind them; they hardly spoke to one another.
The sky was getting darker as night neared; the crickets were out early as they approached the forest. Little rustling of animals could be heard as they entered. Leaving the dirt brown barren wasteland of the earth land, and entering the green, lively lands. Red could see bunnies returning into their holes, hiding away from the group.
"We'll camp out" The Uchiha informed.
"Red, was it?" Kisame slowed his pace a bit to walk side by side as he spoke, showing a toothy grin. "Rather impressive of you to have defeated Hidan" She looked at him, no matter how you looked at him, he looked like he actually had gills, she wondered how he became a hybrid of a human being and a sea creature. Was he born like that? Were there maybe octopus people too? She only nodded her head in thanks for the compliment. "How exactly did you do it? You used something I've never seen before" This time she looked right into his eyes, from her big hazel to his yellow small eyes, and quickly she looked away.
It wasn't that Hidan was weak, or that he really lost to her exactly. She knew that if he had been serious, he would have killed her instantly, and sacrificed her to his wicked God, but he underestimated her. He had thought he didn't even need to try and toyed around with her too much and lost. However, she did win, whether he was serious or not, she had won. She had beaten an S-ranked criminal. Even she was impressed with herself. Though she wondered, had she unleashed everything she could at him, on a serious to serious note, would she still win? Despite her victory, it wasn't an easy one. She wasn't walking steadily, she was shaking and wobbly. She could feel the bruises settling in now, all over her body, she may have a few fractured bones here and there, nothing that won't heal with time though, but she could feel the shock showing up in her body.
She looked around the forest, the night settling in, and the moonlight shined through the tall trees, lighting the way a bit.
"Luck" There was a reason she didn't look at people long enough, and directly. She only knows so little from the power of her eyes after all.
Once they stepped deep enough into the forest they started camp, and ate. She was glad she had stalked up on some supplies in the last little village; she had some fruits to eat and little bean buns. Kakuzu tied Hidan to a tree in case he woke up. Small talk was passed around the fire before it was bedtime. Kisame was taking the watch shift. What felt like hours passed and all she did was gaze at the tree covered sky, getting a peek of the stars through the gaps in between.
"Can't sleep?" Kisame struck up a conversation. She shook her head.
"I must take off my contacts" His face turned to confusion.
"Contacts?" she nodded.
"My...My eyes are sensitive, I have protective contacts. It is not good to sleep in them." The lie easily came.
"I see" was his only reply, as she sat up and dug around in her bag, taking her colored contacts out, her back facing him. However she took something else out, a mask. She stared at it. It had be a long time since she wore it. It had two round black circles to where the eyes would be, and the mask reached the tip of her nose, with the sides stretching a bit further to her lips. One big splash of red paint was across the white mask and that was it. If she was going to fight any moment, she didn't want her contacts coming out and getting in the way mid battle. After all, there is a reason why they are colored contacts, if they saw her true eyes, it'd be dangerous.
"Never tell anyone about your eyes Red, do you understand?" Her father had said urgently. "if anyone knew about it, they will go to any means to capture you, and use you for the wrong purposes." At that age Red didn't quite understand, but like a good girl, she listened.
She placed her contacts in a cleansing container and stored back in her bag front pocket and pulled out the mask and stared. Red had unusual eyes since she was born. Her father had given her this mask since she was little because of them. She was picked on but the kids and parents, even by her own mother, so her father helped by giving her colored contacts, the same color of her real eyes, but it was to hide the markings on her real eyes. Before wearing contacts she wore a mask, a mask that covered her eyes completely, this is what started the bullying. She stood out like a sore thumb in the rain village. At first it was scary, it was dark she couldn't see. She had to get used to not using her eyes but with time and much struggle it got easier to see without them. Her father had felt sorry for her to not be able to see the beauty of the world, hence traveling far and long, to get those contacts for her.
The issue was, those who look into her eyes directly that are not of the same blood, they become paralyzed, to the point that even their heart stops beating, and die a slow and terrifying death. However, her father told her never to use this power, because if she does, she would slip into a dangerous and unpredictable coma. She could wake the next day, or the next ten years. It is an ability used as a last resort and only that. At least, that's what her father told her, wither it is true or not she wouldn't know. At times she fears that her contacts aren't enough to stop the powers, so she refuses to look for too long. She wore it and took a deep breath, before deciding to sleep; she was relieved that Kisame hadn't questioned the mask. She could feel bags forming under her eyes. It had been a long journey, a very...very long one.
...
"Red, my dear little Red," Her father held her closely. "listen here sweety, you've been chosen by our kind Gods to protect and he has given you powers" He pulled away from her to look at the mask. "But you must understand, one of your powers is never to be used, understood? That's why I gave you this mask, that power will do you more harm than good, only use it as a last resort, do I make myself clear dear?" Little Val was crying, but she nodded up to her tall father. "I also have something for you". She heard him shuffling through something and heard a click of a box opening. He removed her mask and more tears rolled down her eyes. She hadn't seen her father in a long time. He had gotten older, she could seen lines on his face, and some grey hairs growing out at the front. Nevertheless, he was the most handsome man in her eyes. While he's been away she had been alone with her mother in the dark, and her mother didn't want to even look at her face. But her father was different, her father loved her. His eyes swelled up in tears when he saw her strange, yet beautiful eyes. They were hazel with a hint of golden and it seemed to glow with a calming brightness, with another ring after her pupil and on that ring a circle spin around it. As if her pupil was the sun, and the ring around it was the earth, orbiting. "You have the most beautiful eyes, you know that?" She smiled up at him while tears kept falling.
He hugged her once again closely. "I bought you contacts, and their colored, they should show your natural color but hide the powers. It'll act like those anbu masks I told you about. You can't see their eyes but they can see you. If I ever fight one of them, I'll get you their mask if you'd like. So that you can still see the world around you when you wear a mask. But for now, this will do, okay?" Young Val sniffled and nodded, and he helped her and taught her how to put it on and off, and not to sleep with them and all the dangers and cleaning needs for it. Unfortunately, soon after he had to leave on another mission.
"Papa, come back soon, Papa!" She waved, holding back tears this time, to show him she's strong.
"That's my girl, I'll be back in no time!" he left with one last kiss on her head, once the door closed, tears rolled down her face, and her shoulders shook.
"D-don't leave me...a-alone Papa..."
...
"D-don't leave..."
"Oi! Wake up bitch!"
The sound of a crow, and the yell of Hidan woke her up. When she opened her eyes, she saw darkness only. Just like the rest of her life, it was filled with darkness. "The fuck is she wearing, and tell me again why can't I fucking slice her up?".
"She's a member now Hidan" Itachi spoke as she sat up calmly.
"TCH! I can't believe I lost to a brat..." He cursed once again. His voice was coming from in front of her, she could feel Kakuzu next to him on her left. The fire was out, and it was pretty warm, so the sun must be bright too. Kisame was next to her on her left and Itachi on her right.
"Is something wrong with your eyes?" Itachi asked, she figured Kisame had told him.
"It's sensitive" Was the only reply she gave, a quiet soft reply. She could hear birds chirping away from above her, she could even hear the scuttle and crawls of insects and animals around. It was a good morning. It was calming and peaceful.
Hidan began to complain again.
"Shut up, you're too loud" Kakuzu argued back. Hidan however was sulking the whole time.
Red's long hair was pilled at the floor she sat on. She took this time to examine them. She had heard and seen all in the bingo book. Itachi was a man of great powers, and had a bloodline called the Sharigan. He had one-handedly murdered his entire clan, leaving only his younger brother to suffer alone. A dangerous man. Yet she didn't feel such a scary vibe from him as she did from the shark man on her left. His chakra amount was off the charts. He had murdered his own allies, to think that Itachi survived him must mean Itachi is strong and possibly stronger. Lastly is the man in front of her to the left, the masked man named Kakuzu. She doesn't know much about him, if anything, he had introduced himself as the bounty hunter of the group, along with his partner Hidan. Hidan on the other hand, she didn't need to think of him, him being a Jashionist alone would explain why he's wanted in several nations.
Red shot up instantly and looked behind her, all heads turning to her, she shifted her mask a bit, just enough to see with her natural eyes.
"There's a group of bandits heading this way" She returned her mask in place.
"What the hell are you talking about-"
"How many?" Itachi cut in.
"About ten, they're far though; we have time to pack up and not leave a trace behind before they come, but it'd be cutting it close, they're running."
"What the fuck is going on!?" Red turned to Kakuzu, clicking the mask back in place before he could see.
"Can we leave him here?" Referring to Hidan.
"hmph, I wish"
"I'M FUCKING RIGHT HERE YOU KNOW! YOU BASTARDS, ONCE I GET MY HANDS ON YOU" Kisame chuckled.
"I like you, you're gutsy" They hastily packed up and removed the burnt wood and threw it away. Kakuzu and Hidan leading the way, with Hidan complaining most of the time, till Kakuzu knocked him out. "Red, how far away were those bandits?"
"I'd say about maybe eleven kilometers," She tilted her head a bit to where she heard him. "I have really good eyes sight" Silence descended once again for a good while. They crossed a bridge and were getting close to a boulder.
"Red, what of your family?" Itachi spoke this time surprisingly.
"My father passed away, and I never had a mother that I knew of"
"Siblings?" Kisame joined in.
"None"
"How old are you anyways?" Kakuzu asked from in front.
"I-"
"Well, Sasori joined only when he was 15, and he's quite an interesting one" Kisame pitched in, implying it didn't really matter.
"Hmph" was the only thing Kakuzu said back. They reached the boulder and it moved aside, and they walked in.
They were greeted with a grinning Deidara and the rest of the members "Took you guys long enough, hm"
"I hate being kept waiting, I have stuff to do" The red haired man seemed unpleased, though he showed no emotion on his face.
"Shall we begin?" Pain's gaze never left the Red and she could feel his stare, shivers went down her spin.
He is not one you want as an enemy.
Once again sorry for the long wait, I hope you enjoyed, if you did please Review it for sure inspires me to update more.