Hey guys. I really appreciate the rad reviews. No lie, they're the only reason I'm still updating this thing. But onto business: I took a nice long moment to figure out what I'm going to do with this, but at the same time, I'm working on the whole Akatsuki meeting. It's goanna come soon, and what I have in store for the explanation into Saya's past has to do with some old friends. But that won't come till later. Don't worry: I hate those fic's that incorporate awkward OC's that are too surreal to be believable. Trying to humanize her a bit.

Tootles.

It had been three days since the Uchiha and Hoshigake girl-napped Saya; however, it had been a fairly peaceful three days. They hadn't traveled too much farther, mostly because Saya had been dragging her feet, languid with hangovers on occasion. The fields had thinned from the wheat to just rice, and the single road they traveled led them straight south. She dimly noted that soon they would reach the Sothern coast.

She frowned at that.

As they walked along the solitary path, Saya passively watched the rice patties they passed. The sky was a dismal, dreary grey, the promise of rain was sweet and sure. Even as she thought this, a far off clang of thunder rang through the damp air. Her frown deepened when she realized they were going to have to walk through the rain, what, with no tree cover. Of course, The Uchiha and Hoshigake were comfortably covered by their cloaks and hats; however, Saya's own attire was meager, at best. She still wore the same cotton hakama pants, and her over shirt wasn't very heavy. She glared at the back of both men's heads.

Speaking of jerks, neither one of them had barely spoke a word since Hoshigake snapped at her. It wasn't like she had tried to start up conversation either, though. She had been much too busy reading a strange chakra signature that currently caught her attention. It wasn't so far-off, and it felt very familiar, but she couldn't place it. Very somber, very nostalgic. But she couldn't remember where she knew it from.

The more she focused on it, the more she became frustrated. Exasperated at the thought, she huffed and patted her hips. Glaring at the ground under her, she delved into the past without meaning to. It had been a long time since she left her village, or at least, her ex-village. She shouldn't call it 'her' village anymore; after all, she wasn't welcome any longer. The years of happiness she thought she knew so well seemed bittersweet in her memories.

Being a priestess came with it's advantages and disadvantages, but it was well worth the work. She was born into the role, just as her father had been. She caught a flash of her father in a priestess kimono, which made her inwardly chuckle. Well, now that she thought over it, the term 'priestess' wasn't exactly the right description for what her duties entailed, but that was what she had been considered. The political term she went by was 'Correction Squad Captain Commander'. Her family, dating back to who knows when, were leaders to a squad known for cruel, merciless methods of restricting rogue, S-class, and various other types of criminals. Her job sphere ranged all over the nations: The squad itself was made up of only the strongest, toughest, most cunning ninja in the world. They were trained in the art of honor, code, and clean, orderly pick-up of the scum that wandered mostly the southern nation.

Branches of the squad patrolled other areas and were highly feared or respected, but always one of the two. Saya herself was revered as a child prodigy for handling her fathers affairs after he died from a terrible illness on her ninth birthday. She had all the attributes of a great captain commander: She was strong, agile, quick-witted, law-abiding, strict (Or so she seemed), and an able leader. She could formulate successful battle plans, but most importantly, she was a just and caring person. Therefore, few protested when she inherited her fathers title. Some did, because of her young age, but she had quickly shown them how able she was.

She grew up commanding her squads, correcting the south of the vermin that haunted its depths. Another thing her family was known for was it's certain contract with a certain being. It was what made the family what they were, and because Saya was the last remaining descendent of her family, she was treasured by her village.

But that all changed after her nineteenth birthday.

Shaking her head, she looked back to the rice patties. The tartness of the thought left a bad taste in her mouth, even stronger than the sake.

And then, just because God loved to play with the dramatics of her life, it began to mist, and then pour down rain. She grumbled and retrieved the gourd of sake, taking a deep sip from it to warm herself. She didn't complain, though. She was done having her fun with Hoshigake, and messing with him had lost its spark. At least, for now it had.

As the rain grew harder and the wind picked up, she shivered: the rain was bone-chilling, and the sake was hardly helping.

"There's a small inn coming up. That is where we will spend the night." Itachi informed them, most likely for her sake than Hoshigake's. She thanked him silently and looked forward to an actual room in which she could be sheltered from awkward weather. The south wasn't known to have such terrible and cold weather, especially during the middle of the summer. The wintry chill that the breeze carried also held a nostalgic aura to it, but Saya disregarded it. It was probably just her exhaustion getting to her, anyhow.

After they purchased a single room, which Saya was just fine with, she settled in one of the corners near a window. The wind had picked up immensely, and the rain had turned to icy hail., which clicked and clanged against the roof of the inn. It was two stores, and was comprised of a total of twelve rooms. It was a ma and pop inn, and was fairly small: perfect for S-class criminals and a kidnapped woman to hide in.

Saya idly sipped her drink, and watched as the two men settled themselves. The Uchiha sat at a low, traditional tea table while Hoshigake cleaned his sword on the queen-sized bed. The room was slightly musty, and a damp air could be felt in the bones, but it was much better than being out in the storm. Saya closed her eyes slowly, shifting to get more comfortable in her corner.

"Hey onna." Figured. The one time she wanted some quiet and the blue wonder decides to interrupt the silence that had been in play for days.

"Mhm." She mumbled, eyes still shut as she adjusted the turban on her head.

"…Never mind." Her eyes snapped open as she sent a pointed glare at the oblivious man.

"What's up with that?" She demanded.

Kisame looked up from his work and returned the woman's pointed gaze.

"I said Never. Mind." He growled at her. She was about to snap back at him, but decided against it, and instead took another long swig. She looked back out the window and watched as the hail grew more intense. The world seemed doubled over in a mist, enshrouded by a cold, frosty chill that intertwined with the air and froze the earth. The world seemed cut off from her, and she from it.

Something was wrong. Oh so very wrong.

But she couldn't put her finger on it. The strange weather, the chakra signatures. What was up? She delved deep into her mind, shutting her eyes softly, and concentrated on the world. The reason she made such a competent leader was due to her ability to see past the physical, and inspect the rational, the being of things, and the situation in all its aspects. In fact, what she was doing now was her own version of the meditative state: Basically, she was reading the life around her by focusing on aura. It was a rare form of meditation by younger folk, but most elderly knew it well as a type of relaxation technique.

It was hard at first, she hadn't attempted it for a very long time, and her senses were dulled by the liquor. Still, she focused her attention on the air around her. The feel of the damp floorboards beneath her, the chill in the wet air, the almost non-existent breath of the Uchiha, and the calm heaves from Hoshigake. The crunching echo from Samehada being cleaned with an extra sheet from the closet, the curve of the gourd in her hand. The little indents and grooves from the patterns along its surface, and the clicking of the mighty hail against the frosted window. The-

No, no, no. She scowled. She had to focus on the bigger picture, not the details. She had to feel her surroundings, not inspect them. Her muscles were tense with effort, and her face was scrunched. She had to relax, or this wouldn't work. Taking in a deep breath, adjusting her position so she straightened herself off the wall and crossed her legs, she tried again. She let out her breath, and with it, her muscles loosened up, all the pent up strain in her previous effort released. Her face smoothed out and she began to experience all that was around her.

She delved, deeper into herself, and deeper into the whole of the beings that made up the life that surrounded her. Letting her mind lax, she expanded her essence and floated above her body, and beyond she brushed against the aura of the closest around her. Near her left, there was a small brownish yellow color, barely pulsing, more of a glow like a firefly. It shuffled a bit here and there, and she identified it as a bug of some sort. She began to loose focus again as she questioned the cleanliness of the inn, but caught herself before she broke yet again from her state.

She broadened her view, and the next thing she came across was a vibrant cerulean, which pulsated with defined wisps of what looked like a heartbeat. The aura was large in standards that she had previously come across. The blue was thriving with life, and it expanded most of the area around her., flooding the room like an ocean.

Hoshigake.

Among the massive blue were two other colors.

One was a muddy red, more rust colored than anything, and instead of pulsing, it simply wavered. More like a candle flame in the expanse of midnight, it was a steady glow against Hoshigakes aura. It seemed dignified, strong, but there was a melancholy tone to it that seemed to pore out and slightly invade the area around it.

Then there was a violet purple. It seemed even dimmer than the other two, and was much, much smaller. It wavered and trickled listlessly into itself instead of the area around it. However, deep within its core, there was a sturdy flame of pure purple.

This aura was hers.

As much fun as it was inspecting others souls, this wasn't what she had been looking for. She expanded herself more and more. There were three other auras residing in the inn, then more outside it. All the ones outside were miniscule, representing the various animals scattered about and probably seeking shelter from the pellets of sleet.

I still need more, She thought to herself. More and more, she broadened her view.

Meanwhile, Itachi had felt a prod. Something was watching him. All of them. He opened his eyes and observed the room. Kisame continued to polish his blade, although the blood was already gone, and had not seemed to notice the presence as Itachi had. He then traveled his gaze over to the woman. She sat in the corner, near the window, and had strict posture. Her lax hands barely clung to the sake bottle.

She seemed to be resting, or meditating. He continued to sweep his gaze over the room until he heard a soft clunk against the wood floor.

Both he and Kisame snapped their eyes to where the sound came from, and found that the sake gourd had slipped from the woman's grasp and was currently leaking onto the floor.

Saya's view only got larger and larger as a mental map construed before her. The land rolled out, and the many little dots of wildlife went ignored as she searched for the aura of the chakra she had felt earlier. Just as she was about to give up, two distinctly larger colors came into her minds eye, and she almost chuckled in satisfaction. She then focused in on the two, both which were not so far away, but enough to make the focusing a bit difficult. One color was a misty white, which seemed to dissipate from itself like a clearing fog, while the other was a tropical yellow, bright and almost blinding. Similar to staring at the sun.

As she zoomed in on them, she was suddenly halted by some unknown force. Like an invisible wall, she was blocked. Mentally frowning, she attempted to push against it, but it was as solid as steel.

Then, there was a voice.

"It's not polite to eavesdrop, Saya~chan!" A sharp, tearing pain ripped through her being as she was cast back to her body. She gasped and tore open her eyes as the terrorizing pain invaded her entire being. Her brain felt like it was being clawed, torn to shreds and ripped through her nostrils as she choked on her air. She was thrown back against the wall, and just barely withheld a shriek as her head whipped and was bashed against the hard plaster. She slumped down and tried to control her uneven breathing. Her lungs panged with sharp stings, which made all this very hard.

Itachi was immediately by her side, his Sharringan activated and inspecting her body. She had been peacefully sitting there one moment, and the next she was like this. It seemed as though something had smacked her, or punched her. Kisame didn't react as quickly, but he did rise from the bed and walk to the corner, leaving Samehada on the bed. The sake gourd was rolled aside as he approached, and completely emptied itself onto the floor.

Saya grinded her teeth as she tried to sit up, finding both men giving her speculative looks. She used her palms to straighten herself up and used the wall to support her back.

"Are you okay?" Itachi questioned. There was no concern in his voice. It was just an inventory question. She was about to answer him, but as she opened her mouth to give a sly retort, she grimaced as a backlash wave of nausea flooded her senses. She quickly controlled it, wanting very much not to empty her stomach onto the Uchiha, as she assumed he wouldn't like that very much.

"D-Damn. That's one hell of a drink." She hollowly joked, hoping they wouldn't pry anymore if annoyed with her sarcasm. Kisame grunted and plopped back down on the bed, continuing cleaning his sword. But Itachi remained where he was and watched as she recovered from the pain.

"What were you doing?" He interrogated her. She let out a long sigh, expelling the last of the pressure, and looked into his eyes fearlessly. She smiled.

"Nothing I wasn't supposed to be doing, Uchiha-san." She cradled her head. "Nothing at all."

But that isn't quite right, you see. She did something she would have been better off not doing at all.

Saya couldn't recall the voices owner, but the voices owner knew quite well who Saya was.

And the voices owner could only grin as she thought of the coming reunion that they would soon encounter. But with a resonated sigh, the owner knew that reunion was still a ways off.