Me: Hello again reader, I am going to get on with this chapter in a moment, but first a thank you and a disclaimer.
Thank you: Riayna Darkheart for the review!
Disclaimer: SugiSuzume13 owns nothing in this fanfiction apart from her OC-Kiku Mitsu.
The storm which had taken place on the previous night was finally starting to ease off as orange sunlight filtered through the pale clouds. Birds chirped happily, joining in with the dawn chorus-a sweet melody which echoed through the forest.
One person who was far from sweet however, was the Akatsuki member who Kiku had been captured by. He, deciding it was time to move on, had to wake up the snoozing girl. After a quick debate with himself, which resulted in the strange man gaining a head-ache, he finally shook her away.
He seemed to have brilliant timing, for she was just about to wake up anyway, and received a grumble before the 16 year old blinked a couple of times and sat up.
Snorting, he told her to get up and follow him, to which she answered with a growl and a stomach rumble. A glare from the tall missing-nin however, persuaded her that she could go another day without food.
Rubbing her eyes once more, causing said man to look confused as to where her claws had gone, she started following after him on all fours, of course. She looked pretty happy to not walk on two legs yet fear still shone in her eyes.
At the back of her mind, common sense told her not to run. There was something about this man that she didn't trust-just about everything! What was there to like about someone who had captured her and given her a head-ache, on top of that he was a member of the Akatsuki. Even a child could figure out he wasn't to be trusted!
Right now the scent of rain still lingered in the air and Kiku had no hope of finding her way around without her sense of smell. Once she could use her nose again, she would run for it, either that or she would attack the man from behind. After all, she had the instincts of a bear and now she could see her target, there was nothing to stop her.
By the time midday had come and gone they still hadn't stopped for a rest and the young girl was getting increasingly thirsty. Each time they passed a small stream she would stop, only to be kicked and miss out on a drink.
The sound of running water filled the air and Kiku grinned, heading towards it. She honestly didn't care what 'plant man' wanted, she needed a drink and that was that. Her lips curved into a smile as she realized where she was.
The strange teenager had been here before, many times in fact. They were somewhere in the heart of Fire Country, there were no major towns nearby but there was a small settlement which lay West from the river.
Suddenly, her eyes caught site of light coming through a gap in the trees and she pushed through the foliage into a clearing. Her pace slowed as she noticed a small dear drinking from the river, it hadn't seen her yet and she grinned, stalking silently forward.