I'm going to upload three chapters today, this being the second one. Again, I appreciate any sort of feedback and please review and tell me what you like or don't like and all that. Thanks to whoever's reading this! ~Kintokun

Yugito's POV

Yugito ran through the sewers that ran underneath Kumogakure. She could still hear the maniacal laugh of the gray-haired felon that was chasing Yugito. Blood was running down her broken arm where the creepy guy had grabbed her with his tentacles and squeezed. She stopped to catch her breath, despite being aware of her chasers being close behind her.

She started running again, this time on all fours trying to find a way out. She had never been in this place before and even with her heightened senses, the place was dark and had several entrances and exits. It was a labyrinth and she was caught in the middle. Yugito took a hard right and dashed across the filthy water trying to find a way out. Then she felt something slither around her leg and make her stop abruptly. She began to be dragged backwards until she saw the two men that were chasing her.

One was the gray-haired man that was dressed in a black coat with red clouds on it like his partner. In his hand was a scythe with a nylon rope connected to it. His smile didn't seem normal. His partner was more calm and collected. He wore a white hood and a black mask, he was tall and tanned with green eyes and what looked like stitches on his arms.

"You thought you could run away didn't you?" The gray-haired one asked. "Not everyone is that lucky."

"Let go of me you bastards!" Yugito snarled. She hissed.

"Bad kitty!" He complained. He slapped Yugito in the face. She looked him in the eye with murderous content.

"Hidan, control yourself." The tanned man said. His hold on Yugito was tighter and threatening.

"Oh come on. I already punished her. She won't make the same mistake again, right kitty?" Hidan teased.

"When I get out of this I'm going to kill you." Yugito threatened,

"Now that you say it, it wouldn't be that bad if you were on top of me." Hidan laughed.

"Hidan, enough." The tanned man said again.

Now, Yugito thought. She let her nails extend and cut the strings that held her legs. She scrambled to her feet and began to dash forward faster than she had been before. She heard the footsteps behind her getting faster and closer so she sped up, taking lefts and rights to try and find an exit. Finally as she took a left, she saw light raining down from an hole that must've led to the outside. The ladder would normally have been out of reach, but she was different, she was as much of a cat as she was a human.

So she jumped.

And felt the sharp end of the scythe pierce her stomach.

Utakata's POV

"Ink Bubble Explosion!" Utakata shouted blowing black bubbles that exploded on contact. The hunter ninja staggered backwards and spread out trying to surround Utakata.

"Water Release, Soap Bubble Minefield." Utakata said sticking his bubble blower into the ground and blowing bubbles into the ground.

"Give up Jinchuuriki and we won't kill you!" The leader, Koene demanded.

"Leave me alone and I won't have to kill you." Utakata replied.

He then felt a sharp pain in his arm. He looked down realizing someone had shot a needle at him, it had cut his blue robe and left a cut in his arm.

"I'll make my men send a billion of those at you in five seconds unless you surrender." Koene said again, this time with a smirk on his face.

"Go ahead and try." Utakata retaliated.

Koene laughed. He lifted his hand, "Your funeral."

He brought it down and needles began to fly toward him from every direction. Utakata closed his eyes and concentrated on the bubbles in the earth. He let go of a deep breath and commanded the bubbles to raise from the ground. They did, forming a thick, acidic wall to protect him. He took his bubble blower and began to create a large sphere of soap and let it carry him into the air.

He watched as Koene began to shout commands at his men. Utakata then focused on the acid wall that had protected him and made them explode, spreading acid onto the men below him. He didn't want to think of how much it hurt. He looked up at the night sky as he floated away slowly. He hated them. The Men of the Bloody Mist had been hunting him day and night ever since he had escaped Kirigakure and gone rogue. He was tired of hatred and people. All he wanted to do was be alone with no one watching over him. He would never really be free. Not with a monster sealed inside of him.

He willed the bubble to slowly move toward the ground, away from the city nearby and in a hidden area that was surrounded by rocks. He touched the ground and the bubble popped. His bare feet was on the ground. he leaned against one of the rocks and let out a sigh.

"Hello?" He heard a voice say. Utakata tensed and looked around. His mind was on alert mode.

"I saw you float in from the sky. Who are you?" He heard the voice say again. He turned and his eyes locked on a girl that was standing a few feet away from him. She had blonde wavy hair that went passed her shoulders and a violet top with black shorts and a black skirt covering it. On her feet were black boots that dug into the ground. In her hands was a basket containing assorted foods.

"None of your business." Utakata answered.

"Are you that guy from Kirigakure? The missing ninja?" She asked again, taking a step backward.

"Leave. Now."

"Tell me, are you?"

"If you know what's good for you, you'll leave me alone."

The girl began to slowly make her way toward Utakata. She looked him in the eye and said, "You are. You're him. You did that thing with a bubbles in the forest and you burned those hunters."

Utakata was frozen. This girl could easily tell anyone who he was and where he was. The girl was too close for him to escape.

"What do I have to do to keep your mouth quiet?" He asked.

The girl smiled, "Teach me how to use ninjutsu."

"No."

"Then I'll tell everyone who you are and where you are. The hunters aren't that far behind you know. They'll find you."

Utakata gulped and took a deep breath, "Fine. I'll teach you ninjutsu. Only the basics."

"Good. I guess we have a deal then. By the way, I'm Hotaru your official new student."

Gaara's POV

Gaara rubbed his forehead, staring at the piles of paper on his desk. His eyes were sunken and had shadows around them. It was a lot more darker than he had remembered. His brother and sister sat near to him in the den, sitting by the fire.

"How's it going, Gaara?" Temari asked as she sipped from her glass of wine.

"You shouldn't be drinking that." Gaara said looking at her.

"Oh relax. I'm eighteen. It's legal." She said.

"You should really raise the drinking age Gaara. Maybe to forty-one?" Kankuro suggested.

"Right after I get through these piles of papers." Gaara said. He let out a sigh.

After being selected as Kazekage, he had to go through piles of papers every day, business contracts and treaties from other lands. Demands and reports of crime and other things going on. In the middle of that there were people who were reported wearing inappropriate clothing wandering near the palace. Taxes and bills and files and papers. He'd had a massive headache and only wanted to rest and gain his energy back.

"Hey, Kankuro, why don't you take some wine too?" Temari suggested. She already seemed a bit drunk.

"Why don't you put the drink down. Haven't you had enough?" Kankuro criticized.

Temari glared at her brother, "The cup's not empty yet."

Kankuro shook his head with disappointment and looked at Gaara, "So when do you think you'll be done?"

"I don't know. If I work hard enough I might finish before the end of next week." Gaara guessed.

"You've worked long and hard. Take a break. Maybe have a drink or two. Temari would approve." He offered.

Gaara smiled. He went to get up out of his seat as a fly buzzed in and set itself on his nose. Gaara paused to shoo the fly away but realized that this one was different. It was white, and it's eyes were hollow. It didn't make any sound.

He looked on as another fly came in through the hollow opening. More came in and surrounded him. Kankuro and Temari were sitting up now wondering what was going on. Gaara saw their eyes glint. And it was a mere five seconds that passed. Then the flies exploded. The entire top level of the Kazekage's tower exploded into nothingness. Bits of sand and furniture flew into the night air and rained down onto the sleeping sand village. Gaara floated on a piece of sand. His gourd was gone, he had laid it down on the ground next to him when he was working. He desperately searched for Kankuro and Temari but they were lost in the scattered sand. As the smoke cleared he saw a lone figure standing on top of a completely white owl. The eyes, like the fly, were hollow. Gaara squinted to try and see the figure. As they drew closer he noticed several things.

The man had blonde hair that was tied back into a pony tail. Part of it covered his left eye. He wore a black robe that had red clouds printed on it. Gaara saw a red-haired man behind him wearing the same clothing and a lazier expression.

"Who are you!?" Gaara questioned. He created a third eye and closed his right one in order to look for his siblings.

"Oh, I'm sorry. My entrance started off with a bit of a bang don't you say?" The blonde one said. "I'm Deidara of the Akatsuki. Nice to meet you."

Akatsuki. Gaara thought. The name was familiar. He remembered Naruto telling him a story once. Two men had came to capture him and take him to their hideout. Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki. Both were dressed in the same robes.

"You, you're partnered with Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki right? You're in the same organization." Gaara confronted. Deidara's grim expression faded and was replaced with anger.

"Now we really need to capture you." Deidara said. He swiped his arm upwards and sent a wave of white birds his direction. Gaara flew upwards to avoid them but they followed. Gaara was still ascending when his third eye locked onto two figures that were hanging onto the ledge of the Kazekage's tower.

Gaara couldn't go after them. The birds might attack his siblings, then what? Gaara summoned a wave of sand along with his gourd. The wave of sand connected with the white birds and they exploded on contact. Then he turned around just as his gourd connected to his back was tightened by the rope that came with it. Gaara turned around and flew downwards, circling around the building until he spotted Kankuro and Temari, hanging on desperately to the railing of a balcony. He stopped right next to them and added more sand to his platform to carry them.

"What was that!?" Kankuro asked. He seemed pale and out of breath. Temari was sitting with her mouth wide open taking slow breaths.

"Deidara, a member of the Akatsuki. He makes animals out of something, paper maybe, they don't explode on contact. He makes them. With ninjutsu probably." Gaara explained.

"We'll try and help you the best we can." Kankuro said, taking out his scrolls that contained all three of his puppets. The man on the owl then appeared next to them.

"Oh, looks like you got some friends." Deidara acknowledged. "I do my best work with a handicap you know."

"Of course you'd need a handicap!" Kankuro insulted. Deidara frowned.

"Fine. Then you shall disappear in a flash of beauty! You should be honored. Not everyone gets to be a part of my art."

Gaara smiled, "That's because no one wants to be a part of your art. If you don't mind, you're trespassing in my home. And I've had a very stressful day."