OH MY GOD. Fanfiction has been giving me problems for the last three days! I only uploaded chapter 16 today and I'm going to upload this one either on Saturday or next week. I'm literally so pissed right now. Anyway, thanks for sticking with me and hope you like this chapter. I'm also going to start writing in first person. I don't know if it really makes a difference but tell me if you like it or not. :)

Fu's POV

A fist banged on the door rousing me from my trance. My stomach rumbled and my dry tongue licked the roof of my mouth, hoping to feel some sort of moisture. I watched in silence as a man blew his way through the door and into the room with me, pieces of rocks flying everywhere. A little light of hope went through my body as I hoped that Han, in his red armor, would come to the rescue.

It quickly disappeared when I saw Sejio-Ro enter the room, two ninja by his side. Sejio-Ro looked annoyed and imperfect. His hair which was normally slicked back, only a lock out of place, was now more fuzzy and untidy. His nose was twitching and he kept biting his lip as if something was wrong. His long golden robe which covered most of his body moved towards me.

"Get up." He said.

I spit onto his robe. He reached down and grabbed me by the throat. It was obvious he wasn't in the mood to play around again today.

"I said, get up." He slowly repeated menacingly. "I can't wait to be rid of you and your only making things much more tedious for me."

I didn't even bother responding. I was drained of energy and hopelessness weighed me down like cement on my shoulders. He picked me up effortlessly and guided me out the door.

Fu, Chomei said. I remained silent.

Are you really just giving up? I'll lend you some energy, do something! Chomei shouted.

No! I'm done. I just want this to be over. I retorted, enraged by everything that was happening. Why was it me? I looked at the man I once called my father and I felt a boiling anger rising up inside of me. It's his fault. He's the one that did this to me. He chose my mother and made me a jinchuuriki. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him.

His grip tightened on my wrist and he pulled me ahead, quickening his pace. I felt like screaming and thrashing about, his touch was like a poisonous claw that kept on making wounds. Each one deeper then the last.

I'm here, Fu. Your one of the best humans I've been with since years ago. I'm not giving up so soon, you shouldn't either. Chomei said.

It was now or never. We were nearing the entrance to the palace and the Akatsuki would be waiting for me. With big ugly grins planted on their faces.

"Fu!" A voice cuts through my thoughts and sinks itself into my ears. "Don't you take her away from me, Sejio! Please!"

My mother called out to me from the top of the stairs we were descending. Tears were streaming down her face and she began to climb down the stairs. I could do nothing but watch as she screamed and cried out to me. I was dumbstruck, suddenly here was my one mother, running towards me as I got farther away. It was in her minty green eyes that I saw sorrow, fear, and love unlike any other.

Love for me.

And as I exited the stair case and disappeared into the hallway, she disappeared in a plume of smoke. I heard her scream one last time and the sounds of men grunting. Then there was silence.

"Stop stumbling, Fu. At least look proud to be sacrificing yourself for your village." Sejio-Ro complained.

"I didn't sacrifice myself for anything. Everything I'm doing right now is forced. Forced by you." I said, finding the words suddenly pouring out of me now.

"You should be grateful. I gave you power."

"Fuck you. All you gave me was a lonely, terrible fate to die by the hands of people I don't even know."

Sejio-Ro stopped moving. The other two ninja paused, staring at him with curiousity and fear. But then the smell of smoke and fire reached my nose. I stopped breathing and Sejio-Ro turned, suddenly running to the front door and crashing through it. The ninja were unsure of what to do and I could only run beside me father and watch.

The great tree of Takigakure that stood since the days of the Sage of Six Paths was on fire.

Utakata's POV

I watched the boy sit up, his purple pinkish eyes looking at the world with confusion then fear and shock. He looked at me once then at Hotaru. His hands went to his back as if he was looking for a weapon. Nothing was there.

"Don't bother trying to find your stuff. I took it away." I explained. He stopped panicking and looked at me angrily.

"Who are you!? I'm very dangerous and I will kill you." He threatened.

"You aren't very scary-looking if you ask me." Hotaru said. Wringing a rag over a bucket of water. She at least spoke to me now instead of avoiding conversation but after the stunt I pulled on the beach, I expected it. I still wondered why she came to me trying to join me on my adventure.

"Let's be polite, Hotaru." I warned, looking back at the boy.

"You answer our questions first, since we did save you from being captured and possibly dying." I added. The boy only stared at the ground, hugging his legs.

"I...fine. But then you give me my stuff and I'm leaving." He said. His eyes darted back and forth between me and Hotaru. His mouth bended at the ends in a frown and he seemed to be on his guard. I could understand, it's not like he knew us.

"When we rescued you, hunter-ninja were practically about to kill you. Do you mind explaining that?" I asked.

The boy grunted, "It's...a long story. I'd rather not answer."

Hotaru grinned, "Then you're not getting any of your stuff back. Maybe I could even use your hook thingy. Makes a good mirror if you don't mind me saying."

"Alright! I...I don't remember much okay? Everything's pretty hazy but they were hunting me because I'm valuable to the Land of Mist. I was the previous Mizukage."

At first, my eyes widened and I immediately thought this boy was lying. But what reason did he have to? The whole entire forest was packed with hunter-nin. Unless he's some S-rank criminal, there's no way that many hunters would show up.

"I thought you looked familiar. My dad told me that the Mizukage had escaped Kirigakure and several hunter-nin had been deployed to capture and bring him back." Hotaru commented. "Not to mention your picture is all over my village."

"But who's the Fifth Mizukage?" I questioned.

"Some chick named Mei Terumi." Hotaru answered.

I turned back to the previous Mizukage sitting on the floor in front of me. Orange sunlight lit the shack we were in. We had no idea if any of the hunter-nin were still after us, not to mention by now Hotaru's clan must have noticed her absence and sent someone to find her. The best we could do was hide in a ratty old wooden house with the roof caving in and illuminating certain parts of it. We were pretty close to the sea so we could make a hasty retreat if we had to.

"I've been on trying to get as far away from Kiri as I could but it got harder and harder. They closed all the ports to any of the surrounding islands and I can't walk on water so I was stranded on the mainland. It was only today that I managed to get my hands on a boat and get away. Then I guess you saved me." He explained.

"You must be S-rank, top priority if you're the Fourth Mizukage. I heard rumors that not even you were really controlling Kirigakure. Someone from the shadows was manipulating your every move." I said.

"That's why I'm out here. I have nothing to gain from selling information to people of other lands. It's not like I remember anything. Somewhere along the line I woke up. It felt like I was in a long, long dream and only just woke up with no recollection of what I did. I was only aware of two things."

"What were they?" Hotaru asked. She had dropped the rag into the bucket of water and was listening intently beside me. Her blonde hair barely rubbing against my blue robe and her green eyes focused on the boy in front of us. I blinked as I realized I was looking at her instead of paying more attention to the boy in front of us. I was glad the darkness of the shack hid my pink cheeks.

"My name was Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage and vessel of Three-Tails." The boy said. "And I was a pawn in someone else's game."

Han's POV

The plan had went well so far. I'd had spent more time than I expected just opening the cell doors for all these prisoners. Half of them seemed delusional and unstable. Whatever Takigakure did to their prisoners must of been terrible if this was the outcome, more importantly, getting them all under control would be even harder.

"Freedom!" One sane prisoner shouted. They all yelled and began to run down the hall, excited to see daylight again. I joined them, hoping I would get the chance to escape with Fu. I had no plans to leave her behind after seeing what Sejio-Ro could do. I only wondered what his ideals were, why would he be in such a hurry to see Fu? There's no sign of love in his eyes so what could be so important about her that he had to capture her?

An image of Kokuo and the burning village flashes through my head, making me realize what's inside of Fu. She was as much of a weapon as I was to Iwagakure.

The crowd seemed to stop moving and their shouts diminished. I pushed through them, hearing a loud rushing sound that seemed like liquid.

Water, I thought finally emerging at the front of the crowd. A fast current pushed the water as if it was going down a waterfall. Wind smacked me hard causing my eyes to water. It seemed clean and already filtered, so it was obviously going back into the tree. I exhaled and looked downwards. There was little lighting making it hard to see but I could make out holes leading downwards. Maybe entrance to pipes? I couldn't tell but I wasn't eager to alert anyone of my escape. The element of surprise was the only advantage I had. That and this ragtag army of insane POW's and criminals.

I turned toward them and spoke, "We're going to have to jump in the water. It's the only way to get out of here without alerting guards."

"Isn't that dangerous?" Someone called out, his voice cracking several times.

"Do you want to stay here for the rest of your pathetic lives?" I asked. No one responded. "Listen, I'm not forcing you to do anything. You could have stayed in your cells for all I care. I have something I need to take care of and it's not going to get done by sitting around rotting in a little cell underneath a village. I'm leaving this god forsaken place for good. I suggest you all do the same."

There was silence for a few moments. I could tell everyone was considering whether to join me or leave.

"I'm leaving." A voice spoke up, walking toward me. A woman with olive skin and wild eyes made her way towards me and stood next to me. "They took my family away from me. They aren't going unpunished for this."

Another one came and stood by me, "I'll go to. I'd rather see the sun then some stupid stone ceiling."

Slowly they all came and joined me, giving their own reasons for leaving. Some stayed silent but joined me anyway. I guess they saw me as someone who would keep them safe. Someone who would lead them to a place that's better than this. I turned back to the water, feeling the cool wind on my chest and face. Suddenly it felt relieving and calming. As if maybe, just maybe, it would carry me to Fu.

"You won't regret this," I told them. "You won't."

I then jumped into the dark blue water, not knowing if this would be my last peaceful moment.