A/N: Okay, so I'm releasing this early because I'm apparently sick and don't want to stay up just to post this. Also, big warning! This is where I change the rating. It's not super graphic, but definitely not rated Teen.
Today I got my first discouraging review. Now I know that criticism of all kinds come with anything you do, especially if you put up on the internet for everyone in the world to see. But really, if you're gonna be in anyway rude, just keep your opinions to yourself. No one wants to hear other people bashing on the things they like, or that makes them happy in some way; not cool man. I'm not gonna stop writing or anything because there are plenty of people that like this story, and I love all your faces, but I'm going to write my story how it wants to be written. There's no need to be like 'I liked it until this happened.' Stuff happens! Deal!
That said, there will be no 26 this weekend. Like I said I'm depressingly sick and I have lots going on this weekend. Plus, I somehow deleted Word off my computer so I can't really write anyways. Don't worry! I will return! So enjoy until then!
"Hey Setsuko!" Temari waved the young girl over as she jogged up to her. "I've been looking all over for you."
Setsuko raised a brow curiously when the two were finally face to face, "You have?"
"You were taking too long. We gotta hit the road or Gaara will be pissed." She could see on Temari's back were both their bags, presumably full of their stuff. "Don't worry though; I bought us some snacks for the road." She winked at her before roughly throwing Setsuko's bag at her.
There was a gruff exhale of breath as the bag hit her in the gut as she caught it. "Thanks…I guess."
The two women made their way to the gates of the Hidden Leaf Village without any interruptions and in relative silence. Setsuko flung her cloak over her shoulders, clasping it tight and once again slung the hood over her head. She couldn't be too cautious while walking around in the open. With her head on the line, she needed to take the utmost care when she was so lightly guarded. As the two passed through the gates, a springtime breeze blew through the trees, rustling the leaves around them. Setsuko looked up and watched as a single green leaf floated to the ground, as if mesmerized by it. Her entire cloak billowed softly, the hood threatening to fall off. Bangs filtered into her line of sight and she slowly brought up a hand to keep them from obstruction her view. She looked up a little, seeing the sunlight peeking through the many trees, and smiled. She had never seen the sun before, not until she had crossed through the Land of Blizzards borders. It was possible that she didn't want to go back to that gloomy place.
"Hey, quite daydreaming and hurry up!" Temari's voice called out to her from a hill at least twenty feet in front of her.
"Oh, sorry!" Setsuko quickly jogged up the path to Temari's side.
Temari shrugged as they continued walking. "Whatever, I just don't need Gaara breathing down my neck again. Something seems to have him in kind of a foul mood."
"Hmm, could it be you tricked him to come to the festival?"
"Hey! I resent that accusation! What happened between you guys anyways? You two have been acting kind of strange today."
Setsuko sighed softly, her head dipping down to watch her feet against the dirt. Should she tell her the truth? Was it even her place to tell her anything? "Oh nothing, just awkward teenage stuff, ya know."
"I can tell when you're lying ya know." Temari's voice was steady and almost, annoyed. She sighed suddenly, "But, I can't force you to tell me anything being a Princess and all."
Setsuko gave her an obviously fake smile, inwardly terrified the methods she would use to extract information out of her had she not been a Princess.
Again there was silence from the two. The sounds of nature made it bearable and pleasant. Birds were chirping around them, trees were rustling in the wind; everything seemed so content. Yet, there was wavering doubt within her mind. Setsuko watched her feet intently, the hood of her cloak masking her face. Images from the festival flashed in her mind, memories of how happy she had felt just around Gaara in such a light hearted environment. There was no stopping the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth, catching the eyes of the Kazekage's older sister. The older blonde leaned over with a light hearted grin, softly nudging Setsuko in the side.
"What?" she huffed in between jabs.
"Are you gonna tell me or what?" Temari was all a flutter about the subject in the obvious way she wanted information.
Setsuko crossed her arms across her chest, puffing out her cheeks. "I don't kiss and tell."
Suddenly Temari was dangling on top of her. "Ooooo, so you and my baby brother kissed huh?"
"Wh-what?!" Her face lit up bright red as she sputtered. "That's just….I can't believe…No!"
"You're a terrible liar!" Temari burst out laughing at how uncomfortable Setsuko had become. "But I can't believe you got Gaara to kiss you."
"No! We didn't kiss! I swear!" Setsuko ran after her after she had somehow gotten feet ahead.
What the two didn't notice in their teasing were a pair of eyes watching them from the shadow of the trees above. They loomed overhead like a predator stalking its prey, narrowing. As they moved, it moved. There were wails and laughing coming from below; the eyes stalked, sizing up their targets. Theirs would be an ending most foul. Without a sound they jumped from branch to branch, listening in and waiting for the right moment to strike. The pair of eyes knew their target well, having been briefed before attempting this venture. There wasn't anything of significance to know.
Their first day of traveling went off without a hitch. Night had begun to fall and they were currently setting up a small area to camp for the night. Temari watched as Setsuko gathered enough firewood to last them the entire night and wondered to herself how a Princess could be so grounded. All the royalty she's ever met have all been snobby, stuck up, self centered jerks! It was refreshing that she wasn't like them, but it still made her wonder. As she strolled back from a small stream with water, she looked at the relaxing Princess. She was resting up against a tree with her legs crossed and her nose in a book, as per usual. There was a soft chuckle from the older woman.
"Setsuko," she began, setting the water aside and finally sitting down for the night. She didn't have to look to feel the blue eyes glance up from their book. "How are you able to do this?" Again, she could feel the look given to her; it was a puzzled one. "I mean, aren't royalty all stuck up?"
The book closed. Setsuko sighed heavily, "Yeah, they are." She paused and for a moment, silently watching as Temari began to build a fire. "But, I hate my job. And that's all it really is, a job. I mean," she paused to snort a laugh, "I don't get paid or anything but I get out of bed just like anyone else. I take orders and have meetings like everyone else. It all kind of sucks really." The fire roared to life and Temari finally turned to look at her. "Besides…" she leaned back against the tree, stretching out her body. "I'm not really a Princess. Just a filler."
Temari looked at her with a confused shock. "What do you mean you're not a Princess?"
"Eh, it's a long boring story I don't want to get into tonight. Gaara knows, maybe he'll tell you sometime." She shrugged and went back to reading her book.
Night fell quietly around them, stars blinking at them in mild happiness to finally be free of the sun. A crescent moon hung high in the sea of stars, hugged by their brilliance only making its own even better. The crackling of the dying fire was the only sound that put the two girls to sleep, embers glowing like a beacon in the darkness that surrounded them. A sweet breeze made the trees serenade the animals into their own slumber, preventing them from hunting or investigating the girls. However, a sickly pair of yellow eyes still burned in the night. They watched each groan, each bodily twitch and each turn over from above. The pair narrowed as a toothy grin was barely seen from the shadows, pearly whites glinting from moonlight.
The eyes jumped down, landing silently just outside their camp. They slinked closer, moving like a snake through water. A rustle here and a rustle there, nothing that seemed to wake them from their slumber though. With expert steps they towered over the sleeping body of the Princess; her body looked delicious under the light of the moon. The cloak that now acted as her blanket from the crisp spring wind fell against every dip, every contour of her frame. Yellow eyes could see the curve of her hips, the length of her legs, the dip in her hourglass shape from lying on her side, and the roundness of her breasts. They licked their lips. There was nothing that said he couldn't have a little fun before slaughtering her.
She groaned lightly and rolled over onto her back. Her long hair framed her body, some lying over her shoulders, the way one leg seemed to stick out awkwardly and her hands up by her shoulders made her look too cute for her own good. He watched as her lips parted, her large chest rising and falling with each silent intake of air. A hand reached out, his hand, gently running his fingertips along her lips; they were soft like cotton. The fingertips slowly, softly, traveled down her jaw, along her neck and began tracing her collar bone. Her skin prickled and he heard her make the tiniest gasps. This only seemed to spur him on. Leaving her skin for but a moment, he found himself at her knees, placing his hands on either one and slowly parting them so not to wake her. There was a stir, but otherwise she didn't make a move.
Slipping between her legs, his hand rubbed her inner thigh, slowly making its way up towards her hips. Her skin was like velvet. The very tips of his fingers brushed her bikini line as they gripped her hips; Setsuko's eyes flashed open. Her head shot up, about to shout when he covered her mouth to muffle the sound. Her blue eyes were wide as he continued to touch her, full of fright and unable to move. Never in her life had she been in a situation like this; how was she supposed to react? It was like her whole body froze, refused to respond to her! She watched in terror as he climbed on top of her, leaning in close, and his erection pressing hard against her. His lips touched her ear, like he was about to whisper something when a large gust of wind threw him off her.
Her body shook as she looked over to see Temari giving the man a death glare while holding her giant fan in attack position, showing that she had been the one to create the wind. She watched stiffly as he got to his feet and smirked at them, wiping drool from the side of his mouth. He was taller than her by almost a foot, shaggy brown hair, menacing yellow eyes and dark tan skin. His body was covered in all sorts of different kinds of knives; different shapes and colors.
"Heh, I wasn't told my target would have such a killer body," he taunted, looking down at Setsuko.
His eyes screamed with lustful hunger as they stared at her. Setsuko couldn't help but sit and stare at the ground, her hands gripping the grass beneath her like if she let go he would try and touch her again.
"Shut your mouth." Temari's words were like poison, biting into the air with such anger she had never heard from anyone before. "How dare you try and take advantage of someone while they're defenseless."
He laughed, giving them both a malicious grin. "You're right. They're better when they fight back."
The man lunged at Temari, who swiped her fan through the air creating another gust of wind. He was thrown back, slamming against a tree. Setsuko shrieked and crawled away to hide behind the tree she had been sleeping under. Temari's already narrowed gaze narrowed even more. To Setsuko, who peered out from behind the tree, she looked as if her eyes had become demonic. The Wind Style user seemed so full of rage; a truly unforgiving rage.
"Who are you anyways?!" Her voice was hoarse from growling so low.
Slowly he got to his feet, using the tree for support. "I'm nobody. Just doing a job."
Teal eyes glanced over to Setsuko and her still wide, terrified eyes. "Finally, I get to take on one of these assassins Gaara warned me about." She smirked as she looked back to her target.
"Hn, I'm only the beginning of the fun…" His words rang in Setsuko's ears like a foreboding future. It was obvious by the way he was grinning wildly at her that he knew something they didn't. "Even if I die here…It won't end with me."
Temari roared at him as she waved her fan once again. With an amused chuckle, he disappeared before being hit, causing the tree behind him to splinter. All around them they could hear his laughter echoing through the trees. Setsuko wrapped her hands around her ears to try and drown out the sound, her whole body unable to stop trembling. He had come so close to doing vile things to her! His greedy touch still haunted her skin causing her to close her eyes, as if that would bring some semblance of peace. Over the blood pumping in her ears, she could still hear his laughing; taunting them. Her throat emitted a tiny whimper as she desperately tried to silence it. The sickening feeling of an unwanted touch made her want to hurl. It made her feel disgusting! How could someone enjoy torturing a person like that?
"Come out you coward!" Temari shouted, finally stopping the laughing that echoed in her ears.
"Coward?" his voice resonated around them. There was a violent rustle of the trees from a powerful gust of wind, calling all around them to be silent. When his voice died away, Setsuko dared to let her hands drop to her sides and look up. Her breath caught when she saw yellow eyes staring at her, deadly level with hers. "No…" he whispered, his look telling her that he had every intention of finishing what he started.
Before she could even let out a yelp, his lips crashed onto hers. The force slammed her against the tree she was hiding behind causing her to whimper against his lips. His tongue slipped happily across her lips at the cute sound she made, forcing it to slip between those sweet minty lips. Out of instinct she pushed against his shoulders, trying to get him away from her and the violation he was enjoying. Her eyes were shut tight, so tight that angry tears brimmed her lids as she continued to try and push him away. Roughly grabbing her right wrist, he forced it above her head while his other gently ran his smooth hands over her skin as a sick taunt to her plight. It was as if he was silently telling her that she was going to be his for the night.
Feeling his hand on her face she forcibly tore her face away from his, trying to pull away from it as much as possible. She felt his tongue flick across the lobe of her ear and she whimpered again. Why wasn't she able to call out to Temari for help? It almost felt like she was too sacred to move; her body and even her mind, frozen. Setsuko never looked as he took her other wrist and pinned it above her head with the other and almost instantly shoved his hand into her shirt. Feeling the sting of his warm skin against her icy body made her shiver, which he seemed to take as a good sign. Another whimper as he pinched her nipple. Biting into her lip, she felt warm plasma trickle down her chin from the force.
"Let her go." Temari's words hissed in his ear as a kunai was held against his throat.
His body froze and risked a glance over his shoulder. Her eyes were the angriest he had ever seen a woman's, pure hate; almost demonic. A bead of sweat rolled down the back of his neck.
"Now!" she roared in his ear. She was in no mood to play any games. As a woman, she found this man's behavior deplorable. Infuriating. She felt the same murderous rage she was sure Gaara used to feel.
The man glanced back at Setsuko who looked like she was trying to lean as far away from him as possible by pressing her back against the tree as much as she could. He looked down when he felt the tip of the kunai poke under his chin.
"Don't look at her. She's not who you have to worry about right now." Her words fell silent as she rammed the kunai into his neck, splattering Setsuko with some of his blood. Another was thrust into his lower back, between the vertebra so even if by some miracle he lived, he would be paralyzed for the rest of his life.
Temari pushed the limp body aside and gently placed a hand on Setsuko's terrified shoulder. The pale blonde stared at the body with wide eyes and shallow breaths, not even noticing the gesture. Minutes passed by before Setsuko's blue eyes looked down at her blood covered hands. They trembled as her mind played the scenario over and over in her head like a horrible movie. She had always held some dignity for herself as she grew up, even growing up as an orphan she always had a little ounce of dignity. Now though that felt like a distance memory. This sick feeling that twisted in her gut made her feel like, like she was no better than the dirt she walked on.
Seeing the look of disgust on her face, Temari looked at her sympathetically. There was nothing she could really do for the girl. The feeling of someone touching her against her will would probably stick with her for a long time, no matter how much she was comforted. Either way, she had to give it a shot. Wrapping her arms around the shaking girl protectively, Temari felt her body tense and quiver nervously. Soon her ears heard the echoing of her sobs as Setsuko's arms wrapped around her tightly, gripping the clothes on her back. It was like a lifeline to her; or that's how it felt from the amount of force behind the grip. It was even sooner when her shoulder was wet with tears. It was clear to Temari that their resting period was over. Gathering the wrecked Princess, she walked her over to their things, grabbed them and they resumed their journey back to Suna.
A/N: I would just like to clarify. I wasn't insulted by the review but if you're not gonna read the story, you just don't have to tell me. It's nothing something I need to know.