I lay on the cold, hard table in a blue room full of lights, buttons, and the like. I'm uncomfortable as shit and I hate it. It just smells like death in here. "Kabuto, what's your body count in this room?"

No answer.

I badger him until he answers to feed my curiosity. "Is it in the double digits? 22 maybe? How old are you? Your age is your body count, I bet!"

"Shut up."

"Suck my dick. Nerd."

Kabuto stops digging through a cabinet to look at me, clearly irked to my satisfaction. He sighs. "Why must you speak in such a vulgar fashion? Surely your mother taught you better than that. Or your father."

"My mother talks like me. My father doesn't talk much at all because he's always high. Thanks."

He shoots me yet another look I'm unable to discern but he raises an eyebrow. "Where are they?"

I shrug. "Who knows, who cares. Parents are overrated..."

"Hmph. Some would disagree."

I sit up, intrigued by the nerdy kid. I'm going to watch him carefully to see if I say anything that pulls a reaction from the laconic lame-o. "Do you disagree? You like your parents then?"

"I don't have parents."

"Well I say that sometimes but that's just because they're dead to me. Everyone has parents at some point. Did they pass?"

"I'm an orphan, Shani. Lay back down."

He's calm yet bitter. I never pegged him as an orphan, but then again how could you really tell something like that. I don't lay down on the hard table; it's very uncomfortable and low budget unlike everything else I've seen here so far. Instead I look at him with teasing eyes, wanting to have a little fun and get to know my captor's right hand man. He catches on immediately. "Shani, just what are you doing? I need you to cooperate."

"Psh... I just wanna get to know you as all. No trouble meant," I say in my sweetest voice.

Kabuto's face is completely unamused, and he pushes me back down onto the table. The lights from the room create a glare on his glasses so no direct eye contact is made. He lifts my shirt up to my chest and touches my bruise with two glove clad fingers, making me yelp. "What happened here when the men attacked you?"

To be honest, this occurred just a couple nights ago and I can't remember. I left in mind and spirit, thinking I was going to get raped. I quickly sit up and pull my shirt back down. "I can barely recall anything. I know they...well... Yeah I'm not sure. I know I was hit in the face but that's about all I can remember in all honesty."

"Then I'm going to have to check you all over and determine your injuries myself. Please stand and strip down to your undergarments for me."

I can't bring myself to do anything but sit there and stare past him, thinking back on the night when I found my sister, her suicide note and how those monsters only mocked her. I start feeling nauseous, like crying, like screaming... But I try to gain self control to refrain from having a second wave of a mental breakdown. I'm getting hot, and my breath is getting squeezed out of me as I start sobbing uncontrollably. My knuckles turn white as I grip the edge of the hard surface and try to steady my fading breath. Kabuto's hands make their way to me, settling on my shoulder.

"Shani, stop crying, you can't breathe. I need you to calm down-"

"NO! Get off of me!"

His hands grip my cheeks hard, and I shake my head violently to fight him off. "Please control yourself!"

"Fuck you, muscle head! You dirty pigs, don't fucking touch me!"

"Shani I'll be forced to-"

"Mina-chan! Mina! They're coming for you!"

And for some reason, in the midst of my tirade, I feel two fingers press against my shoulder and I collapse into his arms as I fall forward. He slams me back onto the table. I can't move. I can't speak. All I see is glasses, barely, through my hazy and teary eyes. Cold, rubbery hands slip up my shirt and lift it over my head, the same with my shorts. I can't speak but my whimpers are audible as cuts and bruises are examined all over my body, as I'm being flipped this way, that way... Then back over onto my back.

It feels like I've been laying in this paralyzed state for hours. I haven't stopped crying. I close my eyes and just hope to fall asleep. I fucking hate this. I don't want him to examine anything or fix me in any way. I would have been so much better off if my uncle's friends killed me.

As if being paralyzed wasn't enough, I tense up as I feel Kabuto's hands hover over my chest. But they do just that... He doesn't grope me at all, and I open my eyes only slightly to see some green phenomenon, a light maybe. I close my eyes again. Hell, I don't know what's happening and realistically I'm over it.

"Move."

I open my eyes as quickly as I shut them. "What?" I sit up... I sit up! "Oh my god, what did you do Kabuto, I feel so much better! Where are my scars!?"

"Put your clothes back on for me."

"I asked you a question-"

"Be quiet! And put on your clothes!"

The glare in his glasses is gone, and I can look that bitch dead in the eye. "Hey watch who the hell you're talkin' to, eh? You don't know me. I'll kill you and everyone in here no problem. Don't fuck with me."

"Hmph. Watch your mouth, will you? It's not polite, nor ideal for such a pretty young lady."

I roll my eyes, for maybe the millionth time today. He can't just switch up his tactics like that and not expect me to catch it. I throw my white T over my head, messing up my hair in the process. "First of all don't flatter me. Second, ew. Third, you're not my father, I don't do what you tell me. Hell, I didn't even listen to him."

I throw on my shorts and sigh. Kabuto's still looking at me. He fixes his glasses with a finger, pushing them upwards onto his face, and clears his throat. "I need to do some blood tests on you. I need a sample."

"For sure." With an almond shaped, and very elegantly manicured black fingernail I scratch deep into the palm of my other hand. The thick, dark liquid oozes from my hand. Kabuto, holding the tube, let's the blood fall into the object and takes a pretty large sample at that. He admires it for a moment. "Fascinating," he exclaims. "I've never seen this before. It's almost...black."

"Oh, is it? Huh, I never really noticed."

"This does not run in the blood of the clan. I noticed back at the hotel, theirs was significantly lighter. This must be a trait from those of the original bloodline, correct?"

"Sure...whatever."

"You don't know?"

"Well dang, Kabuto, I don't exactly sit around and examine people's blood. I'm not a freak like you."

He gets offended by my remark and he walks away towards his desk. I feel kinda bad, but not really. I think I'll apologize anyway. "That was fucked up, I'm sorry Kabuto. I didn't mean it in that way. I get it; this is like, your job. Sorry."

"It's fine."

"Right on...um, you wouldn't happen to have something to wrap this shit with would you?"

He silently walks over to me with gauze in hand, staring at my palm with a funny expression. "Why aren't you bleeding? You don't need this."

I scoff. "You didn't know? I can control the flow of blood. The gash is still there but the blood is just gonna stay inside of it. I kinda dislike looking at it. If I see too much of it I get a little, well, crazy."

Kabuto stares hard at me, freaking me out just a little. "Interesting. Can you do a further demonstration?"

"Sure. But nothing crazy! I can't go overboard, this mental wound is still fresh. Last thing we need is me to lose myself again."

"Of course, we wouldn't want you having yet another mental breakdown so do what you can."

My mind goes completely blank, the action needing entire focus and a clear head. I focus my energy onto the gash, and the blood starts flowing out from it yet again. With my other hand, I guide the thick liquid out of my hand, and into mid air. The blood travels in the same motion as I sway my hand. I take a finger and twirl it, watching the blood move in a circular motion. I avert my eyes to Kabuto, whom is in awe.

"Absolutely fascinating... I almost can't believe it."

"Hold on, there's more." I let it fall to the ground lightly, as not to splash it on us. "I can control entire masses." With my guiding hand, I focus my energy unto Kabuto's arm and pull it towards myself. He jumps, startled. I then guide his legs, moving closer towards me, then a few steps back. His movements are very jerky. "I haven't really mastered that part yet..." I let him free of my control.

The four eyed man smiles in satisfaction. "It's amazing. The only other person I've ever seen control a phenomenon in such a way by guiding it with their hand is the kazekage."

"Oh cool. Who?"

"The Kazekage? The leader of Sunagakure? Gaara of the sand?"

I shake my head. "Yeah, none of that rings a bell. Sorry."

He sighs. "I should have figured." He takes a very long pause, then does that thing where he pushes up his glasses again. "You're such an interesting girl. Now tell me something... Lord Orochimaru mentioned to me that your uncle told you the Akatsuki is after you as well. You can help them get the jinchuriki-"

"Stop, stop, stop. Listen here, friend. I don't know any of the stuff they're talking about. I don't know what a jinchublahblah is or who the Akatsuki people are, I don't know anything! All I know is we eat, shit, breathe and die. And maybe fuck here and there if you're lucky. I know how to live, how to survive. That's all I ever knew. I wasn't trying to get involved in any of this, okay?"

"Well now that you are, are you gonna sit there and sulk or do something about it?"

"Probably sit here and goddamn sulk! I don't know what to do about it, haven't you been listening?"

"He who asks questions finds answers."

Rolling my eyes I hop from the table. I speak calmly this time, over arguing."Look man, I don't need you to tell me how to live my life. I've been on my own, doing things my way. I'd much rather leave and deal with what life throws at me than to be stuck here, 'safe' but having people tell me what to do."

Kabuto starts chuckling, which gets me even more irritated. "You have to do what we tell you. You can't just leave. Remember, I can bring your sister back."

Just the thought of her coming back to me makes me tear up. That, and my ego. I couldn't leave here if I wanted. They know they will always have this to use against me until I get her. With clenched fists I walk up to him, lifting my head to look him in the eye. "Then do it. Tell me what I have to do, and bring her back to me. Please, Kabuto, that's my baby sister."

He catches a tear falling down my cheek. "In due time, Shani. I promise. I've got a plan, it just takes time."

I nod, as reassured as my mind would allow me to be. Suddenly the door flies open and there stands Orochimaru, who appears to be in distress. Sasuke walks in front of him and into the room, and stands beside the table I just laid on

He's very standoff-ish, and chary as he looks past the pale man. Orochimaru's eyes are fixed on me. "Shani... You have a visitor."

"Excuse me? I don't know anyone that wouldn't try to kill me, who the fuck did you let in?"

"My niece...you have a mouth like my brother."

Uncle Umeki. Orochimaru steps aside and sighs. "I've told her about that. I ask that we all make our way to the dining room so that we may converse." He motions for the exit.

"Hell no," I protest and hide behind Sasuke, who lends an arm as a barrier between myself and my creepy uncle. "I'm not going anywhere near him. He is the one who got those three fucking goons to come after me. They tried to rape me, did you know that? Your little fucking friends tried to rape me?"

"I figured," he responds matter-of-factly. "I saw their bodies. I figured it had to be pretty bad what they did for you to mutilate them like that, am I right? Ha! You're a firecracker, Shani!"

I look at Orochimaru in disbelief. "Are you hearing this shit? He has no remorse! He's sick! He's so sick in the head and you let him in here. Don't trust him."

"Now, now my Shani," he says in a soothing voice. "I'm sure he just wants to talk, hm? Isn't that right?"

"I just want to talk. Despite everything, the two of us are family. I'd never hurt you. Come on, let's go chat. Only for a little while."

"See," Orochimaru offers. "It's innocent, harmless."

He's so much smarter than that, and I know it. My gut is telling me he set me up, but my heart is saying that he's being genuine. He wouldn't let my uncle hurt me. He needs me as much as I need him. We were supposed to reach our goals together, and we can't do that if he brings my stupid uncle around who'd kill me! But...I don't know how to tell him no. After all he's done for me already? I can't. I open my mouth only to respond with silence.

Sasuke, to my surprise, responds for me. "I don't want him near her, period. What his friends did to her...I can't have him around. He's vile. She'll be spending the rest of her day with me. So you guys can leave her alone."

Orochimaru's eyes lock onto mine in an intense stare, making me even more nervous and my face burning hot. He wants me to protest against Sasuke, but I'm not going to. I hold on to Sasuke's belt, thick and rope like, and hide my face against his shoulder. Orochimaru then averts his eyes to Sasuke, who remains unintimidated by him. A deep, smooth chuckle fills the silence of the room. "Very well then. It looks like the Uchiha boy has taken a liking to your niece, Umeki. How interesting. I will not deter you, Sasuke. But I want her back." His last words came out like venom.

Sasuke reaches behind himself and takes hold of my wrist. He guides me out the room, keeping his grip with his arm around me. As he leads me out the door my uncle stares at me with a foul smirk. "Fuck are you looking at bitch?"

"Shani, just go," Sasuke warns, pushing me forward.

My face is still hot, and I'm beyond perturbed. I can't seem to figure out how my uncle found this place, as secluded as it is. "Sasuke," I say as we get further down the hallway. "Thank you so much. I owe you."

"Don't thank me...what those guys did to you is disgusting. I don't want anyone associated with them around you. People like that are scum. And mind you, Orochimaru is just as foul."

"Seriously? No, that can't be right."

"He doesn't care about you. I know the type of person he is. He made wild promises to you, didn't he? Maybe coddled you a little too, because you're different."

"Well it's almost like you were there."

"That's how all of us got here."

"There's more?"

"Several."

All I could manage to respond with is "oh." Abruptly, he stops walking. "What's up?"

His hand flies to my mouth and he pushes me against a door. "Don't make a sound," he whispers. Gently and quietly, he turns the knob, opens the door, and pushes me in. He closes it maybe 3/4 of the way, then puts his arm in front of me once again, defending me. But from what? I have no clue. But I feel an ominous presence, ominously familiar. Sasuke takes little steps back, and I follow his lead until we end up at the edge of a bed. He squats down precariously, lifting the blanket. "Get under and don't make a sound."

I want to ask so badly what's going on, but obviously I can't fucking do that and it's killing me. I comply with his orders. As I get under the bed I give him a pleading look, to which he only shakes his head at. Footsteps approach the door as loud as my heartbeat, and I crawl as far back as I can. I see Sasuke's feet at the edge, and I hear the sound of his sword being drawn. I recognise the chakra, and it's of the same type as my own. It's more of the Daisuri. Shit, shit, shit! I haven't the slightest fucking clue how they found me but I can barely handle this anymore. I start feeling extremely dizzy. I'm gonna have to put a lot of effort into making sure my heavy breathing can't be heard.

"Hey, boy. Who you talking to in here, eh?"

It's a woman's voice. A familiar one. Sasuke responds calmly yet with a stern intonation. "Myself. Why are you here."

"I'm looking for someone. My daughters."

"What is your name, and who are your daughters?"

"My name is Raiko, and my daughters are Shani and Minatsuru."

My heart stops. She's lying. I recognise the voice but it isn't my mom's. Sasuke, who I'm learning is very intelligent, knows she's lying too. "Hm. Perhaps not. You'd have no business with her, seeing as how you've been absent for so long in their lives. And you obviously had not heard the news about Minatsuru."

The woman changes her tone. "Oh. Is she not here?"

"Who else is with you," he demands. "There's other people. Umeki brought you all didn't he?"

"What happened to my girls, boy?" Her voice changes back to her harsh speaking pattern. It isn't usual for them to do this. They just speak funny in its entirety. They don't know how to change their vernacular, that's something only I was able to pick up after being out of the village for so long.

Sasuke's feet move, and I know shit is about to hit the fan. "Your youngest daughter is dead...You've got five seconds to tell me who else is here, or I will end you."

"What do you do to her, eh?"

No response. She raises her voice. "Where are they?"

Again, no response."You speak boy! Where...what happens to your eyes, they change! What are you- OH GOD!"

Her body drops to the floor, cold and wide eyed. Sasuke drags her body. Then I hear the door close. There's a long moment of nothingness, and pure anxiety. "You can come out, Shani."

Shaking, I crawl out from under the bed. Sasuke is still by the door, listening. "What happened?"

"Don't worry about it."

I can honestly say I've never felt so afraid in my life. Even in hiding, with strange ninja, I'm found by more of the people that raised me, and so called loved me. I didn't do anything to anyone! They have no reason to come after my life. I feel exhausted and upset, with this immense pain weighing down on my chest. I fall to the floor and sit with my legs sprawled out. "Ughhh, why is this happening to me?"

Sasuke walks over and kneels beside me. Awkwardly he puts an arm around my shoulder and pulls me to him in an attempt to console me. I can tell he doesn't do that too often, so I appreciate his efforts a whole lot. "I'm gonna get you out of here. I'm not afraid of these people, I can protect you."

"Dude you don't know what they're capable of. Don't risk your life for me."

"I promise you, they don't know what I'm capable of, and they don't want to. Come on, Shani. We're leaving."

He grabs my hand and pulls me up. We start heading back out the door against my will. Reluctantly, I question the boy saving my life. "But where else can I go- what the hell?"

"You know this woman?"

He dragged her dead body and left it right beside the door on the other side. Her mouth is wide open, stretched as far as her jaw would allow- maybe even further. I shake my head. "Let's just go...wherever we're going...where are we going?"

"Orochimaru has several hideouts in different countries. We can go to the nearest one."

"And have them follow you there? I can't put you in jeopardy like that." I snatch my hand away. Then I notice I'm still standing by the dead body which is kinda awkward, so I start walking down the hall. I only get a couple of steps before he pulls me and grabs me by the shoulders. The look in his eyes is extremely intense.

"Listen to me, Shani. Nobody here is in jeopardy but you. You can't trust anyone anymore, don't you see that?"

"Then why should I trust you?"

"You shouldn't. But for now you should. I'm not as cold as I may come off. You're so different from any girl I've met. When I saw you back there, the lust for death in your eyes, you reminded me of myself. Your chakra is unbelievably strong. Shani, you have so much potential and I can't have you waste it."

"You all keep saying that. I'm not gonna ask why you care so much. I appreciate what you're doing. Thank you Sasuke."

We leave it at that. I hardly know what the hell he's talking about but whatever it is isn't as important as me getting the fuck outta here. At the end of our silent yet speedy walk back down the hall we go back to Kabuto's lab, to my dismay. Umeki is gone. The other two are there. Orochimaru leers at me. "Well, look who's back. Come here Shani, my dear girl."

I start to walk to him but Sasuke subtly holds me back. Orochimaru doesn't like that. "Ah, what's this? It seems you really have taken to the red haired girl, haven't you Sasuke." He says his name in a hiss full of discontent.

"We're leaving," he responds harshly. "There's more people here, I just killed one. You let them in. So I'm taking her, and we're going to a different hideout."

He laughs menacingly. "You're making that decision for my precious girl? If you leave with her you have to take good care of her." He starts walking towards me. He stops in front of me, and tucks the long strands of my hair behind my ear, giving me those bedroom eyes that make my face hot.

Sasuke puts an arm around my waist and pulls me away from Orochimaru. "I'll take better care of her then you ever could." As he says this he leans his face close to my ear. He pulls me towards him so that our chests touch and walks me backwards out of the lab. Orochimaru's eyes are cold and full of envy. He mouths to me, you'll be back. As if that was my choice.

As Sasuke and I get far enough down he hall he lets me go and walks slightly ahead without another word. I smile. There was something crazy that just happened back there. Sasuke didn't do that for me. He and Orochimaru have beef, man! I could taste the disdain they have for each other. The hatred, the jealousy. It's all too intense. I suppose right now isn't an appropriate time to ask what that was about. Because the hostility wasn't all that overt, it makes it so much more interesting. Sasuke stops at a puddle in the middle of the hall.

"Suigetsu, what are you doing?"

The puddle slowly emerges, grows then takes the form of a body. Eventually it changes into a person- the white haired kid from earlier. So fucking metals! "Oh, hey! You're that kid that was with us at the hotel! What's up?"

I can practically see the hearts in his eyes. "Shani! Our queen. Are you better?"

"She's fine, get your sword and let's go."

"Sasuke, you're so protective of me..."

He looks at me briefly, then starts walking ahead of us.

Suigetsu's eyes gleam devilishly. "He's just strange. Kinda lonely. He's headed to my room right now. Where did he say we're going?"

"A different hideout. More of those people are after me."

He grins, and wraps his arm around my waist. "Well you don't have to worry about that. You've got me, and you've got Sasuke."

I nod. "It's Suigetsu right?"

"Yeah! Glad you remembered!"

... Sasuke just said it but I don't wanna kill his shit so I don't mention that. "Oh well it's no problem. Thanks, for being so willing to help me."

"I'd do anything in the world for the hottest rock star on the planet!"

I almost forgot that that's what I was doing before I got caught up in this shit. He continues, "It's a new life for you Shani. I'll show you things you've never seen before! It may not be as flashy a lifestyle, but we can make this an adventure!"

I smile. "Wow, you sure are a lot of fun. I think I'm really gonna like being around you."

His face lights up, and he kisses my cheek.

That's what I miss the most about my old life. My fans. Being able to make all those people smile just at my presence. It was so fucking cool. I didn't have to worry about the things I'm worrying about now. The one thing that's okay about this is that I can see I have two people that care about me on a whole new level. They're about to put their lives in danger for me. The only person that ever did that for me was my sister. That is so new to me, but I fucking love it.

A/N: Took a while to upload this but that's because the chapter is a lot longer than I intended. If it's too long let me know, sometimes long chapters upset my ADHD...Can't pay attention for crap. Leave reviews, thanks guys!