Anri

The yucky, dark stuff was all over, like when I spilled my grape juice, but it was like a twisted wonderland! The trees did this creepy dance, all twisty and gnarly. And the flowers? Ha, they weren't boring anymore. They wore red, like they were dressed for a bloody party.

There were shiny puddles that showed funny twisted faces when you stared in, the kind of face a person makes when you stab them. It's like they wanted to show you the horrors they had seen. The sky? Oh, it wasn't that plain old blue anymore. It was like a spray of blood that comes on an extra good day.

I'd laugh and prance around, the icky stuff tickling my toes as if it was a playful friend.

People were scared of it, but me? I found it thrilling! It was like a giant playground where I could act out my darkest fantasies. And it made me feel so powerful, like a deranged deity. I could make people disappear and not even get in trouble because they blamed the Corruption.

But we had left that cool place and now we were in a boring desert place. Mommy had gone ahead and I had got to meet Daddy.

But I was walking back towards the cool place now. It'd been fun before, but Mommy hadn't let me play with all the monsters.

But there was a monster in front of me now that had wandered out of the Corruption.

I was skipping along, humming my favorite creepy tune, and suddenly, I saw it! The furball from the abyss, or whatever I should call it. It was like a dog, but twisted and wrong in all the best ways.

Its fur was all tangled, like it had rolled around in the shadows. And oh, the colors! They weren't the normal dog colors, no sir. They were like the colors you see when someone dies and a week later, their colors are all mixed up and weird. Its eyes glowed, and they weren't the sweet puppy eyes you'd expect. Nah, they were like little dark galaxies, swirling with hate. I thought they were cute, though.

The thing had teeth that dripped with something that looked like ink, but I knew it wasn't ink. It was... well, something else.

Its paws were... oh, how do I say this? They were like slimy tentacles, all writhing and waving in the air. It was like a mix between a pup and some alien monster from one of those horror comics.

It snarled at me, and I giggled. Then I snarled back. I stared into the abyss and the abyss stared back into me. Then it whimpered and fell to the ground, covering its eyes with its tentapaws.

I scooped him up. He belonged to me now.

"Da hell are ya doing out here?" I heard Daddy say from behind.

He looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Lookie, I have a puppy now!" I grinned, holding up my new friend.

Daddy sighed deeply and rubbed his temples. "You know what? I'm not even gonna."

I tilted my head, considering his words. "I think I will name him 'Mutilation'."

Daddy stared at me, disbelief etched across his face. "Oh? Is that all? That the worst war crime you could think of?"

"Uh… how about 'Genocide,' then?"

He shook his head and muttered something under his breath. "That was rhetorical, but I also don't care about your… dog. Just don't go into the Corruption. Look, the camp is starting to move. Go with them to Sand and find your Mother. I'm sure you'll fit right in with all the crazies there."

I pouted. I wanted to stay with Daddy, but I knew I had to play the game of stupid adults. I widened my eyes and made my bottom lip shake.

Daddy sighed again and picked me up. Yes, my plan was working! I'd have him wrapped around my pinky in no time.

But then, out of nowhere, he turned and tossed me back towards the camp. I yelped as I flew through the air. "You motherfucker!" I shouted after him, but I doubted he could hear me.

I looked for a good place to land. There was sand, and I guess it was soft enough. But there was also an old lady. If I just…

I held my leg out to the side to chop her in the throat before I did the tumble tumble. I got up. Me and Genocide were fine, but the old lady was groaning and sobbing. I giggled and ran into the crowd of people moving all over, packing up stuff.

I looked around, making sure I hadn't broken anything. I was fine, but the old lady wasn't doing so well. She was groaning and sobbing. I giggled and scrambled to my feet before running into the crowd of people who were packing up their stuff.

I gathered my knives and the vial of poison I'd made. There was a bit too much poison to carry by myself, so I poured some of it into a water barrel that some dummy had left out in the open. If Mommy asked, I'd tell her I was just showing everyone how dangerous it could be to leave water unattended.

Once I was sure no one was watching, I snuck out of the camp and started following Daddy's tracks in the sand.

It took me half a day of walking, but eventually, the tracks vanished. He must have figured out I was following him. I looked around, trying to figure out where he might have gone. Suddenly, he popped out of the sand right in front of me.

I spun around and threw a knife at him, aiming for his throat. "Don't just throw me, you fucker."

Daddy's hands moved in a blur of hand signs, and the knife veered off course before it even reached him. "That's not fair! How'd you do that?"

He ran towards me, and in the blink of an eye, he was standing on top of me, his boot pressing against my face and pinning me to the ground. "Let me go or I'll kill you slowly!"

I slid a poisoned knife out of my sleeve and tried to poke it into his ankle, but it jerked to the side instead of hitting its mark.

"Magnet Release," Daddy said. "None of your weapons are going to work."

Genocide lunged at Daddy, but he punched my puppy and sent him tumbling. "Control that thing or I'll kill it."

"Genocide is a good boy. He protects me."

Daddy crossed his arms, staring down at me. "Ya get one last chance to behave." Ugh, he was so demanding.

I reluctantly muttered, "Fine. I won't stab your eyes out. Today."

He continued to give me that stern look. Seriously, what did he want from me? I was starting to regret following him in the first place.

"Or do anything else to you. Now get your fuck-ass shoe off me."

I scrambled to my feet as he stepped off me, shooting him a glare. Oh, I had totally been lying. I still really wanted to stab him, but I knew that wouldn't work. Maybe I'd have a chance when he was asleep?

That night, I waited patiently, making sure he was deeply asleep. I creeped over to him, holding a knife in one hand. Just as I was about to strike, the knives I was carrying started moving erratically, making me stumble and almost fall.

Daddy opened one eye and gave me a look that clearly said, "Really?"

I spent the rest of the trip tied up with Genocide and being dragged behind Daddy.

"You know Daddy, there's a special place in my heart for stabbing things. I wonder if I can find a spot for you."

He ignored this.

"If you think the Corruption is bad, believe me, it's nothing compared to what I can do to someone when they get on my bad side."

"Shaddup already," Daddy said.

I did not shut up.

"Daddy, I once read that fear can make people's hair turn white overnight. Wonder if that works on eyebrows too."

"The hell you even talkin' about?"

"What are you afraid of?"

"I'm afraid that I might rip yer tongue out if ya don't stop bein' annoyin'!"

Daddy stopped, with a giving twitch. He'd revealed something he hadn't meant to.

He turned around and walked over to me and began tying another rope around my mouth. I tried to bite his fingers, but he never gave me a chance.

The rest of the trip, I could only grunt angrily.

Tall cliffs loomed overhead, the vibrant blue sky contrasting with the white peaks. Jagged rocks seemed to form intricate pathways, guiding the eye along their natural sculptures.

As we approached the village gates, a guard appeared, his eyes narrowing suspiciously as they landed on me. "Hold it right there," he commanded, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "State your business in Kumogakure."

Daddy stepped forward, his expression serious. "I need to talk ta the Raikage, right now."

The guard's gaze flickered between us, his suspicion deepening as he took in my tied-up form. "And who's this?"

Kini hesitated, seemingly searching for the right words. "She's... a special case. Look, I don't have time for this. Lives are at stake."

The guard's eyes narrowed even further. "A 'special case,' huh? That's not very reassuring. I'm going to need a better explanation."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his need to have everything explained to him. Seriously, did he think tying me up was for fun?

Kini's patience seemed to snap. "Listen, I don't have time to play twenty questions wit ya," Daddy snapped, his tone growing tense. "I need ta see the Raikage immediately. Do y'all wanna die?!"

The guard's hand tightened on his sword. "I'm afraid I can't just let you waltz in here with a small child as your prisoner. You're under arrest until we can figure out what's going on."

Daddy's eyes blazed with frustration. "You've got ta be kidding me."

In one swift motion, Kini lunged at the guard, his fists flying. The guard barely had time to draw his sword before Kini's attacks overwhelmed him. A fierce brawl ensued, punches and kicks exchanged in a flurry of motion.

I watched in a mix of shock and amusement as Daddy's impressive strength and combat skills came to the forefront. The guard put up a valiant fight, but it was clear that Kini had the upper hand. With a final blow, the guard was knocked to the ground, his sword clattering beside him and his limbs magnetized to his body.

Daddy turned to me, his expression grim. "Stay out of trouble, Anri."

Before I could respond, he sprinted into the village, disappearing into the bustling streets of Kumogakure. I watched him go, curiosity churning within me. What was so urgent that he had to fight his way in?

As for me, well, being tied up was getting old fast. I began to work on loosening the ropes, my mind already swirling with plans for causing chaos in this new and exciting place.