But! I'm not here to debate that.
I'm looking for constructive criticism, more or less. A lot of people just say, "I like it," and move on, but I'm looking for a more blunt opinion. Not to say you shouldn't like it, one of the things I'm working on is drawing the readers attention.
I'm new to the guild, just joined today, actually, and posted up an application to be a beta. I used to come on Gaia a way, long time ago, but it slowed my computer down and I had to stop, and now I'm back into it. Never joined a guild before, so hopefully I'm doing nothing wrong. x3 I'll shut up now, and pretend like I know what I'm doing::
Short Story- A Naruto Fan Fic
Authors Notes-
Ami, the lovely, the wonderful, the amazing, is my creating. Please don't steal her jutsu that I worked to come up with. If you do, I'll poke your eyes out with a spork. As for the setting, I made up the whole setting about the Hidden Rock village. I used my -Does that hand thing from Spongbob- imagination. It may, or much more likely, may not look like that, but for the sake of adding an image to the readers mind, I added my input based on what was likely. How I interpreted it? They specialize in rock and earth jutsu, all sorts of precious minerals might just very well be abundant as well.
Just for the heck of it, for those wondering, during the duration of this FanFic, as a Gaian, Ami would look something close to:
The only major adjustment would be the color and length of her hair, would should be longer and darker.
Ami
A soft lullaby played through the forest, its tune as peaceful as the damp evergreen. It'd rained the previous day, leaving droplets of water glowing in the mid morning sunlight. Rays scarcely penetrate the thick canopy, leaving the hundred to two-hundred drop below rather cool. Thick tree limbs branched out plentifully, entwining with one another. And still, the smooth melody kept playing. One unlucky Nin neared its source.
The music stopped.
"Don't. Move."
Not even the light tap of her feet was heard as Ami landed behind the Nin. His eyes widened, a bit startled to say the least. Chills prickled along his arms and spine as the icy metal of a kunai pressed against his neck. Embarrassed, no less, his brow furrowed with shame.
"I see you bare the symbol of the Hidden Rock Village. So then, it should be easy for you to recall its location."
"I'll not sell out my own village. Besides, if I told you, it wouldn't be very 'Hidden,' now wou-" Mid sentence, his stern voice was stopped with the sudden pressure of the kunai on his throat.
"Tisk, tisk," Her free hand dug into her pocket, retrieving the infamous flute of hers. Then, with a quick snap of the wrist, that knife pierced his shoulder, providing a short distraction. "Then I shall have to steal it from you, and you won't have a choice." She'd say matter-of-a-factly. He removed the kunai; streams of crimson were running down the length of his vest. Mean while, the mouth of the instrument was brought just shy of hers. Apt chakra flooded her lips, helped breath life into the flute. Fingers curled, following the melody of the song, and soon, the Nin told her exactly where to go, as if it had suddenly been his pleasure. What happen in that instant was only a manipulation of basic biology and a basic knowledge of physics. The brain of every living organism is the CPU of the body. Electric signals continuously pulse throughout, traveling on wires we call nerves. Sound, after the waves are detected by specially designed organs in the ear, turn into electric impulses to be determined in the brain. From the beginning, with the aid of chakra, Ami forces these impulses to various parts of the brain- a subliminal message. By her will had chakra manipulation, she can create a hell within the body.
Her leg then bent back, flexing the muscles before launching her cat like grace into a tree limb. A light smirk was evident on her glossy lips. Turing around for just a second, she stuck her nose in the air. "Brother would be ever so disappointed if I left without a thank you." She bowed. And, with a slight giggle, left as swiftly as she had appeared.
~~~
Damn trees all look the same, Ami closed her eyes, taking in a cool breath. All too soon, the flora started to dim, and the turf became more rocky; when tree limbs became too flimsy, Ami simply strolled on ground level.
Once the border of the Hidden Rock became visible just under wavy horizon, Ami removed her Hidden Dragon headband, shoving it in her pocket, and put on a Hidden Rock one in its place. Chin length bangs curved over its metallic plate, shifting occasionally with the wind. Ironically, Ami hadn't bothered to change her attire much; she still donned the usual short-sleeved hoodie, with black gloves running down the length of her forearm. Metal platelets were attached to the backs of each hand. Lose fitting pants were below that, housing kunai, smoke bombs, and an assortment of her other Nin equipment in a pocket on either side. A thin strap curved pasted her shoulder, chest, and down to her hip, keeping a sword attached to her back.
The bordered village became clearer now, with rows and rows of buildings ascending to one common building in the center, which had several columns encircling the massive tower. Gems gleamed off almost every structure, making the village itself look at thought it were self luminescent. Elegant paintings of once liquid gold decorated buildings and public areas. Ami could vaguely point out tiny moving dots, people, who scurried their way around the wonder, oblivious to its beauty.
A guard atop gate kept a keen eye on her for almost as long as she did him. And, the instant she grew close enough to see his firm expression, humored herself with the thought of how long it would take to play nice before cutting him in half. Enough to allow her a misleading smile. Eyes kept straight ahead, casually focusing on the busy society within the walls. Of course, that wasn't enough to convince him. He'd free fallen down to her level, right before she placed a toe on the clay red road ahead. The folding of his clothing through the air gave away the supposable subtleness of his intrusion, but Ami played along with, acting surprised when he'd landed only a meter in front.
"Where you headed to," There was a short pause, as if waiting for an answer. When there was no immediate, he added, "Ma'am."
"Home." Truth, in part. The Hidden Rock had once been home to her.
"What's yer name?"
Her brows furrowed, it didn't take much for her frustration to set in. Quick to reply, in an attempt to mock him, she mimicked his accent. "How's 'bout I carve it into your cheek, so you don't forget." Perhaps a bit crude, as she normally was. The Nin flicked his wrist once, and four kunai appeared between the gaps, their metallic reflection shining in Ami's eyes.
"Come again?" He took a step closer, but Ami was confident. Still, it took every ounce of what self control she had to bow, apologize, and keep on walking through the largely oversized gates. As long as she did nothing to threaten him, she figured, there was nothing they could do to her. Additionally, her self proclaimed mission she was on was much more important than that pin head.
~~~
Ami took a short detour to a local Ramen bar, ordered herself a bowl, and began to eat. The village people around walked back and fourth, some running, carrying out their everyday lives. Ami gave them looks of distaste; she still held her reserves about hanging around in heavily populated areas.
After paying for the meal, she wondered off. It took her until about mid-afternoon to locate the house of Akaris' adopted parents, since she'd only been there once before in her life. Her plan was to wait until her sister went out on her own, track her down, soundlessly, until she could get her alone, and then... whatever came next. She'd stalk outside the house until then.
Anticipation made her stomach cringe and tighten into a ball; the last time she saw her sibling was when she left the Hidden Dragon Village "for good." Her only blood relative, she thought helplessly, didn't want anything to do with her. These thoughts and anxiety swelled in her, but she stubbornly pushed past them, refused to let them break her down, refusing to cry out. No, that would make her a cry baby, weak. She'd have none of that.
Ami napped on the rooftop of a neighboring building meantime, exhausted from her journey. Ledges along all four sides prevented anyone from lower levels from seeing her. She drifted between states of consciousness, the realm where time doesn't exist, where one second felt the same as one hour, where your memory eludes you, no matter how focused you once were. And when she woke, she thought she was seeing things; thousands upon thousands of glowing dots spinning around above, like an army of firefly's. It took her a moment to recognize them as stars. Must've been more tired than I thought.
~~~
A door thudded shut, with three dim figures standing outside the doorway Ami's half awake form was in front of.
"What is it that is so important, you had to inform me of at this hour?"
One of the figures bowed.
"My apologies, Sensei. I was just relieved of my guard duty. I have some news that may be important, but I'm not... I am not sure." The last part came out more confident. "There was a young ninja with a Hidden Rock headband, but I'm not sure if she's really from here. I didn't tell anyone else; it might have set off false alarms. Since your division would be likely to be responsible for finding her anyway, I came to you first."
"Alert the higher ranks. Even if it's just a hunch, it still might prevent something big."
Ami had heard mumbling, but it took her a while before she was able to enhance her perception of hearing.
"One of our own?"
"I don't know. Perhaps. She might hold an alliance with another village, and be a spy send here."
"For what purpose? We're not at war!"
"Well, if such is the case, you know how much trouble we could be in for freely allowing her to stay here."
"I am aware..."
"We'll have to take action. We might have to kill her, no matter how young she may be. But that might just provoke a war further. Are you prepared for that?"
Akari! The short bit she happened to hear at that particular moment fit her sibling like to a tee. Panic made her limbs shake. For a second, tiny blobs of gray and black, that really didn't exist, clogged her vision. Her throat swelled, and her cheek felt as though they were on fire. But that didn't stop her from charging forward. Muscles tensed, and her breathing rate increased to an audible level. The group turned toward her in unexpected shock, though it was a bit late for that. Ami had flooded her legs with chakra, some of it seeped out to form dust pockets around her. And then, she was gone, in the blink of an eye.
Her form didn't reappear until gravity slowed her down as she came toppling over one of the Nin, sword in hand. It didn't yet occur to her, registered in her mind, that she had tackled the bridge guard from earlier. Before they even hit the ground, the metallic blade was on a curved path, entering through his side, up and out through his shoulder. With an added force to the side, Ami cut through a good chunk of meat, freeing her sword at the same time. Crimson splatter landed on her clothing, her face, her glossy hair. Desperate, high pitch cries of agony came from the man, not lifting until he expelled every particle of air from his lungs, only for him to draw back in deep breaths, and pick back up again.
Ami neglected her surroundings; it seemed to her for the longest time that only then two existed. But now there was a painful pressure to her side, and she could feel herself flying through the air before hitting her back against some invisible object. Once her vision had returned, she could make out one figured hunched over her victim, another in a defensive stance.
For a good moment, her eye lids remained closed. Chakra competed with adrenalin through her system as she, by no mental consent she remembered, entered tigress form. Her slender body trembled as she underwent all sorts of changes: claws formed on her hands and feet, her muscle system grew more complex, thereby affecting her speed as well.
It took little effort to rise, taking the sword with; self made claw marks indented her palm. She bolted forward, with her new cat-like stealth, to her new opponent. He was quite fast, too. An upward kick to her palm sent the sword astray. Her lips pulled back tightly, with a low hiss passing. Her opponent backed up some, Ami took that time to gather a mass of chakra to her throat and let free a feral rawr.
The Nin went to cover his ears, but found himself going limp in the limbs. Soon, his whole form laid peacefully on the ground, belly down. A paralysis technique of hers. Quite proud of herself, she retrieved two kunai in one flashy movement and, in the same flashy movement, they were gone from her hand. One stuck of from the base of his neck, the other protruding from right behind the ear.
A second later, Ami jutted forward, her ears ringing a bit, until she was on all fours, feeling a bit unsteady. A minuet later, she received another blow, this time to the head, with the blunt object, rendering her unconscious. She slowly faded back into human form.
~~~
When she woke, she couldn't quite feel her body, everything felt very numb. Opening her eyes didn't quite work out, either, as there were bright lights, making them tear up. She tried moving a hand to block out the rays, but found her hand heavy. Slowly, the rest of her form felt like lead, too. Her head lolled to the side a bit and, when her eyes readjusted finally, she found herself sitting in a chair.
"Good morning." A soft voice rang out from a corner of the room, some where past the light, that Ami couldn't pin point. Silence was her only reply. "Do you know where you are?" This time, the voice got a few confused blinks out of her. "I suppose you're still a little disoriented, yes? I'm sorry to say you'll have to get used to that, as long as you stay here at least."
Instinctively, Ami tried lifting her arm again, to reach for her sword. The heavy feeling dissipated to a tolerable level, but found her hand was bound to the back of the chair. The voice took a few steps nearer, but sounded a bit disappointed.
"No, no, no, no, no. I don't think you quite get it. You won't be leaving. We won't allow it." Of course, Ami didn't get it. Only just now were the events of last night flooding back into her mind. The voice noticed her eyes widening. "You understand now, yes? You're a prisoner, now. Our prisoner." A few more foot steps were heard before the voice passed through the threshold of the light. A thin man, a bit tall, around her own age, came into her view. "Welcome to the Hidden Rock Village." Her bent toward her a little, smiling a sincere smile, as if he really were sincere about her being here. Ami closed her eyes, tried not to think about things, maybe they'd just disappear, maybe she'd just disappear.
The guy scooted up a chair, sitting on it backwards, to be face to face with her. He studied her for a moment, then smiled. "What's your name?" Silence again "What village do you come from? ... Are you a ninja?... What rank?" Each and every question, Ami turned down. It was enough to tic the guy off, and he eventually broke away from the casual tone. "This is very serious, Miss. If it's a simple misunderstanding, than we can let you go free. Otherwise... otherwise we'll need to interrogate you."
"You mean torture."
"Finally! She speaks." He seemed a little more pleased now. A warm smile appeared across his features. There was a short pause. "Yes, yes. Torture. But that's only if you don't tell me what I need to know!" As if that was any conciliation. Ami's lips straightened out into a thin line, her eyes, too. "My name is Shiraki Kai."
~~~
Ami struggled to get her chakra flowing, get her special eyes to work, anything. She later found out that they, in pairs of twos, gave her a herb in shot form to suppress her chakra flow and leave her feel drained of her energy. What Ami guess to be twice a day, they brought her plain steamed rice and water in badly shaped, almost deformed looking dishes. She couldn't even guess how long it'd been; they turned off the lights after each interrogation session. Ami wasn't ever sure when she was fully conscious or not in the darkness. She found herself in that place again, where there was no such thing as time, and the few times she was sure she was conscious, when the lights were on, she was all too disoriented.
~~~
The lights turned on, and Ami adjusted her eyes. It confused her to see that, this time, four Nins came over. They filed around her in such organization: one to each side, to free her legs, one behind, to free her hands, and one in front, who Ami guessed to be their leader. The two at her sides lifted her to her feet quickly. A dizzy spell wash over her, and most of her joints felt like popping, they were so stiff.
Tightly together, the five of them exited the room. They walked into a windowless hall with a high ceiling. The hall continued on a curved path that made Ami feel like she was walking in circles. Its walls were dimly lit, a sort of pale hue. The floor and walls were entirely made up of stone. They went up a few flights of narrow stairs, which took Ami a while at first, but she could feel the herbs wearing off and a clearer perception returning to her. The corridors seemed to grow more normal as they progressed, with more lively color, decorations, and an occasional guard or two strolling by with serious expressions.
After a while, they finally stopped outside a door. The leader slid it open, allowing himself in, then closed the door behind him. A few moments later, he reappeared and it was Ami's turn to enter.
Surprisingly, she was allowed in by herself. There was a click when the door closed again, probably a lock.
"Hello, again." The smooth voice of Kai made Ami's head snap to the side, which later turned out to be a bad idea; large windows squared off into smaller sections faced almost every wall. For so long, she'd been with only synthetic light at best, and now, to be illuminated by the suns warmth, her eyes felt like they were going to burn. "Have a seat, yes?" He made a gesture for her to sit at a large table, across from him. She had the luxury of concealing her eyes with a hand- a free hand- as she complied and took a seat, unsure why.
The room over looked what seemed to be the entire Hidden Rock village. Itself, the room seemed to belong to someone of the higher ups. Lush furniture and décor complemented the room, with colors of bright gold and crimson red. Other rooms branched off from this main one: a study/library, a bed room, and one closed off at the west side. Two maids entered from here, carrying with them metallic silver trays. They laid down freshly cut fruit in front, across the table; even the bowls were decorated with carvings and intricate designs
"Please, eat."
"You're letting me go free now?" Her eyes narrowed. He let out a sigh, shaking his head a little.
"We cannot permit you to leave." Ami stood up fast like, a bit too fast, making her light headed again. Kai seemed to be unaffected. Finger tips rose to her temple. "You understand? No? If you won't inform us of something as simple as your name or where you come from, then surely you've something to hide."
"Why have you brought me here?"
"I want you to have a nice meal. Before... before you won't have the chance to again. I want you to relax, and have a peaceful environment. Because maybe then, we'll sort through this mess, and we won't have to resort to... to... unnecessary measures. Please take advantage of this opportunity. You won't have another."
He'd ring a bell, prompting for another maid to enter with a tray. She placed in front of him, and walked out. He picked up an object from the assortment, and notice her flinch when she saw the that he was holding her flute. He'd made a few compliments on the craftsman ship of the sword, even tried to ask her where she got it from and if she knew who had made it. She knew, all too well, Brother... Lastly, as all the other equipment was even Genin level, he tossed to her end of the table her Hidden Dragon headband. "Where are you from?" Ami turned away, eyes only half open. "It's urgent for you to tell us what we need to know. After this, you won't be given another chance to do so on your free will." Silence. "If you tell me, I can promise you a place like this. With a fantastic view of this village. You'll be free to go anywhere you wished, within the village boundaries. You'll be secure."
Ami pushed the chair, sending it only half way through the room. Kai looked at her with a frown. "I don't need your ******** security! Or your lavish housing!" Ami moved closer to him, feeling her strength returning. He lifted from his own chair, making it slide back some.
"Please be good. You've no idea what I had to do to get you here." His features seemed to be pleading her.
"I'll show you good." A clenched fist was pulled back, then sent flying off in his direction. He caught it, twisting her arm and himself at the same time, so that he now stood behind her, still holding onto her arm. He'd reached with his free hand to a pocket, removing a needle, the kind they'd used to weaken her, and pricked her arm with it.
"All of you are cowards! To use that on me, rather than fight me yourself!" She'd say while all her muscles limped a bit.
Kai chuckled, leading both out of the room. "If you wanted to fight, I could have sparred you had you told me what I needed to know. No? Maybe later. I'm sincerely sorry you will not speak of who you are, nor where you come from. You must love your people whole heartedly. Though, I hope you will reconsider. Soon." An awkward silence fell between the two as they made their way to the prisoner’s chambers. Ami was shoved into a different cell by a guard before he locked it shut.
"Farewell."
~~~
The cell was dimly lit, always, which made time drag on leisurely, much different from her previous cell. Continuously waiting, for what, it didn't matter to Ami. The room was square, which aggregated her the most. It wasn't a claustrophobic thing, just from being isolated for so long. She'd often get up and walk around, to loosen up her limbs, only to have the urge to sit back down.
Her door opened up to six Nin's, this time. All donned an assortment of weaponry. The leader, a female, stepped fourth. Her appearance was strikingly similar to Ami's: long, brown hair, almond shaped, hazel eyes, malicious facial features... She took the time to scan Ami up and down, then smiled. An index finger was placed on her chin, slightly propping it up. Her other hand come up to eye level, snapping once. Her gang crowded around Ami, forcing her into a smaller circle. One Nin broke the circle to place down a chair. Oddly enough, Ami didn't put up much of a fight as they made her sit. Her legs were bound, her arms spread out to the chairs, to where shackles were already hinged to the chair. The leader did a quick walk-around, to make sure everything was to her liking.
"They call me Emi." The guard Nin's still encircled the two, but Ami only focused on this one female. Her lush lips were painted with a cherry red gloss. Her attire made up of a small black kimono, revealing most of, if not all, of her busty cleavage. "Will you tell me yours?"
"Go to hell." Ami was quick to respond.
Emi sighed. She gestured for one of her team members to come over, who held out a dish filled with tiny grades of stone. She picked up one, rubbed it between two fingers, then blew on it. "Last chance. I'd hate to ruin your very beautiful skin complexion." Ami said nothing, and so the pebble was dropped on her forearm.
Wincing, Ami's teeth clenched. Her breaths were far and few as she twisted and jerked her whole body, trying to shrug off the heated rock. It'd pierced right through the skin, vein, and even her bone, then tapped to the floor. Blood spurted out, matching her heart beat, eventually streaming down her arm, and pooling on the floor. Ami never screamed, and now was no exception. She didn't want them knowing how much it'd really hurt her, and her pride.
"All I need to know is your name." Emi's palm rested on Ami's cheek lightly, whose eyes were closed now, breathing out the pain. Again, there was no reply. Emi's voice rose to a higher pitch. "What is your name?!" Ami got backhanded for still not answering. A streamlet of blood oozed from her nose. Emi giggled after Ami still wouldn't answer, then sent a first to her stomach. Ami's head limply fell forward. When it came back up, Emi had taken a seat in her own chair. Her arms were folded, legs crossed.
"I'll make it easy for you. I'll tell you what we know, then you tell me something we don't. I know about the Hidden Dragon village. I know some guy runs it, who claims to be all powerful, and I know he'd been recruiting for some time now."
Ami let out a breath; something of a weak laugh. "That's it? You guys are dumber than you look."
"What is it that he promised you?" Ami gave her a weird look at the sudden, change of topic. "This leader of yours. Was it money? Was it security? What, did he save our damsel in distress a few times, show off some fancy moves? How strong does her claim to be? Have you ever seen these feats for yourself?" She rose from her chair, making hand gestures the whole time. "I'll admit, he's got to have a few tricks up his sleeve, nothing more." Emi moved closer to her, until her lips were to Ami's ear. "We'll, kill, them, all." Each word was uttered with calm care.
"That's a lie!"
"We have the means to."
"You haven't a reason to!"
"He's sent a spy out on our village."
"If we wanted to spy, you wouldn't be able to find us at all!"
"Then what the hell are you doing here?!" Emi's voice rose to that threatening level again, her patients growing thin. When Ami refused an answer, she continued. "And the leader? We'll save him for last, make him watch as we slaughter his village and pride. He can't take all of us, this whole village, you know. We already can see how easy it is to capture and contain one of you. Now it's just a matter of time until you break." Emi left the room with an echoing giggle and Ami in tears on the cold stone floor. "Worry not. You'll soon forget about them. We'll be seeing each other everyday for a while at this pace. And you'll tell me everything I want to, and don't want to know. We'll be close. Like sisters."
~~~
Emi often came to visit Ami, trying to suck out information from her with little success. As a result, Ami suffered from broken ribs and puncture wounds from beatings. On other occasions, when Ami was much less lucky, hot Senbon needles were left in her skin. Where burses didn't cover her flesh, blood did, dried or fresh. Her outfit itself was ruined beyond repair from the stains and tattered holes in it.
"Hold her hand out for me." Emi requested once. One of the guard Nin stepped fourth reluctantly- both women scared them thoroughly- and held out her hand, fingers and all. Emi pulled out some sort of tool from under her kimono, Ami didn't get a good look to identify it. In a calm, soothing voice, Emi asked once more, "What is your name?" No response. Ami felt a bit or a p***k as the tip of the tool drove itself under her nail. Emi squeezed the finger tightly, to hold it in place as she slowly lifted the finger nail up.
Ami shut her eyes, clenched her teeth, until the muscles felt as thought they were going to be permanently stuck like that. Her body began to shake and jerk violently at random, until she began to feel numb and most of the pain faded away. Emi repeated the move for two more of Ami's nails, but Ami remained silent. Frustrated, Emi sighed, "Tomorrow, it'll be your teeth," then left the room.
~~~
"Are you alright?" Kai entered the room. Ami didn't respond. She'd been sitting in one of the four corners of the room, one leg bent up, the other outward, staring straight ahead. Her matted hair hung around her form in thick strings, some sticking to the side of her face, wet from sweat. "I have a gift for you. If you promise to tell me three things." Her eyes shifted toward him as he reached for his pocket. From it he pulled out her flute. She wanted to jump up, her mind begged to, but her physical form was just as bad as she looked.
Kai came closer to her without hesitating. He bent his knees to be level with her. "What is your name?" There was a short moment of silence as Ami weighted her options.
"...Hoshiko Ami."
"Are you from the Hidden Dragon village?"
"Yes."
"Are you a spy?"
"No."
"Why are you here?"
"That was three." Ami kept sharp, now that it mattered most.
"Thank you, Ami." He left after handing the flute to her.
~~~
It was time to sedate Ami again. The group of two unlocked her cell, but before the first could fully enter, an object had knocked him over the head, and sent him back a pace, blocking the other Nin from entering temporarily. Ami had used elastic from her already ruined outfit to sling a cup, only making the Nin bleed a bit. Ami rushed to scoot a chair left behind to the door, then sat on it, using her body as a weight. The second Nin ordered the other to go alert someone, while he tried opening the door again. She managed to retrieve the flute as the door bumped open, then closed just as hard.
One monotone note was played while Ami waited for any, any, amount of chakra to be available. Her wish was granted with a tiny spark, that pulsed as it made its way to her lips. Loud music blared, with the banging of the door eventually slowing. The subliminal message of "Stop" had made its way to his ears, but Ami didn't relax. A crowd of foot steps grew closer. She resumed playing the flute and, in total, had about ten or so almost brainless Nin staring off into the distance before her.
~~~
She picked the nearest Nin closest to her, played her flute, and forcefully made him show her out. To make it look realistic, Ami had him take her hands behind her back, then they both left.
"Where are you go-" A random guard Nin was stopped, mid-sentence, when the guard under her control whacked him over the head, limply falling to the floor unconscious. They continued to guide Ami through the maze of a building, taking her down hall after hall, and punching the lights out of only two more guards before they reached Kai's corridor. Ami kicked the door in without much effort.
"Ami! What are you doing here?" He removed a pair of reading glasses, kicking his chair back with his caves.
"Where's my stuff at?"
An unexpected smile came across his face. "Oh, Ami! You've told them everything, yes? See. I told you they'd let you go free!"
"
Sure. Whatever. Give me my stuff." He was inches from embracing her, with her knuckles on her hips, but stopped when her expression seemed all but welcoming.
"Very well." He picked up a small bell from his desk, rang it once, and a maid promptly came out. He whispered her request into the maid’s ear, then she left. "I'm glad to see you again, Ami." She was silent. The maid came back out with a tray in hand, and all of Ami belongings with. She loaded herself down with her old equipment; the weight was more overwhelming than she remembered, especially the sword. "I'm glad to see you again, Ami. Will to stay for dinner?" She stopped at the door, turned to look at him.
"Maybe some other time. I'm busy right now." Just about to dash down the hall, he reached out and caught her wrist. She was yanked back some, but turned to give him a feral look.
"Ami. Something doesn't feel right about this." She opened her mouth to say something, but stopped as he made a realization. "You're trying to run away. Ami..." His voice faded away, and Ami grew restless.
"I'm not going back to that hell hole! I have to get back to my own village!" She attempted snatched her hand back, but was met with much more force as he spun her around, grabbing the other wrist as well. She fidgeted, trying to pull back her arms, even tried kicking him in his groin.
"I have to... I have to at least tell them I tried to stop you." He kissed her temple, then released her. Kai waited for her to get the message then, when it didn't quite sink through her tough skull, ran forward with a simplistic attack of his mere fist. Ami added chakra to her blade, which caused his limbs to go limp a few seconds later. "Farewell." Kai made it into her record book for shortest time to defeat without kill.
~~~
Emi appeared seconds later, wide eyed, at the door frame. "What have you done?!" Aim tensed, having problems getting a grasp on any of her weaponry with her trembling hands. She panicked last minuet, then turned around to run. "And where do you think you're going?" Her head jerked back as her hair was being pulled by Emi. Ami winced, and came to a halt. Her hand came back to stop her, but Emi caught and twisted her wrist. Ami's teeth grit. "You're cleaver, I'll give you that much, but I find it amusing that you think you can fight me." Emi sent a kick to her lower back, making her fall forward. "Okay then. Get up! Get up and fight me!"
Ami dusted herself off silently, hesitantly stalling for time. The second she had managed to reach to her pocket, Emi whispered the name of some technique, made a few hand signals, and pointed toward Ami's feet. The rock below began to glow orange, and that's when Ami smelled the rubber from the soles of her sandals begin to melt. She dashed to the side. In that time, Emi bolted forward, sending a wide roundhouse kick to her face.
Ami hit the ground, spitting out a thick crimson wad of saliva. "You wanted to fight! Come on then!" Emi stood to her side, hands up and ready, legs bending out the side of her split kimono. After picking herself up, Emi completed another set of hand seals and pointed to the wall. Form each side of Ami, two foot wide, seven foot long slabs of pure rock shuck loose from their structures, plowing toward one another, with intent to squish her. Ami fell backwards on her rump to avoid. Before the dust even got a chance to settle, Emi had jumped over the two slabs with ease, holding a set of twin daggers in her hands, aiming them for Ami's neck criss-cross style as she came down.
The only thing Ami found to do was roll on her tummy. As she began to pick herself up, Emi kicked her side, slamming her into a wall, then back to the ground. If that wasn't enough, her high pitch womanly voice pierced Ami's ears,"Get UP!" Ami did so, holding her side. Emi sped forward, took her foot into Ami's stomach, which caused her to bend forward a bit. Emi bolted forward again, elbowing Ami's chest into a wall to make her back straight. She'd give Ami a wicked grin, driving her daggers through the palms of Ami's hands, pinning her to the wall at the same time.
"Go on, scream. Cry to the village you sadly call home. They're not going to hear you. They don't even care about you. No one's here to save little Miss Missy now." Emi's velvet voice whispered into her ear. Ami winced, daring not to even attempt to move her hand or flex her fingers, despite the painful waves pulsing through them. Every muscle cringed, tightened up until Ami felt like she was going to suffocate. Emi removed the daggers, making Ami stumble forward a bit before she caught her balance. Dots of crimson spatter leaked from the holes in Ami's trembling hands. She even thought she saw the bone sticking out slightly. "Go on. Scream." Ami moved her red hand over her shoulder, forced some chakra to it, despite the painful tingling. "You're going to use your sword? I've got to see this."
Light humming sounded; Ami closed her eyes to the sincerely missed tune. When they reopened, Emi had dropped to her knees, one hand clenching the opposite’s upper arm. She doubled over, barely managing to rasp out, "What's happening to me?" Her facial features contoured into all type of weird expressions, almost to the point of looking fake. Ami's infamous heart attack technique- where she forces several signals to the natural pace maker of the heart, to send it off beat.
"You're dying." She tensed when Emi grabbed for her dagger- but failed horrible as she finally keeled over, and inhaled her last breath. Another mass of chakra trickled into the sword, which tricked Aim’s brain into speeding up the healing process, mitosis, to mere minuets. The most serious wounds were treated to where they became bearable; scars appeared on her hands, as if they were some past wound years ago.
Ami sighed.
~~~
Heavy breaths curled out into a fine mist in the cool night air. Moon light guided Ami as she made her way down a littered alley way. Her little helper Nin showed her a way out through an unguarded vent, leading to the back where they put trash- or at least, that's what it smelled like.
Most of the roughly circular shape of the village was in front of Ami's view. She stood atop the highest structure she could find in the area, to scout the closest way out. Tiredness eluded her; even if she did want to take a rest, her mind was buzzing with too many thoughts and, for the first time she would ever complain about this, too much clear perception.
~~~
Her body was launched over the wall, folding in to balance out the weight as she landed. Feet steps padded through the forest, taking compulsive glancing back to the village she'd just escaped.
"Usually, people try to brake into the village, not out. Ma'am." Ami came to a skidding stop once an irregular form appear in front of her. The outline seemed human, but it was lacking something. "I hope I didn't frighten you too much." Ami took a few steps back, as did the shadow forward. When he'd stepped into the light, she found out what the abnormality was; his arm wasn't there. "It's you!" Those two words came out venomous.
Ami jerked a shoulder back, entering a defensive stance. It was the guard from way long ago. He'd obviously hadn't forgiven her, as he pulled out a katana. Ami debated pleading with him, but figured that wouldn't do much good. Instead, she pulled out her sword as well. The bridge guard went for a downward strike. Despite single handedly completing this feat, quite literally, Ami was still a bit weak. Her elbows buckled, but she twisted away as the black cut the tip of her hair, then lodged itself in the ground. Ami promptly swung her sword to his shoulder blade, but he retaliated with a defensive swing that made Ami's blade go flying off to the side. Some fancy foot work and another swing ensured him a cut to Ami's mid section. She stumbled backwards, holding the gash as her back hit a tree. Blood began to gush out, dying her outfit in it.
"You killed my partner!" He made a slash, with intent of decapitating her. It was only luck that she ducked and moved to the side in time to only receive a cut to the cheek. "He was my best friend!" Another downward slash was made. She scurried to the side so that the blade suck into a tree trunk, rather than what would have been her thigh. "I will avenge him!" Wide eyed, Ami mad dashed to her sword now. Franticly, she slid to the ground once close enough, and tightly coiled her fingers around the hilt. The guard charged after her, screaming roughly as he and his blade cut through the air while he preformed a bit of a summersault.
Belly up, Ami twisted around. Her foot came up, as like before, and knocked the guy. He'd lost his balance, and came toppling over Ami while she curled herself into a tight ball, arms coming up with the sword pointing skyward. The blade went through his chest, his own body weight made the sword sink even deeper. Ami elbowed his still squirming body to the side, then kicked the ground until she'd scooted herself a few yards away. When he failed to move for a few seconds, she finally removed the blade from the decease form. She fled the scene as fast as her legs would carry her without trying to spill too much blood from her stomach, breathing hard all the way. Ami had only enough strength left to partial heal her stomach wound.
~~~
A note, inaudible to human ears, came from Ami's flute, prompting for a massive, four-legged creature to come to her aid. It's fur was a creamy orange that blended into white on its belly, with black stripes tattooing its form, head to tail. Standing up, the felines disk like shoulders, nearly as wide as her head, met Ami's. It lowered itself, allowing for to climb aboard. Ami played the note again. The tigress flexed back its muscular hind legs, then shot forward, bobbing up and down as the two stealthy moved past forest foliage. Her hair whipped around, stinging her face as they gained speed. Soon after, Ami wrapped her arms around its neck, then passed out.
End
It's quite lengthy, I know. I'm currently working to come up with a sequel. For those that don't read the manga, it's a bit of a spoiler because it follows the most current events in the plot, so I'm not sure if I should post it or not.
