Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

WARNING: Graphic stuff.

Italics mean flashbacks or thoughts depending on the context

Epilogue: Wildfire

A girl and a boy stood together near the lush green forest, kilometers away from Konoha. The girl had long brown hair that reached to her mid-back, tied in a straight ponytail. The boy had longer brown hair in a loose ponytail. They bore no smiles, their faces devoid of emotion. Their eyes held strange, solemn understanding and their exposed arms trembled gently against the harsh spring breeze. They stared into nothingness with defiance, as if they were too proud to look at each other; as if they were too scared to get lost in anything but their thoughts.

"You know what today is?" The girl asked quietly. She forces herself to glance at her male companion, her neck turning as if it were controlled by several rusty gears. He wouldn't look at her. He doesn't reply. Of course he knew what day of the week it was. Of course he knew what month it was. Of course he knew what had happened one year ago. Forgetting had never come easy to him. He didn't think he would ever be able to forget.

She traced her eyes over his unmoving eyes and lips, almost surprised at the lack of emotion on his pale face. There was so much tension between them, storms of negativity roaring within their souls. She wondered just how much he was affected by what had happened. She wondered how much hope for humanity he had lost. She wondered if he still jumped at the sound of footsteps echoing down a deserted hallway. Most of all, she wondered if he had been as scared as she had been. Had he gazed through teary eyes at the four walls of his cell, terrified of the consequences of living? Had he thought of leaving his family and friends behind as he imagined his body in a bloody, unrecognizable mass in the corner of a cold stone floor? Had he thought of ways to kill himself before they could?

The girl expected herself to start crying upon remembering the torture she had endured, but the tears never came. All that came was a sharp pain in her wrist. That was more than enough to make her vividly remember everything.

"Get to the mainland of the city and wait for us!"

An explosion and extreme pain all over.

"You didn't seem to think I was a freak when I was inside you, hmn."

"JESSICA!"

"You're lying!"

"It sucks that I have to see your face again, _, because I haven't missed it for a damn second."

Mocking laughter. Another explosion. Blood and pain. Blackened body. Charred hair. Flesh rising from the deep water. Screaming and an energetic blast of rock and strength.

"You won't be seeing her again, either!"

"Fuck! TAY!"

Water. Sky. Bubbles. Air.

"He sure makes shit complicated... hmn."

"Tell me who's been inside you... hmn."

Clack.

Clack.

Clack.

"Have you broken her yet?"

Wooden floors and wooden faces. Birds of freedom and birds of death. Preach.

"J-Jessi... O-Oh... God..."

A soft hiss. Loud noises. Yells of triumph and urgency.

"The girl is mine."

"You won't try to run away from me..."

A blast large enough to kill a small town. Blood. Sweat. Tears.

"Oh my god..."

"She's still down there with him!"

"JAYJAY! Oh... o...h mmm...my..."

Vomit. More tears. Stomach and head pain. Terror. Heartburn. Heartbreak.

"Can you tell me what went on down there?"

"Did he hurt you?"

"Did he... rape you?"

Darkness. Every morning is dark. Rain. Snow. More blood. Hospital.

"She tried to kill herself... Her memories were too much for her."

"Poor thing."

Familiarity. Faces of care. Faces of pity.

"_... Why are you here?"

"We're all we have left."

"_, please hug me."

She clutched her wrist and lightly kneaded the skin. The sky threatened to cry with them, bringing blackened clouds and angry grumbles in the distance. She wondered if her wrist would always hurt when bad weather came, as a constantly reminder of what had happened and what could come. She pressed herself lightly against the boy's side and wanted to moan. Years before, she and Jessi stood where they were, waiting for JayJay and Tay.

"Shiina? I... Well..." A long pause with measured thoughts and light breathing. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Hmm? What is it?"

"How did you and... JayJay... meet? How did you get close to him?" Another long, steady pause. "I don't think he likes me very much..."

"We've known each other for years and years so we got closer with each 365 day cycle." Shiina smiled. "I don't think he hates you, maybe he's just unsure of you. You guys have barely even talked to each other."

Jessi hesitated. "I... Well yeah, I know... I guess I'm just a little... Ah, never mind. Sorry."

Shiina turned to her friend with eager eyes. "Nonono, what were you going to say? Come on, I'm not JayJay. You can't be shy with me."

Jessi shook her head and looked away. "...fraid... en..."

"What did you say?"

"I SAID I'M AFRAID OF MEN."

Shiina looked surprised for a few moments, thoughts and wonders racing through her mind. It was Jessi's turn to be surprised when she erupted into laughter.

"I... I would have never guessed! Oh gosh! Haha... aha... Oh... I'm sorry. Haha, it's not funny... but it is because I always see you reading those shitty romance novels and asking Tay about sex. Hahaha, this is a major plot twist!"

Jessi looked back and forth quickly before covering her friend's mouth and leaning close to her face. "Look, shut up, okay? You can't tell anyone and JayJay can never-"

"What can't I know?" JayJay had appeared behind them bearing his usual cheeky grin. Jessi had the facial expression of someone who had just read a disgusting horror novel. JayJay pressed on. "Come on, guys! I wanna know the secreeeeeeet!"

Jessi looked at the serious-looking Shiina and begged with her eyes. If Shiina told JayJay how she thought of men, she was sure she would never hear the end of it. She especially didn't want Naruto finding out; he was annoying enough as it was.

Shiina glanced at her friend and shrugged. "Well, I guess I'll tell you. But you can't tell anyone else!" She waiting for a nod from JayJay to continue. He obliged eagerly. Shiina patted Jessi on the back heartily and began to giggle. "Jessi was asking my help to plan a surprise party for Tay and she thinks you're a bigmouth, so she didn't want you to know."

JayJay looked stunned and offended, unable to conceive what he believed Jessi had thought of him. "Y...You... Aw man... You really..." He looked at the ground for a moment. Jessi wondered if telling him the truth would have been a better option.

Shiina walked next to JayJay and bonked him on the head with her elbow. "Fuckin' idiot, you are a bigmouth! Quiz gettin' so down about your true character!"

JayJay glanced up at Shiina with fire in his eyes. "What the fuck, Shii?! Why are you telling people I'm a bigmouth! It's not like I go around telling people you're a bitch!... Wait a second... Never mind."

Shiina shook her head and chuckled, used to her friend's bluntness. Unlike Jessi, she knew he never meant it when he acted sad and betrayed; it just wasn't like him to be influenced by what others thought. It wasn't long before Tay showed up and the team started to head toward the training ground. JayJay walked ahead of the gang with a walking stick, claiming loudly that no one would be able to beat him in battle. Tay followed closely behind him, rolling her eyes and gazing at the lush green trees. Shiina and Jessi walked further behind the group in silence. Jessi was unsure what to say until Shiina clapped a firm hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry too much. JayJay's a ham when it comes to playing the "feel sorry for me" card. I'm used to his shit. You didn't offend him. Besides..." she smirked and giggled, "I think he'd torture you to death if he found out your real secret."

Jessi gave Shiina big smile full of relief and happiness. "Thanks, Shiina. I really trust you..."

"Neji..." The girl mumbled, catching the boy's attention. "...Have you ever thought of amazing memories... and wanted nothing more than to relive them a thousand more times?" The question was said quietly, as if it were a secret. The brown haired boy looked troubled, as if there was an actual answer to the question that he couldn't find, as if the question was no longer opinionated, but a question that required factual information. The silence lingered for what felt like years but was really only seconds. Droplets of rain pattered on their heads like impenetrable bullets, bring back memories and emotional pain.

"Shiina..." Neji whispered, placing a tender arm around her waist. "...We've seen more than the average person should see, but that was what we signed up for. We protect others with our strength and work to keep peace between nations." Shiina glanced at him, finally feeling the tears in her eyes. She knew he was right and she knew that she was still a kunoichi; she even knew the risk of being kidnapped and raped again one day. The only things that kept her going were the hope of finding Jessi and the will to protect others from ending up like she and her team. They had told them to take leave when they had arrived safely in the Konoha hospital.

Drugged and confused, Shiina glanced around the white room from her bed. Sakura stood on the far side of the room with a long needle full of clear liquid, probably a sedative. For a moment, instead of Sakura, she saw Deidara, polishing the deadly needle with a disgusting smirk. He turned to her and laughed, walking over to her bed slowly. His long hair had been released from its usual ponytail and his eyes bore the reflection of a crazed, broken, and terrified woman, naked and vulnerable. He leaned close to her face and brought the needle near her arm. Huskily, he whispered, "you will always be mine. No other man will love you like I do." Before she could react, the needle was jabbed into her vein and the foreign substance was in her bloodstream. He laughed crazily, "I'll give you a beautiful death!"

Shiina screamed and thrashed about in her bed and tried to wretch her arm away from the demon beside her. Her throat began to grow hoarse as she realized that other members of the Akatsuki were rushing into the room, each with sinister looks on their faces. All she could think about was how each of them would take bits of her pride and dignity from her. "Shiina! It's me!" a voice cried. Shiina looked around but could only see black cloaks with red clouds. "Shiina! I'm here!" It sounded like Jessi's voice but she could see no one else. "Oh god, get lady Tsunade, she's hallucinating!"

She was still screaming when she came back to reality, fearful that the reality was nothing but a hallucination. Instead of the Akatsuki members, there were nurses and paramedics. Instead of Deidara, there was Sakura. There was no threat of rape or death, there were only friends and concerned faces. Her throat cracked and she managed to tell herself to stop screaming. On the bed next to hers was a distressed Neji, eyes full of worry and face full of exhaustion. She wondered if she had awakened him from his slumber and suddenly felt horrible. Another needle was pricked into her arm but she had ceased caring. If they wanted to kill her, she would let them. Blackness overtook her and half of her believed that she would see them all in Hell.

When she came to, she barely remembered anything. She remembered being nervous and having a needle full of some substance in her arm. She remembered Sakura, Neji, and a great number of paramedics rushing to her aid, though she could not remember why. She glanced down at herself and noticed her bandaged wrist, but before she could think very hard about it, Tsunade's womanly voice filled her ears.

"Shiina? It's Tsunade." The blonde haired woman paused for a moment to give the wounded girl time to process her words. Shiina pondered them like a philosopher would ponder the meaning of life. Her mind and body felt groggy; everything felt unreal. "I'm here to discuss what happened with you." Shiina gazed at the Hokage with tired, scarred eyes. She wondered what had happened and why the Hokage was here to discuss it. "I know it's only two weeks after the event, but... We need to get as much input as we can to discover what happened to Jessi." Shiina was more baffled that she had been in bed for two weeks; it had only felt like two days. "May I start?"

Shiina had to think really hard to uncover what Tsunade was talking about. She had to think back as far as the beginning of her friendship with Jessi. She had to retrace her friendship with Deidara and then sexual night she had shared with him. She also had to remember the horrible things that occurred to her in the horrid, chaotic hole. She had to think of Sasori and Jessi, as well as Deidara and JayJay's death. She untraced what she had said and what Deidara had said and what Jessi had looked like when she had found her. That was when the sobbing came. She pressed her face into her hands and let the warm tears flow. She stayed like that for several minutes, remembered and crying, thinking and forgetting. She finally managed to control herself when Tsunade gave her a comforting hug and spoke soothingly to her; it reminded her of what her mother did when she was hurt as a child. She was grateful to have such a touch. It was a great difference from being forcefully grabbed and taken by a fool that believed in malignant love.

When Tsunade returned to her seat at the foot of the bed and Shiina had dried her tears, the discussion began. She told her of her and JayJay's plan to find Jessi and how Tay was scared, and how they had asked her permission to form a rescue team. She explained the charred slips of paper Sasori had planted, and discussed their journey to the Rain Country. "Guy and Lee ran off to get reinforcements and I guess they trusted us enough to stay put as they did so... but we didn't. We ventured onto the water and JayJay, Shino, and I were captured. Neji was captured soon after and Tay was... Well... She was..." Tsunade raised a hand to tell her she already knew of Tay's fate. Shiina nodded and choked back more tears. She hadn't known Tay very well, but the thought of her dying was painful; she had been a good teammate. "How were you each of you abducted?" Tsunade asked. Shiina racked her brain to remember. "I was captured by Deidara. He threw bombs at me and one of them got my leg. I went down and thought I was going to drown, but he caught me and flew off with me." She didn't care to share the details of what had happened in the sky and prayed Tsunade wouldn't ask. "As for JayJay and Shino, they were both grabbed from beneath the water by Kisame. Neji was the last to go... He..."

There was a soft grumble from the bed next to her. She glanced over to see that Neji had propped himself up on his elbows and was listening to the conversation. "Neji, you should be resting. You just got out of critical condition." Tsunade said in a stern tone. Neji shook his head and refused to lie down. "Excuse me, Lady Tsunade," he groaned, "but I believe I should be the one to explain what happened to me, as well." Tsunade seemed to hesitate for a moment, tracing her eyes over Neji's patched up, tattered, and malnourished body. Shiina thought she looked like a mother tending to her sick child. She seemed stressed and conflicted. "Well... That's true..." she murmured, clearly in deep thought. "...Alright. You may speak when Shiina I am done questioning Shiina." Neji seemed content with this response, as he lowered himself back onto the bed and turned to listen to his comrade.

Shiina continued. "When I was in the sky with Deidara..." she bit her lip and closed her eyes, deciding what to tell and what not to tell Tsunade, "...Um... I... We... Uhm... Shit... He... He was talking to me like... He said he'd... missed my body... and that no one was going to see us when we landed... It would just be him and I... and I told him I didn't know what he wanted with me and that he was sick... then I pretended to go unconscious and he believed it... so when... when we landed, he opened this secret entrance not far from Amegakure and jumped in... Then I really went unconscious and woke up listening to Deidara and Sasori talk." Tsunade leaned closer, interested. Her eyes were burning with disgust and hate. Shiina hoped those feelings were directed at the two men rather than her. "What did they say?" she asked as softly as her anger allowed.

Shiina glanced over at Neji, who was calmly looking back at her. He nodded for her to continue, a gesture that told her he wanted to know and would not judge her. That should have made her feel better, but the memories surfacing only made her want to scream. She reluctantly went on. "Sasori... I think it was Sasori... was going to inject me with something... in my neck... he was going to inject something in my neck. I don't know what it was, maybe a sedative." Tsunade nodded. "He's a master of poisons and chemicals," she said, "it was likely something to keep you unconscious." Shiina dreaded to think what else he had injected in people... or worse: what he had injected into Jessi. "W-W-ell..." she whimpered, "he tried to... but Deidara stopped him. Then, he started rubbing some sort of gel on my... uhm... uh... on... on my private parts... and it led to... uh... high... a-a-arousal... I-I don't know what it was, but it was bad... he used to to try and make me consent... he asked me who else I slept with and got angry when I told him, as if he thought I dedicated myself to him when we knew each other..." Shiina considered telling Tsunade and Neji about sleeping with him when she had been drunk years ago, but decided against it. Since it wasn't forced, she would likely be branded as a traitor.

Tsunade nodded and mulled over the information she had received, putting puzzle pieces together in her head. "Mmm... Go on, what happened next?" she urge, as if she was dangerously close to solving a fatal mystery. "Well..." Shiina thought about what had happened and flinched. It was difficult to process. "Well... I... He..." She took a moment to formulate her words. "He... He raped me... he made me... uh... say... empowering things to him... and he... he hurt me... Sasori came in when it was happening... the... the rape, I mean... and he said he had come to check on me..." She exhaled heavily, still imagining her skin against his cold wooden hand. It was enough to make her feel nauseous. "He threatened me and told me someone wants to cut up my body... and then Sasori came in with... with Jessi." Tsunade and Neji's eyes widened. They hadn't expected such a twist. Hell, they had expected Jessi to be dead by the time Deidara captured Shiina. "I smashed Deidara in the jaw while he was distracted and that's when I saw her... when I was going to escape... she was just standing there staring at me... next to Sasori... naked... afraid and obedient... I think... I think she thought she loved him... I think he raped her and harmed her and... her hair was different... it was blonde... and a part of her body had been replaced with a wooden part... oh... oh my god... it was horrible... she was lifeless and hurt and parts of her skin were red and her back had scars... oh god... oh god I don't know what he did to her..."

Tsunade, shocked and baffled, from her hair and rushed to Shiina's side. "What did she do? What happened next?" Are you sure she was alive? He's a puppet master, you know..." Shiina nodded, tears spilling down her cheeks. She had almost wished death upon Jessi to free her from Sasori's harsh grasp. "Yes..." Shiina whispered, "...I'm sure she was alive. She seemed upset that Deidara... broke my wrist and... that I was in pain... she looked like she wanted to help... but in the end... she chose... Sasori. She went off with him. I never saw her or him again after that. Deidara was planning to rape me again... but Guy and his team burst through the entrance and managed to save me. Deidara was... he was crazy... hysterical... he threatened to blow me up and blow himself up and blow everyone else up with him... and he managed to kill a few of them, I think... Then... another explosion and Deidara blew himself up, intent on taking us all with him... I don't remember what happened after that..."

Tsunade nodded and thanked the poor girl, but wasted no time in moving to Neji's side of the story. She had a mystery to piece together and she needed all the information she could gather to complete it. "I need to hear what happened to you, Neji. Are you able to speak right now?" she asked carefully. The Hyuuga nodded, propping himself up on his elbows again and leaning against his pillows. "I never came across Shiina in the dungeon. I was trapped in a cell next to JayJay, who was... killed by Sasori." Tsunade nodded, "yes, we've excavated what was... left of his body." Now it was Neji's turn to choke back tears. He had heard the boy died right next to him. He had heard his last breath and was told his final wishes. It was almost unbelievable to think that he was dead. "I used my Byakugan to see him... he was... he was a mess... Before the deadly attack, he mentioned something about... Sasori planning it. Planning it all. I didn't know what "it" was until I thought a little harder." He paused dramatically, thinking about how to word his information. To Tsunade, the wait felt like days.

"...I think he meant trhat Sasori manipulated the events that occurred... manipulated Jessi to manipulate us... He... I think he wanted us to find him. I think he knew how most things would unfold and I think he knew that we would eventually find him. I don't know what he wanted with us... maybe he wanted to turn us into puppets... but I do know that if the search team haven't found their bodies... They're likely still alive. At least, Sasori is... JayJay wanted me to kill him because he had killed many others... I want to make that happen." Neji closed his eyes and turned to face the wall. He had nothing more to say. Vengeance ran through his blood stream.

Tsunade remained silent for quite a bit of time before taking her leave. Though, before she exited the room, she turned to face the two victims and sighed. "I think it might be best if you two take sick leave for a while..."

As darkness and rain erupted from the sky, Neji and Shiina began to make their way back to their homes. Hand in hand, they forced back tears and did their best to think of better times to come. Instead of JayJay, Shiina loved with two others, Tenten and Ino. They were kind girls that knew of her situation and did their best to be accepting and kind to her during sudden breakdowns. Tsunade had decided it would be best for her to live with others the night she tried to kill herself. The images were so vivid that she had been unable to stand them, so she had taken a knife and slashed her wrists. She hadn't felt much pain, only relief. She had been hallucinating that Deidara was coming through her window for her, back to take her from her home and impregnate her. Other Akatsuki members blocked off the exits; she was unable to escape. She believed that death was the only option that gave her dignity. Sakura came to her house to check on her and found her lying on the floor, almost dead and bleeding out. They rushed her to the hospital just in time.

The paramedics told her she was lucky to survive. At the time she hadn't believed it, so they had kept her in the hospital for days trying to calm her and diagnose her with a mental illness. She had post traumatic stress disorder, a disorder that came about when an individual was exposed to a traumatic and stressful experience. The experience haunted the individual with dreams, fears, thoughts, and vivid hallucinations. Sometimes there were triggers, other times there were not. They gave her medication to combat the hallucinations and forced her and Neji to attend therapy. After several months, Shiina was able to stop taking the medication if she agreed to continue therapy. The conditions were met and Shiina began to regain sanity. Still, Ino and Tenten moved in with her to keep her company. They enjoyed nights out and nights in, chatting about missions, food, and other villages. They became close friends to Shiina, but still no one could replace JayJay, her dear, dead friend. How she missed him.

Even now, Shiina hadn't gone on a mission in about two years. She assured Tsunade that she wasn't permanently retired, and that she was almost ready to go out again, but everyone kept telling her to take her time; she was just starting to feel normal again. She agreed to wait one more month to consider how she felt about being a kunoichi again. She figured one more month wouldn't hurt; she was enjoying the relaxation and socialization, anyways.

Neji had a similar situation; he wasn't trusted to be alone. Like Shiina, he lived with friends; Lee and Guy were kind enough to take him in. Though he found them rather annoying at times, he couldn't deny how grateful he was that they were taking care of him during his time of need. It was almost touching. He had thanked him, but he was also careful not to spend too much time in the house with them; his temper was rising ever since the kidnapping. He had returned to being a shinobi about one year after the event, dedicating his career to protecting everyone and finding Sasori. He knew the bastard was still alive, as there had been sightings of him in Suna, Amegakure, and Iwagakure. Although, rumour had it, he had somehow transformed himself back into a human. Jessica Tak was never seen with him. It was as if she had dropped off the face of the earth; even her body had not been found. Shiina still believed she was alive, Neji was entirely unsure.

He glanced at his comrade and narrowed his eyes. Her long black hair flowed in the wind and her eyes sparkled with hope. He knew that no one had told her about Sasori being spotted or worse... that Deidara had also been spotted. Instead, the village increased security to ensure that neither criminal would be able to get to her or anyone else. Tsunade feared that telling Shiina about Deidara's faked death would undo all the progress she had made. Neji feared the same. He shook his head and decided he would not be the one to tell her. She would find out eventually, probably when Tsunade deemed she was ready, but it wasn't time yet.

Shiina opened the door to her house after bidding Neji a good night. Today had been a horrible day for memories, but she was happy to be home; her mind would be more at ease in the walls of a comfortable, accepting place. The clock read 8:56 pm. The evening was growing old and the sun had almost set. Darkness was falling fast. She kicked off her sandals and noticed two small notes on the kitchen table. The first one read:

Shii-Shii,

Gone to stay with my parents tonight. I think he's sick. Mom isn't feeling too well either. If you need me, call the flower shop.

Ino.

Shiina shrugged it off. It was a little eerie that Ino had decided to visit her family on such a bad day, but she could understand if her parents were sick. Still, she felt a cold chill creep up her spine. The second one read:

Shii-chan,

Guy-sensei and Lee are forcing me to train for endurance with them tonight. Unsure when I'll be back, but aiming for midnight. See ya!

Tenten.

Chills ran up and down her body. It wasn't like Tenten to leave for a full night of training. She specified her preference for early morning and afternoon training when they had first met. Despite reading both notes over and over again, Shiina couldn't shake the horrible feeling she had in her gut. Her heart was telling her to run and get help; something wasn't right. In contrast, her mind was rationalizing the notes, telling her that they made perfect sense. Ino's father and mother were sick. Ino was an only child and has been trained in medicine. It would be up to her to tend to them. Tenten was an early morning and afternoon trainer, but Guy and Lee were pushy. They coaxed her into the training and asked her to write a note. There was nothing out of the ordinary about either situation. It was only coincidence that the girls were out of the house at the same time. Hell, she could even stay with Neji for the night; she wasn't confined to the house. Even though her mind had seemingly rationalized the events, she couldn't shake the feeling of doom pounding in her stomach.

She took a deep breath and walked away from the table, leaving the notes there, and headed to the fridge to grab something to eat. Before she could grab the handle, a great sense of terror jolted through her. Her mind began to race. Her thoughts were jumbled. Her body started twitching. There was something wrong. She could no longer deny it.

She raced to the phone and picked up the handset. She pressed her ear against the speaker and found herself starting to sweat. She dialed Guy, Lee, and Neji's number as fast as she could, praying that Neji would be the one to answer. The phone rang once... twice... three times... four times...

"Hello?" a cautious voice came from the other line. Shiina felt relieved to hear Neji's voice, however cautious it might have been. She sighed a breath of relief and giggled. It was starting to look like her anxiety had been fabricated by the past; everything seemed to be alright."Neji, hi. Haha, it's Shiina. Sorry to call you, I just... I don't know what I was thinking; Tenten left a note saying she was with Guy and Lee, so I wanted to... Um... I guess I was suspicious, so..." Neji smiled on the other end of the phone. It was rational for her to worry about being alone. She was only worried about the safety of herself and her friends, particularly due to the date. He understood exactly how she felt. Having arrived to an empty house only moments earlier, he had felt edgy, as well. "No, they aren't here," he said, "and you have nothing to worry about. Everyone is safe."

Shiina wasn't surprised to discover that Neji knew what she had been thinking. After all, he probably had the dreams, worries, and nightmares as well. She smiled warmly and thought of how close they had gotten. However, before she could say anything in return, she heard Neji's door open and the booming voice of Might Guy. Her warm expression froze along with her blood. She began to feel ice cold. "Hey there, Neji!" the green beast cried, "Who's on the phone?"

Neji's eyes widen and his heart began to pound. Shiina had mentioned that they had been out training with Tenten, but it would have made sense for Tenten to arrive home first; her house was closer to the training grounds than his. Shiina felt herself go pale, as if she were walking through a vicious snowstorm. She looked at the clock. It was only 9:00 pm. Tenten said she wouldn't be home until midnight. If Guy and Lee were home, where was she? Lee's irritating voice came through the speaker."We just came back from grocery shopping. I hope you like peaches!" Neji wanted to throw the peaches across the room and begin an interrogation, but found that he couldn't move; he was paralysed with fear. Shiina's bottom lip quivered as she began to unravel what was happening. Guy and Lee were home from grocery shopping. They were never training. Tenten wasn't with them. She had never been with them. The note on the table was a lie; it wasn't written by her.

Shiina dropped the handset and rushed to the kitchen table. She grabbed the note and picked up the dangling phone. "Neji!" she cried, "Something's wrong! There's a note on my table from Tenten saying that she was training with Guy and Lee! It said she'd be home by midnight! Oh god, please ask them if they've seen her... Please, god... Oh..." Neji wasted no time. Though his fear had paralysed his body, his mouth was ready to tear anyone to pieces. He turned his head to look at the green duo. "Was Tenten with you?" he asked as calmly as he could. Guy looked up in confusion. "Tenten? No, we haven't seen her all day. Peculiar, if you ask me." Lee nodded and pumped his fist in the air. "Sensei! She's probably on a date with a handsome young man!" Guy flashed one of his genuine smiles and chuckled. "Ah, youth!"

Neji had no time to be screwing around with his foolish teammates. Sure Shiina had heard them, he began to panic. "Shiina! Where's Ino?" The girl hesitated before dropping the phone and rushing to get Ino's note. She didn't want to believe that either of the notes were a lie, but the pounding in her heart made her think like a pessimist. She was breathing heavily by now and she felt like she was sweating enough to pass out. "She left a note saying that she's with her parents, and that she'll be back tomorrow." Neji saw through the lie immediately. He knew that Tsunade had instructed one of the girls to stay in the house with Shiina during her times of need. He knew for sure that they would have remembered what the date was; they would not have planned around it. It was too convenient for both of them to be out of the house. A gasp came from Shiina's end of the line and Neji's body started shaking. "N-Neji... There's someone upstairs..." she whispered, "...I hear them moving." Before she could say anything more, she was grabbed from behind. One hand pressed over her mouth and the other snaked itself around her waist. The phone was placed on the receiver by another hand. All Neji heard were muffled screams before the line went dead.

He ran out the door without a word and arrived to a scene of blood and destruction. There was no sign of Shiina.

A Small Village

A brown haired man with a slight tan entered a small town on the coast of the Rain Country. He was clad in nothing but a dark cloak and grey pants. Alongside him was a female companion, her big brown eyes looking about with interest and her strawberry blonde hair bouncing in its bun. There was a hood over her head, shielding most of her face. The man gave her a cold glare, as if her curiosity was a nuisance to him. They bore the appearence of an traditional married couple, wherein the man was annoyed with the woman for even the smallest of things. To observers, it was adorable. To the woman, it was terrifying. She was afraid of the man and his power over her, though she would never show such fear in public. He was dominant, controlling, and abusive. Every single thing she did in public came back to haunt her in the bedroom. Did she love him? She was sure that she did. Did he love her? Well, it couldn't be love if he didn't. She rationalized that he only harmed her when he had to, particularly when she did something she wasn't supposed to do, like talk to strangers or speak without permission.

She sat on her knees at his feet and looked up at him as he read the newspaper. She had only sat on the couch once, when guests were over and she was ordered to socialize. Otherwise, couches were for men to sit in; the floor was reserved for women. Her legs were beginning to ache and she wished that her master wouldn't always order her to sit at his feet as he read, but she could do nothing about it. Around her neck was a collar with her name written on the front. Attached was a short leash that he kept on his at all times. He had never removed her collar. It was locked with a key he had tossed away ages ago.

He reached a hand down and lightly brushed her hair. She rubbed her head against his leg like a cat. "Your duties are simple," he said firmly, "you are to keep your head down, remain silent, and follow me unless told otherwise." She was stunned for a moment, but then nodded eagerly. She suspected that he wanted to start bringing her into town with him. He had never considered taking her for fear that she would set eyes on another man. This would be her first time seeing ordinary people since she went away with him. Excitement boiled deep in her gut. "If asked, we are a married couple that travels extensively. Give no more details. You will be released from your leash, as it would look uncommon to others to see you led like a dog around town... though you are nothing more than a bitch." The girl flinched at his harsh tone, but nodded. It was best to agree with whatever he said, regardless of whether or not it was true. "Yes master. I am a bitch." she said.

He smirked and adjusted his reading glasses. He missed being a puppet. Puppets never had to worry about eye damage or growing old; they were practically invincible, true pieces of art. He grumbled under his breath about silly human tendencies and vowed to get his perfect body back. He also vowed to haunt the man who had cursed him, as well as transform his doll into a work of art. She was as imperfect as he was, but that would most certainly change. "One more thing," he mumbled, bringing the newspaper to his lap, "what is your name?"

The woman at his feet smiled but hesitated to make eye contact. "My name is Noriko Gwinn." The man smiled and scratched her scalp. She felt more and more like a mutt every day. "Good girl," he whispered, "and what is my name?" She found it odd that he was asking her such obviously clear questions. Of course she knew both of their names. She didn't know why it mattered so much to him; they had just been discussing entering town. "Your name is Aito Gwinn, master." she replied with slight unease. She wasn't used to saying his surname let alone his first name; she had been punished harshly for it before. He grinned excitedly and rose from his chair, dusted himself off, and began to walk toward the bedroom. Noriko followed eagerly on her hands and knees, trying desperately to keep up with her master; he would drag her if she fell behind.

Aito never walked ahead or behind of his woman. They remained almost perfectly side-by-side and hand-in-hand. They received many comments from the elderly about how young and beautiful they were together, but Aito barely replied. He didn't have time for pleasantries. Their destination was a run-down food cart that sold the finest fruit Aito had ever tasted. To him, taste was a foreign but enjoyable thing; he had forgotten the joys of munching on fresh meals while drinking cool fruit juice.

Noriko was just as excited as he had dreaded she'd be, bounding alongside him with an enormous grin on her face. It almost sickened him. He wanted nothing more than to put her in her place. Alas, the surrounding people would not take kindly to abuse; they didn't know anything about the ways of perfectionism. Upon reaching the cart, she grabbed a fresh apple and greedily began to eat it. Before the shopkeeper could utter a word, Aito shoved a few coins in his face. He narrowed his eyes at the girl; she was going to get it when they returned home. "Noriko," he muttered, "you are to pay for the fruit you take. Surely you know the rules of a society." Noriko glanced at her master and saw the immense anger in his eyes. Part of her wondered why he hadn't stricken her yet, but another part of her realized that they were in the centre of public eye; she had immunity.

This realization made her heart pound vigorously. How long had she been with him? How long had he been hitting her for simple mistakes? How many times had she gotten away with things? She knew the answer to the last question: no other times. This was the first time he wasn't hitting her. He was afraid of the public and how they would react, but she wondered why. He always told her that he hit and yelled at her because he loved her and she loved him, but had he been lying? She didn't see any of the other couples hitting each other. Was their relationship somehow different? Her heart said yes and her mind said no. Her heart bellowed, 'love sets you free, and not all love is the same!' but her mind screamed, 'love doesn't make you cry or question your partner's motives!'

Noriko was used to listening to her heart. Her mother had always warned her to trust her heart before all else when it came to love. 'Yes, but did your mother see this happening?' her mind asked. Noriko agreed that she probably had not. Her situation was a long, confusing story, and ever since she had lost her memory, things were even fuzzier.

She awoke one day in a bed. She later learned that she was in a house deep within the forest, a small log cabin; there were no other houses around. She was dazed, confused, and in pain. Her head pounded and her body throbbed. Her throat was so dry that she could barely swallow. Fear stung her heart as she began to frantically look around her. There were various dolls and puppets on the walls, as well as a small hallway, front and back doors, and a fireplace with couches in front of it. It would have been cozy if it wasn't mysterious.

A man took his time entering the room and soothing her worries. He had dark brown hair, a fine tan, and a gentle face. His eyes were the prettiest shade of auburn she had ever seen. He told her that she had hit her head on a sharp branch while they were trying to escape from rogue ninja. They had come from Konoha to reap the innocent and reign over the Rain Country. Fortunately, they had managed to escape, the man explained, because he was a powerful puppet master that managed to fight them off with the help of comrades. Blood was coming from her head and he had been worried, he'd said with furrowed brows; he thought she was in a coma. The village medic explained that her right frontal lobe and hippocampal region had been damaged slightly, leading to a large lapse in memory. She would also be prone to delerious episodes. "What do you remember?" the brown haired man asked. She couldn't answer. She didn't know which memories were real or fake. The man in front of her looked familiar and she recalled something about Konoha ninjas, but everything else was dark and unknown.

She began to cry. The man soothed her some more and asked her basic life questions. "Who am I?" he started, concern in his mischievous eyes. She shrugged her shoulders and hoped he wouldn't be angry. He sighed sadly and shook his head. "My name is Aito Gwinn. I am your romantic partner. We have lived in this house together for one year and..." he looked down, almost ashamed, "...I hope you will still have me." She felt tears surface and roll down her cheeks. She could hardly believe she had lost her memory of the man in front of her, the man she had loved enough to move in with. She struggled to recall the past. She remembered the faces of two girls and one boy. She remembered the kind face of her mother and the stern face of her father. She vaguely remembered pristine streets of the town she had formerly lived in, and the young face of a blonde woman with a diamond on her forehead. She tried to think about what had happened recently, but found it only gave her a sharp headache. She shook her head and held her face in her hands, sobbing harder than ever before. Her partner comforted her and shushed her, telling her it would be alright. He promised her he would be with her until the end, helping her get back the life and memories she had.

"We can start with the basics," he said, "I will tell you information about yourself and you will remember it." The girl looked up at him with a small glimmer of hope, amazed that he was willing to be so patient with her. She nodded eagerly, hoping to learn as much as possible with every day that passed. She realized quickly that feeling sorry for herself was selfish, and that her lover needed to be with someone strong and determined. She promised herself that she would continue to lead a normal life for him... with him. He smirked at her enthusiasm and commented that she was as gorgeous as ever despite her condition. "Let's start with names..." he said, thinking of how to proceed, "Who do you remember?" The girl thought for a moment. She thought of familiar faces and of her family. She thought of her former teachers and former friends. Alas, she could only remember her parents' names. Aito seemed unimpressed, but nonetheless filled her in on who had been important in her life. "My name is Aito and your name is Noriko Yash." The girl repeated her name over and over aloud. She thought it was pretty. "You lost most of your friends in the attack from the rogue ninjas the next town over. Some of their names were Jayson, Notaya, and Shikha." The name triggered unpleasant memories in her head that made her yelp.

'Jayson...' she thought, 'I swear that sounds familiar... but I can't see his face.' She had sudden images of him hanging from the ceiling in chains, his dead, bloody body dangling in a soft breeze. His flesh was torn and his face was nearly unrecognizable. "Oh my god!" she cried, "WHAT HAPPENED!?" Aito seemed unmoved by her outbreak, placing a calm hand on her shoulder as she whimpered. He asked her what memories had returned. She told him every sickening detail. He shook his head disdainfully and brushed her blonde hair with his hand. She brought her hand up to touch him and felt absolutely nothing; there was no touch and no feeling. She brought her hand down and looked at the monstrosity that had replaced it. Brown, smooth wood was where her right hand had been. Worse, she could feel where the wood met the stump. Even worse, she could feel an itch on her nonexistent hand. She could no longer find the strength to scream, so she settled for soft whimpering. "I had to amputate your right hand and your left arm, dear," her lover said, "because you fell, broke, and split the bones. They could not be treated any other way."

Noriko gazed around the room as if she expected to find an answer. Her eyes were tightly shut and her face was twisted in a grimace. The limbs throbbed slightly, meaning they had been cut not too long ago. "How long have I been... out?" she asked carefully. A great part of her didn't want to know the answer. Aito took a few moments to think about it. "...You have been unconscious for a week and a half. There were times where you came into consciousness faintly, but those times were during surgery. I injected sedatives to keep the pain and fear to a minimum." She nodded faintly and looked pale enough to pass out. She didn't want to imagine what an amputation looked or felt like. "I created the limbs myself," he added, "and the surgery only took one full day." Noriko looked confused. If the surgery had only taken a day, how long had the sedatives lasted? Why would he have given her such strong doses? She wasn't sure how to go about asking such a question. She didn't want to offend him and she was, in an odd way, grateful that he had cared about her enough to tend to her health. She was extremely unhappy about the outcome, but she tried to think on the bright side. At a loss for words, she bit her lower lip and looked at him with distress. He could almost read her mind, though instead of answering promptly, he turned away.

It took several minutes for him to be able to face her again. That was several minutes of extreme anxiety and hell. She almost wanted to tell him to keep the past to himself. She wasn't sure if she would be able to handle more trauma. She closed her eyes and prepared herself. Aito spoke softly and with hesitation, "you... you were pregnant when the ninjas attacked..." he said, eyes narrowed and full of hate, "you had a miscarriage when you fell on your stomach. The doctor... he... he removed our child..."

"Noriko!" she heard Aito hiss, "What are you doing?" She had been drawing a blank in the middle of the street for god knows how long, and her partner was noticeably annoyed. She knew how he hated to be kept waiting. She muttered a curse word to herself and bowed her head gently. The thoughts of her first amnesic episode made it difficult to concentrate on real life happenings. Of course, despite being so supportive in the beginning, Aito wouldn't understand. She knew she would pay for her insolence at home. She wondered where things had gone so... so... "abusive?' her mind offered, 'violent?' She didn't know. He insisted that they had always been like this, she the slave and he the master. He insisted that it was a loving relationship and that her loss of memory and possible brain damage made her think otherwise... but she wasn't so sure.

She recalled a time in the past where she had been... 'free,' she thought, 'for lack of a better word...' She remembered being with the friends he had mentioned, Jayson, Notaya, and Shikha. She was sure they had existed. She was sure they had not been lies. However, she was beginning to suspect that her lover was hiding many other truths from her. She had been so believing and open in the beginning, when he gave her so much love, attention, and affection; she had felt the connection they shared and wanted to be in his arms for eternity. Unfortunately, things started to become slightly different after a few months.

Noriko stepped into Aito's workroom with a glass of water and a bowl of noodles. He had been working from dusk until dawn the night before, and had requested her to leave him be until he emerged. It was worry that drove her to disobey his wishes; worry and the desire to keep him healthy. She knocked gently on the door before stepping closer; worried that he hadn't turned to face her. He appeared to be reading a large black book with small writing and strange-looking diagrams. She had never seen such a book in his small library before. "A-Aito...?" she uttered. He didn't bother to turn and face her. He simply waved a hand at her, a gesture that meant 'go away'. She had never seen him so studious before, but she could take a hint; he needed the time to himself. She placed the bowl of noodles and the glass of water on a small table near the door. On her way out, she shut the door to be sure that her cleaning wouldn't disturb him.

She spent the morning cleaning and most of the afternoon worrying about her lover. The book was definitely important if he was dedicating several taxing hours to it. She longed to know what he was doing. She longed to hug him like he had hugged her, whispering soothing words to him and telling him that things would get better. She wanted to tell him she loved him. As the evening grew old, Noriko prepared herself for bed. Aito's door was still closed. She bit her lower lip and shook her head. She promised herself that she would intervene if he was still reading the next morning; it would be her duty as his lover.

Late at night, she felt another body lay next to her on the bed. It wrapped its arms around her and held her close. She turned to look at Aito's cold, emotionless face. It almost made her jump. He didn't look like he usually did; he looked tired, stressed, and unsympathetic. His eyes had dark circles beneath them and his hair had not been washed in days. She was repulsed by the state he was in. Before she could utter a word, he flipped her on her back and climbed on top of her. Her eyes widened when he lifted up her shirt, pulled down her panties, and entered her. They had made a promise not to have sex until she was ready; she was nowhere near ready. She thrashed about and pushed at his body, screaming for him to stop; he only pounded harder. Her slaps and punches against his chest became so weak that she could only cry. "Why, Aito!? YOU SAID YOU WOULDN'T-!" he slapped her across the face hard enough to give her whiplash. She was stunned. She brought a careful hand to her cheek and felt it burn. At the same time, she felt his seed rush into her womb.

He stayed on top of her for what seemed like hours, panting and groaning, until he finally rolled on his side of the bed and fell asleep. She didn't sleep that night. She barely even slept the night after that. All she could think about was her cheek, her belly, and what would happen next.

Noriko flinched at the memory of the... bed incident. She wasn't sure at the time, but she was sure now: that had been rape. It was rape every night he forced it. The baby he wanted in her belly would be a rape baby.

At this point, her heart and mind were severely conflicting with each other. Her heart wanted to believe that her relationship with Aito was true and that their love was strong. In contrast, her mind wanted to believe that everything had been a lie and that she was in an abusive relationship. In the beginning, she listened to her heart undoubtedly; there was no chance that he was an abusive partner. However, being in public taught her more than just the taste of freedom. She learned that other couples did not act the way they did; they seemed respectful to one another and some of them even seemed happy. Her happiness for the past year had been fabricated and forced. She felt love toward Aito but she doubted the strength or truth of it. He had been supportive of her recovery and wellbeing to begin with, but after reading the black book he had snapped. She knew why. He had blamed it on her. He told her that she shouldn't have interrupted him by bringing him food. He reasoned that he may have missed an important and key paragraph thanks to her intrusion.

"You're nothing but dirt!" Aito screamed, "You're nothing but a stupid whore!" Noriko stepped back as her lover threw dishes and glasses against the kitchen wall. She made sure she kept her distance behind a corner; she feared that he would suddenly turn on her and cut her with a sharp piece of glass. He ran his hands through his short brown locks angrily, pulling out some of the delicate chocolate strands. He walked back and forth, stepping on various glass shards. His feet were badly bleeding and had glass embedded beneath the skin. He no longer cared. He whipped toward Noriko and grabbed her by the collar, tossing her roughly against the wall. "You stupid bitch, it's all your fault!" he yelled. He used his free hand to backhand her onto the floor. She fell with a yelp and lay on her side in shame. She didn't understand what had gotten into him. She had only asked if he wanted lunch.

"There was nothing in the book! Nothing! That bastard Deidara lied to me!" he kicked her across the floor. She felt one of her ribs crack and hollered in agony. She wished someone would hear her and come to her aid, but they were in the middle of nowhere. No one would come. "You're nothing but a whore like all other women!" his voice was filled with venom, "I wish I never chose you to be mine! You're nothing but a stupid brat!" Noriko squealed in pain when he kicked the same damaged rib, but she didn't dare beg him to stop. All she could do was whimper in pain and try to crawl away. "Oh... O-Oh God, ho-ho-ho-hon-ey..." she stuttered, "What's wrong? P-P-Please tell... tell me... wh-what's wr-wr-wrong...?"

He looked her dead in the eye and gave her a disgusting grin, as if he was happy that she'd asked. He knelt down to her level and grabbed her by the hair. "The book," he whispered, "the fucking book didn't tell me what Deidara told me it would. I was told it would turn me back into a perfect being... to true art... but it didn't tell me anything related to that!" He released her hair and let her head smack against the ground. "Fuck!" he screamed. The damage was done and she thought he was starting to calm down. She stayed on her face just in case, careful to not do anything that would trigger another assault.

He entered their bedroom slowly, bearing the appearence of a frail old man that dreamt only of death. Before shutting the door, he took a good look at the bloody figure in the middle of the floor. There was no remorse in his eyes; she had gotten what she had deserved for disturbing his work. Her pain even brought a small smile to his face. He walked over to her and lifted her by her hair again. He saw nothing but confusion and agony in her eyes; the face of a broken soul. Aside from sex, cleaning, and owning a pet, she meant little to him, especially because of her human form. The only things beautiful about her were the wooden parts. Other than that, she was hideously imperfect. "You're not even fit to bear my children..." he muttered, "...if I could have any."

Noriko recalled him telling her that his sperm was weak and defective, giving him a 1 in 100,000 chance of impregnating her when they had sex. She had always wondered why that was. She wondered if it was a birth defect or something he had obtained throughout life. She understood now. He had defective sperm because he transformed himself into a puppet at some point, got cursed back into a human body, and was still looking for a way to get his 'perfect body' back. He had been a puppet. He wasn't able to cum in his wooden body. That meant that something went wrong when his soul was placed back into a human body. His sperm count was lower and he barely came at all. The sensation of cumming was there, but his balls no longer produced proper sperm. Being the curious girl she was, even during dire circumstances, Noriko wondered what other body parts had been damaged. She guessed that his lungs had been damaged judging by how fast he ran out of breath, but otherwise he seemed alright.

He walked toward the bedroom again and turned to face her for the last time. "Get this mess cleaned up. If there is anything out of order tomorrow morning, you will be severely punished." He closed the door and locked it behind him. She was instructed to sleep naked on the floor that night. He slept like a baby while she slept like a slave.

Noriko wondered how long she had listened to her heart and how long she had ignored her mind. Looking at the back of his head, she knew she would never get the truth out of him. She knew she would never find out what he really did to her or if rogue ninjas had really attacked them. She couldn't even kid herself; how could she possibly fight a man of his calibre in her condition? She was malnourished, as he only fed her one or two meals a day. She suffered from chronic dehydration, as there was a period where he had only let her drink his urine and cum, as well as the casual glass of water once a week. She was tired, as he barely let her sleep; he treated her like a maid and a sex toy. Her mind was jumbled, as she had spent the last year and a half... almost two years... with a madman. Not to mention, in the last few hours she had reached the realization that he had never loved her. She understood what real couples looked like. She understood how they acted and how wrong she had been to stay with him the first time he had raped her. Everything was clear now.

She figured Aito didn't care if she realized he didn't love her. He knew full well that she could do nothing to go against him. She smiled softly. His only downfall was the fact that he had forgotten he could do nothing to stop what she did while in public; there were people everywhere. He thought he had her whipped and submissive, but he didn't plan on memories surfacing and her ability to reason. She had a feeling that she was smarter than before, in the early days of her childhood. She believed that she was more mentally durable that she had been before the amnesia. Most of all, she declared that Aito himself had something to do with her amnesia. 'Why doesn't he ever take me out? Why doesn't he take me to see my family? Why doesn't he ever talk fondly of my friends?' she asked herself. 'Why do I have such horrible memories of... of Jayson in my head? Is that even his real name? Something feels so wrong... What about the girl, Shikha? And the other girl, Notaya? I feel like I had a strong connection with them. What really happened to them? How did I know them? What were we all doing in the town over when the rogue ninjas supposedly attacked?'

He had lied to her one time too many. She was beginning to see through them. She knew that she was unable to trust anything he had said to her, which meant all of the memories he had fed her after the amnesia could have been fake. She wondered if they had even known each other before the rogue attack. She wondered how long he had planned such lies and slander. She bowed her head and looked at the ground. She stopped walking. There was only one option left.

She turned away from Aito and sped off in the opposite direction. She didn't look back. It took Aito a few moments to actually realize she was gone, but once he had a lock on her chakra signal, he felt her move further and further away. He whipped around and stood stunned for a moment, as if he were confused to why she was running away from him. When the confusion finally faded, he exploded. She had found a way to trick him at his own game and outsmart him. She had tricked him into thinking her to be a submissive slave, meanwhile planning her escape... and he had fallen for it. His face twisted into a grimace and his face grew red hot. He thought about using chakra strings to capture her but thought quickly against it. He had worked hard to establish rapport with the people of the village and his home was cozy; he didn't want to give up such comfort and his incognito for a bitch.

He ran after her, tracking her progress using her chakra signal and the detector in her collar. Even if she ran out of chakra or found out how to disguise it, he would always find her. The collar was as permanent as her life as a puppet would be. He could barely run as fast as he used to, but he knew he would not run out of stamina; the backpack on his shoulder was filled with energizing fluids in alluring syringes. She had no food or water and was practically malnourished and dehydrated. There was no way she would be able to keep moving for a long time. Noriko thought otherwise. She believed that sheer willpower and emotional strength would keep her moving. She could sense her predator close behind her, giving chase. She knew that he couldn't see her, but he would eventually find her. Her plan was to run to the nearest large city and ask for help. She would find a strong group of ninjas to protect her; she was sure that anyone would be willing to save her from Aito's torture. She knew that a major town was near. She was unsure what sort of place it was but she was willing to find out.

She looked behind her to see the puppet master gaining on her. She willed her sore body to move faster. Her heart pounded hard against her chest and her lungs begged her to rest, but she could only focus on freedom.

So, with that, Jessica Tak made her escape from the notorious Akasuna no Sasori, liberty in her eyes and heart. She longed to regain her memories, family, and friends, wherever they were. She didn't care about how she looked, the collar, her predator, or the consequences of her actions. There was hope in her heart and a better future on the horizon.

Unbeknownst for her, she was heading toward where it had all began, the land of Rinnegan eyes and tales of six paths: Amegakure.

Author's Note (PLEASE READ):

Wow, after so many long years (three to four?) this story is now officially completed! I apologize for my lack of updating. I know I kept a lot of you guys hanging. The important thing is that I've made sure to cover a lot in this extra long epilogue.

I want to thank everyone who has read and reviewed this story and other stories in my collection. Your feedback was extremely motivation and important to me. I would greatly appreciate final feedback concerning what you thought about the ending and if you enjoyed this story. It would mean the world to me :)

Until the next story, guys!