"Psst."

"Psst."

"Psst!"

I was hell bent on ignoring it but the more persistent the psst-ing became the more annoyed I got. I sat up slowly, pissed, and sent a harsh death glare into the darkness at whoever had the nerve to wake me in the middle of the night.

It took my eyes a while to adjust but I didn't need to see to know who it was. Horo's wooden shoes were making annoying tapping sounds against the wall outside the window. What the hell was he doing waking me up so early?

"Horo, what the hell. What do you want?"

"We have training to do," he said, sounding almost a little bored.

My eyes widened past its fogginess. "Training? Now?"

"Yes, now. Get up. I don't want you to wake the others so come through the window."

He must be kidding me. Surely he knew how I was when someone came between me and my sleep. I was shocked, to be honest, as I stared at him with my mouth slightly open.

"Shut your mouth, you're drooling," he said impatiently. "Come on, I don't have all night to waste."

A quick smile split across my face just one second before I turned my back to him and laid down. He must be crazy if he thought I was actually going to go with him. I chuckled a bit, slightly amused which was good considering the fact that I've decided to overlook his stupidity.

Something collided in my head.

"Ow-!" I screamed, jumping up before something - I wasn't sure what exactly -clamped around my mouth. What the actual...

"Be quiet, will you!" Horo whispered harshly at me. "I just said I don't want to wake the others."

If I could speak, I'm sure a long string of bad words would be pouring out of my mouth then and there. Maybe it was a good thing he had used his chakra - yes, his blasted chakra! - and covered my mouth because wow. The amount of anger I was feeling was terrifying.

So, since speaking made no sense, I just sat there and glared at him. Horo caught the look I was giving him and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah whatever, you're angry. You won't be any more if you would just get up and come with me so that I can train you. I have a new jutsu for you to learn."

New jutsu? Well, damn why didn't he say that in the first place. Interest quickly rushed in to replace the anger in my eyes. I just love learning new jutsu. I just hope waking me up in the middle of the night to teach them to me won't become a habit for him or else.

Slowly I got up. It was really a wonder that Hinata and Sakura didn't hear me scream out. If they didn't hear that then I'm sure as hell never allowing them to keep watch for us - ever.

I quickly made my way over to the window and hopped out. When I did, Horo removed the chakra from my mouth.

"Sane now?" he asked, looking down on me.

I rolled my eyes. "Just get on with it. I want to get back to my sleep."

"I have a feeling you won't be sleeping any time soon. This jutsu is ... special. You mastered the chakra control with the water element, right?"

"Yeah, I did. What about it? Are we going to do something like that again? If we are, tell me right now so that I can turn back because I'm not about to stay up for days doing that again."

"Yes, we're doing something like that. Somewhat. Don't worry. It'll be fun."

I looked up at him with a frown. "Fun? Since when does training become fun?"

"This one will be, I just know it." A small smile flickered across his face then disappeared. "Keep walking until we reach the large boulder stacked on top of each other."

This time my frown deepened but I didn't say anything else. I just kept walking until we reached the stacked boulders then I turned to him, waiting. Horo came to a halt slightly away from me, looking up at the moon.

"What now?" I asked him impatiently.

"Hold out your hand," he said.

"Which one?"

"Any one."

I held up my right hand. "And then?"

"I was told that Kakashi had taught you the Invisible Clone Jutsu. Show me the chakra."

"This has something to do with the training right?"

Horo rolled his eyes. "No, we're doing it for fun."

"Then-!"

"I'm being sarcastic! Now do it!"

Okay, no need to shout. How was I supposed to know he was being sarcastic, jeez. I held in my retort and decided to give him what he wanted. I looked down on my palm and concentrated. After a while I saw my chakra coming forth. Something was off however. It was ... bubbling.

I looked up at Horo with wide eyes, who was looking down at my palm with equally wide eyes. I looked down at my palm to see that my chakra was still bubbling, and that it had covered my entire hand. What the hell...

"Um..."

"See if you can shape it," Horo whispered.

I nodded and concentrated. Slowly, my bubbling chakra came to the centre of my palm and flattened... "I can still control it," I said.

"That was weird."

"Do you know what that was?"

He shook his head. "No." Then shrugged. "But it's gone now. Let's focus on the jutsu, shall we? This jutsu is called, Myriad Mirage. It's a genjutsu and it's going to utilize your eyes. Only Ketsuekigan users can use this jutsu. Don't worry, it's basic enough for your eyes."

"Hey!"

"You will need a clone, but for now use mine." Horo slapped his palms to together then threw a ball of chakra, which unfurled into his clone. My eyes widened for a second before coming back to normal. He looked at me. "From the name, you should be able to guess what the jutsu does, and if you can't I'm not explaining it to you so you better figure it out yourself."

"Thank you, you're too kind," I said sarcastically.

"I am, aren't I? So first thing first. Your eyes."

I sighed. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and let it go through my nose. After several deep breaths, my body started feeling calm. The anger that rose up was quickly pushed down. When I opened my eyes again, and I saw the look of satisfaction of Horo's face, I knew that I had done it.

"This jutsu requires a lot of concentration and chakra. You'll be using my clone as a test dummy. So now, you're going to spread the chakra over your body like this." He made a sweep with his hand. "This should release enough chakra around you to draw from when you're ready. Then you do these hand signs." I watched closely as he slowly went through the hand signs. "And of course you know that for this jutsu to work your opponent has to be looking into your eyes."

I nodded. Of course I knew that. Itachi came unbidden to my mind and I quickly shook him away. "Is that is?" I asked crossing my arms. "Sounds easy."

"Then you should have no problem finishing it before morning comes."

"Wait, I'm not going to-"

"See ya!" And he disappeared, leaving me and his clone behind. I held back my screech of frustration. The faster I get this jutsu done the more sleep I get right? There should be no better incentive than that right there.

I glared at the clone. "Get your butt over here," I commanded.

Horo's clone responded exactly how I expected Horo to. He just rolled his eyes and looked at me.

"Oh come on!" I shouted at him but I knew I would have to make the first move because he was not about to move.

I slowly made my way over to the clone. "Okay, let's start, but don't think for one moment that -"

I didn't get to finish my sentence. Something shot out from the darkness, piercing the clone's heart instantly, and he dissolved into a wisp of chakra. I instantly went on guard.

My red eyes roamed the darkness but I couldn't see anything, nor could I sense anyone. There wasn't even a murder weapon left behind. It was as if the clone had killed himself.

"You must be scared," came a voice. A girl's voice. High and mocking. I frowned, trying to locate where it came from.

"Look at you. Trembling like a leaf. Pitiful."

"Who are you?" I asked into the open.

"You don't need to know that," the mysterious girl answered. It felt as if her voice was coming from all around me. "If you don't want what happened to the clone to be your fate I suggest you come with me now."

...

Damn it!

This must have been what I had sensed when I had suggested the race. I had totally forgot. Another one had come after me. Fear slowly settled in before being replaced with relief. At least she had decided to corner me when I was alone.

"I doubt that very much," I said. "I know he wants me alive."

"You're right. He does. Although I'm yet to see what interest he has in a scrawny girl like you. However, I do have permission to restrain you, if necessary."

"Well then, let's get on with the restraining because you and I both know I'm not going down without a fight."

A sigh went through the darkness. "You don't know how happy I am to hear that but ... I 'm curious. You are his most treasured. You should be happy."

I scoffed. "Happy? Happy being tortured and tormented and used?"

"For the salvation of the world, it has to be done."

"Is that why he's doing it? To save the world? The world looks mighty fine to me. No need for any saving."

"That is because the world has corrupted your mind. He can purge it."

I sighed. "Can we just get on with the fighting because all this talk of salvation and purging is making me want to stay away even more?"

This time she giggled, a creepy sadistic giggle. "As you wish."

Suddenly, something shot past my arm, slicing the skin open. I grabbed the wound but had no time to react fully when something else pierced the back of my left thigh. I went down. My hands quickly sought the weapon but when it touched my back thigh there was nothing there but blood.

"There's no use looking," she said. "My weapons don't last long. They make their mark and then that's it. Poof, they're gone."

Another one shot into my side, tearing my clothes. I bit my lip to hold back the scream of pain. "Come out and fight like a woman, you coward!" I screamed into the darkness.

"No thank you. I fight best when I'm hidden. It's more like my specialty really."

"You fight like a weasel, I bet you look like one too-!" Four at one time! Two not merely slicing but going right through both shoulders, and two others piercing my kneecaps. The pain was not normal. It was too much. Too much for me to handle. Still I didn't cry out, not wanting to give her the satisfaction.

"You were saying?" she said. I barely had any energy to look up and glare into the darkness. Blood was beginning to soak the ground beneath me.

"Look at you," she mocked. "So pitiful. I still don't see what the big deal is. You're so weak."

"Wh ... who ... the hell ... are ... you c-calling ... weak?" I tried to get up but it only served to push blood out my mouth and nose. It ran like a fountain down my chin.

"Weak, weak, weak, weak, weak. I wonder what your beloved teammates would say if they saw you like this." She gasped. "Wait! That gives me an idea. They can see you like this. Hold on a sec."

The pain was threatening to drown me. I prided myself in not crying out when a thin wire wrapped around my wrists and my ankles. I was suddenly lurched upwards, my limbs threatening to come right out of their sockets. The wire dug deep into my skin, drawing blood. I was suspended in the air, my arms out to my side, like a starfish. My head hung low, my white hair hanging down over my head, stained with blood.

The mysterious girl laughed. "Now look at you! This is priceless. One more touch." My stomach was sliced, my cloth tearing open. Still I didn't scream, although the pain was just too much.

"There we go," she said with satisfaction. "I'll leave you just like that. Your teammates will find you in time. Oh wait, one last thing."

My head was suddenly pulled up by hair. "I hate this thing," the voice said, right behind me. I heard a quick whoosh sound and my head was freed. I watched with wide eyes as wisps of my hair fell to the ground, then a whole bunch of it.

"That's so much better. I'll be back for you later. This was fun. We should do it again, Reina."

I wanted to scream and shout then and there. I wanted to tell her that it wasn't over and that I would find her and make her feel even worse than I did right now. I wanted to do all that but couldn't. I had lost too much blood. My head hung like weights getting heavier and heavier and soon the darkness found me.