"This way," Itachi instructs me, gesturing to a boulder that is sealing off some sort of cavern in the middle of practically nowhere.
I gape at the blocked-off entryway.
"What do you mean?" I inquire, "How are we supposed to get through that giant rock?"
Kisame, the blue man, sighs, clearly tired of my ignorance.
"Must we explain everything to you?" He heaves, before somehow dissipating the boulder out of thin air with what seems like some sort of mystical ability.
"How did you do that?" I exclaim, in awe of the boulder's sudden disappearance.
"Stop talking," he snaps at me, "And keep moving."
I acquiesce, following the two men into the cave, which is dank, dark and smells of mold. They direct me down an ill-lit corridor, and I flinch as a string of bats soar past us, nearly flying directly into my face. Instinctively, I duck, losing my balance and falling upon the moist ground with an audible thud. Itachi looks over his shoulder at me, an expression of pure pity and judgment apparent on his prepossessing face.
"What are you doing?" He states rhetorically, "Get up. We're almost there."
I scramble to my feet after hearing his cold words and continue to walk closely behind the two robed men, following them without question until the hallway lets out into a somewhat open area. In the middle of the looming room rests a creepy humanoid statue, whose several eyes are shut. Why would these two have wanted to bring me here, of all places?
I feel my body shudder as the echoing sound of laughter pulls me out of my horrified trance. I glance in the leftmost corner of the room only to notice four men sitting around in a circle. They're all wearing the same robes as Itachi and Kisame. Two of them seem to be kicking back, simply catching a break, while the other two engage in an intense game of cards.
"Hidan, you fool!" One of the more reserved men shouts, "How long is this going to last? We need to get going on our mission!"
"Yeah, yeah," this so-called Hidan replies, "I'm almost done, just give me a minute! Can't you see I'm winning here?"
Hidan's opponent doesn't seem too happy about his remark.
"You think you've got what it takes to beat me, huh?" He snaps, "We'll just see about that... Full House!"
The young man crosses his arms, practically daring Hidan to make a move that trumps what was just played. Hidan smirks before laying down his cards, revealing a Royal Flush.
"I told you I was gonna win! Isn't that right, Kakuzu?"
Kakuzu, the man who had earlier been scolding him for taking too long, simply rolls his eyes.
"Hurry up, or I'll kill you," he states as if he's not only kidding.
Meanwhile, the young man sitting opposite of Hidan jumps to his feet, noticeably boiling with anger.
"Screw you!" He yells, "How about we take this outside, huh? We'll see whose ability prevails in a real battle—your half-baked rituals or my masterful art!"
Before Hidan can counter his opposer's fighting words, Itachi approaches them.
"Shut up, both of you," he orders, "Show some respect... for our guest."
He turns around to face me, pointing in my direction. I back up a few steps, trying to hide in the shadows so the rest of the strange people cannot see me. But both of the card players anxiously evacuate their spots and approach me, intrigued by my presence. Hidan, the winner, is a stately man with a handsome face and grey-tinted purple hair. The other one, the self-proclaimed artist, is a boy who appears to be the same age or maybe even a bit younger than myself whose hair is a shocking yellow color, half of it tied into a ponytail resting on top of his head. Both of them are nice-looking, without a doubt.
"Is she a new recruit?" Hidan asks Itachi.
"A new recruit?" The blonde repeats, "But Hidan's supposed to be the new recruit! He's only been here for a year or so!"
Itachi clenches his jaw, growing impatient with them.
"She is... special," Kisame interjects, "But she is not a recruit. Rather, she is more of a test subject than anything... She may turn out to be very useful to us."
The blonde scoffs snarkily in my direction. What a bratty kid.
"Oh, yeah? And what's so special about her?"
"She is the first person to have ever been notably discovered who does not possess even an ounce of chakra," Itachi explains, "She is a phenomenon."
Both Hidan's and the blonde kid's eyes widen with much curiosity.
"How is that even possible?" Hidan asks, "It's ridiculous!"
Kisame shrugs.
"Samehada couldn't detect even a drop of her chakra to feed on," he says, "That's how we figured it out."
Here he goes talking about his strange, moving sword again. That thing freaks me out like no other.
"We're going to present her to the boss," he continues.
I can't help but notice Itachi's eyes flicker rapidly at him as he utters this. For a split second, I swear I see a look of worry appear on the beautiful boy's face, but I write it off as nothing but my imagination; his stoic expression is unbreakable.
"Well, well, well," the blonde mutters, walking up to me after hearing a summary of the entire story, "I suppose you will be of some use to us, then."
He outstretches his hand toward me, a toothy grin on his face. However, I refuse to shake it, seeing as there are strange mouths with tongues hanging from them attached to both hands.
"The name's Deidara. I'm an artist, no, beyond that—I am art itself. My art is a part of my very being! I've discovered the great answer to creating true art... Art is an explosion!"
What a weird guy. Unsure of how to respond, I simply reply by stating my name.
The other one, Hidan, introduces himself as the follower of a religion created by a god called Jashin. Although, it sounds more like a cult than a religion, in my opinion.
He may be even stranger than the blonde Deidara guy.
Great, somehow I've gotten myself mixed up with a blue man who carries around a moving shark-like blade, a sadistic pyromaniac who has tongues growing from his palms, and a follower of a cult who will probably advise me to convert to his odd ways. Oh, and, I almost forgot—Itachi Uchiha, my best friend's manga crush who has somehow materialized as a gorgeous, real man standing right in front of me.
What is happening?
"Y/N," Itachi utters, pulling me out of my disturbed daze, "Enough introductions. Come with me."
Reluctantly, I heed his words, following him out of the large room and into a separate area of the cavern hideout. It's not like I have a choice whether or not to obey him. If I don't, he may wind up murdering me in cold blood! Why does Tab like this guy, again? He's so scary!
Itachi leads me into a small chamber, which is completely barren except for two rickety chairs sitting opposite one another. I swallow hard, nervous for the fate that awaits me.
He's not gonna torture me, is he? What should I do? Maybe I should make a run for it!
"Don't worry," he says out of the blue, apparently having sensed my apprehension, "I'm not going to hurt you. I just need to ask you a few questions. Have a seat."
I sigh a deep breath of relief at his reassuring words, and gently sit on one of the chairs. He sits opposite me, crossing his cloaked arms as he stares directly at me. Awkwardly, I tap my fingers against my kneecaps, avoiding eye-contact with him, a bit bashful.
"Look into my eyes," he demands, "And don't look away."
What a bold guy! How can he say something like that so easily?
Shyly, I lift my gaze so it's matching his. At once, his eyes turn a bright red color, three markings that look similar to commas appearing in three different corners of each iris. I observe in awe as the markings widen and eventually form a shape that looks like a pointy, three-bladed weapon. I find myself lost in the symbols, as though my body and mind have been placed under their control.
"What's going on?" I shout, afraid I am losing my mentality.
"Tell me the truth," Itachi states, deflecting my query, "What is your name, what is your age, where are you from, and why are you here?"
Didn't he already ask me these questions back in the forest? Does he still not trust me? I'm flabbergasted as I find my mouth moving against my own will, answering Itachi truthfully.
"My name is Y/N L/N, I am seventeen years old, I am from Y/C, and I do not know why I am here."
He continues interrogating me even after these first four questions.
"Do you have any intel regarding the Akatsuki?"
I don't even know what an Akatsuki is!
"No, I have no idea what you're talking about," I respond matter-of-factly.
"So, then, are you from The Foundation?" He keeps pressing.
"No!" I exclaim, "I don't have any clue about this 'Foundation'!"
He sighs and his piercing, fiery eyes return to their natural black color.
"You really are ignorant," he concludes after the stress-inducing questionnaire, "How did you get mixed up into all of this?"
I scoff at him.
"Well, I don't know how I was transported from my bed to that forest we met in, but I do know that you're the one who roped me into coming to this weird cavern place, so, I'd say that it's your fault I ended up in this situation!"
Itachi frowns at me before looking at his feet.
"Sorry about that," he whispers, "But you could be so useful to us."
I feel tears begin to form at the base of my eyes.
"I just want to go home," I plead, "I don't understand why this is happening to me!"
Itachi sighs, standing from his chair.
"Unfortunately, I can't help you with that matter. You see, there is no such place called "Y/C". It is uncharted and unmapped. Which means you are simply not of this world. You must be from another plane entirely—"
"—I already assumed as much seeing that in my world, you're a manga character!"
Itachi furrows his eyebrows, baffled.
"What are you talking about?" He spits, "I am not a character—I am a real person."
"Yes, I see," I retort, pointing a finger accusingly at him, "And now, you've brought me into your mess! So, you owe me for dragging me all the way here and roping me into your strange cult-like group of people who wear weird robes with clouds on them! You are going to help me get home! And that's final!"
Itachi narrows his eyes before shaking his head a single time.
"I cannot," he says, "I do not have the time to solve your problems. I already have enough of my own."
I clench my fist, itching to punch this guy in the face.
"How dare you do this to me, then?" I scream, "How dare you drag me into this awful situation only to turn me away when I ask for something in return! I will be your test subject; run all the tests you want on me! I'll participate willingly. But afterward, you have to help me get back home! My aunt, my friend—they're both waiting for me!"
Itachi inquisitively tilts his head ever-so-slightly to the left.
"Your aunt? Do you not live with your parents?"
I shake my head, a lump rising in my throat as I contemplate the matter.
"No, I killed them both... unintentionally, of course. You see, when I was born—wait! Why am I telling you all of this! You're a complete asshole who won't even help an innocent person out! It's not like you'd care to hear my sob story."
"No," Itachi deflects, "Tell me. I will listen."
I open my mouth to reject his proposal but then I stop myself. Perhaps if I make him feel bad for me, he will help me out...
"Fine," I at last decide to speak, "I'll finish. My mother passed away while giving birth to me—her body simply couldn't undergo and heal from the stress. And my father killed himself afterward due to the loss of his wife. So, I've always felt like it was my fault both of my parents are dead. My mother practically traded her life for me, and my father died because of that trade. That's why I live with my aunt, a woman who has always blamed me for her sister's death, but has always been too ashamed to admit it. And so, there you have it. There's not much more to tell."
Itachi glances down at me, an expression of authentic empathy appearing on his face for the first time since we met one another.
"I'm sorry, Y/N."
I shrug.
"Don't apologize... it's not your fault."
He takes a long, deep breath before rolling his eyes and finally opening his mouth to speak yet again.
"Alright, I'll help you," he at last acquiesces, "But only after you've helped me. I think you may turn out to be very important."
Well, I suppose that's a fair compromise. I mean, initially, he was going to use me for his experiments and then just leave me to fend for myself.
"Okay," I agree, "It's a deal. Shake on it."
I outstretch my hand toward him and he reluctantly accepts it, shaking gently.
"Now, please don't tell me I have to go back to that strange room and deal with those other robed guys again," I whine, "They creep me out. That one guy with the mouths on his hands may as well be a creature straight out of my nightmares."
Itachi glares at me unsympathetically.
"They're technically my comrades, so you'll have no choice but to interact with them," he informs me, "But I promise, I will not allow any of them to harm you. Besides, Hidan and Deidara will eventually come along if you have a little fun with them. That's just how they are."
———
Bravely, I exit the small room alongside Itachi, walking a few steps behind him as if to shield myself from the rest of the robed maniacs. I'm surprised to find that the two loudmouthed ones are still arguing over the same game of poker.
"You must have cheated!" Deidara, the one with the mouth-hands, accuses, "There's no way you actually managed to get a royal flush!"
Hidan grits his teeth, grinding them against one another.
"Shut up, Deidara! Just admit that you lost fair and square, or I'll cast my ritual on you right here and now!"
Deidara's eyes widen maniacally as he looks at his comrade threateningly.
"Oh, yeah? I'd like to see you try! I'll enjoy finishing you up once and for all, Hidan! You'll finally become one with my art!"
Afraid of the tension that is rising in the air due to their incessant arguing, I latch onto the sleeve of Itachi's cloak.
"I thought I already told you not to worry, Y/N," he states coldly, "There is no need for you to grab hold of me like a frightened child."
Humiliated beyond words, I simply let go of him and curl into myself, backing away from the young man.
"Right," I mumble, "Sorry."
Itachi sighs and approaches the two bickering idiots.
"Can you please settle down?" He requests, "You're making our guest tense."
Deidara and Hidan both abruptly look in my direction after these words leave Itachi's mouth. I turn away instantly, afraid to catch either one of their gazes. But Deidara approaches me without hesitation, glancing at me pitifully, as though I am an insect about to be squashed beneath his shoe.
"Ha! She should get used to it! If she thinks we're scary, just wait until she meets our leader!"
Their leader? Who could he be talking about now? Is Itachi not the mastermind behind this group?
Deidara rests a hand on my shoulder, causing me to flinch away from him as I feel one of the tongues attached to his hand lick my skin.
"Ew!" I can't help but exclaim, "What the hell is wrong with you?!"
Itachi grips Deidara's wrist harshly, causing the blonde to clench his teeth out of pain and frustration.
"Let go of me!" He insists.
Itachi stares him dead in the eyes.
"Do not lay a hand on her again. I'm warning you."
A warm sensation tingles throughout my entire body as I hear these words flow from Itachi's mouth. He hadn't been kidding back there—he really is going to protect me from these weirdos.
Deidara forces his way out of Itachi's grasp before turning his nose up at him and stalking away from us.
"Come on, Sasori, my man. We should get going on our mission now."
A short, strange-looking man with a hunched back arises from his chair near the poker table—he's the same guy who had been pestering Deidara to leave in the first place!
"It's about time," his low, raspy voice growls, "You know I hate to be kept waiting, Deidara."
The blonde rolls his eyes, approaching the exit of the cavern.
"Yeah, yeah, just come on."
Much to my relief, Hidan follows suit, dragging his partner, Kakuzu, out of the hideout behind Deidara and this so-called Sasori. Itachi's partner, the shark-man Kisame, is nowhere to be seen, so now it's just the two of us, alone.
Can I really trust this guy not to do anything nefarious while the others are away? Then again, it's not like they would interfere even if he did... I suppose I'll be safe enough with him.
How awkward.
"Itachi..." I begin apprehensively, "How old are you? You look to be around my age, right?"
He nods, answering my question candidly.
"I'm a year or so older than you," he explains, "I'm eighteen as of right now."
For some reason, that makes me feel better.
"Y/N," he says, "We should get going. We need to meet up with Kisame by tomorrow morning. There's something we need to do, and since I swore to keep you by my side until the testing on you has been seen through, you'll have to escort us on our missions."
Well, worse things could happen in this situation, I suppose.
"Alright," I concede, "So, what's up? What are we going to do?"
Itachi looks grimly toward the den's exit.
"Capture the Nine Tails' Jinchuriki."
Nine Tails' what-a-what? Jinchuriki? What in the hell does that even mean?