Third Person POV

The mist hung low, skimming the calm surface of the water, writhing around the mottled tree trunks lining the shore like spectral constrictors. Dewdrops clung to pale green leaves, drenching anything that happened past. No sound permeated the sheer, unyielding silence. 

All at once, the silence was shattered.

Something crashed through the forest, cracking twigs beneath their feet and ripping leaves from their branches as they fought through the tangles. Stealth eluded them in their desperation as they broke the treeline and continued on over the water, shifting chakra into their feet to stay afloat. 

The figure, bloodied and wary, didn't pause, even as they realized the beach - and the water beyond - was completely unfamiliar to them. They didn't have the luxury of being able to choose their path, only the burden of being chased down unsavory roads.

Blood, molten and distracting, dribbled down into their eye; they hastily rubbed at the thin cut trailing across their forehead, smearing blood on their flesh, damp with mist and sweat. Blood, the same blood currently tracing demonic tear troughs down their face, roared in their ears, deafening them to the subtle sounds of pursuit. 

They stepped lightly across the water, weaving inconsistant footsteps in order to ward off targeted projectiles - like kunai and shuriken, just to name a few. Their chest tight - from fear or anger, they couldn't tell - they wheezed in shallow breaths just as quickly as they puffed out. A hundred thoughts should have been racing through their head as they crossed the stretch of open water, but only one bounced around the usually bustling space: Where the hell are Vi and Scar?

Ari couldn't believe the events that had taken place, so quick and so terrifyingly effective. Moreso, she couldn't believe her current situation. Running for her life, alone without her sisters or Sensei, with a gang of unforgiving assassins on her tail. How had it come to this?

The opposite shore soon appeared from within the veil of mist, and Ari quickened her pace to reach it; she didn't have the chakra to spare on something like running across water. The ground was uneven and muddy; her sandals snak deep into the muck, obnoxious sucking sounds appearing when she tugged them free with every weighted step.

For a moment, she stood stock-still, body lowered into a lenient stance, ready to move at the slightest sound. Her ears, finally rid of the rush of blood, picked out nothing of interest, save the distant crack of thunder signalling an oncoming storm. Mei had mentioned something about it, what felt like a hundred years ago to the battered Arianna. Faintly assured she wasn't in an immediate danger, Ari relaxed her stance and moved on through the thick foliage surrounding her. 

She nipped at her thumb as she walked; bright red blood bubbled up from the wound, forming a perfectly round globule. Like chakra, this was something she couldn't afford to waste; but she didn't have a choice, just as before. Kiri had excellent Ninken, according to Hibiki Sensei. In this mist, though, she was afraid tracking her scent alone wouldn't be enough. If smearing her blood everywhere she went made it a simpler task to find her, it would have to be done, something she mused about while she ran her thumb over the waxy bush leaves she passed, generously lathering them with her life force.

Her thumb was back at her teeth (she wished she had Kiba's feral canines at this point to make the task easier) when she suddenly halted, her instincts sensing the hazy presence before her mind registered it. Her foot hovered, inches above the ground, unwilling to touch the sodden dirt again. Blinking, Ari stepped back and crouched down, the mist too thick for her to see through without doing so. Some fallen form blocked her path, made of up of blurred blacks and pale whites. Squinting didn't bring the figure into better focus, so Ari tentatively prodded her finger into the thing. 

Muscle jarred her unsuspecting finger, and she recoiled, leaping back a few feet in anticipation. Something - or someone - would move, lunge, attack. Any second now...

Nothing stirred, and only a groan of protest met Ari's ears. 

A groan of protest she recognized from years of forcing her uncooperative sister awake. 

"Scar!" Ari, still under the weight of an impending ambush, kept her voice hushed, a near-silent hiss that snaked through the quiet of the forest. She fell to her knees beside her sister, turned her onto her back to better see her face. Her tangle of black hair had fallen over her cheeks (something Ari knew would have intensely bothered her had she been conscious), glued to her skin with drying blood. A red blotch blossomed out from her abdomen, slowly staining her pale purple hoodie the same color. 

Tears pricked the back of Ari's eyes. "Scar, what the hell man... You're the smart sister... you don't go getting yourself beaten to a pulp..." She carefully maneuvered her fallen sister onto her lap, brushing away the blood-stained raven locks as she did so. Her own aches were forgotten with Scar's ghostly face staring at her lifelessly. Drops of bitter water splashed on her white cheeks, a precursor to the raindrops to come. "Dammit..." 

Ari fumbled for her weapons pouch, fingers almost too shaky to undo the clasp. Hibiki had cautioned them all to carry some sort of medicinal tool with them, wherever they went, whenever they left the Village and even just on training exursions. He'd shown them just how valuable a simple roll of bandages could be in saving a comrade's life. The words, bright and cheery but with an undertone of seriousness one obtained from tragic past experience, bubbled up in her hollow mind as she undid a roll of white bandages, preparing to wrap them around Scarlette's unsettling injury.

She was halfway done with the wrappings when she suddenly stiffened, and not a moment too soon. Had she remained in her slouched position, the kunai that whistled past would have buried itself in her neck. As it were, it only sheared off a tuft of blue hair that drifted wistfully to the ground while the kunai continued on to bury itself soundly in a nearby tree.

Ari wasted no time in hugging Scar close to her and rolling out of the way of another barage of shuriken that impaled themselves in her previous spot. 

Seeing their initial attack had failed, two figures dropped down from the trees, knees bent to absorb the shock. They strolled towards Ari, pace leisurely and steps languid, as though they had all the time in the world. Ari agreed with their assessment; time had slowed to a crawl for her, her thudding heartbeat the only thing to tell her only she fell time at a snail's pace.

The duo didn't halt; Ari drew a violently shaking kunai in response. It wasn't the fear that caused her normally stable hands to quake; it was the blood loss. Too focused on Scar, she hadn't dealt with her own wounds, and she had a particularly nasty one digging into her shoulder from where she'd barely escaped the enemy's hold. That was when she'd had the sense to run. That sense was lost to her now. She didn't have even the vaguest hint of an idea on what to do next.

Pray, she thought wryly, succeeding in twitching her increasingly blue lips into a frightful smirk. 

Clutching Scar with one arm, Ari raised her other hand, kunai tight between her slender fingers, pointed menacingly at the approaching pair. One - dressed in a red dulled by the prevailing mist and a brown that made them melt almost seamlessly into the trees - held their own kunai, three in each hand. The other - in the same style of clothing as his partner - raised a katana that failed to glint in the dim lighting. Ari didn't fail to notice the brown smears across its gleaming surface.

She looked quickly down at Scarlette, eyes narrowed in understanding. 

"I'll take the raven girl," the katana-wielding Ninja said, a hint of sick amusement drifting through his voice. "I'd like payback for the trick she pulled on me earlier."

A burst of pride flashed through Ari. Nice going, Scar! You and you're freaky Genjutsu! 

His partner nodded his agreement, for once silent since Ari had encountered him. 

Ari sighed quietly. She'd wanted to go out with a bang (insert Deidera-inspired joke here) and here she was, getting cut down by a couple of lousy Iwakagure Ninja. Just her luck, she supposed. Live a life of insanity and vibrance; die like a cornered rat. 

Well, at the very least, she'd go out defending one of the people most important to her.

(Flashback ~ Earlier that day ~ )

Ari's POV

Someone had to explain to me how my day got so freaking messed up. 

Mei had been awake when Vi and I dragged Scar downstairs early this morning, wich surprised us. For some reason we'd assumed Kages slept in. Eh. You win some, you lose some.

After breakfast, Hibiki Sensei said he had something to do before we discussed the treaty/alliance thingy, so we let him go (with a whole lotta grumbling on my part). Why he couldn't just take us with him, I didn't know. Damn selfish of him, if you asked me. Course, no one did bother to ask me, which is why we ended up agreeing to go to some hot spring with Mei.

Hot springs in Konoha were cool, or so Kiba told me. I hadn't had the epic chance to experience the things myself, as I was too busy getting kidnapped and all that jazz that came with it.

Ahem. Moving on.

"Ari, do a cannonball!"

"Oi, great idea, Vi--"

"Do it and I'll make sure Kiba hears a certain tale of how you managed to unwittingly flash the entirety of our class while changing for practice."

So of course I plopped silently into the water, far enough down that the scalding water hid my flushing cheeks and bubbles surfaced with every single seething breath I took. It just wasn't fair. Not only could I not instantly go to Sasori to tell him embarrassing stories about Scarlette whenever she pissed me off, there weren't any stories to tell in the first place!

An enigma, my sister. Somewhat sane and decidedly decent in a family of psychos and the like.

I finally thought of a comeback and promptly shouted it out, not caring who heard it besides my sisters. Unfortunately, I was still under water so my threats really just sounded like some horrible, gargling mess. As expected, Violet's girlish giggles spewed from her mouth like... well, imagine that one for yourself, eh? What made me flush a deeper shade of red were the amused chuckles coming from the current Mizukage, who sat on the other side of rock-ringed pool, beside Scarlette.

Do you know how incredibly awkward it is to be in a pool, naked, with your sisters, who are also naked, and a twenty-something woman-leader-person who, in case you couldn't figure it out, was completely naked and completely outshinging you and your one sister in terms of womanly pride (AKA chest size)? 

No?

Weird. I thought everyone went through something like that.

Guess I'm just lucky like that.

"You three... I can see why Hibiki enjoys having you as his first students," Mei chuckled, smiling at us behind the auburn hair piled in front of her face. 

"Have you two talked much, Lady Mizukage?" Scar asked. You woulda thought she was just asking some innocent little question, trying to make conversation or whatever. That is, if you didn't see the intense glint reflected in the golden specks scattered throughout her obsidian eyes. Like me, she'd picked up on the weird air between Hibiki Sensei and the Mizukage during our first meeting, and apparently, she no likey.

She really needed to stop fallin' for every got who came near us. I mean, he wasn't even a redhead, and she was practically fawning over the poor guy!

As if reading my thoughts, Scar turned her head a fraction and shot me one helluva murderous glare through slit eyes. I gulped and chuckled weakly, waving her off. I mouthed, "Sorry, sorry!" and she returned her attention to Mei. 

"Oh, not really," she said, in answer to Scar's question. "We only chatted after you three had gone to bed. He's a charming boy, and so handsome too. A shame he's so much... well, it's a shame we're not the same age, I should say."

Cue the akward silence while we all tried to get over Mei almost calling herself old.

"Ya know, young guys dig cougars."

This happened to be when Scarlette flung a kunai at me, causing me to duck under the water before I got my brain skewered. Where the hell she stashed the thing was beyond me. Maybe she cast a Genjutsu on us all and she was really in her Ninja-fied gear, ready for action. I wouldn't have put it past her, honestly, though Scar was by far the least squeamish of the three of us. Public bathing was nothing to her.

"I'll be good!" I burbled as I came up for air, inadvertantly flashing everyone in the vicinity. I dropped back down into the water with a quiet splash and without another word.

"Ari, why are you so embarrassed?" Violet asked, swimming close enough to me to clutch my arm like a rabid fangirl (see the comparison, people?). She smiled sweetly, all cute and innocent. "It's not like you've got a chest for people to see!"

....And she honestly thought this wouldn't piss me off.

My sister was an airheaded moron. 'Nough said.

"Yeah..." I mumbled, subtly shoving her off me. "We'll go with that..."

"Wait..."

I looked up my, eyes hooded, and spotted Scarlette, her spine stiff and eyes narrowed, head cocked like she was listening for something. "What is it?" I asked. Hey, I'd take anything at this point if it meant distracting me from how Mei and Vi were giggling with each other like a couple of spazzy school girls.

"That chakra signature..." Scar's voice drifted off as her eyes met mine. "You may want to cover yourself up," she suggested lightly.

I cocked a brow. "Why would I want to--"

"Hibiki! So this is where you ran off to, hm?"

Oh. Daaaaammmmmmn it all.

There he was. Our sexy Sensei, in nothing but a bloody towel, standing by the entrance to the baths. His hair was pulled up into a more secure ponytail, clipped away from his face. It just let me see his relaxed, pleasant expression even better. Cause I really needed that right now.

"I didn't think I'd see you girls here," he commented idly as he slid into the steaming water, next to an unperturbed Scarlette, who didn't make a single move to cover herself up. I envied right then, I really did.

"Nor us you," my sister smiled. 

Sensei sent a round of beam smiles all around, ending with me. "Nice to see you Ari. You enjoying Kiri's hot springs?"

"...Transformation Jutsu!"

So. Yeah. I got nervous, felt like I was gonna throw up in Kiri's nice little hot spring, and decided to transform myself so I felt less self-conscious. Which is how I ended up almost drowning, until Scar drifted over and scooped me up into both hands, holding my shaking form at eye-level.

"Really, Ari?" She let out a terse sigh. "A kitten?"

I sweat dropped, uselessly shrugging shoulders that didn't wanna shrug. 

"I'll assume this has something to do with a certain obsession involving a cat-loving demon of the Phantomhive estate?"

Right on, Scar! I mentally cheered, grinning up at her with my adorable kitten eyes. Who needed puppy-dog eyes when you had this level of cuteness at your disposal?

She sighed again and dropped me back into the pool. While I floundered around like a... well, like a flounder, my loving sissy turned back to the sweat dropping adults and said, "Leave her be. I've heard these springs do wonders for ridding you of your stress."

"I'm really sorry, Ari," Sensei apologized for about the billionth time; I hadn't been counting, it just sounded like a cool number. "I didn't realize you were so..."

"Infuriatingly squeamish?" Scar suggested.

Hibiki smiled. "Right. Squeamish." My shoulders just slumped further. "Eh, sorry again. I just keep slipping up today, huh? I thought Mei would've told you it's a mixed bath here in Kiri."

"She didn't say a thing!" Violet pouted, crossing her arms childishly. While she was content to mock me without actually mocking me, she didn't like it when people hurt our feelings. Part of the whole sisterly vibe we three shared, I guess. "And that was so mean, case she probably knew you were gonna come and just wanted to watch Ari freak out!"

"She probably meant for all of us to react like that," Scar put in, twisting on her heel to face us while we walked. She expertly navigated the streets even when she was backwards. "I doubt she knew you and I were comfortable like that, Violet."

"Guys, I don't think the Mizukage would..." From the sheepish look on Hibiki's face, he'd figured out that Mei, Mizukage or not, had no trouble embarrassing a bunch of fourteen-year-old girls for her own amusement. She was one step away from cackling like a hyena back there, for Kami's sake!

We walked around the Village, free to whatever we wanted. After the whole Hot Spring of Teenage Hormone thing, we'd gone back to the mansion to try sorting out this treaty. But (curse my stupid freaking luck) she'd gotten called away on urgent business. By an ANBU, too, so we knew it was serious. Before leaving she'd told us to enjoy Kiri for another night and that we'd definitely finish everything up tomorrow.

I didn't trust a damn word out of her mouth now. It was like she'd known I totally enjoyed her fights with Ao and was getting back at me for it! 

I was fangirling over another stand that sold Icha Icha Paradise (that Hibiki had to hold me back from tackling) when Scar tapped Sensei's shoulder discreetly. He bent down, easily holding me in place with one hand clutching my hood, and she whispered something to him. Secretly. Heh.

Hibiki ruffled her hair as she straightened, smiling again. His hand dropped from my hood and I dramatically fell to the ground without someone to keep me upright. "Told you, Scar, you could be a Sensory Ninja with your skill," he praised her. She blinked up at him, eyes curiously wide, and closed her mouth with something like understanding. She nodded mutely and fell back into step with us as Hibiki ushered us forward.

Vi and I exchanged a look.

"Sensei, Sensei!" Vi tugged at his sleeve like a little girl. "Is something wrong?"

"Well, not exactly..." It was easy now to tell how false his smile was. "We've just got a bit of a tail. Iwa Ninja, I think. Maybe ANBU."

Silence.

None of knew what to say to that. Even Scar, who'd had at least some clue as to what was going on, had no words.

"Don't worry," Hibiki smiled reassuringly, patting my and Vi's shoulders. "You three just hurry on to the mansion a little early, ok? I'll go talk to some Kiri Ninja, see if they're willing to help clear out the trash." He winked at us before turning and melting into the crowd. Even with that ridiculously noticable head of head, he was long like some freaking shadow. Guess that explained how he'd made it to ANBU at such a young age...

"Hmph." I linked my hands behind my head, forcing a semblance of my usual grin onto my face. "He thinks we'll just go quietly, huh? Well he's got another thing coming--"

"Ari. We're leaving this to Sensei." Scar wrapped her fingers around my arm and pulled me forward, with me struggling to break her hold. "If they're truly ANBU, we'll only be in his way."

Vi sent me a wide-eyed look. She saw it too, then. Despite how tough Scar was acting, she was worried. It might've been for us, it might've been for Sensei, it might've been for all of us and Kiri combined. Who knew. What mattered was that the tight grip on my arm definitely wasn't going anywhere soon.

So I lost all my cool cred that day as me and Violet followed Scar around like whipped puppies, heading back to the mansion. Except, we must've taken a wrong turn somewhere, because it felt like we were on the complete wrong side of the Village. Scar's footsteps slowed until she stopped altogether. She cursed with a fluidity that even surprised me.

"Shit, shit, shit," she muttered, slapping a hand roughly to her forehead. She dropped her hold on me and Violet and twined her fingers together in a familiar Sign. "Release!"

Everything around us - the buildings, the people, even the scent of ramen taunting me from the air - it all disappeared, replaced by creepy-looking gnarled trees, a misty backdrop, and some trio of non-Kiri Ninja in the shadows.

Oh shit, shit, shit.

"I should have known it was a Genjutsu from the start," Scar growled. "What use am I if I can't spot something as obvious as that party trick?"

I woulda comforted her if not for the eerie leers the three Ninja were giving us. They were Iwa Ninja alright: dressed up in those bland red and brown uniforms, their headbands reflecting what little light we had on their foreheads. 

Before I could even snap out some snarky comment, they lunged, and just like that, I was separated from sisters again.