Choices

[Year]

川の国- The Land of Rivers

Kawa no Kumi, the Land of Rivers, was not the best place to travel at night. With river monsters lurking underneath reflecting currents, and prowling between bushes and branches, any ninja with a platinum blonde angled bob would be sure to catch some attention. Ino just hoped that some of those critters would assist her in slowing down her pursuers. It would sure give her a much needed break.

Ino ran across yet another river and dodged several bamboo trees, as she struggled to make it to Konoha's border. She had been evading her pursuers for almost two days through the harsh deserts of Suna and her body was starting to feel the consequences. Having just crossed the border into Kawa no Kuni, home was nearer, but sadly nowhere in sight. Every gulp she sucked in set her lungs on fire. Every attempt refused to quench the need for a consistent flow of oxygen.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch

The constant rapid pace of their feet pounding against the underbrush provided a nice instrumental that cut though the occasional cricket church and owl hoot.

Rhythmic as it was, it was proving to be a hard pace to maintain since her pursuers had decided on being all too kind in their determination to catch both her and the stolen scroll that they believed she had. Unbeknownst to them, the scroll had been switched with a replica by the time she had "stolen" it, so she guessed both of them got screwed on that deal.

Ziip-ziip-ziipzipp

Shuriken! She was wondering when he was going to pull those out. She found it odd that he had waited about two days to fire any weapons on her suspecting person. One shuriken sliced a quarter-inch deep cut on her left leg, Ino pouted for a grand total of 3 seconds on the temporary quarter-inch loss of her fair ivory skin . Oh, well, nothing a little dab of Aloe Vera couldn't fix later. Perhaps a nice eucalyptus bath would be a nice reward for a job well done. Ooooh, and perhaps some Yu no Kuni bath salts would help ease the knots in her aching muscles. Ino geniunly smiled at the self-pampering she was going to receive once this mission was over!

Chch—chch-chch.

Was he speeding up? Dang! She had seriously underestimated his endurance. Wasn't he supposed to mainly be a stationary ninjutsu user? Anything that required bodily movement should have been foreign to him!

Although tempted, she didn't dare turn her head. The fear that her pursuer was closing in on her would only decrease the slightest chance that she would outlast her predator. Well…predators, she was sure that the other one was following as well, but she couldn't sense his chakra signature anywhere!

Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch—ch—ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-chch….

Ino's ears picked up on the, dare she say, slowing pace, of her pursuer? Was he giving up? Was his partner also giving up? Maybe they were regrouping, replanning, or retreating? Regardless, Ino kept running to put some distance between them. She had no doubt that they would continue after a minute break. Deciding to follow suit, Ino jogged to a halt and began to desperately suck in the air around her. She slowly walked in a circle before continuing her escape.

About forty miles, two burning calf muscles, and an extremely jaded disposition later Ino had stopped to rest. She found a heavily flowered, uninhabited flower bush to blend in with and watched the forest hum to life through the branches. Ino's eyes squinted to scan the canopy as a few birds twittered from branch to branch.

Dawn was breaking, and it gave her a moment's peace.

In hindsight perhaps it was too much of a moment because that was all it took for her find her upper left side bum rushed by a sharp, boney elbow.

Ino's eyes closed as she was roughly thrown through the bush onto the damp mossy ground. The space around her shrunk as she was immediately pinned by a weight that had to be at least 246 lbs. and counting.

Gah! She'd guessed her pursuer had been tall and his shoulders a bit broad, but dang! She didn't think he'd be this heavy.

Ino opened her eyes to find black rimmed wrath painted around orbs of…teal?

So, he had been following. Good! Now she wouldn't have to make two separate trips to sunny stupid Suna. Two birds with one stone…or was it two Sunan raccoons and one highly confidential scroll or better yet one Sunan raccoon, one broad shouldered cat, and the replica of a very important peace treaty that she was working with?

"Where is the scroll, Yamanaka?" Her assaulter spoke in a low, dangerous voice with a definite promise of pain.

Ino didn't believe in pain much, especially the kind that involved an Ibiki-like torture session. She'd been through plenty of those thank you very much. Although she was sure that the man above her would do more than just torture her especially if it meant the safety of his village.

Which was good! She had been counting on it.

"I…don't know. Bythetime I-I got there the scrollhadbeen…switched. The one I have is a replica…" She finished out with as much breath as was possible.

The black rims narrowed on her.

Ino gave a weak smile in response.

"Honest truth." Ino chirped.

His face lowered into more of her personal space.

"For you, it'd better be." "Kankuro." He barked.

"Ne, Gaara."

Ino's smile turned upside down, and her eyes widened as she tried to locate her pursuer's voice. She heard his footsteps and saw two pointed cat ears and the usual Bunraku make-up that accompanied his performances. He winked at her. Ew.

As if cat boy. Ino thought with disgust. Sakura had made passing comments on how he was actually not bad looking underneath his stage attire. An opinion Ino had never shared, despite not having seen the goods for herself.

"Knock her out."

He smirked. "With pleasure. Gomenasai, Yamanaka-hime, this will hurt only a little at first, but it'll be a lotworse when you wake up. I promise."

Ino rolled her eyes. Typical bravo actor.

As previously stated Ino didn't believe in pain, but she would take one for the team, even if the two men above her believed that at the moment she was no longer playing for the same one. After all with the fourth ninja war over all the countries were on the same allied page. The replica treaty that she had 'stolen' proved that.

Kankuro's fingers twitched slightly as a needle embedded itself into her neck. At first she felt the normal sting and effects of a poisoned weapon, and she awaited her eventual plummet into unconsciousness. Phase one of her Hokage's plan had been completed. Now all she had to do was wait.

Her last sights were two black rimmed teal orbs , and two purple rimmed chocolate orbs staring down at her with a mixture of vengeance and disgust.

They were pissed. Jolly Ho! That's what she was counting on.

Kankuro watched as the blonde's eyes rolled back and fluttered shut.

"Check her." Gaara softly demanded as he removed himself from the situation and rid his clothes of the myriad of bamboo leaves he had acquired following in the brush of the bamboo forest.

Kankuro switched places with Gaara and got to work quickly frisking Ino for the "replica" scroll. Although his male instincts appreciated how she wasn't as thin as rumours be told he kept a strong handle on his current mission. He patted down her sides and went to the obvious hiding place, her satchel. Moving his hand around his brows knitted together in utter disbelief. Was the blonde really that stupid? Did she honestly hide the scroll in the most obvious place? Thank God Temari had more wits about her.

Opening up the contents Kankuro sucked his teeth as he read the message at the bottom of what, clearly, was a replica of the Peace treaty signed by the five nations.

"Gaara, you'll want to see this."

Gaara bent down and held out his hand for the replica scroll.

"Hm. So she was telling the truth."

The scroll was a replica that disturbed him. Who would want to steal an original copy or what appeared to be an original copy of a Peace treaty after such a destructive and depressing war? Gaara skimmed over the document noting everything was copied with precision except the words that she had scribbled in her own blood at the bottom.

Kazekage,

I'm not sorry for trying to steal the scroll , but I am sorry that I needed you to be involved…

-Godaime Hokage