Ready or Not, Here I Come

Take Care

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Please read: Hello there! This is the second chapter. What do you guys think? Yet again, please review. I'd love to know your opinions of the new plot, character developments, and quality of the story. Reviews give me the motivation I need to continue writing! :)

WARNING: Violence, dark themes, and mentions of non-consent.

Chapter Two: Take Care

Seven tumbled onto the forest floor for the third time since her escape. Her ankle had been merciless and unforgiving, but she had no time to heal it; she was sore, naked, wet, and utterly desperate.

Blood gushed from her shoulder. Not good. At some point during the night, she must have reopened her wound. More blood loss meant a higher chance of passing out, and a higher chance of passing out meant a higher chance of seeing Hidan's unsettling grin as she died. She grimaced at the thought of the immortal man's devilishly handsome face slithering into her line of vision. She knew that he would have loved to deliver the finishing blow back at her house – after he had raped and humiliated her, of course.

He was the most dangerous and threatening man that she had ever had the misfortune of meeting. He was ruthless and thorough with his kills, he was sick and disturbing with his women, he was-

Seven stopped when she felt her body begin to heat up; becoming flustered at the mere thought of his gruesome nature would only slow her down. She had to focus on getting away. She had to focus on getting up. She had to focus on better things. She could hear him lurking somewhere behind her, closer than she thought he was. The man was full of vile, gruesome surprises; his uncanny ability of always managing to catch up to her, was only one of many.

Getting to her knees, she took a moment to stare at the clouded sky. It had been raining since she first entered the forest. Lightning had lit up the dark night sky a few times, making it easier to avoid the tree roots and rocks scattered about. Thunder grumbled like a malevolent god in the distance, chilling her damp, clammy skin.

A storm had arrived at her small village – a very large storm.

She had to keep moving.

She got to her feet and hissed as a sharp pain shot through the left side of her body. She had barely given her wounds a chance to rest; if she was not being tossed across the room, she was running for her life. He had not given her a break. He had been relentless, forcing her to be just as relentless on her aching body. As long as she could still run, walk, limp, or crawl, she would continue to move.

He would not catch her, as long as she could still move.

Seven veered toward the east, ditching the grass-laden trail that hikers often followed. Her chances of losing the Jashinist psychopath would grow if she moved off of the slippery, muddy path.

She could hear his war cries echoing across the treetops, eerily close behind her. It had not taken him long to realize that she had slinked away while he was occupied. Sure enough, as soon as she had managed to limp into the comfort of the forest, he had flown out of her house and followed her clumsy footprints. Jashin gave him the malefic clairvoyance he needed to dispose of her. Even if he could not see her, he knew where she was. He could follow her to the ends of the Earth, regardless of the trail she left behind.

Seven shivered violently as she ran, more from terror than the harsh climate; he was a nightmare in every way possible, and his God was even worse.

There was no escaping such a brutal, vindictive evil.

But she had to try.

She panted as she swerved through the bushes and between a set of trees. She was starting to wheeze, her heart pounding painfully against her ribcage. Her stamina was about to hit rock bottom, "I'm going to die," she panted, "either from heart failure or a scythe wound."