Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Shades of Crimson	By : Onileo Category: Naruto > Het - Male/Female Views: 2075 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto; that honor belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. My fanfiction is for entertainment only and is not intended for financial gain.

Chapter List
- 13
- 14
- 15
Chapter 14
          "I was with the Akatsuki from that day on, until that pineapple headed shit dropped me into a hole in the woods." Hidan finished.
          Sakura didn't say anything for a long while. While Hidan was talking, they had moved to sit on the bed, she in the middle with her feet tucked under her, and he on the edge, hanging his legs over the side and staring at the floor as he spoke. When silence finally hung between them, she edged closer, wanting to comfort him somehow. She now knew why his eyes held that occasional sadness, and listening to him talk in a quiet, uneven voice about things that were obviously painful for him to remember struck a chord in her heart. Her vision blurred and she felt her eyes well up as she reached out a hand and laid it on his bare shoulder.
          "Hidan..." she started.
          He turned his head to look at her, and when he saw the tears threatening to spill over, he quickly averted his gaze. When he spoke again, his voice had regained some of its former confidence. "Don't do that." he commanded. "I couldn't bear it if you cried for me too."
          Using her free hand to quickly swipe at her eyes, Sakura gave him a weak smile. It faded as she thought of what he said about Jashin's garden. So, he had been there as well. She knew that she had to tell him about her own trip there, if only to let him know that he wasn't alone in the world. So she untangled her legs and slid to sit side by side with him on the bed. Taking a deep breath, she looked at him. "I didn't know how to say this before, but I think it's time you knew something, Hidan."
          He met her gaze, his green-flecked violet eyes suddenly wary. "What's that?"
          "During the jutsu that revived you, I blacked out, and when I woke up, I met with Jashin in his garden." she said firmly.
          She waited for him to laugh at her, or be angry that she would suggest such a thing, but he just stared at her a long moment before speaking. "Well, what did he say?"
          "He said I had a job to do for him."
          So this was the reason she had been so accepting of his religion and their bond. "Tell me everything." Hidan commanded.
          Sakura described to him the two frozen trees and seeing Makoto and the other black wolves, and what Jashin told her about sending her back. When it came time to tell him about sacrificing Madara, she fell silent, suddenly afraid she would be overheard. If any of the other shinobi got wind of what Jashin had told her to do, it would be disastrous for both of them. So she stood and faced him before wrapping her arms around him and kissing him fiercely. If anyone did happen to be watching them, it would just look like they were making out. But as Sakura nibbled her way to his ear, she began softly whispering the dark god's plans. Quickly catching on to what she was doing, Hidan wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his lap. His eyes widened in understanding as she finished, then drooped downward as she kissed her way down his neck before pulling back and looking into his face.
          He stared at her for a long moment, desire darkening his gaze. Then he tightened his grip on her and kissed her deeply. Her touch had been a soothing balm, smoothing over the ragged wounds that he had reopened in his soul as he recounted his past. And he needed more. Delving into her mouth with his tongue, Hidan savored the taste of her and the feel of her body as she pressed against him. When he was finally satisfied, he drew back. As Sakura looked up at him, a grin split his face, but his eyes were as stormy as ever. "I never did like that mentally unstable dumb shit. So, when do you want to do it? I'm free all day." he said.
          Sakura just shook her head at his eagerness. "He said I would know when the time was right."
          Hidan's grin faded and he was suddenly serious. "I'll do whatever it takes to help you. Just let me know and I'm fucking there."
          Glad of his show of support, Sakura gave him a soft smile. "Alright."
          Silence fell between them and hung suspended in the air. Then Hidan surprised her by leaning forward and burying his face in her neck. Reaching up with one hand, she cradled the back of his head, letting her fingers slide through his soft silver hair. They sat like that for several long minutes until Hidan rolled with her, pulling her down to rest beside him on the mattress. And then he made love to her for the second time. It was every bit as intense as the night before, but there was a new element of need in his touch. It was as if he was afraid of falling apart, and she was the only thing that could keep him together. Afterward, she lay snuggled against him, still naked and uncovered in the sultry afternoon heat. He had his arm thrown over her waist, dozing lightly. She lightly stroked the supple skin on the back of his hand as she closed her eyes and sighed in contentment. She had never before felt so peaceful. If only it could last forever...

          Several days later, Sakura was in her medical room, unpacking the brand new supplies she had bought earlier that morning. Already her shelves were lined with sterile gauze, antiseptic, bandages, and all the medical books she could find. Now she was putting away her new syringes, in a chest of drawers she moved in to hold all her smaller supplies. She had just grabbed the last one out of the box when a knock sounded on the door.
          "Come in." she answered.
          The door slowly creaked open to reveal Zetsu standing there, a rack of clean glass vials in his hands. He looked a little uncertain, so Sakura gave him a smile and waved him inside. He stepped closer, ducking to keep his mandibles from hitting the top of the doorway, and set the vials down on an empty shelf. "Good morning, Sakura-san. I hope I'm not disturbing you." he said.
          "Not at all. Are those for me?" she asked, indicating the vials.
          "Yes. Pein-sama asked me to bring them to you. He said you would need them to prepare antidotes for poisons. He also asked that I grant you access to my collection of plants so you can have a large variety of substances to work with."
          Sakura watched him shift uncomfortably as he spoke. He was obviously reluctant about the whole thing. She wasn't sure whether it was because she would be intruding on his private domain, or because he would have to show her around and work with her to get what she needed. She had come to learn that he was the least social of the Akatsuki, only appearing around others when it was absolutely necessary. The rest of the time he spent alone, either in his bedroom or in one of his private conservatories around the base. Which was fine with her. Because even though she had gotten used to his odd looks, there was still something about him that sent her alarm bells ringing. But no matter how creepy he seemed, she still had to work with him.
          Placing her syringe in the drawer and pushing it shut, she raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure, Zetsu-san?"
          "Yes. It's fine."
          "Alright, I won't keep you long. Lead the way."
          With a nod, the plant ninja turned and exited the room. Sakura followed along behind him. As she walked she took the opportunity to stretch some of the stiffness from her neck and arms. Her rigorous training was starting to take a toll on her. Kisho hadn't been kidding when he said that Kisame was a relentless teacher. He lived to fight, and when he sparred with them, he held nothing back. She had a feeling even Naruto would have a hard time keeping up with the shark nin's enthusiasm. But all the hard work was paying off. She had never been in as good a shape as she was now, not even when she was training with Tsunade.
          Zetsu paused in front of a locked door. Sakura came to stand beside him and watched as he pulled a key from his cloak and unlocked it. He slowly pushed the door open, and then turned to look at her. "Here we are. Be careful where you walk."
          Sakura stepped inside, expecting to see racks of plants lining the walls under lamps. But what she found startled her. Not only were the plants not on shelves, they weren't even in pots. There was a small ramp leading from the door to a raised floor, and then the room spread out in a wild tangle of foliage. Plants of all kinds were growing together, and in the darkened corners of the room, she spotted several varieties of poisonous mushrooms, their bright colors standing out against the greenery surrounding them. What she could see of the raised floor was enriched dirt. The walls were painted a deep blue to resemble the sky. Lights hung suspended from the ceiling and a light mist constantly sprayed over the room from a source she couldn't yet see. The result was that the air was very warm and humid, and Sakura had to take a deep breath to adjust.
          She glanced over at Zetsu, who had been waiting for her reaction. "Wow, this is amazing. Do you use all of the plants here?"
          "Yes. Each one has an ingredient for my mixtures, most of which are poisons or tranquilizers."
          Tranquilizers. Of course. "So, the plants used to make the drug that knocked out Ino and me are in here?"
          At the mention of the incident, Zetsu's mandibles drew up around him until only his eyes and nose were visible behind the greenery. He didn't answer her for a long moment, and then he turned away from her and spoke. "Let's find what you need. I'm sure you're eager to start analyzing these compounds. Some of them are very rare."
          She wanted to ask him how he found anything in here, but that would probably offend him and make him retreat from her more than he already was. So she just accepted the handful of baggies he pulled from a shelf behind the door, and then followed him through the mass of greenery to the center of the room. She had to step wide to avoid a belladonna plant before kneeling down where he crouched in a little clearing of grass. Pulling a small pair of scissors from his cloak, he began trimming the lesser leaves off of a plant she didn't recognize and placed them in the bag she held open for him. When he had a small amount, he moved on to another plant and started the process again. In addition to the leaves, he dug a small section of root and added it to the bag as well. She watched him work for several minutes as he meticulously handled the plants, then her attention faltered and her eyes began wandering over the room. That was when she noticed the glass partition in the back. As far as she could tell, it was a floor to ceiling enclosure, and there was only one plant inside. It sort of looked like a rose, but the thorns on the stems were elongated, and the leaves were darker than any she had seen before, and very waxy. A tiny black bud peeked up from the top, the very edges tipped in white.
          The soft sound of the scissors had ceased, and when Sakura looked back down, Zetsu was staring at her, the expression on his face making a shiver go straight up her spine. It wasn't lustful or cold, but he just looked...hungry.
          "Zetsu-san, are you okay?" she asked.
          He didn't reply, just kept staring at her with that intense gold gaze. It was then that she realized just how alone with him she was. Fear threatened to freeze her in place, and she had to keep reminding herself that no matter what he did to her, it wouldn't kill her. But that didn't mean he couldn't hurt her. She wanted to back away from him, or turn and run, but she had a feeling that either one would provoke him. Maybe if she distracted him, he would snap out of it. Taking a deep breath, she pointed to the plant in the back. "What kind of plant is that back there? Is it sick or something?"
          His head snapped to look where she was pointing. She watched as his face lost its dangerous look and returned to normal. She let out a relieved sigh. Zetsu silently stood and walked to the back of the room to examine the plant. After a moment he waved her over, and she warily followed, coming to a halt about a foot from him. "It's not ill. This plant is extremely rare. Almost impossible to grow." he said.
          Sakura glanced at it, and then back to him. "What makes it so special that it's worth all the trouble?"
          "It produces only one bloom each year, which means you only get one seed as well."
          "And when it blooms, the fragrance it produces is the most potent hallucinogen I've ever come across. The waxy coating on the thorns and leaves contain a deadly poison as well. Which is why it is separate from the other plants. One touch and you're dead before you take your next breath. But the wax doesn't appear until it begins to bud."
          "Do you have an antidote for the poison?"
          "No. The stems are too delicate to collect the leaves for study. To try would kill the whole plant."
          After he spoke, he turned and looked at her. All at once he seemed to remember something important and he fell silent. Walking back toward the center of the room, he resumed his previous task. Sakura helped him, until she had an armload of filled bags. Then they left the conservatory, and Zetsu locked the door behind him. They walked back to the medical room, where he labeled each one for her and described their properties. Finally done, he left, leaving her with her new collection and her microscope. When she was sure he was gone, Sakura let out a huge sigh of relief. It was no wonder Zetsu was the only one of the Akatsuki who worked alone. She had never seen anyone so unpredictable in her life. One second he was shy, the next friendly and open, and the next she felt like he would kill and eat her on the spot.
          With her head still reeling from the encounter, she stuffed the bags into a drawer to deal with later. First she had to finish her unpacking. She had no more than got turned around when another knock sounded on her door. Praying it was Hidan, she ran a hand through her hair. "Come in."
          The door opened and Pein walked in. Giving him a respectful bow, Sakura was surprised to see that he was alone. It struck her as odd that Konan wasn't with him. The blue haired kunoichi rarely left his side. Straightening, she gave him a polite smile. "Pein-sama, what brings you here?" she asked.
          "Sakura-san. Do you have a few minutes? There is something I'd like to discuss with you."
          "Sure."
          "Good. Grab a syringe and follow me."
          A syringe? Even more puzzled by Pein's visit than by Zetsu's, Sakura did as she was asked. The orange haired shinobi led her up the stairs and into his office. He sat at his desk and Sakura came to a halt before it. Lacing his fingers together, Pein studied her for a long time. The silence drug on until Sakura was shifting uncomfortably under his gaze. Finally, he spoke.
          "I have a favor to ask you, Sakura-san."
          "What's that?" Sakura asked a little impatiently. This mystery seemed to be dragging on forever, and her temper was threatening to get the better of her.
          "Understand first that this is something that must be spoken of to no one. The only reason I'm trusting you with it is because necessity dictates it. And since you are from Konoha and have been raised with a strong sense of loyalty, I know that once you have given your word, you are more likely than most to keep it." Pein said sternly.
          Sakura nodded. "I understand."
          "Good." Pein reached into his desk and pulled out two matching wooden boxes and handed them to her. They were sturdy and small, about the size of a bracelet case. A plain clasp on the side revealed the opening. Lifting the lid on one, Sakura was surprised to see an empty vial lying nestled in the black foam padding.
          She glanced at Pein, confused. "What are these for?"
          He didn't answer her, but instead stood and walked to the wall behind his desk. Forming a set of hand seals, he laid his hand on the paneling and pushed until it gave way, revealing a secret room. Glancing over his shoulder, he waved her over. When she reached his side, vials and syringe in hand, he spoke. "Sakura-san, I'm about to show you something that only Konan and Madara-sama have seen. Don't ask any questions, the less you know the better off you are."
          Without waiting for a reply, Pein stepped through the doorway, Sakura right behind him. It was very dark at first, then Pein flipped a switch and light flooded the room. Sakura squinted her eyes, letting them adjust to the sudden assault. When she was able to see properly, she looked around and gasped. In the center of the barren room was a man. The first thing she noticed was his long red hair hanging in his face. It was so bright, it made Kisho's look dull in comparison. Then she saw the machine he was sitting in. A large cylinder set on a dais seemed to swallow him up from the waist down. Six spider-like legs attached to the bottom gave it mobility. His arms were in two long tubes on either side of it. There were hoses attached to his back and great black rods stuck out from behind him.
          Finally she noticed the condition of his body. If it hadn't been for his shallow breathing, she would have thought she had stepped into the room with an unwrapped mummy. He was so thin, his skin just seemed to hang off of his bones. His collarbone stuck out sharply, as well as his ribs. His skin was very gray, and looked like it could peel off of him at any second and blow away in the wind. He had his eyes closed, probably shielding them from the bright light. Pein stepped right up to him, and beckoned her closer.
          Stepping forward shook Sakura out of her shock, and a wave of sympathy washed over her. How could anyone live like this? He must be in pain every waking minute. A thousand questions burned in her mind. Who was he? And why did Pein keep him in the dark in a secret room? Was he a prisoner? Or was he here by his own choice? Reminding herself that Pein had a job for her, she reached his side and waited for him to speak.
          "Sakura-san, I need you to get two blood samples. One for each vial. I'm going to keep one, and I want you to hang on to the other one. Keep it with you at all times, even when you are out on a mission."
          Swallowing hard, Sakura took her syringe out of its packaging and stepped forward. A twinge of fear passed over her as she neared. She didn't know if it was the machine, or the strange black rods, or what did it, but she felt as if she would be killed should she make the wrong move. She was too short to reach his arm from the ground, so she found that she actually had to climb up on the dais. The emaciated man never moved as she invaded his personal space. Reminding herself that she would be perfectly fine, Sakura tentatively laid a hand on his arm, just above the elbow. It was easy enough to locate a shallow vein in his thin flesh, and as she slid the needle under his skin, she went into medic mode, instantly calming and focusing on her task. As she worked, she couldn't help but talk to him. It had always been her way to try and soothe her patients.
          "There now, this won't hurt much and will only take a second." she said. Glancing at his emaciated body, she continued. "I don't know who you are, or how you got this way, but I'm truly sorry that life has been so hard on you."
          She didn't expect him to respond, so she was shocked when he slowly turned his head and opened his visible eye. Rings of silver met green, and for a moment, Sakura forgot what she was doing. His eyes were exactly like Pein's. Did that mean they were related somehow? Brothers maybe? Then he spoke, and Sakura was once again surprised at how similar his voice was to Pein's. "Don't pity me, Sakura-san. All gods must suffer in order to transcend humanity."
          He thought he was a god? She would have wondered if he was delusional, if Jashin hadn't given her a broader perspective of the world. Now, she would probably believe anything, no matter how insane it sounded. A sudden energy spike brought her back to the present. Sakura glanced down in surprise when she felt chakra leak into the syringe, mixing with the blood. Odd, that had never happened to her before. She looked down at Pein, who just nodded, so she continued without comment. Finally filled, she emptied the syringe into the vial and prepared to start again. She glanced over at the redhead again, but he had faced forward again, eyes closed, as if he had never moved at all. She was finished in a moment, and was about to climb down when she noticed the yawning black space behind the machine. It looked like another room was back there. She could tell there was something in it, but the light was too dim for her to completely make it out.
          Climbing down, she turned to Pein and handed him one of the boxes. "Here you go."
          "Thank you, Sakura-san."
          Tucking the second box in her weapon's pouch, Sakura followed Pein out of the room. Right before she reached the door, she looked back over her shoulder. The redhead had his eyes open again, watching her, and from behind the machine, five sets of silver eyes began emerging out of the darkness. Turning back around quickly, she emerged in Pein's office, where he closed the door with another set of hand seals. Then the orange haired shinobi gave her a hard stare.
          "Now, give me your word that nothing you have seen or learned here will leave this room."
          Sakura took a deep breath and nodded. "I swear it."
          "Good. You are dismissed. And protect that vial with your life. It is worth more than you'll ever know."
          Sakura gave Pein a low bow before turning and leaving his office. As she walked, it was all she could do to keep from freaking out. Her mind was so jumbled with questions about Pein and the redhead in the secret room that she scarcely realized that she had arrived at her medical room. Pushing the door open, she let out a relieved sigh at being back in familiar surroundings. Putting a hand to her head, she flopped down on a cot and closed her eyes. At this rate, she would have a headache from all the excitement. As she relaxed, the adrenaline began draining out of her, leaving her mentally and physically tired. She had just reached a state of calm when she heard a commotion in the hallway. And it seemed to be coming her way. She stood back up just as loud pounding erupted on her door.
          "Come in!" she responded. If it was someone else with a mental disorder or more skeletons in their closet, she swore she would pack up shop right then and run far, far away, consequences be damned. The door was slammed open to reveal Karin, an exasperated look on her face. She strode in, dragging a very unwilling Suigetsu behind her by the shirt. The mist nin was holding one hand tightly, blood oozing from between his fingers to run down his wrist and drip on the floor. Sakura actually smiled. Finally, a nice, normal emergency. Karin released him when they reached the middle of the room before smacking him on the back of the head and walking out of the room.
          Suigetsu glared at the redhead. "That wasn't very nice, Karin! I'm standing here bleeding, and you're hitting me!"
          Karin just returned the hostile look. "Those who don't listen must feel. I told you to leave the sword alone. But you just couldn't resist, could you?" Without waiting for a reply, she slammed the door and left.
          Sakura walked over to Suigetsu and led him to the small sink in the corner. After rinsing the excess blood off his fingers, she opened his hand to examine the wound. There were a half dozen large cuts on his palm, very deep and jagged. It looked like a wild animal had gotten a hold of his hand and had tried to rip it off. Immediately, she began healing the largest cut, which seemed to be responsible for most of the blood. Meeting his purple eyes as she worked, Sakura shook her head. "What happened, Suigetsu?"
          Suigetsu looked away and remained silent for a moment. Then he looked at her and grinned. "Well, Kisame left Samehada unattended in the training room while he went to the kitchen for a drink...and I, uh...tried to see how well balanced it was."
          "You mean you tried to steal it." Sakura chided.
          "Anyway, when I grabbed the hilt, these blades came through the wrapping and cut my hand." Suigetsu finished.
          "I see."
          After a few minutes, Suigetsu's hand was healed, and after warning him to take it easy for the rest of the day, she sent him on his way. Looking at the clock on the wall, Sakura raised an eyebrow. It was far later than she expected. She missed her evening training session, and it was her turn to fix dinner tonight. So, after making sure everything was in order, she locked up the medical room and headed over to the kitchen. She had discovered that Hidan had a fondness for meat after Kisho made steaks the last time he cooked, so she thought she would try her hand at making spare ribs. No one was in the kitchen to hinder her, so she got started on it at once.
          Evidently, Hidan wasn't the only one, because several hours later, there was nearly a crowd gathered as she set the platter of ribs on the table. Even Sasuke and Zetsu were there, a rare occurrence, since they normally avoided eating with everyone else. The meal was pleasant enough, even if there were several hostile glares passed along with the vegetables and rice. Afterward, Hidan hung around the kitchen while Sakura cleaned up. Demon bounced around on the floor, batting a leftover bone until it slid out of reach, then pouncing on it with a fierce hiss. Sakura nearly tripped over him several times, until Hidan finally caught him and he settled down on the immortal's shoulder. Finally finished, Sakura turned to find Hidan watching her with that hot stare that sent a tingle up her spine.
          "What?" she asked, trying to prevent the smile that threatened to break out on her face. She failed.
          "It's time for me to find Jashin's next sacrifice." he stated.
          An unspoken 'Do you want to go?' hung in the air. Sakura dropped her head as her smile faded. There was no way she could do it. She didn't want Hidan to think she was rejecting him, but her conscience wouldn't allow her to stand by and watch someone die, either. A warm hand gripped her chin, tilting it up until she was looking into a pair of violet eyes. "I'll see you when I get back. I just figured I'd warn you so you didn't pass out in front of everyone." he said.
          Grateful that he wasn't upset with her, Sakura gave him a light kiss before picking Demon up off his shoulder and heading off to their room. The kitten protested to being carried, but Sakura held on to him and he finally quieted down. Reaching the bedroom, she released him, and he scampered away, glaring at her when he reached the other side of the room. Grabbing a book, she stretched out on the bed and opened it, trying to keep her mind off of what she knew was coming. But as she laid there, her thoughts kept turning to Hidan. Where was he at? Was he close to beginning his ritual, or had he found his target yet? Reminding herself that she was just needlessly stressing herself, Sakura returned to her book. Her questions were answered twenty minutes later when she felt the familiar feeling of calm sweep over her as her connection to Hidan strengthened.
          He was ready. Bracing herself for the pain to come, Sakura closed her eyes and took deep, steady breaths. She felt a light tingle go down her arm. A second later, white hot pain went ripping through her chest. She bit down on her lip to keep from screaming, but the sound was torn from her throat anyway. The feeling intensified, and then crashed over her as a wave of ecstasy. Grabbing the sheets in her fist as her back arched, Sakura moaned loudly. Then everything went black as she slid into blissful oblivion.
          Fifteen minutes later, she came to. Sliding her eyes open, a smile found her lips. Yes, she felt great, but that wasn't the reason for her happiness. Hidan had been as swift as possible with his ritual, ending it in one stroke. And she knew he had done it for her. Rolling onto her stomach, she buried her face in his pillow as she let her body bathe in the afterglow of feeling. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply, taking in his masculine scent. Before she knew it her mind began to drift. It had been a long day, and she enjoyed doing absolutely nothing. She wasn't sure how long she had lain there, but before she knew it, Hidan had come into the room. Sakura drowsily lifted her head to watch him undress and slide into bed beside her. As he stretched out on his back, Sakura moved to lay her head on his chest.
          Hidan wrapped an arm around Sakura and began rubbing her back. She was staring up at him, her sleepy green eyes making a fierce possessiveness roar through him. He wanted her to always look so peaceful. But of course, life never worked out the way you want it to. However, now that he was with her, whoever was unlucky enough to bother her would be totally fucked. He felt his mouth twist upward in a genuine smile as he watched her eyelids droop further and further down. She let out a tired sigh and moments later, she was fast asleep. Holding her a little tighter, Hidan quickly said his evening prayer and closed his eyes, ready to join her in slumber. Just as he was about to slip away, Demon landed on his head from out of nowhere. He started to swat the kitten away, but Sakura shifted as soon as he moved. Lowering his hand back to the mattress so he wouldn't wake her, he gave the cat his fiercest glare. Completely unruffled, the kitten began batting at a stray piece of silver hair that fell over Hidan's ear. A silent battle of swearing and dodging insistent paws commenced, until a half hour later, Demon decided he was finished, and stalked down the bed to curl up against Sakura's legs. Hidan sighed heavily and closed his eyes. Yep, sometimes life just decides to hate you.
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Shades of Crimson