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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
- 14
- 15
- 16
Chapter 15
          Sakura adjusted her cloak one last time before stepping out the door behind Hidan. The air was very muggy, the low morning fog curling around the corners of the buildings, covering Amegakure in a shroud of moisture. It wasn't raining, for once, but the sun still refused to show its face, hiding behind billowy clouds of gray. Inhaling the rich scent of wet dirt and concrete, Sakura tried to calm her wild emotions as she walked behind her partner. She felt like a genin again, on her very first mission. She was nervous that she wasn't skilled enough to complete her task. She was worried she would somehow screw everything up. But at the same time, she was excited. After two grueling weeks of training, Madara had deemed her and Kisho ready to work in the field. Pein had announced that they would be starting their mission the next day. Their words still rang in her head.
          "Your mission is simple." Madara had started. "Track down and capture the eight-tailed beast and its host. Bring them to me alive."
          "How will we find him? He could be anywhere." Kisho asked.
          "I believe Kisame has the answer to that." Pein stated.
        Kisame grinned. "Even if he's a hundred miles away, my Samehada will be able to sense his chakra and track him down."
          Sakura was pulled out of her reverie by the sight of the village gate. Kisame and Kisho were already there waiting, the latter looking bright-eyed and excited, a far cry from his usual sulky appearance. A small smile touched Sakura's lips. He must have been feeling as cooped up as she was. The shark nin beside him was waiting patiently, absently adjusting the bandaging on his sword as he leaned on the gatepost. When he spotted their approach, he straightened and replaced Samehada in its harness. A sudden smirk appeared on his face as he turned and looked at them.
          "Yo, Zombie Chick. Hidan-san. It's about time you two got here. Another five minutes and we would have left without you. Are you ready?"
          Sakura felt her face pinken even as she nodded. A week ago, Kisame had saddled her with her new nickname, and hadn't called her by her name since then. As strange as it sounded, she really didn't mind it since it tied in with Hidan's nickname. Hidan, however, hated it. She watched as his face went from relaxed to irritated. "Hey! Quit calling her that, Fish Boy, and let's go already."
          With a nonchalant shrug, Kisame turned and started down the road, his partner automatically falling into step beside him. Hidan gave Sakura a pained look before following the Mist nin. The kunoichi buried her face into the high collar of her cloak to keep her smile from showing as she walked beside him. She knew he wasn't nearly as put out as he acted. But she had learned that that's how he kept people at a distance. After losing Yume, he was afraid to let people close to him. Which made her feel really special that he took the risk of letting her in. But then again, if it hadn't been for Jashin's intervention, he might not have given her a second glance. Her thoughts were pushed to the back of her mind by the appearance of a traveler on the road. He had a large pack on his back and was heading toward the village. As they passed by, he moved all the way to the other side of the road, giving them a wide berth. Sakura didn't miss the obvious fear in his eyes.
          It was then that she noticed the sudden difference in her companions. While they were at the base, everyone was mostly relaxed and friendly. But now that they were out in the open, their demeanor had completely changed. Kisame walked in the lead confidently, looking large and imposing, like a predator that was begging for an excuse to attack. Even his chakra felt sinister as it emanated from him. Kisho strode beside him, his head up, looking around alertly. When he turned his head her way, his gold eyes gleamed with a feral light that reminded her of Demon just before he was about to pounce on something. His red and black hair hung heavily in his face, accentuating the wild look. She glanced over at Hidan to find that he wore a hard stare, and he looked as if he would go off with the slightest provocation. They were the very image of the fearful rumors that had spread around Konoha about the Akatsuki. And if she were to go strolling through the front gates with them looking like this, she was certain half her village would run screaming in fright, pissing their pants the whole way. And standing next to them, she probably looked about as dangerous as a teddy bear.
          Wanting to at least look like she wasn't out of her league, Sakura lifted her chin and quickened her pace to walk evenly beside Hidan. Her cloak swished gently around her as she moved, revealing her bare knees and the top of her tall sandals. Hidan glanced over at her, the corners of his lips tugging upward, but he made no comment. After a half hour of steady travel, Sakura was beginning to get unnerved at the silence. She never realized until just then how much she appreciated Naruto and Sai's constant chattering and bickering. It really helped to pass the time while they were going somewhere, even if it did occasionally make her want to punch both of them through a wall somewhere. Digging around for something to say, she looked over at Hidan. "So, where are we going to look first?" she asked.
          Hidan just shrugged, but Kisho glanced back at her and answered. "The Land of Lightning. According to the information Sasuke's team gave us, that's where he was seen last."
          "Oh." Nothing more was offered, and the group fell silent once again.
          They had climbed out of the valley housing the village and were nearing the training grounds when Kisame suddenly stopped. Everyone else followed suit, looking around for a potential threat. Reaching up, the Mist ninja grasped the handle of his sword and began drawing it from its harness. It was then that Sakura noticed the slight movements beneath the wrapping. It was small, barely more than a vibration. But as Kisame took the sword in hand, it became more pronounced. Stepping away from the group, he closed his eyes and swung Samehada in a circle over his head several times. After the fourth circuit, he released it, and the great sword went flying through the air before burying in the ground, leaning heavily to one side.
          With a grin, Kisame walked over to it and pointed in the direction the sword was leaning. "He's this way. Let's go." he said as he pulled Samehada from the ground and strapped it to his back once more.
          Kisho followed silently, but Hidan rolled his eyes. "I think he missed his calling as a fortune teller. If he breaks out the tea leaves, I'm outta here." he said as he stepped off the road after them.
          Sakura gazed at the rough terrain as her group started across it. It didn't promise her an easy day. There was a scattering of grasses and low scrub brush, but for the most part, it was a mire of waterlogged earth, rutted by the near constant rain. But that didn't stop Kisame. As soon as everyone was moving, he immediately broke into a run, the others trailing after him. Picking up her pace, Sakura followed, a light sigh on her lips. With every step, mud threatened to breach the top of her sole, or suck at the bottom of her sandals, slowing her down. Praying that she wouldn't trip and fall on her face, she picked her way through the bog as best she could while still keeping up with Hidan. She had a feeling this was going to be a long day.

          Konan sat in Madara and Pein's office, folding origami cranes. She wasn't normally a nervous person, but today she couldn't help but fidget a little. As soon as Zetsu reported that Kisame and his group had left, she and Pein would head to Konoha to capture the nine-tails. If both missions were successful, the dream they had worked for years would be realized. The world would finally be at peace, and she would be free to live out the rest of her life with the man she loved. It was just a shame that no matter how peaceful the world became, they would still have to live with the pain of loss. Her hand automatically reached up to touch the paper rose in her hair. Most people thought it was a mere decoration or an expression of her art. But it meant far more than that to her. It was a reminder of the day that had changed her life and set the path she now walked. It was the day that Yahiko conquered his fear out of hunger and desperation and approached three Konoha ninja to beg for food for them to eat. It was then that they met Jiraiya, who decided that three pathetic orphans could be something much greater. The day their destinies were changed forever.
          A wave of guilt passed over her. If only she hadn't cried from the lack of food that morning. They would have never met their sensei and became ninja, and they wouldn't have been captured on that second fateful day many years later. Then Yahiko would still be with them, body and soul, and Nagato wouldn't be suffering so terribly every day. She couldn't stand watching him in so much pain, especially when she was the cause of it. She should have let those shinobi kill her, but she selfishly let her friends protect her, and they paid a high price for it, while she walked away practically unscathed. At least physically. She had loved Yahiko deeply, and she mourned his death to this day. Nagato knew how she felt, and he tried hard to make it up to her by protecting and caring for her without fail. Bonded by friendship and loss, their relationship eventually developed romantically. But as sweet as their love was, it scared her at the same time. She had complete faith in Nagato's abilities, after all these years, he had never lost a single battle. But sometimes she couldn't stop the feelings of terror that he would one day leave her too. Then she would truly be alone, and she didn't know if she would be able to handle it.
          A knock on the door brought her back to the present, and Konan took a quick calming breath before stilling her shaky hands and giving the command to enter. The door creaked open and Zetsu entered, stooping slightly to keep from hitting his mandibles on the doorframe. When he reached the center of the room, he bowed low and waited for her to speak.
          "Are they gone?" Konan asked flatly, all signs of her nervousness completely hidden from the world.
          "Yes. They left at first light, heading for Lightning Country." Zetsu replied.
          "Good. Thank you, Zetsu-san. I'll inform Pein-sama immediately."
          The plant ninja bowed again before silently leaving. Once she was alone, Konan formed a hand seal and watched in satisfaction as the paper cranes flapped their folded wings and, rising from the desk, flew out the open window into the damp air. Once they flew beyond her range of control, they would crumple and fall to the ground, harmless pieces of paper once more. Standing up, the blue-haired kunoichi faced the wall and quickly went through the hand seals that opened the door to Nagato's room. Pressing her palm to the wall, she felt it begin to give way, and soon she was peering into the darkness beyond. With practiced ease, her fingers found the switch on the wall and light flooded the room. Walking confidently inside, Konan came to stand before the machine that housed her lover and friend. As she stopped, she manifested her paper wings. Long and full, they flowed behind her, the tips dragging on the floor. He called her his angel, and it pleased him when she looked the part. And after everything he'd done for her, how could she deny him anything?
          The soft rustle of the paper drew his attention, and he opened his eyes. Managing a small smile, his silver gaze locked onto her face. "Konan, is it time?" he asked her.
          "Hai, Nagato-kun. Kisame's group left first thing this morning. Zetsu confirmed it just now." she replied.
          As if in response to her voice, Pein's Deva path emerged from the room behind them. The other five filed out as well, but the Deva walked right up to her and cupped her cheek, lightly running his thumb over the ball below her lip. It had taken her a long time to think of him that way, because it was just Nagato's mind in Yahiko's body. A strange fusion of the two men she loved. But now thinking of him as Pein was as second nature to her as breathing, just another bend in their twisted relationship. Just like the fact that this was the only path that Nagato allowed to touch her, even though all six were extensions of himself. It was the Deva path that had taken her innocence, since Nagato was forever bound to his machine and couldn't do it himself, no matter how much they both wanted it. Afterward, he had pierced her lower lip as an outward physical sign of their connection. More than a mere decoration, the small black ball was a tiny chakra receiver as well. It allowed Nagato to reach out and feel her, no matter how far away she was.
          Her nerves suddenly returning with a vengeance, Konan stepped back, and lifting her paper wings, rose into the air. Right now she needed more than a stand-in to comfort her. She needed to feel Nagato himself. With a couple lazy flaps, she was softly carried to him, lightly landing on the dais next to him. He turned his head and looked at her, curiosity on his prematurely aged face. Moving slowly, Konan swept his heavy fall of bright red hair away from his face and cupped his cheek with her other hand. She could easily feel his sharp cheekbone pressing into her palm, but it hardly bothered her. He had been this way for so long now, she barely remembered the round-faced boy he had once been. Letting her paper wings lift and extend, they surrounded them as she leaned over and pressed her lips to his. Her kiss was slow and reverent, an expression of her love and gratitude. But more than that, she needed the comfort of physically touching him. He let her linger as long as she wanted, and when she pulled back, he turned his head away, the pain and want shining in his eyes for a moment before his hair fell back into his face, hiding his expression from her.
          Stepping back, Konan let herself float backwards, until she was once again standing on the ground. Dropping her head, she sighed. Once again, her selfishness had caused him pain. "Forgive me, Nagato-kun. I didn't mean to hurt you."
          Pein stepped up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. His mouth eagerly found the bare skin of her neck, the cool metal of his piercings contrasting with his warm lips, sending a shiver up her spine. He kissed her until she relaxed into him, her eyelids drooping downward under his touch. "You have nothing to apologize for." he whispered. "Angels and gods are meant to comfort each other. It's the only thing that makes existence bearable." Giving her a final gentle squeeze, Pein released her, letting his fingers trail over her abdomen as he did so. Grasping her shoulders, he turned her to face him. "Now, get everything ready. We have a mission to complete."
          Nodding, Konan turned and walked out of the room, her wings melting back into her body, seven sets of piercing eyes following her every movement.

          Sakura sank to her knees in the gathering darkness, exhausted. Never had she traveled so far in one day. They had moved at a constant pace all day, never stopping for more than five minutes. They had eaten on the go, which she was accustomed to, but not at the speed she did today. Shifting to sit more comfortably on the ground, she stretched her protesting legs out in front of her. She was suddenly grateful for Kisame's tough conditioning. If it weren't for that, she was quite sure she wouldn't be able to walk tomorrow, much less run. Kisho plopped down across from her, looking just as tired as she was. Kisame and Hidan, however, looked like they had barely broken a sweat. Kisame was setting up a perimeter for the night, and Hidan had moved a little ways away to pray.
          Taking in her surroundings before it was too dark to see, Sakura tried to gauge where she was. They were still heading towards Lightning. By late afternoon, the group had started through the foothills and ravines that led up to the treacherous landscape that was one of that country's most notable features. In fact, they had decided to camp at the open end of a particularly craggy ravine. Already she could make out the slight rumbling sound of the constantly disturbed sky, and had seen several dark scorch marks on the larger boulders right before they stopped. So, she figured they would cross the border in the morning.
          Glancing back to her companions, Sakura noticed that Kisho looked rather disturbed. His head was up, and he kept turning his head this way and that, as if expecting an enemy to jump out of the bushes at any second. Leaning forward, Sakura touched his knee to get his attention. "Kisho, what's wrong?"
          "Do you not hear that sound?" he whispered.
          Sakura gave him a reassuring smile. "You've never been to Kumogakure, have you?" she asked. Kisho shook his head. "Well, don't worry, that's just thunder."
          "Thunder? But it hasn't stopped in over five minutes." It was true that at this distance, the noises didn't sound like actual thunder. The individual claps echoed through the landscape and cascaded together, becoming muddled and resembling something closer to the roar of the sea rather than anything that might come from above.
          "Yeah, it doesn't stop. Air masses are constantly moving overhead, being pulled towards the ocean. But the mountains are so tall and spread out in Lightning that the air is slowed down considerably as it tries to find a way around. The next air mass behind it tries to push it faster than possible, leaving the sky in a state of flux all the time. Which results in constant thunder and lightning here. And the backed up air mass sits right over Amegakure, which is why it rains there all the time." she explained.
          Kisame gave her an impressed whistle as he sat down with them. "Damn, Zombie Chick, we're going to have to stop buying you so many books."
          Sakura felt her face heat up at his implied compliment. She was saved by the reappearance of Hidan, who had finished his prayer and came to stand at her side. His eyes roamed over the choice of sleeping places with disapproval, and then he turned and looked at Kisho. "Hey, Kisho, you use earth jutsu or some shit, don't you?" The redhead nodded, but looked a little uncomfortable at suddenly being the center of attention. Hidan ignored it and continued with a glare. "Well, dumbass, why aren't you making us some kind of shelter for the night? I don't know about you, but I'm not sleeping outside on the ground like a fucking dog."
          Kisho's eyes began glowing with anger and he jumped to his feet. "I know your memory isn't what it used to be, old man, so let me refresh it for you. I'm not your bitch to bring to heel! And since I'm such a dumbass, you'll have to build your own damn shelter, since I'm obviously not smart enough to do it for you!"
          In a flash, Hidan pulled his scythe from his back and started forward. "You just signed your death warrant, you little cock-sucker!"
          Sakura shook off her sudden shock and jumped to her feet, ready to pull Hidan back. It was amazing how quickly they had lost their tempers. Before she could intervene, Kisame shouldered his way between the two, forcing them both back. "Knock it off, both of you! If a fight breaks out now, every Cloud nin on the border will be after us before you can say 'bingo book'. You can settle this after our mission is complete."
          Hidan frowned, but backed off. Putting his scythe away, he walked over to Sakura. "Whatever. That little shit isn't worth the effort anyway."
          Turning to look at his partner, Kisame continued. "Hidan's right, Kisho. We can't have a fire and we'll need some sort of protection from the lightning. But build two shelters instead of one, so I know you guys aren't trying to throttle each other in your sleep. And if you have a problem with me telling you to do it, you can take it up with Pein-sama when we get back."
          Without answering, Kisho walked over to one side of the ravine, formed a set of hand seals and lightly touched the rock wall in front of him. His chakra flared, and the rock began separating, pulling back until there was a hole large enough to fit a two-man tent inside. After he was finished, he walked to the opposite side of the ravine and repeated the process. That done, he pulled out his bedroll, crawled inside and lay down, facing the wall and using his arm as a pillow. With a shrug, Kisame sat down in front of the entrance, Samehada resting across his lap. "You two get some sleep. I'll keep watch tonight." he said.
          Too tired to argue about taking turns staying awake, Sakura nodded and headed toward the empty shelter. Hidan paused before reluctantly following her, looking half uncertain, and half angry. Crawling in, Sakura spread out her bedroll and lay down. She waited for Hidan to join her, and when he didn't after a few minutes, she lifted her head and looked out the entrance. He had stopped just outside, and if she didn't know better, she would have sworn she saw a hint of fear in his violet eyes. Leaning up on her elbows, Sakura patted the ground beside her. "Are you coming?"
          "It's not big enough."
          Sakura frowned and looked at the space beside her. There was more than enough room for him to easily lie down. "Sure it is."
          Kisame's laughter echoed over to them. "No fooling around over there, we have work tomorrow!" Hidan flipped Kisame off, which only made him laugh harder.
          Sakura was still watching him expectantly, concern starting to steal its way onto her face. Not wanting to press the issue and look like a weak coward, Hidan unhooked his scythe and set it inside, then forced himself to crawl in beside her and lay down. Cursing the wave of nausea that hit him, he closed his eyes, trying to ignore the feel of the stone walls around him. His chest felt tight and tiny beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. Sakura snuggled close to him, eyes closed, and he took a deep breath in relief. Focusing on her beside him took the edge off of his anxiety, so he concentrated on the rhythm of her breathing and her subconscious movements as she quickly fell asleep. After a very long time, he finally relaxed enough to let his mind drift and he slipped into a disturbed slumber.
          Nearing dawn, a loud clap of thunder sounded, startling Hidan out of his sleep. His eyes popped open and the darkness of the cave pressed down on him, making it hard to breathe. Sakura had rolled away from him during the night, and was lying on her stomach against the opposite wall. Panic welled up in his chest again, and his heart started pounding. It felt just like being trapped in the pit again, with nothing but the blackness and heavy rocks around him. The need to escape overrode his reason, and he scrambled outside quickly. As soon as he stood and the cool air hit his lungs, he began to calm. Sucking it in, he wiped his hand across his forehead, removing the sheen of sweat that had settled there. After a few more steadying breaths, he looked around to see if anyone had witnessed his embarrassing moment of weakness. Kisho was still asleep in the other shelter, his black sandaled feet sticking out from under his blanket. Kisame was still sitting in the entrance, eyes closed, one hand resting lightly on Samehada's hilt. He couldn't tell if the shark nin had fallen asleep, or was just meditating.
          He was about to say something sarcastic to him when another clap of thunder sounded and his attention was drawn to the other end of the ravine. Hidan's eyes widened. It felt like a massive wave of chakra was coming their way, and fast. Looking back at Kisame, he was surprised to see that he still hadn't awakened, but Samehada was going wild. The sword was practically writhing beneath the white bandages that contained it. The chakra was nearly on them, moving at an impossible speed. Hidan ran a hand through his hair before grabbing his scythe from just inside the cave. Jogging over to Kisame, he gave him a sharp kick in the knee. "Wake the fuck up, Lazy-ass! We've got company!"
          Kisame came awake with a grunt. He blinked his eyes sleepily for only an instant. As soon as he looked down at Samehada, he was on his feet, hefting the sword to his shoulder in a practiced swing. Turning toward the chakra bearing down on them, they watched as a cloud of dust swept towards them, growing bigger by the second. It almost looked like a brown fog rolling in, distorted by the low light of early dawn. It was then that they noticed the four lesser chakras behind the larger one, obviously in pursuit. The dust cloud reached them and the chakra pulled to a sudden halt. Neither shinobi could see anything for a moment, but as the dust cleared, they could make out a dark blur shaped like a man. A deep, melodic voice reached their ears, followed by a dark laugh.
          "Yo, my shinobi brothers. You Akatsuki mothers. Can't stay and play, the cavalry’s on its way. No need ta pout, but this Killer Bee's out. Peace, ya fools!" Adjusting his sunglasses with a large grin, the eight-tails' jinchuriki took off again, jumping to the lip of the ravine before disappearing out of sight.
          Kisame and Hidan just stared at each other a moment in shock. Then Kisame smirked. "You and Sakura take care of the interference. We're not supposed to kill him after all. I'll take the eight-tails." He turned and gave Kisho's foot a hard kick. "KISHO! Time to move your ass, boy!" And without waiting for his partner to catch up, he took off, jumping to where Killer Bee had landed to follow him.
          Hidan hooked his scythe to its cable and strolled to the middle of the ravine as Kisho scrambled up and ran after Kisame, the dust still hanging in the air drawing after him like a magnet. Sakura was also awakened by the noise, and it was only moments before she joined him. Squinting her eyes to adjust to seeing in the grayness, she peered ahead at the oncoming shinobi. "Hidan, what's going on?"
          He grinned, excitement sparkling in his violet eyes. Pulling his rosary off his neck, he kissed it and closed his eyes. "Praise Jashin, my dear. The shit just hit the fan and we're standing right in the way." Opening his eyes a moment later, he replaced the rosary and, swinging his scythe in a wide arc over his head, waited on the four approaching chakra signatures to slow. Dawn broke then, spilling light across the land, revealing a cell of Kumo's ANBU. And they looked less than pleased to see two Akatsuki standing between them and their goal.
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Shades of Crimson