Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Shades of Crimson	By : Onileo Category: Naruto > Het - Male/Female Views: 2074 -:- 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
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Chapter 21
          Schooling her mind into a blank state, Sakura walked into the training room. Before she had time to blink, a shuriken went whizzing by her head. She barely had time to duck when three more followed it, making her leap to the side. Kisame grinned at her expectantly from across the room. "It's about time, Zombie Chick. I was beginning to think you weren't coming."
          "I'm sorry, Kisame-san. We'll have to do this another time. I just came to tell you that Pein-sama is back, and that we'll be sealing the kyuubi tomorrow." she said, willing her voice to remain even.
          He studied her face a minute. She couldn't read his expression, but she was sure he was measuring her reaction to this news. Apparently satisfied with what he found, he straightened up, and hefted Samehada to his shoulder. "Well, damn. But don't think you're off the hook. I fully intend to mop the floor with your pretty pink ass later. Did you tell Kisho already?"
          "No. Do you know where he is?"
          "I think he went to the market for supplies. I'll do it when he gets back."
          "Thank you."
          Giving him a grateful smile, she turned and walked out of the room, intent on finding Hidan. She knew it sounded weak, but she needed him right now. Needed his comforting presence to buffer her from the rest of the world. At that moment, she was glad Jashin had bonded them together. Without some sort of anchor, she knew she would never be able to weather this without losing her mind. Knowing Naruto was captured and could die tomorrow, not knowing the state Pein had left her home village in, and being unable to change either one...it was just too much.
          Hidan had made his sacrifice to Jashin yesterday, so Sakura knew he was somewhere in the building. She checked their bedroom first. As soon as she opened the door, a blur of yellow streaked between her legs and down the hallway. Her jade eyes followed after it just in time to see Demon rounding the corner before disappearing out of sight. Glancing back in the bedroom, she was disappointed to see that it was now empty. With a sigh, she shut the door and headed to the common room. He wasn't there either.
          She finally found him in the kitchen. He was facing away from her, the heavy muscles in his bare back flexing as he pulled a pan out of the cabinet. He hadn't noticed that she was there, so she stood in the doorway, letting the normalcy of the scene settle around her. He slid to the left to reach the refrigerator and pulled it open. Out came the rack of ribs that they had bought the previous day, along with a bottle of barbecue sauce. Putting the ribs in the pan, he opened the sauce and began liberally pouring it on the meat. It was only when he turned to throw the now empty bottle away that he spotted her, and grinned. It faded when he saw the look on her face. Tossing the bottle in the trash, he put the ribs in the oven and set the timer before walking over to her.
          Gripping her hips, he guided her into him, and leaning down, kissed the top of her head. "They're back?" he asked, his warm breath stirring the stray pink strands as it whispered over her scalp.
          "Yeah."
          For once, Hidan was at a loss for words. On one hand, he was glad that they had the nine-tails. That meant that their objective was complete and they could move on to the next phase, developing the jutsu that would immerse the world in another great shinobi war. War meant he could keep fighting, and that meant a very, very pleased Jashin. But seeing the look on Sakura's face just now stirred something else in him. A desire to protect her, to keep her away from the pain that was currently reflected in her eyes. The jinchuriki was her friend, and he of all people knew what it was like to lose someone you cared deeply for.
          The fact that she had not made a move against Madara yet told him that things were progressing as they were meant to. So, until she did, all he could do was be there for her. Tightening his grip on her waist, he kissed her forehead and looked into her violet-laced green eyes. "Have faith. Jashin-sama knows what he's doing." he said for both of them.
          …...
          "...Sakura-san."
          Sakura turned her head to find Madara leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest. Her heart started beating a little more rapidly. Did he know that she had overheard his argument with Pein and want to talk to her about it? He looked relaxed enough, but since he had the entire Akatsuki fooled into believing he was Tobi for years, it was hard to tell. Stepping back and turning around, she inclined her head. "Madara-sama."
          "What the fuck do you want?" Hidan said from behind her, as irritated as she was that they were being interrupted.
          Uncrossing his arms and straightening up, Madara looked at the Jashinist. Sakura wished she could see the expression on his face. That mask really hid a lot. "Mind your tone, Hidan-san." he chided before turning to her. "Let's go spar."
          Spar? Immediately on alert, Sakura tensed. "But what about tomorrow? Shouldn't we be resting up for the jutsu?"
          "We'll stick to taijutsu only, no chakra. Besides, you look like you could use the stress relief. C'mon, it'll be fun." he said, his voice suddenly taking on a lighter tone.
          Sakura glanced back at Hidan. His face was completely unreadable, giving away no clues as to how she should respond. So, the decision was all on her. Maybe this was it. The moment Jashin told her about. But even as she thought it, it seemed off. Well, even if the time wasn't right, she couldn't exactly refuse. If he did know she heard him earlier, it would look suspicious of her to avoid him. And maybe she could learn something about him that would help her later. Besides all that, he was the head of the Akatsuki, and her boss. He could tell her to stand on her head and whistle for an hour and she was supposed to obey without question. Swallowing her nervousness, she nodded.
          "Great! Let's go." he said as he turned and stepped back into the hallway.
          Sakura started following him out the door. After Madara had turned the corner, she looked back at Hidan. He gave her a reassuring smile before waving her off. Giving him a small nod in return, she walked out of sight. Madara was already far ahead of her, and she had to hurry to catch up. He said nothing as she fell into step beside him. It only took a few minutes to get there, but with the oppressive silence, it seemed like an eternity. At last, they reached their now deserted destination. As soon as Sakura walked through the doorway, a jutsu activated. She could tell it encompassed the whole room, but she wasn't entirely sure what it did. She gave Madara a wary look as he turned to face her.
          "What is this?"
          "I don't like interruptions." he said in a clipped voice.
          Sakura stared at him silently. She was getting a really strong feeling that this would be no ordinary sparring session. But when he charged forward, it was measured and relaxed, with no hint of malice or unnatural glee. And when he drew back to throw the first punch, her body sprang into action and she easily blocked him. Okay, so she would take this one moment at a time. As long as he stuck with what he said, she would be fine. If he tried to pull anything, however, she wouldn't hesitate to beat him to death. After a couple more moves, Madara struck up a conversation.
          "You've done well with us, Sakura-san. I must say I'm impressed."
          "Thank you, Madara-sama." she replied after jumping over a sweeping kick.
          "And I'm sure that with your inquisitive mind, you'll enjoy your missions once the kyuubi is extracted."
          Was that a hint that he did know she was eavesdropping? Deciding to take it at face value just in case it wasn't, she aimed a punch at his midsection and spoke. "Why is that?"
          "Oh, dear. Has no one explained to you what we're doing with the biju?"
          "No." she replied, dodging a roundhouse kick that would have knocked her senseless.
          "We'll have to rectify that now. Do you know what the ultimate goal of the Akatsuki is?"
          World domination was the first thing that popped in her head, but she doubted he would call it that. So she stuck with a simpler answer. "No."
          Catching her foot as it was about to connect with his head, Madara twisted it, forcing her to cartwheel as she pulled it from his grasp. "Pein would call it 'world peace'."
           "I don't understand."
          "What? You don't understand what world peace is?"
          Sakura had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. First he called her smart, now he was practically accusing her of being stupid. "Of course I do. But I was under the impression that such a thing was impossible." she said as she rushed him again.
          "Now that we have all the tailed beasts, it just became possible. We're going to use their chakra to develop jutsu that are so devastating, they could wipe out an entire country with a single use. After a few preliminary Akatsuki supported skirmishes, war will break out. The opposing sides will be looking for an advantage. We'll hand the jutsu over to the highest buyer and watch the fun begin. After they make the mistake of using them a time or two, the rest of the world will cease fighting out of fear."
          Sakura oomphed as Madara's foot connected with her thigh, pushing her back. Righting herself quickly, she charged him, and another flurry of punching began. "How is that going to work? Not all of the countries in the world are going to just do as you say. Some of their governments are quite stubborn."
          "They won't have a choice. Fear is a powerful motivator. Once the people see annihilation in their future, they will demand peace, or rise up against their leaders until someone who does listen is in charge." he said, his voice rougher now with the exertion.
          Sakura fell silent. Sensing an advantage, Madara pressed her, forcing her to defend herself as he worked on getting her feet out from under her. They were both breathing heavily now, and Sakura had to wipe a stray droplet of sweat from her eyes several times. She felt her gut wrench as she thought back on what she had just been told. They were going to make jutsu large enough to decimate a whole country? Large enough to scare the leaders of the surviving nations into submitting? The scene of devastation rose in her mind, as clear as if it had already happened. Barren craters littered with bodies. Shinobi who had been caught in the blast while they struggled to defend their homes and families. Their faces twisted in horror and pain.
          Their faces. They looked familiar. The forehead protectors bore the symbol of the leaf. And everyone she knew was there. Ino, Choji, Hinata, Shizune, Kakashi...everyone. At the center of the mess, she caught a glimpse of long blonde hair, surrounding a mass that was once flesh and blood. Tsunade. Horror filled her. This could not happen. She could not let this happen. No matter what she swore to Pein, she had to stop Madara from completing this plan. Their reasoning may be different, but Jashin was right. He had to die. And if Pein insisted on carrying on as well, she would stop him too. But first, she had to save Naruto.
          She was snapped back to reality by a foot to her stomach, sending her flying backwards into the wall. She hit hard before falling into a heap on the hardwood floor. The cold seeping into her legs cleared her head, and she staggered to her feet just as Madara approached her. Staring into the single hole in his mask, she spoke. "But what about the shinobi, Madara-sama? They'll be the ones to die from the jutsu. And those that are left will have no way to care for their families. Without the income the villages provide, they'll starve. A whole way of life will be gone."
          Madara just shrugged. "It's not my choice who fights and who doesn't. And when the world is finally at peace, they will no longer need the shinobi. They might as well go out the way they were taught instead of lost and neglected, don't you think?"
          Sakura stared at him. "That will make us obsolete too, won't it? What will the Akatsuki do then?"
          He just shrugged again. "After we get what we want, what you do is your own business. You could even go back to Konoha if you want. If there is anything left, you could become the village doctor. And if you're good enough, they might even put your name next to their fallen hero, Naruto."
          Sakura frowned at the sudden mocking tone in his voice. He was baiting her. Trying to upset her to see if she would attack him. She had to admit, his taunting had the intended effect. Her adrenaline soared as the words hit home. The bastard. She wanted nothing more than to walk over there and punch him through the building. But she had to bide her time. She wasn't ready yet. If she turned on him now and lost, he wouldn't let her anywhere near Naruto. No, she had to do it when she was sure she could save him.
          Reining in her emotions, she brushed past Madara, aiming a cool glance at him when they were shoulder to shoulder. "I told you already, Konoha would never have me back. And Hidan would hate it there. This is the only life I have now."
          She made it to the doorway only to find that the jutsu sealing it off was still in place. Looking back over her shoulder at Madara, she raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to let me out?"
          "One last thing before you go. We're all going to the sealing chamber together tomorrow. Holding the teleportation jutsu will use up more chakra than I'm willing to allow. I want nothing hindering our progress. Everyone will meet at the outdoor training ground at sunrise. Don't be late." he warned.
          As soon as she acknowledged him with a nod, the jutsu dispelled, and she walked out into the hallway. She had to suppress the shudder that tried to run down her spine at the sudden malicious tone in his voice. She had no doubt that when she did fight him for real, it would be a difficult victory. While they were sparring, even though he was talking to her, his attacks never wavered. They were measured and precise, and she had a feeling that he intentionally saved that last kick for when she was distracted. A display of his abilities to keep her away from any thoughts of challenging him. Like a wolf posturing before a rival.
          Needing a shower now, Sakura headed for her room. Demon was waiting for her by the door, twitching his tail and glaring at the wood like his attitude alone would grant him entry. Pushing it open, Sakura waited for the kitten to enter before stepping inside and closing the door behind her. Hidan was already there, sitting cross-legged in the floor, pendant in hand, eyes closed. Even as she smiled at the angelic expression on his face, she was puzzled as to why he was in the floor. He almost always prayed on the bed. Then she noticed the red ceremonial dagger sitting on the floor beside him. He must be preparing for one of his bloodletting rituals. He had told her about them, but since they were only regularly done at the temple, she had never actually seen him do it. Trying not to disturb him, she started tiptoeing to the bathroom.
          Hidan didn't need to open his eyes to know exactly where Sakura was in the room. Even if he hadn't heard the door, he still would have known. Ever since the hachibi extraction, their bond had grown stronger. She hadn't even noticed, with all her worry over Naruto, but for him it had been practically inescapable. Everything she did, everything she felt, was like a ghost at the back of his mind. It wasn't like telepathy where he knew what she was thinking. It was more along the lines of instinct. He knew when she became wary of Madara, when they had started sparring, and when she felt afraid minutes before she walked in the door.
          It was also why he had been intentionally provoking her in the evenings. She needed the relief of a good fight. If not, she would let the stress build up until she exploded. And with her physical strength, she would take out the building and half the village. Not that he gave a shit about collateral damage, but until it was time to complete Jashin's task, he had to keep her on a steady keel. After that, he would gladly stand by while his little powerhouse took her frustration out on whoever the hell she wanted to. Besides that, he enjoyed every minute of their interactions together. She was a beautiful goddess of fury, and when she turned those flashing emerald eyes on him, gleaming with retribution, it left him wanting her in a way that bordered on insanity.
          But this evening he had a different plan. He would show her how to tap into the strength granted to her by Jashin. Yes, she had her immortality, but she had yet to take advantage of her spiritual stamina as well. She was still thinking like a mortal. Like the weight of time was still pressing down on her, waiting to squash her at any given instant. If his plan worked, he would free her from that. He had already finished his prayer to Jashin when he felt her start to move past him. Opening his eyes, he called to her.
          "Sakura, come here."
          Turning her head, she looked at him. "I'm sorry I disturbed you, Hidan. I was just going to take a shower."
          Lifting a hand, he held it out to her. "You don't fucking stink, come here."
          Curious as to what he wanted, Sakura walked over to him and put her hand in his. Dropping to her knees, she knelt in front of him. "What is it?"
          "Pray with me."
          "To Jashin?"
          "Yes."
          Truthfully, the thought of it terrified her. It would mean that she was admitting she was weak, that she couldn't do it on her own and needed help. But no matter how much she resisted, she had already admitted that she was bound to the dark god until she saw this through. Maybe if she gave in, just a little, he would make things easier. Even if this whole thing was a result of him screwing with her in the first place. But even though she had been connected to Hidan for all of his rituals, she had never actively participated in one. She wasn't sure she was ready for such a big step. She was still struggling with indecision when Hidan grabbed her other hand.
          "Sakura, do you trust me?"
          "Yes."
          "Turn around and sit down."
          Nodding, Sakura scooted until she had her back to him, crossing her legs in front of her to mimic his position. Hidan slid closer to her, until his shin was resting against her lower back and she could feel his body head radiating towards her. Wrapping his arms around her, he joined his hands in front of her in a seal. He mumbled something and a glowing red line appeared in the floor in front of her. Glancing down, she realized that the line was actually a circle. Following it with her eyes, she watched as Jashin's symbol appeared beneath them, with the two of them sitting exactly in the center. The symbol solidified and Hidan dropped his hands. Warmth swirling in her stomach heralded the activation of their bond and her mind instantly went calm. She felt Hidan's hands ghost up her sweat-slick arms and down her back in a relaxing caress.
          "Good, now close your eyes. Don't think about anything but your breathing."
          Sakura did as he asked, settling into the swirling black and red behind her eyelids. Taking a deep breath, she let it out, and took another. Behind her, Hidan was doing the same, and she could only feel warmth and peace coming from him. Then his arms were around her again, and he untangled his legs, drawing her back to lean against his chest. Resting her head against his heart, she concentrated on the rise and fall of his chest behind her. Slowly, her muscles relaxed, and she felt like she could fall asleep. That was when she felt his arm move, and she instinctively knew he was picking up the dagger. Her brain tried to surface back to reality when he spoke again.
          "Just keep breathing."
         Settling back down, she waited for the sting she knew was coming. What surprised her was when he lifted up her arm with his free hand and brought the dagger up to rest against her wrist. "Now," he said, "repeat after me. Jashin, Lord of Slaughter..."
          "Jashin, Lord of Slaughter..." the tip of the dagger dug into her vein as she felt her skin give way. Warm liquid streaked down her arm as he deepened the slice, dragging the blade in a vertical line nearly to her elbow.
          "Strengthen us, your servants, as we strengthen you with our offering of blood..."
          Sakura repeated the line as Hidan lowered her arm and picked up the other one, repeating the cut on the other side. By this time, the first wound was bleeding profusely, and she had to force herself to stay still and leave it alone. Her heart was beating faster and she had to work on keeping her breaths deep and even as he continued. The pain was distracting as well, and for some reason, he wasn't doing anything to change the burning sensation that was crawling up to her shoulders.
          "Lift us up, beyond the pain to find solace in your presence..."
          She struggled to follow after him, the discomfort she was feeling driving her to awareness. She nearly opened her eyes when she felt him cut a matching slice in his own arm, the bond between them doubling the pain for her. A hiss escaped her, but Hidan seemed to not notice and switched hands, blood running down onto the handle of the dagger.
          "May we continue in your work until you deem our souls worthy to stand at your side in the next life."
          The pain was starting to lessen, or it was further away, as her head became light from blood loss. The last line of the prayer came out more slurred than clear, and as her self-preservation kicked in, she struggled against him, trying to sit up, to fight the pain consuming her. She felt his hands, slick with his own blood, grab hers, twining their fingers as he wrapped their arms around her torso, holding her in place. His voice came from above her, soft, even as his words demanded her compliance.
          "Come on, Sakura. I'm not going to do it for you anymore. Sink into the feeling of pain. Don't fight it. Embrace it and let it surround you, and it will stop hurting you. You will defeat it, and it will never hurt again. All you have to do is let go."
          His words reached her through the haze that was spreading in her head, and she tried. She tried for him, and when she thought she would drown in the feeling, it changed. Her nerve endings ceased to spark, shooting pain signals to her brain, and began to sizzle and smolder instead. It flamed into a fire, and she was consumed by it. The woozy feeling intensified, and the blackness surrounding her deepened. In the dark, she could still hear Hidan as he encouraged her. His voice sounded lust filled as his lips brushed over her ear.
          "That's it, baby. You've got it. Now, reach out to Jashin. He's there, in the dark. Reach out and let him in, he will give you his strength. Nothing will stand in your way when he is with you."
          Sakura felt her brow furrow. He was there? She tried, but it was hard. All she could see was the darkness, all she could feel was the heat of her own body as it raged at her. She was just about to give up when she felt it. A cold spot in the middle of the fire. She still couldn't see anything, but she could feel it now. A presence, still and solid, in the distance. Willing herself to move towards it, she reached out, needing the cold to quench the fire before she died of it. At last she was able to touch it, and all at once she could feel it surround her. It was like water, but without real substance. Her body cooled, her muscles flowing with the phantom liquid, making her feel whole and strong. And the voice she hadn't heard for months, laced with natural malice, but no longer threatening to her, whispered across her brain.
          "It's about time, stubborn child. Now you are ready."
          Then she saw him, for just an instant. He was standing under the cherry tree in his garden, in his robe of crimson with his long black hair, absently twirling a blossom between his fingers. Makoto was lying at his feet beside a white wolf with ice blue eyes. As soon as she identified the she-wolf as Yume, the scene was gone, the blackness surrounding her once again. The fire had died down to a slow burn and she floated in the feeling.
          Awareness of the room came back slowly, the first thing being that of Hidan's hands roaming over her skin. A murmur of contentment escaped her lips as he stroked her arms, rebuilding the fire that she had started. Her fingers contracted as he hit a sensitive spot and that was when she noticed that she had something in her hand. Opening her eyes fully, she looked down to find that although the symbol was still there, her wounds were completely gone, and the scroll Jashin had given her was in her hand. She lifted it up and studied it, noticing for the first time the circumscribed triangle that served as the seal keeping it closed.
          "Makoto's scroll." she said in disbelief.
          Hidan lifted his head from where he had it buried in her hair and looked at it. "So, you know when it will happen now?"
          "Tomorrow. As soon as Naruto is free of the Kyuubi, we will do it."
          "Hm." he replied noncommittally before returning his attention to her neck, letting his lips run over her pulse.
          Her body still thrumming from the ritual, Sakura groaned. His touch was torturous to her sensitized nerves. Unable to keep still, she turned in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him fiercely. Their bond was still there, thanks to the circle, and Hidan growled in her mouth as a mutual wave of desire swept over them. Knowing she needed no encouragement, he picked the dagger up from where he had dropped it earlier and cut her clothes from her body, throwing them across the room. Her seeking fingers roamed over his arms as he worked, and when he accidentally nicked her skin, her nails dug into his flesh.
          Finally rid of her offending garments, he laid her back onto the floor, her pale pink hair fanned out just outside the circle. Her eyes never left his as he slid his pants off, the violet flecks within the green irises more pronounced than ever. They darkened in anticipation as he hovered over her, in a kneeling position between her knees. Without preamble, he grabbed her hips and thrust into her, burying himself up to the hilt.
          A scream was torn from Sakura's throat as blinding ecstasy tore through them. They didn't even get to move before the orgasm hit them. It was all Hidan could do to ride out the waves without collapsing on top of her. Sweat broke out on his body as he was sent flying high. Thankfully, it was short lived, and he soon regained his senses. He hadn't even realized that he had closed his eyes until he felt Sakura's cool hand on his cheek. Looking down at her, he took in her satisfied appearance, her pale skin gleaming with sweat and a new glow he hadn't seen before. She was giving him a heated look, and he could feel her desire begin to build again as he slowly moved within her.
          She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him deeper, and he smirked at her. "Tomorrow, huh?"
          "Yeah."
          "Well, we have plenty to celebrate." he said as he leaned down to taste her irresistible lips and thrust into her again.
          Sakura's eyes widened as a thought occurred to her. "Hidan?"
          "Hmm?"
          "I'm sure your ribs are burning by now."
          "...oh shit!"
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Shades of Crimson