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
- 24
- 25
Chapter 25
          "Now, wasn't that fun?" a dark voice taunted as Sakura was suddenly pulled from unconsciousness.
         "Fuck you." came the groggy reply as the kunoichi's eyes fluttered open and awareness of her surroundings slowly returned to her. She felt as if she had just slept for an eternity, and she didn't want to be bothered by anyone at the moment. Warm liquid flowed around her and she couldn't feel even a hint of her chakra. She stared up at the red paper lantern coming into focus above her. The small black chain it was hanging from was frosted over, no doubt a result of the ice that had once again encased the cherry tree she was lying under, its pale pink blossoms beginning to droop. She was back in Jashin's garden.
          "'Fuck you'? Come now, you're starting to sound like Hidan." Jashin lightly chided.
          An amused huff from her left caught Sakura's attention, and she tilted her head that way to find Hidan, already awake, and kneeling in the stream before his god underneath the frozen silver maple next to her. His scythe was lying horizontally on the ground in front of him, as if it were an offering to the dark god. The corners of Sakura's mouth tugged upwards on their own. To see him in such a state of submission when he was normally so defiant was almost funny.
          Sakura's eyes drifted from the penitent form of her lover to Jashin, who was standing barefoot on the volcanic stone pathway, one elbow leaning casually on the rim of a three-tiered black marble fountain she had never seen before. More black liquid flowed from the open mouth of a wolf carved on the top, and Sakura could only assume that was where Madara's blood was. Jashin was staring at her with a bemused smirk, the dark aura receding from around him, but never leaving his eyes. She sat up slowly, unsure of whether she should be bowing or not. She settled for lowering her eyes to the ground as she rose to her feet slowly, blood sloshing around her and streaming in rivulets from her hair. His chuckle reached her ears as she felt him shift in front of her.
          Hidan rose and came to stand at her side as Jashin approached her. The weight of his presence pressed down on her, making her want to step back, but she held her ground. Then Jashin's warm fingers were under her chin as he lifted her head, and she found herself staring into his hard, violet eyes.
          "Now you know what it is like. To embrace the animal that lives inside every one of you. To take a life and enjoy every second of it. To belong to me." he said to her.
          Releasing her, he turned to Hidan, who had watched the exchange with a guarded look. "Once again, you have proven your faithfulness beyond question, Hidan. At this rate, you will surpass even Makoto."
          Hidan bowed, a smug look that would outdo a cat on his face. "Thank you, Jashin-sama."
          "Speaking of, where are Makoto and Yume? Didn't they come back with us?" Sakura asked as she peered into the darkness beyond the trees, expecting them to emerge at any second.
          "Do you recall when I said the scroll could only be used once? That rule applies for both of us, I'm afraid. Makoto and Yume are now part of the mortal plane. They cannot return here until their immortality wears off and they suffer death again."
          "How can immortality wear off? Isn't it supposed to be permanent?" Sakura asked, her medic side brimming with sudden curiosity.
          "It's simple. I can maintain a creature's life forever, as long as they remain here. Hidan is an exception because his life is tied to Yume's, and yours is tied to his. Once they left my garden, my blessings were withdrawn. Without it, their bodies will slowly begin to age again. In a century or two, they will be completely mortal, and will either die of old age, accident, or disease. Just like any other living thing."
          "And our own immortality?"
          "Will slowly degenerate the same way it will for Makoto and Yume. But since a human lifespan is much longer than a wolf's, it will take considerably longer for you."
          "Can Yume become a human again?" Hidan asked.
          "No. She chose to stay as a wolf with Makoto. He has been in that form too long to revert back and she refused to leave him alone." Jashin answered.
          A heavy silence followed. Sakura watched as a pained look came into Hidan's eyes. He had spent so much time burying his past, and now that it was resurfacing, he was forced to deal with it. She wanted to comfort him, to tell him everything would be fine, but what could she say? His best friend was gone for good, taking away the resolve that helped him survive all this time. Turning to Jashin, Sakura spoke first, albeit uncertainly. "So, if Yume is no longer being blessed by you, and she's in the mortal world instead of here, what does that mean for Hidan?"
          "It means exactly what you are thinking. He is no longer forced to serve me to sustain her life. He is free to choose what he wants, as are you. Once I return you, you may do as you wish."
          "But why would you give up so much just to have one person killed?" Sakura asked.
          "Because it was necessary." he replied in a tone that said the subject was closed to further discussion.
          Sakura looked over at Hidan, who remained quiet. He was just standing there, his face a wall of stone. She had no idea what he was thinking. Was it shock at his sudden freedom? Was he upset that he had lost Yume for good? What if he would rather have had her instead? Doubt started eating at Sakura until he looked at her and smirked.
          "Well, fuck. This is going to put a hell of a cramp on our sex life. I was hoping for a good five hundred years at least."
          Satisfaction welled inside of her even as she flushed bright red. Jashin's dark laugh echoed through the trees as he shook his head. "Priests. They're worse than little kids. You give them virtual immortality, heal them, hook them up with a mate, and what do they do? Complain about not getting laid enough. You're hopeless, Hidan. Now, both of you get the hell out of here. I have other things to attend to now."
          "Wait! What about the others? Can't you send them back too?" Sakura asked.
          "I couldn't even if I wanted to. Besides, they are of no benefit to me."
          Behind her, the two ice covered trees began to melt, more rapidly this time. Drops of water fell from the leaves, creating a false rain that sang softly as it fell to the stream below. With each plop, Sakura felt herself grow heavier and heavier, as if she were slowly being pulled into the ground. She tried to fight against the sinking feeling, to stay until she had convinced Jashin to help her. But her body wouldn't move and her head was getting dizzy.
          "Please! They helped us so much. It's not fair that they get nothing." she pleaded as the garden seemed to blur and run together.
          Jashin just smiled. "I wouldn't say they're getting nothing." Then he waved her off just before everything went black.

          Sakura opened her eyes to find herself where she had fallen, wrapped in Hidan's arms. His awareness returned at the same time, and as she started stirring, he pulled her closer to him. A pain ripped through her chest with the movement, and she glanced down to find the diamond kunai still lodged in her heart. Reaching up, she gripped it firmly with one hand and held her breath as she pulled it out. It clattered to the ground as blood gushed from the wound and fresh pain swept over her. It quickly morphed to pleasure as she put a hand to the wound to staunch the bleeding while it healed. So, their bond was still intact. She could only assume it would wear off when they started aging.
          Turning her head, she met Hidan's gaze. "Are we done?" she nearly whispered.
          "We're done." Hidan replied as he sat up, bringing her with him. "For good it seems."
        They stared in mutual silence at the lifeless lump of flesh that used to be Uchiha Madara. Sakura could barely believe that she was the one who had wrought so much damage on one person. Anyone from Leaf who might see it would surely think she had gone insane. Ino would be horrified. Unable to look at what she had done any longer, Sakura slid out of Hidan's arms and got to her feet. "Let's check on the others."
          Hidan rose without a word and followed her across the destroyed clearing. He had seen the look on Sakura's face in the garden when he mentioned Yume to Jashin. She was afraid he would want her instead. But that part of his life had been over for a long time now. Both he and Yume had moved on to other things. She had Makoto, and he had Sakura. And he was perfectly content with that. And as soon as he had the chance, he was going to tell her exactly that. But first, they had one hell of a mess to clean up.
          The first person they saw as they made their way back was Kisame. He was sitting on a stump, next to a long track of torn up dirt. He had Samehada laid out across his lap, and was using the corner of his tattered cloak to methodically wipe the blades down, one row at a time. The blades wiggled and stretched to accommodate his efforts, and Sakura could have sworn the thing was enjoying it. Kisame looked up as they approached, and gave them a nod.
          Sakura gave him a relieved smile as she came to a halt. "Kisame, I thought you were dead."
          Kisame shook his head. "I guess we're all fucking zombies now. One second I was headed toward the bright white light, and the next I was being drowned in chakra before I woke up here. I must say though, dirt naps are overrated. I had a hell of a time getting all the grit out of my eyes."
          Hidan laughed. "You should try drowning sometime. If it weren't impossible for you, you fucking fish."
          "But I don't understand." Sakura interrupted them before they could start arguing again. "Your chakra was gone. Completely. And it wasn't just for a second or two. I know it had to be several minutes."
          Kisame started to answer her, but suddenly tilted his head, as if he just had a great idea or was listening to a distant sound. Then his face broke out in a grin. "If you think that's amazing, get a load of this." he said, pointing to a section of earth a few feet away.
          Sakura stared at the bare spot, confused. Nothing happened for several seconds. Then a small crack appeared, grew larger, and caved in until there was a gaping hole. Peering down inside, Sakura could see part of the path they had used to reach the main room in the cave. A shocked gasp escaped her lips. As the light filtered through, she could make out a silhouette, then a flash of dusty red hair.
          "Kisho?"
          At the sound of his name, the Stone ninja looked up. "Sakura-san?" Then a look of confusion came over his face. "I thought you couldn't be killed?"
          Sakura laughed in relief. "I'm not dead. And neither are you. At least not anymore. Now get up here so I can make sure you're okay!"
          "That's good, because being buried alive isn't my idea of heaven." he replied.
          A few moments later Kisho had climbed out of the gaping earth, and was sitting on the ground beside Kisame, picking bits of rock and debris from his torn clothing. Sakura couldn't help but stare at him. He looked completely unharmed. There wasn't a scratch on him anywhere. And she was sure that he had been dead. The only explanation she could think of was that Jashin had brought them both back, but why would he bother after telling her he couldn't? He said himself that he only helped someone when it was for his own benefit.
          Sakura turned to Hidan. "Did Jashin do this?"
          "It wasn't Jashin." he replied. "Someone else did this for them."
          Once Kisho deemed himself presentable again, he and Kisame stood. "Let's find the others. I saw some smoke coming from the village." Kisame said.
          The group found Konan a few minutes later, sitting on the ground close to the collapsed cave ceiling. Beside her was the machine that Sakura had seen in the room behind Pein's office. It was empty. Where was the man with the red hair?
          Konan didn't look up when they approached. Her back was to them and her shoulders were shaking as if she were cold or crying. But when her face came into view, no tears ran from her eyes. Instead, a distant, dead look replaced the somber one she usually had. Beside her on the ground, Pein started to stir. He was barely moving, as if he was having difficulty controlling his own body.
          Concerned for both of them, Sakura knelt down and laid a hand on the kunoichi's shoulders. "Konan-san, are you all right?"
          She still didn't look at Sakura, instead she stared at the pitted surface of the machine beside her. "He's gone." she whispered.
          "Who was he?" Sakura asked, dropping her voice just as low. Whoever he had been, Konan had evidently known him as well as Pein did.
          Konan turned her head and glanced down at Pein's body before finally looking at her. "His name was Nagato. He was..." she trailed off and closed her eyes "everything."
          Sakura gave the damaged machine a confused look. She had been fairly certain that Pein and Konan were together, and more than just partners. In fact, Konan had basically said so herself not an hour ago. So how did the mysterious man that had now mysteriously disappeared fit into all of this? Sakura opened her mouth to ask just that when a groan on the ground caught both girls' attention. Konan's eyes widened in shock as they flew back and forth from the empty machine to the body on the ground.
          "P-pein-sama?" she asked, her voice almost timid.
          The sound of her voice drew Pein's attention and he opened his eyes and looked at her. For the first time since Sakura had known him, there was blatant emotion on the orange-haired shinobi's face.
          "Konan-chan! Why are you here? Did you get away from Danzou?" he asked, his voice almost frantic as he took in his surroundings like he expected an enemy to jump on them at any second.
          Sakura stared at the man that for the last couple of months had been her unofficial leader. She had no clue what had transpired over the time she and Hidan were with Jashin, but he had changed considerably. All of his piercings were gone, strewn on the ground around him, along with a dozen large black rods. His eyes were no longer the swirling silver of the Rinnegan, but were a shade of blue even lighter than Naruto's. And the way he was looking at her, like she was a total stranger, made her think that he was a completely different person.
          "Danzou? Pein-sama, what are you talking about? Danzou's dead. You killed him last week..." Konan paused and her eyes widened as she realized what he was talking about. "Yahiko-kun?"
          "Of course it's me." he replied with an exasperated look. "But what happened? Where is Nagato-kun? Did he get away with you?"
          Konan didn't reply, but her eyes stayed locked on his face as her lower lip began to tremble. Then he was cupping her cheek, his thumb running over her skin. "What did they do to you?" he whispered. "You look so much older. And why were you calling me Pain-sama?"
          Her shock seemed to wear off at the mention of the name and Konan seemed to choke before tears began streaming down her face. She hadn't cried much since the day Yahiko confronted Jiraya on the streets of Amegakure; her life had demanded strength beyond tears. But now she couldn't help it. She had always wondered why Nagato had kept Yahiko's body this entire time. At first she thought it was just for nostalgia's sake. Now she knew differently. He had been planning to bring him back this entire time. But since the jutsu necessary for it would cost him his life, he had to wait until there was no other choice but to use it.
          He had saved both their lives, repaying the sacrifice Yahiko made so many years ago. Reaching over, she gripped his hand, and they climbed to their feet as Sakura backed away to give them room. Pulling him into a hug, she whispered in his ear. "He's gone."
          "Gone? What happened?"
          "Come on, I'll tell you. But not here." Then she turned to Sakura and Hidan, who were still looking confused, and more than a little out of the loop. "I owe you an explanation as well. But it will have to come later."
          While they were walking off, Sakura looked up at the sky. It was then that she noticed it was no longer raining. In fact, the clouds were slowly starting to break apart, letting shafts of sunlight fall to the soaked earth. The warmth hit her face, and she couldn't help but smile. She didn't realize how much she missed a nice, sunny day. She also hadn't realized how utterly tired she was. She closed her eyes and leaned against Hidan, who now stood just behind her. She heard Konan and Yahiko talking some distance away, and as soon as their voices faded, Hidan wrapped his arms around her.
          "Are you okay?" he asked her.
          "Yeah, just tired." she said, sinking further into him.
          The arrival of the few remaining Rain ninja broke Sakura's momentary peace, and together, she and Hidan headed back to the group that had re-formed several yard away. They were standing in a circle, taking stock of what they still had as far as weapons and shinobi. The makeshift leader of the Rain nins was giving Konan a report on the damage to the village. Listening to him talking made Sakura realize that, in the chaos of the moment, she hadn't performed her own duties as their medic nin. As soon as he was finished, she walked up to Konan.
          "I need to check everyone for injuries."
          "I feel fine. There's no need to waste your energy." Kisame said from across the group, looking at her warily. Sakura resisted the urge to smirk. It was always the tough guys that were such babies when it came to doctors and medics.
          "Do you mind if I check you anyway?" she asked, glancing at Konan. "Just to make sure everything healed okay?"
          Konan gave her the go ahead, much to Kisame's dismay. She started with Kisho first, since technically, his body had been dead the longest. He was perfectly fine, she could find not a scratch on him, inside or out. His organs were functioning normally, and if she didn't know any better, she would say he was in better health than he was before the battle. It was the same with Kisame and Yahiko. But while she was examining her fellow kunoichi, she stumbled on something she didn't expect. At first she nearly dismissed it as her imagination, but as she looked closer, there was no doubt about it. There, cocooned in Konan's womb, was a second chakra signature. It was too small yet to have a heartbeat, but there was definitely new life there. A frown came over her face. If Pein and Konan knew about this, why would Konan continue to fight? Sakura's eyes widened in surprise. Unless...
          "Konan, did you know you were pregnant?"
          "What? ...But that's impossible." Konan replied, staring up at her in disbelief from where she had sat on a rock for her examination. "Pein was the only one...and he couldn't..." she trailed off, looking away in embarrassment as Yahiko joined them.
          A realization came to Sakura and she pulled the small wooden box from her weapons' pouch. Opening it, she pulled the vial out, examining the contents within. Nagato's chakra swirled around the blood, constantly in motion without a body to circulate through. Could he possibly have...? It would be something only a kage-level shinobi could do, and Pein and Madara were the only two ninja around with that kind of ability. A quick search of the area around the machine produced the matching vial, its contents gone. A smile found its way to Sakura's lips. She looked at Konan, lifting both vials up to show her. "Not impossible."
          Konan watched the chakra dance in its glass home as her eyebrows furrowed. "So, that's what he meant." she whispered.
          "What did who mean?" Yahiko asked, completely confused.
          "Before we left the base, I went to see Nagato. He asked me if I wanted a child someday. I thought it was an odd question, since he knew it wouldn't be possible. I told him it would be nice, then he started talking about a new way to find peace. When I asked him how, all he said was 'Life'. This must have been what he meant."
          "Rebirth." Sakura stated softly. "He found a way to transfer his essence to you and create a new life for himself. And he was the one who brought Kisho and Kisame back too, wasn't he?"
          "Not just them, but Yahiko and myself as well. I know I was dying, bleeding internally, but I felt him there with me. He pulled me back and healed me. When I opened my eyes, he was gone. He had always promised he would never leave me alone. Now I know he really meant it."
          "So, what do we do now?" Kisame asked as he walked up to them with Kisho and Hidan in tow. "Without Pein and Madara, that makes you our leader, Konan-sama."
          Indecision crossed the kunoichi's face for a moment. She turned to the Rain shinobi standing nearby. "We need to start rebuilding the village as soon as possible. Gather the survivors and meet me at the gates in a few minutes."
          "Yes, ma'am." their leader replied before they set off to do her bidding.
          Then she turned back to Kisame. "I suppose the Akatsuki is finished for now. We started out looking for peace, but now that Madara's gone, we are as close to it as we can get. You are free to stay or go as you please. I will leave the base open for our use, and whatever is left of our assets I'll divide before any of you go. And if Zetsu should return, I will inform him of our decision as well."
          "I'm going back to Hidden Stone. They might execute me as soon as I get there, but at least it will be an honorable death." Kisho told her.
          "You mean you are going to waste your second chance by going home and dying? I knew you were fucking stupid, but damn." Hidan said, shaking his head.
          Kisho just shrugged. "It's what I have to do."
          Sakura's thoughts turned towards Naruto, Sasuke, and the blue ribbon she still had stashed in her weapon's pouch. Kisho might be able to return to his village, but Konoha was lost to her. She had made her decision long ago. Hidan was bound to her the same way she was to him. For better or worse, they would be together until the end. And even if the rest of the world disagreed with it, she found she was perfectly content with that.
          "I still have several things to do as well," she said slowly. "but I also think that the village could use a good medic to help out around here... I do come highly recommended." she added with a hint of amusement.
          Hidan rolled his eyes. "You mean we're staying here with this bunch of losers? And just when I thought I'd be rid of you heathen morons..."
          Sakura turned on him, hands on her hips. "We could go to Konoha. That is where I'm supposed to be, you know."
          Hidan took a step back as an indignant look crossed his face. "No fucking way! I am not spending all my time getting rid of a bunch of damn pansies trying to kill me. Fuck that."
          "Then shut up and stop your damn whining."
          Kisame, who was trying his best not to laugh, ended up snorting loudly at the pained face Hidan was making. "I love a girl with brass." he said.
          "You'd think they'd have had enough fighting for one day." Kisho said, shaking his hair out of his eyes.
          "Well, I have. I'm taking a vacation." Kisame said. "I hear the hot springs in Wave Country are really nice. After that, who knows what I'll be doing."
          "Alright. Keep your ring and cloak then." Konan said, laying a hand across her stomach. "Just in case we need you again someday."

          Tsunade stared at the destruction surrounding her in disbelief. One minute she had been sitting in relative quiet, discussing the options concerning the captured biju with the other kage, the next the room was thrown into chaos as the door to the meeting room was kicked in. As one, the leaders of the five ninja countries looked up to find none other than Uchiha Sasuke standing there, three other shinobi at his back. The ANBU in the room immediately jumped into action, intent on apprehending the well-known missing ninja.
          The other kage looked on as the fight commenced, some in indignant anger at being interrupted, some in excitement. Tsunade frowned at the greedy faces of the Tsuchikage and his subordinates as they ordered their ANBU to concentrate on the Uchiha. Whoever took down Sasuke would have a claim on his body, and access to the coveted Sharingan. And until they decided to return it, they would be free to poke and prod him for potential secrets. She had to prevent that from happening at all costs. The villages may be at peace for the moment, but only a fool would trust those whose world was built on deception.
          She had risen with the other shadows and was ready to intervene when a second interruption made her release a relieved sigh. It was Naruto, charging into the room in a blaze of orange and black and yelling at the top of his lungs. He didn't even slow up as he barreled into Sasuke, who had been kept busy by two Cloud ANBU, his Sharingan pulling both shinobi deep into a genjutsu. By the time he hit the ground, the last of the ANBU were down, leaving only the intruders and the kage, with their personal escorts, in the room.
          The fall only momentarily stunned the Uchiha, and when he lifted his head and rolled to dislodge his former friend, he growled to his teammates. "Kill them, now."
          Naruto and Sasuke were then lost in a flurry of punches as they grappled on the floor. Meanwhile, the largest of the rogues, a brown-haired young man with a boyish face, charged the Raikage. A rumble was all Tsunade heard of their battle as a wall of molten lava rose in front of her. The Mizukage, Terumi Mei, was facing off against a white-haired shinobi with a large sword. From the way they were looking at each other, they were far from strangers. She didn't have time to see more as a red-headed girl with glasses started her way, drawing her attention.
          Gathering chakra to her fist, Tsunade prepared to punch the kunoichi to oblivion. But the redhead evidently knew what she was planning, and swerved at the last minute, throwing a handful of shuriken as she dove behind a stray chair. There wasn't much room to dodge, so Tsunade blocked it with her arm, grimacing as the blades dug into her skin. Pulling them out, she returned the attack, aiming for the space between the back and seat of the chair. Karin jumped out of the way, and right into a cloud of sand.
          Aware of this new threat, Karin backed up, eyes wide as she watched it solidify into a barrier. She couldn't go far, however, because the close quarters put her right in striking range of the Mizukage's lava. With intense heat on one side, and a wall of sand on the other, Karin had nowhere to go. Tsunade used her advantage and advanced on her before she could react, chakra glowing from her hand. Not wanting to outright kill the girl, she backhanded her, the chakra-enhanced blow knocking her out cold. Karin slumped to the floor, her glasses falling to the ground, breaking one of the lenses.
          Tsunade dusted her hands off. "Thank you, Kazekage-san." she said as she looked over to Gaara, who stood a few feet away, replacing the cork on his gourd.
          "My pleasure." he returned with a nod.
          The sound of shouting made Tsunade turn around, and she was surprised to see the room suddenly flooding with ANBU, several units from every country. Leaf's own came to her side immediately, to see if she needed any help. They had been posted outside the town, just in case something had happened during the meeting. Evidently the rest of the kage had had the same idea. Leaving one to cover Karin, she sent the rest to surround Naruto and Sasuke until they were finished with their fight.
          Now here she was, fifteen minutes later, standing in the rubble and glaring at the causes of the disturbance. Once the pandemonium had died away, she found that all of the kage were victorious, and Sasuke's team had been forced to surrender. He and Naruto were sporting matching bruises on their faces, and were sitting side by side, not speaking, but not hostile either. The one she heard called Juugo was subdued in a chakra prison constructed of quicksand. His great strength was a disadvantage as he was pulled deeper in the more he struggled. The most surprising sight, however, was that of Terumi Mei, who had the other water shinobi pinned to a standing section of wall, his own sword pressed to his neck.
          "What the hell did you think you were trying to do, Suigetsu?" Mei demanded as she suddenly dropped the weapon and grabbed him by the ear, her face a mask of righteous fury.
          Suigetsu struggled to free himself. "Fighting, what else do you think I do with a sword?" he replied angrily, still trying to pull away from her.
          "You call that fighting? I call it pathetic. And I suppose that since you managed to get your hands on Momochi Zabuza's sword, you want to join the Seven Swordsmen?"
          Suigetsu's eyes brightened at her words and he stopped fighting her hold. "Yes."
          "Well, you can forget it. You wouldn't live through one training session with them."
          "Please, Mizukage-sama?" he pleaded, his face grimacing when she tugged harder on his ear.
          "No."
          "But Kisame said I was more that qualified."
          "You were with Hosghigaki?" Mei asked, her voice going from angry to surprised, despite the fact that her grip never wavered.
          "Yeah. We sparred all the time." he bragged, his mouth twisting into a smug grin.
          From across the room, Sasuke snorted.
          Mei ignored him, indecision fleeting across her face. Then her steely resolve was back and she angled Suigetsu towards what used to be the door. "Then you have some information the hunter-nin will need. Come with me." Turning to the other shadows, she smiled. "Forgive me, but I'm going to have to leave early. It seems I have some laundry to do. I'll be in touch."
          Then the Mizukage literally dragged Suigetsu from the room by the ear, lecturing him the whole way on how sloppy his swordsmanship was, and how he was a disgrace to Hidden Mist, whether he was a missing nin or not, and how did Kisame ever put up with his annoying ass without killing him. Her subordinate, Ao, just shrugged his shoulders and followed her out, muttering that he was glad it wasn't him, and the poor boy was really in for it when they got back to the village.
          Reminded that she had her own delinquent shinobi to deal with, Tsunade turned to where Naruto and Sasuke were sitting on the floor. The Uchiha was staring at the ground, shoulders slumped. Naruto had one arm slung across said shoulders, a huge grin on his face. The redheaded girl, Karin, had regained consciousness and was staring at the two from where she was sitting across the room, a look of utter disbelief on her face. She evidently couldn't believe that the untouchable Uchiha would tolerate such treatment. Her teammate, Juugo, was released from the quicksand and was sitting a few feet away, regarding the floor in a manner similar to Sasuke.
          Signaling to her ANBU, Tsunade folded her arms across her chest. They lifted the would-be brothers to their feet. "I don't know how you managed to escape the Akatsuki, Naruto, but I'm glad you're back."
          "What about the nine-tails?" the Raikage interrupted. "Is it safe?"
          Naruto frowned and lifted his shirt, revealing his unmarked skin. "The Akatsuki extracted it. I don't know where it is now."
          "How is it that you are still alive? No jinchuriki has ever survived their extraction process."
          Not wanting to call any attention to Sakura and her new affiliation, Naruto shook his head and spoke quietly. "I don't know. I was knocked out the whole time."
          Tsunade, recognizing his reticent tone, raised her hand for silence. "That is enough for now, Naruto. You can brief me on the way to Konoha."
          Next she walked over to Sasuke. He refused to look at her, and kept his eyes trained on the floor. "You have much to answer for, Uchiha Sasuke. I do not look forward to finding a punishment suitable for the pain you have caused us. You're damn lucky your Uchiha blood is saving you from death."
          "Indeed." the Raikage chimed back in. "I also have a grievance against him and his subordinates concerning the attack on Killer Bee."
          "Perhaps it would be better to discuss that matter in private." Tsunade said. The Raikage agreed with a nod.
          Finally, she turned and looked at Karin and Jugo. "As subordinates of a missing nin from Konoha, you'll be in my custody until another village has a greater claim on you or we get everything sorted out and I decide what to do with you."
          Without waiting for a response, she addressed the remaining three kage. "It looks like the meeting is over for now. I'll contact each of you as soon as I return to Konoha to set up further meetings. Forgive me, but this is something I need to deal with immediately."
          "Until then, Hokage-san." Gaara replied formally with a small bow as the Raikage and Tsuchikage nodded.
          Then Tsunade headed out the doorway, stepping over the ruined remains of the door, ANBU and captives in tow. Naruto rushed up to walk next to her. "Wait, Baa-chan! I need to tell you about Sakura-chan! She and the other Akatsuki fought all of the biju at once! Can you believe it?"
          Rounding on him faster than he could blink, Tsunade had him by the front of his shirt. Making sure they were now out of earshot of the other kage, she growled at him. "You saw her, and you didn't bring her back with you? What were you thinking, Uzumaki?"
          Naruto blinked up at her. "She...she wouldn't come with me. She said Uchiha Madara was after Konoha, and if she didn't stop him right there, he would destroy the village."
          "What happened with Madara?" Tsunade asked, her voice suddenly tight.
          Naruto's eyes dropped to the ground as a frown formed on his face. "I don't know. I was already on my way here when the battle started. I left a clone with her, but it was destroyed by the nine-tails."
          Releasing his shirt, Tsunade laid a hand on his shoulder. "We'll look for her. It's on the way, after all."
          "But Baa-chan, Konoha is south and Amegakure is..."
          Tsunade's eyes narrowed as she interrupted him with a growl. "I said it's on the way!"
          Holding his hands up in a placating gesture, Naruto grinned and took a step back. "It's on the way." he repeated.
          Dropping back to walk next to Sasuke, Naruto leaned over to whisper in his ear. "Some things never change. She's still scary."
          Sasuke shook his head. He could barely believe that despite having been enemies for so long, Naruto was still treating him as if they were still children in Konoha, and all the difficult things that had plagued his adult life had never come to pass. For once he envied his lost friend. If only he could share in that optimism. But he was far too damaged, too jaded.
          "But some things do." he said flatly as he stepped away from him to move closer to the ANBU.

Two days later...
          Tsunade's party slowed as the village of Amegakure appeared on the horizon. Two squads of ANBU slunk into the surrounding terrain, disappearing from sight as the main party continued along the road. When they reached a sheltered stand of trees, two more teams settled inside with Sasuke and the rest of their captives to wait for the Hokage's return.
          As they started their descent into the valley that housed the village, Tsunade was pulled to a stop by Naruto, who pointed to what looked like it used to be a section of woodlands. Now however, it was a tangled mess of broken trunks and stumps, scattered over barren ground. In the middle was a large hole. "That's where I saw Sakura last."
          Two ANBU immediately began a search of the area. Several minutes later they returned with their report. The place looked like a war zone. The vegetation had been destroyed for three-quarters of a mile. There had definitely been a battle there, but no signs of any bodies.
          As she stood digesting this information, a small white butterfly flew past her face, circled once, and then hovered a few yards away. She didn't pay any attention to it, until two more came along, followed the same path until it reached the first. Several more followed, and it was then that Tsunade realized that they weren't even real butterflies, but ones made out of paper. More flooded the area, and she crouched in a defensive position as a team of ANBU surrounded her.
          The mass of origami bunched together, mingling until a paper clone began to emerge. Halfway through the process, Tsunade recognized it as belonging to the blue-haired kunoichi that had attacked Konoha. When it was fully formed, the clone spoke.
          "Hokage-san. Why are you here?"
          "You should know the answer to that. Release Haruno Sakura to me now." Tsunade demanded.
          "I'm afraid that is not possible. Sakura is not here."
          "You're lying. Naruto saw her here."
          "She left yesterday on personal business. I do not know when she will return."
          "I don't believe you. I know for a fact she was abducted by Akatsuki. Why would she turn against Konoha unless she was forced to? You're holding her somewhere."
          "The Akatsuki has been dissolved and the biju are gone. We would have no other reason to keep her. And if you still refuse to believe that she left on her own, you may come to the village and look for yourself." Tsunade gave her a doubtful look and Konan shook her head. "Don't worry, it's not a trap. We do not have enough shinobi to attack your group, but we will not hesitate to defend ourselves if need be. You are welcome to stay as long as you like, if no hostility is exhibited by your shinobi."
          "Alright, I will. But I warn you, if you are lying, the consequences will be severe."
          With a nod, the clone moved towards the road, leading them closer to the village. Tsunade followed, her ANBU close to her side, alert to the smallest of threats. But as the individual buildings of Amegakure became distinct, the whole group paused to stare. For every building that looked intact, there were three more that were reduced to rubble. The front gate was destroyed, and there were no shinobi on guard to deter intruders. Unable to tear her eyes from the sight, she spoke.
          "Madara did this?"
          "Yes. While the Akatsuki were busy dealing with him, the eight-tailed ox and four-tailed monkey were sent to destroy the village. Pein-sama managed to preserve this much, but our losses in both shinobi and civilians were great."
          Konan moved on, and Tsunade followed her down to the remains of the gate. At this point, they had to slow down to make their way around chunks of building and abandoned furniture. A small orange kitten with bright green eyes lay on a chunk of stone close to the gates, staring at the road as if it were waiting on someone. When they passed close to its spot, it glared at them and released a venomous hiss. Konan returned the cat's glare before silently continuing around another chunk of building.
          Tsunade shook her head sadly as she followed. Up close, the destruction was even more heartbreaking. There were more people than buildings to support them, so some had set up temporary homes in pieces of buildings, blocking off holes and doorways the best way they could. The smell of death and refuse was in the air, along with the acrid scent of melted metal. Trying to ignore the weary, scared and hungry stares, the group kept going.
          They reached the actual residential area of the village next, where dozens of people were busy working as fast as they could to rebuild houses and remove the remains of ones that couldn't be saved so new ones could be built. Tsunade quirked a brow as a familiar figure went walking right in front of them, a large load of planks slung over one shoulder, his massive bluish gray arm wrapped around it to keep it steady. He stopped to wipe the sweat from his face as he looked the party over. Then the Mist ninja grinned at Tsunade.
          "Well, if it isn't Ninja-Aide. Grab a hammer, Hokage-sama, and show us some of that benevolence Konoha is so famous for."
          Konan looked surprised to see him. "I thought you were going on vacation, Kisame-san."
          "I'm still going, but first I had this favor I owed to a friend. So I'm helping him fix up his place before I leave."
          "Very well." Konan said and started to walk on. She wasn't about to call him out on the fact that he had always kept to himself and had no friends to speak of, let alone do favors for. And she'd hate to ruin his reputation by accusing him of having a giving nature.
          Tsunade stopped her. "You do realize that as soon as Hidden Mist finds out he is here, they will send everything they have for him. If they're not on their way already. They have Sasuke's teammate, Suigetsu, in their custody. You'll never survive another large-scale attack."
          "I will not refuse shelter to the shinobi who were offered the chance to walk away from an unsurvivable situation and didn't. If it weren't for them, Madara would have won and the rest of the villages would have been in ashes alongside us."
          "Yeah," chuckled Kisame "except now it's build-your-own shelter." Still laughing, he walked away, the stack of lumber he had slung on his shoulder balanced perfectly. But no one missed the cautious gleam in his eyes or the shift in his position so that the beams he carried could easily be swung as a weapon if need be. He might be headed away from them, but every one of his senses were trained on their little group. If Konan's clone were to be destroyed, he would no doubt be on them in a heartbeat.
          At the very end of the residential street, there was a small tent set up, with a long line of people waiting outside the entrance. Some of them were obviously injured, while others looked like they had been ill for quite some time. There was a woman sitting on a crate with a clipboard at the head of the line, scribbling away as she talked to the next person to go inside.
          Seeing her interest, Konan pointed it out. "That's one of two mobile clinics Sakura set up before she left. We only have one doctor and three interns in the village, so she spread our resources out the best way possible, by sending two of the interns out to help the less serious patients while the doctor remains at what is left of the hospital with the third to care for the critical cases."
          Tsunade watched the white flaps of the tent sway in a slight breeze that passed, the only pristine sight in her depressing surroundings. The sound of crying came from inside, and she stilled for several moments.
          "So, where would you like to start searching?" Konan asked her.
          Tsunade didn't answer, so Konan asked again. Then the Hokage turned her head and looked at Naruto, who was watching the kitten they had seen at the gate prance around Kisame's feet as he passed by on his way for more lumber. "Naruto, go back to the ANBU outside the village and tell them to set up camp. Stay with Sasuke and make sure he doesn't go anywhere. I'll be back in the morning." she ordered him.
          Naruto abandoned watching the cat to stare at her. "But Baa-chan, what about Sakura?"
          The only reply Naruto got was Tsunade's retreating back as she marched towards the tent, her ANBU guard on her heels. Seconds after she disappeared inside, shouting erupted just before the intern came rushing out, panic on his face as Tsunade followed him out. He rushed down the street, the Hokage calling after him.
          "And don't come back until you have at least ten rounds of antibiotic! Do you want an epidemic to break out?" Then she noticed Naruto and the other ANBU still standing where she had left them. "And you!" she pointed to them. "Get your asses over to Hoshigaki and see what he wants you to do. Naruto, if I see your face again until tomorrow morning, you'll be sitting next to Sasuke in my office! Now move it!"
          There was an impressive scramble as she ducked back inside the tent, and seconds later bare street greeted Konan's eyes and there wasn't a Leaf ninja to be found. "I guess this means she believes me." Konan said to herself as sheets of paper began falling off her clone when the jutsu began dissipating. A Rain jounin settled himself outside the tent to keep an eye on their guests as Konan returned to assisting with the setup of a food line.

          The air was warm and dry as a set of footsteps echoed down the otherwise empty streets of Kumogakure, a miniscule counterpoint to the near constant lighting strikes decorating the sky overhead. The owner of the steps went unchallenged by all, but hardly unnoticed. In the shadows and on the rooftops, Cloud ANBU patrolled, nodding in respect to their leader as he passed. It was hardly the first time they had seen the Raikage out after hours. When he couldn't sleep, he would often head to the public dojo to train, or return to his office to catch up on anything he didn't finish by the end of the day.
          Not bothering to turn on the light, the Raikage entered his office and made his way to his desk. The paperwork he needed was in the first drawer, right up front. He could find it if he were blind. Halfway across the room, he sensed another presence in the room, but didn't pause and give himself away. Immediately, he was angry. Who would dare to break into his office and believe they could walk away from it? Muscles tensing in preparation for a fight, he deftly slid a kunai from its hiding place in his robes as he passed the spot he knew the intruder was hiding in.
          Whirling swiftly, he struck out, the blade blinding for a moment as the light from a lightning bolt reflected off of it. Metal clanked against metal as the attack was blocked by another kunai. Another bolt ripped across the sky, revealing the face of the intruder as momentary light poured through the open window. The Raikage paused when he found himself staring into a pair of bright green eyes, framed by pink hair that looked much darker in the shadows of the room. His hard frown deepened.
          "Don't think I'll go soft on you because you're a kunoichi. All assassins are dealt with without mercy." he growled at her.
          "I'm not here to kill you." Sakura replied, but never lowered her weapon.
          "Then why are you here?" he asked sternly as he used his larger size to push her back a half step.
          "I made a promise to return this to you." she replied, holding out a pale blue ribbon in her other hand. The Raikage glanced down at the clan symbol on the fabric that he knew all too well. He stared at it for several seconds before taking the offered gift. If he hadn't been in the presence of an enemy, he might have wept on the spot. But he stayed calm, only the slightest of pain flickering across his face. Taking a step back, they lowered their weapons in unison, but not their guard. The tension in the room was heavy, until the Raikage spoke.
          "You were the one to defeat Elle?"
          "Yes."
          "And Bee?"
          "No."
          The Raikage spared another glance to the ribbon dangling in his hand. "She was my niece."
          "I'm sorry for your loss, Raikage-sama. I offered to heal her when the fight was over. She refused."
          "I would expect no less of her."
          Sakura wouldn't tell him how she cried over the girl's death, just as the Raikage wouldn't tell her that she had been his favorite niece, and she had lived with him for a short time while he assisted with her training. Now that everything was said and not said, the two shinobi stared at each other, trying to anticipate the other's next move. One wondering if she had some underlying motive that she hadn't revealed yet, and the other wondering if he would attack her despite her good intentions.
          It was the Raikage who broke the silence first. Pointing to the window, he indicated that she should go out that way. "It takes exactly four minutes for my ANBU to assemble a pursuit team. If you are caught intruding in a hidden village without permission, kunoichi, you will be shown no leniency."
          "Thank you, Raikage-sama." Sakura replied with a small bow before sliding the window open and disappearing into the night without looking back.
          Crossing the swinging bridge at a dead run, Sakura reached Hidan, who was waiting impatiently on the other side, scythe gripped tightly in his fist. She never slowed up as she neared, but pointed ahead, indicating he should follow her as she raced past him. Taking off after her, it took a couple of seconds for him to match her stride. Pulling alongside as they ran, he took in the concentrated look on her face. He could tell nothing of what happened inside the village.
          "Well, how did it go?" he asked, trying to keep the impatience from his voice.
          "Better than expected." Sakura replied between breaths. "We have exactly one minute and thirty seconds until the hunter ANBU reach the bridge. Let's get moving."
         "That means they won't catch us. Spoil all my fucking fun." Hidan muttered, swinging his scythe to rest against his back. Navigating around a series of sharp rocks, the couple disappeared into the night, using the sporadic lightning strikes to see by as they made their escape.

          Zetsu stood at the back of the conservatory, head pressed against the glass, hands braced on either side. He didn't speak, just stared at the wilted vegetation lying on the opposite side of the partition. It had been the ventilation system that had done it. The acid rain that Nagato had produced melted the screen on the roof and dripped down to the floor, forming a puddle that had found its way into the soil and the root system of his most prized plant. It had probably taken no more than a few minutes before it was dead.
          The worst part was that the flower hadn't even had a chance to produce a seed yet. That meant he would have to scour several countries to find another one, if there even was another one. If only it had gone to seed before this disaster...
          "Stupid fool." he cursed himself. "We should have kept that other seed."
          "But we didn't. We gave it to her."
          Zetsu lifted his head, and his eyes lit up. "She knows plants. What if she kept it?"
          "She probably killed herself with the poison."
          "Even so, the seed might have survived."
          "We might go find out. But first we must leave this place. They will be looking for us."
          "Yes, we can't find it if we're stuck here. We can come back for the rest later."
          In agreement with himself, Zetsu turned away from the glass. Moving around the neglected plants to a cleared area of dirt, he took off his cloak and dropped it to the ground. Next came his ring, which landed in the damp earth with a dull thud. The sprinklers came on then, misting the plants and Zetsu's face with moisture. He took a deep breath of the rich air before forming the hand seals for his mayfly jutsu and sinking into the ground. His part in the Akatsuki was finished. He had known from the beginning that Madara would turn on them, and since he had not joined them in the battle, Konan would assume he was against them as well. He had no desire to stick around and see how such things would play out. He had his own interests to pursue now.

          Sakura walked into her bedroom, dropping the scroll that made her the official liaison between Rain and Leaf on the dresser as she went. Hidan stopped praying and looked up from his spot on the bed. Seeing the tired lines on her face and the grim way she held her mouth, he sat up.
          "I take it those bastards from Konoha didn't sign the treaty?"
          "No, they signed it. After three damn hours of arguing over me, you, Kisame, Madara, and everything else they could possibly think of."
          Bending down, Sakura picked up Demon, who had tried to climb up her pants leg, and set him on her shoulder. He immediately began purring as she sat on the bed to take off her sandals. Hidan maneuvered into position behind her, and began lightly rubbing her back.
          "And your friend?"
          "Ino? She was pretty upset at first, but after I explained everything, she was really understanding."
          "Hmm."
         Sakura sighed as Hidan's fingers worked their magic, relaxing her. Before drowsiness began to take over, she lowered Demon to the floor before turning in Hidan's arms. The kitten growled in discontent before stalking under the bed. Straddling his lap, Sakura wrapped her arms around Hidan and laid her head on his chest. His heartbeat thumped steadily under her ear, and she closed her eyes to concentrate on it. Taking advantage of the exposed skin at the back of her neck, Hidan trailed his lips down the taunt muscle there. When he reached the curve of her shoulder, he lightly bit down, making Sakura's nails dig into his back as she moaned softly into his skin. He decided, as he lay back, pulling her down on top of him, that he definitely needed more than five hundred years. Jashin was just too cruel.
The End
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Shades of Crimson