A/N: This was a request made by a fellow Edgar Allen Poe fan. See if you can see why I named this what I did. I will do a special one-shot for the first person that can tell me. You have to get all of it right.
Nevermore
Blue eyes stared over at the alarm clock by the bed. It was 4:30 in the morning and she still couldn't get to sleep. She'd tossed and turned and just couldn't get comfortable. With an irritated sigh, she got up and slipped on a pair of shorts and a tank top. It was mid summer and the heat combined with the humidity was enough to make you want to move to Yukigakure. With an annoyed sigh she walked to her window and looked out. She could see the clouds swirling in the sky and she glared at them.
Because of the Great Ninja War, things were really hard on people like her. People with no family anymore, no one to take care of them…she shook her head and took a deep breath. She refused to cry anymore…she would continue to train to become stronger and some day she would take over as leader of the Amegakure ninja. Her parents had been shinobi, after all, and she wanted them to be proud of her. Thoughts of her parents made her feel slightly depressed.
She turned and looked up at the sky, which promised rain. She sighed again…it was ironic that she lived in the Country of Rain, and yet she hated rain. She looked around and then looked up at the moon. It was a giant red orb…that didn't bode well. She noticed something under the light of the moon. She narrowed her eyes as she stared at the scene below her window. She knew that the village leader was part of an organization, but not that they were stationed anywhere around here.
She could see the black cloak with red clouds, but there was something off about this person…deciding to see for herself just what was happening, she carefully climbed down and stealthily made her way to the alley where she saw the event. She was peeking around the corner when she heard talking.
"We don't want your kind here in Amegakure. We may all answer to Leader at the end of the day, but you're not an Ame ninja. Now get the hell out of our village!" The girl's blue eyes lit on the young man the other ninja were surrounding. She could see white hair, but not his eyes. She noticed he didn't move, even when the men started closing in on him. She decided to act.
With a whirl of blades and chains, she appeared between the men and their target. "You are pathetic, attacking someone who has done nothing to you." She hissed at them and proceeded to protect the outsider. She lashed out with her kusari-kama and caught one of the guys across the face, making him scream in pain. This seemed to rouse the interest of the white haired 'victim'. He watched the proceedings, but his eyes were shadowed. The girl launched the heavy metal ball from the end of the chain attached to her kusari-kamas at another man, who knocked it away, but she managed to manipulate the chain with a few precise movements, and a well placed kick, until it shot back up at him.
When they were all down, she crouched, her kusari-kama out like talons of a falcon, ready for prey. Two of the men scrambled up and away. Another one managed to crawl a good distance before passing out. The leader of the group, the one she'd smacked with the metal ball, just laid there, unable to focus his eyes. The girl's blue eyes shone with satisfaction and she looked over at the traveler with embarrassment. She scratched the back of her head.
"I'm sorry, traveler. Not all Ame ninja are like this, I swear. I'm actually Pein-sama's head ninja when he's away. I can assure you, this will not be happening again." She bowed deeply to the man, who had yet to speak. When he did, her blood ran cold.
"You fight like a priest of Jashin, only you do not kill. It is a sin not to destroy your opponent completely while in battle." The girl's eyes went wide. Her barely chin length hair fluttered as the man suddenly disappeared from her side. She looked around and found the man she'd knocked in the head with her iron ball being held up by the white haired man. Suddenly, blood was everywhere. She watched, as if in slow motion, as the white haired man killed al the men remaining in the alley. She couldn't believe her eyes…she had defended this monster?
When the man turned back to look at her, he had blood all over him and his eyes were insane. She brought her kusari-kama up and prepared herself for a battle. She didn't get far. The man rushed her, but he did not try to kill her, like he had the men. Instead, he pinned her to the wall. She stared at him with a hint of suspicion and anger…but she showed no fear.
"You do not fear death?" the man asked. She looked at him dead in the eyes.
"Those who fear death should not become shinobi. It is our way of life." She noticed the slight surprise and then the satisfaction in the man's eyes…which were a beautiful shade of reddish purple. However, she did not let those eyes distract her. "Let me go." she growled. She had no doubt this man was a missing nin, especially now that she'd seen the headband around his neck with the scratch through it's symbol. That meant he was highly dangerous to have lived this long.
She heard him chuckle and she glared at him. One way or another, this man was going to release her. Shifting slightly, she let the chain to her kusari-kama drop, the iron ball ready to attack once more. She brought up her leg and kneed the man, making him gasp and hunch over. She kicked the iron ball straight up, catching the man in the chin and sending him flying. She sighed and took a few deep breathes, but they froze in her lungs when she saw the man getting up.
Normally, that would have killed someone. She stared at him as he looked up at her with a maniacal smirk as he wiped blood from the corner of his lip. He looked at it and laughed. "It's been a while since I've seen someone else draw my blood." he said in a husky tone. She couldn't help but wonder if he was getting aroused by fighting with her. He took a few steps towards her, which she matched by stepping backwards. Not wanting to become his next victim, she clenched her teeth and glared.
"I suggest you go back to wherever you came from. I know you're part of Pein-sama's organization, and he would probably be upset if I killed you, but I will if you don't stop where you are!" she heard him laughing and she clenched her fists around the handles of her kusari-kama.
"You, kill me? That's amusing. You really think you have it in you, woman? You are nothing but a weakling. Women do not measure up to men in this type of combat." She glared daggers at him before a smile came to her face. She appeared serene under the blood red moon.
"You really think so, stranger? Perhaps you are not apart of Pein-sama's group after all. If you were, you'd know of Angel-sama. She is the strongest kunoichi in all of the Country of Rain. If you were really part of that group, you would not make such a statement. As you are not apart of Pein-sama's group, I am obliged to kill you, as you are trespassing in Pein-sama's village." The man gave her an arch look before smiling and cocking his head.
"What could a weak woman like you do?" he soon found out when she disappeared. He could not sense her, it was like she had fallen off the face of the earth. He looked around with wide, somewhat frantic eyes. The soft clank of chain was the only warning he had before a larger metal ball on the end of a chain came towards his face. He managed to duck, but then another came at him. He was going to punch it, but it suddenly grew spikes. His eyes widened and he dropped to the ground as the spiked ball slammed into the side of the building.
He looked up to see glowing blue eyes. They had a red tint from the moon…or was it madness? Hidan watched the girl as she yanked the ball out of the wall and it flew back to her. She smirked at him. "You want to play? Let's play." She said in a challenging voice. He smirked and regarded her.
"I'll play with you…and kill you when I'm done." He noticed that his words did not strike fear into her. She didn't seem to care that he was telling her he was going to kill her. Instead, she smirked right back and twitched the chains to her kusari-kama.
"Not if I kill you first. Though it really is a waste to kill such a fine male specimen." she noted offhandedly. She noticed the shock and surprise of the white haired man and she smiled wickedly. She inched her kusari-kama closer to herself and cut the strap to her tank top. "See if you can keep up." she said before she disappeared. He stared around, looking for her. He then sensed her and took off as well.
When he finally appeared where she was, he noticed that her shirt had another cut in it…along the opposite side of the strap she'd cut. He could see the creamy swell of her breasts and he wondered just how old this girl was that she was so bold with him. He narrowed his eyes on her. "Such tricks should be saved for adults, girl. What are you trying?" He noticed the amused look in her eyes before she disappeared again. He looked around for her, his body tense. He stiffened even more when he felt hands under his robe, stroking his bare flesh.
"You think I am a child. How sad for you. I have not been a child since I was seven. Pein-sama took me in when I had no where else to go. I'm an orphan, just like him." he felt her hands traveling over his body and he grit his teeth. Women weren't supposed to affect him this way…this wasn't supposed to be happening. However, he couldn't deny liking it as her hands moved down his chest to his abdomen, tracing the waist of his pants. He growled when her finger slipped just under the hem.
He grabbed her hands and whirled to glare at her. "You can't be more than twenty. I am eleven years your senior, and still you try to seduce me." he noticed the amused look in her eyes.
"What's wrong, old man? Can you not get it up anymore?" she asked crudely, smiling when he looked at her as if she'd just slapped him. She took the chance to rid herself of his hold and disappeared again. The man was looking around for her, his stance defensive. This time, there was no sound warning him of the attack, only that one minute he was standing and then the next, he was pinned to the ground, his neck between the girl's legs and him not being able to breath. He could feel the blood vessels in his eyes straining as she choked the life out of him with her muscular thighs, which were only covered in a thin pair of shorts, he noticed.
He reached his left hand up and clamped it onto her shirt, struggling to get her off of him. She noticed his ring, proof of his membership of Pein's group, but she did not release him. Instead, she used the chains of her kusari-kama to chain each of his wrists. Once she had them both bound with chains, she launched her kusari-kama, imbedding them in the foundations of the buildings around them. She then released her death grip on his neck. He coughed several times and glared up at her.
She had a frown on her face as she glared at him. "You're the one they call Hidan, aren't you? Angel-sama was right, you really are an arrogant bastard." She turned away from the man and started walking away.
"You're just going to leave me here, where anyone could kill me?" he asked in a mildly curious tone. Amused blue eyes turned back to him.
"Do not take me for a fool, priest. I know you are immortal. However…" he noticed the look on her face and he half wished he had not said anything. He noticed her walk back over to him and smile at him. She crouched down and grabbed his chin. "You really are one of the most flawless men I've ever come across. Perfection such as yours is rare in men." she let go of his chin and nodded. She went to the foundations of the buildings and ripped her kusari-kama out. However, she kept the chains taut.
When she had both chains in her hands, she told him to stand. He got to his feet stiffly and glared back at her. He tried to yank himself free, but she kicked his knees and he went down on his face. She was on top of him and binding his hands behind his back with the chains before he could move again. He glared at her again, but there was a bud of respect developing deeply within him. He said nothing as she led him to a building very close to where he'd been confronting the men earlier.
He slowed, looking up at the only window with a porch on it. There were pale ivory curtains flapping in the breeze. He felt her tug on him and looked at her, his eyes blank. "Aren't you afraid that I'll destroy your apartment building and kill all your neighbors?" he noticed the cold look on her face and wondered at it.
"It doesn't matter. I live here alone. This building has been empty for almost thirty years. Anyone that tries to settle here, dies." He cocked his head at her and looked up at the room with the curtain. He wondered at that.
"You live here, so obviously not everyone dies." he noticed the cruel smirk on her face.
"I said anyone that tries to settle here, dies. I never specified what killed them." she said sweetly before pushing him into the foyer of the old apartment complex. She guided him up the steps and down three halls before he came to a stretch of wall that didn't look like the rest. It was freshly painted, the cracks were repaired, and the door seemed new. Obviously this was where she lived…but it was the length of several apartments.
He arched a brow and looked back at her. "For someone who lives alone, you sure do have a lot of space." she smirked and cocked her head.
"I have a lot of stuff. I'm what you'd call a memory collector." she said nothing more and Hidan wondered what she meant by that. He stopped right outside her door and turned to give her a droll stare. She smiled and pushed him against the wall. He had just recovered when she had the door open and was smiling. She grabbed the chains and pulled him in behind her, despite his struggles.
She pushed him and he landed face first into her apartment. He heard the lock click on her door and he smiled to himself. She had no idea what she'd gotten herself into. He heard her move around him and he kicked out at her, trying to trip her. He managed to catch her legs, but instead of falling on her face, she fell on him. He grimaced as she landed on his chest, having rolled to his back to generate more force for the kick. He looked up into her blank eyes.
"Even I only have so much patience, priest. Do that again and I will skip the niceties and show you what happens to people who enter my territory unbidden." she got up and left him on the floor to contemplate her words. She walked over to her kitchen and opened her fridge. She pulled out a pitcher of orange liquid and poured some in a glass. He watched her take a few swallows before she refilled it and walked over to him.
"You must be thirsty. Here." After having watched her drink it, he was pretty sure she'd done nothing to it, so he took a few swallows. He felt a pulse go through him and he cringed. Suddenly, things seemed much, much hotter. He looked up at her with angry eyes.
"P-poison?" she arched a brow and sniffed the glass. She took a swallow and just stared at him.
"What are you talking about? There's nothing in this but mango juice." She shook her head and sighed. "You really think I'd have to resort to poison at this point? I have you at my mercy…poison is rather redundant, don't you think?" he couldn't concentrate on her words because there was fire spreading all through his system. It was consuming his mind and body. He could feel the sweat forming on his body and started shivering.
"Fire…" he moaned in pain. He tried to roll back to his stomach, but it was no use. He couldn't move. He noticed her looking at him weird.
"Hey…you okay?" she asked, genuine concern on her face. She reached out and touched him, only to jerk her hand back with a hiss.
"You're burning up. Fuck! What's going on!?" He felt his hands fall from his back and then she was lifting him, like he was a child. She carried him through several doors and then he felt a breeze. Through his hazy eyes, he caught sight of an ivory curtain blowing in the breeze. The last thing he saw before the darkness claimed him was bright blue eyes staring down at him, assuring him everything would be alright.
Reddish purple eyes cracked open slightly as the nose on the face with them twitched. Something was tickling the face those eyes belonged to, but the rest of the body wasn't responding. Instead, the rest of the body was numb, except for a constant warmth all around it. Said face buried itself into it's pillow and sighed. It was only then did the owner of said face and eyes noticed that the pillow on which it's head rested…had a heart beat.
Said eyes snapped open wide, temporarily blinding themselves. A soft sigh drew the attention of the owner back to it's pillow. When the owner's vision returned, it was to see those same bright blue eyes from when before the darkness took over. "Damn, priest, you really had me worried." came a husky voice from the owner of those blue eyes. Said priest just stared. Those same blue eyes started laughing at him.
"Hidan, seriously, you keep looking at me like that and I might think you like me." she giggled before looking at him again. Her eyes were soft. "I thought immortals didn't get sick, but I guess I was wrong. You caught something in one of the villages you were last at. It's taken me almost a week to get you better, and that was with diligent care and-" she was stopped when he yelled.
"WHAT!? I've been unconscious almost a week!?" again, those blue eyes were laughing at him. He took the time to look the owner of those eyes over. She had short, feathery hair that seemed many different colors combined into one. Her large blue eyes were fringed with thick black lashes. Her face was delicate looking, yet had a strength about it. Before he could look her over any further, she reached up and touched him.
"Hidan, had you been mortal, you would have died. Your body was wracked with illness." he noticed the sad look in her eyes. He also remembered that she'd had him chained until his 'illness' had struck. His eyes narrowed on her until she shrugged and stretched. His eyes were instantly drawn to her body and, had he been the kind of person that blushed, he would have turned a deep red.
She was lying there, underneath him, naked as the day she was born. He looked straight down and noticed, for the first time, that his head had been resting on her breasts…and he'd snuggled into them not even five minutes ago. He had to admit that for all her lack of age, she was very well built. He then noticed her looking down at him, a smirk on her face. He regarded her with a blank 'what are you looking at' look and she just laughed.
"I know this might come as a shock to you, old man," Hidan twitched irritably at the dig about his age, though he wasn't that much older than her, "But you were shivering so badly that you were actually losing energy and body heat. No matter how much I covered you up, you kept shivering. Body heat isn't as easy to shiver away when it's coming from someone else. When I haven't been attending to my duties in the place of Pein-sama, or doing things around the house, I've been right here, giving you my body heat." He noticed the suggestive note in her voice and he paled. Was she saying what he thought she was? She laughed heartily at the look on his face.
"You are so easy to rile up when it comes to sex." She smiled at him and shook her head. She stretched again and looked up at him once more. "Well, since you seem to have no more fever, we'll see just how you're doing." she said and disappeared from beneath him. He looked around for her, but found nothing. Several minutes later, she reappeared, a blushing male medic with her. She was still naked, but that didn't seem to bother her. She pushed the man towards the missing nin.
"This is a guest of Pein-sama. Check him over. If anyone finds out where he's staying, I'll kill you." she said, her voice cold and her eyes hard. The man nodded and walked over to the Jashin priest, who arched a brow at her change in behavior. She noticed his look, shrugged, and walked out. The man before him knelt down and took out a few instruments. The man was shaking when he reached out to check Hidan's vitals.
"Raven-sama has been very worried about you, Traveler-san. She was frantic when she came for our top medic. She also killed him when he could not figure out what was wrong with you." the man's hands were shaking badly, and they were cold, but he was doing relatively well considering the circumstances. He continued to talk to the missing nin, like they were old friends. "I've never seen Raven-sama act this way over anyone…except maybe Angel-sama or Leader-sama. But even then, she does that out of loyalty. She has no loyalty to you, and yet she is very protective of you." Hidan arched a brow, this man talked to much. However, the priest said nothing. Suddenly, there was a messenger bird outside the window. The girl suddenly appeared and took the message. She sighed irritably and went to the corner of the room. She pulled down a sheet and he found what seemed to be uneven bars.
The medic seemed disinclined to pay attention to her, but Hidan was intrigued. "What are you doing?" She looked over at him with a dark look. She turned her back to him and huffed petulantly.
"Pein-sama wants me to do six hundred and seventy five inverted high bar pushups because of the medic I killed. I also have to find someone to replace him." He watched her roll her eyes irritably. Hidan just cocked his head to the side.
"How will he know if you do not? It's not like he's ever around to enforce anything." he noticed her snort and then look at him like he was crazy.
"Don't fool yourself. Pein-sama doesn't need to be around to know when you're doing something. He also knows your situation and says that you need to stay low for a while. He says you can meet up with the other guy in a few weeks. He has instructed me to take care of you." she looked even more sour about this. Hidan finally cracked a smile at her.
"Meaning?" she huffed and jumped to the very highest bar, which was considerably high. He watched her push her feet above her head and hold herself straight as a pencil. He also noticed that she was getting more and more irritated. He could see the same red glaze coming over her eyes.
"Meaning that you are staying with me, in my home, until Pein-sama says otherwise." He narrowed his eyes on her.
"I don't have to stay anywhere I don't want to be." He noticed her stop mid pushup. She put her legs down and touched her toes to the bar, pushing herself up to look at him. Her eyes were fully glazed red…oh yeah, she was pissed.
"You will do as Pein-sama tells you. You may think you can leave anytime you wish, but you will find that is not the case. You leave, and I will bring you back, by force if necessary. He said he didn't want me to kill you, but he never forbade me from it. And if I kill you, you don't come back from it, shiny?" He arched a brow at her unusual language, but just glared at her.
"And just how do you think you will be able to kill an immortal?" he asked with a sneer. He noticed that the medic had stepped to the door, his eyes wide.
"H-he's perfectly fine, Raven-sama." those red tinted blue eyes looked over at the medic. She nodded and snapped her fingers. Instantly, the medic was gone. She stood up on the bars and glared down at him.
"You will learn to respect me. You may not like me, you may even hate me…but you will respect me." She hissed at him and then went back to her pushups. He glared at her, until he realized something…she was STILL naked. His body seemed to work faster than his brain, because he was intensely aroused by her temper. He watched the way her muscles moved beneath her skin as she pushed against the bar, pushing her body above her head. A thought then struck her.
"Why is it that Leader sends you messages like that?" He noticed her stiffen, but continue to do her pushups. When she didn't reply, he walked over to the bars and leaned against one, looking her straight in the eyes. No matter how she tried not to look at him, he was in her view where he was standing. She hissed and narrowed those wolf-like blue eyes on him.
"I told you that I run the village when Pein-sama isn't here." She hissed and arranged herself so that she was facing away from him. He moved so that he could look her in the eyes once more, his own shining with irritation.
"I don't like being ignored, woman. Don't toy with me…you are more to Pein than a stand in. He personally sends messages to you. The only other person that he treats with this much regard is his partner." he heard her murmur 'Angel-sama' under her breath as she did several more pushups, neatly and accurately. Just who was this woman? Irritated, Hidan reached for her. When he grabbed her hand, she swung down and wrapped her bare thighs around his middle and began squeezing.
With a wheezing cough, he tried to dislodge her, but she was very strong…inhumanly strong. He looked up into her eyes and found them red. There were needle thin bright blue striations through her eyes that reminded him of the black markings inside Itachi's eyes. He was almost hesitant to look into her eyes. She laughed humorlessly at him as he collapsed, still trying to pry her off him. She leaned over him and he noticed through blurry eyes that she was baring fang-like teeth at him."You shouldn't bait a wolf, Hidan. We tend to be vicious when we feel threatened." she hissed at him. It was the last thing he heard before he went unconscious once more.
Hidan woke, once again, with that warm sensation. However, he looked down before snuggling into his pillow. He found a regular white feather pillow beneath his head and was slightly disappointed it wasn't the girl known as Raven. He then remembered her words. Wolf? She was a wolf? How? Was she one of the jinchuuriki they were after? He pondered these things as he laid in bed…her bed. It was soft, comfortable. Creature comforts…things he was unused to. As a priest, he was forbidden from such things. Pain and suffering were his only allowances.
With an angry sigh, he rolled onto his side. He noticed Raven curled up in a basket like chair by the bed. She was literally curled up, as if she were accustomed to sleeping like a dog curled up on the rug in front of a fire. He wondered at her strange behavior. He wanted to know more about her. However, he did not relish a repeat of yesterday. She'd suffocated him to death…luckily he was immortal and incapable of dying.
Sitting up, he watched her. He caught glimpses of naked flesh and wondered at her lack of modesty. Perhaps she was merely comfortable in her own skin? No…that didn't account for the strange sleeping habits, her strange transformation, and her hesitance to talk about her past. Sitting up, he also noticed that she'd stripped him of his robe, leaving him in only his silky and loose black pants. He stood and walked over to where she was sleeping. He heard her whisper 'Ookami-kaa-san' and he stared. Why would this girl be dreaming about a wolf and calling it her mother? He reached out to touch her, but suddenly found himself on his back. He looked up into startled blue eyes. She obviously hadn't known he was there at first.
She stood and walked away from him, disappearing from his sight. He sat up and looked down at himself. She'd straddled him once more…he could feel the sweat from her skin on him. She'd been having a nightmare? He stood and walked out of her bedroom. He looked around and noticed all the 'memories' she'd collected. There were kimonos, parasols, fans, walking sticks, small glass ornaments and decorations, foreign clothing, carvings, stone statuettes, assorted pieces of furniture, candles, several different kinds of children's toys, dolls, wooden practicing swords…she was a junk collector?
One thing in particular caught his attention. It was a sword…a very old sword…and was stained black with what seemed like blood. He made his way over to it and was about to pick it up when a growl caught his attention. "Do not touch that." he turned and found her glaring, not at him, but at the sword. It obviously held more meaning to her than the rest of her 'collectables'. He wondered why.
"You have so many things, and yet you do not allow me to touch this. Why?" she didn't even take her eyes from the sword as she made her way over to him. For the second time since he'd met her over a week ago, she wore some semblance of clothing. She must have been out. He watched her hair bristle as she looked at the sword. Her eyes glazed the longer she looked at it. He carefully, and very slowly, raised his hand to her face, making sure she could see him every step of the way. When she felt the movement of his hand, her eyes snapped from the sword to his hand and she stared as it carefully cupped her cheek and made her look at him. She'd never seen him this gentle before…apparently his gentleness surprised him as well, if what her nose detected was any indication.
"Raven…what's going on? What are you hiding from me?" he asked quietly, searching her eyes for some kind of clue. She tore her eyes from him and stared at the sword once more. Hatred filled her eyes and she sighed.
"That sword…it belonged to the man that took everything from me." Not quite understanding, Hidan arched a brow and looked at the sword once more. Before he could question her, she started talking once more. "My birthparents were nobles from the now non-existent Land of the Whirlpool. When the country fell apart, they fled into the forest north of here. Unwilling to become subject to another's rule, my parents started a life out in the forest, allied only to themselves and nature. I was still a baby when this happened, but my parents left a journal that I read long after their deaths." Hidan noticed the far off look in her eyes and wondered if she was reliving what was happening.
She suddenly started growling. "When I was still a small child, no more than one year, a man came to our home. I remember his eyes…so cruel, so deceitful. He wanted something from my parents. To this day, I do not know what it was, but he wanted it enough to kill them to get it. I managed to escape him, but in my mad dash into the forest, I became lost. I wandered for several days before I collapsed. That's when Ookami-kaa-san found me. She had just lost a cub to a hunter and so she took me in. She raised me, taught me to hunt, to fend for myself…she was good to me. I had three older brothers and two younger sisters. Ookami-kaa-san's mate, Kiba-tou-san, was a fearsome beast, but with us he was always kind." she smiled, as if these memories were fond to her. She reached out and touched what appeared to be a large wolf fang that rested around her neck…the first he'd ever seen of it.
Suddenly, her eyes darkened once more. "When I was seven years old, the man that killed my parents killed my ookami family as well. He murdered Ookami-kaa-san, Kiba-tou-san…my brothers and sisters…he skinned them like common mongrels. When he found me, he…" she swallowed and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she seemed calmer. "When he found me, he laughed and put me in a cage. I bit him, clawed him, growled at him. I remembered him…I knew he was the one that killed my human parents. And now he'd killed my ookami family. I wanted to hurt him…to kill him. But I was still too young." she reached out and touched several piles of wolf furs and Hidan swallowed hard. They must have belonged to her wolf family.
"He kept me in that cage for months, only feeding me when I was almost dead. He laughed when I got sick and vomited and poked me with sticks, oars, mop handles, anything long and seemingly painful. When I was ten years old, one of the men trading with him found me, locked in the cage, nearly dead. He felt sorry for me and fed me. He gave me water, warm clothes, and a name…Raven." she looked over at another object…an olive green vest. The man had been a ninja. Hidan watched her face as she told her story.
"On the night the men trading with him were to leave, there was a commotion. The man that had given me my name came in and destroyed my cage. He picked me up and fled with me. They took me to Kiri, which is where they were from. The man followed and demanded I be returned. Kiri's daimyo agreed and told the man to give me back. He refused and fled to Ame with me, along with a small contingent of shinobi. We settled here, under the protection of Ame's Kage. Not long after, the Third Great Ninja War broke out. The man that had killed both my families tracked us here. He killed the shinobi that had protected me and tried to take me back. I was too old for what he'd originally intended for me, since I was about eleven or twelve at the time." she noticed Hidan's eyes widen and she nodded, knowing he understood now.
She looked back at the sword and growled low in her throat. "He tried to take me back to his base of operations, but I managed to escape. I ran from him for a year and ended back in Ame. It was about that time that the coup de'etat occurred and Pein-sama came into power. When the man tracked me down and tried to take me back, Pein-sama would not allow it." Hidan could see a hint of affection in her eyes as she talked about Pein. It was quickly covered up.
"Pein-sama protected me from the man and told him if he ever returned to Ame, he would kill him. The man stayed away for many years, until I turned fourteen. He then came back and tried to take me again. When he tried…I killed him." She looked over her shoulder at him, her eyes full of hatred. "Fourteen years of pent up anger, hatred and heartache. Fourteen years of torture, humiliation and pain. I gave him that, plus more." she looked back at the sword, her eyes devoid of emotion. "When Pein-sama found me, there was little left of the man's body. All that could distinguish him was his sword…and the ring on his hand. Pein-sama took the ring and destroyed it. He gave me the sword and said we were to never speak of it, unless I felt it important." she then walked away from him, as if she hadn't just told him a dark secret about herself.
He tried to process this, to understand, but it was hard for him. He also tried to process the strange feelings he was having towards this strange young woman. She stirred him in ways no woman ever had. If he hadn't known for a fact he was a heartless bastard, he'd have thought what he was feeling was love. But he knew that was impossible. Men like him didn't fall in love. And from the looks of things, neither did she. He could tell that their interaction was new for her, as she didn't seem quite sure what was going on.
He looked back over his shoulder and noticed that she was heading back towards her bedroom. This would be the perfect chance to test something he'd been curious about for some time. As she walked, he noticed she was stripping the confining clothing off. She threw it and then walked into her room completely naked. He felt his body react to her and narrowed his eyes. He should not be feeling this way. He should not feel sorry for her, he should not want to hold her, to comfort her. He should not want to do things to her body…she was a child for Jashin sake!
But he did…her body appealed to him just as much as the violence in her called to him. She was so beautiful, so deadly…he wanted to know if she was that violent when someone had her pinned beneath them, doing wicked things to her body. Fantasy after fantasy rolled through his head as he imagined what he'd do to her. Unable to take it anymore, he adjusted himself through his clothes and started towards her room.
He was at the door when he heard water running. She was in the shower…perfect. With a smirk, he stripped as he made his way to the shower. Steam filled the moderate sized bathroom and he could barely make out the woman in the shower. With stealth befitting his station, Hidan slipped up behind her. Before she could react, he pinned her to the glass with his larger form. He heard her gasp at the feel of him, then chuckle indulgently.
"I was wondering when you were going to give in." she teased lightly, only to moan when he gave a punishing thrust to her backside. He leaned down and growled at her.
"You tempt me, little wolf. I have tried to convince myself you are just a child, but your body calls to mine in a way no female ever has. Your violence is a more potent aphrodisiac than you will ever know." he husked to her, rolling his hips against her bottom. She groaned and rubbed against him, eager. He chuckled and reached around her to cup her breasts. She rumbled in approval and then reached behind her to put her hand on him. With a vicious growl, Hidan captured both her wrists and pressed them above her head against the shower wall.
This left her exposed and he liked it. He rubbed himself against her and noticed she rolled up on the balls of her feet, offering him a better view. With a sadistic smirk, he held her hands with one of his and put the other on her hip, almost bruising. He tilted her slightly to expose her more and then drove into her viciously. She yelped and then groaned appreciatively. He didn't even give her time to adjust to him, he just started driving into her mindlessly. She was so tight.
In the back of his mind, he knew that if she was this tight feeling to him, he had to be uncomfortably large feeling to her. However, he didn't care about that. All he cared about was the fact that she was tight and hot and wet and it felt like he was being squeezed by a virgin. He pressed closer to her, pressing her against the glass. He reached down and hooked his free arm under one of her legs, bringing it up so that her knee was almost level with her shoulder. He thrust into her hard while he held her leg there, his palm pressed against the glass of the shower.
She moaned and put her forehead against the pane, panting. He could hear her soft mewls of pleasure and couldn't help but wonder if anything hurt this girl. She took pleasure in the things he'd done, thinking they'd hurt her. With a vicious growl, he released her hands and pressed her tighter against the glass. He hooked his arm in the other leg and hiked her up, spreading her uncomfortably. He could feel himself hitting deeper now and she gasped before a long moan escaped her. He wondered if anything hurt her, but at that moment, he just needed more. He started thrusting harder, deeper, uncaring of her comfort, only his need for more.
He thought about positions that would bring him more pleasure and decided to change their current to one he could hit a little deeper with. He pulled her from the glass, still lifting her and dropping her down on him as she squirmed. He suddenly dropped her legs, causing her to drop down on him heavily. She gasped and arched against him, standing on one tip toe before going all the way down again.
He pulled out of her and stared at her hungrily. With a smirk, he pushed her to her knees. She looked at him from over her shoulder before she gave him a mischievous smile. She lifted her ass, wiggling it at him. He growled and sank to his knees behind her. He pulled her back to him, scraping her knees on the tile floor, and lifted her hips to an angle before driving back into her. She yelped again and tried pushing back against him, but at the angle she was at, it was hard. He thrust into her deeply as she wrapped her legs around his.
He smirked and screwed himself deep into her before leaning forward, sending him deeper into her. He grabbed her balled up fists and pulled, sending her crashing into the tile floor, her chin smacking the floor harshly. She growled and narrowed her eyes on him over her shoulder…until he started thrusting again. Her eye's widened and she yelped helplessly. He was so deep this way that it was all she could do not to howl. His thrusts started out slow, achingly slow. She bit her lip and laid her head against the floor, trying not to make a lot of noise. One deep thrust, however, made her scream. He was hitting a place she'd never felt before.
He thrust again, experimentally, and she screamed again. With a sadistic smile, he started hammering into her, hitting that spot repeatedly. Pretty soon she was wailing, her nails digging into his arms as she gripped him. The pain aroused him more and he became more violent with her. The more violent he became, the more responsive she was. The more responsive she was, the more violent he became with her. Pretty soon, he felt a tingling at the base of his spine and how her muscles were tightening around him.
Only a few more thrusts and she arched against him, her head thrown back and howled…not screamed, she was too primal to be screaming. He looked at her and noticed that her eyes were just like they'd been when she'd suffocated him. Her canines were extended and the nails in his arms were lengthening. Her body was milking him for everything he was worth. He felt the heat whip through him and he bit his lip to stay quiet. He felt blood leak down as he finally exploded inside her. He thrust a few more times and then collapsed, his breathing harsh.
He felt her stir under him slightly, and when their eyes met, hers were that electric combination of red and neon blue. He chuckled darkly as she pressed back against him, wanting more. He gladly obliged.
Hidan woke and found she was gone. There was a note on the pillow, telling him that Pein wanted to see him. He got up, dressed, and went to her door. After the night he'd screwed her in the shower, they'd been doing it every second there wasn't something else going on. He smirked and pulled one of his many rosaries out. He took his pendant off and attached it to the rosary. He hung the rosary on the door handle and left.
What he didn't know, is that it would be a long time before he was even back this way.
Hidan shook the blood from his scythe. He scowled, feeling tense. It had been almost a year since he'd been in Ame. He retrieved his robe and looked around him. He recognized a few of the buildings and he realized he wasn't too far from where Raven lived. A sadistic smirk came to his lips and he dressed, heading towards her home. On his way, he felt as if he were being watched. He looked up and found a wolf. It wasn't large, but it was eying him intently. He was about to kill it when words floated through his mind. '…my ookami family…'
He looked at the wolf closely and found it had vibrant blue eyes…intelligent eyes. It couldn't be very old, perhaps just old enough to be on it's own. The primary color of it's coat seemed to be black, but he could see brown, red, and a little blonde in it. That wolf reminded him so much of her it wasn't funny. He held his hand out to the creature, but it just stared at him before trotting off. He shook his head and went towards the building where Raven used to live. He would have passed it, had the fluttering of ivory curtains not caught his attention. He looked up and noticed that the building hadn't changed much.
Memories of his first encounter with her fluttered through his mind. How she'd dragged him, chained, to her apartment. How she'd cared for him when he was sick…waking up that first time with his face buried in her breasts. He chuckled lightly and walked up to the apartment complex. He frowned at the busted out glass. He stepped through and walked towards where he knew her apartments to be. He looked at the wall and noticed that the once fresh looking paint seemed old, worn. His brow creased as he walked. Raven had always taken really good care of her space.
He got to the door and looked at it. His rosary was still there. He frowned openly then. He opened the door and walked in. There was a fine layer of dust over everything in there. He walked through the apartment, his face twisted in confusion. Raven was meticulous about keeping her area clean. It was her territory and she took pride in it. He walked to the bedroom and found the yellowed sheet of paper she'd left by his head when she'd left. He picked it up and it crumpled to dust. His eyes narrowed and he went to the bathroom. He had so many memories with her there. Their first time together had been in the shower…
He noticed from the appearance it hadn't been used. Confusion laced through him and he walked out, shutting the door behind him. A squawk drew his attention and he looked over to see a bird. It was large and black and he didn't like it. He walked over to it, intent on crushing it, when he noticed that he was standing on something. He reached out and took it from the bird, which flew away. He held it up and his eyes widened. It was a large fang…one he recognized. It had a brownish stain on one corner, so dark it was almost black. He looked around, hoping against hope this was just a joke.
He went out into her living room, where all her 'memories' were piled up. On top of the pile of furs was a letter he hadn't noticed. He picked it up and started reading. 'If you're reading this, then I am most likely dead. I left this, just in case you ever came back here, and I didn't. I'm not the sentimental type…I've never been good with emotions. When I got Pein-sama's letter, calling you back, I couldn't deal. I went to the office and took a mission Pein-sama needed done. I came back to wake you, but I still couldn't do it. You looked so peaceful…so beautiful. I think it was your immortality that made you so beautiful to me at first…and then it was just you. Regardless, I left you the note to avoid saying goodbye. I hate those and I've never been good at them. I enjoyed sharing myself with you, that week you were with me. It was the best few days of my life. I could be myself with you, and that meant more to me than anything.'
Anger welled up inside of him. She couldn't be dead…she couldn't. This was just a sick joke…she was teasing him. As he read, dread settled into his stomach. 'I want you to take the sword of the man that killed my soul. I want you to keep it and always remember me. Take care of my ookami family…it is the only request I will make. Their furs meant more to me than any single object in that house. I have lived a hard life, and learned many things. I thought myself hardened to the ways of most humans, however, I did find one thing out about myself through being with you…even the most hardened person can fall in love. I wish I could tell you in person, but that's not the way I work. So, to express my love, I have left you a gift at the top of my closet, in a small box. It's not much, but it was something I wanted you to have. If I do not see you again in this life, perhaps, I will see you in the next. I love you…Hidan.'
Reddish purple eyes swelled with tears. Tears of anger, sorrow, heartbreak, mourning…he shut his eyes and shook his head. This was real. He was here, and Raven was dead. Had probably been dead the day he'd left here, his mind plagued with thoughts of when he'd see her again. He folded the letter and put it in the pocket on the inside of his robe, right over his heart. He walked into her room and took the small box from the top shelf of her closet. He opened it and his eyes widened. On a long, loose gold chain, an elaborately decorated dagger, only about four inches from hilt to point, was lying there. It had an odd writing on the blade and the hilt was a wolf, it's eyes sapphires.
Again, tears welled up in his eyes before he dashed them away. He put the necklace on and tucked it inside his robes. He noticed something else in the box. It was a white sheaf of paper. He pulled it out and his eyes softened. They were sketches. Sketches of him sleeping, him giving her a lusty look, him sleeping with his face buried in her breasts…all of them had to have been done after he was sleeping. He didn't remember her sketching anything. He tucked them away in his robe and walked back into her living room. He looked at the giant tooth on the leather cord.
The image of the blue eyed wolf flashed through his mind and he felt the urge to find it. He carefully rolled the pelts of Raven's ookami family and wrapped them in some of the delicate silk she had lying around. He bound them and wrapped them again in tough leather, which he also found lying in her pile of 'memories'. He then took the sword. It made him sick to touch it, knowing the pain it's owner had caused Raven in life. However, he tied it to the bundle with the furs and then looked around. He walked out, taking his rosary with him.
He knew it wouldn't make a difference…he had no body. But he wanted to give something of his to her. Anything that would remind her of him. He walked a ways away from the apartment and looked around. He wanted to find a decent place to make her a grave marker. So that he would never forget that she'd been here. He'd live a long time…and he'd never let her memory die. He made her a grave marker, her name carved into it. He drove it into the ground and put his rosary on it. He felt his chest tighten and he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the blue eyed wolf was standing on a rock above him, watching him.
He spoke before he thought about it. "Raven…" he whispered, staring at the wolf. It cocked it's head at him and disappeared, only to be by his side once more. He held the fang up in his hand and looked at it. He looked at the wolf and then bent down. He tied Raven's necklace around the wolf's neck and stood, his eyes misting. The wolf shook itself, but seemed otherwise comfortable with the necklace. As an afterthought, he took off a necklace he'd worn since he was still a ninja in his village. He looked at it, then at the wolf.
"I never wanted to admit what I felt for you Raven, but now that you're not here, I can't help but regret it. I want you to know…" he felt his throat constrict and he couldn't speak. He looked at the wolf and his eyes said everything. The wolf walked up to him and waited. Hidan knelt and tied the necklace to it's neck. It rested against the back of the fang. The wolf backed away, and then disappeared, loping over the rocks and back into the wild. Hidan turned and walked back towards town. As he passed the apartment on his way through town, he looked up and noticed that the curtains in the bedroom were still for the first time ever. Sadness filled him and he muttered one word.
"Nevermore…"
