Disclaimer: I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

iv — green

Zetsu really could pass with the concept of a plant-based youkai, I think. He looks nothing like a normal human being, that's for sure—not to be rude, just saying. When I first met him I was positive that he was staring me down with the glowing eyes of a voracious predator; I'm pretty used to it after nearly getting devoured by dozens upon dozens of demons in the Feudal Era. Though with the latter, I was always able to purify their scaly behinds to the netherworld, or at least sting them painfully with my inherent holy powers. I don't believe I can defend myself, however, in the same fashion in regards to this particular green case.

B-but, well… Itachi will protect me, right? Yeah—yeah! Sure he would… he couldn't have whisked me away from Konoha only to have me end up as lunch for a ginormous venus fly trap…

When I make a hasty turn around the corner of the gloomy hallway, I accidentally bump into another more masculine figure. I bounce back out of reflex, rubbing my poor, victimized forehead. Opening my eyes, I see only the front of the Akatsuki cloak, and tilt my chin up to see who I had collided with. Lucid, green gem eyes regard me, the annoyance in them evident. A pitiful little squeak passes through my lips, and I jump back. I try to calm myself, telling the inner Kagome that this isn't Zetsu about to gobble her up.

Kakuzu doesn't bother to greet me nor even ask if I'm all right, he just utters a muffled, "Watch where you're going, princess," and steps around me to get to his destination.

I stick my tongue out at his back, half expecting any moment for him to turn and place his terrifying green gaze on me again. He doesn't, and soon disappears from my vision, his feet making no audible sounds on the stone floor. Satisfied to have him gone, I go about my own way as well. I can't help but note that in the direction from which Kakuzu just came from, the torches on the walls are put out, and menacing shadows swallow up the path ahead. My mind conjures up various frightening scenes, those depicting murder, ghosts, monsters, and instantly recalls in the snap of a finger all the horror stories I've ever heard in my lifetime. Funny how after everything I've been through, I'm still pretty terrified of unlit places.

I will myself to advance forward, if only so I can prove to myself that I'm not such a coward as I'm acting. In a desperate attempt to allay my fear of the unknown, I envision the color green in my mind—it's been terrorizing me quite so all day today. (How I ever adored that color and even wore it for days on end was now a mystery to me.) I gulp, but my method of projecting my current fear onto something else seems to be working. My legs are moving and getting me places, albeit rigidly. Never mind the fact that they're quavering, just a teensy bit.

Ugh, what's that smell…? I wonder, my hands shooting up to cover my nose. This awful stench is filling my nostrils, and I feel like I could puke on the spot. Also, just what is that under my feet? It's sticky and slimy and gross. "What was Kakuzu doing here?" I mutter in a nasal voice under my breath.

"Well, fuck! Is that you, Kagome? Oh, thank Jashin!"

"Hidan?" I answer, recognizing the familiar voice and crude manner of speech. "Are you here?"

"No shit! Help piece me back together, yeah?"

"What? Piece you back toge—"

It was then that the torches decided to become fully functional again, and sprang to life with lambent flames. It was also then that I realized what I had been stepping around in for the past few minutes, and where the rotten odor was emanating from. Hidan's bloodied head was detached and lying sideways on the crimson floor, a few inches before my toes. His eyes were frantic and wild with relief as he looked up at me. Slabs of clothed meat that were his body parts were strewn all over the area, with decorative wet splatters of vermillion on the walls to add to the ambiance.

"Thank Jashin," the silver-haired man repeated breathlessly, "that sick, parsimonious fuck was going to leave me here to rot and mold, but you're here—"

I couldn't hold it in; before I knew it, bile was amassing rapidly at the back of my throat and I vomited. On Hidan's severed head.

"…fuck me."

Again, I was seeing so much green.