Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but I do own my two OCs and the plot of this story.
Please read: I worked pretty hard on this chapter. I kept going back and looking for plot holes, and then fixing mistakes that I found. Many thanks to all who have given this story a chance! Extra thanks to those who have come from my friend TheHollowWorld's story, 'Hidano', where Seven is mentioned. Super special awesome thanks to those who have reviewed this story, as well. Your kind words make me want to get writing straight away (though, university is starting to put a damper on things).
I hope you like this chapter. Please review; tell me what you think. I'd love to know if I'm doing a good job, what I can improve on, what you think should happen, etc.
WARNING: Violence, mentions of non-consent, and dark themes.
I feel so much destruction,
In everything that you do.
Anger is creeping in me,
Watch I don't explode on you.
Chapter Four: Take It Out On Me
Seven stared at the deranged priest as he tumbled to the ground, no longer held to his feet by Shikaku's ominous shadows. His lavender eyes closed just as his body hit the earth, right next to Flare's knees, and they were all spared from his mouthful of obscenities. It was eerie to see him there, his body still and his face calm. Sans his ripped robe and bloody scythe, he looked like a normal villager when he was resting. 'It just goes to show that murderers, rapists, and the like have several faces.' The woman thought, sombrely.
Her eyes jerked to where her brother sat, sweating and panting furiously. He had overexerted himself on their behalf; if it had not been for his almighty stamina, they would have been systematically killed in fierce, gruesome ways. Finally, unable to maintain his chakra any longer, Flare let his hands drop and the green healing light faded. The group were shrouded in darkness in mere seconds. Seven gulped, 'mere seconds were all the time he would have needed to slaughter us all.'
Behind her, she could hear Chouza panting heavily. The poor Akimichi had sacrificed himself to distract Hidan and buy Shikaku time. He was a hero, and Seven was deeply appreciative of his efforts. Though his breathing had become thick and strained, she believed that it was not too late to save him. Had she the strength to do so herself, she would have limped over to him and saved his life as he had saved theirs. Alas, she was utterly useless; a liability. Though she was proud of her comrades, it was frustrating to watch them overcome their weaknesses right before her eyes. She wanted to display her strength, as well. She wanted everyone to know that she could handle herself and hold her ground, regardless of the situation. 'Except you can't,' a voice within scolded her, 'you couldn't stop Hidan from hurting Flare. You couldn't even stop him from conquering your body. You're the weakest one, here.'
Yes. That was true.
She was the weakest link amongst the four of them. What could she do besides heal? Intellect only served as a useful component when it was backed by physical strength or remarkable jutsu. She had never learned how to control her chakra, so she had no special techniques and she could barely use her healing ability for more than fifteen minutes. Sure, Flare had taught her how to throw and catch kunai and senbon, but what good would those skills do when there were no weapons nearby?
The young woman bit her lower lip furiously, utterly disgusted with herself. 'If I ever get out of this with my head intact, I'm going to ask Shikaku to train me alongside Flare.' She thought, heart swelling with resolve, 'I want to be able to carry my own weight in situations like these. I don't want to end up dead… like our parents…'
Shikaku's body relaxed as he released his hand sign with a deep, laboured sigh. He was shocked. The odds were against them, and yet they had succeeded. His student had managed to maintain his healing light long enough for him to choke the immortal out. Their short victory had had been due to both teamwork and sheer luck. They had all worked together. Chouza had distracted the Jashinist while Shikaku plotted and Flare healed his sister. Then, Flare had generated a small light for Shikaku to manipulate his shadows. Finally, Seven had served as an unknowing distraction so that Shikaku could calculate a solid plan and perform his hand signs. The old Jonin smirked, 'Surprisingly, a job well done.'
He glanced at the Toho siblings, analysing them carefully. There was terror and guilt in Seven's eyes. The woman was smart enough to realize that their horrific night was not over; she knew that they would still have to flee from the immortal. The old Nara saw that she was biting her lip savagely, too caught up in her thoughts to realize that she had broken through the flesh with her teeth. He could only imagine how guilty she felt, having believed that the entire situation was her fault. His tired eyes drifted over to where Chouza lied. It was likely that the eldest Toho felt responsible for the large man's injuries, as well as Flare's pain and exhaustion. When he saw her again, he would have to speak with her privately; counselling could definitely be needed in order for her to recover.
The situation was still as tricky as before. Shikaku knew that his top priorities were getting Chouza to safety and escorting the Toho siblings away from the ravenous Akatsuki member. Perplexity struck him, for the umpteenth time that night, 'If I take them with me when I carry Chouza to the village, it's likely that Hidan will follow. He'll keep on hunting Seven until he's subdued, and if he finds her within the village, there will be a lot more lives at stake; I don't put it past him to tear apart the entire village searching for her. Oh, man… This is bad.'
His dark eyes darted from Flare to Seven several times, trying to think up a conclusion wherein they would be able to travel with his aid, 'Chouza doesn't have much time, so I have to take him to their village as soon as possible. There was a pretty efficient doctor, there. Anyway, he wouldn't hold out if I took him all the way back to the Leaf, and the only other village is at least two hours away. No, there's no other way. I need to get Chouza medical attention, and I need to get these kids out of here.'
Glancing down at the Jashinist, he grimaced when he noticed that his breathing had quickened; he would not be unconscious for much longer. 'Damn. We probably have about ten minutes, at most, until he wakes up. I don't want to do this, but…'
Seven stared down at the man who had both terrorized and violated her. Twice in one night, she had seen the man's consciousness slip away from him, once by her hand and once by another's hand; she knew that he would not stay down for long. She knew that if they were going to make their getaway and find help, they would have to do so quickly. She guessed that he would awaken within ten to fifteen minutes, if they were lucky. She twisted her head to look at Shikaku, who looked as though he was in deep thought. He had saved their lives this time, but she doubted that he would be able to again, if Hidan managed to gun them down. The old Jonin had given it his all, and he looked to be just as exhausted as Flare.
The eldest sibling gazed up at the rainy sky. The heavens were crying, crying for them to escape.
Flare hissed in pain as he clumsily rose to his feet. How long had he been kneeling for? His muscles felt stiff and his joints were being difficult; he would have one hell of a time running, when the time came to initiate their hasty a finger into the wound atop his head, he knew that he would have to heal himself up when he regained enough chakra. The scalp was one part of the human body that bled like mad, and clumsiness due to blood loss would not be ideal as they conquered their current endeavour.
His eyes traced the environment until they fell on Seven, shivering violently from the cold. She looked warm yet restless in his jacket, and he wanted nothing more than to hug her. He was happy that she was alive – that they were both alive.
His eyes wandered to Shikaku, who looked agitated. His sensei had done well in such a difficult situation, but Flare could guess that he was weak from having to use his jutsu for so long and with such a weak light source. Finally, his travelling eyes landed on Chouza, the brave Akimichi who had offered his body as a sacrifice to the sadistic Jashinist. He was managed to fend off Hidan long enough for Shikaku to devise his plan and for him to heal his sister. He prayed that the large man would recover; he did not deserve such a punitive doom.
Shikaku walked over to his student. His face was sombre and his eyes described the obstructions that he harboured within. He had finally come to a conclusion, but the conclusion was not ideal in the least. Flare could tell that his sensei was at a loss for what to do, but was trying his utmost best to keep them away from danger. He admired Shikaku Nara, and was grateful for his aid during such a perilous time. 'Whatever you decide, sensei,' the boy thought, his cold gaze unfaltering, 'whatever you decide, I won't hate you.'
Seven managed to hobble over to the pair, nearly falling to her knees several times due to wooziness. She was far from being completely healed, and both Shikaku and Flare were surprised that she even had the energy to walk on her own. Shame was plastered across her visage when she reached them. They had heard the insane priest degrade her in such a hyper-sexual way, and now there was no hiding what had happened to her. She hated that her younger brother had an awareness of her assault. She wanted nothing more than to knock the boy out, drag him home, and wait for him to wake up, to tell him that it had all been a bad dream.
Shikaku placed a soft, gentle hand on Seven's shoulder, but quickly regretted his decision when she flinched away. She was deeply scarred, and a male's touch was probably not the best treatment for her extreme stress and humiliation. He retracted his hand and mumbled a quiet apology before turning his troubled gaze to Flare.
"You need to get out of here," the Jonin said, "I don't think he'll be out for long."
Flare nodded sternly, but refused to look at the Akatsuki member's unconscious body. Even though he could not hurt them at that present moment, the young Toho could not shake the fear he felt toward the man. He hated him with every fibre of his being, and yet he was utterly horrified of what the Jashinist was able to do to him – to them all. He was strong; much stronger than Flare could ever hope to be.
"Where can we go?" The boy asked, "He'll find us. It doesn't matter where we hide or how far we run."
There was something indescribable in his student's voice that made Shikaku freeze for a moment before shaking his head. "Listen up. We're about five minutes away from the village, right?"
Flare nodded slowly.
"I'm going to take Chouza to the village for first aid treatment. Neither of you have the chakra available to heal him," Shikaku gazed across the wooded area until his dark orbs rested upon his old friend's body, "he's dying…"
Both siblings stared at the ground, unsure of what they could possibly say to comfort the grief-stricken Jonin. It was their fault that the Akimichi had fallen in battle. It was their fault that he was laying in the cold, sticky mud, his life withering away with every passing second. Seven bit her lip to stop herself from crying. Her emotions were skyrocketing to the point where she could barely control herself.
Shikaku composed himself and made eye contact with Flare, once again, "…As I make my way to the village, I'll call for backup; there should be a few Leaf ninja in the area. They'll take care of Hidan when they get here, provided I give them the correct coordinates. I'll send at least one ninja to accompany you two to your destination, as well, in case Hidan has any friends running around. Then, after I've dropped off Chouza, I'll follow after you and escort you as far as I can go."
The old Nara paused for a moment, making sure that there were no detrimental holes in his upcoming plans. Flare stared at the man, trying to anticipate his response.
"I want you to go to the Hidden Leaf Village."
Seven's eyes widened. Had she heard him correctly? She swallowed hard, body quivering with hopelessness. She could not have heard him correctly. The Hidden Leaf Village? That was numerous kilometres away from their little village; Shikaku, himself, would have had to travel for at least two days to reach it. How could he expect two regular siblings to make such a long, dangerous trek, particularly with their appalling injuries?
'No. It's impossible,' she thought, 'Shikaku isn't stupid. He's got something up his sleeve.'
Before she even dared to question his word, the pineapple-headed man turned to his student, a grimace on his face. He leaned in so that his mouth was nearly touching the boy's ear, taking extra care to muffle his voice as much as possible. "If you don't leave this area now," he mumbled, "the probability of either of you surviving is zero."
Flare gulped, but said nothing. Shikaku paused, allowing the youngest Toho to take his words to heart.
"…One of his comrades is headed this way. I don't recognize the chakra signature, so I can't tell you who it is, but I can feel his killing intent from here. He's angry. Maybe he sensed that his partner was in danger. I don't know." Shikaku placed a firm hand on Flare's shoulder for emphasis, leaning back so that Seven could hear him, again, "You need to take your sister and get out of here. The Leaf Village will be about two to three days away, give or take. With your injuries, maybe four to five."
Flare nodded, but could not prevent his lower jaw from twitching. Their journey was not over, yet. Worse, his actions would determine his and Seven's fate throughout their journey. He clamped his eyes shut and struggled to control his growing anxiety.
Shikaku's firm grip lightened to one of comfort. He understood the stress that he was putting the boy through. He knew that Flare was nowhere near qualified enough to carry out such a daunting task on his own. 'There's no other way,' he reassured himself, 'if they wait here, Hidan will wake up before the reinforcements arrive, or his companion will stumble upon them. Either way, they'll be killed. If they run in the direction of the Hidden Leaf Village, their probability of surviving is inflated… Dammit. I wish there was another way.'
The old Nara sighed longingly. "Flare, I know I'm placing a heavy burden over your head. I would never ask you to do such a thing if I thought that there was another way for you two to escape. But… the fact of the matter is… there isn't. I can't fight while protecting the two of you, and I can't take you back to the village with Chouza and I, so long as Hidan is hunting you down."
Shikaku casted yet another glance over to his fallen comrade. Blood was dripping out of him like a twisted dream, desecrating his battle-born body even further. "I'm going to call for backup as soon as Chouza and I start to move toward the village. They're capable ninja. They'll be here within the hour."His chocolate orbs snapped to the tattered Akatsuki member, lying ungracefully in the mud, "But first, I have to tie up this pest."
Flare turned to his older sister almost sardonically, a small smirk on his lips. For a moment, Seven feared for his sanity. Lightning rippled through the clouds, and Flare's young, vulnerable face was revealed.
She had almost forgotten that he was still just a boy, ninja or not. The evening's events had affected him greatly; his soul had been tarnished from some of the things he had seen.
"We gotta go, Sev…" He whispered, trying his best to hold back the distress that was evident in his tone. The woman jumped at his voice and stared at him with wide eyes, as if she were a deer in headlights. Her brother held out a wet, trembling hand, and she stared at the appendage for a moment, as if its meaning was foreign to her.
Her eyes jerked to Shikaku, who had taken out a scroll from one of the pockets on his vest. Placing his hand against the circle in the middle of the scroll, he quickly had a handful of spiky wire at his disposal. She watched as he bent down and proceeded to bind the psychotic priest, ensuring that he would have one hell of a time when he finally awakened.
"Shikaku…" She murmured hoarsely, fondness evident in her tone, beneath the low timbre of fear that rumbled across her vocal cords, "…What do we do when we get there?"
The old Jonin glanced up at her with a face of neutrality. "Patrolling Jonin or an Anbu Black Ops member will pick you up. Explain to them who you are, Flare, and they will recognize you as one of my students. Seven, tell them exactly what has happened. They will take you to Lady Tsunade, our Hokage. You'll be safe, there."
He used his teeth to finish the tough knot in the wire he had wrapped around the madman. He knew that it would not hold him for long, but it would certainly hold him for long enough so that he would have a hard time with his pursuit. Kicking the man's body to the muddy earth, once more, the insightful Nara stepped over him to stand in front of the siblings.
"There are a few tea houses on the way. The first one you encounter is 'Dan's Tea House', heading east from here. Rest there when you can. Dan is about your age, and he's an ally of the Leaf. If you explain your situation to him, he'll be happy to supply you with essentials for the remainder of your journey."
The Jonin focused his hard glare on Flare, "Remember what I taught you about being a ninja. It isn't always about fighting. Sometimes hiding in the shadows and using deception is best. Don't be reckless."
He stared at the two Toho siblings almost longingly. He did not want to send them on such a tumultuous mission for their lives. Ideally, he would have wanted to bring them back with him and Chouza, able-bodied and well-fed. Ideally, he would have loved to watch Flare grow and expand as a fabulous ninja.
He closed his eyes sluggishly, sympathy radiating from his soul. He prayed that he would see the siblings again. He prayed that he would be able to discuss interesting intellectual events with Seven, once again, when he and Chouza returned.
His eyes widened when he realized that the chakra signature was getting closer, 'Shit!'
As he looked Seven and Flare in their horror-stricken eyes, he told himself that there would be time to contemplate and reminisce later.
"Get out of here, before he wakes up. It's only a matter of time, now…" He said, jogging over to Chouza. Slipping the large man's humongous arm over his shoulder, he managed to get to his feet without much of a struggle. Shikaku suppressed a small smirk when he looked up to find Seven and Flare eyeing each other with absolute willpower in their tired eyes.
"Get out of here," The Jonin repeated, "I'll see you two when I get home."
But somewhere, deep within the cold recesses of his heart, Shikaku deeply doubted that.
Flare gripped his sister's arm so hard that she thought he was going to dislocate her wrist. Wincing, but not having the gall to complain, Seven scurried closely behind her brother. Her cold, bare feet dashed against the mud quickly and violently. Clutching Flare's jacket to her thin torso, she shut her eyes to shield her irises from the onslaught of rain that sprinkled from the begrimed sky. On nights such as these, she and Flare would have sat on the couch, chatting about their day or passing the stormy weather with a few good books.
There was a part of her that knew those days were long gone; she would not be returning to their childhood home that lined the brilliant green forest. She would either have a new home in the Leaf, or have a bed that was six feet beneath the soil. She shook her head furiously, not wanting think of such vile thoughts any longer.
They had been running for about fifteen minutes, losing their balance here and there, but making sure to get far, far away from the deadly immortal. Was he awake yet? Had he pinpointed their location yet?
Neither Flare or Seven wanted to think about it.
Shikaku had taken off with Chouza only moments after he had ensured the siblings' escape. The old Nara had given them foolproof directions, confirming that they knew where they were going and how to make a straight path through the forest. Flare had felt him depart only seconds after them, and sincerely wished that he could have called out to him. He was mortified of what was to come. He was not strong enough to face Hidan or any other rogue ninja on his own, but if his sensei were there to protect them…
The young boy sighed heavily. 'We won't make it far,' he thought, braving the rain as he gazed up at the cloudy sky, 'not when he wakes up. He won't chase sensei and Chouza, he'll chase us. There's no escape.'
Flare had already gone through several scenarios in his head wherein Hidan would arise from the brush behind them and demand an unfair fight. In every single one of his scenarios, Flare had succumbed to the Jashinist in the most gruesome ways possible, his sister crying his name as he died a slow, agonizing death. Then, as the light faded from his eyes, the madman would grab his sister. Unlike the last time, back at their house, Seven would not be able to get away from him using her mind. The Jashinist knew her, now.
It was all bloody hopeless.
A bleak part of his mind reminded him that leaving Seven behind would prove to be beneficial to his survival. If he left her by her lonesome, he would not be slowed down. Hell, Hidan would probably stop pursuing him, altogether. He wanted her because she was his sick, religious epitaph; he only wanted to kill him because he kept trying to protect her.
He glanced back at his sister as she stumbled, biting her lower lip and keeping her head cocked toward the ground. She would never survive on her own. She would not even reach the tea house before Hidan caught up to her.
If he released her hand now, he could continue to run. He could continue to run and never look back. He could leave her there, on the ground and ankle-deep in mud, as bait for the crazed Akatsuki member tailing them. She would stare off at him as he ran, and he might even leap in the air victoriously. He could reach the Leaf Village in one piece, tell them that there was nothing that he could have done to save her, and start a new life under an alias. The thought was oddly comforting – oddly enticing. Flare's grip on her arm wavered for a moment, and he found himself more than ready to let her go. Would he? Did he have the nerve?
Close by, he could sense another chakra signature coming their way. Friend or foe, he did not know, but he did not want to run into them. His sensei had mentioned to him that someone was advancing upon them, a comrade of Hidan's. 'That's probably who it is,' he thought frantically, thinking of ways to avoid confrontation.
Even if his sensei had sent for nearby backup to find them, numbers would make no difference. An S-Class missing ninja was a challenge to a ninja as grand as a Kage; there would be no way that a few lowly Leaf ninja could subdue him. Not to mention the looming threat of the immortal. Sooner or later, Hidan would smash through the foliage and slaughter them all; no one would be able to detain a man who had been granted many, many lives.
They were in tremendous trouble.
"Flare," Seven's quivering voice sliced through his thoughts like a sharpened knife. He glanced back at her, only to find that she was staring right at him, squinting through the rain. Had she felt him loosen his grip earlier? Did she know that he had been thinking of leaving her behind? Would she call him out on his selfishness, or would she understand?
He gulped, but maintained a cool demeanour. "Uh… What?"
"Stop for a second."
The boy looked at her as if she had grown a second head, but Seven made no effort to clarify her demand. He skidded to a halt, almost falling to his knees due to the slippery earth beneath them. Seven pulled her arm away from his hand, massaging it lightly before speaking.
"Can you sense him coming, yet?" She asked him, eyes fixated on her sore appendage.
Flare focused for a moment, but soon shook his head, "No."
He could not sense him coming, but that did not mean anything. For all he knew, Hidan could be masking his presence to sneak up on them. He stared at his sister coldly, wanting nothing more than to continue on their path to freedom.
"Seven, we-"
She interrupted him, "can you sense anyone else?"
He pondered his response, wondering whether or not to tell her the truth. Would it do her any good to know? What use would she be against an associate of Hidan's? Seven waited patiently, but eyed him with an air of distrust. Moments passed before he was able to decide on an answer, "Yes. There's someone coming our way. I don't know who it is."
Seven nodded slowly, taking in what he had said, as if she had already known that there was someone nearby.
"Are they reinforcements?" She questioned.
"I don't know." He lied.
"Well… You want to split up, right?"
"…What?!"
Flare stared at his sister in utter disbelief, but her grave expression told him that she was not joking. How had she known his deep, dark intentions? Had she really felt his grip on her arm loosen?
He shook his head vigorously, staring at her as if she was stupid.
"N-No…!" He stammered, "We've come this far together, s-s-sp-splitting up would be a – a death wish!"
'A death wish for her, not you.' A dark voice within mumbled, 'leave her behind.'
He wanted to give into his devious thoughts, he truly did. He wanted to be able to get out of the situation alive. He wanted to be able to blame his poor sister for everything that had happened. But…
He found that he could do nothing but stare at her, mouth slightly agape.
'I… As much as I want to leave her behind… I can't.' He concluded. And it was true.
Seven had taken care of him since they were little, making sure that he was well fed, warm, and safe. For years, she had sacrificed her own feelings and expressions for him, only asking for his respect in return. Now, when things had gotten inexplicably obscure and her life was on the line, he wanted to run away. He gritted his teeth hard and looked to the ground.
His jaw had locked; he could not utter a word.
Seven continued to glower at him.
"A death wish for whom?" She asked quietly, reading his thoughts.
Flare clenched his fists.
Seven finally dropped her gaze and scanned the dark wood carefully. Raising his head carefully, he followed her stare. What was she studying so intensely? He could see nothing of value. The outlines of trees and shrubbery painted the pathway before them, but it was impossible to see very far into the darkness.
It took him a moment to realize that she was not looking at anything in particular; she was attempting to calculate an alternate route.
Gaping, he placed a gentle but firm hand on her covered shoulder and jerked her toward him. 'I… I can't let her…!'
"H-Hey…! Seven…"
She turned to face him, again, after several more seconds of profound calculation. Her eyes were glossy and she had a faint smile on her face. It was the same knowing smile that she had given him when she found out that he had been practicing the healing technique she had taught him. He hated the air of smugness that wafted around her and that smile. It meant that she knew of something that he did not, and that she was ready to give him a lesson or two in intellect.
"If we split up right here and run parallel to each other, we'll reach Dan's Tea House," she scanned her brother's eyes to be sure that he was absorbing her words before continuing slowly, "If no one attacks either of us before we arrive, I think it'll be safe to travel together, again. Did Shikaku mention how long it would take to get there?"
Flare shook his head, still baffled by the conversation that was occurring, "No… I don't think so… But, Seven…!"
She shook her head, sadly, "No, I think this is the best way of doing things. This way, I think that at least one of us will escape alive."
He hated to admit that both his decrepit and his rational mind were agreeing with her. It was true; if they went their separate ways and trekked to the tea house on their own, their survival rate would be inflated. Hidan was mainly after Seven, but he would not hesitate to kill Flare if he was within range. If the Jashinist managed to catch up to them, he would run into either Flare or Seven – not both of them. If he ran into Flare first, the buy would buy Seven enough time to get far away. If he ran into Seven first, he would have completed his mission and cease his pursuit. One of them would escape unscathed…
Only one of them.
Flare was not satisfied, "And what about your wounds?" he bellowed, "They're healed on the outside, but you've been limping the entire time. You're not fast enough to run away. You can't survive on your own. Fuck, you don't even have enough chakra to heal a papercut."
Flare's eyes lingered on his sister's downcast head for a while before he realized that he would not be receiving a response from her. She had made up her mind. She knew of her physical state, and yet, she still wanted to conduct her risky plan.
She knew that her brother was dangerously correct in all that he had said. She would not be able to defend herself, and she would be lucky to even reach the tea house with her wounds. Nevertheless, she wanted to keep the insane Akatsuki member away from her sibling at all costs. She had brought her fate onto herself, and it was up to her to overcome it; she did not want to hurt anyone else.
Chouza's defeated body wafted through her overactive mind, and she winced. That was her fault. Had she just given herself up to him, as she had so wrongfully promised, he would not have attacked the Akimichi.
No one else had to be hurt.
If Hidan finally caught up to her, she would stall for as long as she could, and then give in. He would have no reason to catch Flare, after that. He believed her to be a trophy that his God had bestowed upon him, and she was his main goal.
Seven sighed longingly, and found herself wishing for a better life.
As a child, she had wanted to become a ninja. That dream was destroyed when her parents were killed; the thought of dying terrified her, and she did not want to risk leaving Flare by himself. Later, as a teenager, she had wanted to become a teacher. Once again, that dream had deflated right before her eyes, as she realized that a teaching degree costed more money than she and Flare could ever hope to accumulate. Finally, as a young adult, she had realized that her calling in life was to assist others. She had always been the caretaker of her brother, and she had the ability to give others the gift of life; she could heal to near perfection. If she practiced and trained hard enough, she could become a doctor and save lives. She could be as valuable to her village as her parents had been, not to mention very, very proud of herself.
Turning to look her little brother in his eyes, she nodded.
"You're absolutely right. I have no defensive skills. I don't know how to use my chakra for anything but healing. I'm not trained, like you are, and my wounds are aching. I have a limp and I probably will for days. It's cold, I'm wet, and I'm tired. I might not make it to the tea house, and it's very likely that he'll catch up to me. However…" She touched Flare's hand gingerly and smiled at him.
'…You can, Flare, you can reach the tea house.' She thought, but she was never able to express her profound emotions.
It all happened faster than either of them could have comprehended. In a matter of mere seconds, a crushing, demonic force was in their vicinity. The chakra signature was deadly, so deadly that even Seven, a novice, was able to feel it. Her eyes widened in panic, believing it to be Hidan. Flare knew better. It was not Hidan, but someone with an even stronger killing intent.
Whoever it was… they were unbelievably infuriated.
Whipping around, dull, injured eyes met with crazed green pupils.
The world felt like it was collapsing. Seven could not move. When Flare had turned around so suddenly, she found herself in awe. How could he move under such pressure? Gritting her teeth, she willed herself to turn and face her foe. Flare would need support, and she wanted to be the one to give it to him.
The youngest Toho glared at the man before him. Eyes scanning him form, he was not surprised to see a black cloak with red clouds adorning the man's muscular body. 'Shit… that son of a bitch summoned a friend,' he thought, grimly, 'not good.'
He stepped in front of his sister unconsciously, and grounded his teeth together furiously. The man stood in front of him, half of his face covered by a dark mask and his head covered with cloth. If it had not been for his headband, signifying that he had defected from the Waterfall Village, Flare would have thought that he had hailed from the Sand Village. He was very tall, and his hands twitched with vehemence; this man was itching for a fight.
"What are you doing here, Akatsuki?" Flare growled, glad that his voice did not waver.
Behind his mask, the man cracked a smirk and grunted, "I didn't expect a brat like you to know anything about the Akatsuki."
The young boy's eyes were clouded with rage. How dare this man insult him as if he were nothing more than a stupid child? Several times in one day, a member of the Akatsuki had insulted and humiliated him; he would be damned if he continued to let any of the organization's other members step all over him. He clenched his fists and maintained a comfortable battle stance. He had to remain calm. He could not show him how frightened and angry he truly was.
"I'll ask you again," Flare hissed, "what are you doing here, Akatsuki?"
The masked man balled one of his hands into a fist and cracked his knuckles. An intimidation factor. He scanned his new enemy over with his festive eyes. The boy was no threat; he was just an undereducated stripling who had no idea how things worked in the real world. The girl behind him was even weaker. From the looks of it, his presence was overpowering her to the point where she was onlyjust turning around to face him.
'Useless,' he thought, disgusted with the children before him, 'but perhaps they can help me before they die.'
"I'm looking for my partner." He began, dismissing the frightened look that appeared in the girl's eyes. Taking in the siblings' tattered beings, he almost chuckled, "You two look like you might have run into him. I know he was headed in this direction."
He took a step toward them, causing Flare to dig his heels into the wet earth. The boy was ready to pounce if his masked foe showed any indication that he was going to launch an attack.
Seven shook her head slowly, finally realizing that the man before them was an acquaintance of Hidan. Their luck could not have been any worse.
'Two Akatsuki members in one forest. If we don't get out of here soon-'
Her eyes darted toward Flare, sure that he would be cowering away in terror upon understanding their predicament. She was surprised to find that he had whipped out a kunai from his pocket and was twirling it around his pinkie finger. His face reeked of determination, and his shadowed eyes told her that he was so mentally unstable that he thought he could take on the S-Class criminal.
She did not blame his mind for shutting down; she was close to losing her sanity, as well. Would she be able to get through to him before he did something reckless? Was it too late to call his name helplessly, hoping that some part of his former self would respond to her? He would die there, if he dared to lunge at the masked man.
"Flare…" she whispered, watching him lick his lips.
He wanted to kill the man that stood in their way; there was no convincing him otherwise.
Before she could reach out to touch him – praying that the feel of her fingertips would be enough for him to hesitate – the young Toho charged at the Akatsuki member, feet pounding against the ground and mouth screaming obscenities.
Seven watched as he held his weapon in front of his face, cursing the Akatsuki and everything that they had ever done, feeling the pain laced into his words.
She watched as the masked man side-stepped his attack, and she cried out when her little brother was punched hard in the gut, making him drop his weapon and stagger backward.
She screamed his name in utter horror, willing her legs to move. Blood furnished the ground as the masked man took Flare's discarded kunai and slashed his eyes with the blade. His horrendous cry stung her ears, and the memory would haunt her until she took her last breath.
Watching him fall to his knees, Seven took a meagre step toward the two ninja, finally finding the strength to move. Her legs wobbled under her weight and the threatening energy of their opponent. Flare's mouth was open wide, but nothing was emerging from his throat; he looked to be in a state of shock. She took a few steps closer, ignoring the harsh glare from the man.
She had to see how bad it was.
Getting a better look at him after inching closer to the duo, the woman immediately knew that he had lost his eyes. Did he know? Did he understand that he would never see again?
The Akatsuki member had stopped paying any mind to her slow advancement, deeming her to be an inadequate and needless opponent. He was correct; she would not be able to do anything to assist her brother. The man before her was beyond both of them in skill, and she knew better than her younger brother that there would be no way to defeat him. If he so wished, he could kill them both where they stood, effortlessly. Her eyes watered as she made her way closer to the pair.
She had to reach Flare; she had to be there for him.
The masked man spun the bloody kunai around his finger and tossed it to the side, glaring down at the boy before him. Seven watched, again, as their opponent rolled his right shoulder and pressed the fingers in his right hand against each other, mimicking a javelin. She watched as he pushed his hand through her brother's chest smoothly, piercing his heart.
She heard him choke and cough, not understanding what had become of his body, not being able to see his own end. She found herself wishing that her eyes had been slashed instead of his. She watched as the man pulled his hand out of her little brother's chest and wiped his blood off using his damp cloak.
She watched, through teary eyes, as Flare Toho fell to the mucky ground without a word, and wailed when she heard his body slosh against his final resting place. Her voice sounded demonic, inhuman. Her eyes were wide with harsh awareness and agony. Her insides felt as though they were being torn apart by a hundred rabid animals, tearing each piece of her organ away slowly, until there was only emptiness left.
Her younger brother, her solace, her hope, her only family member left…
The one that she had taken care of for years, sacrificed so much for…
He was dead.
She stumbled over to him, disregarding the indifferent Akatsuki member that stood nearby. Nothing else mattered anymore. All she could feel was the deep pain that pounded against her chest, making her cry and shout. The masked man could kill her if he wanted to, but not before she reached her brother.
Seven turned the young boy over so that he was lying on his back. She pleaded for him to keep breathing, and told him that it was not too late to save his life. The ugly, jagged gash across his eyelids prevented him from gazing up at her, but she could feel every shallow breath that left his body. Which one would be his last? How much time did she have left with him?
Bawling uncontrollably, she touched his face gently, with a cold, calloused hand. Her other hand wandered down his chest, stopping just before his fatal wound. What was he thinking? Did he understand the gravity of the event, how much of an impact it would have on things from now on?
"Flare!" she cried, unable to calm herself down, "Flare!"
Did it hurt? Could he still feel how pain?
Flare heard his sister's voice, but could no longer speak her name with the same eagerness that she spoke his. The air was leaving his lungs quickly. His life was over, and everything felt so exhausting. The pain was beginning to fade, and he felt his body grow colder, lighter, number.
Blackness had overtaken him when the man had slashed his eyes. Was he blind?
He heard Seven crying for him, telling him that it was not too late to be revived. He wished that she would not give him such false hope. He wanted to believe that this was it, that there truly was no saving his life. He did not want to die harbouring hate for those that could not save him.
He cursed his own actions, his own insanity, for ending up as a corpse on the cold, muddy forest floor. Had he retained a little of his rational mind, had he been able to think the situation through just a little more, perhaps he could have saved them. Now, they were going to die.
He felt his sister's hand caressing his chilled face and wanted to smile. 'It feels just like mom's touch,' he thought. More than ever, Seven had always been like a mother to him. Since their parents had died when he was so young, she had taken over as his guardian. She cooked his meals, made sure that he had clothes, made sure that he was healthy and safe… Even though he was a ninja and she a civilian, she had protected him in many more ways than he had ever protected her.
Whenever there was a monster under his bed, she had vanquished it.
Whenever sleep terrors and nightmares plagued his sleep, she had cuddled him until they were no more.
Whenever he cried for his parents, she had been there to wipe his tears away.
Whenever he had gotten hurt while training, she had taken time out of her studies to heal him wholesomely.
He wished that he could see her face, again… Just one more time. That way, she would be able to protect him from the loneliness he felt as his breathing grew shallow and his mind grew hazy.
'I love you, Sev,' he thought, finally, feeling a final gust of air part from his lungs, 'next time, I'll protect you.'
The masked man stared at the sorry sight before him. The girl was crying over the foolish little boy like a mother would cry over their lost child. The boy had asked for his own death. She should be cursing him for wasting his precious life and leaving her vulnerable to an enemy's whims.
He stepped toward her, sighing in annoyance as she wailed over the boy's dead body. He leaned down and picked her up by the scruff of her coat, pulling her away from her little brother hastily. She screamed even louder, cursing him as her brother had done only moments ago, telling him that he would pay for the pain he had inflicted. He had heard the same speech from many victims in the past. They promised that he would suffer or burn in hell, but he was still alive and well, after several years of the same cruel deeds.
"Shut up," he hissed, shaking the girl menacingly, "nothing you say to me will make a difference. The boy is dead. If you don't give me the information I want, you will be, too."
A lie, of course. He would kill her, regardless of whether or not she complied. The last thing he needed was a weak brat hunting him down for revenge, later.
Her feet dangled in the air, and her hands clawed vigorously at his one. She was inexorable, unwilling to listen to anything he said with her mind so clouded in sorrow. He growled in frustration, feeling his temper spike. This woman was pushing his limit. If she refused to obey, he would be forced to give her a very slow, torturous death. She had a weak spirit and a weaker body; he was absolutely positive that she would yield to him after he tore a few of her fingernails off.
He tossed her away from him violently, and relished in the sound of her body hitting a tree trunk. It would have made him smile uncontrollably if she had screamed, too, maybe begged for her life a little.
Seven squeaked in both surprise and pain, but no physical sensations could compare to the agony she felt within. She glared at the masked man, teeth clenched furiously, blood and rain rushing down her face. Climbing carefully to her feet, she clutched her brother's coat tightly to her body and leaned back against the tree.
The Akatsuki member took an intimidating step toward her, proud that he had been able to shut her up. "I'm only going to ask you this once," he growled, "I'm looking for my partner. He wields a rather strange weapon – a triple-bladed scythe – and wears the same garb as myself. He's not the smartest, but he's strong – strong enough to destroy a pitiful little village like yours. Have you seen him?"
Seven wasted no time responding, biting out her answer with as much malevolence as she could muster, "Your partner is the reason for mine and my brothers' injuries! He invaded our house and tried to kill us for his fucked up God!"
Pushing herself away from the tree, she started to back away from her opponent, who was only drawing closer to her. She had piqued his interest with her toxic response. She knew where Hidan was, and that was all that mattered to him.
She gulped when she realized that he would not cease his advancement. He was dangerous. He had killed her brother, and he was coming for her, next. The least she could do was try to run away, though he would undoubtedly catch up and slaughter her within seconds. 'Still, a moving target is better than a target that sits still.' She tried to reason with herself.
The Akatsuki member smirked beneath his mask. It seemed as though his navigation skills were still as exceptional as they were in his youth. He knew that the immortal had run in this direction. Now, if the girl could tell him where she had last seen his imprudent partner, he would most certainly be able to gun him down.
He could see her shivering from where he stood. She was petrified of him, petrified of what he had done, and petrified of what he was going to do to her. He had decided that, for all the trouble she and her brother had put him through, he was going to torture her after he received his information. He needed someone to take his frustrations out on, and since Hidan was nowhere to be found, this girl would do nicely. Breaking her little fingers, one by one, would be a good place to start. Then, he could puncture a small hole in her pancreas and watch her squirm in agony. His mood was getting better just thinking about it.
"Where did you last see him?" He asked with a hint of eagerness in his tone.
Seven shrugged her shoulders defiantly, picking up on the deadly gaze he was directing to her, but not caring. He could do what he wanted; nothing would bring Flare back, and nothing he did to her would hurt as much.
"He got taken down by my brother's sensei, and he'll deal with you, too, when he gets here," she snarled, "we left your partner in the woods, tied up and helpless. Hopefully some vicious animal got to him before he woke up."
Her back hit something firm and she tensed, eyes widening and hair standing on-end. She did not know how she knew, but she knew. He was standing behind her, blocking her escape. He had managed to catch up to them, faster than either of them had expected.
"Like some goddamn forest animals could hurt me. You've got to be fucking stupid."
The man behind her snaked and arm around her waist and gave her a good knock to the back of the head before she could even realize what was happening. Her domain went as dark as Flare's, and she cursed herself for not considering how liable she was, alone in a forest with two Akatsuki members. She tried to fight the onslaught of blackness, but found that it was hopeless. She was done.
Mumbling an obscenity under her breath, her body relaxed in the Jashinist's grip. He stared down at her for a few moments, eyes devilish and smug, before cracking a triumphant grin. Finally, he had managed to subdue her; it had only taken until dawn. The way she had slumped into his arms had been perfect, a sure sign of her impending defeat.
"Heh. Dumb bitch." He glanced up at his partner and grinned, "Hey, Kakuzu. I owe you one for managing to corner this woman."
Kakuzu could care less about the priest's explicit gratitude. The masked demon only stared furiously at his partner, "A woman? You left the rendezvous point for another one of your cheap village whores, you idiot?!"
Hidan looked confused for a moment, processing what had just been said. Another one of his cheap village whores? Suddenly, a lightbulb turned on in his head, and he frowned at the heathen before him.
"This isn't just another one of my village whores, you fucking moneygrubber," he seethed, "this is a gift from Lord Jashin. He told me to hunt her down and take her back with me."
Unlike the other women he had captured in the past, this one severed a true purpose; she was not just a fuck toy.
Kakuzu had to take a few deep breaths before responding. He watched as his partner took the woman and flung her body over his shoulder rather carelessly. It was a wonder to him that the immortal valued women and his religion more than making a profit.
Scoffing, he narrowed his abnormal eyes, "Pein will not allow you to have another woman at the base. The last one caused too much of a commotion when she managed to escape from you and Deidara. Zetsu had to intercept and kill her."
Hidan waved an impatient hand at the taller man, rolling his eyes childishly, "that was Deidara's fault, not mine. Besides, I'm not keeping her at the main base this time, so Pein shouldn't have a problem with it. And if he does, he can fuck right off."
Kakuzu growled lowly, not liking that he was being brushed off so casually. He wanted to rip both the woman and the Jashinist to pieces to quell his anger, but then he would have to listen to Hidan's constant whining all the way back to the base. Staring at the girl that was draped none-too-carefully over his partner's shoulder, the older man shook his head in disbelief.
When it came to anything, money was the most important thing to him. No God or woman could ever change his mind. He had lost nearly one grand from Hidan's sudden disappearance that night, and why did Hidan decide to abandon him? Because of a lowly fucking woman.
His tanned hand twitched in his sleeve, eager to punch a hole into something – or someone.
"…Let's go, Hidan." He mumbled, turning back the way he had come. He would save his anger for another time or another opponent. They could not waste any more time. Pein had called for a meeting to commence in three days' time to discuss military strength, at an Akatsuki base that was a good four days away from their location. They would have to hurry if they wanted to make it in time.
"That woman is only going to slow you down." He called to the immortal, "and I will not be late to this meeting."
Hidan flipped his partner the bird, gritting his teeth in annoyance, "you know what, Kakuzu? Eat a dick. I have enough stamina to keep up with your ass, woman or no woman. We'll make it in time, so do everyone a favour and calm your shit. Besides, I told you," he patted Seven's bottom his a lecherous hand, "she's not just any woman."
Kakuzu rolled his eyes and brushed his partner off. Oh, he would calm his shit, all right. He would calm his shit after he punched a hole into Hidan's obnoxious head.