Me: Sorry for the wait, folks!
Eddie: We've been busy…
Me: Aren't you going to tell them why?
Eddie: -Glares- it's personal
Me: -Eye roll- Eddie was in the hospital because he broke his-gets knocked out-
Eddie: -Kicks Yoi no Chi to the side- Yoi no Chi doesn't own Naruto or the right to say SOMETHING that's not the readers' business
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Chapter Seven
A Funeral for the Sun, Part Three
No point of view
(With Pein)
The lights flickered every time a person would pass below it, Pein found that out an hour ago. The hours would come and go like the waves on the sand. He couldn't think straight, his mind was clouded with swirls of emotions, some he never knew he even had.
No one tried to talk to him even if they had, he wouldn't have heard it; all of his attention was on the woman lying in the room across from him. All of the Akatsuki was there… well except for one; Yahiko was no longer amongst the living.
But Pein knew that he was there, watching over them, making sure Sakura was safe. The doctors won't tell them what happened to the beautiful rosette; they probably don't know or possibly don't care.
It was cruel, the way these doctors were supposed to care and heal their patents but the doctors in this damned hospital do not. The whole place was silent besides for the clicking sound of the nurses' heels.
For once, Naruto and Hidan weren't fighting; the two of them were just gazing blankly at the door like everyone else. It has been a hard and unbearable day, first that bastard Danzo had to kill Yahiko and then Sakura was put in the hospital for unknown reasons. What a hell of a day.
It was pass midnight; no one slept or even moved. Dawn was arriving faster than the bullets in his gun. Finally, Sakura's door opened revealing a woman around the age of twenty.
Her hair that was darker than the night-sky was pushed up into a messy but neat bun and her dark eyes held worry along with warmth of a mother unlike the other doctors.
Her white coat swayed softly as she walked towards the gang. Everyone shot up immediately, catching the doctor by surprise. "Are you here to see Ishikawa Sakura?" the woman asked, looking curiously at them.
"Yes we are, Miss…" Pein glanced at her nametag, "Hotaru." His voice was like silk, soft but underneath that softness and peacefulness, he was worried and scared, was Sakura alright? Was she alive…?
Hotaru's face had a tint of blush on it. "Is Sakura-chan alright?" Naruto practically yelled, shaking the poor woman. "Naruto-bastard, let her fucking go or she won't be able to damn speak, you damn shit-headed asshole," told Hidan, glaring.
The blonde let the doctor go and stepped back. He opened his mouth but closed it when Pein shot him a warning glare. "Sakura-sama has had a nervous breakdown and will recover shortly." Pein let the information sink in, she was going to be okay.
"It is unusual for a sixteen-year old to get them. Those undergoing high levels of stress, for example after the death of a parent, spouse, or child, or who have been through a messy divorce are more likely to have a "nervous breakdown" if they are predisposed toward certain mental illnesses." The woman paused briefly, sinking in air for her next round of words.
"As well, even those who do not have a predisposition toward mental illness can have a nervous breakdown if they suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. We couldn't find anything in her records that might suggest any mental disorders or her having a nervous breakdown before." She stopped for breath again then hurried back to speaking.
"Unfortunately, her records are very small, it seems as though she hasn't had a check-up since she was four. So we checked her body for any sign of abuse and what we found surprised us, she has multiple scars across her back, chest, legs and arms. They are about four-plus years old and deep." Hotaru held out pictures of the scars, showing them how bad they were.
Pein looked at Naruto, just what has they been through? "You can visit her if you want," informed Hotaru, pushing Sakura's door open. "But only one at a time, she's very weak right now and the last thing she needs is a lot of people surrounding her."
Pein nodded. "Konan, you go first." The denim-haired woman dipped her head and strolled inside.
(With Sakura)
(Sakura's point of view)
Beep
Beep
Beep
What is that noise? Where am I? I winced, trying to open my eyes but it was like they were glued shut. I forced them open; I wanted to see light instead of the darkness that lay behind my eyelids. "Ah, you are awake, Sakura-sama," a voice exclaimed.
"Who are you?" I demanded, glaring at my blurred vision. "Oh, I'm no one you need to worry about, Sa-ku-ra." The voice let my name roll of its tongue like a plague. I shivered; it reminded me of what mother would do.
"I'm in an unknown place with someone I can't even see, I think I have the right to know who you are," I hissed, I was in no mood for mind games. The person chuckled, it was smooth and cold. "I'm Hotaru and you are in Konoha's greatest hospital, Golden Thorn."
"Your friends are very concerned for you, you had a nervous breakdown, amore," explained another voice, this one sounding sweet like honey but I could tell it was false, no one could have such a warm honey-like voice without some sort of evilness hiding within them.
"We would like to know why you had such a giant breakdown such as yours as we search your body for any sign of abuse and were very shocked at what we found; you have multiple scars running throughout your person but you most likely already know that," Hotaru enlightened me, I could hear her grin, it was sickening.
"I'll go tell your friends you are alright and they can visit you now. Gina, leave before they come in, you don't want to be caught by them or you would be better off dead," giggled Hotaru, walking out of the room.
I heard the woman, Gina, stroll somewhere towards my right side then disappear. My vision finally cleared. 'It's about damn time,' I thought, studying the room around me. It was an average hospital room with white walls and an old TV.
What first trapped my glaze was a sleek ebony-wood closet; it had beautiful carved designs covering the sides and the front. It was pushed up against one of the plain walls on my right.
The hospital door creaked; I swiftly got in a fighting stance, briefly I wondered where they put my guns. Though I didn't need them, I could take on an army of ANBU and not tire nor break stride. The door opened all the way, revealing short navy hair and sharp ashen eyes stained with sorry and guilt.
(With Konan)
Konan strolled into Sakura's room. She was a little scared, what if she didn't want to see her? What if she blames her for her breakdown? A long line of questions ran through her head, all frightening her more and more.
The navy -haired teen didn't want to lose her best friend especially since her lover just died. "H-hello Sakura." She tried to make her voice happy and inviting but she knew the rosette would see through it.
"Konan, what's wrong?" the rosette strongly asked, her emerald eyes analyzing her like she could see into the deepest depths of her soul. The question shouldn't have stung her but it did, throwing her into the comforting arms of the other woman.
Her cries were loud and quick. She wanted to scream out all the pain, all the regret, all her soul and forget all that she has lost and all that she has won but she knew she couldn't, she couldn't escape from herself, Yahiko wouldn't like that.
Sakura rubbed her back softly and hummed. The tune was chilling but it soothed Konan until her once frantic sobs became no more. "It's okay," the rosette eased, making her feel like she was young again and her mother was telling her not to cry after she fell and got a scratch.
"Konan…" Sakura lifted her chin, making her look into emerald orbs, they were fierce and intense. "You can tell me what's wrong; you don't have to keep your emotions bottled up. It is not healthy."
Konan nodded, trying to make her voice steady. "It's my fault, Sakura." She got a curious look from the rosette.
"It's my fault Yahiko died. Three days ago I found out I was two months pregnant and I told Yahiko last night a little before the battle with ROOT. I wanted to keep it a secret until after but I couldn't hold it in and it sort of slipped. He couldn't think straight, I saw him keep looking at me and that's when Danzo shot his leg and killed him."
(With Sakura)
Sakura watched Konan practically flew into her arms, she was crying heavily. She didn't know how to comfort someone but she knew she had to try if she wanted to know the truth.
For a moment, she recalled the book about emotions and friendship: "To insure that you and another person are friends, soothe them when they are sad or mad. It will show that you care about them even though you have a hard time saying and/or showing it."
The rosette glanced down at her friend, she did seem sad. She remembered her father would always rub her back and hum when she was frightened. It was best to try it.
She stroked Konan's back and hummed the only song she knew, the one father made, one that could never be lost in this world of sorrow.
"It's okay," she soothed, trying to be like a mother who was calming her child after they fell and it worked, Konan's cries were ceasing.
"Konan…" She lifted her best friend's chin, showing her eyes, they held the strength of a thousand of souls preparing for battle against the darkness. "You can tell me what's wrong; you don't have to keep your emotions bottled up. It's not health."
Konan slowly nodded, waiting a little while to talk; most likely she was trying to make her voice not crack. "It's my fault." Tears threatened to break through the navy-haired teen's ashen eyes.
Sakura didn't know what she meant by it was her fault. Was she saying it was her fault she had a nervous breakdown or was she talking about Yahiko's death?
She watched silently as Konan poured her heart. 'So it was true, something was distracting Yahiko,' she thought, rubbing her friend's back again. Sakura wrapped an arm around Konan; she tried to be a safety for her. The rosette was probably the first person she told about what happened.
It was strange to feel these emotions, love, caring, kindness, what had she done to feel this way? Did she even have the right? She didn't think so.
"Konan, not to be rude or anything but I think your turn is over, let someone else visit," told Sakura, gently lifting her friend off the bed and setting her on the floor. Konan dipped her head and strolled over to the door.
"Thank you, Sakura-chan. Thank you for everything," the teen smiled before opening the door and left.
(With Pein)
'What's taking so long? Konan was supposed to be done two minutes ago.' Pein paced from the lobby chairs to Sakura's door and back. He needed to see her; he needed to know she was fine.
He ran his hand through his apricot hair; these emotions were just too confusing for him to understand. He couldn't tell anyone about them; the only one he would tell was Yahiko and Yahiko was currently in a funeral house.
His inner musing stopped when he heard the faint click of a door shutting. He turned, finding Konan strolling over to him.
The navy-haired woman looked tired but her eyes seemed livelier than when he last saw her. "Sorry for taking too long, I just needed to tell her something," Konan explained, sitting down. Pein shot her a confused glance but decided not to pry her.
He hurriedly went to Sakura's door, pausing for a second to calm his nerves. Gradually, he pushed the door open. "Sakura?" he whispered, treading his way in, shutting the door behind him.
Pein froze for a half an second and tried to hold in his laughter. For someone who was supposed to be one of the best killers in the world this was kind of pathetic, Sakura was stuck in a closet, upside-down with a pistol (a SIG P226 to be exact) in one hand and the other was crutch into a fist.
She was glaring at a stuffed rabbit that was lying on the ground next to her with a bullet through its head. "Must I ask?" Pein chuckled, helping her out. Once Sakura was on her feet and dusted herself off, she went over to the hospital bed and sat down.
"Are you going to tell me or am I going to have to guess?" Pein asked, sitting next to the rosette. Sakura's face was flushed like she had searched the entire world for something and couldn't find it and the apricot-haired teen was curious as to why.
She sighed. "Fine, I was trying to find the passage way that Gina went through and when I opened up the closet, a rabid rabbit attacked me so I shot it and then when I walked in, I got strung up because I set off a trap then you came in."
Pein tensed, did she say Gina? She couldn't be talking about the same Gina; Deidara had killed her years ago, he saw the blonde shoot her right in the middle of the head, there was no way she could take a bullet to the head and still walk amongst the living.
Sakura must have noticed his sudden lack of movement for she asked: "do you know her?" Pein nodded. "I once knew a woman by the same name but she died at Deidara's hands a couple years back."
"Well, I'd like to know more about this Gina," Sakura pressed. Elegantly she placed her elbows on her knees and folded her hands together. Her sharp emerald eyes stared at him; they sort of reminded him of a cat waiting for its prey.
They both remained silent, waiting for the other to crack and tell the other one what they wanted to hear. Pein knew he wasn't going to win but hell, who ever said you couldn't try?
Emerald clashed with lavender, both sharpen to slaughter. A battle was moving throughout their minds, trying to break the other but neither side was willing to lose. The minutes slipped past into the never-ending pool of the abyss.
Neither Pein nor Sakura wearied; still they gazed at one another. Pein was impressed that the rosette hasn't lost yet but she was the daughter of Kasumi Ishikawa.
Outside, lightning skipped through the sky and thunder roared, shaking the earth. Rain splashed to the ground like a never-ending trail of bullets.
It wasn't much different than inside the small hospital room. Sakura was like lightning, swift and silent and Pein was like thunder, strong and brave. They both fought for the same thing but were against the other.
Pein inwardly sighed, if he was going to get some answers, he's going to have to talk first. "Fine," Pein started off, earning the attention of the rosette across from him.
"Gina was part of the Akatsuki two years ago but she turned out to be a spy so we came up with a plan to get rid of her. When Zetsu and she were on a mission, we ambushed her. The plan worked and her life was ended with a simple shot to the head."
Pein didn't like talking about Gina, she fooled him, she fooled everyone and when someone tricks his family, they will die whether it was by him or by someone else but either way, they would die.
"Now, tell me about the Gina you know," Pein commanded, he just wanted this to be done and get it behind them.
Sakura was silent. Pein was about to tell her again when she spoke. "I didn't see her cause my eyesight was blurred but I could recognize her voice anywhere, it was like ice but coated with sugar and with a bit of an Italian accent. She also had a charm about her like you wanted to do anything she asked and tell her your deepest secret. Does that sound like your Gina?"
Pein stiffed, it couldn't be possible! Gina was dead and the dead can't be amongst the living. This was too confusing. "Oh don't act so surprised, Pietro. You knew that I wasn't dead and you said nothing. Now it's time to pay the price for your silence."
Pein never felt the slightest bit of fear before but hearing her voice again, her toxic sugared voice, struck a fear in him. She was the one who could always get under his skin. She was the one who could make him fall to his knees. She was the one who could make an ice-cold man like him melt. She was the one who he once fell in love with.
If only he could have seen past her façade instead of looking right at it and been fooled. The past was supposed to be filled with memories one enjoys but he did not enjoy it. He had made mistakes, one of which that was too powerful to forgive.
Two years ago
Pein strolled down the sidewalk. Irritably, he kicked a pebble, sending it flying into traffic. Today was not a good day for him. First, one of Danzo's gang tried to kill him in his sleep and he does NOT like to be woken up by some jackass just because he was the leader of a gang.
Secondly, the jackass wouldn't die quick enough and kept whining about how he can't die 'cause he has a family like the teen give a shit anyway. Thirdly, Deidara and Sasori wouldn't stop fighting about their opinions about the true meaning of art.
And finally, Itachi's car broke down so they have to walk to school which he doesn't want to go there in the first place but Konan said that it there was free food and she didn't have to cook it so basically, he is doing it for the free food.
"Look out!" someone shouted from behind. Pein turned his head to see why only to have a person crash into him. He stumbled but did not fall. 'Just when I thought it wouldn't get any worse.' The person clung to him to come from falling. "Oh! I'm so sorry, amore!" the person apologized, backing away from him.
Pein only grunted in response. Tobi ran towards him and placed himself in between Pein and the offender. "Leader-chan, Leader-chan! Is Leader-chan alright? Does Leader-chan want Tobi to get rid of Donkey-chan?" Tobi whined, glaring behind his mask. The apricot-haired teen sighed. "I'm fine, Tobi. It was merely an accident."
Tobi ignored Pein and did not move from his position. The masked teenager, being two inches taller than Pein, blocked his view of the person but he could tell it was a woman when she apologized to him.
"What. The. Hell. Was Donkey-chan fucking thinking when Donkey-chan slammed into Leader-chan?" Tobi coldly questioned, Madara slipping in. Pein sighed and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "It is okay, Madara, there's no need for you to be here." It would be bad if Madara came all the way out and there was no way, Pein was going to clean up bodies today.
Tobi turned his head, a crimson eye glowing behind his mask. "Alright but keep Tobi by, there's something about this girl that I don't like. Something dark lies behind blue eyes, Pein, something that cannot be trusted," Madara warned. Pein nodded as the crimson eye faded into ebony.
"Sorry, Leader-chan," Tobi asked for forgiveness, stepping aside. "It is okay, Madara already explaine-" The teen stopped in midsentence as a gorgeous woman appeared. Long dark chocolate locks flowed like ribbons in the breeze. Royal blue eyes filled to the brim with good humor and kindness. The woman was wearing a black and gray stripped hoodie that showed off her large chest, gray skinny jeans and checkered blue vans. A loose helmet hung on her head while her eyebrow ring glinted.
She was as tan as the sun. She didn't look Japanese, in fact, she looked Italian. "Heya, the name's Gina, Pietro," she announced with an outstretched hand. Pein shook it, "I'm Pein." Gina's eyes widened. "Pein? Why would someone name their child Pein, Pietro?" the brunette questioned with a raise of her slender eyebrow.
Pein rolled his eyes. "I could ask you the same thing, you are Italian yet you have a Japanese name." The woman netted her brows together as she protested with annoyance, "I do not have a Japanese name." Pein snorted, "Gina means silvery in Japanese."
"Well, in Italian, Gina is short for Luigina which means famous warrior, Pietro," stated Gina with a smirk. It grew when Pein held a tint of scarlet on his checks. "Do not worry, Pietro, I forgive you for your foolishness."
Pein growled, "I do not need your forgiveness and what's with you calling me Pietro?" He folded his arms over his chest as he waited for an answer. "Pietro means stone, I call you that because your body is a hell of a lot hard," Gina told, rubbing her nose.
Time skip, three months later
"So what was the mission again, Silvano?" Gina asked her tall partner while playing with her robe. "Capture a spy," Zetsu replied, glancing at the woman. "Riiiggghhhttt, I'm going to need more information than that like why we are walking through the forest instead of going there in a, I don't know maybe a car!" the Italian huffed.
She tried to kick a root but failed and fell. "If you can't tell, Silvano, I'm not from the forest like you are." Gina stumbled to pick herself up. "If we went by car, we would be found so we are walking to the spy's hideout," the man finally explained, hopping out of the way as an arrow hit the tree behind him.
"It appears, my dear Gina, we have been found." Gina grumbled at their mad luck and pulled out her gun (a simple SIG P229). Her back leaned into an oak, capturing and mixing with its shadow. Skimming the surrounding forest, she saw a branch crunch and fired at it.
She sighed in relief when ravens flew out of the tree. "One, two, we're coming for you," a voice sang hauntingly from her left. Gina pulled her trigger and shot at it but the bullets hit open air. "Three, four, better watch your back," this time a different voice spoke and on her right.
Doing the same thing as before, she shot at the voice only to have it hit nothing. "Five, six, get a shield," sang another voice from behind her. Frighten, Gina shelled some of her ammunition but hit the oak. This time, the voice started above her, "seven, eight, better get what you lack."
The woman glared; there was nothing that she lacked in. She looked down, her breast standing a good foot outwards; yes she defiantly did not lack cleavage. "Nine, ten, never breathe again!" all the voices shouted at once. All of a sudden, thousands of bullets jetted at Gina.
Quicker than lightning, the teen dodged the shells with flips and twirls all while laughing. "This is fun," Gina grinned like a fox. Happily, she spun through the air like a swan. "But it would be more fun if all of you would show yourselves."
There was some rustling and hushed whispers then, Kisame appeared. "Oh, Ponzio," Gina started with a clap of her hands, "you are always the first to come out. Now, Ponzio, why have you betrayed me?"
Kisame glared. "I believe you betrayed us first, Gina." Gina tilted her head to the side in innocence as she cocked her gun. "Oh, Ponzio, I do not know what you are talking about." She grinned as she pulled the trigger. Nothing happened.
The Italian frowned, she was out of bullets. Kisame smirked, "and so the mighty falls." Abruptly, Gina dropped to the ground in pain, her left leg stinging. Pein stepped out from his hiding space, his gun drawn. "Goodbye, Gina." She laughed manically, "alas, Pietro, this is not goodbye; it is merely a beginning of long war."
Pein give her a fixed glare. The teen gave light nod to Deidara and the blonde fired. Before the shell connected, Gina smiled, "The price to pay for your foolishness is death, Pietro."
Present time
'No. You are going to pay for cheating death.'
"Pein, are you coming?" sounded Sakura's voice. Pein blinked and nodded. He tried briefly to remember where it was they were going but quickly stopped when he saw the rosette climb into the closet. He sighed, this was insane.
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Me: Ah, it feels nice to finally finish this chappie
Eddie: Yeah
Me: Oh, and before you go off this page, maybe you'd like to know Gina's names for the Akatsuki and the meanings:
Pein= Pietro "Stone."
Nagato= Rufina "Red-haired."
Yahiko= Sansone "Like the sun."
Konan= Angiola "Angel messenger."
Zetsu= Silvano "From the forest."
Tobi= Emilio "Rival."
Kisame= Ponzio "Seaman."
Itachi= Tacito "Mute or silent."
Sasori= Costazo "Steadfast."
Deidara= Flavio "Yellow hair."
Kakuzu= Dario "Wealthy."
Hidan= Saintino "Little saint." Or Ambrogino "Little Immortal one."
