Whoot! Chap 10 is coming!! Yay!

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CHAPTER 10: THE MISSING-NIN

I followed him to the backyard, wondering what he might do. He doesn't say a word, even after we are surrounded by bushes and plants on the back of the house. The only thing he does was hand me his pike while he holds another pike in the same size of the one he gave me.

"Hold that for a second," he says without looking, "while I'm doing my rituals,"

"You're doing the ritual again?" my eyes widened.

He turns his head to me, "What do you mean again?"

"Uh, well...you did yours this morning before we went to the enemy's base camp, remember?" I remind him, "Why are you doing it again?"

"Because I want to," he frowns.

He... wants to?

The only thing I can imagine is a psychotic masochist who is literally mutilating himself while laughing maniacally as if he's truly happy when he did that. That's...disturbing, very disturbing. Especially when you are that masochist's student.

I remember it quite clearly...in fact I can't even forget the first time I saw his ritual. With my very eyes I saw him lie right on where he stands right now. Pike flipped from his body, leaving an open wound on his bare chest and blood flowing unstoppable from it. His body was covered in blood...his own blood. Apparently he was stabbing himself in the chest. I remember how terrified I was when I thought that he was dying.

And I'm sure I don't want to see it again anytime soon.

But do I have a say in this?

No. Of course, not.

Tried to omit the psychotic freak's image out of my mind, I blink, "But you don't have to do it twice a day, right?"

"Look, that was the morning ritual," the man sounds a bit irritated, "And this one is supposed to be done in the evening. I still have one more to do later at night. They're three different rituals and I did it with different purposes, okay?"

"What?!"

My mind suddenly blank.

"I never do a ritual twice a day," still sounds irritated, "I'll only allow myself to do once for each of the ritual. Because even if I want more, I'll ran out of blood. And even though I don't mind pain, it'd be hurt like hell. It takes a freakin' time to heal, y' know."

"W...wait a minute," I shake my head, "Just h...how many rituals are we supposed to do? I thought you mentioned at our first meet that we have to do only three times a week!"

He places his hand on his chin, thinking.

"Yeah, that's for the beginning," the pike swings dangerously near his scar-less face, "But actually there are about thirty different kinds of rituals. You'll get all of that when you achieve the level of priesthood. As for now, heh, I'll just have to make you get used to three of them."

"O...kay...what are those?" I said tonelessly while thinking about someone that have to do thirty different blood-spilling rituals a day.

It's an unbelievably scary thought.

Snap it, Hazuki!! If you're scared, don't think about it. Is that so hard? Maybe you don't even have to think about priesthood or anything for the next ten decades of your eternal life. So stop acting like you are being tortured, and listen carefully to your teacher!

My eyes roll to him. He looks at the pike, as if he's analyzing it.

"Sharp," he murmurs, "Good."

He gazes up to the evening sky; looking at the sunset.

"Alright. The first thing you'll have to do is the morning ritual," he speaks without looking at me, "The very basic. It's objection is to thank Jashin for another day of the eternal life He gave you."

Without thinking twice, he stabs his right leg and pulls out the pike. He stabs his left leg, and again pulls the pike out of his flesh. His face looks as neutral as ever, even after he made two big holes on his legs. Blood start flowing trough his feet to the ground.

"Please, Hidan-san," I start to tremble, "Don't teach while doing that."

"The second one is the evening ritual," he continued just like he isn't listening, "Objection: to offer yourself to Jashin and receive His blessing."

Whack!

Another hole.

When I look at him, he pull out the pike quickly and kneel down. He start drawing the encircled triangle – the seal – with his own blood.

"Hidan-san...please stop...!"

"And...hhh..." I hear his panting from his gritted teeth, "The third...is the cleansing ritual...that you have to do after...each...battle...and after...any...incidental physical contacts...with...a heathen..."

His face looks paler and paler as the blood flows. But his expression remains neutral. When he moves the pike again and stabs his chest – right where his heart is located – I close my eyes and cover my ears with my hands...I don't want to hear a scream.

But...

There's no scream.

"Lord Jashin...I'm offering my blood...my soul...to You..."

Instead, I heard a loud thump from his direction. Quickly, I open my eyes and uncover my ears just to see Hidan-san lies on the ground; flat on his back; blood-covered and panting heavily. His skin color is darkening, with a white line representing each of his bones. And then he closed his eyes slowly...serenely.

He looks exactly the same as when I found him here before.

Not breathing...

My body is trembling, "Hidan-san!!"

He doesn't reply.

"H...Hidan-san?" I call him, "Hidan-san, please..."

I walk toward him, unsure of what should I do. Green chakra emerges from my left hand as I kneel next to him. Carefully, I pull the pike out of his chest and heal his wound. The result is a startled "Ouch!" with some 'special' words of his as an addition. Slowly, he opens his eyes and turns his face to see me; undoubtedly annoyed.

"What the fuck? Hell! Is it so fuckin' easy for you to forget things? Jashin...I can NOT die, Hazuki! I'm immortal...I'm fuckin' IMMORTAL!! I can't fuckin' die even if I eat my own fuckin' lungs! Dammit!"

Good Lord, not those colorful curses again...I mentally sigh.

"I know, Hidan-san,"

"SO?! Will you ever try not to disturb me while I'm enjoying my rituals?" his face reddened; I know he's trying to control his temper.

"I'm...sorry," I exhales deeply, "I just can't see you like that."

"Well, Hazuki, if this can do you any better," he stands up as quickly as ever with his hands on his waist, "You were just like that when we're in the living room."

I frowned a bit, "I just...I'm not used to see things like that,"

"Then get used to it, will you?" he grab his pike from my grip, thankfully he doesn't look too annoyed anymore, "Or you'll ended up hysterically screaming each time you see or do the ritual."

I sigh again.

--

After cleaning ourselves and change clothes, I made several rice balls with boiled eggs inside and we both sit facing each other on the dining table, eating our dinner. As for the drink, I decided to make two cups of hot green tea.

"So tell me," Hidan-san sips his tea, "What happened to you every time you saw me doing my rituals? I mean, well, you looks like a medic nin with the whole healing jutsu and such. You're not supposed to be afraid of blood, right?"

"I don't know," I admit to him, "But this question had been asked to me years ago. When I was in my academic year, my friend, Kana, asked me just the same thing."

"And?"

I look at him, "Well...I can't say for sure. Some says that I can be far too concerned with my friends. Especially best friends. And it disturb me quite a lot to see them injured when they come back from their mission. Sometimes I even flinched and rushed to their hospital room with no care about the visiting hour because they got a serious injury. Not to mention dying."

"Huh," he snorted, "Why do you even have to be concerned about 'em?"

"Because they're my friends," I replied in as-a-matter-of-fact tone, "Friends help each other. That's one of the basic shinobi rule taught to me at the academy,"

"And your friends did the same to you? Concerned about you? Help you?"

I shrug, "Yes, sometimes,"

"Is it a yes or no?" he demands, "Just think. You're always concerned about them. What about them? Are they as concerned to you as you are to them?"

"Uh..."

"I can't hear you."

"Okay, no," I sigh, "But they don't have to p–"

He let go a mocking grin across his face as he interrupt, "–As I thought. They're using you. Y' know, friends are just a bunch of jerks trying to be close enough to you so they can ask you for help whenever they wanted. I won't bother myself to think about my friends; not even if the enemy mutilated their bodies, cook them in a fuckin' campfire, and eat their pieces. Not even if I see that with my own eyes."

"H...how can you say that..."

That's so...cruel!

"I don't need friends."

"Human beings can't life without their friends," I insist.

"But I survived, though,"

"Why are you hating your friends that much, Hidan-san?" my brows furrowed a bit, "Friends are you closets relative next to your family. What's wrong with having friends?"

"Huh," he speaks in an almost emotionless tone, "I've never had friends, but once. It was a long time ago. My friends betrayed me and left me alone in the enemy's base. I was a chuunin at that time; alone in a place full of A-ranked criminals. Well I was confused, frightened, and panicked...but I still trust them. I trust those motherfuckin' assholes, Hazuki. Seriously, I thought they lost me and can't find a way to rescue me. But the fact is...they never tried to rescue me; they might not even want to know what happened."

I gasped.

My mind imagines a picture of a young boy, with bright violet eyes and silvery white hair, trying to find a way out of a cave full of dangerous criminals.

The boy is hiding in frustration; panting and scared. He's waiting for the backup; hoping for his friends to come and help him escape from that cave. But, still, no one comes after he waited for a long time. No one tried to help. No one cares. Meanwhile, the enemies are approaching. They're getting closer and closer.

They knew where he was hiding.

It's just a matter of time until one of them find him...

"But," he continues, "Things weren't all that bad, seriously. I don't clearly remember what happened, but I was able to beat them up and survived. Jashin blessed me. Then I got out of the base and went back home. I went there just to see their other betrayal. They reported to our squad leader that I was dead already. Dead, eh? As far as I know, they wanted me to die. Huh. I ended up killed them all – slowly – in only one night."

"What...?"

"That's all. They're dead. I went out from the village for good. The end."

I look at him in shock, "So that makes you a...a...a missi..."

"A missing-nin," an evil grin widened on his face, "Yeah, I'm a motherfuckin' missing-nin. I killed people. A shitload of people. And I like it."

"Please don't say that, Hidan-san..." I plea quietly.

"I'm a bad guy, Hazuki," his grin remains, but I believe I see something deeper than anger in his brilliant eyes, "I'm not a mere priest. Even Jashin allows me to kill and torture people as I please; as long as I sacrificed them to Him. I'm bad, and unstoppable. What do you think of that?"

"Hidan-san, please," I shake my head, "I don't want to hear that,"

"Why?" his face now showing more of disbelieve than anger, "Don't you want to hear my story? Isn't it interesting?"

"No! Don't tell me, please!"

"I kill people swiftly, Hazuki," he laughed, "Ahahah...they don't even realized that I killed them until they're already dead. Stupid, really. I feel happy when I kill, happier when I torture first. And much happier when I can see their frightened eyes before I ki–"

"Stop it!!" I scream, "Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!! You're an honorable man; a man with an unshakable faith. You truly believe in God. You feel Him. You're a good priest, and also a good friend. That's all...that's all I know about you. That's all I need too know...please..."

I can no longer hold my tears.

"Please, Hidan-san..."

Why are him telling me that...?

"Please..."

Why?

Suddenly, I feel his fingers touch my head lightly, "Easy there. I just think that you might want to know something about me."

"No..." I wipe my tears, "I don't want to. Please don't tell me anything more than this. Please,"

He shrugs and pull my shoulders to make me stand, "Fine. Just don't be a crybaby like that. You're a shinobi, for Jashin's sake. Be strong."

I gaze up, looking at him. Snorting, he looks back at me. He shows a semi-angered expression on his face, but his eyes were neutral. Almost tender.

Almost.

"Sorry," I murmur, wiping my tears again, "I must looked like an idiot,"

"Yeah, you did look stupid," he shrugs and smirks, "You cried when I told you about my past. Stupid, eh?"

I smiled, "Humm...yes indeed."

"Well, it's dark already," he looks at the window, "Go to your room,"

Again, I smiled. He's too father-like, isn't he? "Okay, I will. But what about you? Don't you feel tired?"

"I'll have to perform the night ritual," he turns my body and push it very lightly, "You sleep first. Go."

Without any hesitation, I do as he told and go to my room.

"Good night, Hidan-san,"I look at him through my shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah. G' night,"

CHAPTER 10: THE MISSING-NIN --END--

Whoa...this is quite a long chapter -hufff...!-

I'll upload the next chap soon! Stay tuned! X3

Thanks for reading this. And of course, reviews would be great! See ya ppl!