Chapter Fourteen: Understanding

A/N: Phew! Sorry about another long wait. Life is crazy as usual with me changing colleges, my new boyfriend and what not. But life is going better now (I still have to buy books though) and I managed to get chapter 14 done. (No, there isn't any "action" going on with Akina and Hidan...yet.) Anyways, enjoy the chapter!

Ino lay on the floor of the cold damp dirty cell, motionless. Except her aquamarine eyes were glowing green.

"I will kill you Akina. Tonight when Orochimaru frees me, you will die."

Akina opened her pale eyes and sat up. She let out a long yawn and noticed that Hidan was asleep in the chair next to her bed.

'I wonder how long he was up?' Slowly she crept out of bed and tiptoed past him and to the closet. Waking Hidan was not something she wanted to do right now. She found a pale blue dress that had sparkles and jewels sewn to it that went down to the floor.

'Isn't there anything else I can wear besides this?' Everything else was either black or revealing, and that wasn't something Akina wanted to wear around someone as perverted as Hidan.

Akina quickly changed into the light blue dress. The soft color matched her eyes perfectly and made her appear delicate. There were many pairs of shoes in the closet, but Akina had no need to wear shoes at the moment. She spent too many nights in heels and waking up with sore feet.

Hidan stirred.

Akina turned around to see that he was still asleep.

"No... don't take her away from me...please..." She slowly crept up behind him and watched as he slept.

'He must be having a nightmare.' Akina stood in front of him so her face was inches from his.

"Stop..."

Akina's face moved closer...and then...

"Ow!" Hidan's lavender eyes shot open...only to find Akina poking his forehead.

"So how much farther to this so-called "hideout?" Daisuke asked Sasuke again.

"Look, in Hebi we act first. You can ask questions later," said Sasuke as they stopped behind an alleyway. Sasuke hadn't had a cigarette since this morning, and took out his lighter and one of his cigarettes.

"Why didn't you do that earlier?" said Suigetsu. Sasuke just glared at him and blew a puff of smoke in his face.

"Suigetsu, you know how Sasuke gets if he can't have a smoke," said Juugo. "You shouldn't provoke him like that." Suigetsu rolled his eyes.

"Just hurry up so we can find the girl."

"Leave Sasuke alone!" said Karin. "He can have a smoke whenever he pleases. Right Sasuke?" Sasuke's eyes shifted to the redhead and then away from her.

'Kami, she's annoying! Why do I have to be stuck with her and these losers?' Sasuke sighed and threw his cigarette butt on the ground and stomped out the orange light that emitted from it.

"Let's go. We've got to rescue Akina." The five of them ran off with Daisuke lagging behind as usual.

'Why couldn't we have just taken his car? Doesn't he have like five cars or something?'

"Will you stop?" Hidan said groggily. "I stayed up all night for you, and this is how you repay me? By poking my forehead?"

"What? Did you expect something else?"

"How about a kiss?" Akina's eyes narrowed.

"No."

"Come on. Don't you remember the fun we had in the subway car? I thought you enjoyed that."

"Look Hidan, I don't like you. Besides, I'm in love with Itachi.'

"You can't be serious." A sharp glare was sent his way from those pale blue eyes. Exactly what was her problem? Early on she feared him, then she wanted him and now she hates him?

Something just wasn't making sense!

Akina walked past him, her pale blue dress skimming the floor. It was strapless with jewels on the bodice and the dress sparkled like the night sky. How could such a beautiful girl act so awful to him?

"Akina." She stopped and turned around, wondering what he wanted now.

"What now?"

"Do you hate me?" he asked her. He got up and walked to her. "Please tell me that you don't." A small sigh passed through her lips. She looked up at him, the life still missing from her eyes.

"No...I don't hate you." She hesitated and then stopped. "I'm sorry for the way I have been acting. I really don't know what's come over me."

"It's okay," said Hidan. "You're actually cute when you're mad." She rolled her eyes and went to sit on the couch in front of the fireplace. Hidan eagerly followed her and sat on the other end, watching as she stared into the fire.

"What is it that you want from me Hidan?"

"What do you mean?"

"You said I was your pet. So, what for?" No one had asked him such a question?

"Perhaps I'll explain from the beginning..."

It was thirty years ago when Hidan was born. The war between Japan and the United States had finally ended and both countries now had to face rebuilding. Both of Hidan's parents were killed when a bomb had fallen from the sky just a few months ago. His grandmother raised him, but it wasn't easy for either of them. Hidan was a very unruly child and his grandmother was sick. She couldn't do much for him, so she sent him to an orphanage.

School was difficult for Hidan. Every time he acted up (which was often), his teacher would slap his wrist with a bamboo ruler and make him go sit in the corner. The other kids avoided him. He couldn't explain why, but perhaps it was when he beat up one of the older kids when he called him stupid.

"You're going to pay for that!" The older kids had cornered him in the schoolyard. He was done for. One of the kids curled his hands into a fist and punched Hidan in the face. He fell backwards and hit the brick wall behind him. He walked further towards Hidan getting ready for a second strike when a flash of red flew by and stopped him.

"Leave him alone!" Hidan looked up to see a young girl with curly blonde hair standing in front of him.

"Get out of the way Natsumi. This isn't a place for stupid girls like you!"

"Hosuke, back off now or I'll tell on you!" She glared at him harshly through bright blue eyes.

"Fine, have it your way. You may be lucky this time Hidan, but next time you're done." Hosuke walked away, his black hair blowing through the breeze.

"Are you okay?" Natsumi bent down to help him up. He looked up at her.

"I wasn't before...but I sure am now."

From that day on Hidan and Natsumi spent every moment together. They sat together at lunch, played together and held hands when they crossed the street back to the orphanage. They spent their evenings doing homework together, and to everyone's surprise, Hidan proved to be a lot smarter than he let on.

As they got older, things changed. Natsumi was sent to an all girl's school and Hidan was sent to a boys school.

One night they met by the ocean, even though it was past their curfew.

"I've missed you," said Natsumi. When they first met, they were only nine and now they were sixteen. Hidan was starting to notice that Natsumi was changing, and so was he. He was taller than her and more muscular, while she had gained curves. Sometimes he caught himself looking at her chest, but he would have to mentally remind himself not to do that to his best friend, even if she was prettier than the pinup girls in the box under his bed.

"I've missed you as well." Hidan felt a lump form in his throat. Why was he so nervous around Natsumi all of a sudden? His hands began to sweat as he tried to move closer to Natsumi. A small warmth enclosed his hand and he realized that Natsumi's hand was resting on his. He looked up into her soft blue eyes to see that a small smile graced her lips.

"Are you sure this isn't a joke?" he asked her. She shook her head. "So...you like me?"

"I always have," she whispered. A small blush graced his face as the gap between them slowly narrowed. Their lips met in a sweet delicate kiss. Hidan pulled Natsumi close to him, taking in her soft scent of wildflowers.

"Never leave me," he whispered.

But never did not happen. Two weeks later Natsumi was crossing the street when she was hit by a car. Hidan spent years grieving for her. Then his life changed. One night when he was asleep, he was bitten by a vampire. He did not change but he did once he met a priest at an old temple. He was told that many great things would happen if he converted to Jashin. But things only became worse. Hidan was forced to convert against his will and was murdered right on the spot. And instead of dying, he came back as a vampire and was doomed to walk among the shadows for all eternity...alone.

Ever since then he searched for another girl to love...someone like...Natsumi. Some several years after she had died, he found a little girl asleep in bed one night. She looked just like Natsumi. But he soon came to find out that she was completely different. Natsumi was sweet, kind, and soft-spoken. This girl was rebellious, ambitious, and everything that Natsumi was not.

And he liked that.

"I see," said Akina. "You must have been very lonely."

"I was. And I have been for far too long now." They were now looking directly into each other's eyes, no longer with resentment...but with some form of understanding. Hidan's hand rested on Akina's and he held it within his.

"You may think I'm crazy, but I've realized that I don't want you anymore."

"What?" Hidan's other hand wandered to her face, and he touched her cheek gently, and then ran his fingers through her hair.

"I want to be with you."

"Hidan..."

"And I don't care if you're in love with Itachi. I will always—" At that moment Akina silenced the silver haired man with a kiss.

"It is almost time Ophelia."

Orochimaru stood before her cell. She had taken full possession of Ino's body and was ready to kill. A wooden dagger made from white ash was given to her. It was encrusted with metal and red rubies on the handle. She stood up and stared into Orochimaru's yellow snake eyes.

"Yes. It is. But first...I want to make a prediction."

"Of course my queen."

"I predict...your death..." She slammed the dagger into Orochimaru's chest. "Right now." He gasped for air and began to cough and sputter blood.

"You—you traitor! How dare—you?"

"Nobody tells me what to do...ever." He slowly collapsed to the ground and turned to ash. Kabuto stood in the doorway, motionless and frightened after witnessing Ophelia kill off his master.

"You! Release me...now!"

"Yes...m-my queen."

"We're here," said Sasuke.

"Already?" asked Daisuke.

"Yes. Orochimaru is behind these doors, and when we come back out, he will be dead." He took out a stake and gave it to him.

"A wooden stake?"

"Not just any wooden stake," said Suigetsu. "It's white ash. Orochimaru was an original by making a deal with the devil. White ash can destroy him, but it can also destroy any other vampire."

A loud bang was heard and Juugo stood there holding the titanium door in his hand.

"Thanks Juugo," said Suigetsu casually as he followed Sasuke and Karin in. Daisuke just stood there completely dumbstruck at what Juugo just did. He could tell he was strong by his size, but to break down a titanium door? That was just crazy!

Daisuke cautiously followed the group in and they were all standing there motionless.

"What's wrong—" he stopped. Before them was a cell and on the floor...was Orochimaru. He was sitting down with his back leaning against the wall, his yellow eyes staring into space. Blood was still pouring from his chest.

"Is he...dead?" Karin asked. Sasuke slowly walked up to him and examined the body.

"He is."

"But how? I don't understand. How could he be killed so easily?"

"I know one person who could do this," said Suigetsu. Juugo nodded. Sasuke stepped back and closed the door.

"It was Ophelia."

Well that's it for now. Will Daisuke be able to find hisi sister? What is Ophelia doing to poor Kabuto, and will there be anything going on between Akina and Hidan before the final battle? Find out next time!

A/N: And in case you were wondering, this story actually takes place in the 1970's. Hope that clears things up.