Looking down at her leg she was able to make two quick assessments of her injury. One it was a compound fracture, this was apparent because the bone could be seen pushing up against the skin, and two, It was going to be a pain in the ass to set back in place.
Kakuzu strode down the five steps which made a staircase and walked over to her, his expression was that of boredom. "I can fix it, but it will hurt. A lot." he said after glancing at it for no longer than a few seconds.
She exhaled through her nose and nodded " It would be much appreciated if you did fix it, please"
she paused " I've had worse than compound fractures, so the sensation of setting a bone is one I'm all to familiar with"
He shrugged and turned, returning upstairs for a few seconds returning with both of his hands holding something. In one hand he held a large bucket and in the other hand was a stool. Hidan winced. As Kakuzu approached, Hidan surrendered his chair to him and stood over his shoulder as Kakuzu sat down, facing her.
She closed her eyes for a moment before opening them and speaking in a calm tone " Well when ever your ready"
Kakuzu lifted the injured leg and propped the stool underneath her foort, supporting it. After placing the bucket directly underneath the injury, he looked up at Hideki. "Are you sure?"
Nodding she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. " Yeah"
Kakuzu stretched his arm out towards the leg, six live stitch-like threads made their way from his forearm. He sighed and pulled out a kunai with his other hand and used it to cut deep into the muscle tissue. After dropping the weapon in the bucket, he manually ripped the flesh apart to expose the injury. Hidan pursed his lips and remained silent, watching over his partner's shoulder. Kakuzu worked quickly as blood poured from the wound into the bucket, his fingers holding the flesh apart as the black threads weaved, pushed and broke off. Within a minute of cutting the leg open, it was stitched closed and no longer bleeding. He stood with the bucket and returned upstairs, leaving the leg up on the stool.
"Fucking painful, but fast." Hidan said, licking the inside of his bottom lip.
She had grown a few shades paler and her fists were tightly clenched against the chair as she breathed deeply through her nose. Her jaw was also clenched and blood was running down her chin from where her teeth had torn into her lip. " Shit I think I'm going to be sick."
"Outside." Kakuzu said from the top of the staircase. Hidan rolled his eyes and helped Hideki to her feet and just outside the door before she fell to her knees and began gagging.
"Now there's a scene." Hidan said under his breath.
She clenched her fingers tightly in the grass and emptied the contents of her stomach, which was mainly water and small bits of chicken. Wiping her mouth on the back of her hand she used the side of the building to get to her feet.
Hidan turned to face Kakuzu and tilted his head.
"Eat then we move again. We need to get back to the base." Kakuzu said before heading to the basement.
"Let's work our asses off to run back to the base to report a fucking failure." Hidan complained to the empty room after Kakuzu vanished downstairs.
She sat down at the table and took a small bite of an apple that she had in her bag, but then had to push it away. " Ugh.. I cant eat.. I don't think my stomach can handle anything right now.."
"I'm still full from the restaurant." Hidan said shaking his head. "Kakuzu's such a fucking idiot."
"Keep insulting me and..." he paused at the top of the stairs mid-step and clenched his chest.
"And what?" Hidan edged.
She exhaled sharply through her nose and shook her head slightly. " Why must the two of you argue over such little things?"
Hidan walked over to Kakuzu cautiously like one might with an aggressive, crazy person.
"What's with your chest?"
"I'm fine." he said, straightening his face and placing his hands at his sides.
"You just grabbed your..."
"I'm. Fine." he said with emphasis on each word.
Hidan shook his head and turned his back to Kakuzu.
Hideki blinked a few times and stood up " Another one of your hearts was injured, wasn't it?"
His eyes narrowed at Hidan's back but he said nothing. Hidan turned his head slightly to see Kakuzu in his peripheral vision, as if feeling the glare on his back.
She ground her teeth as she put weight on her leg and forced Kakuzu into the chair she had just been sitting in. She closed her eyes and placed her hands over Kakuzu's chest as a faint bluish glow appeared over them and she exhaled sharply " Two of your hearts are injured and you didn't say anything..."
"The Third Hokage." he said slowly, swallowing his pride, surprised either how strong Hideki was or how weak he was. Maybe a combination of the two.
She shook her head and closed her eyes as the glow around them changed to a greenish hue and small threads of chakra worked their way through his chest and wrapped around the damaged hearts and began restoring normal blood and chakra flow to his body as they speed up the process of healing that his body had already started.
Hidan watched everything happen from his spot in the doorway. He sighed and walked over to Hideki. "You know medical jutsu? Since when the hell...?" he trailed off, remembering when she saved him.
"Yes but I cant use it on myself"
Kakuzu sighed and pulled away from her, standing and pushing the chair backwards. "I'm fine!" he insisted stubbornly. Hidan walked over behind him and forced him back down, while pushing the chair forward with his foot.
An irritated growl passed her lips and she clenched her fist before speaking " Listen Kakuzu, do you have any idea how fucking close to heart failure you are? I can repair the damage but only if you sit still!"
Kakuzu clenched his jaw and Hidan backed away but he remained seated.
She resumed healing him and his heart rates were soon returned back to normal, and his blood was flowing better, she sighed in relief as his chakra flow also returned to normal. " Alright, I'm finished now"
"Thanks." he said, looking as if that word inflicted pain by itself.
"Man, Kakuzu you really stink!"
Much to everybody's surprise, only silence followed his comment.
Hidan almost looked disappointed when all Kakuzu did was stand and leave the building.
"I guess we're going now." Hidan said with a shrug.
Hideki followed after the two of them and with in a few hours they were back at the Hidden Rain Village. " So how exactly are we going to tell Pein that we failed the mission.."
Kakuzu slowed his pace slightly and Hidan blinked at her in surprise. "Oh shit." he swore.
She blinked in surprise as they both turned towards her with a sly look in their eyes " Oh hell no! No way in HELL am I telling him by myself!" She half whined as they smirked, " You can't be serious!"
Hidan's mouth creased into a lopsided grin and Kakuzu tilted his head very slowly as he spoke, "Or you could let us tell him, but the fact that you have connections to Konoha might slip up somewhere."
She sputtered a few times her eyes widening." T..thats not fair!" her cheeks flamed red and she clenched her fist as she bit back her anger " Fine.."
Kakuzu blinked with contentment and turned his back on them as he sped up his pace. His muscle shirt was bathed in sweat, dried blood and ripped in some places.
"Where's your cloak, Kakuzu?" Hidan asked.
Having to get another cloak would be the least of his worries. Hidan flicked his cloak in annoyance as if noticing it for the first time.
"Stupid fucking Hokage burnt the hell out of my cloak."
Once they are back in the Akatsuki base Hidan and Kakuzu take off to their rooms leaving Hideki to give the report of a mission failure to Pein. An involuntary shiver passed up her spine as she met his eyes and it took every ounce of her courage not to look away.
"You came to my training hall for a reason," Pein said calmly as he analyzed her posture, "you're also alone." He closed the door behind them as they stood in one of the hallways. "What is it?" he asked in a voice nearly as dim as the hallway itself.
She bit her lip and took a deep breath before speaking " The mission was not a success, we were over powered by Orochimaru one of Kakuzu's hearts was destroyed by a reanimation jutsu which was used by Orochimaru to revive the Third Hokage as a puppet of sorts, Before this occurred we were confronted by Leaf shinobi, who escaped when Orochimaru made his appearance.."
Pein's expression didn't budge an inch, but he blinked slowly and opened his eyes to almost stare through her. "Then, Hideki, may I ask you a question?" he asked in a low, perfectly calm voice which held confidence and authority.
She swallowed and felt her blood chill in her veins " Yes sir"
"Why are you back?" His eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
She felt her blood freeze and her throat tighten, finding her self unable to speak a frightened squeak passed her lips.
"If I see you or your partners again before Orochimaru is dead, I will kill you myself." he said casually. It wasn't a threat, he was simply stating it as a fact, just easily as it would be for someone to be folding their laundry.
She nodded and found her self frozen to the spot where she was standing.
"Is that all?" he inclined his head and met her gaze.
She nodded slightly and had to force herself to look away, unable to meet his eyes any longer. " I..it's my fault the mission was a failure.."
"Oh?"
" I should have spoken of this sooner, but I once was held prisoner by Orochimaru.. from the time I was six until the time I was twelve, I was frightened by the idea of returning to the Sound village and the risk of b..being captured again.. That fear got in the way of the mission.. and for that I apologize"
"What Hidan went through is nothing compared to what Madara would do to the three of you should this failure occur again." he said without emphasis.
" Understood"
Without further comment, Pein opened the door to his right, entered and closed it gently behind him.
"You really screwed up, hm?"
She turned and looked at Deidara " Yeah, sure as hell did.." she muttered, her voice and eyes hollow as she spoke. She didn't respond with any bite to her words and she kept her arms at her side " Go ahead, tell me what a fucking screw up I am... suppose I deserve it"
"It's no fun if you know it's coming." he responded with a sly smirk. "We don't have any missions for the time being," he gestured in the air, we meaning him and Sasori, "I've always wanted to watch that snake die."
She looked up hearing the implications behind his words " You would seriously help us with out mission, after everything I said to you.." She slid down the wall and exhaled a breath she didn't realize she had been holding.
"By no means is this forgiveness," he said, crossing his arms, "but if killing Orochimaru forces me to work with you, then I have no choice." he mused.
The next words out of her mouth were spoken softly and sincerely "Thank you"
He blinked at her, raising an eyebrow in suspicion. "I'll ask Sasori if he would join us to kill Orochimaru and.."
"Not a chance." Sasori said as he brushed past Deidara on his way down the hallway. "It's a waste of my time."
*All expression vanished from Deidara's face like a deflated balloon.
"Fine! It's not like we need you anyway, un!" he called after the red head, who turned down another hallway in few more paces.
She swallowed and closed her eyes tightly and allowed a few tears to escape her eyes " Deidara thank you for your help.. I.. I really appreciate it"
"I'll... I... uh... I'll just meet you guys in the lobby. I need more clay anyway..." he said before turning the way that Sasori had come from.
Much to her surprise, Kakuzu and Hidan were already ready in new cloaks and waiting for her silently in the room. Well, it was silent until Hidan spotted her.
"Stupid fucking Pein. You were right Kakuzu." he sighed.
She nods and goes to the room that she shares with Hidan and Kakuzu before walking in she composed herself but was still shaken by the encounter with Pein " Bad news guys... we have to go back out" She stayed silent as she gathered some supplies from her closet and grabbed a new cloak and slipped it on, the entire time she was doing this, she was oddly quiet.
She curled her fist before turning on them " That was really shitty making me go in there alone.."
Kakuzu's expression remained a mask and Hidan parted his lips but was cut off by Hideki's next comment.
"Its sad to say, but I'm sure I'll get used to it" She looked away from them and began walking out of the room, not expecting to be stopped.
Hidan's hand plopped down on her shoulder, pulling hard enough to make her turn around.
She looked at the ground, causing her bangs to cover her eyes.
"What would I tell him? That I was fucking around while there was a serious battle going on?"
"That you sat and watched as Lee was fighting me?" Kakuzu added, "Hideki. It looked good for you to be the one to step up and admit to him that we failed."
She stayed quiet and let out a small breath before speaking " Yeah your right.." she kept her eyes on the ground as she spoke "Sorry I snapped at you guys"
"You are just a bunch of pussies, un." a voice said from the doorway.
Hidan looked up and his eyes narrowed. "The fuck do you want?
She gave a tight smile "He volunteered to help us kill Orochimaru"
Hidan's mouth opened in shock and Kakuzu rolled his head back, predicting how well this will work out with Deidara and Hidan with them.
"What? It's not like I wouldn't take the opportunity to kill Orochimaru if the chance came by, un!" he stated with a grin, then stopped and mouthed his own words back to himself in temporary confusion.
Hidan and Kakuzu protested at the same time with different arguments.
A day later they were in a large cave having to stop due to a large and loud rain storm.