Chapter Thirteen: Harbinger
"I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends."
- Abraham Lincoln
Word of Harbinger spread throughout the five major shinobi nations, and even the smaller ones, as rumors are wont to do. These are insidious things, rumors. They take on a life of their own. They are indirect creations; notions of a mysterious, beguiling nuanced variety. Almost impossible to tame and manipulate once begun. They were in fact – a wild, almost uncontrollable force once unleashed.
Some facts were exaggerated, other things about his fable were ignored completely, but most of all people talked about him in a sort of hushed awe. Some people feared him. Some people admired him. They all wondered about him. The stories diverged but they all seemed to hold a few things in common. The mysterious Harbinger wore traditional black robes. He had a mask that covered his face and all you could see were two red eyes. He was always accompanied by the howling wind. He sometimes left a calling card. And he was doing something, people said. Something good.
People like heroes. And call people crazy, but people like anti-heroes even better. As a people, we desire peace. But, as humans, we desire chaos. Harbinger was going out there and killing the scum of the five shinobi nations on behalf of the five shinobi nations for them. He would kill them, do their nasty, dirty work for them and then take them to a collection office and take the money and give the money to an orphanage. Or shrines. Or hospitals. He was a regular hero to the people. There were all sorts of rumors. He helped old ladies cross bridges. He saved women from rapists. He stopped marauders from killing priests. He protected a goat herder one night when he had allowed his herd to stray too far afield and ran afoul into enemy territory. The stories all varied wildly. There were other stories, too, that he killed rogue nin's and missing nin's that were dangerous.
But, these rumors were also starting to worry the five nations. This man, this person, this enigma, this Harbinger, as he called himself, who was he? What did he want? He was obviously a very powerful shinobi. And he didn't seem to have any alliance to any of the nations.
That was the rub, of course.
So, each nation secretly, and some not-so-secretly sent out assassins and spies to try and or kill and or find out information about the mysterious Harbinger. Since he wasn't working for them, it would probably be best that he didn't join up for the other side. Only prudent.
But Harbinger didn't want to be caught just yet, he had things to do, lessons to learn, lessons to teach, rumors to drop, people to meet. And tonight was just one such night even thought it wasn't planned. Funny how life works out like that? He and his companions were flying through the trees when they spotted the loud man, completely by surprise.
"So, what are you going to do with him, Harbinger?" Ryuu asked.
"I thought I would have a chat with him…" Harbinger stated slowly. "And he could decide for himself."
"Risky, too risky." Kokoro stated. "It's too soon!"
"He could join with us?" Ryuu stated and looked over at the man with interest. "He has some skill, ne?"
"I don't think our goals converge…" Harbinger stated. "Although…"
Kokoro exhaled noisily, knowing it was a losing battle. "It's too risky, Otousan!"
"Maa…" Harbinger chuckled. "I'll take the odds. Besides…I like games, ne?"
They masked their chakra for a while and watched, and then Harbinger stopped and waylaid him. His companions stayed hidden, but he dropped silently out of the trees and walked up to the young-looking man unafraid. He didn't pull his weapons out. Didn't want to startle the man.
Harbinger spoke, his voice startlingly loud in the night air.
"…'Seek and ye shall find,' they say, but they don't say what you'll find." Harbinger paused and peered into the man's violet eyes. "But I found you tonight and I say that is fate."
The other man's foul mouth hung upon as he stared in momentary bewilderment.
"Fuck off!" The violet-eyed man shouted crassly and made a rude gesture with his weapon. "Who the fuck are you? Couldn't ya see that ya interrupted my ritual sacrifice? Who the fuck does that? It's so rude!"
Harbinger smiled behind the mask. "Yes, I see that."
He looked around at the cowering priestesses who were shaking with fright. There were about fifteen of them spread out around the clearing about small temple, but the main one was standing in front of the violet-eyed man; she had apparently been trying to protect the others.
The violet-eyed man scowled and narrowed his eyes at the newcomer.
Harbinger was wearing unusually traditional clothing; a black haori over matching black silk hakama pants with a black obi. He had his two wakizashi blades on either side on his hips and a very large sword on his back. Harbinger was also wearing a mask that covered his face completely that was painted completely black. The wind started howling violently through the trees around them; nearly bending them in half with the force, yet the clearing where they stood was completely unaffected. Like an eye in the storm. Harbinger stood calmly, staring at the violet-eyed man.
"Hidan, have you not heard of me?" Harbinger asked as his sharingan eyes began to whirl, glowing red through the eye sockets in his mask.
"Fuck!" Hidan swore, pointing his scythe at him. "You're him! You're that guy! You're…shit. What's his name? I'm terrible with big words like that…ugh." Hidan smacked his forehead a few times with his free palm. "Motherfucker! Wait…wait, it's just on the tip of my tongue…!" He shook his weapon again. "Harbinger! That's it. Shit, you're him!"
Harbinger inclined his head just so. A nod of acknowledgement – yes.
"What does 'Harbinger' even mean, anyways?" Hidan asked, scratching the side of his head with his scythe.
Harbinger sighed and the wind started to die down a little.
"You know I'm immortal, right?" Hidan stated. "Jashin-sama in his infinite-"
"Yes, yes, Hidan. I know you're immortal." Harbinger waved his hand impatiently at him. He tried not to think of past memories during conversations such as this. Memories of people like Asuma would only cloud his judgment and impair him to work and think effectively. Remember what he can do…not what he's done, he reminded himself.
Harbinger took a deep breath and forced his memories back down. Must compartmentalize.
"So are you going to try and stop me from sacrificing the priestesses, right? That is the sort of thing you do, right?" Hidan said, squinting at him. "You're a regular fucking Robin Hood, right?"
Hidan flicked a glance over at the priestesses who were still cowering in fear from him. Good, they were still there.
"I suppose so, since that's what I do, right?" Harbinger laughed in a tone that hinted he was mocking Hidan. "But let us have a chat for a moment, may we, Hidan? Before we fight? I would rather not fight if we didn't have to."
"That's because you know you'd fucking lose!" Hidan said brashly.
But then Hidan frowned down at the ground, as he noticed his sacrifice circle had been mussed. When did that happen? He turned around and the priestesses were all gone, too? "Hey! What the fuck!"
Harbinger inclined his head just so. A nod of acknowledgement – Yes, that was me.
Again.
"Who the fuck are you, Motherfucker!" Hidan swore, anger flushing his cheeks. "Those were my sacrifices!"
"Hidan, I thought we had already breached the answer to your question as to who I was?" Harbinger stated, now a clear hint of amusement in his voice.
The violet-eyed man seethed for a moment and was going to say something but Harbinger interrupted him.
"What if I told you I was a fellow Jashinist?" Harbinger stated.
Hidan looked incredulously at him.
"Are ya?" Hidan asked, looking surprisingly happy and even thrust his weapon into the air. "Oh, fuck yeah! You know there are surprisingly few of us-"
"Hidan…I'm not, but I don't see what difference it would make." Harbinger shrugged. "We are not going to debate religious beliefs right now, but you must realize that you allow your religion overwhelm and control your life too much, Hidan. It is a weakness."
"What do ya know, anyways?" The violet-eyed man grunted and turned away. "What do ya want, asshole? Are we gonna fight or something?"
"I think not." Harbinger stated.
"But…" Hidan tapped his scythe on the ground impatiently. "I'm a criminal. I'm a murderer. I'm a rouge-nin. I'm exactly the kind of guy you kill. I sacrifice innocents. What the fuck!" He shook his scythe at Harbinger angrily. "Why the fuck don't you want to kill me, asshole!"
Harbinger inclined his head just so. A nod of acknowledgement – Because.
"Do you want to die so very much, Hidan?" Harbinger asked quietly.
Hidan stopped a few feet in front of the mysterious figure. "No…" He scowled.
"Then why the fuck are you such a dick?" Harbinger asked and slapped him loudly before Hidan could react.
Hidan blinked. Then he blinked again.
"Did you just call me a dick?" Hidan said incredulously and touched his cheek. "Did you just slap me?"
"I did." Harbinger said. "And I did."
Hidan roared with laughter. "So, you're not going to fucking fight me but you will insult me? And slap me?"
"Yes. Harbinger chuckled. "And yes."
"Why is that?" Hidan asked, and then he leered. "Are you hitting on me? Fuck, you are! You're fucking hitting on me!"
"I said you are a dick, not that I want it." Harbinger laughed louder this time.
"Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't say no." Hidan put his hand down by his dick and made a jerking-off motion.
"You can't even see my face, Hidan." Harbinger laughed again and shook his head.
"Are ya all scared up or something?" The violet-eyed man asked squinting and peering at Harbinger keenly as if trying to make out some details. "Like all covered in acid burns?"
Harbinger laughed again. "What a delightfully vivid imagination. I should probably say that I'm horribly scarred. You know, add fuel to the rumors."
"But you're not?" He paused. "So, are you with someone?" Hidan asked, tiling his head, taking a step closer and trying to peer into the mask.
"Just you."
"No, not like right this second. I mean like…With them. Like fucking them." Hidan tilted his head again, violet eyes bright.
"Oh." Harbinger said, smiling behind his mask. Blushing, too, but Hidan couldn't see either. "It's complicated."
Hidan chuckled. "Fucking should never be complicated!"
The wind howling in the trees picked up again.
Harbinger inclined his head just so. A nod of acknowledgement – My life is complicated.
"So, are you going to stop sacrificing innocents? You can kill plenty of people in the name of Jashin if you merely make sure to kill just bad people, you know." Harbinger stated calmly.
Hidan laughed and shook his head. "Like you do, you mean? Fuck, I'm sorry, that just sounds like too much work. It's too complicated to figure out who is 'good' who is 'bad'…it's like fuck! I just want do the killing, you know?"
Harbinger sighed.
"So is this where we start fighting, Harbinger?" Hidan asked, his voice surprisingly soft.
"Oh, I'm not going to fight you, Hidan. I already told you that. You should really listen to me better." Harbinger stated, then paused and tapped the side of his mask. It probably would be where his ears were if he wasn't wearing a mask.
"Hidan…" Harbinger paused. "You are a sadomasochist, ne?"
The violet-eyed man perked up, albeit warily. "What of it?"
"Would it not be a better, more fitting sacrifice for Jashin to punish sinners, heathens, who were more fully in need of your particular brand of redemption?" Harbinger suggested. "Would it not…be more worthwhile to Jashin-sama and to your abilities if you were to punish those that fully deserved punishment? What punishment does a virgin or a priestess deserve? But a rapist or rouge-nin? Now, think of the dirty, sinful punishments you could do to those heathens, Hidan."
Hidan pointed a finger at Harbinger. "You're so fucking hot!"
Harbinger laughed and shrugged. "Just posing a suggestion to you if you were merely trying killing bad guys instead of good guys. It would be a more fitting sacrifice for Jashin."
Hidan scratched the side of his head as if he were pondering it.
"Hidan…" Harbinger paused. "You asked me earlier what 'Harbinger' means, did you not?"
"What the fuck of it? Are you calling me stupid?" Hidan asked warily.
"No, I wasn't-
"Good because people are always calling me fucking stupid and its bullshit!" The man yelled. "I mean just because-"
"Hidan." Harbinger stated.
"Yes?" Hidan blinked.
"Shut the fuck up. I'm trying to say something." Harbinger felt his calm slipping as he snapped at man.
"Well you didn't have to yell at me." Hidan groused.
Harbinger paused for a moment. He sighed then began. "A 'Harbinger' is one who announces or signals the approach of another."
Hidan placed the scythe on his back and nodded, looking to be thinking deeply. He scratched his head again.
"So…who's coming?" Hidan asked.
"War, that's what." Harbinger stated. "But you will know him when he comes to you. A man named Pein will offer you a position in a criminal organization, possibly known as the Akatsuki. You will accept – you will have a partner known as Kakuzu. These things may or may not come to pass. Of course, I am hoping the future is better than the past."
"What the fuck? Can you see the future?" Hidan looked at him incredulously. "Screw these Akatsuki fucks. Let's go gambling!"
Harbinger smiled behind his mask. "I wish it were a matter of that, Hidan. If only." He shook his masked head. "But I believe in the unseen and unending fight against desperate odds."
"Oh fuck!" Hidan waved his finger at the black garbed man. "You're asking me to be a double agent, aren't you? You want me to take your side against them!"
Harbinger stepped closer to the violet eyed man and even though he was shorter than Hidan, he was surprisingly strong. He gripped the man's shoulders painfully and shook him.
"Damnit! Stop making a joke out of this. Take sides! Always take sides! You will sometimes be wrong – but the man who refuses to take sides must always be wrong." Harbinger said harshly.
"This is ridiculous. You realize how fucking stupid this sounds. You're trying to get me to agree that in a future that may or may not happen that I will agree to act as a double-fucking-agent. This is like a bad plot." Hidan pointed his finger at Harbinger again.
"And if good, decent shinobi's fight you, find a way to just…screw it up and leave the battle. Injure them if you must but don't kill them. Don't sacrifice them. Just go find some bad guys to go kill and sacrifice. Would that be so difficult? There are tons of bad guys out there! Have you been to Hidden Sound lately? It's a regular a Jashinist buffet." Harbinger finished in a rush, letting go of the taller man's shoulders and pushing him away.
Hidan and Harbinger looked at each other for a moment and then broke out laughing.
"A Jashinist buffet, huh?" Hidan smiled, rubbing one shoulder where Harbinger had gripped him absently.
"Yeah, go sacrifice Orochimaru." Harbinger suggested before he realized it. "He's an asshole. I'd even help. His bunker is not a one-man job."
Hidan looked at him incredulously. "Fuck, really?"
"I…" Harbinger paused, mind racing. Shit, had he just offered to go kill Orochimaru with Hidan?What was he thinking? "Well, not tonight." But…Orochimaru was on his to-do list to have out of the way before Naruto's chuunin exams and he could use Hidan's help – it's not like he could ask for help from Leaf or even Jiraiya. He still hadn't been able to find a way to tell his sensei about Harbinger. He wasn't sure if the older man would approve. No, compartmentalize, damnit. You are not Iruka – you are Harbinger right now. Get in character.
"Oh, hell yeah!" Hidan looked ecstatic. "That's going to be one fucking bitching ritual sacrifice, Harbinger!" He paused for a second. "You will let me complete the sacrifice, right?"
"Of course, Hidan." Harbinger shrugged. "They're bad guys, why would I care?"
"You know, Harbie." Hidan threw and arm around him. "I'm starting ta really like ya. So where do you live?"
"Uhhh…" Harbinger brushed the arm off. "Oaf. Actually, I'll contact when I've got time to kill Orochimaru, okay? There will be planning necessary, and some covert ops done first. He lives in a freaking bunker, you know."
"But how will you know where to find me?" Hidan asked scratching his head.
Harbinger held out a scroll to the violet-eyed man.
"What's this?" Hidan asked and peered at the small piece of parchment.
"Magic scroll." Harbinger tapped it and chuckled. "Bleed on it every three days. Instructions will appear. We can communicate back and forth that way. I have a corresponding scroll. Simple, ne?"
Hidan tucked the scroll into the pocket of his pants, and then zipped it shut.
"And if you get it wet, it ruins the jutsu, so don't forget and put it the wash, okay?" Harbinger warned.
"Do I look like someone who does a lot of laundry?" Hidan gestured to his black leather pants, black leather jacket that was zipped open and bare chest, with no shirt on. It didn't look like he was wearing any underwear either. Just the Jashinist necklace.
Harbinger laughed. "No, I suppose not."
"So what rumors will you be telling about me, Hidan?" Harbinger asked ruefully.
"That you fucked my brains out!" Hidan said crassly, and then added. "And you're horribly scarred from acid."
Harbinger laughed.
"So you're fucking leaving now?" Hidan asked. "We didn't even fight or anything. And I didn't get a goodbye kiss? Bullshit!"
"Tch." Harbinger stated. "I told you we weren't going to fight against each other, Hidan."
Then the trees were howling and the night was suddenly darker and it was like a bonfire with licking at Hidan's feet; he could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing up and he felt an irrepressible need to scream – but he didn't. And he heard the words – Soon, Hidan – That was Harbinger's voice in his fucking mind!Was that genjutsu! And then he watched as Harbinger took a leap into the air and was suspended – arms extended gracefully – floating in the middle of what looked like a localized tornado and was just then gone from the clearing. It was beautiful, he thought. No, it was fucking hot.
A/N: Sorry for the slight delay on this. This chapter was actually much longer (like over twice as long) but I decided to split them into two chapters because thematically I believed it made more sense and I was wanted more time to edit the second half of the chapter. So this is Harbinger – Chapter 13 and the second half will be the upcoming Chapter 14. Hope you guys liked this chapter – I thought it came out nicely. Chapter 14 will be up very soon since it's actually written and I'm merely editing at this point.
So how did everyone like Hidan? Was he fun or what?
Please Review: ^_^
-Nevis