Author's Corner: Hi. I sorry for late update...cookie?
So, a shout-out to any who was in Boston or had family members in Boston when the bombs went off. I hope that everyone is safe and sound and if not, I wish you a speedy recovery. Add that to the fertilizer plant that blew up. Geez, what's next? Someone bombs the White House? *Slaps hands over mouth* Shit...
a) The Cherry Blossom Touched by Dawn: Sakura is left to fend for herself at the ripe old age of two months. By a twist of fate, Nagato stumbles upon the infant. Nothing Nagato ever does is on a whim. With amazing chakra control, chakra supplies well above the norm, and an a warm heart, can she touch the hearts of the cold Akatsuki members? Wait, Orochimaru wasn't really on the list... (Sakura-centric, SasuSaku NaruHina)
b) Insanity: A medical prodigy, Sakura is the youngest psychiatrist of the century. Nothing is impossible for the fiery-tempered cherry blossom. So when faced with a dangerous, mentally unstable patient like Juugo, her temper won't let her live down the word 'can't'. So what does she do? Take him on as her personal patient of course. (AU, JuuSaku)
c) Torn: By a wicked twist of fate, Sakura found herself dragged into the Akatsuki. Leaving friends devastated and Konoha without it's top medic, a battle begins to get her back. Torn between her home and the strange new family she found in the Akatsuki, who will Sakura choose? But can a certain Uchiha tip the scales in Konoha's favor or will the war tear Sakura in half? (SasuSaku, formally known as Love and Betrayal)
d) Crazy in Love: Okay, let me get this straight. I was forced into an arranged marriage with the prince of Suna, the prince happens to be an emotionally challenged, incredibly powerful insomniac, and the council is corrupt and twisted. No wait, scratch that. There's no difference there. Between political parties, friends, enemies, and playing match-maker, I found time to fall in love with him. Damn it all. (AU, GaaSaku, ShikaTema, KankuTen)
STILL MINE!
Disclaimer: Hey...hey...guess what...I still don't own Naruto
Hidan ducked a desperate slice of a dying Jashinist and drove his borrowed kunai through his ribs. The man coughed up blood before collapsing. Hidan kicked away his body before straightening up. He grimaced as he wiped the blood that had splattered against his jaw.
"That's nasty," Tera said, wiping blood off of her blade. The tiger that she had summoned earlier circled Tera, its muzzled stained red. Hidan watched the animal prod a body, growling under its breath.
"What are these things, Tera?" It growled. Hidan wasn't exactly surprised that it could talk, but what did surprise him was that 'it' was actually a 'she'.
"I dunno. Ask him," Tera said as she pointed at Hidan. He sighed as he crouched down and used the clothing of a dead Jashinist to wipe the blood off his kunai. He ran the black fabric over the dark blade, silent for several seconds.
"They're from a cult that worships a god named Jashin. I...was one of them, many years ago," he said quietly. He stared at the face of the Jashinist that he had killed. He looked barely out of his teens. He bowed his head and rubbed his forehead.
"I was lucky enough to have people drag me out of that dark pit. These people aren't evil, they're just mislead. Twisted into a bad mold," he said. He closed the boy's staring eyes and stood up again. The large snow tiger stalked up to him and sat back on his haunches.
"You are odd, human, but I can see that you are not evil. You have chosen a wise person to battle with, Tera," the tiger said in her strangely feminine voice. Tera smirked and returned her sword to its sheath.
"Thanks, Kitora." She said. Kitora nodded her blood-spattered head before dispelling in a plume of smoke. Tera let out a loud sigh.
"I better get out of here. It feels so great to be free again," she stretched and eyed Hidan, still staring at the dead bodies. She shrugged and closed her feline green eyes. Hidan finally turned away from the corpse and looked at her.
"You want to head back and meet up with Sakura?" Hidan asked. Tera paused mid-stretch and stared at him.
"Sakura? Oh, you mean the pink-haired girl. Nah, I'm a lone wolf, always have been. Thanks for the help, though." She said.
"You sure?" Hidan said, turning towards the direction of the willow tree he had spoken about earlier.
"Yeah. Give Sakura my thanks for me," she said. Hidan nodded before Tera shunshined away in a swirl of leaves. Hidan was once more alone and surrounded by corpses. As the adrenaline faded as the danger passed, his head suddenly throbbed horribly. He winced and clutched his head. His vision blurred for a moment before coming back into focus.
"I've gotta get out of here."
Hidan realized that traveling barefoot out of an overgrown ravine wasn't a good idea. By the time he got to the willow tree, his feet were torn and bloody and doubled with the wounds he had sustained during the battle and the cuts on his back from the whips, he was about ready to drop. His hands had painful blisters on them from using the kunai so much. He brushed through the long leaves of the weeping willow and looked around for Sakura.
"Sakura?" He called out quietly. There was no movement, nothing to indicate that the pink-haired kunoichi had gotten there yet. He sighed and stared through the gaps in the branches. There was still maybe three hours until sunrise. Hidan sighed and rubbed his temples, thankful for the darkness.
Hidan sat down against the massive trunk and forced his wound up muscles to relax. He leaned his head back against the rough back and watched the shadows dance over the grass and the branches whispered in the breeze.
Slowly, his eyes drooped shut. A little rest would be a good idea about now...
Crack!
Hidan's eyes shot open and he stood up again, kunai in hand.
"Haha, I showed those dicks..." Hidan relaxed at the sound of Sakura's voice floating through the branches. Well, not Sakura exactly.
The long vines were thrown aside as a barely-clothed, pink-haired girl stepped through. The vines closed again, enveloping the trunk in a curtain of green. The tree was well over 100 years old and the branches brushed the ground. Inner stopped when she noticed Hidan. She grinned and pushed her messy hair back.
"Well, hello there handsome," she said. Hidan dropped his kunai out of surprise and his eyebrows disappeared into his hairline.
"E-excuse me?" He sputtered. Inner snickered put her hands on her hips. The white rope that Sakura had given her was dirty and much shorter than before, as Sakura had ripped off the hem to use as bandages for him.
"I was right, you really are a virgin," she teases, walking up to him. Hidan backed up against the tree, trying to get away from the hellcat currently stalking him. He didn't have anywhere to go as Inner grew closer, her smirk reminding him of a leopard going in for the kill.
"H-hold on, what are doing?" He said, holding his hands out in front of him. Inner rolled her black and green eyes and swatted his hand away.
"What does it look like, Hi-dan-kun?" she said quietly. She drew out the syllables of his name as she poked him in the chest. Hidan swallowed thickly and tried stepping back again, but cursed himself as he realized that he was cornered against the tree. His stomach clenched uncomfortably at the thought of a woman he happened to be very attracted to trying to seduce him. And succeeding.
Inner gave him a sultry smirk and her eyes glittered dangerously.
"You know, I really used to hate you," she murmured. Hidan remained silent, trying to keep his eyes in respectable areas. It was harder than you'd think, with her wearing nothing but a thin white robe.
"But then..." Inner smirked and stepped closer. "But then I realized that you weren't that bad. Not to mention that you look incredibly sexy when you're all battered up like that." Hidan frowned as his face heated up at her provocative words. Inner rolled her eyes and let her fingers walk up his bare chest. Suddenly, she pressed herself flush against him, pulling him closer by a hand on the nape of his neck.
There was a sharp intake of breath from Hidan as his senses became overwhelmed with the essence of the clone of Sakura. All other thoughts were drowned out and there was just the green-eyed doppleganger and the luring look she was giving him.
He wanted her.
He wanted her so badly, he was starting to forget that this wasn't even the real Sakura. Inner reached up on her tip-toes and leaned in closer to him. Their breaths mingled together as his eyes fluttered shut. Gods, she was so close to him! He could feel every curve of her petite form, the strength rippling beneath her deceptively small body. He could practically feel his self-control slipping...
"Oi!"
Hidan jumped nearly a foot in the air as Inner was wrenched away from him. Sakura had Inner by the back of her robe and was dangling her a couple inches off the ground. She gave her a disproving look as she placed her free hand on her hip. The kunoichi now had on a pair of oversized black pants and a long-sleeved black shirt that was about three sizes to big for her. Hidan grimaced as he realized she must have taken them from the bodies of the ones she had killed.
"I think that's enough free time for you, Inner," Sakura said in a flat tone. Inner squirmed and flailed her arms around.
"Awwwww, I almost had him, Saku-Saku! Lemme go!" She whined. Sakura rolled her eyes before dropping her on the ground. Inner stuck her tongue out at Sakura before crossing her arms. Sakura glanced briefly at Hidan who had plopped down with his back to the Yin and Yang personas. From the way his ears were practically steaming, she could take a guess at why.
"Shut up, I'm not in the mood," she sighed. Inner muttered a few choice words under her breath before letting out an exasperated sigh.
"Fine." She said, seemingly more subdued. "You win." Sakura immediately pulled her hand back and slammed her palm into Inner's chest. A small black ball of light flew out and into Sakura's chest. The now lifeless doll fell to the ground and began to crumble to dust. Hidan looked over his shoulder and his eyes widened as he saw Sakura stumble slightly, a hand to her head. On instinct, he lurched forward to catch her as she crumpled.
Sakura's head spun with the overload of information that had just dumped into her brain. She must have blacked out for a moment because the next thing she knew, she was in Hidan's arms with him looking at her worriedly.
"Are you alright?" He asked. Sakura mumbled something even she couldn't make out. Hidan frowned and leaned closer. His frown disappeared as he felt soft lips press against his jaw. He jumped back and stared at her, surprise etched into his face. Sakura gave him a sleepy smile that still somehow managed to look sexy.
"Don't let me go," she said softly. Hidan sighed through his nose, more than happy to oblige. He readjusted his arms around her, but something made him freeze. His blood ran cold as he stared at his forearm- now covered with Sakura's blood.
He pressed Sakura closer against his chest to get a better look at her back. Unnoticeable to him before because of the dark cloth she wore, he now saw the long gash that ran from her left shoulder to her right hip.
"Jesus, Sakura!" He exclaimed under his breath. Sakura chuckled, her head resting on his shoulder.
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that..." She mumbled. Hidan sighed and reached for the abandoned white robe lying in a pile of black dust. He shook it out before pressing the cloth against her wound. It was immediately stained bright red. He gently picked her up and retreated deeper into the veil of the weeping willow. He sat against the trunk once more and pulled Sakura into his lap, making sure to be careful of her wound.
"This is so messed up," Sakura said suddenly. Hidan huffed in agreement as he dabbed at the gash.
"I think I have enough chakra left to..." Sakura pulled back slightly and reached behind her to poke her wound. She pulled her bloodstained fingers back and moved shruggishly through the handsigns she needed.
"Kuchiyose no jutsu," she said, pressing her palm against the grass. A white and blue slug about the size of a small dog appeared in a plum of smoke.
"Sakura-sama...oh dear," she cooed. She inched over and she tilted her head left and right as she inspected her wound. Sakura sighed. She still had her head resting in the crook of Hidan's neck and didn't seem inclined to move anytime soon.
"Scythe. It may have hit the hypodermis, but my spinal cord is fine. I stopped the bleeding earlier but it must have opened again..." Sakura yawned and curled up slightly. Katsuyu nodded before crawling over Hidan's knee and onto Sakura's back. Hidan brushed Sakura long pink hair out of the slug's way.
"You're being awfully nice to me," Sakura commented dryly.
"I don't see why I shouldn't be," he replied smoothly, despite his wired up nerves.
"Heh...I'm the one that got us into this situation..." she said. Her eyebrows suddenly knit together in a frown and she sucked in a sharp breath.
"My apologies, Sakura-san. A slight infection has set in, this may take some time," she said. Sakura nodded absent-mindedly and relaxed again.
"It was my fault too. If I hadn't-" Hidan was cut off by Sakura pressing her finger to his lips.
"Don't even say it. I was being an idiot, reacting like that. If you apologize even once, I'll hit you," she said. Hidan snorted and rested his chin on top of her head, completely at ease with their current position. At least she wasn't angry at him.
"Fine. If I'm not allowed to apologize for kissing you, you can't blame yourself for this situation, deal?" He said. Sakura laughed weakly and run her thumb over his knuckles which rested on her thigh. After a moment, Hidan turned his palm upward and twined his fingers with hers. Despite her weak and exhausted state, her heart fluttered slightly.
"Deal," she said.
"I'm done," Katsuyu said suddenly. Sakura sat up and arched her back. Hidan looked at her wound, only to see that it wasn't there. A long, raw red line had taken the place of her gaping injury.
"Thank you, Katsuyu-sama," she said. Katsuyu nodded and dispelled herself. Sakura twisted around slightly, testing her injury. Hidan watched her, an amused smile on his face. Sakura noticed but didn't comment as she rested her head against his chest once more, their hands still intertwined. There was a peaceful silence for several minutes with nothing but the rustling of the leaves and the sounds of the night to disturb the quiet.
"My, my, my, how touching is this?"
Sakura suddenly stiffened profoundly and Hidan did the same. The vines of the willow parted of their own accord and the Leader stepped through, along with Amane and Katsumi. The latter still had that fake smile on his face, and the former had his head bowed submissively.
"I must say, Hidan, smart thinking in hiding here. The massive nature chakra of this tree nearly masked your signatures entirely. It is too bad you are still linked to me." Said the black-robed man. His long silver hair was tied into a loose ponytail and it gleamed dangerously in the moonlight. His hands were still hidden inside his robes, and his blood red eyes stared at them, void of all emotion. Hidan sighed and nudged Sakura with his knee. Sakura jumped up and glared at the trio of men.
"Damn, I thought it would have faded with time." He said. Sakura glanced warily between the two. The owner of the ruby red eyes spoke again.
"You of all people should know better than than, Hidan. You are to come back with us and are to be stripped of your immortality," he said. Sakura frowned, her guard on high alert. Hidan was silent as he glared at the one in the middle.
"You know I won't come willingly." He said calmly. The man smirked and tilted his head to the side.
"Hmm. I wonder if I can change that." He murmured. "Katsumi." The said man nodded. Before anyone knew what was happening, Katsumi had vanished and reappeared behind Sakura, a dagger held a hair's breadth away from her throat and her arms twisted into a painful position behind her back. Hidan snapped his head to look at her, a mixture of surprise of surprise and horror on his face.
"It's your choice, Hidan." He said. Sakura's heart danced like a hummingbird in her chest. She locked eyes with Hidan and could see his resolve crumbling.
"No, Hidan!" She gasped. She tried to struggle against her captor but the blade pressed lightly against her throat and her arms were twisted in ways an arm wasn't supposed to twist.
"Should I just kill her, Shi-sama?" Katsuki said. The air seemed to electrify as the name of the mysterious man was finally revealed. Sakura gasped lightly.
"Death?! That's his name?" She thought nervously. There must have been a reason for that. Shi closed his eyes and let out a slow breath through his nose, completely at ease.
"Perhaps..." Shi said slowly. Hidan turned on Shi and gave him a death glare.
"It would be a shame to kill such a pretty little thing like you," Katsumi said, flicking a lock of her hair with his blade. Sakura swallowed a lump of fear in her throat.
This was a real Jashinist. The others that they had decimated were probably just hastily recruited drones. Despite his smile, Katsumi was deadly. This was why the religion was considered taboo; it turned out deadly killers that were a force to be reckoned with. And if even one of them had the immortality that Hidan possessed...
It would be all out slaughter.
"So what will it be, Hidan?" Shi said. Hidan's eyes flicked between Sakura and Shi several times before his shoulders slumped ever so slightly.
"If you let her go and don't go after her...I'll come with you." He said finally.
Author's Corner: Yeesh, another long one, but whatever. This took way too long to finish. I don't know why but I have just not been in the mood to read or write anything lately. Maybe its my depressing friend being depressing. I don't know.
I hope you guys don't hate me.
-Kaya Kazaki