What a strange, long trip it's been. I hope you guys enjoy this last chapter of Finally. For those of you that wanted to know more about my friend's story well.. you'll have to wait until he submits chapter 1 and I put up Finally's alternate ending. Which won't make HidaSaku fans happy D:

Enjoy!

Chapter 21: Take it from here.

When Sakura opened her eyes, it was darker outside. She had been unaware that she'd fallen asleep, and the memories of the reason why she had fallen asleep came rushing back.

She panicked and was about to go search for Hidan – she couldn't remember what had happened to him, because she'd fallen asleep before Siah got back. She remembered Neji saying something about exhaustion and Liadra had scoffed at it before Neji informed her that she herself had fainted three times. That had made the woman shut up.

Sakura froze as something behind her shifted.

"Sakura, I'm right here behind you."

She whirled, "Hidan!" her arms went around his neck. He laughed softly into her hair, gently wrapping his arms around her. They hugged each other for a while, Sakura taking note of how weakly he held her in his arms. She rested her hands against his shoulders and pushed back.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better... not one hundred percent though. I suppose I should fill you in on what we discussed while you were asleep."

Sakura frowned, "you guys just let me sleep?"

"Yeah."

"Why?" inwardly she said, 'I'm tired of seeming so useless to everyone that I love so much.'

"Siah made us. Neji wanted to wake you up but Siah nearly blew a fit. The only reason he didn't was because he was afraid his yelling and ranting would wake you up."

Sakura smiled, "is ranting a Jashinist thing?"

Hidan returned her smile, "kind of."

"Well, tell me what you guys discussed."

"Alright. When the sun rises Kono will be heading back to Konoha to inform Tsunade-sama that we've picked up Kisame who is now an ex-Akatsuki member. Because of him, I'm alive. Also, Kono will be telling her that we're going to take our time going down the mountain. This is because of me and my condition. I can hardly move."

Sakura's smile faltered, "explains why you weren't hugging me so tightly," she gazed at his face, "and why you look so tired."

Hidan chuckled, "yeah. Oh, I bet you're wondering in the back of your mind if Siah is alright. He's perfectly fine. Except for maybe being covered in blood. He and Kisame went to scout out a pool or something."

"Oh... but... is it a wise choice to send Kono all by himself?"

"Sakura, he can merge with trees. His elements wood remember?"

She blushed in embarrassment, "y-yeah that's true. Continue."

"Once I'm able to move more easily again we'll be moving more quickly. That's about all we discussed. We did talk some about the possibility of more rogue shinobi showing up, but Neji believes that with Kisame and Siah they'll be no match for us."

Sakura nodded her head, then was struck with a thought. Hidan hadn't mentioned that the ANBU squad had also picked up Siah.

"What about Siah?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, it's pretty obvious that Kisame is coming back to Konoha with us but what about Siah? Isn't he coming too?"

"... no, Sakura, he's not. He... he doesn't want to endanger anyone. He doesn't want to put Konoha in harms way. See, when he met Hakura the first time he was running from Jashinists. She covered his back and almost got herself killed. Due to that, he was forced to use a forbidden technique on her or let her die."

"But there's no signs that a forbidden technique was -"

"That's because she wears a shirt all the time, Sakura. I mean, I can see it but that's because I was a Jashinist..." he squinted into the distance, "'cept I can't really see it anymore. I bet if she went to the beach she would be wearing a one-piece and a shirt," he smiled at Sakura.

"So the mark is on her back?"

"Yeah... Siah took care of her for a while, and once she was better he left her in a place where he knew ANBU from Konoha passed by. He stayed with her until he could sense the chakra of approaching shinobi, and then he left. Even though she had begged him the entire trek from where he had taken her to Fire country to come with her to Konoha."

"And he refused? But why would he? We can protect him from Jashinists!"

"... you have no idea what kind of Jashinists we'd be dealing with."

Sakura's blood went cold. She thought about the technique that Siah had used, causing all those black spikes to come shooting out of the ground, "what do you mean?"

Hidan leaned his head back against the tree. Sakura panicked, "ah-ah you don't need to tell me if you're tired! I'm just curious as to who could be more powerful than -"

"I'm... not precisely tired Sakura... it's just that I'd have to explain the entire power pyramid of the Jashinists to explain to you why we can't protect Siah. And why he's better of on his own."

"Tell me why he's better off alone first."

"He's one person. They don't need to send ten Jashinists after him unless he's with more people. The more people Siah has to protect the more powerful he gets."

"Then it would be better if he came with us," Sakura informed him, triumphant. She was definite that Hidan couldn't counter that. Hidan chuckled and shook his head at her, "Sakura... if they know he's not alone, do you think they'll send people that weak?"

Her eyes widened, "huh?"

"They'd send people like Damien or Jump or... or Syliss, if he's still alive. Those people... just the three of them could destroy Konoha and then some. Or worse. And if we're talking about the power pyramid," he scratched in the ground with his finger, drawing a large triangle separated into six sections, "those three are at the top."

Sakura swallowed, "what about you? Where were you?"

"Me? I was at the top too. When I joined the Akatsuki I asked them to strip me of most of my power, so I dropped down to the second-last level."

"Why'd you ask them to do that?"

"The Akatsuki really didn't need to know that I can just... track and catch Bijuu no problem. I can't do that anymore. No longer a Jashinists, stripped of my power... left to rediscover how to use my old techniques," he smiled at her, "don't look so worried. My old techniques are formidable."

Sakura sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder, "so we'll be heading down tomorrow."

"Yeah."

"Back to Konoha."

"Yeah..."

"Kono goes before us... Kisame's coming with us... Siah's leaving us... and," she pressed her lips to his chin, "you swear less when you're tired."

His chest vibrated with his laughter, "that's true. I do swear less when I'm tired. Or maybe it's because I'm talking to you," he wrapped his arm's around her, his embrace a little tighter than before.

Sakura, though she wanted to ask why no Jashinists had been sent after Siah since he'd joined them, decided to let Hidan sleep. He was weak, and the rest would do him good.

She watched the sun rise from under Hidan's chin, waiting to return home.

Oh, but what's this? Why does it seem like I've given some new information that I didn't sort out?

Perhaps I have something else up my sleeve...