Greetings everyone! A shoutout to my muses Asuma, Kushina, Zetsu_Akatsuki, and Uchiha_Curse!
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I do not own Naruto or "Innocence" by Avril Lavigne.


Chapter 29: Losing Everything

Song of the Chapter:
Innocence – Avril Lavigne
Reason: When we are safe, we feel a state of happiness that when taken away, can leave one wondering how they survived before.


Emiko smiled sensing two familiar chakras and fixing her gaze on Suigetsu, she stood up. "It is my time to leave." Suigetsu nodded as Kakuzu appeared in front of her.

"You are safe correct?" Emiko nodded as Kakuzu led her out and they witnessed an odd little scene. Hidan had his scythe out and had already drawn the Jashinist symbol upon the ground. Sasuke was unharmed but highly frustrated at the fact that he had already the man with a couple of Chidoris and the attacks had not slowed the immortal down in the slightest. "Hurry up Hidan; we already have Emiko-san."

Hidan smiled at seeing Emiko and faced Sasuke. "Just need to get some of his blood and this will be done." Emiko looked at the two as Sasuke charged with his katana and Hidan swiped with his scythe, both weapons clanking loudly in the air. Hidan smirked as he quickly wrapped the coils of the scythe around Sasuke and drew close until a hand touched his shoulder. He stopped feeling Emiko's soothing presence. "Emiko-chan?"

"You do not need to sacrifice him Hidan-kun. I am safe and they did nothing to me. Come on. I will help you get sacrifices later." She tugged on his sleeve and when he looked into her eyes, his expression softened slightly.

"Fine, but let me do one more thing." She nodded and he withdrew the coils from around the Uchiha's body and clenching his fist, punched him in the face. "Never touch my woman again or I will make sure you are unable to restore the clan." Hidan turned around to Emiko with a smile on his face. "Let's get the fuck out of here; we have to finish this dumb shit of a mission." Emiko laughed as she held his hand. Hidan looked down at her, unused to public displays of affection and although he had a small blush, he gave her a small smile.

"Yeah!" She walked away and Suigetsu emerged out of the cave and looked at Sasuke, trying to hold back a grin at seeing the state of his face.

"Damn you got all messed up!" Sasuke winced touching his nose and feared it might be broken. His jaw bones really did not feel like they were in the best condition. He walked inside and when Karin saw the state of his face, she fainted. Sasuke shook his head and sat down trying to reset his nose despite Suigetsu's comments that he looked better that way.


Deidara and Sasori groaned hearing their mission and here they were hours into starting the mission. Despite the fact the two were going alone, there was no time to sleep or have 'fun'. They had to retrieve a tailed beast; the one tailed beast Shukaku to be exact. Sasori hardened his heart upon hearing about going to the Sand Village and Deidara was unnerved by the silence between the two of them and the only thing that seemed to rattle the puppet was artistic argument.

Sasori looked at Deidara and sighed. So close but so far… I cannot afford distractions now…


Emiko watched Hidan easily lop the legs off of their next victim and when Kakuzu picks up the man, he looks at the two. "This will take a few moments so stay together and do not get in trouble." They nodded and as soon as Kakuzu left, Hidan walked to Emiko and wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her close to him. She giggles feeling his chest against her back.

"Hidan-kun?" She craned her neck to look at the Jashinist and together they kiss. Although simple, Emiko feels the passion that Hidan is through it and without breaking the hug he has turns around to place her arms around his neck. Smiling, Hidan deepens the kiss and with his tongue, gently licks Emiko's bottom lip. Emiko is curious and opens her mouth the slightest amount and Hidan slips his tongue in. She moans feeling his tongue stroke her own and the kiss quickly becomes heated. Emiko's eyes darken with emotion as she stares into Hidan's eyes. The man looks at her and breaks the kiss walking away. Emiko follows him in confusion. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Emiko-chan… I can't continue. If we do; I'll do something we will both regret." Emiko looks at his eyes and notices how dark they are also. She finally recognizes the emotion.

"With you, I cannot regret it." Hidan swallows the lump that developed in his throat and staring back at the woman in front of him, he knew the emotions in her eyes: love and lust.

"Do you know what you are saying Emiko-chan…?" She nodded and as she hugged him, she scraped her nail down his arm and the Jashinist bit his lip to hold in the moan. "Ok… I assume you do, but I can't just fuck you." She stopped her actions and looked at him.

"I know it will not just be a fuck; just submit to what you want." She was about to begin again when he grabbed her hand.

"Being a Jashinist, I cannot do that act unless I am married." Emiko bit her lip but nodded. She looked at him trying to will away the tears that wanted to form at her eyes.

"Hidan-kun, I understand an immortal like you would never want to be tied down by a mortal like me." She began walking away when she felt his hand grab hers.

"That isn't it, damn it." She looked at him, her tears unwilling to be controlled. They flowed freely down her face. Hidan lowered his face and kissed away her tears. "I just want you to be sure what you are getting into and… proposing on a bounty hunting mission with Kakuzu in toll isn't exactly what I'd call fucking romantic." She cracked a small smile as her tears stopped and she sighed feeling his arms around her.

"Hidan-koi?" He smiled hearing the affectionate suffix and looked down at her. "Is that a promise?" He nodded and leaned his forehead against hers. She sighed feeling him blow air at her right ear.

"I never break my fucking promises and I'll be damned before I break this one." He kissed her forehead and pulled apart seeing Kakuzu approach. "You just one long ass time!"

"I had to… negotiate the price." Emiko sighed knowing that the treasurer was now likely in a terrible mood.

"How many more targets Kakuzu-san?" He gazed at her with his emerald eyes and gave a small smile.

"Three more and we can return to base." Nodding, Hidan and Emiko crowded around Kakuzu who pulled out a map as he pointed to their next destination.


A week later…

Tobi never felt so sad before. He watched his senpai just stare at the multitude of puppets in the battlefield. He put a comforting hand on Deidara's shoulder but the artist stood up and being armless, simply walked away from the comfort. He walked until he was in front of Sasori's body and sat, just unknowing what to do. Tears poured from his blue eyes and he sighed. Zetsu walked next to him. "Told you we shouldn't have brought him. He would have wanted to see Sasori-san; didn't you see how close they were becoming? Becoming far too attached. What do you think will happen to Hidan when Emiko-san dies? I… I don't want to think about her dying."

Deidara stopped sobbing and bit his lip. He looked at Tobi and with the most serious tone he had ever had, spoke with him. "I need you to make a hand sign for me Tobi." Tobi jumped up happy to help his senpai. Deidara told him the hand sign and when it was made, Tobi saw a bird flying towards Sasori's body.

"Senpai…" The explosion shook the battlefield and the various body parts of the devastated puppets flew about. The twisted altered bodies burned in odd colors due to the varnishes and odd chemicals that Sasori had used on the bodies. Tobi looked at Deidara's face that was twisted.

"Danna… wait for me in the afterlife and I'll be there in a bang, un." Deidara began to smile manically before Zetsu knocked him out.

"Idiot… We need to watch him to make sure he doesn't pull any suicidal shit. Well, he is a bomber and therefore already suicidal. So we simply have to watch him closer." He carries Deidara's armless body as Tobi picks up the arms.


Emiko sits on the living room couch leaning on Hidan who is currently yelling at anyone and everyone except the kunoichi. She still felt drained doing the tailed beast extraction and Hidan insisted she not do anything excessive. However, he took out any frustrations he had on the other members of the Akatsuki. Itachi just zoned it out thanks to cleverly hidden ear plugs while Kisame was too drunk to notice the ranting. "The fuck is taking blondie and the red haired bastard so long?" She tried to get up but with Hidan's arms around her waist, she falls onto him.

She smirks before kissing him on the cheek. "I need to go to the bathroom." Hidan sighs but lets her up. When she leaves, three people enter. Hidan's eyes widen seeing Deidara's armless state.

"What the fuck happened?" He looks at Tobi who has his arms and notices the ring on Tobi's hand. "Where the hell is Sasori?"

"Dead. He misjudged his grandmother and the Hokage's apprentice." Hidan looks at Deidara who just woke up and sees his red puffy eyes.

"Fuck… I'll be back." He dashes off and knocks on Emiko's door. She opens the door and looks at him with curiosity in her eyes. She tilted her head in confusion and he spoke, "Sasori's dead."

"Oh…" Her head bows forward and she looks Hidan. "How?"

"Fighting after we sealed the demon. He was not thinking right most likely and got killed." She started crying and Hidan held her and rubbed her back trying to calm her down. "What will happen when you and Kakuzu have to fight after sealing another tailed beast and something happens to one of us?"

Hidan bit his lip. I am immortal but Emiko-koi here… He looked down at her and their thoughts seemed to sync immediately. Hand in hand, they walked back to the living room and Emiko saw Deidara. His hands were being painfully sewed back on by Kakuzu but the pain did not seem to reach his eyes. They had a maniac glint but behind that, it was empty like a stone slab. "Emiko-chan, un…" She put her hand on Deidara's shoulder but could not bring herself to smile or say soothing words. "I am glad if anything, you and Hidan know of your love for each other, un." She gave a small smile and brushed his hair out of his forehead. He hummed softly as she began to brush his hair while Kakuzu still sewed up the arm.

"Deidara-kun… Sasori-san would not want you to end your life like that." Deidara's visible eye shot to Emiko and narrowed.

"What do you know, un? I guess it doesn't matter since Danna is dead and his art is proven worthless. He had to go and leave, un." Emiko looked at him with sadness in her eyes.

"His art was proved wrong so prove your own art wrong by living a long life." Deidara scoffed and stood up, finally flexing his now sewed up arms.

"I have too much pride as an artist to abandon my art for someone, un!" Emiko's eyes hardened as she walked away from him. She stopped when Hidan put an arm around her shoulders.

"Deidara-kun, if you are letting your pride as an artist get in the way, you never really loved Sasori-san." She looked at Pein who came out with Konan talking to him. The orange haired man stopped and looked at her with his ringed eyes as Emiko bowed. "Me and Hidan-koi will be gone, but we shall return tomorrow."

"Take the week off. You two look like you have been through a lot. And you got kidnapped by Itachi's little brother too. Being forced to bear company with an Uchiha must have been trying." Itachi glared at Pein while Emiko was surprised at her leader's generosity.

"Thank you so much Leader-sama!" Now having permission, she pulls Hidan out of the living room and when they stopped at their rooms, they picked up a couple of backpacks. Meeting back in the hallway, Hidan holds her hand as they walk out together. Tobi sees them but says nothing as he smiles behind his mask.

He walks to the living room and asks, "Where do you think they are going?"


An hour later…

He held her hand as they stood in front of a temple. He was all too ready but as for her… "Are you sure?"

Emiko rolls her eyes as she kisses his cheek. "How many damn times are you going to ask me that? Yes I am sure!" He grins as they enter.


Atsushi threw a kunai at Sasuke and it narrowly missed his head. "What the fuck do you mean you didn't get her?"

Suigetsu smirked. "I believe that the hidden meaning behind the statement is that Emiko was not retrieved." Atsushi snarled and was about punch Suigetsu when Sasuke had his hand on the old man's wrist.

"You will not hurt him." The man narrowed his eyes as the two teens walked out of the room.

"Only a matter of time before the Leaf Village captures Emiko then we make the trade; Uchiha for a Fushigi."