Greetings everybody,
Sorry for not updating; it has been hectic taking some of my finals.
Do not forget to R&R - Reviews let me know how much you like the story and what needs improvement.
Also, my profile holds more stories and an update poll.
In other news, being near the end (still several chapters away though) of this storyline, I am considering a sequel. This would involve Chieko and Hideaki, forbidden jutsu, more un's, Mangekyo, and more chaos than previously imagined. Let me know if you think that I should go through with this idea for a sequel.
I do not own Naruto or the Akatsuki T_T If I did, Orochimaru would have died by Itachi's hands and the other members would be alive and well.
Chapter 36: Schism
Song of the Chapter:
Breaking the Habit – Linkin Park
Reason: The memories being lost and regained in the story, Kazumi having to make a choice of sides, and the fact she realizes that she has to pay for and fix what her actions caused
Kazumi sighed as her and Kisame approached the meeting point. She ran her hands through her hair wishing immensely she could wash up or something, but there was no time. She simply would have to put up with the blood in her hair. They found a couple of logs and sat down trying to preoccupy themselves while they waited. Kazumi meditated while Kisame cleaned the blood off of Samehada for the seventeenth time; he really did not like having to cause random destruction and he knew Kazumi hated it, but all in all, they were killing the small fry criminals. They both tensed upon feeling another chakra signature and even they knew who it was, that did not make things easier.
"Hey fuckers!" Kazumi slapped her head hearing the silver haired Jashinist's greeting. Kisame snorted and slapped his knee. Hidan's lavender eyes found them. "What the hell are you two doing? You are supposed to be on a mission, not arranging secret meetings."
"Hidan-kun…" Kazumi sighed as the Jashinist smiled broadly. How am I going to explain this…? "You know all about Madara Uchiha right?"
A silver eyebrow rose at Kazumi's unfamiliar lack of respect towards their real leader. "Yeah… So?"
"Hidan," he turned to see the former Mist ninja looked at him, "enough is enough. He is essentially blackmailing Kazumi-chan into hurting everyone she cared about. Her children being watched and she almost killed Kakashi-san." Hidan's eyes narrowed as he had grown fond of the Uchiha twins and hearing of potential danger to them really did not bode well with them.
"Hidan-kun… Madara can use me, he can tell me who to kill and I will kill, but when he drags the people I love into the equation," her eyes hardened and turned a color that they never have before, "he will fucking pay." Hidan looked into her now silver eyes with amusement.
"So… you want me to betray the Akatsuki?" Kazumi nodded and the Jashinist looked over both of them, inquiring look upon his face. "What do I get out of this?"
"Well, you will not have to listen to Pain or Madara's orders anymore. Oh… and we will still be good friends." Kisame's mouth dropped as he surveyed the kunoichi.
"You are way too damn nice Kazumi-chan." The former Mist ninja sighed and watched Hidan, waiting for his response.
"Well, you two aren't so bad. 'Cept Kisame smells like fish and I swear Itachi's fifty-meter-pole-up-his-ass syndrome rubs off on you sometimes Kazumi-chan, but I suppose friends overlook the small flaws in their friends."
Kisame snorted. "Yeah, I suppose I tend to overlook Hidan's masochist tendencies…"
Kazumi smirked. "And I tend to overlook the case of asshole that our favorite Jashinist seems to catch all the time…" Hidan raised a silvery eyebrow.
"Damn Kazumi-chan. If you are cursing, some serious shit is going down." Kisame glanced at Kazumi.
"Do we really need him?" Hidan's face curled into an indignant pout.
"I will help on one condition." Kazumi and Kisame listened closely. "Kazumi-chan, after we take down those bastards, help me find the cure for my immortality." Kisame's mouth dropped and Kazumi raised her eyebrows inquisitively.
"A cure to immortality? I have heard of ways immortality can be forcibly removed, but I was under the impression that the immortality gained with Jashin was part of the reason you joined and became a follower. Hidan sighed and looked towards the sky, an unusual expression upon his face.
"Yes originally, but spending that time in that hole in the forest made me realize something; being immortal makes for a lonely ass life. Serious, the only people we know that are immortal, well, Kakuzu is dead and I really don't give a shit about Madara."
Kisame had a look of pure surprise mixed with amusement upon his face. "I did not know that you actually cared about Kakuzu."
Hidan's brow furrowed. "I never really liked that fucker, but he had his uses and he wasn't the worst. I was an ass at times, but he still would sew my head back onto my body eventually." He glanced towards Kazumi. "So, we got a deal?"
Kazumi smiled and for the first time, her eyes were alight a soft, gentle gold. "Yes. Shake on it?"
Hidan laughed. "You know that we have to seal this deal with Jashin's approval right?" Kisame sighed, but Kazumi smiled.
"I figured as much. So… what do we have to do to seal this deal with Jashin?" She raised her eyebrow when Hidan pulled out a kunai.
"While we shake hands, a symbol of Jashin is carved into our hands while we state our terms. Breaking this deal makes the people immediately involved face a painful, unfulfilling death and suffer an eternity at Jashin's mercy at the depths of hell worse than any reality. Still up to it Kazumi-chan?"
Kazumi smirked and pulled out a kunai from her own weapon supplies. "Would never dare chicken out; you would plague me the rest of my mortal and your immortal life." They shook hands and Hidan looked deep into her golden eyes, trying to not laugh upon seeing her smirk.
"Kazumi Uchiha, if I help you take down the Akatsuki, will you help me look for the cure to immortality?"
"Yes." With that, Hidan nodded and with his left hand, cut the circle onto the back of his hand. Soon, the triangle followed and his eyes motioned Kazumi. "Hidan, if I help you find the cure to your immortality, will you help me defeat the Akatsuki and destroy them?"
"Fuck yeah." She smiled as Kisame rolled his eyes. Her left hand quickly drew her kunai and carved the circle soon followed by a triangle onto the back of her hand. A mysterious red glow emanated from their hands as the ceremony concluded. The symbol then faded into a faint, white outline on their hands. "Well, what now?"
"Well Hidan-kun… now there is the matter of Zetsu-san…" Hidan's eyebrow rose.
"You sure? Chances are he'll side with those bastards…"
Kazumi's eyes went from gold to purple. "Most likely, but I have an offer he would be an idiot to refuse…"