Hinata could hardly believe her eyes. After rushing to catch up to the two men, they had passed down the long, dreary tunnel that gradually grew wider and taller in a silence broken only by her shuffling footsteps and the occasional sound of rushing water. The glowing orange orbs (candles, she had found out after peering at one through her Byakugan) were spaced out so that when the light of one faded, a second began, leaving them to walk through pulses of light and dark which was beginning to make her feel dizzy and light-headed. She wasn't sure how far they traveled – she was far too weary to be concerned with that – but they eventually happened upon large iron gates with what looked like a coat of rust on the hinges. Tall metal towers brushed up against the cavern ceiling and a voice shouted out, "State or be killed."

State what? Flashed across Hinata's mind before Kisame and Itachi stepped forward and recited in perfect unison:

"I am the way into the city of woe.

I am the way to a forsaken people.

I am the way into eternal sorrow.

Sacred justice was my architect.

I was raised here by divine omnipotence,

Primordial love and ultimate intellect.

Only those elements time cannot wear

Were made before me and beyond time I stand.

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."

There was a pause, then, "State your purpose intruder."

"Don't lie," Kisame hissed out of the corner of his mouth. "They will know and they will kill you… If you don't want that, that is."

If that was supposed to quell her quaking, it didn't exactly help.

"I-I… I followed th-them… I r-ran away from m-my village a-and… I d-didn't want t-to be… to b-be alone…"

Another pause filled the air so deep and so heavy that Hinata could feel her heart pounding in her throat, choking her. Blood rushed through her brain, the sound of pumping filled her ears and her knees began to wobble. They're going to kill me, the mantra began again. They're going to kill me… They're going to kill me… They're going to –

The gates parted – not with the rusty squeal she had been unconsciously been expecting, but with a profound silence – and Kisame clasped both her shoulders to push her after Itachi as he stalked through the entrance.

"Wh… what just happened?" Hinata asked quietly as an orange candle came into view, calming her nerves with its familiarity.

"We just passed through the gates of Hell," Itachi explained quietly.

"A-and why did you say that?"

"Do you know what it is?"

"O-of course!" Strength returned to her legs and she stood a bit straighter, hoping the shark would notice and release her. "It was the sign over the gate to Hell from The Inferno." Itachi favored her with a glance over his shoulder and she flushed, lowering her head. He continued to watch her for a moment and she began to squirm under his gaze. "I-if you don't w-want to t-tell me that's –"

"Whoever founded this village was a Dante freak," Kisame explained, releasing Hinata from his grasp with such a suddenity that it cause her to stumble slightly.

"W… What? A D-Dante…?"

"Freak. The entire village is based on the nine circles of Dante's Hell. But you won't be able to see all of it at first." He paused and looked thoughtful for a moment. "Too bad I've never read Dante."

Hinata was about to comment on that when a thought popped into her head which she quietly voiced. "W-why are you t-telling me all this? W-what about the secrecy of th-the village?"

"It doesn't matter now." They turned a corner and a bright white light shone, signaling the end of the tunnel. "You got past the gate. If you attempt to run away now, we'll kill you before you can get beyond the entrance. Plain and simple."

Hinata gulped and nodded, a wave of fear washing over her. The light looked over them as they approached, coming closer and closer. Dread clenched her heart at the thought of what a village of runaway shinobi – thieves and murderers – would look like. She could imagine blood splatters, destroyed buildings, bodies thrown to the streets.

Light passed over her, blinding her for a moment. When her vision came back, her breath caught in her throat.


Sasuke glowered behind a clam, cool mask, rage reaching out to clench his heart and claw at his neck where the curse seal lay dormant, as Naruto quietly explained the situation to him. He nodded curtly, but inside, angry thoughts pounded in his brain.

Why her, damnit? Was he still so weak that man would choose a fucking girl over him? What more did he have to do to prove that he was ready to avenge his clan? He had nearly been successful in killing Naruto and had gained partial access to the Mangekyou Sharingan before he had been dragged back to Konoha. He had endured painful seal after seal in attempts to control the power Orochimaru had given him, only to break each and every one of the, again and again. He had taken on the most dangerous missions this pathetic village could offer him and completed them in record time.

Just what more could he do? What more did he have to prove to let that bastard know that he was strong enough to kill?

"Sasuke," Naruto's voice called, cutting though his thought straight to his brain. "Sasuke, don't do anything stupid."

The black-haired avenger grunted, fighting back the retort that rose in his throat that would only bring him closer to the blonde – closer to the weakness that would ultimately destroy him. Instead, he merely turned around and stalked to his apartment to begin planning just how he would bring that bastard's attention back to him.


Beautiful. Absolutely gorgeous.

Those were the first thought to surface in Hinata's mind as she surveyed the hidden Akatsuki village. It was formed as a funnel, opening up wide above her, most likely moving into the wall of rock that had formed the canyon wall and gently sloping down in thick rings until it suddenly cut off. There were stairwells hidden, melding into the rock and earth that led down the different levels where she could see building – all kept to beautifully – of all sizes and intent. Goodness… Just off to her left, not ten meters away, was an underground waterfall cascading down from the ring above them to the very bottom ring! So that had been the source of rushing water, she thought to herself. And the people…

She could recall being in Tsunade's office healing a dog when an ANBU officer had come in to report on the Akatsuki. He had mentioned something about fifteen confirmed identities from a few villages, but nothing like this. This was more that fifteen.

This was more than a hundred.

This was possible more than a thousand!

Over a thousand rogue ninja controlling the Dead Land, reaching deep into the Earth, having molded the unmoving stone into an inhabitable realm, taking on the name of the underworld for themselves and basing their existence on the circles of evil.

"T… This… How…?"

Kisame grinned, for once taking pleasure in her fluster, but Itachi merely brushed past them, saying, "We need to take her to Satan. And remove the jutsu from her eyes."

"S-Satan?"

"Our village leader," Kisame clarified, stepping up behind Hinata suddenly and covering her eyes with his hands. Chakra flowed though his palms and into her consciousness, pulsing like the light of the candles, but with a blue glow. The energy throbbed faster and faster within her dark mind, until it became a solid radiance, which suddenly shattered, breaking the candle's genjutsu on her vision. She felt slightly disoriented when Kisame let her go and she wobbled for a moment before righting herself and scampering to catch up to the two men who were heading towards a staircase partially hidden by the waterfall. She missed Kisame's smirk as she gasped, finally seeing the rest of Tartarus.

A second waterfall, beginning from the endless round river of water where the first ended, washed down an additional three rings to settle into a moat, rounding a flattened ground from which protruded a tall tower, a silver moon above which rested with a slash along its equator. More people appeared and a bird suddenly took flight from the seventh rung, soaring up to meet them in hot, humid air.

Itachi's right eye twitched as the bird – a beautiful red-tailed hawk – landed gracefully on his head. Hinata gave a soft giggle as the most powerful man she'd ever heard of flailed about, attempting to rip out tail feathers as the hawk took off to flutter just out of reach. The noise of Hinata's embarrassed tittering and Kisame's loud guffaws, Itachi stilled, hunched his shoulders and glared at the taller man as though daring him to say anything. Quieting down to a chuckle and a smug grin, Kisame held out his arm and the hawk gently came to roost, talons gripping so expertly that the flesh didn't even discolor. He reached out and took the scroll hidden in a small leather pouch attached to the bird's leg, allowing it to take flight once more and (after dive-bombing Itachi once more) soar away. The shark's eyes flicked over the scroll before he stuffed it in his pocket, saying, "We're expected n the Tower. They want to see her," he jerked his head in Hinata's direction, "as soon as possible."

The lightness that had filled her at the messenger bird's antics was suddenly replaced with a feeling of dread that clutched at her heart like a lead weight. Her judgment was finally going to pass, she thought to herself as they began to move. She was finally going to get what was coming to her. Down the staircases, to each of the rings, she could feel burning gazes upon her, whispers behind her back echoing louder than the rushing waterfalls. Her eyes were lowered to her feet though somewhere in the back of her mind, she kept track of the staircases and which circle of hell they brought her to.

The Gluttons – punished by Cerberus slavering over them as they did in life while covered in filth… The Hoarders, the Wasters – each held down with weights as they punish the other… The Wrathful and the Sullen – buried under the black river Styx. Oh god – what if I am to be punished this way? If they take my life as I have lived it? How will they do it? Would I be Sullen? A Hypocrite? Violent against Neighbors? Or, oh gods, Treacherous against Blood Ties? I killed my family – they'll know, they'll know! – would they really freeze me?

Kisame gave the woman at his side an odd look as she began to hyperventilate, squeaking softly each time she inhaled. He watched hr face go whiter than he ever thought any living thing could go and saw her clench a fist to her chest. It was really amusing watching different levels of fear flash over her face and in her eyes, but it looked like she was about to pass out – something he was certain Itachi wouldn't enjoy in the least, no matter how relaxed he was to be back.

So… How could he bring her back and still continue to amuse himself?

I'm certain they will," Hinata's mind continued to shriek frantically. They have the power, the ability, the reason. They wouldn't even have to go very far – there's water all around here. I should have known this. I wouldn't have been let past the gates if they didn't want to do something to me. I

A hand suddenly grabbed her left breast and gave it a squeeze.

am going to kill that shark!

Itachi turned around just in time to see Hinata's chakra-enforced fist connect with Kisame's nose, her stance full of righteous anger and her face flushed with a combination of rage and embarrassment and rage, tingeing her flesh an odd shade of red as Kisame flew a few feet to land flat on his back, blood dribbling down his chin. The woman wrapped her arms protectively about her chest and spat out, "Pervert."

"Sweet fuck, girlie," Kisame groaned out, though it was a bit muffled, as though his nose were broken. He pushed himself up on his elbows and gingerly touched his face, wincing slightly. "Where the hell'd you learn that, cause this hurts like a bitch."

Hinata bowed her head, but rage still smoldered in her eyes. "Forgive me," she ground out, not sounding remorseful at all.

"Goddamnit." The man pulled himself to his feet and smirked at Hinata, looking particularly demonic with blood smeared around his mouth. "I didn't think you'd apologize for that. Would you say sorry to your rapist?" He glanced at Itachi who was giving him a "you dumbass" look and grinned.

The smaller man's eye ticked but he said calmly, "We've arrived."

Hinata flinched and looked up at the tower they stood before, having been too lost in her own thoughts to notice how close they had gotten. Anger faded, leaving her empty inside. Her arms slid from her chest so she could clasp her hands together before her. Itachi eyes watched as everything left her, but he merely stepped past the two and into the tower.

"Satan is waiting for us."


Bleh… wrist hurts so I won't badger the muses. Just know that I don't own Naruto, so, till next time!