Er, hello! It's been 6 months, and I deeply apologize for the wait. To make it up to you, I'll be making this one a bit longer. There was an issue with Chapter 27 that I never noticed, so that's fixed and up as well if you haven't read it, I strongly recommend that you go back and read that now, though it doesn't matter and it's your choice. Thanks! Also, an A/N at the bottom, read it at your will.

Life seemed to return to 'normal' after the relocation, albeit we were submitted to a stricter, more intense training routine. Zena was the only one exempt from this, instead she received specialized training from her mentor, the strange lady she met in Ame.

Our training began 30 minutes before sunrise with a 5-Mile sprint.

Itachi and Kisame oversaw this and pushed us to maintain the full run for the duration of it.

My muscles feel like putty by the time we return home for breakfast.

Hidan, Tobi, and Deidara follow up with combat sparring. To keep things fair, Hidan and I are always paired off. Y'know, in case one of us (Hidan) goes too far and breaks valuable body parts. Deidara and Tobi switch between Kira and Suki, though I never get to watch their fights.

It was mid-afternoon now, and I had been resting on the couch, my feet kicked up on the coffee table. Suki, Kira, and Zena were in the kitchen, probably talking about gross shit while Zena was cooking. I had no idea where anyone else was, but it didn't really matter.

Sasori appeared in front of me and took the TV remote from my hand. "Come on, we're doing tests."

I shrugged and followed him, padding through the corridors on bare feet.

He led me to the main meeting room and through a side door. I guess I'd missed a room in my earlier tour. It was a medical lab, with an examination table in the middle of the floor, and various machines and doo-dads lining all of the walls.

Kakuzu was waiting with a needle, his masked pulled up over his face.

I could see the frown lines around his eyes still and made a face at him.

He responded by prodding a bruise on my forearm where Hidan had hit me with a brutal kick earlier. "Ow!" I whined, recoiling.

"Brat." He grumbled, motioning for me to climb onto the hard table. I laid back and held my left wrist up for him. He grabbed me gingerly and turned my arm over. Wordlessly he jabbed the needle into my skin and withdrew my blood.

"Dick," I muttered as he drew it out, pressing my fingertips to the wound.

"Now for testing," Sasori said, offering me a bandage. I took it and slapped it on my wrist, grumbling about what the two could do with their needles and tests.

He shot me a glare and turned on his heel, grabbing a few vials to inject my blood into.

"What, I don't get offered a lollipop for my pain?"

Kakuzu scoffed, "Candies aren't within our budget, gaki." I rolled my eyes and mouthed along as he recited his favorite phrase, "...do you think money grows on trees?"

"Well, actually..." I began, thinking of the paper slips we'd called currency on earth.

"Can you two shut up now?" Sasori hissed, "I need absolute concentration to analyze."

"Should I just leave?" I asked, but Sasori growled at me again and I quieted myself.

Withing nothing to do and the inability to leave, my only choice was to wait for whatever Sasori was doing.

As he started running the machines and pressing random buttons, the harsh chemical smell typical of doctors offices flooded my senses and before I knew it, I was gone.

"Is the patient stable, doctor?" The voice was too loud, but it was distinctly female.

"Yes, nurse." Light flickered and my vision faded. "She seems to be waking up."

"Where..." It was all I could muster.

"Miss, could you tell us your name?"

"Where?"

"Nurse, I think we need to let the patient recover more."

"Of course, doctor."

The lights went out.

The next time I woke, I learned about Jun. About what he'd done. The baby was gone, but so was he. Later, it was revealed that I'd actually never be able to bear children, so my dream of a happy nuclear family was out the door. But then the police came around, of course they'd want to take a report, here's a young girl obviously having been kidnapped and taken advantage of, then cruelly tortured and left for dead, where the hell did he go?

My only option was to tell everyone he had left. He said they'd never find him, because he'd change his hair, change his face, change his name. He said Jun Yakari is dead.

What else could I say?

'I snapped and paid him back for what he'd done? I'd waited until after he'd fallen asleep after beating and raping me, after cutting me open and killing our child, and I stabbed him until he was done twitching? That I actually feel relieved to know he was gone and could never hurt me again? Or what's more, that I actually disposed of the body at this location, with the help of some random fucking stranger who came through with a fucking chainsaw, a shovel, and acid, as if they somehow knew what would happen?

Yeah, sure. I might be young but I'm not fuckin' dumb. I maintained the story until I was recovered enough to leave the hospital, and then I made myself disappear. As far as anyone knows, Kimiko Yakari had gone back to her grandparents home after she had healed.

I don't answer to Kimiko anymore. I'm Sakana. Sakana Redd, who grew up in an orphanage and had to claw her way up to the working class. Sakana, who was funny and friendly, but never close. Sakana who always seemed a tinge melancholy, despite the smile plastered on her face.

Kimiko is dead now, just like Jun. Just like my dream.

"Hey, DUMBASS!" Someone shouted, bringing me back to the present.

"Kimiko is dead," I said, then shook my head. My stomach lurched and I thought I might be sick. "What?"

"See, I told you she wasn't dead."

"Well how the fuck could she die, anyways?"

I blinked at the light and sat up. I felt… off. Different.

Hidan, Sasori, and Kakuzu were standing above me in a semi-circle.

"What's going on?" I asked, pushing them aside and staggering to my feet.

"Er… See, we thought you'd be able to tell us, babe." Hidan said, grabbing a hand mirror and offering it to me.

My hair was grown past my navel and it was no longer the stark white my body had been producing for years. It was deep red, like I'd dyed it for years. My eyes were deep blue, with little flecks of cerulean dotting my irises.

"The fuck?" I asked, looking at my own hands. I still had scars from years ago, but it was almost as if I'd undergone color-corrective surgery in a span of minutes. "What'd you do to me?" I growled, narrowing my sight on Sasori. "I'm not a god-damned lab experiment!"

He furrowed his brow, "I did nothing, you foul-mothed imp."

Hidan stepped between the two of us, giving me a stern look. "Calm down, Sakana."

"What seems to be the-" Pein stopped short, coming into view from the doorway. "Hm."

Itachi appeared behind him, sharingan blazing. "I see," He said, closing the distance between us, his gaze following up my arms and up to my head.

"What? What do you see?"

Pein came up beside him, Rinnegan activated. "Oh, that's interesting."

I frowned. "WHAT?"

"The seal is broken," Itachi replied, "If you don't mind lifting your shirt I'd like to confirm."

"Oh, they're firm," Hidan spat, pushing his way in between Itachi and I. "But nobody else is gonna take a fuckin' look."

I felt my eyes roll, and I folded the bottom part of my shirt up, revealing my hip. "Hidan, you're an idiot."

Itachi and Pein looked at the seal, poking and prodding and murmuring to each other before straightening out. "It's unsealed, so you've returned to your natural and original state of being."

I was dumbfounded for a moment, before sputtering. "My what? Wait, how?"

"It's likely that on the night that we retrieved you from Konoha, during your fight with Konoha, it began to release, and the stress caused by the testing today is what finally completed it."

Skeptical, I nodded.

Later I'd go on to inspect every inch of my skin in the bathroom mirror, noting every perceptible difference I could. I looked like Zena… but more Uzumaki-like.

My appearance wasn't the only thing though.

During sparring, it'd become so much easier to dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge. Maneuvering my body around was suddenly a breeze compared to before. I almost took Hidan's head off with a kick.

Days passed and I grew stronger, so my 5-mile run became 10-miles, then 20, and so on until I was almost keeping up with Itachi.

Three months in, I'd discovered a nifty little ability exclusive to my bloodline. Hidan had hit my ribs too hard and my immediate reaction resulted in him across the room, almighty-pushed against the wall. He'd coughed up blood when he hit the floor, and I began a new set of training with Pein.

Suki and Zena began practicing yoga with Itachi and a few other members. While he didn't typically attend, it was hilarious to see Kisame on an odd Tuesday, performing Downward Dog with the upmost tranquility. Their star of the show wasn't the ever calm Itachi or pacifist Zena, it was Tobi, who could really get into yoga.

Hidan and I still performed weekly sacrifices, but I hadn't been feeling as intense as before. I didn't understand but He never spoke to me or punished me, so I couldn't really be going wrong.

I'd learned that the room with Hidans sign on it was actually our prayer room. Hidan and I were meant to share my bedroom, apparently. I couldn't complain, though, because we actually had an altar. Hidan presented me with a rosary, a thin metal chain with an intricate cross dangling from it, and deep ruby beads threaded throughout the chain.

I tried to be present in my faith, but it felt as if my connection to Him was flickering.

And then it was our anniversary.

So much time had passed and I'd been lulled into a sense of security, breezing through the days and bonding with the most unlikely of comrades.

But all good things must come to an end.

It was something in the air that day. From first light, Itachi was touchy and quiet, Kisame's loud bark of laughter was stifled and he too seemed irritable. The dour mood had spread to the twins and Zena. I was the only one with a smile and a wisecrack, which made for a long and quiet sprint through the countryside.

Even at breakfast, nobody spoke, each hunkering down into their meals and finishing quickly. I poked and prodded at my congee, discontent with the downtrodden air. "Okay, what's the deal?"

Kira raised an eyebrow, "I don't know, its a normal Tuesday for me."

Suki shrugged, "Kisa is sad, so I'm sad. Also, it's Saturday, Kiki."

Kira gave her sister a deadeyed stare. "Oh."

I sighed and turned to Zena, who was silently washing her bowl. "And you?"

"There are whispers of trouble in the village. Scouts nearby, wanted posters being placed. They're Fire nation," Zena said. "Akatsuki is on edge, but Sasori's concealment jutsu should shroud this place from their eyes. We just need to lay low."

I'd been completely oblivious, living in some fantasy world where Hidan and I could live happily ever after. He's a wanted criminal, no doubt put into much deeper shit by my antics in Konoha. Now they'd be on the lookout for me too.

My intentions in the beginning had been to save everyone in the Akatsuki. To help achieve the peace that they wanted, but was twisted and manipulated by Tobi and Madara. Kaguya's reawakening must be stopped at all costs, and doing that requires an alliance between ALL nations. Naruto achieves this, yes, but surely having the Akatsuki on his side would help the young jinchuuriki.

I had to speak to Pein.

The corridor leading to her brother's quarters seemed long and endless, but I eventually reached the door, rapping on it three times.

"Enter," came his deep voice.

I slid the door open and came to stand before his desk. "Leader-san."

"Saki-chan, we are alone. You can drop the formalities." His tone softened, so he really did see me as his sister, despite the separation between us.

"This matter regards the future movements of Akatsuki."

His eyes steeled and he leaned forward, assuming his favorite position to listen from. "Akatsuki's future movements are set in stone."

"Are we truly alone?" I asked, my eyes shifting to the darkened corner behind him.

He nodded once. "Obito and Zetsu are on a reconnaissance mission in Amegakure. We are alone."

"Obito is lead by Madara Uchiha, this you know." I said, sitting down in the chair across from him. "The Uchiha survives but barely, he will be renewed several years from now, after he has secured all of the tailed beasts and Akasuki is destroyed."

"This you have told me, but I assure you-"

"Nagato, I have seen it! Please, listen to me. I cannot lose you after I have just regained you. If you continue on this path, you will fall at the hands of Naruto Uzumaki. The ward of Jiraiya- Kurama the Nine Tails' jinchuriki. He will grow stronger and fight against your will to retrieve all 9 beasts. In Konohagakure, you will die. Akatsuki will be broken, and peace will never be achieved. Please, Nagato, stop this tailed beast foolishness. Tobi will betray you, take the beasts for himself and revive Madara and Kaguya. Once she is reborn, they will eradicate the entire population and take back all of the chakra in the world. It will be the end of times."

Nagato let out a shaky breath. "Saki, this- this sounds crazy."

"Ask the others, then! All of this will happen if you procure all of the tailed beasts for him. You must not do this for him, you'd be ensuring the demise of your dream. Yahiko would have died for nothing-"

Pein shot up, angry. "You may be my sister, but you dare not speak his name! Yahiko died for peace, so that Konan and I would feel happiness once more, and you will not soil his name in my company."

Anger boiled in me like lava. "I would not dare! All peace is gone if Kaguya is reborn, you must understand me!"

"What would you have me do instead? All of the other Hidden Villages hunt us for our crimes, we are natural enemies. Waltzing in and offering an alliance would procure our deaths."

"And fighting them seals your fates. Hidan and Kakuzu are sent to capture the nine tails, but Hidan kills a Jonin of the leaf instead. Later, his pupil outwits him and seals him away in pieces. Kakuzu is killed by Kakashi of the Hidden Leaf, Kisame takes his own life over telling the secrets of the Akatsuki, Itachi dies at the hand of his brother, Sasori is killed by his own grandmother... Shall I go on? All of these events tie in to the Akatsuki's movements toward capturing the tailed beasts. All of your lives are spent, Kaguya enslaves mankind and takes back all chakra, and peace is not achieved by the path you're taking. What don't you hear, brother?"

"I... I need time to think about this, Saki. Leave me, please. We'll speak more on this at another time."

"Hai, Leader-san. I await your word. Please, don't speak of this when Tobi or Zetsu are here. Please, give me your word."

Pein nodded, sighing. "You have my word."

I nodded, leaving the room. I wandered back down the hall and entered the quiet living room. Nobody was lounging around, watching TV or reading a book. It was lonely, empty. The thought of how empty it would be after Naruto and company had killed most of them made my stomach clench up and my mood dampen.

Hidan could help, I thought, retracing my steps back to the hallway and to the left. He'd be in our bedroom, no doubt. I tried not to seem too excited as I entered the bedroom, only to find it empty. "Hm, Hidan?" I asked, poking my head into the prayer room. Not there either.

Maybe Kakuzus room, then? I backtracked to the miser's room and knocked gently. No answer. I knew better than to enter Kakuzu's room while he wasn't there, so I sighed and began searching every room for Hidan, or anybody really.

It was almost as if everyone had disappeared while I was talking to Pein. With a sigh, I knocked on Kira's door.

"Yeah?" She asked, and I almost cried in relief.

"It's me," I called as I opened her door. "Wonderin' if you've seen Hidan?"

She shook her head, "Not since breakfast. He ate and I haven't seen him since."

"Weird. He's not in our room, or the prayer room. I haven't seen Kakuzu either."

"Yeah, it's weird. Well, I'm reading a book Sasori lent me, so I'll be here if you need me again. Good luck finding your idiots."

I left and bee-lined for Suki's room. So far, none of the Akatsuki had been in their rooms, so it was safe to assume that none of them would be, right?

Suki was in her room, chilling on her bed, hugging a giant plushie.

"Suki?"

"Go away, I'm sad."

"Have you seen Hidan or Kakuzu?"

"No, now leave me alone to be sad."

"Suki, do you even know why you're sad?" I asked, crossing the room to peel the pushy away from her face.

"No, but I'm really sad so that's all that matters."

"It'll be okay. Unless you want to be sad forever, you need to go find Kisame and try to cheer him up. Then you'll both be happy again."

Suki looked up, her pale blue eyes big and teary. "Really?"

"Yeah, Suki. Make Kisame smile and you'll feel much better, I promise."

"Okay, thanks Sakana." She sniffled, giving me a hug before I left her room.

Now to Zena. I knocked on her door and she opened it almost instantly. "Hello, Sakana."

"Have you seen Hidan?"

"Eh, I haven't seen him, but I did hear from Itachi that there would be a trip to town."

"Huh," I sighed, "So they've gone down to the village. Weird that you're the only one who knew about it."

"I was the only one that asked," She replied, shrugging. "They'll be back soon, it's nearly time to begin dinner preparations."

"You just got done making lunch," I pointed out.

"There's always work to be done," Zena smiled as she shut her door, ending our conversation.

Everyone was acting so oddly today, but at least now I knew where Hidan and Kakuzu had went. Kakuzu wouldn't send Hidan to town alone, the miser would have a heart attack at the amount of money the Jashinist would spend if went unchecked. And surely Itachi and Kisame would accompany them. With the rocky relationship between the village and the organization, paired with the rumor of Konoha scouts nearby, they would be there in case something happened.

Not that I really needed to get myself worked up about something even happening in the first place... The sense of unease that overtook me made my skin crawl and my heart hammer.

For the first time in ages, I felt Jashin's call to sacrifice.

I retreated to the prayer room and pulled my rosary out from under my shirt. We had no captives for sacrifice, nor did the thought of making a solo sacrifice appeal to me. Today, an offering of blood would have to do. I cut my palm with one of the ceremonial daggers and let the blood pool in my fist. Then I let it pour into the deep rut in the stone floor, filling the circle with my own lifeblood to strengthen my connection to Him. In the middle of the triangle, I poured some blood from a vial and chanted the prayer of offering, my voice sounding too loud in my own ears.

My vision swam as I finished out the rite and bowed my head.

"My lord, why am I suffering? Have my sacrifices and prayers not reached your ears? Do I speak to thin air? Lord Jashin, please give me your wisdom, your guidance, your counsel."

"Child, fret not. Your prayers have reached me, your thoughts have plagued me. Your sacrifices have been accepted, but I do not feel your heart in them. You are withdrawn, reluctant to spill blood."

"Is taking life not morally wrong? My lord, I worship you and offer you my suffering, but my mind struggles to accept that what I'm doing is wrong."

"Does it not feel right? My grace fuels you, gives you power. You are not murdering, dear one, you are ending the suffering. Your sacrifices are not innocents, but are those who are accused of deeds more wrong than yours. Punish those who sin, but spill not the blood of the innocent. You are my shepherd, one pious and firm that those who hurt ones who cannot fight back shall face my eternal wrath."

"Yes, Lord Jashin, you are right. I shall send those who commit unholy deeds to you to face their judgement. I thank you for your counsel, and swear to fulfill my duties and my oath to you."

And like that, my connection to the God was severed and I felt renewed. I could sprint a thousand miles and not break a sweat. I could arm wrestle Kisame and send him crying to Suki. I could probably become a sanin and lead great armies... Alright, I was getting carried away.

At any rate, I felt great, and could feel Hidan's presence nearing the base. By the time I raced to the kitchen and threw open the back door to the underground passage, he was climbing down from the ladder.

"Hidan!" I exclaimed, grinning widely.

"Sakana?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow at me.

"Why didn't you tell me you were leaving?" I asked, holding the door open for him and Kakuzu. Kisame and Itachi were still climbing down the ladder so I propped it open and followed the Zonbi Combo into the kitchen.

"Didn't seem that important," Hidan replied, setting an armload of bags and packages onto the counter. "Just had to get a few things for Zena. Zetsu and Tobi are on a mission, so are Sasori and the blonde faggot. I didn't really want to go but she bribed this asshole, so he made me. Why? Did you miss me or somethin'?"

I flushed, "No, I just figured you'd say something before you disappeared."

"You're not my fuckin' mother, woman. I don't think I need your permission to go to town."

"I didn't say that-" I frowned, "I just didn't know where you went and I wanted to hang out, okay? Sorry for fuckin' asking." With that, I stormed off, anger and sadness filling my gut. He'd been gone since breakfast, it was our fuckin' anniversary, not that I cared too much about that gushy shit anyway, I just thought it might be nice to hang out and watch old overly dramatic movies on the TV or something. All thought of Hidan and his stupid face out the door, I found myself entering the training room and approaching a sparring dummy.

Stupid Hidan, with his stupid trip to the stupid town. I punched the dummy, picturing Hidan's face on it. Freaking jerk. I punched it again, furrowing my brow. I kept punching it, kicking and pummeling the poor wooden dummy, feeling my frustration grow with each hollow note that played off of the mannequin. Why did it even matter that I asked? Everyone was so goddamn touchy today, and it was enraging.

I wound back and punched the dummy square in the face, knocking its head off and sending it back 20 feet with a resounding crack. The ground shook a little beneath my feet, and my anger was replaced with confusion.

Suddenly, there were several powerful ninja flooding into the room behind me. "Sup, guys?" I asked, looking at them over my shoulder.

"What happened?"

"Decapitated a training dummy."

"Sakana, you shattered it," Kisame barked, laughing.

I turned back to the dummy. Kisame wasd right, it hadn't just lost its head, its entire torso was ripped off. I shrugged, looking at the group once more. "So what? You act like you've never broken things."

"Never shredded a solid wood dummy with a single punch." Hidan muttered.

"Shut up, or you're next."

"Tch, as if, shortstack." He cackled, leaving the room. Itachi, Kira, Suki and Zena followed, but Kisame lingered.

"It'll be alright, Sak. Sasori can just make another one. Plus, everyone's gone too far and broken their equipment. Just work on learning your limits."

I nodded, "Thanks, Kisa. I'm alright, just got a bit heated."

"I'll say. Remind me not to piss you off, you're getting pretty strong."

I smirked and followed him out of the training room. "Watch out, I'll take you down the next time we spar."

Kisame cracked a grin. "You can try, squirt."

I snickered and let out a sigh. "Thanks, Kisame. Sometimes the wise word of a friend can help to lighten one's spirits."

"As always, oh wise one." With that, he marched down the hall, presumably to the arms of one small blonde woman. I shook my head and went the opposite direction, toward the kitchen. Perhaps I'd find Zena there and figure out what was so important that it warranted a trip to town.

Before I made it to the kitchen, I was stopped by Kira and Itachi in the living room.

"Sakana," Itachi called, and I sighed, changing my course and crossing the living room to where the two had set up a shogi board. Kira had procured a little rolled canna leaf and it was burning, spilling smoke into the living room.

"Hello, friends." I greeted them, sitting down between the two. "I see a game of Shogi is at hand."

"Indeed. Here, have some of this. It might help to ease your nerves." Itachi said, thrusting the wrap into my hand. I shrugged and took a puff, its smoke filling my lungs. I coughed and choked, spitting it out. It'd been ages since Kira had popped up with one of these, and even longer since I'd partaken. Jashin didn't frown too much on it, but he wasn't too fond of the act. I kept it to a minimum, reducing the tolerance I had built up for years before. I wasn't the stoner I once was back on Earth, a mere shell of the burnout I had been just 5 years ago.

"Easy," Kira giggled, taking it from my outstretched hand. "Zena's just made us some tea, if that would help soothe your throat."

I nodded and poured a cup, sipping the warm tea down and sighing in content. "Speaking of, I need to go speak with her-"

"Just a few moments, please. Zena-chan is quite busy in the kitchen and I fear she might offer dismemberment if you should disturb her," Itachi said, earning a strange look from me.

"Quite talkative today, are we?"

"I'm feeling well in my health, if that is what you ask."

I shrugged, "You seem to be in better spirits as well."

"The mind does not suffer much if the burden of the body is lessened."

"Itachi is pretending to be a sage," Kira informed me. "This is not our first session of the day."

"Nor will it be our last," Itachi told her, confidently. "With this, I can treat myself until it is time to set my plans into motion."

"Hm," Kira shrugged. "Do what you will, I'm just glad I can help ease your pain."

Itachi almost smiled, but instead he moved a piece on the board, earning a curse from Kira.

"You sneaky Uchiha, I'll get you for that one." She snarled, thrusting the spliff into Itachi's hand. He smirked and took a puff, passing it to me.

"We'll see, Kira."

"I'm so confused," I said, taking a small drag.

Kira opened her mouth to explain, but I quickly silenced her.

"I don't want an explanation, I just thought you should know that I have no clue what's happening, so this is all dreadfully boring to me. I'm sure Zena wouldn't mind if I just-"

"Let's play a hand of cards, then!" Kira interjected. "Come on, Sakana. It's not often that we gather like this."

I sighed, "Fine, then. One hand, then I really must speak to Zena."

"One game," Itachi repeated, nodding.

I don't know if you've ever played poker with an Uchiha and an emo woman, but it lasted nearly an hour and a half, and ended with me less rich and the two of them smirking evilly and counting their winnings.

"Okay, game's over. I'm never playing poker with you lot again." I scowled, standing up and stretching. "That was the longest game ever."

"Incorrect," Itachi informed me.

I rolled my eyes and turned on my heel. "Whatever. Peace."

Zena was toiling away in the kitchen when I entered. "Zena? Do you have a minute?"

"Oh goodness, not really but I can make time. What's wrong?"

"Oh, uh. It's not that important I guess. Sorry for bothering you..."

"No, it's alright. What's up?"

I sighed. "It's just... Hidan made it seem as if going to town was really important for you so I wanted to ask..."

"Oh, heavens no! I just needed more ingredients for dinner, we were getting low on certain items and I wanted to make some comfort foods from home. I've been feeling a bit homesick lately, to be honest. I really wanted some special dishes, so I had to send someone for the harder to obtain ingredients. I didn't mean to cause trouble for you, I apologize."

"No, don't worry! I didn't mean to pry, I was just curious... And everything's alright, we just had a little spat."

Zena offered me a soft smile. "I hope you get to feeling better."

"Thanks," I smiled, "I'll leave you to it then."

There wasn't much else to do besides retreat to my room and read a book. I had borrowed some novels from Itachi and fiction from Sasori, so I had a small array from adventure tales to poem collections to instruction manuals for furniture.

I settled on poems, reading the rhyming, rhythmic words as I lay spread across my bed. Hidan hadn't bothered coming to talk to me, so I decided to spend the evening reading until I had some food and a shower, and then it was off to bed with me.

I'd made it almost to the end of the book when the bedroom door slid open, and Hidan came in, wearing only a towel. I returned to the page I was on, restarting the line I was on with renewed concentration.

"What are you doing?" He asked, but I set the book down and gave him a dry look.

"Harvesting a radish."

He shrugged. "You never know."

I rolled my eyes and turned on my side, restarting my line once more.

"Fine, if you're going to act like a brat over a small trip to town..."

"I'm reading, Hidan. Please get dressed, get whatever it is you want, and piss off."

"Is it your time of the month or something?"

I scoffed, "Okay. Piss off now, dressed or not."

"I'm just sayin' bitch, damn. You're acting awfully pissy over going to town."

"Its not about going to town, so stop fuckin' saying it! Its how secretive you were being about it, how defensive and ignorant you've been all day. You disappear before I can even say good morning, everyone's been on edge and it hasn't been easy. I just wanted to be with you, around you. Is that too much to ask for?"

His brow softened. "No," he climbed onto the bed with me. "No, it's not, and I apologize. I wasn't trying to be secretive or defensive, but you sounded crazy for a minute there, demanding to know where I'd gone and screeching like a banshee."

"I do NOT screech like a banshee!" I snapped, but he gave me an unimpressed look.

"Really?"

I sighed. "I'm sorry."

He shrugged and gave me a kiss on the forehead.

"Please get dressed now," I said, my face flushing. When he had climbed across the bed, he had dropped part of his towel, and dirty thoughts invaded my mind at the sight of his bare skin.

"What? You don't like what you see?"

"Quite the opposite." I replied, "I'd never let you leave this bed if you don't cover up."

He smirked, "As much as I'd like to test you on that, dinner should be almost ready now. Come, lets eat and then we'll see if your claim will prove to be true or not."

I sighed but watched him slip into a pair of plain black pants, zipping them up and slipping a plain black shirt on over his bare chest.

"Let's go," he said, holding his hand out to me.

Hidan led me to the dining room, which we hardly use anymore. It usually housed a long table with a dozen seats, but today there was a small round table, set up for two. It was lit by an array of candles, giving a warm glow to the set up. A spread of my favorite foods was arranged around the table, from crispy fried egg rolls to mushroom lo mein to miso soup. Zena really had been working her ass off.

"Hidan..." I glanced at him, noticing a small blush dusting his cheeks.

"Don't even."

It was a romantic gesture, one he had went to great lengths to surprise me with. Warmth spread through my chest, and a smile rose to my face. "How cute. You must really like me to go through all that for this."

He smirked, "I guess I must."

"I love you too, Hidan."

"Happy anniversary, Sakana."

A/N: Heya guys, like I said in the preface, I am SO sorry that it took so long for this to come out. It was a rough 6 months for me, but I'm here now and I'll try to get the next one out in a timely manner. I struggled for a month or two with the thought of rewriting and taking out A LOT but I decided to keep it. I love you all, thank you for reading! I'll see you next time ;)

~Mistress-chan