"Are you sure you're ok with it?" Konan asked as Nari looked at her reflection, twisting her arms and looking at the bruises. "We could try to cover them with foundation if you want."
"Nah," Nari dismissed, "I don't they'll be too noticeable on stage. Maybe the lights will wash them out, you know?"
"Sure," Konan said, noticing how the bruises had faded to that awkward yellow. She stood behind Nari and looked at her through the mirror. Nari was looking at her reflection, attention pulled away from the bruises now and Konan was relieved to see her smile. "You like it?"
"You're incredible, you know that?" Nari asked her as she inspected herself. She was wearing the same boots and leather pants as the previous concert, however this time she wore an interesting crop top. She had been incredibly skeptical, never having worn one before, but she was glad she put her trust in Konan. The crop top was a high necked halter and the strings that laced together in the back also wrapped around her stomach, just under where the shirt ended. It was solid black and her hair stood out against the black amazingly. Because of all the black, Nari was just wearing the winged eyeliner and a nude lipstick, keeping it simple. Her favorite part was the braids. Konan had tied her hair into two tight braids. "I look fiercer than I feel." Nari admitted with a smile before turning to the blue haired woman with an almost embarrassed expression. Konan watched as Nari laced her fingers together nervously. "I admire you. You're always so confident." Nari shook her head and looked at her with an excited smile. "I got my two friends some back stage passes. After the show, we have plans. Do you want to come with us? I think you'd really like them." Konan blinked, a little startled at the invitation. She had expected Nari to just take off for the rest of their time there.
"Oh, sure." Konan accepted, giggling a bit. "And they are more than welcome to join us at the beach tomorrow if you'd like." Nari beamed.
"Really?" She asked but before Konan could answer, Nari pulled her into a tight hug, startling the blue haired woman. Konan staggered, thrown off guard and off balanced. Nari giggled and held her tight, bouncing a bit and Konan couldn't help but laugh and hug her back.
"What on earth's gotten into you?" Konan asked, holding her back and looking over the bouncing red head. "Since when do you have so much energy?" Konan teased and Nari shrugged.
"I guess I'm just excited," Nari admitted, lacing her fingers together once more. "I haven't been to Suna in years and I guess I just really missed it." Konan chuckled and shook her head.
"Well, knock 'em dead."
"Did you know?" Hidan asked Itachi as they passed in the hall. Itachi looked him over, thinking about his response. The two hadn't had a chance to speak since the night prior and now seemed to be the best chance they had.
"Know what?" He asked, hoping the singer would elaborate. He suspected Hidan knew, but he didn't want to assume and share something he shouldn't. Hidan just stared at him for a moment, thinking over his words.
"You left her with me on purpose, right?" Hidan asked. Itachi realized Nari must have opened up to Hidan and he felt a slight sense of relief. Itachi nodded. Hidan was crude and crass, but he cared behind it all. He was also one of the few people who'd been through it, too.
"How was she?" Itachi asked.
"In denial." Hidan answered flatly before running his hand through his hair with a smirk. "But I think she gets it now. It's fucking wild what a little validation can do. Besides, you seen how hyped she is today. Bitch is almost wound up as much as fucking Tobi." Itachi gave a small smile, having noticed her excitement all day.
"Yes, I am glad she is able to keep her spirits up." He admitted, suspecting trouble when they returned home. "Now that it has been brought to her attention, what do you think she'll do?" Itachi asked.
"Fuck if I know." Hidan shrugged, his smirk falling. There was no guarantee she would really do anything, but that wasn't going to stop them from hoping. "I'll see you fuckers on stage." Hidan said, giving a lazy wave as he continued down the hall, leaving Itachi on his own once more.
"Temari!" Nari cheered as she crashed into her blond friend, wrapping her arms around her. The woman in question hugged her back, happy to see her friend after so long.
"Nari!" She cheered as they hugged. After a moment, Nari stepped back but Temari still held her arms and looked her over. "Look at you! You look amazing! How have you been? How the hell did you get these tickets?" Nari laughed at her friend.
"It's good to see you, too." Nari turned her attention to the man standing next to Temari and beamed at him, holding her arms out, inviting a hug. "Hey, Shikamaru. She keeping you in line?" She teased. Shikamaru snorted and shook his head before stepping into her hug and wrapping her in his own hug.
"Glad to see you've kept out of trouble." He told her before letting her go.
"I wouldn't say that." Nari giggled as she stepped back and looked at her two friends. She took each of their hands in hers. "I am really, really glad you two were able to come to the show. It really means a lot."
"Of course!" Temari assured her. "We haven't seen you in years and you just show up out of the blue with these kick ass tickets. How could we say no?" Nari smiled at her. "How did you get these tickets anyway?" Nari suddenly looked sheepish and let go of their hands, opting to nervously pick at the lacing on her legs.
"I actually have some news." She admitted with a huge smile.
"Are you ok?" Temari asked before gasping and grabbing her by the shoulders. "You're not pregnant are you?" She asked and Nari couldn't help but laugh aloud.
"She's not pregnant." Shikamaru told her, his tone exasperated. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but I'm sure you could have just told us over the phone."
"Ah, what's the fun in that?" Nari teased. "Besides, it's much easier to show you."
"Show us?" Temari asked, starting to get nervous. "Nari, what's going on? Are you in some kind of trouble?" Before Nari could answer her, the rest of the band walked up to them, interrupting the conversation.
"Who the fuck is this?" Hidan asked, stopping just behind her. Nari smiled up to him.
"Hey guys, these two are my friends." Nari explained and looked at her friends' faces, their jaws dropped as they took in Hidan, Itachi, Deidara, and Tobi. "Temari, Shikamaru, meet the Akatsuki."
"Holy shit," Temari breathed. "I know you said back stage, but I didn't think we'd get to meet them." Nari laughed.
"It gets worse than that." Nari told her as Hidan walked away. Deidara elbowed her, letting her know it was time to go. "I'll be right there." She told Deidara and Tobi as they walked past. She turned back to Temari and Shikamaru, grateful Itachi lingered with her. "I gotta go, but Konan will be here in a minute. Have fun, guys, ok?"
"Go?" Temari asked, "Where are you-" Nari just walked away, Itachi following her silently. Over her shoulder, she tossed Temari a playful grin and took an insane amount of pleasure at the shock on her friends' faces as she stepped out onto the stage.
"They must be proud of you." Itachi told her quietly before they parted ways.
"You have no idea." She joked, continuing on across the stage as Itachi stopped at his spot, grabbing his bass. Nari beamed as she crossed the stage and picked up the guitar she borrowed from Itachi, taking pleasure in the glossy black.
"You assholes ready?" Hidan asked them with his usual grin. Nari looked at him and nodded. "Let's do this!" The Akatsuki jumped right into their first song, the explosive drums kicking it all off before the bass and guitar slowly joined in. After the long intro, Hidan's voice joined the cacophony, booming through the speakers.
Nari lost herself in the concert and the joy at having her friends there to watch and support her. It was a strange feeling, knowing they were there. Origionally she was worried it would be too much pressure, but after seeing them, holding them close, she realized how much she had missed them. Itachi was right, they were proud of her, or they would be once they realized what was happening.
"You're Nari's friends, right?" Konan asked, pulling their attention away from the show and sticking out her hand. "Hi, I'm Konan, the Akatsuki's PR manager. How are you enjoying the show?" She asked politely.
"They're incredible." Temari told her with a smile. "I can't believe Nari's out there with them!"
"Yeah, I'm kinda surprised you guys even got her on the stage." Shikamaru said, stuffing his hands in his pockets with a smirk. "Getting her to even play for us was a drag." Konan laughed, a knowing smile on her face.
"It wasn't easy." Konan admitted. "I couldn't even bribe her at first." This made Temari giggle, knowing how bad her friend's stage fright could get. "But after the first show, she seemed to really warm up to doing this. I think the band practice has helped, too."
"How did she get your guys' attention?" Temari asked, looking back at the stage. "She doesn't usually put herself out there."
"It's a long story," Konan told them. "For now, just enjoy the show. I'm sure she'll tell you all about it. Is there anything I can get you two?"
"No thanks, this is just perfect!" Temari told her, excited to watch her best friend and one of her favorite bands. Temari had a pretty good lid on it, but she was screaming inside. Konan suspected as much, recognizing the look in Temari's eyes. She looked over Shikamaru who stood hands in pockets and eyes turned to their friend. He had a lazy smile on his face, but he somehow seemed less surprised than Temari and Konan wondered why. Konan turned her attention to the band and stood with Temari and Shikamaru as the band continued to play their music. The band was playing through the songs, rolling through them like usual. Konan couldn't help but smile in amusement at Nari's permanent smile.
Nari's cheeks were beginning to hurt but she could stop grinning like an idiot. Here she was, playing with her favorite band, her fingers playing the chords to songs she had memorized by heart. Her voice would harmonize with Hidan's and everything felt right. Once more everything faded away. There was no roaring crowd full of nothing but praise. Her brother wasn't in the hospital, fated to never wake. She wasn't in an abusive relationship. She was home and playing her favorite songs on stage with her best friends. Nothing could touch her.
The concert went on, the band's energy infecting the crowd. It was their last performance and they were giving 110%. It was a great crowd that seemed to know when to listen, when to scream with excitement, and when to sing along. Nari was having a blast and she wasn't the only one. Hidan took advantage of the responsive crowd, walking along the edge of the stage and having them sing back lines of a chorus. Though they didn't do it during practice, they were able to pull off including the crowd into the song. Itachi glanced over to Nari when they started, worried how she'd handle the change, but her beaming smile assuaged any concerns he had.
Kisame watched them from his spot up in the booth. He stood behind his technicians who were controlling the lights and sound. He had more workers running around back stage, making sure everything was running smoothly. He had checked the equipment himself to make sure everything was up to snuff for the final concert, wanting everything to be perfect. You can imagine his frustration when mid song, Tobi's keys went silent.
Hearing the lack of piano, the band stopped and looked over to their pianist who stood, tapping nervously on the keys.
"Shit." Kisame huffed. "What the hell guys, what's going on?" He asked, leaning forward and checking the soundboard himself.
"I don't know." One of his technicians answered. "It's not on our end." Kisame was about to start pressing buttons, but the radio on his hip chirped with Konan's slightly irked voice.
"Kisame, what's wrong?" Konan asked through the radio. He sighed and unclipped it from his belt.
"All clear up here." He explained. "Something must be wrong with the keys. I don't know what's wrong, I checked this shit myself."
"It's ok, we just can't leave them hanging." Konan told him before turning the volume down and lowering the radio. She turned to the two guests with a small smile. "Sorry for the interruption, we're just having some technical difficulties. I need to go help. I'll be right back." She excused herself and the two watched her leave before looking back at the band. The band was looking at each other and Nari shrugged at the drummer. Hidan had hurried over to Tobi, a frustrated scowl on his face as he helped Tobi check his equipment. Two stage techs stepped over to them and began checking and testing the equipment.
Nari looked out over the crowd, a knot of anxiety starting to grow in her stomach as the stage was engulfed in a strange, tense silence. She could hear murmurs and whispers and she worried the crowd was growing disappointed. It had been less than a minute since the keys stopped working but that didn't stop her anxiety. She needed to do something and Nari wracked her brain for something, anything she could do to help. She didn't know shit about the sound system or the piano. She was helpless!
"Well, they won't know something's up unless you tell them." Her brother's voice shot through her like a bullet as the memory of an old conversation floated through her ears. "If something goes wrong, just go with it. Just keep going like nothing's wrong." Nari looked at the black mass of a crowd as the memory struck her. She wasn't helpless, she wasn't powerless. She had a choice. Nari had the option to stay silent and let the awkward intermission pass like a kidney stone, or she could do something to make it a little less painful. She looked down to the glossy black guitar in her hands and smiled to herself.
Thank you, Leo.
Itachi watched as people off stage worked on something, Konan speaking into the radio, her eyebrows scrunched in frustration. Tobi and Hidan were still trying to check the keys, Tobi pressing a key to see if sound could work. Nothing was working and it didn't look like it would be fixed soon. He considered suggesting an official intermission, giving them time to regroup, but before he could move over to them, the sound of a guitar echoed through the speakers, stilling everyone on and off stage. Itachi turned to watch Nari, wondering what she was thinking. She was looking down at the guitar, a relaxed smile on her face as she strummed a few notes.
Nari could feel all eyes on her and even though it made her heart race with anxiety, she was glad the attention was drawn to her rather than the flustered and anxious Tobi and the technicians trying to fix the problem. She swayed back and forth as she strummed, trying to be the picture of ease as she played the chords. They weren't part of any song, just random notes strewn together in a melody that sounded nice to her. After a bit she picked up the tempo, the sweet music turning a bit more aggressive and sounding closer to their usual sound. Nari bobbed her head to the beat before giving one last strum with a little bit of flare. She let the final note play out, fading slowly, and the crowd began to applaud, a few people giving small whistles of approval. She stepped up to her mic and looked at Itachi.
"Your turn, Itachi." Her voice echoed across the stage. He looked at her with raised eyebrows. Deidara and Hidan looked at each other in confusion before looking to Itachi. The man with long black hair shifted his bass and began to play a few chords. Just like Nari, they weren't from a song, just a few notes bunched together. He only played a small handful before stopping and looking back at Nari, hoping he had interpreted her call to action correctly. The teasing smile on her face told him he was right. "Come on, I know you can do better than that." She teased calmly into the microphone. Itachi gave her a knowing smirk and nodded his head. Itachi played some more, just strumming them together. This time he didn't hold back. Nari watched, her relaxed smile growing into one of pure joy as he played. Itachi was an incredibly skilled bassist and for a moment she felt very, very insignificant. How could she ever hope to be on the same level as her idols? That doubt couldn't stay very long, because when Itachi was finished with music, he met her gaze and nodded as the crowd gave him a loud round of applause. It was her turn.
Nari played again. She played fast and didn't look up from her guitar. She hit every note she intended, and as she finished her aggressive music, she realized she had every right to be there. She was skilled, she had skill and she wondered why it took her so long to realize it. Playing the guitar was just something she did. It was a part of her and she couldn't think of anything else she'd rather be doing.
Itachi met her challenge and played his own string of chords, matching her intensity. Nari beamed and as Deidara watched the two, he realized what they were doing. Nari had started a mini battle between the two of them, and he wanted in. As the crowd roared and stomped their feet, cheering on Itachi, Deidara leaned into his mic.
"You two are cute, but get this, yeah." He teased, twirling his drum sticks in his hands. Nari and Itachi turned to watch him and he brought the sticks down on the drums. If Nari had to pick one work to describe his drumming style, it would be explosive. Deidara had jumped right in, not leading up to the fast paced music. He beat the drums and even dared to get a little showy, spinning the sticks in his hands as he played. She couldn't help but giggle to herself at his showmanship and she looked to Itachi. He had a small smile on his face as his bandmate drummed away. He glanced in her direction and smiled back. Itachi gave her a small nod. It was a good idea. It was something fun and entertaining and most importantly, it kept the focus off Tobi. Deidara sat back, trying to catch his breath with a smug smirk. The audience applauded and cheered as they had done for Nari and Itachi.
The three continued to rotate like that for a while, each playing their own little melody while the crew tried to help get Tobi set back up. Hidan was there with him, keeping him calm and trying to help. Once it was all squared away and fixed, Hidan practically shoved the techs off stage, irritated this happened to his friend in the first place.
"You ready?" Hidan asked Tobi firmly. He took in a deep breath and nodded, cracking his fingers. "Fucking sure?" He asked.
"Yeah," Tobi nodded again, "Thanks, Hidan." He said, trying to sound like his chipper self. "Hidan's such a good boy!"
"You bet your fuckin' ass." Hidan gave him a cocky grin, roughly patting his arm before walking back across the stage to his mic as Nari finished her turn. She smiled at him and he looked around to his other two bandmates. Deidara and Itachi nodded at him, they were ready. Tobi had already given him the go ahead. He looked to Nari and she nodded. With everyone's approval, Hidan stepped up to the mic and flipped on the charm.
"Let's try that again."