I silently screamed as I plummeted from the fourth floor, weightless for a moment, my stomach seeming to lurch into my throat. I wondered if that's what it would feel like for Gorzo just before he died. Or was he in too much agony from the flames that he wouldn't even register that he was falling to his death? I hoped that he knew, just so he could feel that terror inside his core, the same kind he made me feel.

I would hit the ground any second. It wasn't really that I'd accepted my fate, but I was tired. I hadn't accomplished anything in my life and despite feeling like I had finally found a small niche where I felt semi-comfortable, it seemed like I had gotten myself on the fast track to an early grave... so maybe it was good to just get it over with? At least I could say I took Gorzo with me. I closed my eyes and waited for it to end.

"Oof," I wheezed, the air flying from my lungs as I landed roughly but not on the ground. There was no splat, no breaking of bones, not even a sprain. I squinted and swore I was hallucinating. Hidan's eyes looked vibrantly magenta in the sunlight which was so bright behind him it created a glowing aura that encased his body. He looked like an angel staring down at me.

I looked back up at him with an exhausted smile and in a haze, found my hand reaching up to touch his face. "You're pretty…" I said quietly as my fingers glanced along his jaw in a somewhat sloppy motion. It was then that I noticed the crimson that covered my hands. Letting my head cock to the side, lolling on the shoulder, I brought my hand closer to my face to examine the shards of glass that protruded from the flesh. "Ow…" I whispered to myself.

I knew I had to be hallucinating because when I looked back at Hidan, his face was contorted with something I didn't recognize on him. On anyone else I'd call it worry? Concern? Certainly with a healthy serving of fury which suited him just fine. My eyebrows came together in confusion, my breath coming out in ragged gasps and my chest heaving up and down forcefully like a tide crashing against the shore.

His fingers squeezed tightly around my arm before finally saying something. "Yeah and you're pretty fucked up…" His eyes seemed to be surveying the damage, darting quickly between my various injuries. A certain intensity took over his expression the longer he observed me.

"He did this to you?" he asked with knitted brows. It was a rhetorical question considering that much was obvious. He seemed mostly in disbelief of my current state.

"He isn't dead yet," Kakuzu announced from his position, kneeling over the slumped, fat body of Gorzo who was no longer on fire. "Barely alive," he elaborated.

Hidan's eyes narrowed dangerously, shining with vivid color before they widened in delight. He suddenly burst out laughing, a fanatical cackle like I'd never heard from him before. He glanced cheerfully at me before moving to set me down beneath a nearby sakura tree. I even shocked myself when I clung to him with what little energy I had left.

"Please don't," I begged, feeling strangely safe in his arms and not wanting to relinquish the respite. He hesitated, regarding me with a somewhat surprised look and a cocked head.

"What are you worried about? Trust me, he's not moving." He said, nodding towards Gorzo.

"I… he…" I stammered, unable to answer the question. I looked frantically between Hidan and Gorzo but I couldn't seem to put it into words. Not out loud anyway.

Look, I just want you to hold me, okay?

"No one else is going to fuck with you. They'd have to get through me, alright? Just give me a minute," he assured as he peeled my fingers off his cloak, still smiling. "Jashin will have him," he said joyously with his hand gripped tightly around his scythe handle.

It moved gracefully as he swung it above him. I watched as the sun reflected brilliantly off the metal, creating an almost magical-looking sheen that cut through the air with poise and refinement. A few birds chirped merrily from the Sakura blossom tree as if spectators in an arena, cheering on the death of a tyrant.

I wondered if he considered it art like Deidara or Sasori did for their abilities. It reminded me of a ballet, the blade leaping and twirling about with grace. It pirouetted in the air before returning to his hand. He dug it into the ground beside him and searched within the confines of his cloak for something else before re-emerging with what looked like a black rod. I looked on in puzzlement as it suddenly grew into a pointed spike when he flicked it outwards away from him.

He wailed wildly before slamming the spear into his left leg. The tip of the barb could be seen emerging through the back of his limb, glinting red in the sun's rays. I gasped and tried to stand before noticing Kakuzu had appeared behind me. His dark hands pushed heavily on my shoulders, forcing me to remain seated.

"What is he, crazy?!" I yelled in horror at Kakuzu, starting to snap out of my haze. He let out a low chuckle beneath his breath before shaking his head.

"Just watch," he commanded. Hidan's screeching laughter filled the air as his blood began to pool on the ground beneath him. His unscathed leg stepped into the crimson puddle and dragged backwards. I watched intently. By the time he was done with his odd posturing, he stood powerfully in the middle of the symbol he had created. I recognized it as the same as the one that always dangled from his neck.

"Izumi," Hidan called out loudly in amusement without turning to look at me.

"Y-yeah?" I asked meekly in return.

"Come here," he said, still that metallic joy ringing in his vocals. I looked at Kakuzu who shrugged, clearly not knowing what the hell Hidan had up his sleeve either. I stood shakily and timidly approached him. He looked back at me over his shoulder with a grin stretched charmingly across his face.

"Yes?" I asked hesitantly as I stood beside him, reminded again of just how much taller he was than me. I cranked my neck back just to look at his face. Noticing this, he leaned in and down to meet me at eye level.

"Is any of that blood on you his?" He asked, lightly taking my chin in his hand to angle my face in different directions, scrutinizing me with a certain hunger.

"Y-yes?" I asked, taken aback by the bizarre question. I subconsciously touched my neck, feeling the sticky sheen of blood that had gurgled out of his mouth and onto me while I had been pinned beneath him.

"You're sure that's all his?" He pressed, following where my fingers had moved to.

"I think so," I answered, bewildered as to why I was even receiving this line of questioning.

"Well, we'll fucking find out now, won't we?" Hidan said with a cocky smirk. I was completely caught off guard as he suddenly moved in even closer, tilting my face upwards away from him. I didn't even have time or strength to react as I felt his tongue press against my blood-stained neck, dragging slowly across it beginning just above my collar bone and working his way up to my jaw. As he reached the end, his mouth closed around my flesh, lips coming together slowly against my skin to savor every last bit of the still-warm blood that adorned it. And while he didn't exactly bite me, I shuddered involuntarily at the feeling of his teeth gently scraping against my skin and the very brief sucking sensation directly atop my wildly pumping artery. He lingered there for a moment before pulling back and guiding my chin down to lock eyes with me.

The grin on his face seemed to grow wider as he took in my reaction, leaving me to wonder what kind of expression I wore. I snapped my mouth closed, not realizing my lips had parted with a heavy breath, and tried hard to comprehend what just happened. Seemingly satisfied with this, Hidan released me and turned his attention to Gorzo's heap of a body again. I stood in place, in shock once more.

Hidan glanced at me as he brought the pointed rod to his finger and poked the tip just slightly, drawing a bead of blood.

"Did you feel that?" he asked.

"No...?" I was so confused.

"Perfect. Go back to Kakuzu," he commanded. I was so weirded out that I didn't even question it. As I slowly approached Kakuzu, I could see him shaking with laughter under his mask.

"What the hell was that?" I asked while frantically wiping my throat with the back of my wrist.

"You should see your face right now," he continued to chuckle.

"Seriously though, what just happened?" I asked in a harsh whisper as I sat in front of Kakuzu with a look of mild bamboozlement resting on my face. I waited for his laughter to fade in order for him to answer me.

"Just watch, Hidan needed some of Gorzo's blood for his technique."

Technique?

"It's time for judgment!" Hidan hooted wildly as his skin transitioned from noon sun to midnight sky, stark whiteness running in patterns across him. I had never seen him so happy—so insane.

"What is he doing?" I asked in a hoarse whisper, my voice rough from screaming. Kakuzu glanced at me before returning his attention to Hidan.

"He's sacrificing him to Jashin."

Hidan and I had spoken about Jashin and I knew there were sacrifices involved but I didn't know the specifics, I never truly understood it until that point. I watched as Hidan returned his attention to the spear in his left hand once more. Gorzo's body lay dormant in his own pool of blood, but even I could see the soft rise and fall of his chest which caused his back to raise and lower as he remained stomach-down against the red-stained cobblestone.

"How do you like this motherfucker?!" Hidan cried out shrilly as he stabbed the pointed barb into his own shoulder.

"Hidan!" I screamed out as the blood burst from him and splattered to the ground. I struggled to go towards him but Kakuzu held me in place once more.

"Izumi, just watch," he ordered once again in annoyance.

"But he's going to kill himself doing that," I said as my eyebrows painted a worried look on my eyes.

Hidan glanced back over his shoulder with a wide grin on his strangely colored face, "I'm immortal, bitch!" he laughed maniacally as he stabbed himself in his other leg without so much as a wince.

"Oooh it hurts so fuckin' good, don't it!?" Hidan yelled out giddily as he tore the spear from his flesh yet again.

"See?" Kakuzu said while gesturing towards Gorzo's body. The surrounding pool of blood grew more vast around his shoulder and leg, and his weak moans could be heard when Hidan stopped laughing. I watched in shock as Hidan appeared more unhinged than I had ever seen him. And I thought he was scary before…

"And now it's time for the grand finale!" Hidan aimed the spike at his heart, I cringed when I saw his intention.

"Does he always do this?" I whispered to Kakuzu over my shoulder. He sighed deeply before answering.

"Unfortunately."

Suddenly everything happened like it was in slow motion. I saw it coming but I couldn't react until Hidan's head was already flying through the air. A surprised scream burst from my lips as I watched the massive fuuma shuriken cut through the air. By the time Hidan noticed, it was too late. I stared in horror as his head tumbled to the ground, rolling several feet before finally coming to a stop. My eyes followed where the shuriken came from to the window from which I had fallen. A large group of very angry looking men stood rigidly in the room, flames blazing ominously behind them and smoke pouring out by their feet.

"There he is!" One of them exclaimed as he pointed to Gorzo's body splayed out on the ground. Some of the men were ninja, others just workers, one of which was the man who answered the door when I had first arrived. He locked eyes with me, his face burning with rage like the flames that had consumed Gorzo.

"Get that bitch!" I heard him shout. Kakuzu stood from behind me and stepped forward.

"Stay here," he said calmly as he stared at the men in the windows. One rather headstrong ninja jumped down and charged Kakuzu with full force. I turned my head so I wouldn't have to watch, only to find myself looking despairingly at Hidan's lifeless body which had returned to its usual peachy color. His head had rolled away from it, the usual luster of his silvered hair was no longer—it had become dull from dirt and death. A pain caught in my throat as I stared in revulsion at his beheaded body.

I looked up to see Kakuzu fighting with ease by the mansion, and glanced furtively in each direction before crawling hastily over to Hidan's head. I didn't want to look at it like it was, the very least I could do was put it with his body and maybe cover him up with something. My knees scraped against the coarse stones as I made my way over, not caring about spilling any more blood than I had already. I shook my head to eradicate the tears welling in my eyes before I hesitantly picked up his head.

"Izumi!" It shouted excitedly when I turned his face towards me.

"AHH!" I screamed as I threw the head in the air and scooted back abruptly.

"Ow, what the fuck!" He yelled, landing harshly on his cheek. I stared with my jaw slack, wondering how this could be. The wells that had been forming spilled down my dirty, blood-spattered cheeks at that point

"What the hell! How are you still talking?" I cried out in horror, frantically swiping the tears away.

"I told you I'm fucking immortal, now come get me!" he screeched before trying to stick his tongue out to drag himself towards his body. I scuttled over and grabbed his head, frantically turning it over in my hands so that I held it by the cheeks.

"Ow, what the fuck is all over your hands?" he whined while wincing.

"It's glass, I'm sorry!" I yelled apologetically while accidentally dropping his head again.

"Would you stop fucking doing that, onna?!" he cursed loudly as he hit the ground again. I scooped him up, this time holding his head similar to a baby with my forearms so that my glass embedded in my hands wouldn't poke him.

"See, that's much better," he said excitedly, nuzzling up against my chest.

"Hidan you perv!" I screamed as I let him drop once more.

"Fuck! Stop fucking dropping me, Izumi!" I flinched at his booming voice before hastily picking him up one more time.

"I said I was sorry!" I yelled back as I stood, holding his face in front of mine by the roots of his hair.

"You're really fucking lucky I don't have a body right now!" his pupils dilated intermittently as he glared at me.

"Not great motivation to get me to put your head back on!" I retorted. Now that's a sentence I never thought I would say… I retreated back to the shade beneath the Sakura tree and plopped down with fatigue.

"There, feel better?" I asked, sitting Indian style as I adjusted Hidan's head in my lap in a way that I made sure there could be nothing suggestive about it.

He stifled a laugh, "Oh yes, much better."

"What now?" I demanded with exhaustion.

"Nothing," he laughed more boldly this time.

"What?!" I yelled as I threw my arms over my head in aggravation.

"I can see up your nose."

"Hidan!" I shrieked as I picked up his head so that we were eye level. His eyes widened suddenly.

"Fucking duck!" he yelled. A look of terror came over my face as I dropped Hidan's head into my lap and bent over, covering the back of my skull with my arms. A loud crashing noise exploded in my ears as bits of wood came raining down around me like confetti. A smothered mumbling came from Hidan's head.

I lifted myself up and he gasped for air. A sly grin snaked its way onto his face before yelling, "Stop shoving your tits in my face and fucking run!"

My eyes narrowed and I began to scold him but I choked down my words, quickly realizing that it was not the time or place. I would have to yell at him later.

"Ah, fuck onna!" He yelled as he bounced around wildly, my hand gripping him tightly by the roots of his hair as I ran. When I glanced over my shoulder, I saw the man who tended the door. He was standing hunched over angrily by the tree that he just blasted through, breathing deeply while glaring at me with rage.

"Kakuzu!" I cried out as I ran towards him. By the looks of it, he was just finishing up easily demolishing the last of the men that bombarded him with futile attacks. He looked at me, then the man who was in pursuit.

"How do you always manage to get yourself into such trouble?" He complained as he snapped the neck of a man that had been dangling in his grasp before letting the body fall into a mangled pile with the others. I choked back the vomit that rose from my lurching stomach and continued running awkwardly in the stilettos.

"Stay there, Izumi," Kakuzu commanded as his arms flew from his body. I skidded to a stop and nearly fell over from the heels yet again. The speed of his arms shooting past me created a gust of wind as they whizzed by my head. I froze in terror, Hidan's cussing head dangling from my fingers. A gurgling noise erupted from the man behind me before the thud of his body hitting the ground could be heard. I didn't feel safe to move until after I watched Kakuzu's arms retract swiftly into his sleeves.

"Toss me that head," Kakuzu said with his hand out, poised to catch.

"Don't you fucking dare!" Hidan yelled angrily as he attempted to shake free of my grip. I ignored him, lobbing the head to Kakuzu sufficiently enough for him to catch it.

"Put me on my body Kakuzu-kun, pleeeeease!" Hidan cried out, Kakuzu looked to be contemplating whether he wanted to help him or not.

"Fine. I'd like to leave before more people come," he said aloud as he knelt down to Hidan's body and roughly shoved the head back into place.

"Don't be a fucking douche about it," Hidan whined as Kakuzu began sewing him back together. I knew where he was coming from—Kakuzu wasn't the gentlest person in the world. But after you survive your head being sliced off, I would imagine that something as simple as stitches couldn't be that bad.

"Ugh!" I exclaimed as I noticed Gorzo for the first time in a while. His head was also chopped off because of Hidan's technique. It rested on its side next to the body, his eyes still open and gazing coldly at nothing. I wasn't as freaked out as I thought I would be, mostly because his eyes already looked dead, even when he was alive.

"Fuck yeah!" Hidan laughed when he stood up and noticed it as well.

I surveyed the entire courtyard solemnly. It was now devoid of any previous beauty. Blood-stained sakura blossoms littered the ground and blew around like ashes from a fire.

"Izumi, let's go," Kakuzu's voice brought me out of my strange daze. I shook it off and trotted to catch up to him and Hidan. Kakuzu dragged an enormous body bag behind him filled with every pound of Gorzo, and Hidan held a bag out to me.

"What's this for?" I asked as I took it weakly.

"Your clothes. You can change once we get into town, but right now we gotta get the fuck out of here," He said as he stared out at the horizon.

OOF that was a longer one, sorry! As always, thanks for reading and PLEASE, let me know your thoughts! I love to hear who people think Izumi might end up with hehe :) Shout out to iiamkenny for your kind reviews!