Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but I do own my two OCs and the plot of this story.

Please read: A'hoy! Here's another revised chapter.

A special thank you to my reviewers! I will absolutely not give up this story. Your support has been amazing and I love you all :) Many cupcakes and many thanks.

Another big thank you to my amazing friend,TheHollowedWorld, for giving me the kick in the butt I needed to continue this rewrite! Go check out some of her work, as her plots are amazing and Seven is mentioned in her 'Hidano' story!

For those of you who are interested, I'm posting the revised chapters onto Archive of Our Own and Wattpad, as well (under pen name, 'TheCorpseGarden').

Now, it's almost 2:00 AM and I actually have a few hours left to sleep, so if you'll excuse me...

WARNING: Violence, discussions surrounding non-consent, and dark themes.


Ready to cause a scene,

Ready to make the sacrifice,

Ready to play the note,

Ready to end the final show.


Chapter Three: GravenImage

They stood there for several moments as the chakra signature crept closer. Thunder growled ferociously in the distance, illuminating what was to come. The leaves of the trees tittered in anticipation, and old tree trunks groaned in discomfort.

Even as the rain came plummeting from the skies, the group of four remained motionless.

Flare stared at his sister with masked fear. His face held tranquility and repose, as if he was confident that the upcoming battle would yield a positive outcome.

Shikaku and Chouza stood in front of the siblings. Their bodies were alert, and they were ready to attack upon hearing any sudden movements. They stared into the blackness of the wood, anticipating the arrival of their foe. Neither of them understood why the sadistic Akatsuki member was hell-bent on capturing and slaughtering two innocent villagers, but they were prepared to lay their lives on the line for the truth.

'Any intel we can get on the Akatsuki is beneficial, anyways, threat or not,' Shikaku thought, 'and if we can figure out why the immortal is after these two, we might be able to apprehend the Akatsuki's overall goal.' He glanced back at his student, his eyes calculated and glassy.

The look on Flare's face marked his fear and frustration, and for the first time since Shikaku had entered the small village, he recognized his student as nothing more than a child. He had been young, unjaded, and hopeful when he had first met him. He had greeting his sensei and peers every morning with a small smile and an eagerness to learn. He would work at honing his skills until sunset, so that he would be prepared for the next day's lesson.

And yet, irrefutably, Flare Toho was still just a boy.

Shikaku had taught him how to fight for and protect the people he loved. He had taught him how to kill, and he had taught him how to survive. But, in the end, he was still just a boy.

He was unsure of how to think about the situation at hand, and he was terrified for his older sister. He could not hope to take on an Akatsuki member by himself, and he knew this. He sought his sensei's help, thinking of him as a powerful adult that could erase any negativity in his life.

Despite his advanced ninja skills, there was still much for Flare to understand.

Shikaku closed his eyes for a moment, deep in thought. The old Nara was clever enough to know that the girl's wounds were not purely physical, but did Flare?

Perhaps.

He did not think that Flare wanted to understand what had happened to his sister. Even when she had been found by Chouza, naked, bruised, and unconscious, Flare had not wanted to think of what the Jashinist might have done to her. Shikaku opened his eyes and resumed his stare into the forest.

Flare Toho was still just a boy.

The boy's teacher directed his attention toward the wood, again, a grimace on his face.

Flare continued to heal his sister, watching her aching muscles twitch under his remedial hands. Some colour had been added to her skin, and some of her wounds had started to close. The greyness that had once overshadowed her wondrously flamboyant pupils was finally starting to dissipate; she was starting to look alive again.

A smile graced the young boy's trembling lips as he realized that she was going to be all right. Her shoulder wound was peeling shut slowly, and her fresh thigh wound had stopped bleeding. She was improving, and that was all that mattered to him. It did not matter that she was naked, or that there were dark purple bruises between her thighs. She had probably used her clothes to set up a decoy for the enemy, and her bruises were from clumsily running through the woods.

The youngest Toho clamped his eyes shut as he recalled the immortal's dark words,

"…Fuck, you turn me on… the way you talk about my power over you… You know I can do whatever I want to-"

With a sharp hiss, Flare's whole body twitched. He had not wanted to remember that. In fact, he had completely blocked it out. When it had been happening, he had tried his hardest to rise from the floor and kick the man off of his sister. He had tried to calm his breathing and heartbeat, forget about the pain in his windpipe, ignore the blood that gushed from his wound, and tear himself off of the floor to save her. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes as he tried not to imagine how utterly petrified she must have been.

'I was there in the room. I was right there. I could have saved her if I had been stronger. I could have…!' Flare gritted his teeth as rage engulfed his mind. His healing hands trembled, and he had to force himself to keep them flat and steady. It was all true. If he had pushed a little more effort into his training, he might have had more strength. If he had taken his exercises just a little more seriously, he might have been able to master the clone jutsu, and he could have used his clone to fight off Hidan.

Warm tears slid down his cheeks. He hated himself, but he hated the Jashinist more. Why had he gone directly for his sister? Why had he not spent more time fighting him? A relentless voice whispered the answer to him, from the depths of his mind, 'because he knew that you were too weak.'

The gloom he felt overflowed him with pain.

"Wh-Why are you…" Flare whimpered as the man moved closer, "…Why? We aren't even… Enemies… I've never… never met you…" The man plucked him from his hiding spot and wrapped a bloody hand around his windpipe.

Once again, Flare worked to suppress his memories of the vile event.

He had given in too quickly. He had been so dumbstruck and so surprised that an enemy had targeted him that he could not have fought back. 'Sensei said that I would be the target of many enemies once I became a true ninja,' the boy recalled, 'but I never believed that it would happen so suddenly… so randomly…'

His gaze shifted to his sister's face. All he could think about was how much he had betrayed her. She had placed her life on the line for him, but what had he done for her?

'No… I'm saving her right now…' He reassured himself, '…Her thigh wound has completely closed, and it's only been five minutes. Without me, she might have bled out by now.'

He felt his heartbeat begin to slow down. His thoughts were starting to mellow out. It was true: he was saving her life, just as she had saved his. He could not have hoped to save her back at their house, but he was making up for that by healing her physical wounds.

Several seconds passed before the young Toho felt his breathing begin to normalize. He glanced toward his sensei and Chouza, and gazed into the eeriness of the forest. The chakra signature was creeping up on them quickly. It had probably taken the Akatsuki member a good chunk of time to pinpoint their exact location. Not only that, but Flare was willing to bet that Seven gave him a run for his money, and that he was extremely disoriented and flustered. A smirk graced his lips at the thought of the silver-crowned priest cursing his older sister's intelligence and agility.

She had been taken down while fighting for their lives, and that made him swell with pride. He could hardly wait to speak with her.

Flare's eyes traced Chouza and Shikaku forms. The two men before him were strong, capable Jonin. They had defeated stronger ninja than Hidan, and they believed in what they fought for. They were not ninja because they wanted to kill; they were ninja because they wanted to protect the innocent from killers. He had no doubt that his sensei and Chouza would fight to protect them.

However…

He still felt exceptionallyuneasy. There was a kink in his gut, telling him that things would not go as expected. It told him him to run while he was still able to move, and to abandon his sister in exchange for his own life. What spoke to him was an extremely selfish part of his mind, a part that he often chose to shut out of his daily life. It withheld his darkest desires and unfavorable opinions, his most gruesome fetishes and his forbidden feelings. When he had first began to train under Shikaku, he started to work diligently in order to suppress his callous thoughts, knowing that a true ninja could not allow himself to be warped by such things. Unfortunately, his suppressive methods regularly failed him when he was under great pressure. Now, they were trying to force him to turn on his injured sister, and he could not make them stop.

'He's after her, not you,' they whispered from the depths of his mind, 'leave her and run.'

He shook his head frantically, but to no avail, 'Hidan is strong. Hidan will rise as the victorious one. No one can defeat him.'

"No…" Flare whimpered, trying to distract himself by forcing more chakra into his palms.

'Hidan will slaughter everyone. You cannot hope to protect her.'

Clamping his eyes shut, the boy fought against the dark thoughts with all of his might. He tried to tell himself otherwise. He tried to tell himself that there was hope. His sister's condition was improving, and they had found her alive. Furthermore, his sensei and Chouza would fight tooth-and-nail to protect them; everything would be fine.

It took a few moments for him to calm down, and he was surprised when he found that his healing hands had remained stable during that time. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes, reminding himself to remain hopeful.

Seven gazed up at her brother with half-lidded, glossy eyes, flinching whenever a thick raindrop landed on her cornea. She found it increasing difficult to stay conscious, but she wanted to be prepared for when the Jashinist finally came for them. She had no doubt that he would find his pendant beneath the murky water, especially with an omnipotent being on his side. Then, he would come to slaughter them once and for all. Shikaku and Chouza were powerful, and she knew that Shikaku was highly deductive, but she knew that they would not be able to stop Hidan.

Part of her wanted to simply surrender herself when the priest made his appearance, but she knew that Flare would hear none of that. Her little brother would fight to protect her, as she had done for him since they were children. She cursed how caring he was; if he had a little less love and a little less empathy, he would have no qualms about giving her over to the enemy to ensure survival.

She tried to focus on the noises around her, hoping that she would be able to hear him coming. She had never been trained to sense others' chakra signatures. At home, Flare had managed to sneak up on her several times without having to hide his blooming chakra presence. She made a mental note to begin training herself in at least a few ninja arts, if she managed to get away from the wrathful Jashinist with her life.

The woman groaned under Flare's curative touch, and grimaced when she tried to shift her legs. Though her thigh wound had been healed on the outside, there was still a great amount of inner recuperation that had to be done. The madman's weapon had torn through several layers of skin and muscle, which ensured that she would be limping for several days.

Anguish swept across Flare's face as he thought about the pain that she was enduring, but he surprised himself by forcing a soft smile onto his lips, "you feeling any better, Sev?" he whispered, hoping that she would be able to hear him.

Seven's gazed lolled up to meet her brother's, and even through blurred vision she could see the fear that clouded his languid eyes. He was nervous for her, and he was nervous for what was to come.

Her lips were chapped and her mouth was as dry as a carcass in the desert. Her tongue, like the rest of her muscles, throbbed when she tried to move it. She was not sure if words would emerge from her throat, but she had been waiting to speak with her brother. Before the ghastly priest found them again, she had to tell him everything. She had to tell him of her promise to him, of the way he had hunted her, and of how she had succeeded in escaping from him.

Raspy coughs made her want to throw up whatever food she had left inside her stomach. She had been feeling unimaginably nauseous since the Akatsuki member had barged into their home. Using the small bit of strength she had left, she shifted onto her side and released the tension in her gut. She ignored the pain that erupted throughout her entire body, as cave water and saliva were pushed past her lips.

She fell onto her back ungracefully, coughing as hard as she could to be sure that her throat was clear. Letting her head fall to the side, she spit the disgusting contents of her mouth onto the dirt next to her.

"Flare…" she mumbled, wincing as she felt her wound tingle, "…Oh, man…" Her brother chuckled nervously, an attempt to lighten the mood. Seven turned her head to look at the boy, her cold eyes boring into his angry ones. Had she the strength to grab his hand, she would have made the effort. There was a lot to tell him, and most of it would continue to haunt her until the end of her days, "Listen," she murmured, "I… I need to tell you about him."

The young Toho sibling glanced at Chouza and Shikaku, who had turned to listen to her, as well. Shikaku had a peculiar look on his face, and Chouza's eyes were as wide as watermelons. They were both shocked that Seven was able to speak; she was seriously wounded and clearly exhausted. Flare urged his sister to continue, curious as to what input she could give them.

"He's… He's a… He's a Jashinist."

He nodded, and Seven stopped to inhale a good portion of air before continuing,

"He's… Jashin is… real. I… I didn't think he was… until… until he kept finding me in the forest… It was dark. How else could… could he have… found me in there…?" She gulped, recalling the look on his face as he gunned her down like a wounded rabbit, "He took a moment to ask his God for guidance… he asked his God to… to… to find me. And he… he found me… every single time. He isn't a sensor type… He isn't. Something… supernatural is… is talking to him…"

Flare could not hold back anymore. He placed a steady hand on his sister's wet forehead, "what did he do to you?" he whispered, "What the fuck did he do to you?"

"…I… I…" Seven hesitated as she pieced the events together in her head. She had not expected him to ask her such a thing, at least not so soon. There were things that older sisters could not tell their younger brothers, things that were too graphic and personal to ever be uttered. She shook her head slowly closing her eyes. No, she would not tell him. If he had not heard him attempting to ravage her in their parents' room, then she wished for him to remain ignorant forever.

"He… He hurt me. I g – I guess he was angry that I kept outsmarting him… so he-"

"No," Flare interrupted her, his face stern and his voice serious. He jerked one of his hands to her bruised thighs and tried to gauge her reaction, "What did he do to you."

He had no longer meant for the sentence to be a question, but instead a demand. He wanted her to say it. He wanted to hear her admit to the Jashinist's sins. Seven, feeling slight annoyance well up within her, frowned at her brother. Frustration tugged at her heart as she released a soft hiss. Why was he being so persistent? All she wanted him to know was that he had attacked her. She did not want to tell him – and was not ready to tell him – what else had transpired between them.

"Flare," she growled, making her head throb, "I have nothing more to say to you, other th-than that he attacked me."

Seeing his sister grow angry with him fueled his own rage, as well. He needed this. He needed to know what the priest had done to her. If he could not muster enough fury before the bastard came crashing through the forest, he was not sure if he would have the strength to defend her. "Just… Tell me." He replied in a low, dark tone.

"Flare!"

The boy geared his head toward his sensei, startled. He felt his emotions begin to flare up, and suddenly he was ready to direct his frustration toward Shikaku. The older man, however, stood before him with a calm, stern visage. There was disgust painted onto his eyes, and the wrinkles around his mouth told the boy how displeased he was. "That's enough. Let her finish."

The old Nara knew that the girl was traumatized from what had happened to her. She looked significantly weaker than before, and even viewed her own brother with careful caution and suspicion. The last thing she needed was her problems brought to light as she was being healed, in the middle of a rainy forest. There would be plenty of time for her to speak about her issues later, and with a highly trained professional.

Seven forced herself to smile at the Jonin; she was thankful for his quick intervention. Clearing her throat, she started speaking over Flare's harsh breaths,

"I wanted him to get away from FFFFlare. The… only way was…" She gulped, not sure how to tell them about what she had done, "I…" She breathed a sigh of anticipation, before lolling her head to face away from them "I… promised him... I promised him that I would do anything he wanted… I promised… that I would help him worship his God."

She bit her lower lip and swallowed her pride and bravery, "I was really… really… stupid… I was desperate… I didn't… I didn't think he would stop…! But… he did. He stopped… and he spoke… to Jashin. I knew that I had to be quick… so I snuck out while he was… well, while he was just… standing there." She gulped, remembering the inhuman roar he had produced upon finding her missing, "He was beyond pissed… He ran after me and… he kept… finding me in the darkness… Like I said… I think… that Jashin is real. I ran into a cave with water… and I sliced off his necklace, and… I don't know what happened. He went… crazy… he forgot about me and swam after it… and that was how I got away."

Flare was gritting his teeth. A wave of approbation washed over him, as he listened to Seven's tale of trepidation. His sister was smart and quick; she had managed to flee from an S-rank serial killer with only her wit. She continued to impress him with every sentence that flowed from her mouth, "I ran through the forest…" Seven paused as she shifted her glare to meet Chouza's, "…and then… I felt myself being picked up. The next thing I knew…" she offered another small smile, this time to the Akimichi, "…I was among friends."

Shikaku spoke up before anyone else was able to, "we're going to protect you both. You don't have to worry, anymore," his sharp brown eyes bore into Flare's head. They were firm and reassuring. Seconds passed, and his sensei did not break the stare, but instead of feeling anxious, Flare could feel the tension begin to dispel from his being.

Shikaku nodded to his student, "just keep healing her. Chouza and I will take care of the rest."

The youngest Toho nodded gravely, eyes flickering to the soft mud beneath his knees. Seven reached an unsteady hand up to stroke her brother's face, an act that she had done since he was just a babe. It was her way to reassuring him that things would be all right, even when he was utterly hysterical.

He wanted to fight the Jashinist himself. He wanted to make him pay for the crimes he had committed, and make him repent for his sins. He wanted to take a kunai and shove it through his throat, watching as he gargled with his own blood. A dark smirk crept onto the boy's face as he thought of the many ways in which he wanted to inflict suffering on the hectic Akatsuki member. The dark side of his mind was taking over quickly, and it would not be long until he was blinded by pure, unresolved rage. When it finally got to that point, no one would be able to help him.

Not Seven, with her sweet, comforting voice and her fluttering touch.

Not his sensei, with his undeniable reasoning skills and his uninhibited leadership.

And not Chouza, with his big, strong arms and his iron grip.

No one would be able to stop him.

Not until Hidan was lying on the ground, in a pool of his own dark, dilated blood, rasping for oxygen.

"Sev…" he whispered, a sinister tone lingering within his soothing words, "…I'm going to protect you, too."

A loud splash from behind them made Chouza and Shikaku snap their attentions away from the siblings. The silver haired Jashinist stood but five metres away from them, a hideous smirk on his face. His stomach convulsed with laughter, and Shikaku noticed that he had numerous life-threatening injuries scattered across his body. Chouza grimaced at the realization that the man would be difficult to subdue; he and Shikaku would have to give it their all.

"Oh, shit! Did I," Hidan's laughter had become cruel and sadistic, "Did I seriously just hear you say that you were going to protect them?"

Chouza stepped in front of his long-time friend and balled his fists, ready to leap into the heat of battle. "You won't be getting past me," he growled.

Hidan only laughed harder, holding his stomach with one bloody hand, "I won't be getting past you? Good one!"

As his laughter tapered off, he fingered the scythe that was strapped onto his back. His violet eyes flickered with determination as he locked eyes with Flare. He pointed a mocking finger at Seven and grinned, "if I really want something, I'll have it, and it just so happens that Lord Jashin gave me that woman to do with as I please. So…"

He released his weapon from its holster and sliced it through the air in front of him. Chouza noticed that the man's face had suddenly become intensely serious. He did not like how rapid the immortal's emotions changed; he was probably about as unpredictable in battle as he was with his emotional display.

Hidan took a step toward the chubby man, digging his heels into the earth in preparation, "…it looks like I'll have to condemn you for stealing my possession."

With that, he kicked off toward Chouza, eyes glistening with dark intent. Though he was fixated on the large Akimichi before him, his mind was focused on Seven. For once in his life, he did not care to slice up his opponent; all he wanted to do was grab the girl and make a quick escape. He was thoroughly spent from having to chase after her, so much that he did not even want to humor the prospect of a good kill.

His scythe hit the earth with a dull thud as Chouza step-stepped the attack. The large man knew that he would have to end this soon; he knew better than to prolong a battle with a Jashinist. If he dawdled for too long, things could get dangerous.

The large man clenched his teeth as he performed the seals for his family's special jutsu, "partial expansion jutsu!"

Hidan had no time to be amazed by Chouza's oversized fist, as he was stricken by it before he could even begin to gawk. The Akimichi watched as his foe hit the trunk of a tree with a sickening crack, flexing his fist triumphantly. He had managed to catch the man off-guard, as he had been trying to dig his weapon out of the muddy earth; he had gotten a lucky hit, but there was a good chance that he had incapacitated him.

He turned to look back at Shikaku and pursed his lips. His old friend would not be able to assist him very much, and he needed all the help he could get if it turned out that the priest was still conscious. It was nighttime and the moon was shrouded by thick grey clouds. The famous Nara shadow jutsu could not be performed without light, leaving nothing but Chouza's physical prowess against a skilled and reckless madman.

Shikaku mumbled a string of curses. He was no fool. Though Chouza had not outwardly stated so, he knew that he was useless, to him during this battle. Gazing up at the sky, Shikaku felt himself cursing the weather. 'Of all the nights that this psycho had to appear, he chose a night with no light,' the lazy Nara thought, 'just my luck.'

He stared up at the sky for several moments before deducing that the moon would not make an appearance long enough for him to confine the Jashinist. The rain was pouring down relentlessly, and the clouds refused to part for the beaming white orb that hid behind them. The forest around them was pitch black, and there were no candles that he could light. Moreover, despite being a ninja from the hidden leaf village, he did not possess any fire style techniques, nor would he be able to perform one in such a heavy downpour.

'There has to be something I can do, here…' he pondered, as he turned to look at the siblings. Flare was still healing his sister vigorously, and Seven looked absolutely petrified. She had heard the Jashinist's voice and was analyzing his words. She was shaking like a leaf, and Flare was holding up a brave front. Shikaku studied the situation for a moment before nodding to himself.

"Flare," the wise Jonin called, grabbing the boy's attention, "don't stop healing Seven, no matter what."

Flare turned his attention to his sensei, wishing to acknowledge him, only to find that he had disappeared.


Hidan's blades delved into Chouza's flesh with ease. With one simple stroke of his scythe and one poorly-timed dodge, the strong man's arm was sliced.

Hidan cackled as he watched the blood splatter from the older man's skin. Normally, he would have jumped back to perform his ultimate jutsu. This time, however, he was not interesting in feeling his opponent's suffering. He glanced behind him and locked eyes with the youngest Toho. The other Jonin was nowhere to be found, leaving his precious prize entirely exposed; he had to put an end to the fight quickly.

The Akimichi's eyes widened when he realized that Shikaku had fled from the scene; it was rare for his friend to desert a comrade in need of help. 'Did he run to find help…?'

No… No way. He's up to something.'

Too caught up in his thoughts to apprehend his enemy's intentions, Chouza was shocked to feel the blades of his foe's scythe penetrate his stomach. Grunting lowly, the older man backed up and pressed a careful hand against the wound. The pain was numbing, and his vision was beginning to turn blurry. He gasped when the blunt hilt of Hidan's scythe was jabbed against his chest, sending him stumbling backwards. Chouza was not used to being tossed around by an enemy. As a man who weighed roughly 120 kilograms, he was always the one to make bodies fly during a skirmish.

Chouza was able to snap himself out of his thoughts just in time to watch Hidan charge toward him from the air, scythe held high above his head. "You're fucking done!" The Akatsuki member cried.

The Akimichi prepared to dodge the attack, expecting it to be as slow and calculated as his previous attacks. A sudden, blinding pain erupted from the left side of his body, much to his chagrin, sending him off-balance. Falling to one knee, he could only close his eyes and shift his body to the side, praying that the next blow would not be fatal. He crushed his teeth together and felt the air depart from his lungs.

In the distance, he heard Flare's horrified scream as Hidan's scythe pierced his shoulder, severing both muscle and bone. Within the blink of an eye, Chouza's left arm was being held onto his torso by a thick line of skewered flesh, and the pain was unimaginable. He could not detain the cry of agony which erupted from his throat, as the madman yanked the cold metal out of his body with a dark, giddy giggle.

Hidan was in heaven. He was tempted to use his jutsu, just to see the look on the older man's ailing face. He was tempted to stab every single organ in his body, sharing the pain with him as the life slowly tapered from his face. Ah, but he would have to hold off for now; he had better things to do, and more important people to slice apart.

His insane purple irises moved to meet Flare's trembling body. The green light that engulfed the woman possession was too bright for him to locate her, but he could hardly wait to hear her screams and cries when he made her look at the dead bodies of her guardians. Merciless laughter exploded from his throat, once more, taking in the fear that clouded the youngest Toho's orbs.

Moving his scythe to rest on his well-toned shoulder, the silver haired predator took a menacing step toward his prey. Chouza made an uncoordinated grab for his feet, localizing chakra into his fist to knock the immortal down, but he found that his consciousness was slipping away from him; things were getting even blurrier than before. His fist did not connect with the immortal's legs.

He could feel bloody bile rising from his stomach. After a few more moments, he found that could no longer feel the raindrops splattering against his skin, and he could no longer sense Shikaku's presence. He was drifting away, the same way that a piece of driftwood floats down a flowing river. The pain began to feel duller as his eyes closed.

He tried to open his mouth. He tried to tell the kids to run away, that he had failed to protect them. His lips parted, but shallow gasps replaced his speech.

This was it.

'Shikaku… it's up to you, now.'


Hidan walked toward the siblings leisurely, as if he was taking a pleasant stroll in the rain. Behind him, lightning flashed, revealing the crooked grin of a maniac. Flare felt like he was watching an interactive horror movie. Part of him believed that this was all just a dream. Part of him believed that he would wake up in his warm bed, covered in sweat, panting from having such a horrible, vivid dream.

But this was not a dream.

He was really going to die this time.

The young ninja did his best to remain calm, knowing that his sister was watching his facial expressions. The immortal was almost upon them, his smirk growing larger and larger with every stride. The young boy jumped when he felt Seven grasp one of his hands. Her face was filled with panic and devoid of sanity.

"You've got to get out of here," she panted in a dry, raspy voice, "It's me he wants."

Hidan stopped and raised a queer brow at her words. "Planning to surrender this time?" He chuckled, shaking his head as if he had just heard a bad joke, "You're going to pay for all the fucking trouble you've put me through, my Seven. There's no getting out of it!"

Seven wanted to cry. She knew that she had placed herself in a horrible situation by fleeing from him back at the house. He had tormented her little brother, gunned her down and sliced her up, and severely injured one of her protectors. Worse yet, he still ready to inflict even more pain unto her being.

Her eyes never left Flare's face as she contemplated her fate. If she could find a way for Flare to escape from him with his life, she would surrender herself to his whims without struggle.

All she had ever wanted to do was protect her brother. She had never wanted to bring harm to anyone. Now, only metres away from them, Chouza lay in a pond of blood and rainwater, suffering, as he spent his last minutes suffocating in thick guilt and inexorable sorrow.

With a heavy sigh, she squeezed Flare's hand, "The deal was that he would leave you alone if I did what I promised. Now… I'm serious, listen: You know I don't ask very much of you… but… as your older sister, I'm asking you to run back and get help… for both yourself and the other man… Maybe… find Shikaku."

The boy shook his head slowly as he heard his sister out. He could not make sense of her ramblings. Why did she insist on giving herself to the cruel immortal? They had grown up together; they were equals. She should not be treating herself as anything less than his equal, yet there she was, telling him to escape and allow her to be eaten alive by the devil, himself. "Sev… Fuck," he hissed, resisting the urge to shout his emotions at her.

Hidan snickered at the naked, selfless woman before him. She had proven herself to be tricky and disobedient. However, when her brother was threatened, she became a compliant little slave almost instantaneously. He could have definitely used this to his advantage, had he not been absolutely furious. Unfortunately for her, she had disobeyed him one time too many, and Lord Jashin demanded that she be put in her rightful place.

He lifted his scythe from his shoulder blade and pointed it at Flare, violet eyes boring into the focused boy. "You asked me not to kill him," Hidan mumbled, moving closer to them, "and you said that you would worship Lord Jashin and do whatever I asked of you… But…"

Seven felt the hair on the back of her neck begin to rise.

Something was wrong – horribly wrong.

He scoffed at her expression, enjoying every second of her fear, "…what did you do, my sweet, sweet Seven? Which rule did you fucking break?"

He stood directly over them. They could smell the scent of fresh blood emanating from his dirty skin. A devilish glint in his eyes told her that he had something absolutely dreadful in store for them. He brought his scythe down and shifted the blades so that the largest blade was mere centimeters from Flare's quivering head. "You'd better answer me soon, or my hand might just fucking slip."

Without even a moment's notice, the tip of the largest blade grazed the young Toho's scalp, and Seven released an involuntary yelp. He was an unbelievably irrational and reckless man. He did not like to be taken for a fool, and he especially did not like disobedience. She had outwitted him several times in one night, but he had finally caught up to her.

And he was going to make her pay.

Flare, body pumping vast amounts of adrenaline and ignoring pain receptors, kept his hands steady and continued to heal his sister. He remembered the words of his sensei,

'Flare, don't stop healing Seven, no matter what.'

He could not allow his fear to overtake him. He had to protect his sister.

Tears were ready to stream down Seven's face. The dread she felt was overwhelming. She had to protect her brother. Taking a deep, shaky breath, she replied quickly and quietly, as not to excite his anger any more, "I-I…! I ran away from you!" she cried, her chest heaving anxiously, "I didn't – Oh god… I didn't listen to you… I should… I should have…" She bit her lower lip, hating herself for having to grovel in front of an enemy, "…I should have sat there and waiting for you to give me orders…"

The Jashinist snorted, clearly delighted at the response that he had elicited from his gift. Yes, preying on her feelings for the boy had been a delightful idea. He was tempted to keep him alive, if only just to torture him whenever she decided to disobey him…

…but Flare Toho was destined to be judged by his Lord, and he would not get in the way of the almighty deity's dark wishes.

He raised a silver brow at Seven and winked at her, though he doubted that she could see him from where she was laying.

"Good girl," he purred, "and why am I so fucking pissed – " The tip of the blade jabbed deeper into Flare's bloody scalp, making him hiss, "– that you ran away from me?"

Seven nibbled harder on her lower lip and placed her hand on her aching forehead. She wasted no time replying, this time, "Be-Because… Th-That… That wasn't part of the deal... I was… being… bad…"

Hidan nodded gleefully, pleased with how things were going. He felt his pants tighten as she looked away from him, clearly embarrassed and humiliated. He loved how compliant she was being, and he could not wait to do as he pleased with her body. But pleasure came after suffering for her; he would have to be patient, "So if you went back on your part of the deal… Don't you think it's only fair that I go back onmy part, too?"

The insane look in his lilac-coloured eyes told Seven that he was not joking; he meant to kill Flare. Seven swiftly sat up and shook her head, ignoring the searing pain that trembled down her spine. Hidan was not sure if she was crying, as the rain that pattered off of her face created streams that travelled down her cheeks, but he enjoyed how wet her face looked. 'If she's not crying yet, she'll be crying when I kill her precious pussy of a brother.' He thought maliciously, twisting the blade further into the boy's skull a little bit further, before ripping the weapon away completely.

He laughed maniacally as he rose the blade higher above the boy's head, meaning to split his skull in two. Seven was on her knees before him, pleading him not to do it. She cupped her hands together, and she looked as if she was praying to some higher deity. He could not hear her over his own laugh, but he did not care to hear her begging for his forgiveness; he would make her do that later, in the privacy of his bedroom, where she would be unable to compose anything other than screams.

That perverted thought alone egging him on, Hidan brought the scythe down on the boy's head…

Only to be stopped, mid-attack.

Hidan tried to attack, again.

And then he tried with all of his might, again and again.

His muscles were… stuck?

No.

Something was wrong.

Someone was manipulating his movements.

Shikaku smirked from his position behind the bushes, pressing his lips against the hand sign he had performed. "Looks like I'm not as useless as I thought I was," he mumbled, thanking anyone but Jashin for his excellent timing.

Flare had his eyes closed and his hands focused. He was preparing himself for the final blow that would never come.

Seven's body was bowed across his lap. Tears had clouded her vision, and she was still begging the Jashinist to spare her brother. "Please, you can't! Please! I-I told you that I would do whatever you wanted!" The old Nara scowled, finding her pleading difficult to listen to.

"He's all I have! My whole family is dead except for him, and I – I promised myself that I would protect him, ever since he was a baby! Please! Please, I'll do whatever you want!" She was shaking her head, nose brushing against the mud beneath her. Her arms were draped across her brother's lap, as if they would be able to protect him from Hidan's bone-splitting attack.

Carefully rising from his place in the forest, Shikaku walked toward the group as calmly as possible. His hands remained signed, and he took extra care to make sure that he was still within range of the healing light, "Seven, that's enough," He said, clearing his throat. His tired gaze locked with his student's stunned eyes, and he could not help but smirk, "Good work, Flare. Thanks for giving me some light."

It took the siblings a few moments to gather themselves before they could look at Shikaku. Seven was huddled against her brother, trembling like a damp animal, while Flare wore a dark grimace. The healing light was getting dimmer, but it was still surrounding them. The old Nara prayed that Flare would be able to keep the jutsu up long enough for them to escape.

Seven looked at the mad Akatsuki member, then at her brother, then at Chouza's dying body, and finally at Shikaku. She knew of his ability to create shadows that bound the enemy to the user, but she had never seen it in action before. Flare had described it as a phenomenal technique, one that excelled in both steady manipulation and artistic beauty.

With careful eyes, she traced Hidan's looming shadow to Shikaku's strong stature. There was a thin, dim shadowy line connecting the two together; Hidan would not be able to move for as long as the crafty Jonin had light and could keep his hands signed. He was stuck, unable to harm anyone. This fact must have clicked at the same time for both of the siblings, as they glanced at each other at the same time.

Blood had begun to spill down Flare's face from his shallow head wound, making him look grim and sinister. The crimson fluid dribbled off of his chin and onto his trembling arm; he had underestimated the amount of blood that a scalp wound could produce. He stared at his sister's worried face. He was not sure if she was crying, or if the raindrops were splattering against her face a little too hard. Her cheeks were red and her eyes were swollen. He wanted to give her a hug.

"Oh, Flare," she mumbled, at a loss for words, "You're okay... I can't believe you're okay…"

Her smile enraged the Jashinist to no end. If she had not escaped from him at the house, if she had not played with his mind inside of the cave, if she had not found her comrades… he growled lowly, giving him the aura of a predator. If he had taken her immediately, if she was in his arms right now, if he had caught her smiling when she was with him…

He caught her eye in mere seconds, the fury coming off of him in thick waves. She stared up at him, completely stunned.

"I'm going to fucking kill you," he whispered, "I'm going to fucking carve up your skin in the name of Lord Jashin. I'm going to keep you alive for weeks before I finally fucking kill you. Every second you live will be filled with pain, you stupid fucking bitch. You're fucking mine."

Oh, how he wanted to kill her. Dear Jashin, how he wanted to defile her until he was satisfied, and then give her the death that she so dearly deserved. His rage was getting the better of him; anger was getting in the way of his Lord's divine goal to keep the woman alive and relatively unscathed.

No…

No.

He would not kill her.

He would force her to bend to his will, take away everything that she loved and replace it with himself. She would grow reliant on him; she would worship him. Lord Jashin would gain another follower, and he would gain a slave.

Hidan had obtained many slaves over his years of being an Akatsuki member. This slave, however, would be different. This slave would be a gift from Lord Jashin, and he would cherish her until she died…

…which would be after she served her sanctified purpose.

Adrenaline pumping, the Akatsuki member began to struggle against the jutsu. Gritting his teeth, Shikaku had to concentrate; one wrong move or one silly mistake, and the Jashinist would be free. The way he was eyeing Seven, like he wanted to fit her pretty little neck between his hands and squeeze until she was blue, made his skin prickle. He was determined to get free, but the Jonin could not let that happen. The priest was violently writhing against his shadow possession jutsu, and Shikaku did not have to look at him to sense how bloodthirsty he was.

His grimace deepened when he realized that Flare's healing light was getting dimmer and dimmer by the minute. The boy was exhausted. Shikaku was surprised at how little chakra the boy had lost from keeping up the jutsu for so long. 'What incredible prowess,' the old Nara mused, 'the Toho family was really on to something with that jutsu.'

However, Flare was not a super human; sooner rather than later, he would run out of chakra, and that was what Hidan was counting on. As soon as the light faded, the Jashinist would waste no time running through his student's head with his scythe. From there, he would take Seven and leap away, leaving Shikaku to tend to Chouza. The immortal was not the brightest tool in the shed, but he was no fool. He understood that Shikaku's top priority would be to tend to his dying comrade. With his chakra nearly exhausted from his shadow technique, he would not be able to trail the Akatsuki member successfully, anyways.

The shadow-user grunted and poured even more chakra into his jutsu. He had to get the siblings away from the forest. He had to make sure that they were safe and sound, far away from 'the word of Jashin'. Never taking his eyes from Hidan's silver crown, Shikaku called to Flare, "Can Seven move?"

Seven snapped out of her frightened trance when she heard her name being called. The dying green light emitting from Flare's fingertips gave Shikaku's old face a somber demeanor.

Could she move…?

That was a good question.

Placing a hand against the ground beneath her, Seven slowly managed to get to her knees. Flare watched, tears brimming his bright hazel orbs. He was shocked that she had the strength to rise from the ground on her own. Her external wounds were nearly gone, but the internal damage was still ever-present. Yet, there she was, struggling to prove to everyone that she was strong enough to prevail. Though her face was solemn, he could see a glimmer of pride in her eyes.

Hidan hissed, infuriated his prey was still able to move. And that goddamn gleam in her eyes… He would put an end to her efforts now, before they proved to be even more troublesome in the future.

He let out a throaty chuckle and licked his bloody lips, "yeah… yeah, you look good on your knees, woman," he whispered, making her body stiffen. He could feel Shikaku's cold, hard gaze on the back of his head. The old man was smart enough to know what Hidan was doing, and though he could stop his body from moving, he could not stop his mouth. The Jashinist smirked, "you'll be like that a lot when we get back to the base."

Seven did not have the gall to glance up at the priest, but his words made her nervous. She knew that he was still bound by Shikaku's jutsu, but part of her mind was telling her not to stop; part of her mind warned her that he was going to break the jutsu if she did not hurry. She would have time to contemplate his words and what they meant later. Right now, she knew that she had to keep moving.

Taking a deep breath, she shut her eyes and placed her hands on the damp earth. Determination filled her heart with hope. She was going to stand on her own, despite the searing pain from her internal injuries. Her thigh burned, but it was her shoulder wound that cried out for her to stop. She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood as she pulled herself to her feet.

Flare did not move a muscle. He knew that if he flinched, even just a little bit, the healing light would fade. It was getting difficult for him to maintain the jutsu, now. His chakra was almost depleted and he found himself panting vigorously for breath. 'At least Seven is okay,' he reminded himself, 'remember, whatever happens, you're doing this to protect her.'

Shikaku knew that his student was putting his life on the line to help keep the immortal in check. It was dangerous for someone of his skill level to push his chakra limit, but he was doing it out of the sheer love he had for his sister.

Hidan was being difficult. He was fighting both physically and emotionally, making the shadows stretch and struggle to hold onto him. His muscles rippled under the jutsu, expanding the shadows as if they were bungee cords. He knew exactly what he was doing; he knew that if he resisted long enough, Shikaku would exhaust his chakra. He also knew that Flare would be unable to move, as he was providing the light.

'As soon as I lose control of him, he'll bring his scythe down on Flare's skull and grab Seven,' he grimaced at the thought, 'and that damn immortal is waiting us out.' Shikaku stared at the ground, focusing on maintaining the jutsu in the small amount of light he still had to work with. Things had stopped looking positive when Hidan had proved he was strong enough to counter the jutsu.

'I have to find a way to incapacitate him.'

Hidan's free hand was beginning to twitch, indicating that he was regaining control of his movements. By this time, Seven was trying to regain her sense of balance. With every step she took, the Jashinist's fury grew. 'This woman… This fucking woman…!'

"You're going to fucking pay…" he snarled at her, making her shudder.

"Seven," Flare muttered quickly, making sure that the infuriated priest did not distract her, "take my jacket. I dropped it when we first found you. It's on the ground near… near… Chouza…" The boy said the Akimichi's name with sympathy. He was not sure if he was alive, and he certainly did not want his sister to see his body, but she needed to keep warm. She could not keep running around in the rain, stark naked, with a crazed Akatsuki member hunting her down.

The eldest Toho scanned the dark forest, searching for Flare's jacket and dreading the close-up she would receive of Chouza's motionless body. Her eyes finally landed on the clothing of interest, discarded on the damp, muddy ground only a few feet away from her.

Seven placed one foot in front of the other, taking extra care to keep her arms ready in case she fell. She kept her eye on the silver-haired madman as she walked past him, expecting him to make a grab for her. He locked eyes with her, just as she disappeared from his sight. His eyes foretold the truth behind his aggressive words, but she refused to acknowledge the intent; that would only slow her down.

"Okay…" she whispered, finally reaching the jacket. She bent down to scoop up the long, grey garment. When she finally stretched her joints enough to fit her arms through the sleeves, she was content to find that it only just covered her butt. She did not want to get ogled by anyone if – or when – they finally made their getaway. Much to her surprise, the jacket was not wet on the inside, meaning that it was made of very good and very warm material. She zipped it up until the zipper reached her neck, wanting to reveal as little skin as possible.

Flare almost smiled when he saw his sister put on his jacket. 'I'm sure she's relieved to finally have some clothes.' He recalled their father always giving him his jacket on cold, rainy days, back when he used to take them for a brisk walk in the forest.

Shikaku grunted when he felt Hidan pull at the shadows for dear life. With his rage came unimaginable strength, and unimaginable strength meant that he would break his jutsu in no time. 'I only have one shot at this," the Jonin thought, 'and I need to do it now.'

Slowly, the shadowy hand on the Jashinist's chest began to rise to his neck. Hidan noticed the slithering sensation almost immediately, and stiffened; he had not expected the old shadow-user to have any more tricks up his sleeve. Was he planning to choke him? Did he think that he would be able to kill him? His efforts would prove to be fruitless.

The priest laughed, and Shikaku was sure that he heard a hint of worry in his voice.

"Don't be stupid, old man!" the immortal shouted, a sick grin on his face, "You can't kill me! As soon as I get out of this jutsu, this little brat is the first to die, and you're next! Then, I'll rip that fucking jacket from the woman's body, and-"

"Shut the fuck up." Flare snarled, looking up at Hidan with venomous eyes. Hidan stared back at him humorously, smirking at the way the boy got angry whenever he talked about his sister.

Shikaku noticed the tremble in the healing light when Flare's temper raised, "Calm down, Flare! He's just trying to get to us! Keep focused!"

The shadowy hand had finally reached the immortal's neck, and Shikaku had to keep from shuddering. He wondered if his plan would work, seeing as Hidan was immortal. He knew that killing him was completely out of the question, at least, for now. But would he be able to choke him out? Could immortals be knocked unconscious?

Taking a deep breath, the old Nara pushed himself to his limit and forced the hand to squeeze the pale flesh of Hidan's neck.

The Jashinist choked mid-laugh, lungs struggling to recover their lost bit of oxygen. Ah, so that was the tricky Jonin's plan. He was smart enough to realize that trying to kill him would be a waste of his precious time, so he aimed to choke the air from his body.

He could not remember if he had ever been choked before, but a slight fear pricked at his heart. He was a faithful follower of Lord Jashin, and he was seen as useful to the almighty deity; he would not die. Still, there were times of desperation where the fear of death ghosted over his mind. Of course, he would never let the enemy learn of his distress. Thus, instead of masking it with a face of courageous bravery, he let loose a face of untainted insanity. His eyelashes fluttered, and his deep lavender eyes were suddenly wide, bloodthirsty, and insane. His lips stretched across his face and he revealed a sadistic grin. With his silver hair wet and disheveled, he looked like a demonic hellion.

The shadowy hand tightened around his windpipe, but it was not tight enough to stop him from speaking. He released a small, hoarse chuckle, locking his eyes onto Flare's focused face. The young boy refused to look at him. Seven stayed back, unsure of what was going to happen.

"I'm going to kill you all," he wheezed, "I'm going to make you watch when I take that woman as Lord Jashin's gift, and I swear…" he gasped as he felt the hand begin to crush his windpipe, "I swear… Seven!" He knew that he caught the girl's attention based on the small, sweet whimper she involuntarily released. He tried to chuckle, but only ended up gagging on his own saliva, "…You'll be mine forever."

His eyesight was getting hazy, and darkness was beginning to overtake him. He had said what he had wanted to say. He had managed to instill fear into his possession, and no word of it had been a lie.

He hated her.

He hated her for making him so confused.

First, he wanted to kill her. Then, he wanted to have his way with her. Finally, he had settled on taking her as his own, teaching her the ways in which she would serve her new master, day in and day out.

He fought to keep his eyelids from closing, but to no avail.

The last thing he saw was a small smirk on the youngest Toho's arrogant face.

He swore that he would kill the boy, regardless of what his little Seven had to say about it.

Her opinions would no longer matter once she was within his grasp. Her opinions would become his opinions, and her life would revolve around his wants and needs.

Oh yes, it would not be long, now.

By the end of the night, they would all be dead.

They would all be dead, and she would be crying.