Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.


Please read: Sorry for the wait! Thank you to all who bothered to review with words of kindness and constructive criticism: nomercypercy, Kittizen, satsuma-chan, Victoria-Nicole, Drake, Pak ganern, Lollers, Grrasdfjkl, and Guest. I'm very happy with the reception that this story has been getting! I wish I could update more often :)

Major trigger warning for this chapter.

WARNING: Violence, physical abuse, graphic non-consent, trauma recovery, and dark themes.


He is nailed down on a wheel of torment,

Spin him again, celebrate end's advent,

Beautifully rusting pain of sadness,

Following her breadcrumb trail to his madness.


Chapter Seven: 'Til Death's Done Us Apart

Seven focussed her mind on the chakra that flowed through her body, concentrating on its blue essence bubbling within her stomach, instead of the bile that wanted so desperately to escape.

She was no stranger to chakra control; watching Flare train for several months had helped her to refine and personalize the technique. She had watched him sit still for hours on end, in a meditative mental state that he would later use during battle. She had replicated his concentration, and had even asked Shikaku for a few pointers. At last, she had been able to feel the chakra that streamed steadily throughout her being, symbolizing that she was worthy enough to hone her powers.

Day and night, she had stared at the image of the alchemic circle scribed by her parents, in a small journal that detailed their efforts to create a powerful healing technique.

This circle is the key to the technique. I know it. Her mother, Cadence Toho, had scribed hastily, within the margins of the book.

Seven had practiced drawing it many times throughout the day, for several weeks, until it began to appear in her dreams.

Only when you are able to see the circle in your dreams, will you be able to perform the technique. Her father, Grayson Toho, had written.

She had leapt from her bed upon awakening from her mystical dream of the circle, eager to begin the next step, eager to progress further than her parents had been able to.

Focus on the circle while simultaneously forcing your chakra into your hands.

She had tried this for weeks, unsuccessful each time.

Flipping through the remnants of their journals for clues on how to cross such a troublesome milestone, she had found a helpful hint from her mother: Draw the circle on the ground and keep it nearby. Focus. Place your hands over it. Fuse it to your very soul.

She had sat on the kitchen floor for hours, the circle drawn in front of her in black chalk that would later leave a dark stain on the tiles.

Hope had driven her to keep at it.

Pride had forced her to endure hunger and exhaustion.

Two more days had passed before she saw a warm, green hue being emitted from her palms. Flare, who had been making himself a sandwich at the counter, had stopped and stared in awe. A small smile had fluttered across her visage, and she had been able to maintain the hue for about twenty seconds before her consciousness was depleted.

It was hours later before she finally came to. Shikaku and Flare had been hovering over her nervously, chattering amongst themselves about her well-being. Though neither of them were truthful with the old Nara about studying their parents' healing techniques, she had known that he was a smart, deductive man. The last time she had seen him on a normal circumstance, without a cruel, malicious psychopath hunting them down, she knew that he had figured them out. Why he had chosen to remain silent about their efforts to replicate the very work that had placed an assassination warrant over their parents' head, she did not know.

But she had been grateful to him for leaving them be.

Once home, she continued to work hard on her new power. It took a while before she had been able to perform the technique without drawing the circle, and it took even longer for her to stop passing out due to exhausting her chakra reserves. Presently, she continued to struggle with chakra exhaustion, which came on quicker for a regular civilian like her than for a ninja-in-training like Flare.

Once she had gotten the hang of the technique, she had taught it to her brother, who got the hang of it within a week. Though, up until the last time he had casted it, he had never been able to perform it without drawing the alchemic circle. Seven wondered if he would have eventually surpassed her, and used it to save the lives of his comrades. With a heart as large and as kind as his had been, she reckoned that he would have made their parents proud.

But, now was not the time for fond memories.

Still chained to the bed of a madman, Seven worked to master chakra control. With no use of her hands or her feet, she found that it was exceedingly difficult to tame the chakra that crashed like unruly waves within her. Feeding bit by bit of her chakra in to her hands was exhausting, particularly without food, water, and rest, but she had no choice; she needed to have more than just healing in her arsenal, if she wanted to live. She needed to be able to push chakra into her other limbs, and use them offensively.

Hidan was under the assumption that she could do nothing more than heal; he had not yet figured out that she was determined to get stronger. He believed that it was only her mental strength that he had to break, that she was too physically weak to resist him.

She tugged at the metal chains that clasped her wrists and smirked tiredly. They were regular chains; they were not designed to drain chakra.

He had grossly underestimated her.

Though she had no way of determining the time of day, she was sure that he had not returned to her for at least one day. He had not fed her or allowed her to bathe. He had given her a few gulps of water, but only enough to keep her alive. Her throat was drier than a desert and her stomach felt as though it was ready to cave in. Furthermore, her body was covered in blood, grime, and mixed semen. She was utterly repulsive.

If there was one thing she hated – other than Hidan, of course – it was being filthy. Her mind was focussed on the sticky, nauseating state of her body, among other things, and her concentration was marred by the mere thought of her physical discomfort.

She opened her eyes slowly, but she was only met with darkness. He had blown out the candles when he had left, basking her in the cool blackness of the cave. Her eyes were unable to adjust, no matter how hard she tried. Thus, she was left with exhaustion, pain, memories, and unqualified resolve.

Every so often, she would drift off and awaken to the feeling of a hand on her thigh or a tongue against her neck. Nearly ripping the chains from the bedposts each time, in a sweaty torpor, she was relieved to find that it had only been her imagination.

Her own mind was beginning to rebel against her sanity, haunting her with greedy, fabricated touches and the discomfort she felt from being beaten bloody.

The terrors that haunted her were like a hawk's talons, ripping relentlessly into her abdomen.


He ran his filthy hand along her body, watching her face intently for any reaction that she would give him.

Seven was in turmoil, though she would not give him the satisfaction of knowing so; her stomach was in knots, her lower body ached, her lungs were refusing to take in enough oxygen, and her head throbbed flippantly, like a tribal drum.

She started at him with cold, hard eyes. The shock value of him being there had vanished, along with her calm demeanor. She was prepared to scream at him, buck him off of her, and fight for her life. Though, would she be emitting the reaction that she wanted – no, the reaction that she needed? Would causing an uproar get her anywhere safer?

Though Hidan was standing across the room, he was watching them like a hawk. If she made any move to strike or lash out at Deidara, he would be on her in seconds. Then, she would have two vile, angry criminals to deal with.

It took several moments for her calmness to return; several moments of heavy petting, of lustful staring, of light snickering.

No. Causing an uproar would get her nowhere healthier. She had to be calm, had to address the situation properly.

She tensed when she felt a rough, calloused hand ghost over her nipple, and hissed when she felt something wet slide across the perky bud. She watched as Deidara raised his opposite hand to reveal a rather out-of-place mouth; tongue, teeth, and all.

The odd sight stunned her for a moment.

'Must be some sort of bloodline jutsu. Though, not one I've ever heard of.' Seven mused, wondering how he could possibly use mouthed hands in battle.

She remain outwardly unfazed, impressing the man who had now placed himself partly atop her. Most people were weary and disgusted by his hands; he had expected a regular civilian like herself to be more surprised. Many of the other women had been horrified, going as far as to scream or call him degrading names.

'It's too bad she hasn't tried my patience enough, yet.' He thought, darkly, reminiscing on how the previous woman had ripped and clawed at her bindings after he had threatened to brand her from the inside-out with his explosives. The fleeting expression of terror on her face had made her look absolutely tantalizing. He found himself wishing that Seven would direct something cruel at him, so that he could show her the full extent of his rage.

His erect manhood pressed against her thigh, giving her an idea of what he was going to take from her. Seven paid no mind to the sudden friction, determined to put on a stone-face and uphold a nonchalant attitude.

She could not let him win – not after she had let Hidan win, only hours before.

She would not scream or yell, she would not react when he teased and penetrated her, and she would certainly not grovel.

Making hard eye contact with him, once again, her concrete gaze whispered the words of a warrior, 'hit me with your best shot.'

Deidara smirked.

God, did he loved a good challenge. She did not understand that he was nothing like Hidan; he would not show her any mercy because she was supposedly a gift from some occult deity. He was much smarter than Hidan, and much quicker on his feet. She would neither outwit him nor escape from him, like he knew she was desperately planning to do. If anything, he would break her before Hidan could even attempt to.

Her fall would be ephemeral, sweet, and endearingly artistic.

"What's your name… hn?" He demanded, speaking harshly.

Seven's face crinkled in confusion, processing his question. He knew what her name was; Hidan had mentioned it in passing, and she had heard him repeat it. She supposed that this was another way for him to assert his dominance over her, by forcing her to respond like a pet.

"You know my name." She countered, neither openly defying him nor ignoring him.

She had simply stated a fact. And, if he was more rational and patient than Hidan, she would not be punished for her dignified response.

'Just testing the waters,' she mused, swallowing nervously.

Deidara had expected her to remain silent and defiant. Silence would have earned her a hard strike, whereas flinging insults at him would have earned her prolonged torture. He recalled one of the previous women telling him to go fuck himself, a response that had her writhing in agony from having two of her fingers blown off.

Looking over his shoulder at the foul-mouthed Jashinist, who was leaning against the far wall with a sadistic grin on his face, he called, "You sure picked a rebellious one. More of a personality than the previous few… hn."

The priest nodded knowingly, having already adapted to his captive's irregular demeanour. "Damn right. She's only a submissive little bitch when she's scared. Isn't that right, my little Seven?"

She hated the condescending name that he had chosen for her. Little Seven. How bold of him, to believe that she was small compared to him.

Deidara did not miss the anger that appeared on her visage for but a split second. It was clear that she had already harboured a deep hatred for Hidan and the pet name he had given her. Good; he would remember that.

He chuckled darkly, moving his hand down to rub her inner thigh.

She tensed upon feeling the warmth of his hand so close to her womanhood. She understood that he was looking for any sort of reaction from her, inspecting her body and her mind to determine what made her tick. Well, if she had anything to do with it, she would hide her nature in the depths of her mind; neither of them would truly know her, and so neither of them would be able to take anything of value away from her.

"I'll tell you what scares her," Hidan's mocking voice tore through her thoughts, making her frown involuntarily, "fucking up and watching her brother die."

He did not just say that.

Deidara raised a thin blonde brow, interested in hearing more, but keeping his cold blue eye locked on his victim.

"Kakuzu killed her brother. Beat me to it. Well, actually, she killed her brother. If she would have just kept her promise like an obedient little slave, he would still be alive."

Seven's eyes were wide. Her body trembled like an earthquake.

"You slaughtered her family… hn?"

Hidan laughed whole-heartedly, "That little piss-ant was the only family she had! They lived on the outskirts of this shitty little village in the Land of Fire. I would have gotten to the rest of the village, but Kakuzu lost his shit and hunted me down. Piece of shit. Stealing my prey and interrupting my ritual slaughter.

The woman gritted her teeth, repressing pitiful screams and sobs of frustration. He was not wrong. Perhaps she had been the cause of Flare's untimely death. Maybe he would not have killed him, had she given up and went with him, as she had promised. The priest had been infuriated that she had gone back on her word, and her kin had paid the price.

Older siblings were supposed to protect their younger siblings; she had protected Flare since their parents had died. Then, the one time when it truly mattered, where life and death went hand-in-hand and every move acted as a butterfly effect, she had dropped the ball. He had been killed in her name, and it tore her apart.

She felt numb – dead inside – as if a frigid autumn wind had gusted across her chest, firmly freezing her core.

"In fact, I was thinking…" Hidan stood up straight and walked over to where the pair lay. Moving his face into Seven's line of sight, he was pleased to see that he had most certainly caught her undivided attention. "…Maybe I'll go back and finish the job."

She would not take the bait. No. Just as before, he saw it fit to mentally crucify her, using her home village to reprimand her. 'How could anyone get to be this fucking insane…? How the fuck could anyone believe that these threats, this torture, this mental destruction are all right?!'

Just then, everything became clear. A deafening snap resounded in the depths of her mind, making all of her thoughts, all of her worries, and all of her pain ignite into one grand hellfire. Realization replaced bordering insanity, and enlightenment overtook guilt. Thousands of memories and thoughts replayed themselves in unison, making the poor woman grit her teeth from the sheer intensity of her cognitive load.

"…I didn't kill my brother, Hidan." She uttered, with a dangerously composed voice. "You did."

Both men were taken aback by her sudden change in demeanor, though it was Deidara who caught on quicker than Hidan. He moved off of the girl, allowing Hidan to take him spot in an attempt to intimidate her.

'She's high on vengeance, and her mind is shielding her from the pain that's been inflicted. This is the only way for her to keep her sanity intact. She's fighting against us the only way that she can.' The blonde thought, his smirk only growing broader. 'Heh. Let's see if I can't destroy this strong spirit of hers.'

"What the fuck are you on about, now?" Hidan asked, exasperatedly, outright confused by her transition.

"You would have killed Flare, anyway, even if I had gone with you. Following Jashin requires you to maim and sacrifice everyone in your path. You wouldn't defy Him." Her bright eyes bored into Hidan's lavender irises as she spoke. "I can't stop you from doing anything, if you've got your mind set on it. If you say you're going to destroy my village, then you're going to destroy my village."

Hidan cursed his luck. This woman was so fucking infuriating. She could not be broken by promises that were false or fulfilled. One moment she looked as though she were having a breakdown, cowering before his very presence. The next, she took a strong stance against him and embarrassed him in front of his comrade.

'…Embarrassing me in front of Deidara, of all fucking people! As if that blonde fucker doesn't have enough on me… Now he thinks a fucking slave woman can boss me around…'

In a strong, but unstable state of power, Seven could not recognize the sweltering anger in Hidan's expression until it was too late.

She felt the chains that bound her arms and neck being unclasped clumsily, and was stunned when she was dragged off of the bed and onto her feet. She did not know if it was the air of confidence in her voice, or the condescending tone by which she had addressed him, but when his fist connected with her right eye, she knew that she had somehow gone too far.

The punch made her stumble backward, but he did not allow her to fall to the ground. Keeping a firm grip on her wrist, he pulled her so that she lurched face-first into his chest. Grabbing a fist-full of her hair, he leaned down to stare at her newly inflamed eye and startled expression. Seven noticed the treacherous grin on his visage and trembled involuntarily. She had not expected him to lash out so suddenly, so violently.

Just as he had underestimated her, she had underestimated him. Now, she would pay the price.

"I've put up with your shit for too long, woman. It's time to break you in."

He pinned her to the wall, one hand wrapped tightly around her neck and held her there, relishing in the gurgling sounds being emitted from her throat. Her sharp nails raked down his exposed arm, clawing into his flesh enough to make him bleed, but he refused to stand down. A cruel smile had slithered its way onto his lips, as he took in the terror that had sprawled out gracelessly on her face.

This was exactly what he had wanted, for her to be frightened of him.

Fear was the only way to make her obey him, and if he had to toss her near Death's doorstep to instill such a striking emotion, then he would do it full-heartedly. As long as she did not die, anything he did to her was fair game.

He pounded her head against the wall, again, tightening his fingers around her bruised throat. He could feel her oesophagus constricting, a sign that it was close to collapsing.

Any harder, and she would no longer have that annoying voice of hers. But any harder, and she also had a good chance of dying.

Deidara watched the spectacle with an unamused expression. It was true; the woman had crossed the line. She had spoken out against her master, neglecting any rational reasoning within her head. Normally, he would say that she deserved the punishment that she was receiving.

However, this woman was not normal, nor were the feeling harbouring within his chest.

He did not know why the beating of the lowly Toho was bothering him so much; he had done far, far worse to the previous slave women. He had blown them up, piece by piece, until only their heads –baring horrified, fleeting expressions – remained. He had beaten disobedient women who had attempted to run away from him, and women who had alienated him for having extra mouths.

Now, as he watched Seven's cheeks turn from pink to white and her eyes begin to glaze over, he could not help but feel somewhat disheartened.

The way she looked down at Hidan with glossy, near-dead eyes, silently begging him to stop, as though he were the God of her world…

He wanted her to look at him that way. He wanted to hold her life in his hands. That transitory look of panic would be directed at him, instead of Hidan, and then he would be recognized as the one who was the master of her universe.

He sighed heavily, longingly, and took a mental snapshot of the black-crowned woman. It was like this, tacked against the wall and dying, that she looked undeniably beautiful.

How many times had he given her the illusion that he was going to kill her? She willed herself to believe that he would not yet kill her, but her comprehensive abilities were beginning to fade along with her oxygen. Her mind was beginning to go blank, and her lungs were burning. Her throat was aching dully, and her vision was beginning to falter. She could not help but think that being suffocated was a very painful, sorrowful, and humiliating end.

'If I could speak…' She thought, hazily, '…if I could reason with him…'

But it was too late for that; she had been dealt a bad hand. Her future murderer – Flare's murderer – had tortured, demeaned, and raped her. No matter how hard she had tried, he had been too physically strong. She had tried to win, though she had gotten too cocky. She had let her emotions ignite within her, like a stormy ocean. Something had snapped, and her insanity had been washed away, only to be replaced by overzealous confidence.

She had truly thought that she would prevail, that she would find a way to escape.

She had spoken out of turn, just once. Now, she would be lucky if she ever spoke, again.

Just as she felt her mind begin to wither into blackness, the strong hand released her neck, sending her toppling to the ground.

Laying on her side for several seconds, her mouth opened generously, and sucked in a great amount of stale, musty oxygen. Shock was present on her visage; the tides had changed in the blink of an eye. Through glassy eyes, she attempted to take in her surroundings, to register what had just happened.

She inhaled and exhaled strongly, not having the mental or physical strength to move into a sitting position. Pathetic as she may have looked, she could only respire, hack, and praise the heavens that something had made him spare her life.

'Another stroke of luck… Fuck, another stroke of luck.' She thought.

How had she been able to survive, thus far? Why was he so keen on torturing her, playing with her ideas of life and death? The answer was clear in her mind, though she could not wrap her head around the concept: he hoped to break her.

She had sustained many severe wounds during her vicious night-long battle with Hidan. He had also deprived her of food and water for several days. Now, she had nearly been asphyxiated by the same powerful madman, who seemed to think himself her benevolent God.

Was he even close to breaking her?

Her answer would be contingent on how she felt before and after his cruel methodologies.

A swift kick to her back made her choke on the air that flowed into her mouth, sending her into a coughing fit. Her spine rattled as the pain from the kick slunk down her body.

Hands gripped her upper arms, and she was dragged to her feet remorselessly. One hand collected her wrists and bound them behind her back, while the other hand coiled itself around her chin, forcing her to stare at the intrigued blonde terrorist who was now leaning casually against the wall. Her vision was blurry, and – try as she may – she could not open her right eye. Part of her feared that she would lose her vision completely, though another part of her whispered that she had even worse things to deal with.

Hidan's hot breath suddenly appeared next to her ear, and she can hear him chuckle darkly amidst her heavy panting, "Did I hurt you…?" The mock sympathy that dripped from his lethal tongue made her want to vomit.

The hand that held her chin gently slid up to her damaged eye, and she winced when fingers lightly pressed against the bruised flesh. They lingered there for a few moments, prodding the wound with interest, before his hand snaked its way down her cheek. He snorted, "Yeah… I guess I did."

His tone was light, jovial, and loving, as if he was sitting at home with her and reassuring her that tomorrow would be a better day, that her eye would heal, that he was there to support her always.

What the fuck kind of a game was he playing?

His chuckles transitioned into insane hiccups as he felt her tense beneath his gentle touches, "I didn't mean to hit you, my little Seven," he cooed, "I just wanted you to submit. You understand, right?"

No, she did not fucking understand.

He had given her a black eye and nearly choked her out. For what? So that he could take out his anger on someone, so that he could treat her like an anger management doll that he could so fruitlessly kick around whenever he needed a little stress relief. Her jaw clenched painfully when she felt his hand grip her hip.

'Stay calm, Seven. Just… bite back your anger for now.' She thought to herself.

Frustrated, she nibbled roughly on her lower lip. She could not afford to be brave, again; not after Hidan had shown her how sporadic his temper could be. One false word and she could end up dead before she even had the chance to hone her powers.

The cultist kept a firm grasp on her wrists as he led her toward the bed.

Not again.

"No…" she rasped, digging her heels into the ground.

Hidan snickered maliciously, moving down so that his warm breath ghosted over the shell of her ear, "you never had a goddamn choice in the matter."

Her feet began to kick wildly as the Jashinist picked her up from behind and tossed her onto the bed, covering her form with his own before she could flip onto her back. Digging around in one of his pockets, he produced a gag he had innovated from a piece of dirty cloth. Locking it against her protesting mouth and tucking a section of it past her teeth, he took solace in the sound of her choking on her own spit.

She continued to fight for her life, even as she felt Hidan's hands grasp her wrists and hold them against her lower back. She could feel his sardonic eyes drilling into her as he kneeled onto the bed to gain more leverage. Her muffled yelps and protests echoed off of the walls when she heard the other man in the room moving to take his position behind her.

Thrashing now more than ever, Deidara found it difficult to ease himself into the woman he was hell-bent on using. She twisted her body back and forth with vigor that surprised him. Even after being beaten and choked, she still had the energy of a little spitfire. Temper beginning to flare, he grabbed a fistful of her hair and shoved her face into the mattress.

"You're only making this worse for yourself… hn." He taunted, releasing a frigid snigger as she tried to kick him away.

Seven tried to pay little mind to the blonde's cryptic words, still struggling violently against Hidan's invasive hold on her arms. If she could break Hidan's hold for even just a second, she would be able to scoot away from the both of them and buy some time.

The priest took joy in her struggles, and almost wished that he could join the bomber in his harsh sexual escapade. There was a beat-up naked woman on his bed, completely unwilling and full of hatred for him; it was enough to make his manhood swell with excitement.

"You're making me want to fuck you again…" he purred, making her freeze.

Deidara took her moment of stillness as an advantageous opportunity, and slipped his hardened penis into her entrance.

"No!" Seven's muffled screech made Hidan laugh victoriously, as he continued to hold her down until his colleague was finished. He was pleasantly surprised when he found that she had harnessed some sort of hidden physical strength from being abused again, as her hands began to claw at his arms viciously and it became more of a challenge to keep her steady.

Mere hours after being sexually abused by the malicious priest, the act was being inflicted upon her yet again. Adrenaline pumping, she willed her body to use up whatever energy reserves it could spare in order to squirm away from the two wretched men.

'Weak… I can't believe how weak I am…!' She panted pathetically, and gasped when she felt Deidara ram carelessly against her cervix. Before being abducted, she had believed herself to be capable enough to fend off at least one or two men. Now, though, she realized that she had been too cocky, and far too focussed on healing. 'Healing is no good to me if I can't defend myself…' She thought of how many times Shikaku had offered to teach her a variety of defensive skills, and of how many times she had brushed him off.

"Save those teachings for Flare; he'll need them more than I will," she had said.

"Just thought I'd offer. You never know when they'll come in handy." Shikaku had retorted.

How right he had been. Perhaps if she had taken the time to hear him out, she would be able to prevent her assaults. 'And Flare's death,' her conscience added.

The blonde Akatsuki was on cloud nine; he could not believe how good she felt. It had been a long time since he had had a woman, and he had expected her to be loose from Hidan's earlier penetration. The way she squeezed her thighs around his waist as she kicked at him only made her insides hug him tighter.

"Ah, my little Seven," he groaned, jerking her head up by her hair, "your body is reacting to me… hmn."

He was not wrong. In order to ease the sudden penetration, her body had begun to self-lubricate, making her tunnel slicker. Seven paused her movements, heart thudding and lungs burning.

"Fuck right off." She whispered.

She had nothing more to say to them; all of her protests would be unheard, anyway. They would not stop.

"When the hell did you grow a pair?" Hidan growled, upset that she was not a blubbering mess. By now, her pride and self-esteem should have been non-existent. She should have been begging for them to stop. It was clear that she did not see them as a true threat to her person, that she held herself higher than them. 'I'll show you exactly what you are, you cocky bitch.'

He turned to his blonde comrade, face contorted in a mix of frustration and anger, "make her cry."

Her head was slammed into the bedsheets punitively, and she bit back a shriek as Deidara forced himself into her at an angle that made her stomach ache. It felt like he was tearing through her with a hot, thick spear, wildly jabbing her cervix with the sharp tip. She had never experienced such pain during sex, and it was not long before tears began to spill from her closed lids. She concentrated on the metallic taste of blood that swashed around in her mouth, determined to make as few noises as possible. The last thing she wanted was to have them think that they had won.

Noting that she was no longer struggling against them, Deidara smirked. Hidan, however, was not yet satisfied. 'Not until she's in tears.'

He grabbed a fistful of her dark locks and yanked, pulling her face from the mattress. Upon resurfacing, Seven released a breath of air that she had not realized she had been holding.

"How does it feel?" Hidan's voice broke through the atmosphere of the room, disrupting Seven's concentration. His nails dug into her wrists, creating shallow cuts, "Once an innocent civilian, and now nothing more than a cheap slut for S-ranked criminals!"

"I thou… th-thought I told you… to f-fuck off…!" The woman stammered through gritted teeth.

"And I thought I told you to fucking submit!"

"I won't!"

Oh, but she was so close; he could see it on her face. Her eyebrows were furrowed and she was sweating profusely. Her body was shaking, and she had stopped wriggling around. Blood dribbled from her mouth, indicating that she had bitten down on her tongue to supress a scream. Reddened eyes told him that tears had already been shed. 'Just a little bit more…'

Deidara slipped his hands around to grab her breasts, letting his mouthed hands suckle on the erect nipples. She grunted, but showed no sign of buckling. Unfortunately for her, the blonde Akatsuki member was used to dealing with unruly women in the bedroom. Teeth began to bite down on the buds, gnawing and chewing harshly. From the sheer agony that erupted from both her upper and lower body, Hidan was finally able to witness her breaking point.

The scream she released rattled what little furniture the room kept, and would happily lull the Jashinist to sleep on nights to come. She twisted her torso to and fro, adamant on getting the mouths to release her poor, injured body parts. The albino laughed viciously, egging his comrade on. In between laughs, he jeered at her, "just submit, you stupid bitch!"

She could not form words. Only shrieks and cries were able to fly past her lips. What a dirty trick, they had played on her, though, she should have known that they would use pain to make her buckle. Still, she would not beg; she may have given them her voice and her tears, but she would not give them herself.

Somehow, through her wails, she heard the man behind her grunt and push into her faster. Thankfully, he released her tender, bloody nipples in favour of grabbing her hips. Wide-eyed and winded, she felt him fill her up with his semen, pushing himself so far inside of her that she thought he would break past her cervix.

Faintly, as vision began to dim, she felt Hidan release her arms.

"You better not have gotten her pregnant, blondie." The immortal murmured. He let go of the Toho's hair, gleefully observing that he had ripped out quite a few strands of luscious dark brown.

"Whatever. It's not like she'll live long enough to have it, anyway… hmn."

Regularly, the Jashinist would have begrudgingly agreed. But Seven was an abnormal case; he did not know when he would be rid of her. His Lord had told him that she would have to accept His graces before she could be allowed to savour death, and he had thought for sure that he would have her begging by now.

Jashin had whispered, "Beware, Hidan. Your task shall not be easy. She is intelligent. She is analytical and bold. She will do what it takes to survive, if you do not show her the true purpose in which she must serve."

'Bold' had been an understatement. He had already known of her ability to be analytical; that much had been displayed when she had escaped from him a total of four times before her final capture. As much as he hated to admit it, she may have managed to escape a fifth time without Kakuzu's unexpected intervention. Tonight, she had splayed her boldness for both of them to see. She had mouthed off a handful of times, despite realizing that she would be harmed for her insolence. He had not known that such harsh, foul language could be spat from the young woman's sweet, luscious lips.

"Fuck right off." She had whispered to Deidara, a man whom had later proved to be extraordinarily pitiless and destructive. The priest wondered, after being both physically and sexually assaulted by the blonde, would the woman have the audacity to go against him, again?

While Deidara moved away to clean himself up, muttering something about having to be up in less than four hours, Hidan flipped the woman onto her back to admire their work.

Seven Toho was a bloody, unconscious mess. The skin around her eye had turned shades of pink and purple, and the eye itself would be swollen shut for a few days. There was dried blood on her lips and around her mouth, from when she had bitten her tongue to stop from screaming. He chuckled as he took in the welts and scratches that were scattered about her neck and wrists from being manhandled and restrained. Nevertheless, he could not tell which sight he enjoyed the most, her battered and bloodied breasts or the semen that dotted her thighs and seeped out of her womanhood.

They had outdone themselves!

Not only had they brought out a rebellious survival-like side of her, they had also inflicted long-lasting damage on her pretty little body. Hidan cackled callously, taking a mental image of the girl for nights where he would only have his hand. A few more days of unwelcome advances and torture, and she would shatter into pieces like fine china.

He thought himself devious and he thought himself a king.

Her king.


Genma Shiranui, Raido Namiashi, and Ko Hyuuga entered Dan's Tea House, looks of sombre resolve on their faces.

It had been less than a week since Shikaku and Chouza had been attacked by the Jashinist Hidan, and the Akatsuki member had not left them much of a paper trail to follow. Flare Toho's mangled corpse had been found close to the small village, but there had been no trace of Seven. Signs of a struggle, depicted by muddy footprints and chipped tree bark, had been present. Shikaku lamented that a second Akatsuki member had been on his way, but the old Nara did not know if he had managed to seize the Toho siblings.

"Why were the Akatsuki after two civilians?" Lady Tsunade had asked, the day they had returned to the Leaf Village.

Shikaku was silent, reflecting for a moment, before responding, "I don't think that Hidan was there on official Akatsuki business. It doesn't make sense. Their parents had been killed for dabbling in arcane arts, and the kids', themselves, had been practicing… But neither of them could have been very useful to the organization."

"I see…" the blonde woman hummed, "…did you notice anything peculiar about either of them? Any dormant talents or jutsus?"

The dark haired man shook his head, "No. Seven was exceptionally smart, and Flare had the potential and drive to become a terrific ninja one day, but they certainly didn't stand out when compared to the previous individuals that have been abducted by the Akatsuki."

That was true; the Toho family did not hold an influence over rulers, and the Akatsuki could certainly find other bright, driven young people.

Tsunade exhaled, "…A hidden family fortune, perhaps?"

"No way. These kids were living off their orphan's benefit and whatever money Seven could scrape together by doing odd jobs."

The situation was abnormal. Tsunade had read reports of citizens being confronted by Akatsuki members before, but there had always been some superior purpose behind the outbreaks. Could this be classified as an attack by the organization?

"You're right… It doesn't make sense." The woman mumbled, deep in thought.

Shikaku cut in, "Like I said, I think it was a random attack by one of their members. I don't think it had anything to do with the Akatsuki, as an organization."

"What if they knew that two of our Jonin were going to be in the village? Could they have been targeting us, knowing that the Jonin would come to the rescue of helpless civilians?" Shizune asked, trying to fit pieces of the puzzle together, as well.

Shikaku nodded slowly, "It's probable, but I'm not convinced. Hidan seemed to be more interested in grabbing Seven than fighting Chouza and myself. If it was an attack targeting our Leaf ninja, wouldn't he have gone straight for us instead of the civilians? This organization doesn't tend to beat around the bush."

The dark crowned woman groaned, defeated, "…I guess you're right."

With all other theories exhausted, Shikaku took a deep breath. '…It's now or never.'

"Lady Tsunade, may I request that I search for Seven To-"

"I have a team that's already on it. Two of them were there the night that Flare Toho's body was found, so they're familiar with the case and the route." The Hokage sighed, resting her chin on folded hands. "I'm aware of the relationship you had with the Toho siblings, but I think it's best that you stay out of this. It's too personal. If we even manage to find any trace of the woman, it's likely that it won't be good. Hidan is the most violent Akatsuki member that we have on file. Seven Toho may end up just like her brother, if not worse, and that's something that you certainly won't want to see."

Her words stung, but Shikaku understood them well; he had even expected them. She was right; it was for the best that he not investigate any further into the disappearance of Seven. Upon hearing that Flare had been brutalized before his untimely death, the old Nara had felt a small section of his heart drop. The boy had reminded him of a less hyper and more attentive Naruto Uzumaki. He had been so determined to become a ninja and protect his older sister; he even knew what it was like to be alone and ostracized. Finding Seven in a similar state would hurt him just the same.

Besides, he had his own family to focus on, as well as his and Chouza's recoveries.

Thus, Genma, Raido, and Ko, the Hokage's immaculate recon team, were sent to the outskirts of the Toho's small village. Genma and Raido had both been at the scene of the crime, only minutes after Flare Toho's murder, so they were very familiar with the area. Shikaku had sent word for them to check in with Dan, the owner of Dan's Tea House, a nearby outpost.

"I told the siblings to run there. I knew that Dan would help them if they arrived." The Nara had said.

The shop was quaint and smelled heavily of green tea. There were four small tables with cushions around them, which looked only gently used. At the very back of the room was an doorway, which was concealed by beaded curtains. Faint humming could be heard from beyond that point.

"Hello?" Genma called, "We're ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village. We'd like to ask you some questions."

The humming stopped abruptly, and clattering could be heard from the next room. A very tall man moved the beads out of the way, ducking as he came through the doorway. He had messy brown hair and a friendly smile, greeting each of the ninja by shaking their hands. He could not have been older than twenty-five.

"Ninja from the Hidden Leaf, eh? What could you possibly want to ask me?" He laughed.

Raido cleared his throat, slightly intimidated by the man's height, "Uh… We had heard from one of our comrades that he sent a young girl to your shop about four nights ago. We wanted to know if you saw anyone that matched this description…"

The brown-haired shinobi unfolded a piece of brown paper from his pocket. There had been no recent photos of Seven Toho. Flare Toho had had his photo taken by Shikaku, in order to create his ninja identification card for the Leaf Village's records, though Seven had been unable to afford a civilian identification card for recreational purposes. Each of the men hoped that Shikaku's description of her physical attributes would be enough.

"A lone woman, mid-length dark hair, green eyes, pale skin, clothed in only a heavy jacket, walks with a slight limp, about nineteen to twenty years of age. Her name is Seven Toho, a civilian of a nearby village."

Dan did not even have to contemplate what the man had said, "Nope, no one like that's come around here. I would have noticed a half-naked woman, for sure."

Crushed, the scarred ninja looked at his comrades. Genma scowled, knowing the implication of the tea shop owner's answer; the eldest Toho had not even made it here.

"What're you looking for her for, did something happen?" The young man questioned, not taking his eyes of Raido.

Genma ignored his question, "Have you seen any men with black cloaks decorated with red clouds? Or, at least, any strange-looking travelers?"

Dan nodded, seemingly unfazed by the bandana-wearing shinobi's hastiness, "Looking for Akatsuki members, are ya?" The other men looked slightly surprised that the owner had even heard of the evil organization; it was not typical for civilians to know of surreal dealings within the ninja world.

Dan chuckled good-heartedly at their faces before smirking, "Heh. Yeah. One of them asked me if I had seen his partner anywhere. Described a man with silver hair and a big scythe. The guy, himself was pretty weird looking. He wore a mask and had these piercing green eyes. He didn't even hide his cloak from me. Probably figured I wouldn't say a word of it to anyone. Ballsy, if you ask me."

Ko and Raido exchanged knowing glances while Genma kept up with the questioning, "Did you get into a confrontation with him?"

Dan snorted, "For what? I told him I didn't know shit about his partner. Never seen him before in my life. He left almost immediately after."

"Which direction did he heard toward?"

"East."

Genma's eyes narrowed. If he had headed east from the tea house, then he had headed toward the Toho's village in search of his partner.

"Then that means…" Ko mumbled, rolling Dan's words over in his head, "…that the Jashinist's partner must have intercepted the victims."

Raido nodded, concurring with his comrade. Shikaku had mentioned that a second chakra presence had been creeping up on them all night, though he could barely pin-point its location. The signature had likely belonged to Hidan's partner.

'Shit… There's no way she's alive. Two Akatsuki members versus one powerless woman?' Ko gritted his teeth at the mere thought of it. 'That goddamn organization plays dirty.'

"I see… Thank you for your cooperation. You've definitely given us a missing puzzle piece to ruminate on." Genma said, grinning lazily at the young owner.

Dan bowed politely, happy to have helped, "Let me know if I can ever be of assistance, 'kay? My father and I have been allies of the Leaf for as long as I can remember."

Raido gave his thanks to the man for his continued patronage before catching up with his teammates, who had already made their way outside of the small tea house. They walked in silence for a while, wondering what the best course of action would be. The Hokage would be notified of this new piece of information, but where would they go next?

"I think it's realistic to check the Toho's village, maybe see if anyone saw or heard anything. The only place that was searched was their house on the night of the crime." Genma mumbled, rolling his senbon around in his mouth.

Raido nodded, "Sounds good."

"And for the record, I don't think we're going to find this woman alive. All of the other victims that have been captured by the Akatsuki, or members of the organization, have either disappeared for good or were found about as roughed up as Flare."

Ko winced at the man's tone. He could not argue; they had all been thinking it. They would be tremendously fortunate to find Seven Toho alive.

"For now, and for as long as we are asked to follow through with this mission, let's assume that we're searching for a corpse."