Hey everybody!
Just one more day of finals and then... holidays!!!
I have posted a new story, "Controlling the Iron Heart". It is a Kakashi/OC/Sasori fiction where a civilian friend of our favorite Copy ninja discovers her kekkei genkai and Sasori decides he must have her as a subordinate.
In other news, FallenSilent has drawn a picture of Kiyoko (thanks again! ^_^). In my profile, I have posted a link since links in stories have the tendency to not work.
Please R&R - I love reviews!
I do not own Naruto, FallenSilent's drawing, or Immortal by Adema.

Chapter 13: Immortals Playing the Waiting Game…

Song of the Chapter:
Immortal – Adema
Reason: Kiyoko and Hidan's immortal life together… forever obviously…

Hidan had to admit, being a head was not half bad if he could sleep with Kiyoko, but waking up at 4:00 A.M. because she had a nightmare was not great… especially since he could not shake her out into consciousness due to the fact he was lacking a body. He was facing the ceiling and unable to turn around to nudge Kiyoko awake. She just kept crying while he was trying to quietly wake up. "Uh Kiyoko-chan…" The tears merely continued and she started whimpering. Hidan now had no choice. Gathering a deep breath with lungs he at the moment did not have access to, he shouted, "KIYOKO, WAKE YOUR ASS UP!!!" Kiyoko squeaked in surprise and rolled out of bed.

"HIDAN! WHAT THE FUCK?!?" Hidan was now happy that she was no longer crying, but now her eyes where full of anger.

She looks so hot when she's mad… "You wouldn't wake up… and I could not sleep." Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Wrong answer."

Later at 11:00 A.M.

"Kiyoko-chan! Tobi found Hidan-san's head on the top of the base. Does Tobi get a cookie?" The hyperactive ninja had said Jashinist's head in his arms and was holding his head rather haphazardly. Hidan had now resigned himself to his fate and really would rather face some sadistic punishment at the hands of Kiyoko rather than the torturous innocence of Tobi. Kiyoko sighed and held out her hands in which Tobi tossed Hidan's head. The silvery haired head let loose some choice profanity at Tobi while Kiyoko just sighed.

After Hidan ran out of air, Kiyoko covered his mouth and directed Tobi to the kitchen. She mentioned the hiding spot that she had found out where Deidara had stored his precious cookies and Tobi's visible eye widened in glee as he ran to the kitchen in anticipation. Held the head and looked deep into his lavender eyes. She sighed, "What am I going to do with you…?" He tried to look innocent, but that only made her smile. "I guess you suffered enough for now. Let us find Kakuzu-kun and have him sew you up. Please be polite… I would rather not have a headache before we eat lunch." Hidan smiled and would have nodded if he had a neck.

Kakuzu was counting some money on the kitchen table when Deidara burst in, furious that Tobi had somehow gotten wind of his hidden stash of cookies. Sasori merely rolled his eyes and opened the fridge to try to find something edible. Tobi had rushed him back to the base so that he could hurry to persuade everyone that he was Akatsuki material. Pain and Konan were nowhere to be found in the base, but then again, the other members did not see them very often. Zetsu was off terrorizing the remnants of battlefields for a meal. Kisame and Itachi, however, were still away on a mission so the Akatsuki base had the odd feel of incompleteness. Hidan was carried in by Kiyoko who smiled upon locating the treasurer. "Kakuzu-kun?" He looked up and upon seeing the head, rolled his eyes.

"Fine. Bring him to my room." Smiling, she scooped up the head and Hidan complained when she placed him next to his body and was about to turn to leave.

"Kiyoko-chan… can you stay here at least until Kakuzu gets here?" She smiled and sat next to his head and body. "Thanks."

"No problem… we need to get along I suppose… Being immortal and everything with all these feelings…" She unconsciously had her hands in his hair. Hidan could never tell her, but he loved the feeling. He hummed happily, something that Kiyoko noticed immediately. "Hidan-kun… thanks for everything."

He looked confused but smiled. "No problem but seriously… What the fuck is taking that money whore so long to get here though?"

"Alright, let me confirm this. Deidara, you bet that in five minutes, Hidan will be shouting profanities and demand Kiyoko-chan to carry him down to harass me. Sasori bets in twenty minutes and Tobi has already lost because Hidan did not totally flip out immediately upon entering the kitchen." The treasurer could already see the money in his hands. No one else really knew the exact effects that the young kunoichi had on the Jashinist but Kakuzu intended to reap every monetary benefit possible.

"So Itachi-san… Why do you think that their love will never last?" Itachi raised his eyebrow as if annoyed that Kisame questioned his observation.

"Because… Yoko-sama and Hidan may both be immortal, but they are so different. Yoko-sama is an intelligent woman who would be bored of Hidan within a month at most. She is not a woman who is interested in pleasures of the flesh so once she is bored, she will be content with an intellectual relationship with someone who understands her better; even if that means that there is no physical contact." Kisame snorted at his assessment and Itachi tilted his head at the former Mist ninja, silently inquiring as to the hilarity in the matter.

"You are definitely ignorant as to the ways of love. You see, I could tell that Kiyoko-san is not a vain or sinful woman. However, it is apparent that Hidan holds a definite place in her heart. Itachi-san, consider this: a woman who is immortal, but has a killing touch, is likely to be remorseful about her actions. I bet that if anything, she would wish away her immortality and take her life, but Hidan changes everything because he is the first one she is unable to kill. They are both bound to this world and this gives them an unnaturally strong bond that can overcome Hidan's mental weaknesses. Besides, she is unused to the touch of anyone so being able to finally touch someone and be touched without death resulting is a good feeling." Itachi could not help but be impressed with Kisame's observations.

"Kisame… when did you ever get the time to think about this?"

"During the initiation fight. Those two have way too similar fighting styles; they take a long ass time."

Later at 12:00 P.M.

Hidan was not happy. He was still in Kakuzu's room waiting for him to stitch up his head. Kiyoko had fallen asleep and Hidan willing to allow her since her sleep had been invaded by unpleasant nightmares. She was leaning against the wall, holding Hidan's head so tightly that if he had been attached to his body still, he would have had his blood circulation cut off.

Kakuzu had already happily collected his winnings which he was now counting, but Sasori was confused as to why the stitched ninja insisted in staying in the kitchen. Smirking he replied, "I want to see exactly how much patience he has developed."

Flashback

Kiyoko looked around her. She did not know why the villagers glared at her all the time. She did not understand what she did wrong. She did not ask for this; any of this.

The looks on their faces stung so badly. If they could kill, a person lacking her immortality would have died a thousand times over. She did not hesitate when she was receiving her ninja training because at least she would learn how to avoid the gazes and sneers most of the time. Her masked sensei merely asked that she call him Mask-sensei. Kiyoko was confused as to why someone would wish to remain so anonymous, but she complied with his wishes. If anything, the mask stopped her from seeing the glares she probably received.

Training today was easy, but the way to her apartment was anything but. She got tripped twice, stones thrown at six times, and even a kunai was thrown her way. Sighing, upon entering her building, she headed for her bathroom. Pulling out a kunai, she was about to touch it to her wrist when she heard a knock at the door. "Coming!"

Running to the door, she opened it to reveal Itachi Uchiha. "Yoko-sama?" His eyes, focused on the kunai still in her hands. "You aren't doing that again are you?"

"Why does it matter? It is not like I can die from blood loss anyways." Itachi pulled the kunai away and she looked into his deep eyes. "Well Mr. ANBU captain, what is it?"

"You know that you really don't require more training from Mask-sensei. I heard that you are even better than him now you know." She rolled her eyes.

"Tachi-kun, is that all? If it is, I would like to clean up from training." He walked away but paused for a moment.

"Will you ever stop cutting? I mean I know you can't die, but still…" Kiyoko does not turn around for fear that Itachi will see the tears she is now trying to hide from the Sharingan user, but she feels that he already knows.

"This is the closest I feel to dying and that gives me some peace in just thinking that I might be able to leave without hurting more people… maybe when I will stop when I find someone who gives me a reason to live." Itachi feels his heart twist, but knows that her kekkei genkai is too deadly for her to find true love… with him anyways.

End Flashback

Kiyoko awakens in Kakuzu's room, still holding the head of a now sleeping Jashinist close to her. She glances at a clock in the room, 4:00 P.M. Fuck… Kakuzu-kun, where are you…? Not that I am not enjoying this or anything… Kiyoko looks at her arms and sees that there are no longer any faint lines anymore. Since she met those two, she felt too preoccupied and perhaps, too happy to do that anymore. Funny how when I had the dream earlier this morning… I was crying. I hope Hidan-kun did not see that. But now… It feels reassuring…