Yeah, I'm aware it took me a bit longer then usual to update and sorry about it. Things got pretty screwy and I also hoped that Kishimoto-sama will reveal a little more about Hidan and Kakuzu. In the end, that last idea backfired and so… well, at least I finished this.

I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed the previous chapter. I'm really glad you enjoyed it and hope that you'll like this one at least as much. Since most of you wanted to see how the showdown with the two Akatsuki members will go, so all you need to do is read this chapter to find out.

Without further to do, here's the brand new chapter of "Love, Demons and Bloodlines":

Chapter #14: Young Spirit

"You just couldn't help yourself with that 'ramen to go', could you?" asked Kiba sweat dropping as he looked at Naruto who was just finishing his instant meal. The blonde looked at him as he sucked in some more noodles. He swallowed and then replied as serious as he could: "Second, ramen breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day… right after ramen first breakfast and last ramen dinner… and ramen lunch…"

"Do you have any meal in your daily schedule that doesn't have anything to do with ramen?" asked the dog ninja, sweat dropping even more as the whisker-marks began thinking it through. After a longer while, he finally replied: "Yup… dessert!" and with that Kiba only let out a sigh while Hinata giggled slightly.

Yugito only shoot the young shinobi a glare over her shoulder and shook her head slightly. Shino, who walked beside her, noticed her reaction, but decided to say nothing. In stead he took a quick look at the sun. It was already late afternoon.

But as they went down the road, Kiba suddenly stopped and sniffed the air with Akamaru following his example soon after. Noticing hers subordinate behavior, Kurenai froze in her tracks and looked around. Soon her eyes set on a nearby tree tops. In a flash she went through a series of hand seals, making the two Akatsuki hiding in the trees to widen their eyes.

"They noticed us already?" Kakuzu was truly surprised. "This might be a bit more problematic then I assumed…" and with that he took a quick glare at Hidan. The scythe user only nodded and the two get out of their hiding spot and faced the five shinobi. "Akatsuki!" Yugito noticed instantly as she saw the outfits of the new arrivals.

"You two…" began Kurenai as she went into her fighting stance. "You're from the organization Uchiha Itachi is in, aren't you? So you came for Naruto?" but as she asked that, Kakuzu only set his eyes on Yugito as he replied: "Not only…"

And at that very moment Hidan's scythe shoot out, aiming at the female Jinchuuriki. The cloud-nin immediately jumped back as she performed a quick set of hand seals: "Raiton: Denryuu no Jutsu!" in a flash she slammed her hands to the ground, making electricity go at an incredible speed straight at the two Akatsuki.

Kakuzu immediately jumped back, making the young shinobi eyes widen as they saw him fly above them and landing behind their backs. Hidan on the other hand only brought his scythe down on Kiba, who dodged in the last moment, and as the three blades sunk into the ground the former rain-nin pulled himself forward using his own weapon and found himself near the dog ninja.

Acting on instinct, Kiba instantly used his hands to bounce off the ground and came spinning at the Akatsuki member, with a loud call: "Tsuuga!" Having no hope to avoid the attack, Hidan swung his weapon once more, this time aiming to cut the dog chuunin in half before his attack would reach him.

It was then that a sudden, yellow blur appeared out of nowhere and placed its back in the scythe's handle way, making the blades stop several inches away from Kiba. The blur turned out to be Hinata, who in a flash spun on her foot and delivered an attack with an opened palm into Hidan's chest and managed to move out of the way right before the dog ninja hit him with his own technique, sending the former rain-nin sliding few meters away.

"So that girl's a Hyuuga…" concluded Kakuzu as he blocked another punch from Naruto, who kept on pushing him back. Finally the former waterfall-nin decided to counter attack and launched a fist at the blonde's stomach, only to have the Kyuubi vessel jump back in time to avoid the assault.

In an instant the whisker-marks performed his standard technique and now there were two blondes in stead of one charging at the Akatsuki member, who now found it much harder blocking all the attacks coming from the leaf-nin.

The first blonde launched a punch aimed at Kakuzu's head, but the missing-nin managed to grab the incoming fist with his left hand. But at the same time, the same Naruto launched a kick into the Akatsuki member's face, this time blocked with the older ninja's right hand. As he had no more hands to block, the other blonde charged in from behind and aimed a kick in the back of the former waterfall-nin's head.

Surprisingly however the Akatsuki member just bended back, making the kick go right above his face and it was only then that Naruto noticed what happened: Kakuzu's hands were still in the same place the blonde's clone forced them to stay, but they were connected to the missing-nin's arms by strange-looking, black strings.

"What the hell is he?" the Kyuubi vessel asked himself, shocked at the sight. His moment of hesitation was used by Kakuzu, who landed a kick into the clone's stomach, making it disappear in the cloud of white smoke and the original jumped back, slightly confused of what to do next.

Shino didn't seem to have such doubts as he charged straight at the missing-nin, with his bugs already flying all around him. Kakuzu only held out his right hand and in a flash it shoot out straight at the Leaf shinobi, hitting him hard in the stomach.

What surprised Naruto the most in this however was the fact that his companion should be able to dodge the attack with ease. Only in the next second he realized what was Shino's goal as the leaf-nin grabbed Kakuzu's hand by the black strings and made his bugs crawl by it straight at the surprised missing-nin.

"You can't escape…" stated Shino simply, holding the strings tight. "And since my bugs feed on chakra… you should be able to tell how this'll end…" and the moment he said so, his insects already reached the Akatsuki member's body and began their feast.

Having no, other way to get free, Kakuzu shoot another hand at the bug user, this time managing to grab him by the neck and send him pinned to a nearby tree. Shino let go of the missing-nin's hand due to pain and the Akatsuki member retreated it immediately to make sure more insects won't use it to crawl to him. Realizing the danger, he summoned back his other hand as well, releasing the leaf-nin's neck and once both his hands were in place, he shook off the bugs from his body.

Meanwhile Hidan got back to his feet and swung his scythe at the two chuunin once more, making Kiba jump over the blades and Hinata charge forward bellow them. As the Hyuuga heiress found herself close enough to the missing-nin, she launched another attack with an opened palm, this time aimed at the former rain-nin's heart, but the Akatsuki member managed to side-step it this time and delivered a punch in the back of the girl's head.

But as he spun around on his foot with an attempt to finish the job, Yugito appeared right before him, stabbing him with her kunai: "Eat this!" she yelled with anger in her voice as her eyes turned black for a split second.

And as Hidan took several steps back, he threw his scythe to the sky with an attempt to drop it on the female Jinchuuriki. Yet, as the blade came down, it was stopped by Kurenai, who used a throwing knife to stop the huge weapon. But even with that her left arm and cheek got slightly cut with the two, bigger blades of the scythe.

Hidan smiled at the realization as he licked the red liquid off his weapon: "My, oh my…" he began with a wicked smile. "Tough luck for you, lady… now you'll suffer the wrath of god…" and with that he used the blood dripping from the wound Yugito gave him to draw a strange circle bellow his feet.

"What is that guy doing?" wondered Kiba as he looked at the missing-nin and gave Akamaru a soldier pill. In a flash the dog's fur turned red as it got covered by the cloud of white smoke. As the dust disappeared, another Kiba stood right next to the original one and immediately the two used each other's hands to bounce of each other and came spinning at the Akatsuki member: "Gatsuuga!"

Only then did Hinata notice the change in their opponent: "His chakra… suddenly it became different from before!" and in a flash Hidan's appearance changed as well: it seemed almost as if his skin disappeared, revealing his bones only. "Kiba-kun, wait!" he called after her teammate, alas it was too late.

Both small tornadoes made a direct hit, forcing the missing-nin to take a single step back as he used his scythe, which he stuck into the ground, to remain in place. Instantly all the young shinobi heard Kurenai's yell of pain, leaving them completely confused, making the dog ninja to show an opening.

Hidan immediately used it and delivered a knee into the boy's stomach, sending him fling back a little. Them the missing-nin turned towards the genjutsu expert with a tiny smirk appearing on his face: "Hurts, doesn't it?"

"What the hell is going on?!" demanded Naruto, totally clueless. "How come when Kiba attacked that guy, Kurenai-san was the one to receive the damage?!" Yugito merely narrowed her eyes: "It must have something to do with that stupid circle from his blood…"

"Allow me to show you the pain that you wish to give other…" began Hidan with a serious face. "To show you what suffering means…" and with that he suddenly stabbed his right leg with a kunai, making Kurenai held back her scream as she lost her balance and fall to the ground, holding her right leg.

And at this point all the young shinobi eyes widen. "Hey, what just happened?!" demanded Kiba as he looked at his companions. Shino's eyes only narrowed behind his glasses and he observed the scythe user: "That guy must've established some sort of connection with Kurenai-sensei… it'd seem whatever happens to him, happens to Kurenai-sensei… most likely it also works the other way around…"

"So to put it simply, we can't attack him or else Kurenai-sensei will get injured…" concluded Kiba through clenched teeth. "So what should we do?" and with that he turned towards his companions.

"To answer simply…" Yugito cut in as she instantly went through a series of hand seals and with the last symbol she called out: "Genjutsu: Kuragari no Mai!" And at this point darkness began surrounding Hidan, covering him in shadows.

A second later the most horrible monsters began crawling out of the darkness, each having its eyes set on the scythe user. The closest one was a beast with purple skin that seemed more like an armor. Its fangs were huge and claws were half the size of a grown-up human. The creature narrowed it's red eyes as it lifted its hand and then brought it down at the Akatsuki member.

Hidan only made a move to lift his weapon in defense, but found his body immobilize and was incapable of even lifting the huge scythe by few inches. It was then that he looked up at the beast and felt its claws ripping his chest. Pain shoot through his entire body, yet he did not let a single sound escape his mouth.

"What did ya do?" Kiba asked Yugito as he turned to face her. The Cloud kunoichi replied almost immediately, with her face completely emotionless: "I don't really know how this whole curse works, but it's obvious your instructor and that scythe guy share each others physical pain. However genjutsu inflicts a different sort of pain onto a person. The illusionist first tricks the target's senses and then attacks his mind. Considering that pain is felt because of the nerve system, which center is located in the brain, skilled genjutsu users can make their targets suffer pain without physical contact. At this point I figure that even if I were to use the illusion on that freak, that grown-up chick wouldn't get effected…"

"Naturally…" Shino cut in with a slightly sound of impress in his voice. "By cutting that guy's skin, the curse makes Kurenai-sensei feel the pain as well, but he can't transfer the pain caused by genjutsu onto her, because the pain is only in his mind. For Kurenai-sensei to suffer it, the same illusion would have to be cast on her…"

"Well, I'm not quite sure what you guys are talking about…" admitted Naruto as he prepared himself to charge forward: "But it seems to be working. And since we bough ourselves some time, I suggest get rid of that scythe guy. I may not be a genius, but it's kinda obvious that circle has a purpose, so if we move him out of it, perhaps the curse will be lifted…"

"Let's go then!" Kiba agreed and both of them charged straight at Hidan, who seemed completely defenseless. However, before they managed to reach their target, Kakuzu appeared out of nowhere and launched a punch into Naruto.

Acting on instinct, the blonde blocked the assault by using both his hands and at that time Kiba and Akamaru (A/N: still in Kiba's form) once more began spinning as they came at the missing-nin. In a flash the hand that Kakuzu used to attack Naruto shoot out with strings holding it and grabbed a tree nearby. With unbelievable speed the Akatsuki member pulled himself towards the tree, thus avoiding the dog ninja's attack, and launching a double kick at the Kyuubi vessel once he was flying near him.

The loud mouth evaded the attack by simply bending over, thus making both kicks go above his head and propping his hands on the ground, he shoot his legs into the sky and launched them at the surprised missing-nin. In a flash Kakuzu extended his other hand and grabbing the blonde by the shirt with it he pushed him away, thus making the leaf-nin's assault futile.

And suddenly Kiba was behind him, launching a punch into the back of his head. Having no other way to avoid it, Kakuzu jumped forward, but his eyes widen as he realized that was exactly what the dog ninja wanted as another Kiba was charging straight at him. "Gotcha!" he yelled before starting to spin while the missing-nin was still in mid-air.

With no chance to dodge, Kakuzu only placed his hands in a block to lessen the damage while a small tornado run near the ground at him, only to start rising up once it found itself near the missing-nin. As Kiba's attack reached him, the former waterfall-nin was send high into the air with several bruises over his body.

As he was falling down to the ground, he noticed Hinata standing near the place he'd land in a fighting stance and just before Kakuzu's body hit the ground, the girl launched an incredibly fast attack, aimed at his tanketsu points.

"Jyuken po Hakke! Rokujuyonsho!" she called out as her hands became blurs: "Hakke Nisho!" and with that Kakuzu felt two hits landing on his body. "Yonsho! Hassho! Jurokusho! Sanjunisho!" and with every call the attacks were getting faster and faster. The missing-nin felt his body burning as the white-eyed girl delivered the final blow: "Rokujuyonsho!" and with that the former waterfall-nin was blown back before he even managed to hit the ground after Kiba's assault.

But surprisingly for Hyuuga heiress, as Kakuzu flew back, he held out his hands which shoot straight at her, black strings still being there. "He can still use that technique?" Hinata's eyes widen as she dodged to her left, thus avoiding being caught. "But I've closed all of his tanketsu points… could this be his natural ability?"

In a flash the missing-nin retreated his hands and once they were back in place, he used them to come to a sliding stop and launched a kick at Naruto, who was trying to get pass him and get Hidan out of the circle while Yugito still had her illusion on him. Running on top speed, the blonde didn't manage to avoid the attack and as the spin-kick connected with his face, he was send flying back. Flipping in mid-air, the Kyuubi vessel managed to land safely on his feet however.

"This guy's good…" stated the loud mouth as he set his eyes on Kakuzu, who now stood between them and Hidan. As Shino took a quick glance at Yugito, he noticed the Cloud kunoichi sweating: "I can't hold that scythe guy in the illusion much longer…" he announced through clenched teeth. Even a complete, genjutsu idiot could tell it took her all her strength to keep the former rain-nin in check.

"No time to waste then…" concluded Shino as swarms of bugs began circling around his hands. "Again with the insects?" asked Kakuzu with a little bored tone as he charged towards the bug user.

In a flash the missing-nin's hands shoot out front once more and his fingers dig into the ground right before Shino. Kakuzu then pulled himself toward at the incredible speed and aimed a double kick in the leaf-nin's stomach.

But before his feet touched the leaf-nin's body, it turned into a swarm of bugs, which began wrapping itself around him. "Kikai Bushin?" Kakuzu immediately recognized the technique. "But if it was a clone, then the real body…" and then his eyes widen at the realization.

Instantly he looked at the bugs circling near the ground and a moment later one of them got covered in the cloud of white smoke, thus revealing that it was the heir of the Aburame disguised in henge. "This brat…"

But at that point he noticed Naruto charging straight at Hidan, who still was unable to get free from Yugito's spell. In a fraction of a second Kakuzu stood up and with Shino's bugs still crawling around him he shoot out his left hand, grabbing the whisker-marks by the collar and tossing him at the Cloud kunoichi: "Enough of this child's play…" he announced coldly as the Kyuubi vessel was send flying at the female Jinchuuriki.

"Once they'll collide, Yugito-san will drop the illusion…" Hinata realized immediately as she gathered chakra into her right palm. "No choice left… I haven't tried this before, but…" and with that she raised her sight at Hidan. In one, quick motion, she held her hand out front, calling out: "Hakke Kuushou!"

Kakuzu then threw her a quick glance and a second later his partner acted like he just received a powerful blow in the stomach. Kurenai caught out a little blood, yet the blow was so powerful that Hidan flew out of the circle. And just in time as Naruto collided with Yugito and her illusion was cancelled.

"Nice going, Hinata…" Kiba complimented his teammate, while Kurenai slowly walked over to the two: "Indeed, a job well done… but just to make sure…" and at this point she threw a kunai straight at Hidan, who was still a little stunned by the attack.

The scythe user didn't manage to react in time and found his left cheek getting cut by a throwing knife. To all the young shinobi relief, Kurenai was not effected by that. "Looks like your curse was lifted…" stated Naruto with a smile as Kakuzu threw all of Shino's bugs of him and now stood near his partner. "We won't hold back then!"

"You little brats…" Hidan replied annoyed. "You really think that just because you managed to break my curse, your situation is any better? Even without it you're nothing to us… besides, I can still…" but he never got to finish that sentence as a sudden blur appeared out of nowhere. The mysterious figure landed right before the scythe user and swung its sword at the missing-nin at such speed that the Akatsuki member didn't manage to react in time. The Leaf shinobi stared in shock as they saw their opponent's head bounce of the ground and his body falling to the ground without a head.

Yugito on the other hand widen her eyes at the realization who was the figure that so suddenly came to the battlefield: "Kyouki?" she managed to ask, gaining the person's attention and as the swordsman turn around, Naruto notice that it was the demon hunter they meet right before entering the Hidden Cloud Village.

Kyouki froze as he saw the female Jinchuuriki. His eyes widen as well before he managed to respond: "Y… Yugito?" and at this point the loud mouth stared at the Cloud kunoichi: "Those two know each other?"

By the time everyone seemed to forgot about the two Akatsuki they were fighting, but only until Kakuzu spoke up, turning towards his partner's head: "I told you that you shouldn't get careless, because it might cost you your life…" and to everyone's surprise, the head shoot back: "Shut up and help me out!"

The former waterfall-nin only walked over to his partner's head and lift it up calmly by the hair. "Kakuzu, what the hell are you doing? Bring my body over here!" yelled the head annoyed, but the masked missing-nin merely replied as he placed it onto his partner's neck: "Your head's lighter…" and in a flash a black string went through Hidan's skin, working as a needle and a string.

Before anyone knew it the former rain-nin's head was back on its place and his body began moving once again. "You gotta be kidding me…" thought Kiba as he took few steps back. "What are those guys?"

"Okay, that was freaky…" stated Kyouki as he stood next to Naruto. "And I thought that nothing could beat that shark-face guy I fought in the Rain Country…" but at this point the whisker-marks turn towards him: "Why are you helping us? I thought you hated Jinchuuriki…"

"In the current situation…" replied the demon hunter calmly, aiming the tip of his sword at the two Akatsuki. "You should be happy I am helping you… the reason is a secondary thing, isn't it?" and hearing that the Kyuubi vessel only smiled slightly, yet Yugito was still suspicious about Kyouki.

"That sure hurt…" stated Hidan as he moved his head in circles slightly. "There's no way I'm letting this go… you better prepare yourselves, coz in a moment, you'll suffer the real power of my curse!"

---with different goals and misunderstood emotions… the battle continues---

And so this chapter ends. Hope you enjoyed it. Hopefully the next one will be done quicker.

And now, before I finish this, time for the jutsu encyclopedia:

Raiton: Denryuu no Jutsu (Thunder Element: Electric Current Skill) – one of the classic techniques used by cloud-nins. Basically the user must first concentrate chakra in his hands and then, with the use of the right hand seals, release it in the form of electricity. That way, anything he touches, gets electrocuted.

Tsuuga (Piercing Fang) – a taijutsu attack used by the Inuzuka clan. After performing beast imitation, the user gets into a spinning flight at an incredible speed. The assault makes a lot of damage. The attack itself is thought to be one of the more powerful, taijutsu techniques.

Gatsuuga (Double Piercing Fang) – basically it's Tsuuga, but performed by two users (usually a dog in a human form and its master, considering this is an Inuzuka technique).

Genjutsu: Kuragari no Mai (Genjutsu: Dance of Darkness) – an illusion used by Yugito. In use it's a little similar to the Shodai Hokage's Bringer of Darkness: it surrounded the target in darkness, making it impossible to see a thing. But there is an extra thing to this one, as the one who cast the jutsu also makes an illusion of the most horrible monsters he can think of and make them rip the target apart while its incapable of moving (naturally only in genjutsu).

Hakke Rokujuyonsho (Sixty-four Point Hands) – jutsu used by the Hyuuga clan. Using a highly advanced form of Byakugan, the user is able to see the Chakra Holes (tanketsu points) on a person's body, and using the Gentle Fist - closes those holes with quick blows, stopping the flow of chakra through one's body.

Kikai Bushin no Jutsu (Bug Clone Skill) – what can I say? It's a clone skill that's based on the Aburame's ability to control bugs. With the use of the insects and the henge, the user can create an exact copy of himself, which falls apart the moment it receives a direct hit.

Hakke Kuushou – its one of the new jutsu used in manga (though there it's performed by Neji). I don't have much information about it, but basically it's a Gentle Fist attack, only this one works on a certain range. The user simply trusts his hand at the target (even located few meters away) while sending chakra into it and thus the gathered chakra gets shoot at it.

And with this the chapter really ends. But this time around I'd like to end the chapter a little bit differently then usual, by wishing you all (or more those who celebrate such holiday) a HAPPY HALLOWEEN and GOOD HAUNTING!

Until next time, hopefully.