Through the ballroom window

I was the last one in, squeezing through the narrow frame of the window always left open. In their fake Ice ninja outfits the Akatsuki looked nothing like themselves. We'd got through the village without a problem. Now it was time to penetrate the castle. In single file with me at the front we wove our way through the labyrinth of passages. I worked well as a team with them even though we had only just met. I knew there was more to becoming a member of their organization than just asking to be accepted. I had to work for it. I had to kill.

In an instant a perfect target presented itself – a palace guard blocking the way.

"You can't go further than here." He said stiffly. "Only the black ops are a-"

He stopped mid sentence as I reached up and quickly slit his throat in once short gesture. A faint smile crossing my lips as hot blood gushed across my hand. I'd killed before on missions, I had to defeat the 'bad guys' for my village of course. But seriously, in this world who knew who was good and who was bad? This kill felt better, invigorating. The others looked surprised at the expression of elation I wore on my bloodstained face. But I pressed on. It was important to reach the place before my courage dissolved.

Another half hour of dark and twisting corridors. The others never changing their formation or pace. And then I felt a draught on my face, a large space lay ahead. The tunnel had been sloping downwards for a while now, we must be about a hundred metres under the castle and I could imagine the weight of all that rock and earth above me. The flickering light of torches on the walls lit the room we found ourselves in. It was large and circular, the fire giving it a blood red look. Right ahead were two massive golden gates (think of the cage the kyubi is locked in inside naruto) all was dark inside and the only sound that could be heard was a faint breathing. I moved up to the gates and softly called through, "Joseh? Joseh are you awake"

"Yes," A weak voice replied. Then a shuffling sound as a young boy crawled towards the gates where I stood. The light fell upon a young face framed with brown chestnut hair. He wasn't more than 15 years old. Watery brown eyes stared up at me, eyes that had been through much suffering and hurt. There were shadows under them and his skin was pale and clammy. "It just happened again" he whimpered and I reached my hand inside the dark prison to stroke his hair.

"It's ok" I comforted softly, but tears gathered in my eyes. He'd been going through transformations since his birth and he had been sealed in this cage ever since. We'd never played football on the green or trained together like normal siblings. I'd had to read his bedtime stories from the other side of a ten foot gate while he sat huddled on the floor. The tears broke free of my eyes and rolled down my cheeks.

"Why are you crying?" he asked, forever innocent.

"It's going to be all right" I told him through gritted teeth. I stood on my toes to undo the seal placed upon the gates, then swung them open. I offered a hand to him and he got to his feet. I embraced him for the first and last time. I had to dig my fingernails into my hands to hold back a sob. With one hand on his shoulder I noticed he was almost as tall as me.

"Forever innocent" I whispered into his ear, and then pressed a cloth to his mouth and nose. One breath of the potent chemical and he was out. He fell into my open arms and I squeezed my eyes shut, my back still to the others. I clutched him to me, his head resting on my shoulder. And then the tears were over and the grief was gone. I turned and nodded to Deidara who conjured a giant bird to carry him, one to carry us, and a great bomb to blow a quick exit out of the cavern.

In an explosion of rock and fire a gaping hole was left in the roof, we flew up it and out into the night. Stars were coming out and I wished Joseh could see. He'd never seen the sky, trees or stars. I knew that jinchurriki died when their demons were removed but I hoped against hope he would survive. With a flap of great clay wings, the birds carried us away. I'd never lust for Lizze or suffer a freezing winter again. I felt amazing.

We soared high above the afternoon clouds, it was a strange time of day to be making an escape but no one had been able to stop us. As I had planned, all the ninja were out training and no one from my village was capable of flight, save me. I didn't even look back at that frigid place as we ascended higher, riding on the air currents faster and faster. The wind bored into my eyes and made them water, and there wasn't much room on the bird. Five of us rode on one bird, and five on the one carrying my brother in its tail. Deidara kept them flying with his amazing strength.

I turned to examine the others riding with me, at the back was the scary plant guy Zetsu, in front of him was Pein staring into the eyes of the pretty girl next to him – who must be Konan. And the other person was... I twisted my back until it hurt but I couldn't get a clear view of his face. I spun and tried the other way but it was as if he was purposely avoiding my eyes. I turned back to glare forwards at the approaching mountains, then someone put their hands over my sparkling eyes.

"Guess who?" jeered the voice I recognized from earlier...from...the forest. I did a double take. Oh holy hell my heart raced, I was riding with the guy who'd occupied my thoughts all last night, the guy who'd invaded my dreams.

"Hidan?" I stuttered, "Get the hell off of me."

I was spared his reply when someone on the other bird shouted that we'd arrived. I thought we'd be flying over the mountains but we had travelled along this side of them for hours. The air was warmer and different trees grew on the steep rocky slopes. The birds began to circle lower and came to rest in from of a gaping cave mouth surrounded by tall forest. No birds sang here, I noticed and there were no animal prints in the soft earth. It was a forbidding place. Everyone was silent and a hush descended on our little group. I wasn't sure where to stand, everyone else knew what to do but I was the newcomer. I watched them all go off in pairs and stood alone just outside the cave. I stood nervously with my head down and didn't notice a certain someone come up behind me. I jumped as a hand clasped my shoulder and warm breath tickled my ears, "you'll be safe with me"

I spun around, my feet slipping on last years leaves underfoot. A handsome face framed with silver hair took up all of my vision. I stared deep into his silvery blue eyes and they stared straight back to me. Try as I might I couldn't see my reflection in them, and it seemed as if time had stopped just for that moment, just for me. I forgot to breathe, there was just me, him and the silence. We were standing so very close yet not quite touching. I'd never been this close to a man before but it felt so natural –so safe. I looked up at him and a faint smile twinkled in his eye, he blinked and the moment was broken. He hoisted my brothers sleeping body onto one of his strong shoulders and trudged into the cave, I was left standing breathless outside before I too stepped into the darkness.

(From Hidan's P.O.V)

The cold in the cave was getting to her. It was getting to me too but I was used to it by now, didn't stop me bitching though. I looked across the crowded chamber at her huddled on the arm of a chair. She had a thin blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Konan had just taken her measurements for a cloak like the rest of us had. I could not wait to see her in it! My stomach churned about as I pictured her spinning around outside under the falling leaves where we'd met earlier, her shiny white hair loosely draped over her shoulders. Her head would be right back, beautiful lilac eyes staring up at the mighty branches high above, her new cloak –clean and undamaged- would be flowing out behind her. The full moon would shine down and turn all to silver then we would dance together in the utter silence. I closed my eyes to picture it better and instantly got whacked round the head by my ignoramus partner Kakuzu.

"Wakey wakey!" he jeered, "don't be going to sleep before her ceremony, I thought you liked rituals! Besides haven't you already had a sleep?"

"I wasn't sleeping, I was fucking praying!" I cried indignantly

"For 3 and a half hours?" He asked, a slight note of disbelief in his deep voice

"Yes."

He sniggered

His total lack of any sort of faith always bugged me. He was the perfect definition of Heathen. If you looked up Heathen in the dictionary it would have Kakuzu written right underneath. He used whores, he was obsessed with money, and he had no religion to follow. The guy annoyed me. So what if I prayed a lot? I reached for my rosary out of instinct and jumped out of my skin when I found it gone. I looked down, the silver circle with the triangle in that always hung round my neck – where the fuck was it? My head whipped round as I searched the room, I had put it back on after the ritual right? Yes! I always did. Oh Jashin sama, anything but this.

A light caught my eye – light reflecting off something metal. Something the new girl was holding.

"Give that back RIGHT now!" I screamed, jumping over low tables and scrabbling over people to cross the room faster than the speed of light. She had it in her hands – MY rosary in her polluted heathens hands. I snatched it off her and glared into her surprised face.

"You keep your hands off this!" I bitched, then noticed she wasn't looking at me. In my haste my cloak had come unbuttoned revealing the sore red tortured would in my chest. She was staring plainly at it. I tried to read her expression -she didn't show the signs of fear or disgust I got from the others, it was more like curiosity. Suddenly her eyes flicked up to mine and I saw the true extent of her emotions. There was a rising excitement there, a morbid fascination, a hint of lust. I'd seen lust in girl's eyes before but coming from this girl – this kunoichi – it meant something different.

I reached to pull the cloak closed and saw for a second in her eyes the desire to repeat this moment. Repeat what I'd done. Unnerved I backed away.

In a few minutes Pein had returned and we did the proper ceremony making her a full Akatsuki member. She was to wear a ring on her left little finger now that bastard Orochimaru had been got rid of. I'd much rather have her on the team. We learnt her name too, secretive girl keeping it from us this long. I could tell she'd fit in fine, no one was very talkative; we were all much too 'cool'. The cloak fitted her just as I'd imagined, a high collar covering her small mouth and chin, perfectly fitted by Konan to flow and drape just so. Her long hair cascaded down almost to her hands which now bore our trademark purple nail varnish. I gave myself the shivers. I had yet to read her ring, I wondered what it said.

There were no congratulations or stupid applause, she was a member now and we should all respect her or face up to Pein. The system worked, everyone would respect her if she was strong enough. Enough already I was itching to talk to her. I rose and everyone stared, "go fuck yourselves!" I spat at them and made my way to where she stood in the shadows. Thankfully Deidara had started his nonsense again and the attention was drawn away from me. They never normally paid me much attention anyway; they thought I was boring just 'cos I cared more about my god than about their stupid arses.

"Hi again Hidan" she smiled as I drew closer,

"Frio" I inclined my head. I gently took her hand in mine and she blushed and tried to pull away.

"Kakuzu already kissed my hand" she laughed, "He said he wanted to get there before you!"

"I wasn't going to kiss your damn hand, I want to see what your ring says" I said a little too harshly

She looked offended, but I winked, "gonna kill that bastard Kakuzu" I murmured so quietly that only she could hear. I raised her hand and pretended to be short sighted so I could bring her hand close enough to brush my lips. The ring was just like mine and said 'Kita uta' or 'north song'. It related to the village she was from. But why song?

"Can you sing?" I asked

"Like you've never heard..." she replied cryptically.