I've almost filled an entire notebook and have come to the heartbreaking realisation I'm not even half way through this story. I haven't even gotten anywhere near the smut yet, though things have gotten juicy in my brain.

I've been getting more and more Ino heavy as the story is progressing, I hope you all understand that though I'm trying to capture all the thoughts from all parties involved, she is the main focus - she is also the one who is going through the most, though to be fair I have given Hidan and Kakuzu both a fair amount of their own shit to deal with. :p Don't be surprised if you see short cuts to the guys and then long sprawling pages of Ino POV.

I couldn't help but get this one out, I needed a break in writing, my finger is all puffy because I hold my pencils too tight. Lord help me if I get a callus!

-Chapter 8-

-Hidan-

His head was still buzzing with his last vestiges of adrenaline even after they had made it back to camp. His heart was still pounding in his ears, and his body was still taut and sore from the unexpected exertion. Along with all of that, his mind was jumping from thought to thought without any true focus, but each ended with the same memory of those big blue eyes gazing up at him. What bullshit had he been spitting out there any way? I promise you I won't let you fall - ugh what the fuck was that!? And did she seriously have to mention that her crotch was in his face? Who thinks about that kind of shit when they are within moments of falling to their death? He fought the smile that tugged up the corners of his mouth. She was so stupid!

"Uh...Hey," he looked up at the closeness of her voice. She was leaning over him - when the Hell did she get there? He must be more out of it than he thought. "Do you want me to help..." She gestured to his shoulder when her words failed her under his heavy gaze.

Her eyes! He looked away, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly with his good arm. "Sure," was all he managed to get out as he focused his efforts on not looking at her.

Her hands were warm, even warmer when it began glowing with healing chakra. He gave in to the urge to watch her as she placed one palm on his back and the other just slightly to the side of his clavicle. How could he not watch her with how close she was to him? She could go for his throat in an instant. He happily convinced himself that he was watching her out of self preservation than any kind of admiration. Plus, it was kind of funny watching how uncomfortable she was as she squirmed under his gaze.

"Why didn't you just drop me?" Her brow furrowed as her hand moved gently downward toward his pectoral. "Your shoulder had to have been killing you, I don't even understand how it was possible for you to hang on for so long."

Hidan frowned, the thought of dropping her had honestly never even entered his mind. "I thought about it," the lie rolled easily off his tongue, "Be grateful I have a healthy respect for what that grumpy asshole over there can do when you mess with his pay day." He cursed himself internally when said grumpy asshole turned an angry gaze his way. Damn his big mouth!

"So that's what I am?" the warmth of her hands disappeared when her slender fingers curled into shaking fists. "You're keeping me alive because of what? A bounty?" the blue in her eyes darkened to a sparkling midnight sky as she whirled on his partner. She got to her feet and Hidan was a little stupefied by the way her fury transformed her. Her body was trembling, her incredibly long hair swayed ever so slightly in the almost non-existent breeze the forest allowed through. She was hot when she was pissed! "You are going to regret not dropping me when you had the chance!" His eyes widened when she turned that fury on him. "When my friends come for me you are both going right back in the ground where you belong!"

"Hidan!"

Kakuzu's protest came almost a second too late. He was already on his feet and had the blonde pinned to a tree. Fuck hot - this bitch was annoying! "Let me tell you something you simpering bitch!" he had his face so close to hers their noses brushed against each other. "I'm going to skin your friends alive and bathe in their blood and screams. I'm going to keep them alive as I chop their limbs off one by one and bury them alive just like you did to me!" You have no idea how it feels - the constant agony!" He shook her when she tried to look away from his face. "I'm going to make all of them suffer like you made me suffer. Consider yourself one lucky cunt that Kakuzu found a different end for you!" He released her and she crumpled to the forest floor. His urge to strike her was so intense he had to turn away from her to not act on it. Kakuzu had moved at some point during his tirade and was poised, ready to use force if Hidan got too carried away. "Keep this bitch away from me or I will kill her!" he snarled at his partner before stomping away.

-Ino-

Ino watched him disappear into the trees before wearily turning her gaze to the remaining half of the duo. She flinched when his fierce gaze managed to stare her down. He was so tall, if she hadn't been sitting so far back she would have had to tilt her head all the way back just to meet his eyes. She bit her lip and awkwardly shifted into a cross-legged sitting position. "So how much am i worth to you anyway?" she tried to hold her ground despite how shook up the Jashinist had made her.

"Enough to not let him kill you, but you keep mentioning his little underground vacation and I may not be able to stop him," Ino turned her gaze toward the dirt as she thought about it.

How terrible must it truly have been? She couldn't imagine being trapped in complete darkness, unable to move, unable to breathe, unable to see the sun or have any sense of life or time at all. No human companionship and no hope that anyone would ever come and save you. She shuddered and shook her head. "We weren't able to kill him, we did what we had to do to protect ourselves and the ones we love." She said it quietly but wasn't sure why she was trying to justify it to him.

"Yeah, right," Kakuzu's voice was cold. "Your little buddy with the ponytail wanted revenge pure and simple. Hidan killed Asuma Sarutobi and the kid gave him a fate worse than death." He settled himself back down onto a log by the fire and proceeded to tend the rabbits that were now cooking there.

Ino raised her head in disbelief, "Shikamaru did what he had to do to win that fight! Like i said, we didn't know how to kill him -"

"- You left him underground for how long?" Kakuzu cut her off with an angry snarl. "Tell me did any of you high and mighty leaf ninja even try to figure out a way to kill him? Or did your little ponytail friend tell you he couldn't figure it out until all of you forgot about him down there completely?" Ino sucked in a breath as his words became like ice water down her spine. "You tortured him in a way no one should ever be tortured. You took away his right as a shinobi to die in battle, and then you let him slowly rot. For what? Try to justify it to yourself all you like, but what you did to him is far worse than what he did to your sensei."

Ino struggled not to cry. She was trying to be angry, trying to bring forth the words to express her denial. But she was stuck looking at things in a way she had never considered before. A way that made her feel like scum, like she was the bad guy! She shook her head and stood up, "I need to pee," she sucked in a shaking breath. Anything to end this conversation!

Kakuzu sighed and dusted himself off as he began walking. "Make it quick."

Ino followed him without really paying attention as all those thoughts bounced around in her head. She was so deep in her thoughts she didn't realize he had stopped walking until she face planted into his back. Her hands went up instinctively to catch herself, grasping his waist as she steadied herself. She blushed when he arched a brow at her over his shoulder. "Sorry!" she released him and quickly picked a spot behind some shrubs. She crouched down and did her business, never so thankful in her life that she hadn't eaten much thus far. She didn't want to imagine the humiliation when she would need to do business of the more solid variety. She pulled on her bottoms awkwardly and adjusted the skirt before standing up.

"Is there any chance I could find a lake or a stream or something to clean up in?" Kakuzu's mouth was covered so she couldn't really gauge his reaction to her request. She would say he looked irritated, but he always looked irritated. "Look, we've been traveling for days, I can smell myself and it's not pleasant for me so I can't imagine it's any better for you!"

"I'll think about it, as long as you behave," she could decipher the pointed look he was giving her and she sighed.

"I won't run again," his skeptical look had her holding up her hands in surrender, "Unless another opportunity presents itself." She couldn't help mouthing off. Now that she knew they weren't going to kill her she felt more brave. Not to mention her attitude was all she had left to retain any sense of normalcy at all. Especially now that he had her questioning her own morality for their treatment of Hidan.

"I wouldn't expect any different," he grunted gesturing for her to begin walking.

They arrived to an empty camp. Ino was relieved to find the Jashinist had not reappeared. She remembered talking to Shikamaru once, only about a month after Hidan had been put in the ground. She had asked him if he had found a way to truly dispose of the silver haired Akatsuki. Shikamaru had grown uncomfortable and vague when he had responded, before quickly changing the subject. She didn't ask again after that, and it never came up again either. Had he never found a way because he truly didn't care? Or worse, not that he didn't care, but because he wanted to inflict the most suffering possible? Why did she care so much? They were the enemy, and if it hadn't been him it would have been them.

"Here," she looked up in surprise when a rabbit leg was being passed to her. Her stomach rumbled in appreciation, reminding her that she hadn't eaten in nearly twenty four hours. She took it with a nod of thanks before sinking her teeth into it.

She moaned before she could stop herself. The flavor, even without any seasoning, was positively divine to her starved sighed in happiness, no longer caring that the man beside her was giving her a strange look. She was halfway through her second leg before she slowed down enough to. wipe the grease from her chin and take a breath. "I think you're right," she muttered before taking another bite.

"About what?" he had pulled down his mask to eat and was chewing at his own rabbit leg.

Ino fidgeted and looked down at her food before swallowing, "About Hidan." She took another bite and chewed carefully as she considered her words. "I would never wish that on anyone, not even my worst enemy."

Kakuzu let out a deprecating laugh. "What you did was harsh and lacked the humanity you Leaf brats are always spouting off about. So very hypocritical. Before you judge maybe you should take a look and see what kind of darkness you are truly capable of."

Ino felt even worse now. She bowed her head and continued eating in silence. His words were messing with her head and, worst of all, making her appetite slip away. It seemed her suffering would never end when the the subject of their discussion reappeared. Her eyes met his briefly over the campfire before she had to look away. Guilt tore at her. Of all things! Guilt! She should not be feeling guilty and yet she could feel it turning her stomach, choking off her air supply. He said nothing, which was odd, and when she finally grew enough courage to look at him he wasn't even facing her. He had sat on the other side of Kakuzu, the taller man's body blocked him from her sight completely. She looked up at the sky . It was getting dark, she couldn't see much through the thick summer growth of leaves, but she could tell that at least. As time passed and the sky continued to darken, she grew bored. Her kidnappers had barely spoken, and though she ached for any stimulation she was too nervous to strike up a conversation. It wasn't until the sky was completely dark that she finally got her stimulation. And with the boredom now gone, she wondered why she had disliked it so much.

"You really want me to kill her don't you?" Hidan looked like he was ready to pull out his own hair. He had announced only moments earlier that he was going to a small lake to clean up. Kakuzu had told him to take her with him, and now both she and Hidan were voicing their protests.

"I've got somewhere to be. You are going to have to keep an eye on her anyway," he turned his gaze to Ino, "And you were complaining about how you wanted to bathe so badly, so here is your opportunity. Both of you can suck it up! I'll be back before morning."

"Y-you can't leave me with him!" she struggled to her feet to close the distance between them. When had Kakuzu become an ally in all of this?

Kakuzu leveled a glare on her, "You got what you wanted. Take it or leave it, either way you're staying with him." He disappeared in a puff of grey smoke leaving only the empty air in its wake. She finally released the breath that had caught in her chest, and turned slowly toward the Jashinist.

"Sorry," she didn't know why she said it, she certainly didn't know what she was apologizing for. Nonetheless, it was apparently the right thing to say. Hidan sniffed and rolled his eyes before waving his hand in an 'after you' motion. "I don't know where I'm going," she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Obviously, but I'm not letting you out of my sight for a minute since you've proven not only that you're going to run, but you are going to try and kill us both when you do it." She felt heat rising in her face as her old friend anger swung it's ugly head around. She was beginning to really like her anger. When she was angry she could forget that she was guilty over his imprisonment. She could forget that she should be grateful that he had saved her from falling to her death. She could even forget that both of these men were murders, and that she was their prisoner.

"Well if you hadn't kidnapped me in the first place we wouldn't have had that problem would we?" her attitude was back in full force. She fell into step beside him when he began walking, it was either that or allow him to keep pushing her along with the hand he had shoved into the small of her back.

"And if you hadn't put me in the ground - "

" - What was I supposed to do? Just lay down and get tortured and die for you? You're immortal, tell me how to kill you and I promise you it won't happen the next time around!"

"You'll never get the chance!" His sudden bark of laughter made her eyebrow twitch.

"Yeah well we'll see about that!" She crossed her arms over her chest.

His eyes were dark with smoldering fury when he met hers, "Yeah, I will. You'll be dead bitch!"

"I hate you!"

"The feeling is so fucking mutual!"

-Kakuzu-

He coursed through the trees at top speed. Whether to get this meeting over with quickly or because he feared for his hostage's life made no difference. Neither were appealing. He had not he told Hidan where he was going because he had never had the opportunity with the blonde kunoichi always so close by. If he had, leaving her there would have definitely caused him significantly less grief from the younger man.

He saw the edges of the rogue camp come into view and began slowing down. He had business to attend to here that could no longer wait if he wanted to catch them again. One of his new bounty brokers had set up shop with this traveling camp of wanted shinobi. It was one of the oldest traveling rogue camps in all of the five nations, a good majority of all the black market deals went down in camps like this one. Only those who knew of the travel route were able to find it, the camp was always moving, never settling down for more than a day or two at a time before moving on to the next safe location, lest someone catch on or rat out their location. If he didn't do this now he would have to travel far further than he wanted to catch them at their next stop.

He approached the border, eyeing the two guards that sat at the camp entrance. They were eyeballing him with equal distaste. "Kakuzu, so the rumors are true you are alive again," the man to his left spoke and Kakuzu sneered beneath his mask.

"Which tent is Warui?" he cut straight to the point, he didn't care for wasting his time with these idiots.

"Look for the one that looks the most expensive. Warui isn't one to be modest about his lavish income," he nodded to the man on the right and entered the camp.

It was more like its own village. There were rows of tents on each side, some were big to house makeshift bars and brothels. Others were small, to house the individual outlaws themselves. Kakuzu had once considered joining this group, but he never could imagine how he'd keep his money and property safe with nothing more than an old weathered canvas tent to call home. That had been at least thirty years ago, he had definitely made the right choice by staying on his own. In the center of all the tents was a large communal bonfire where at least ten rogues were sitting and talking. Some were drinking, some were eating, but they all quieted to watch him as he walked past. His destination was a tent smaller than the brothel tent, but larger than the majority of the lesser shinobi's little dome tents. He pushed back the dirty flap and stepped inside.

The scent of smoke and liquor was the first thing he noticed. Not surprising, Warui had many vices, smoking and drinking were the least appalling on the list. His eyes adjusted to the dim light as he took in the interior of the tent. He had entered into a large spacious area, a wood burning stove crackled quietly in one corner, an expensive rug covered the canvas floor, and a few camp chairs surrounded the fire. A short small table sat directly in front of him, two stools sat on either side of it, and a large lantern emitted only enough light to cast a dim glow in the immediate area. There were candles on wooden podiums in each corner, also casting a little bit of light into the otherwise dark space. His attention drifted to the center of the room as the divider there was flipped back, revealing a man in his late sixties, hair white and skin sagging from his narrow features. Warui was dressed in silks and stunk like whiskey.

"Kakuzu," he looked genuinely surprised to see his visitor. "I was beginning to wonder when we'd cross paths again, I was starting to worry you'd forgotten the circuit." The old man's gold jewelry glinted in the fire light as he stepped further into the room.

"Some things came up," Kakuzu was intentionally withholding any more information. Warui was a shark of the worst kind. The less he knew the less he could use against you. They may be business partners for now, but Warui was in it for the money just as much as he was, and that never made for a good ally.

"Well you are here now!" the man grinned and Kakuzu nodded.

"Did you get what I requested?" He asked as he settled himself onto one of the stools.

"Yes," the man chuckled before disappearing behind the divider. When he returned he held the main reason for Kakuzu's side trip to the rogue camp. "I think Hidan will be quite pleased with this one. It's not exactly the color scheme he requested, but the measurements are right, and the blades are sharp."

The triple bladed scythe he held was all black. From the tips of the blades to the end of the long handle. Kakuzu took it from the man when it was offered and he tossed it from hand to hand as he tested the weight and balance if it. "It better for what I paid for it," Kakuzu shot a glare to the old man, who was now settling himself in the stool across from him.

"Your request wasn't an easy one. Not too many these days running around with a triple-bladed scythe. You of all people can understand the cost of such rare and unique items." His smile was as fake as the gold tooth in the front of his mouth. He always played the jovial friend, but Kakuzu knew better than to allow Warui's friendliness to lower his guard. The broker was acting strangely, keeping his distance and hiding his true intentions with a viper's smile.

He decided to play along when he suddenly felt the gathering of chakra outside the tent. "Sure," he nodded. "Hidan should be fine with this."

"Wonderful!" Warui clapped his hands together, "Can I offer you a drink? For old time's sake?"

Kakuzu didn't miss the glint in his eye and nodded once more. "A drink sounds perfect."

"You'll like this one!" Warui scuttled from his chair to his back room. "It's almost as old as you are!" the man continued from behind the canvas, Kakuzu could hear glass clinking before the man came back through the flap with two glasses and a short squat bottle filled with a dark liquor. His glass had already been filled, but Warui's was empty. The old man sat back down at the stool and proceeded to fill his own glass before taking a sip. "Oh that's good," he lifted his glass to Kakuzu.

"Probably too expensive for my taste," Kakuzu mused, watching the way Warui was staring at the glass before his eyes flicked nervously to Kakuzu. "Just like this scythe." Warui quickly covered the fear in his eyes with another cheap smile.

"You always were too stingy. You've got to live a little! As for the scythe, I requested my normal fee for procurement. I should have charged more considering how difficult it was to find someone who specialized in this form of weapon making. Its not like you requested something common like a sword or a kunai."

"You're probably right," Kakuzu conceded as he lifted his drink to the lamp light, all the while carefully monitoring the growing number of chakra signatures outside the tent. "How old did you say it was again?"

The man seemed to grow more at ease as Kakuzu made a show of pulling down his mask. "It's eighty years old, the flavor is incredibly robust. Give it a try, judge for yourself."

Kakuzu had had enough, sitting the drink back onto the table. "Tell me Warui, how much is my bounty that you need a whole camp of rogue ninja to die tonight?"

Warui's eyes widened in alarm. "W-what!? Don't be ridiculous Kakuzu," the man let out his best impression of laughter as Kakuzu pierced him with his stare. "You know I know better than to do something as stupid as what you're implying."

"Do I now?" Kakuzu tilted his head to the side and pushed his glas closer to the other man. "Than tell me, what did you slip into my glass before you poured the whiskey Warui?" Beads of sweat were forming on the broker's forehead.

"You know I - "

"You seem to assume you know what I'm thinking a lot tonight Warui. Your mistake." Warui shouted something that must have been a code word just before the top blade of the scythe severed the sagging skin of his throat.

Kakuzu didn't have time to be impressed with the sharpness of the blade as he was being ambushed on all sides. The threads beneath his skin stirred and burst outward just as the last shinobi fell upon him. Had his reputation really been diminished so much because of his death? He hated to admit that it bothered him, but he had killed a lot of people to get his bad ass reputation! He let out an audible woosh of air from his lungs and stretched his arms out wide, taking in the forms of the shinobi before him. Five of them in total, only three had managed to evade his threads well enough to avoid instant death. Two of those three were clutching at the spikes that had gone through them, blood curdling from there lips as they struggled in vain. The last was doing the same, only it seemed his threads had missed their mark, nailing him through the shoulder. He was cursing and kicking his feet as he tried to pull himself free, it was painful for sure, but not life threatening. The man was probably clinging to that hope.

Kakuzu flexed his threads, lifting the four dead and dying shinobi higher into the air before retracting them. The bodies made a nice thunk when they hit the floor of the took in the last surviving man as he flailed, eyes jumping from comrade to comrade. Kakuzu couldn't sense any great strength from the man, but luck saved even the weakest of people from time to time. He brought the man closer, smirking when the rogue let out a pain filled holler. "How much is my bounty?"

The rogue glared at him but didn't answer. Kakuzu only smirked behind his mask - there was no better way to get the frustration out then by murdering a few ninja! He lifted his arm to make sure the sight of his threads forming another spike were clearly visible to the trapped man. "Killing you or your partner is instant amnesty in all of the big countries! Complete clean slate and removal of your face from the bingo books! Plus your old bounty has been fully reinstated"

Kakuzu scoffed. Amnesty? Seriously? "So they are hoping to get all the rogue ninja who don't want to be in hiding anymore to come after us?" Kakuzu laughed. "Well that's just fine then, there is no way a coward is going to be able to take us down." Only a coward worried about amnesty after going rogue. These idiots were pathetic, he watched the blood pool around the new spike that was embedded through the man's chest cavity and heart. "Thanks for the info," he dropped the last dead shinobi to the ground before looking around the tent.

He shot a glare to Warui, now blue with death on the floor. The bastard had set him up! Warui knew it was only a matter of time before he returned for the scythe or for more info on bounties. He had just sat back and waited. He looked to his glass of untouched whiskey, before gripping it in his hands and pouring it over the broker's body. As far as he knew, the info about his Earth Grudge techniques had not been common knowledge, so these men probably had been gambling that the drugs poured into his whiskey would have slowed him down enough to figure it out. he dropped the glass on the ground and watched it shatter before stepping over the body toward the divider in the room. He pulled back the flap and immediately was on the defensive once more as a barrage of kunai flew at him.

His gaze narrowed at his female attacker. She was a whore, it was obvious by her terrible aim and even worse make up. It didn't help that she was naked and clinging to a silk sheet to hide her nakedness. Kakuzu was short on time, he needed to get out of here. She opened her mouth to scream when his threads twisted around him like a thousand tentacles. She never got a sound out as they raced down her throat, sufficiently gagging her before running her through. He didn't even bother looking at her body as it slid down the length of his thread to the floor. Instead he turned his attention to inspect the even dimmer bedroom. The single candle in the room flickered from the trunk at the foot of the bed so he was able to make out the bed, fully decked out in its many furs and silk pillows. Kakuzu shook his head - in a rogue camp you either carried your own shit or paid someone else too. Something told him Warui wasn't carrying all this stuff himself - what a waste of money.

He closed the gap to the trunk and felt his annoyance at the bingo book that lay open there. His own face stared up at him from the glossy colored pages. He lifted the book and shut it, throwing it onto the bed - he'd get that later. All he wanted right now, was to see inside this trunk. He moved the candle to the floor and undid the clasps. He lifted the lid and smiled viciously as he found exactly what he was looking for. His eyes lit up as he dipped his hands into the coins and bills. There were even some gemstones in the mix of money. He laughed and looked around the room - he needed something to carry it in. He found an expensive looking leather satchel sitting by the opposite wall and grabbed it. He opened it to find it was filled with papers and ink. From the looks of them they were contracts, he had made his very own contract with Warui - his was probably in there somewhere. He turn the bag upside down and let the papers flutter to the ground. No need in saving the contracts of a dead man. He filled the bag with the money he found and only felt a childish joy at the weight of it. He grabbed the bingo book from the bed and tossed it in as well. He turned away but hesitated. He eyed the blankets for a moment before rolling his eyes. That girl was lucky he was in a good mood.

He rolled one of the fur blankets and grabbed a pillow, shoving them into the pack as best he could before closing it up and tying it off with some of his threads. The bag was practically bursting with everything he had found, tying it shut was the only way he was going to be able to keep it closed. He made his way back to the front of the tent and once more assessed the carnage he had caused with the candle in hand. Looking at Warui's body on the ground he said, "Thanks for the scythe," and began making his way toward the exit. He stopped and looked at the table he had been sitting at only moments prior. "And the drink," he grabbed the bottle of whisky on the table. On his way out of the tent he dropped the candle on Warui's body. He watched the flame as it devoured the whiskey he had poured on the man. He cracked another smile and shattered the gas lantern on the shinobi who had answered his questions before exiting. Burning flesh was never pleasant, and he wanted to be far gone by the time it started filling the air.

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Kakuzu is a bad ass - even if he did die!