Chapter 3: The Continuation
Kakuzu yawned.
"Hey, let's take a break and get some tea. I have a feeling there's a long way to go in your story."
"You guessed right. Anyways, we might as well get something to drink. Do you think Pein's done with Umi?"
"I highly doubt it."
The pair walked through the tunnels to the kitchen. Hidan put water on to boil while Kakuzu got out mugs and teabags. Hidan grimaced.
"Not grass tea again?"
"It's cheap. We're drinking it. Besides, it's not that bad."
Hidan just glared at the teabags that would produce the bitter tasting drink he hated. Why did they have to be so cheap? Kakuzu sat across from him at the table, the late night moon shining through one of the few windows. Hidan glanced casually at the clock, realizing it was around 4 a.m.
"While we're waiting for the kettle, you might as well continue."
"I was at the part where we began sparring, right?"
Kakuzu nodded.
"Well, you see, after that day people didn't really pick on us any more. A few weeks into training, something happened to Umi that terrified me…."
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"Hey, Umi, are you all right?"
"I'll be fine. It's just a headache", she panted. Hidan looked at her doubtfully; she was grasping her head with one hand, face etched in pain and eyes clouded. He sighed. Umi was about ready to admit a frailty as he was ready to give up his religion.
They continued walking to Chakra Control, Umi weaving slightly. A locker slammed, and she cried out and dropped her books, grasping her head with both hands.
"Umi?!" Hidan cried out in alarm. She kept walking, books forgotten. She staggered three steps, then collapsed.
"UMI!"
Hidan rushed over, frantic. He tried rousing her, and failed. Scared for her, he picked her up and ran as fast as he could to the hospital.
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"What happened to her?"
"I was getting to that. It turned out to be nothing later, but then I was too scared to think of anything else but getting her to the hospital…"
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Hidan sat by the unconscious Umi, twiddling his thumbs as he waited for her to wake up. She stirred, and he stood up.
"Mom?" she asked, eyes unfocused.
"Umi, it's me."
"Mom, it was too soon. We should have waited. I can't control it. Mom? Mom! Stop it, stop it! I can't control it, you have to stop it! Can you hear me?! Mom! MOM!"
Her screams brought the hospital staff rushing in, pushing Hidan out of the way. He sat numbly back down in his chair. Umi hadn't even recognized him. Would she be all right?
Eventually, the doctors managed to get her to calm down. They looked sympathetically at him, then left the room. One rested her hand on his shoulder before she left, but Hidan barely noticed. Would Umi be all right? Why wouldn't the doctors answer his questions?
A stranger rushed into the room, frantic. Her eyes landed on Umi, and she strided as quickly as she could to her.
"Umi? It's me, Mom. Can you hear me?" Hidan watched her. This was Umi's mother? Umi's eyelids fluttered, and the crystal-blue eyes opened, thankfully clear.
"Mom?" she mumbled, and her mother squeezed her hand.
"I'm here, honey. Are you all right?"
Umi ignored her and looked around the room, eyes landing on Hidan.
"Hidan? You came?" Her mother looked over at him.
"So this is your friend?"
"Hidan, you brought me here?" He blinked.
"You were unconscious when I brought you. How did you know?"
"I remember flying, and you were holding me…." Her eyes sank closed, and she went back to sleep. Her mother smiled sadly at her, then turned to Hidan.
"You rescued my daughter?"
"I guess."
"You have my deepest gratitude. Feel free to come visit while she's recuperating. I'm bringing her home tonight."
"I will come, thanks."
"Do your parents know where you are? They must be worried."
"Yeah, I should go home…."
Unwillingly, Hidan rose and left. He gave Umi one last look before he turned out of the room, then walked out of the hospital towards home.
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"What was she screaming about?"
"I didn't find out until later. Once she showed me her secret, it explained so many things."
"Are you going to tell me now, or are you going to make me wait?"
Hidan grinned.
"What do you think?"
Kakuzu sighed.
"You're going to make me wait, aren't you?"
"That I am." He took a sip of his tea.
"The next day, I went to go visit Umi…"
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Hidan paused uncertainly on the doorstep. Did he really want to go in? The house was well on the outskirts of the village, surrounded by dark forest with a hidden field for a backyard. He raised his hand hesitantly, then timidly rapped on the door. He heard footsteps come toward him, and the door clicked open. Umi's mother stood in the doorway, looking at him.
"I'm glad you came. Umi will be so happy to see you. Please be quiet, though. Her headache's still pretty bad. She's awake now, if you'll come in."
She led the way into the house, stopping outside one of the doors.
"This is Umi's room." She walked away, leaving him alone there. He considered knocking, but that would probably aggravate her headache more. Biting his lip, he opened her door softly.
He blinked, trying to adjust to the gloom. The only light came from a heavily curtained window, and that light wasn't even enough to light two feet past it.
He ran his fingers against the wall, looking for a light switch, and he heard a grouchy, familiar voice say through the darkness, "If you turn on that light, you will lose your arm."
He quickly dropped his hand. "You don't have to threaten me. You could have just told me not to turn it on."
He dimly saw a movement in the gloom as Umi lifted her head.
"Hidan? You came to visit?"
"I'm here, aren't I?"
"Sit down. There's a chair next to my bed."
"If you haven't noticed, it's kind of dark."
"Take three steps forward, turn half-way to your right, then take two steps. The chair should be in front of you then."
He followed her instructions, and sat down in a desk chair.
"So, how are you doing?"
"What do you think? I'm stuck in bed all day."
Hidan grinned. If it was one thing she hated, it was staying still.
"Wipe that smirk off your face. I know it's there." He dropped his smile.
"Do you know what caused what happened?"
He heard a sigh.
"Yeah. I was born with a skeletal deformity. My body slants to the right, and my skull follows that pattern too. It created too much pressure on my brain, and I fainted."
"Can it be fixed?" Hidan asked worriedly.
"No, it can't. It doesn't normally get that bad, though. The doctors said I should be fine just as long as I don't hit my head. They don't know what caused it yesterday."
"You will be all right?"
"Didn't I just say that?" Hidan could almost hear the smile he knew she had on her face.
"I was worried, that's all." He could hear her yawn in the dark. They talked for a while longer, Umi growing sleepier and sleepier. She was silent for a while, and Hidan thought she had fallen asleep. He rose to leave, and he heard her sleepy voice ask, "Hidan?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you ever think about the future?" she murmured.
"Why do you ask?" He was answered with silence.
"Umi?" Soft breathing responded to him, and looked toward her sleeping form oddly. What could have possibly prompted that question?
Still wondering, he exited the room and shut the door softly behind him.
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"Did you find out why she had asked you that?"
"I did, a year later. She did eventually get better, and came back to school a week after she had collapsed. We hung out more often after that, visiting each other's houses. Hey, I'm done my tea. Do you want to go back to our room?"
"Let me finish mine. Great, it's cold now. There, I'm done."
They rose and put their cups in the sink, then walked slowly back to their room silently. Kakuzu thought about Hidan's story a bit. He really didn't know his partner too well. Who could have guessed that he would have had a friend that he liked well enough to save her? Hidan wasn't the person Kakuzu had originally thought he was. He seemed more human now.
They arrived in their room, and Hidan laid on his back on his bed, eyes staring at the ceiling. Kakuzu sat down as well, eager for Hidan to begin his story again. He was caught up in it like a fly in a spider's web.
"Nothing much happened for the next year, except that we grew even closer as friends, if that was possible. We still had most of the same classes that year in school, and the gym teacher had been replaced. Umi started specializing in genjutsu, while also holding her own in taijutsu. Ninjutsu defeated her. That was my specialty, that and taijutsu. We balanced each other out, so it was only natural that we were placed together on the same squad…"
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"Hidan! Did you hear? They're giving out team assignments today!" Hidan turned to Umi, grin just as wide.
"Yeah, I heard. Do you think they'll put us together?" She growled.
"They'd better. Hey, that's the first bell. See you later, fairy!"
"Meet you at the fountain, bitch!"
They waved farewell to each other, and Hidan headed off to his next class, the only one he didn't share with Umi. He ducked into the room and sat down in his regular seat, knowing the teachers wouldn't even try to teach past the excitement in the school. The classes were free, and finally the classes were called down to the gym. He booked it out of there, then ran to the hallway's fountain, waiting for Umi.
He saw her approach, and waved. She bounded over, and they both walked silently toward the gym, afraid to say anything that might jinx them. They sat together on a bench, too excited to sit still. The classes all found a seat, and they all waited for the Yugakage to come and announce the teams. She entered the courtyard, and everyone quieted.
"Hello! Today, as you all know, I will announce your teams. This is a proud day for the village, and know that we couldn't be more proud of you. You have progressed through three years of education, and have only one left. You will meet your team leader today, and be assigned to a squad. We tried to partner you with friends, to help you work together. Unfortunately, this year we have a dilemma. We are short one student to even it out, so there will be a two-member team."
Hidan and Umi turned to each other, eyes hopeful.
"I will announce the teams now. When I call your names, come forward to meet your squad leader."
She began calling off names, and the students stepped down with cheers and only a few groans. Umi and Hidan were one of the last few to be called.
"Umi, Hidan, you will be our two-member team. You balance each other out, and your team captain will be Tsume. Enjoy yourselves!"
Umi and Hidan gave each other high-fives, then scrambled to meet their new leader. He was dressed in dark clothes, typical of most ninja to blend in with the mists around them. He had a scar across his neck, and another one that held one eye shut, making him appear to scowl at them. However, his smile was warm and friendly.
"Hello! I'm Tsume, and I hope we get along. Umi, I have worked with your family line before, so I can help you control your special jutsu. Your mother told me you were having trouble with it?"
Umi nodded.
"Umi, what special jutsu is he talking about?" Tsume looked sharply at her.
"You haven't told him about your kekke genkai?"
"I didn't think it was that important. I haven't used it around him." Tsume just frowned at her.
"What is he talking about?"
"My family has an inherited jutsu. I have a little trouble using it. That's why I haven't used it around you. I don't want you to get hurt."
A kestrel flew over head, shrieking. All the jonin looked up.
"We have to go settle a border dispute. I'll see you guys later." Tsume blurred and vanished, along with all the rest. It was then that Umi and Hidan noticed the whispers around them.
"Man, I'm glad I didn't get stuck with those weirdos. That would have been horrible."
"I hear you. If I would have been stuck with them, I would have quit school. Those two scare me."
"Guys, they can hear us! Quiet down!" The students looked at them, then slowly shambled off. Hidan looked down at the ground. Umi looked at him.
"Hey, Hidan? Don't worry about it. They're just a bunch of losers. They don't matter."
Hidan remained silent. Umi softly punched his arm.
"Hey, fairy. Do you want to stay over tonight?"
"Why?"
"There's supposed to be a meteor shower. We can watch it, and when it's over we can go to bed. The village lights won't interfere at my house."
"Sure, I'll come. Where am I going to sleep?"
"You can either have top bunk in my room, or you can sleep on the couch. Your choice."
Hidan remembered the lumpy couch.
"I'll take top bunk. I just need to go home and tell my mom, and also grab some clothes and stuff. I'll be over as soon as I can."
"They're letting us out now, and your house is on the way to mine. I'll wait for you there, then we can go to mine."
They left the school, and walked to his house, chattering the entire way.
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"So, you went over to her house?"
"Yeah. It was the first night I had stayed over. I can still remember the meteors going over my head…"
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The two friends laid next to each other on the grass, watching the bright streaks arc over their heads. The empty tea mugs were at their feet, and they watched the bright lines in a wondering way. Life was perfect. No mosquitoes bit them, cicadas chirped, and the air was warm.
"Aren't they beautiful, Hidan?"
"Well, considering they're only chunks of space rock burning up in our atmosphere, they're all right."
Umi smacked him, and Hidan laughed.
"Way to kill a moment, fairy."
"It's what I'm good at, bitch."
They watched the sky again, silent in respect to the awesome spectacle above them. Hidan made a quick prayer to Jashin, thanking him for allowing him to see this.
"What did you say?"
"I was praying to Jashin."
"What for?" Hidan coughed, embarrassed.
"I was thanking him for the meteors."
Umi rolled over onto her stomach, looking at him with eyes that strangely reflected the light of the sky.
"Tell me about Jashin. You're always talking about him."
Hidan stared at her incredulously.
"You actually want to hear?" Umi just shrugged nonchalantly. Hidan rolled over to his stomach too, and looked at her glowing eyes.
"You actually want me to tell you about Jashin?"
"Is that a problem?"
"No, it's just that… well, no one has ever asked me that before. It kind of startled me."
"Sorry."
"It's all right. Let's see…. You know how some ancient cultures believed in different gods for different things?"
Umi nodded.
"Well, I guess you could call Jashin a god of death. Only it's not just death, it's also life."
Umi furrowed her brow in confusion. "Explain."
"Well, people think death is always a bad thing, but it's not. It's a cycle, life and death. You can't have death without life, and you can't have life without death. Do you understand now?"
"Yes."
"Jashin rules over death, but in that process he also decides who lives. It's not a bad thing, because people need to die anyways. He just chooses who goes. It's not based on good or bad, nothing influences his decision. I'm one of his few followers, if not his only one, but he would still kill me in a heartbeat if my life needed to end. See?
He also controls larger things, such as natural disasters. He causes earthquakes and storms. People might think a forest burning to the ground is bad, but it's not. Most of the trees are dead, but prevent new life from growing. He burns them down so new trees can live. The animals leave, and when they come back there's more food. It's a cycle, neither evil nor good. It's just life and death."
"How beautiful."
He looked at her.
"Beautiful?" he questioned.
"Yes. There is no meaningless destruction, no death going to waste. If only we humans could live like that. All wars would stop, and the world would be in harmony."
She rolled back over to her back, looking at the stars. Hidan followed her, noticing the meteors had stopped. They stared at the bright pinpricks of light in the sky, pointing out constellations to each other. He looked over to Umi, and saw the night sky reflected in her eyes. He felt a strange stirring in him, then just smiled and turned back to the stars, feeling perfectly at peace.
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"That was when you started falling in love with her, wasn't it?"
"Yes. I didn't understand it at first, but I knew I couldn't live without her. She was my other half, the good that cancelled out my bad. She was perfect in my eyes. However, I didn't know that that perfection would come at a price."
"What are you talking about?"
"A week later, one of the kids said something near me he wasn't supposed to…"
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A/N: I wrote this a few days after I had one of my migraines. The one I had was particularily bad, and I had to be sent home from school early. I wasn't able to go to school for days after that, and I still have trouble with my headaches. Mine are caused by my skeletal deformity, so I know that it can happen. And people, thanks for reading this series. It makes me feel all fuzzy inside!