AN: Sorry for the wait! I wanted to continue this for the longest time but I just couldn't get in the mood to write for it. But I finally managed to pop this out, so yay! However, I should warn you that the next couple chapters are probably going to get fairly long, so don't be surprised if it takes me a while to write them… especially now that I'm back in school, which will give me less time to write. Sigh…
Please review!
Akatsuki Black: Part One
Inspired By Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto
The air was cool and soothing against Hinata's heated and sweaty skin. She panted heavily as she leaned her back tenderly against a tree, head resting against its rough bark. Her pearlescent eyes remained closed as she tried to regain her breath after her recent workout.
With several more gasps for air she opened her eyes and pushed herself from the trunk, barely catching herself when she staggered on her overworked legs. After taking a moment to regain her sense of balance the teen leaned forward enough to snatch her lilac jacket from its place on the ground and quickly slipped it on over her black shirt despite how warm she was. She seized her jacket zipper only to pause, debating briefly in her head before opting to leave it open.
That done the heiress quickly checked her weapons pouch to make sure she had everything in its place and swept her gaze over her favorite training area one last time. Satisfied she hadn't missed anything she turned and began her swift pace towards the training ground exit, the darkness of the night sky seemingly lost to her in her exhaustion from hours of exercise and her eagerness to return home.
Perhaps, had she known what awaited her, she wouldn't have been so keen to leave.
~oOo~
Deidera decided that Pein didn't know what he was doing when it came to picking partners in the Akatsuki. How else had the blonde ended up with two displeasing ones in a row? First Sasori and now Tobi, the male groused inwardly at his luck, But at last Sasori knew how to shutup!
Oblivious to the thoughts of his companion the dark-haired man edged a little further around the corner, excitement making him jittery, "Can we go yet? Please, please, please, please, please?"
"Not yet," Deidera hissed back, getting annoyed all over again at the whine that followed.
"How about now?"
The blonde ignored his twitching eye enough to hit his partner's head with a solid-sounding thwack. Tobi pouted behind his mask and rubbed his now sore cranium. Any complaint he was about to make was silenced with the next word that left his violent companion's mouth.
"Now."
The long-haired Akatsuki member grabbed Tobi by his cloak's collar and proceeded to drag him through the unnervingly silent Hyuuga compound, careful to remain unseen by any of its more wakeful residents. The duo took several turns in the various hallways before finally reaching their destination.
Giving Tobi a quick gesture to be quiet- and gaining an overenthusiastic nod in response- Deidera carefully grabbed the door before them and slid it open gradually. Once it was open enough for them to slip through the blonde signaled for his partner to stand watch and entered the room.
The blue-eyed male took a moment to note how neat the room was before moving closer to his target. As he reached the side of the bed he saw the teenaged girl known as Hinata Hyuuga curled into a ball with her arms wrapped around one of her pillows in an almost cute way. Despite the fact that her dark navy hair was strewn around her face messily and nearly her entire body was hidden beneath the comforter it was clear that she was beautiful.
"She's really pretty."
Deidera jumped a little in surprise at the sudden sound of Tobi's voice from beside him, "Tobi! I told you to be quiet and stand watch!"
His companion was clearly pouting behind his mask, "But that's boring and nobody's coming!"
The blonde was preparing to hit the male for the second time that night when they heard a soft groan and the rustling of sheets. The duo froze and glanced at their target, who had sat up a little in her bed- her pillow now cast to the side- and opened her pale eyes. Hinata stared at them for a moment, brow furrowing in what was plainly an attempt to get her half-asleep mind to figure out if they were real or if she was having some sort of a strange dream. As they watched realization that she wasn't dreaming struck her and her eyes widened.
Cursing inwardly the blonde Akatsuki member quickly grabbed the arm that was reaching for what was undoubtedly an emergency kunai under her pillow, the other arm following soon after. She struggled and opened her mouth to scream or call for help but at that moment Tobi shoved a white cloth against her mouth and nose, hindering her instantly muffled protests. She thrashed for several moments more, though, twisting her arms wildly in Deidera's grasp and managing to swing her legs out from her blanket enough to get a strong kick to Tobi's stomach before finally going limp. After keeping it in place for a little longer to insure that the drug on the fabric had truly worked Deidera removed it from her face and sent Tobi- who was clutching his stomach and whimpering in pain at the force of her kick- to see if anyone was coming.
When he gave the all clear the more senior Akatsuki member hoisted the unconscious girl over his shoulder and grumbled under his breath, "You better appreciate this, Itachi."
~oOo~
Itachi wasn't often confused, but being awoken in the early hours of the morning and summoned by Pein for no discernable reason left him feeling that way… as well as wary. As Zetsu phased back into the wall, his message delivered, the Uchiha slid from his temporary bed- a plain futon- and stood. After slipping his shoes and Akatsuki cloak on over his simple black shirt and pants he tied his scratched headband around his forehead and left through the door.
Something is strange, he thought as he continued his brisk stride down the hallway. Pein never calls on me this late unless he wants a mission report. But, the male's lips tilted downward in a frown, I haven't had a mission since that… convention. He shuddered slightly in distaste at the memory of the unwanted gathering before his musings took on a more wistful tone, I haven't seen Hinata since before then, either. I wonder how she-
His inner dialogue instantly cut off when he opened the final door and saw what was waiting for him in the next room. Once more all the organization members except for Kakuzu were present, though this time with one important guest.
Hinata.
"Ta-da!" Tobi hummed happily in the otherwise silent room, waving his hands towards Hinata as if to show her off. Itachi simply ignored him in favor of drinking in the girl's every detail.
She was passed out on her side in the center of the room's wooden floor, Deidera and Tobi standing the closest to her. Her dark navy hair lay strewn around her, stirring softly with each gentle exhale. She was breathtaking in her elegantly old-fashioned white yukata. Itachi blinked dark eyes. Isn't that the yukata she sleeps in?
As evenly as possible the black haired male asked, "Why is Hinata Hyuuga here?"
"We have brought her here tonight to solve your problem. Your work has been suffering because of her and since you have refused counseling we have decided that giving her to you is the next best option." Pein narrowed his eyes and continued coldly, "If you have her here long enough you will undoubtedly see her faults and realize the absurdity of your attraction."
Even as he thought in the back of his mind that Hinata had no faults Itachi clenched his teeth slightly in shame and frustration. He had sworn he would help her find happiness and had instead succeeded in getting her kidnapped by what was one of the worst organizations to be kidnapped by. In his eyes it was one of the biggest failures he had ever faced, though even he had to admit that he couldn't have predicted the Akatsuki doing something as farfetched as abducting the Hyuuga heiress and giving her to him just to make him concentrate on his work.
With a steadying breath Itachi asked, "Why did you decide this… and why is she unconscious at the moment?"
"You can't get distracted pining over a woman if she's yours," white Zetsu shrugged from his position behind Pein and Konan before his black half added almost impishly, "Having such a morsel waiting for your return might even make you get your missions done quicker."
"But why is she unconscious," Itachi repeated his other question when nobody answered, choosing to ignore the last part of what Zetsu had said.
After a moment of hesitant silence Konan explained slowly, "A drug was used on her to make her capture and transport easier as well as more efficient."
"You… drugged her?" Though hardly surprised by the news he was unquestionably appalled at the thought of them doing such a thing to her… as well as disgusted with himself. It was his fault that Hinata had to endure such a thing.
The blonde artist instantly held his hands up and took a step away from the overprotective male who was suddenly staring glacially at him, a thinly veiled threat in in gaze at the newest information, "Hey, it was necessary! And we only used a little- not even enough to make her pass out for a day. In fact, she'll probably wake up by morning." Seeing Itachi relax slightly Deidera added huffily, "Besides, it was either we drug her or we knock her out with a hard whack to the head."
The Uchiha closed his eyes and took a deep breath, releasing it gradually before he opened his eyes again and spoke, "To make this clear… you have kidnapped the Hyuuga heiress- which will undoubtedly lead to a thorough search for her from not only her Clan but the entire Hidden Leaf Village- and are "giving" her to me simply to stop my far less risky visits to the village and make me pay more attention to my job?"
Kisame shrugged and Hidan snorted sarcastically as he sat heavily onto the floor, crossing his legs and leaning his cheek on a hand that was propped up by his knee, "Congratulations, Itachi; your birthday came early this year."
Despite the withering stare he received the immortal didn't care.
Deciding any show of disdain was wasted on Hidan and realizing that any attempt to return the girl to her home at any near point in time would be thwarted Itachi turned his attention to their leader, mentally prepared himself for the worst, and asked in a strained voice, "Pein, where is she supposed to sleep for the duration of her stay?"
"Your room."
Those two simple words made Itachi feel as if he were being punished. He was going to spend every night with the girl he loved in the same room as him? They don't want me to ever sleep again, do they, he groaned inwardly. Granted, he didn't plan to keep her trapped with them there any longer than was completely necessary, but he didn't know how long "necessary" was.
With a resigned sigh the male stalked over to where Hinata lay and gently lifted her into his arms, ignoring the numerous demeaning "Aw"s he received from the other Akatsuki members following the act. After taking a moment to adjust her into a comfortable position with her curled up against his chest as she dozed he turned and walked towards the door he had entered from.
When the door was open he paused and glanced over his shoulder, "I expect another room to be ready for her within the next few days."
"Aw!" Tobi cooed again before Itachi was gone and the door was slammed shut behind him.
The Uchiha walked down the hall with as smooth of a gait as possible, trying not to disturb the sleeping beauty he held. In the back of his mind he guiltily admitted to himself that he was overwhelmingly ecstatic to finally have the chance to hold her so closely. It gave him the opportunity to notice for the first time that she had the pleasing scent of flowers and sweet cinnamon.
Upon finally reaching his room he carefully opened its door and slipped inside, moving to his futon to carefully place her on it before pulling his blanket up to her neck. Once that was done he turned and would have taken a seat on the bare wooden floor at the opposite side of the room if not for the sound of knocking. Knowing that ignoring the person at his door would be both pointless and annoyingly noisy the Akatsuki member answered his door.
Waiting for him at the other side was a smug Kisame whose smirk only stretched wider at his appearance, "Itachi, I've been meaning to ask you a question." The dark eyed male remained silent, only raising an eyebrow to signal him to continue, "Did you like the girl before or after you saw her in the field of flowers?"
The corners of Itachi's mouth lowered slightly, but he didn't respond.
Kisame chuckled knowingly, "I guess that answers that, then."
Without waiting for any further words from his partner the door was firmly shut, declaring their conversation finished. With an inaudible huff of displeasure the Uchiha moved away from the door and shed off his cloak, shoes, and headband, leaving them in a tidy pile next to where he had originally planned to go before the blue skinned swordsman had knocked.
He slid to the floor and leaned against the wall, one of his legs propped up and pulled close while the other was stretched outward and flat on the floor. He rested one arm against his leg and one on top of his neatly folded cloak as his head tilted back against the wall. Itachi didn't expect to get anymore sleep that night, but he didn't mind too much. Hinata was more important than rest and he knew she'd need someone to calm her down and clarify things when she woke up.
Despite the lengthy explanation and the endless assurances awaiting him, Itachi Uchiha had to admit to himself that he looked forward to her waking up.
~oOo~
Hinata woke to the feeling of her head throbbing in time to her heartbeat. She wasn't quite sure as to why her skull hurt, but it was certainly enough to concern her. What's… going on? She clenched her fingers, feeling the texture of unfamiliar bedding in her grip. A surge of panic swept through her.
Where am I? Why am I hurting? Whose bed am I in? In that instant she remembered the night before and getting woken up by two intruders wearing dangerously familiar cloaks. They had grabbed her, knocked her out with some sort of drug, and taken her… where? The fear that had been stewing inside her suddenly doubled at the thought.
With a small swallow that made her dry throat constrict tightly the Kunoichi slowly slid her eyes open enough to barely peek out from beneath her long lashes. Normally she'd have scoped out the area using her Bakugan, but due to the possibility of her being near an enemy that could sense chakra she decided it would be best to do it the old fashioned way. Careful to keep her breathing as even as it would be if she were still sleeping she glanced around at her surroundings with her limited vision.
She lay on a simple white futon with a matching comforter tugged up to her chin and a small pillow beneath her head. The room she was in seemed to have little to it in ways of décor, the usual occupant of it likely preferring functionality and easy packing ability as opposed to storing personal items and frivolous adornments. Hinata continued her search of the room, stopping when she came across the only door into and out of the small bed chamber… as well as the man sitting next to it with his back against the pale, blank wall.
For a moment the Hyuuga's heart sped up and fear clogged her throat, recognizing instantly that the male in the room with her was Itachi Uchiha. Forcing down her terror at being alone behind closed doors with a dangerous Akatsuki member- even one who appeared to be dozing- without so much as a kunai she tried to think rationally. If he or the rest of his organization had wanted me dead then I wouldn't be alive right now.
That did little to calm her distress but her thoughts were put on hold when she heard a low, soothing voice, "I see you're awake, Miss Hyuuga." She stiffened in her spot, a fresh wave of dread hitting her as she realized that he had probably never been asleep and had been observing her since she had first woken when Itachi continued, "Don't be afraid. Neither myself or any of my associates within the Akatsuki have any intentions of harming you."
"Th…" Hinata swallowed roughly to stop the stutter that started with her fear, speaking as bravely has she could as she slid herself up into a sitting position and opened her eyes fully to gaze at the Uchiha, "Then what do you want with me?"
Itachi studied her with his surprisingly gentle dark eyes as he responded, "I will explain everything I can, but you must swear to hear me through to the end. I do not wish to hurt you or inconvenience you any longer than necessary, so you must try cooperate with me."
Hinata knew she had little choice given her situation, but pondered his words anyway. If she were to try to battle her way out of her confinement she knew she would lose to the genius, even if she had a full arsenal weapons and complete knowledge of her environment. Escape seemed impossible, and that wasn't even accounting for all the other Akatsuki that could possibly be waiting for her on the other side of the door should she somehow manage to leave the room. As for Itachi himself… as a wanted criminal and the murderer of many he could hardly be trusted by his word alone. And yet, she contemplated levelly, not only did he save me from Goro Hetsuchi, but he untied me and spared my life. Would a criminal typically leave witnesses?
Finally, after several minutes more of thinking over Itachi Uchiha's words Hinata came to a decision. She tilted her chin slightly upwards in resolution and quietly answered, "Alright."
AN: Yay! I finished! And now that our favorite couple is stuck in the compound together, the fun parts are coming! Woohoo! And hurray for Hidan, who is oddly fun to write for- even when he doesn't do anything!
… And did Deidera seriously say "whack"? O_O
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