Title: Religion and Music
Chapter 9: When I Saved Her
Time passes slowly when you feel like shit. There are moments when you want nothing more than for the day to end so you can go to sleep and try to figure out how you're going to survive the next day. Then there are other moments when you want to wallow in your misery and have a yourself a pity-party.
However, when you feel as shitty as I did, you lose all track of what time really means. In a way, I guess you could say I had insomnia. I was never really asleep, and I was never really awake. I was going through each day, watching it all pass before me. I wasn't living; I was just alive.
There were moments when I would see the top of Tayuya's head in a crowd. She often wore this ridiculous looking black hat, and her long pink locks cascaded down her back. Jashin, she was beautiful, even from behind. Sometimes, I would get a full view of her, but I would never see her face. I think she wanted to avoid even being in the same area with me at all costs. I didn't blame her.
Surprisingly enough, my grades in geometry started improving. All that crap about the area of shapes made sense thanks to Tayuya's one lesson, and everything that followed it wasn't a huge challenge. I got a B+ on the test about area, and my grades rose from there. I got an A on a final test on what we had learned during the second semester.
"Congratulations," Asuma-sensei rewarded when he passed that test back. "I have no idea what you're doing, but you should keep it up. You might actually get a really good final grade if you continue like this."
So I had to feel like shit to do well in geometry. Fuck.
The days quickly melted into months, and the holidays passed without much excitement. The Akatsuki had its usual Christmas party, and it was held at Tobi's apartment this year. Tobi had prepared all sorts of food and games for us, and Kakuzu brought booze from work. Gifts were exchanged through a secret Santa process. I ended up getting Sasori, so I just got him a gift card for the local art supplies store. I think he was happy; he didn't complain.
The New Year came and went as well, though the Chinese New Year was going to be later, around the beginning of February. I didn't think to check what year it was going to be.
Then the third and final semester of school started. It was the home stretch, and all I had to do was survive and pull decent finals out of my ass in order to graduate. Easy enough. Somewhere in all there though, I was suddenly inspired to do some college work. I think it kept my mind off Tayuya and on something else that mattered.
Actually, well, I'm not so sure if it mattered all that much to me. It did keep my mind off Tayuya though, and that was what I needed. I spent a lot of my time, if I wasn't doing regular school work, studying for a few exams. On each exam, I wrote down that I planned on studying religion. I didn't know if anyone would take me with how badly I probably did on those exams, but it was still worth a try.
Now you're probably wondering why I didn't get in trouble with Pein after the incident concerning Yugito. Well, as soon as I had broken it off with Tayuya, I called Kakuzu and told him what I had done. He seemed rather satisfied when he told me he wouldn't blame all of the failure of the mission on me. Pein was just glad to hear that I wasn't seeing the daughter of Orochimaru anymore.
"Not only is she not a member of Akatsuki," he told me, "but she's the only daughter of one of the biggest yakuza bosses of our time. It's better that you don't concern yourself with her.'
Fuck him. He was happy with that bitch Konan. Why couldn't I be happy with Tayuya?
Regardless of any of that, I tried living out the rest of my senior year the best I could. I took all the exams teachers told me to and did all my regular schoolwork without any fuss. It was strange for me. I think Asuma-sensei was scared.
One day though, I was in for a bit of a scare. I walked into the bathroom, expecting to be confronted by the sex-starved art brothers, but no one was there. I was a little confused at first, obviously. I always had great timing when it came to watching my friend and his boyfriend make out against the cold tiles on the wall. There was no one and nothing there though. There weren't even any stains from any activity. The place was quiet and clean, and it didn't smell like sex.
Something was wrong.
I was just about to open the door to look out into the hallway when Sasori pulled the handle backwards. I sighed when I saw him. Yes, I still had perfect timing.
But then I noticed something strange. He was alone.
"Sasori," I began, "where's Deidara?"
The redhead shrugged. "I don't know," he confessed. "He's not in school today."
"And he didn't tell you why?"
He shook his head. "He just told me that he wasn't coming to school today and hung up. I've tried calling him almost ten times today, but he won't answer me." He shook his head sadly and walked to a sink to wash his hands. "Maybe he'll talk to you," he suddenly suggested. "You're his friend, right?"
I snorted. "If he's not going to talk to you, then there's no way in hell he'll talk to me."
"It's worth a try."
I frowned and walked out of the bathroom without another word. It was coming close to the end of the day anyway, so I took the rest of that Friday off. They wouldn't miss me in history class.
I ran to the parking lot, hopped onto my bike, started the engine, and sped off. I had no damn idea where the hell I was going, but I knew I needed to start somewhere. I immediately thought to head over to the blonde's apartment, but something told me that Sasori had already tried that. He and Deidara had copies of the other's key, so it was likely that he would have already checked there by now.
As I drove down the street, I tried to think of where else he could be. Deidara was not a drinker, so the chances of him being at the bar were slim. I thought about checking the art store, but if he were there, he wouldn't have been there all day long. Sooner or later, the employees would have thrown him out. I tried to think. Where...Where would Deidara go not to be bothered?
And then it hit me.
I headed for the park. During the day, all the teenagers were at school, and many of them were too busy with exams to go out. None of the younger kids would recognize a high school student. It was the perfect place to hide out during a school day.
Soon enough, I saw a blonde head sitting on the bench where the two of us had sat the first time a few months ago. I locked up my bike and set my helmet down, keeping my eyes on that blonde hair to make sure it didn't go anywhere. When I was done, I walked over to the bench and sat down, catching Deidara by surprise.
"It's not like you to skip school," I began. The blonde gasped when he saw me.
"Hidan! What are you doing here, un?"
"Looking for you. Sasori said that you told him that you weren't coming to school today and that you refuse to talk to him. Any reason in particular why?"
He was nervous, I could tell. His hands were folded between his legs, and his back was hunched over. His eyes were glassy, and his face was tinted pink. I couldn't tell if he had been crying or was just tired.
"Sasori no danna got into that art school," he finally murmured.
My eyes widened. "Good for him. You must be happy for him."
A sad grin appeared on my friend's face. "Yes, I am, un," he confirmed, nodding. "I'm really happy for him. He also got a scholarship that cuts his funds in half, so he won't have to work as hard as he thought to pay for tuition and all that other stuff, un." He paused. "I'm sure he'll do really well there."
"So what's got you so upset?"
"I want to go with him, un."
I groaned. "Dei, I thought we talked about this. If you want to go with him, apply there and just don't blow up your sculptures until after they've been judged. Hey, you might get in."
Deidara shook his head. "That's not the point, un," I heard him whisper. He suddenly looked up at me with big, teary eyes. "Do you know why I dress the way I do?"
I cocked an eyebrow. "You mean like a whore?"
"I'M NOT A WHORE, YOU BASTARD!!"
His sudden outburst caught me by surprise, and I scooted away from him, nervous. He had a murderous glare in his eyes that almost reminded me of Tayuya's "I'm-going-to-kill-you" face. He looked as though he was about to pounce out of rage.
"I AM NOT A WHORE." He grabbed the collar of my uniform and pulled me close to his face. I was too scared to react. "I told you, Sasori no danna was my first time, and I've been with him ever since. I dress like this," he hissed, "because Sasori no danna isn't gay."
I recoiled out of pure shock. "What the hell?!" I gasped. "You two are ALWAYS making out and having sex in the bathroom! What do you mean he's not gay?!"
In retrospect, it probably would have been better if we were having this conversation in a place OTHER than where all the little kids could hear us.
Deidara frowned bitterly. "He told me, un," he explained. "After he and I did it for the first time, he told me that he wasn't gay. I was shocked and felt betrayed at first, but then he told me that I was different." He suddenly calmed down and let go of my collar, sitting down normally on the bench. I watch him with high interest.
"Doesn't that mean that he loves you anyway?" I asked, totally clueless.
I watched as the tears started welling up in the blonde's eyes again. "But what if...what if he goes to this art school...and meets some hot artist chick, un?" The salty liquid began to pour down his face. "What if...if I don't go with him...what if he...falls for some girl? He's...he's not gay! He's straight, un! He'll love her...and forget all about me..." He sniffed between sobs. "That's why I try to look like a girl as much as I can while still being a guy, un. I don't want...Sasori no danna to forget...about me. I want him to love me...the way he would love a girl..." The tears overflowed out of his eyes and down his pink cheeks. "I don't want to...lose him, un. I love him so much, but...if he meets some girl..."
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!!" I suddenly screamed, slapping the blonde across the face. After a moment of silence, he looked up at me with large, horrified eyes. I was panting heavily and had a twinge of anger in my voice when I spoke. "Everything you've ever done in your damn life, you've done for that bastard Sasori! Obviously, the guy is fucking hopelessly in love with you. He's tried calling you ten times today! He's CRAZY about you!" I stopped to catch my breath and lower my voice. "If he wasn't, he wouldn't have come to your friggin' apartment in the middle of the night to confess to you, now would he?"
My friend's eyes grew even wider, if that was humanly possible. He shook his head slowly. "No..." he whispered. "He wouldn't have." He wiped some of the tears away. "And he wouldn't constantly tell me I was beautiful, un, and he wouldn't come take care of me when I don't feel well, and he wouldn't help me with my living expenses, and he wouldn't offer to help me with my work..."
"And he wouldn't be having sex with you in the bathroom at school almost every damn waking moment," I added.
Deidara almost giggled. "You're right, un."
I smirked. "What do YOU want to do, Dei?"
"I want to go to art school with Sasori no danna, and I'm going to do it for myself."
"And fuck whatever anyone else says."
The next day, school was slightly better. I wasn't feeling so crappy since I knew that Deidara was obviously going to apply to the same art school as Sasori. It was perfect timing, too, because the last day to submit something for judgement was in two weeks.
Geometry that Saturday morning was something of a waste of time. Asuma-sensei didn't really teach anything; he spent more of his time explaining the importance of continuing math studies in college. I didn't really listen, though I could see Kakuzu from across the room, and he looked as though he was writing everything down. I assumed he wanted to have a job that had something to do with a lot money, that jerk.
Later that day, as I left music class, I saw the art brothers in the hallway, looking pretty happy. I had to smile to myself. Sasori must have heard about Deidara's decision to try to get into his college. Actually, the redhead looked quite proud. The blonde just smiled, but the expression faded when he looked up and saw me.
"Hidan, un!" he cried, running over to me. "I've got bad news!"
My eyes grew wide. "What?" Oh, PLEASE, Jashin-sama, don't let it have something to do with his college plans!
Deidara's voice was quiet when he spoke. "Itachi was admitted into the hospital last night, un."
I dropped my bag and stared at him. "What THE FUCK?!" I almost shouted. "What do you mean?! What the hell is wrong with that poor bastard?!"
Sasori came up behind his boyfriend and shook his head. "We don't know," he murmured. "That's why he's there. Now, I heard this from Tobi, who heard it from Sasuke, so I don't know if it's totally accurate, but apparently, he passed out without warning last night. Sasuke was in such a panic that he called an ambulance." He narrowed his eyes at me. "You did notice that he wasn't in school today, right?"
Ouch. When Sasori wanted to, he sure could hurt someone's pride.
He shook his head. "Whatever," he muttered. "Dei, we're getting out of here."
The blonde suddenly had a worried look on his face as his partner grabbed him by the arm and forced him out of the school. He desperately tried to look back at me, and I could see fear in his eyes. What was up with him? Did it have something to do with Itachi?
Regardless, I couldn't let someone else's shit bother me. I still had my own to deal with.
Little did I know that I would be dealing with said shit later that night.
The phone call came around seven. It was on my home phone, and I picked it up without looking at the ID. "Hello?" I asked. "Who is this?"
"HIDAN!!" I head Deidara scream. I actually pulled the phone away from my ear, it was so damn loud. "YOU'VE GOT TO COME HELP, UN!!" he cried. "IT'S AT THE BAR!! HURRY!!"
"Deidara, what THE FUCK are you TALKING about?!" I shouted. "What's going on?!"
"DEIDARA, GIVE ME THE PHONE," I heard Pein command. I also heard all sorts of fighting going on in the background. What in the fucking hell was going on?
"Deidara!" I called out desperately. "What's going on?!"
I heard my friend take a huge breath before he spoke. "TAYUYA!!"
My heart stopped beating, and when it started up again, it was going faster than a bullet train.
I slammed down the phone without listening to another word. I didn't even bother to put my shoes and proper outerwear for winter on. I just grabbed my scythe, slammed the apartment door behind me without locking it, and fucking raced down the stairs until I could jump over the sides without getting hurt. I started my motorcycle and ignored my helmet as I sped into traffic. Jashin, I was going so damn above the speed limit, but I didn't care. I HAD to get to the bar.
I was there within minutes, but when I finally saw what was happening, I wished I hadn't.
The inside of the bar was dark, but I could see random flashes of light going off, illuminating the scene inside. I stared. Kisame was hanging onto Tayuya with her arms behind her back, and Kakuzu was at work tying her to a chair. I saw Tobi and Zetsu holding Deidara down in a corner, and Konan was on watch duty. Sasori was tied up to another chair, and Pein was pacing back and forth across the floor.
What the FUCK?!
My brain couldn't process any of it. Despite that, I parked my bike as quietly as I could and gripped my scythe. There was a back entrance to the bar. I decided to, instead of having to deal with Konan, go there. I was glad I did. No one was there, and that made it so much easier to get inside.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON IN HERE?!" I screamed as I emerged from the back room. Everyone jumped when they saw me, and I turned on the light near the door. I saw Deidara with a look of relief and terror in his eyes. He was gagged, as was Sasori. When I looked at Tayuya, I noticed that she was bound and gagged, too. I looked up at Kakuzu and gave him one of those "I-fucking-hate-you" stares while Pein just glared at me. Then he suddenly looked back at Deidara.
"You told him!" he roared. "You told him about this! Damn it, Deidara, I thought you were with us on this!"
I blinked. What?
Pein looked back at me. "I can't let this go," he told me. "We're taking care of this chick."
I looked at Tayuya. She was crying so damn hard. Her eyes and cheeks were pink and puffy, and she was sweating like an idiot. I turned back to Pein. "What the fuck are you talking about?!" I snapped. "Didn't Kakuzu tell you that I broke up with her?!"
"We want to make sure that you're never distracted again," my leader said simply. His gray eyes flashed, and he looked down at Tayuya. "We don't care what the cost is. If killing her means going to war with Orochimaru and the yakuza, we'll rise to the challenge. We don't care if we're all killed. At least we'll be a unified gang." His glare came back to me. "After all, you picked the gang over this girl, right? You shouldn't feel anything if we kill her."
"How would you feel if that bastard Orochimaru kidnapped Konan and declared a war on you?!" I growled.
Pein just shrugged. "First of all," he began calmly, "Konan wouldn't be stupid and walking out here alone. She wouldn't have fallen for the trap that Tayuya did." He smirked. "It was too easy. We just offered her a free shot, and she was ours."
I don't know why I did what I did next. Without thinking, I held up my scythe and sped towards Pein, screaming the whole way. The orange-haired man literally caught me and threw me across the bar. I cried out when my head met with a windowsill but didn't fall over completely. I quickly picked myself up and ran for him again, but Kisame was faster. He unleashed his sword and tried swinging it at me, but, somehow, he missed.
I looked up and saw Sasori free from the ropes and the chair, a knife in his hand. I should have known that he would have all sorts of contraptions with him at all times, and I was so damn happy that he did. He charged towards Kisame and went in to attack. I watched at the blade made contact with his painted skin, and red suddenly met the blue on his face. While I had a moment, I ran to Deidara, gave Tobi and Zetsu a few good cuts (but nothing serious), and freed the blonde from the ropes. He pulled the gag from his mouth and sent a quick punch into Tobi's stomach. Zetsu backed away and must have had a panic attack, because he suddenly dropped to the floor and began rocking back and forth, curled up in a little ball.
I left Tobi to the blonde and Kisame to the redhead while I ran for Tayuya. Suddenly, Pein jumped in my way and sent a kick into my ribs. I spat up blood and coughed for air as he went in for another kick, but someone stopped him before he could hit. I looked to my side and saw someone I never expected.
Konan was standing there, hanging onto her boyfriend's foot with a murderous glare in her dark eyes. All of a sudden, she let loose and punched the pierced man in the face, sending him flying backwards. She looked at me and nodded. "Go save your girl," she whispered as she ran for our leader.
I never expected Konan, of all people, to help me out here, but I didn't argue. I scampered over to Tayuya and cut the ropes from her chair. She pulled the gag out of her mouth and fell onto me, sobbing hysterically. I held onto her the best I could while staring down Kakuzu. He wasn't making any moves to attack, so I turned and tried getting Tayuya out of harm's way. Jashin, I was just too fucking happy that I had made it in time before she had been seriously hurt.
Before I could get her out of the bar though, the front doors swung open, and a tall figure stood there. He had an evil frown on his pale face, and he looked as though he was about to kill us all. I stared at him and gasped.
No...fucking...way...
"WHERE THE FUCK IS MY DAUGHTER?!" Orochimaru screamed above the fighting. Everyone froze and didn't dare lay another finger on anyone. The man immediately looked down and saw me hanging onto Tayuya. His eyes narrowed and I wasn't sure whether I was relieved or terrified.
"Your daughter is right here, Sound-san," I whispered. "She is unharmed."
Orochimaru suddenly breathed a huge sigh of relief as he took his daughter in his arms. He held her close kissed the top of her head while smoothing her pink hair back. She wailed crazily against him and gripped his collared shirt tightly. Looking up, I could see the rest of the family herding in behind their father. I first noticed Kimimaro and then the twins Sakon and Ukon. Jiroubo was easy to spot because of his size, and I assumed that the older looking guy with the glasses was Kabuto. Kiddoumaru was among them as well.
"I'm just glad you're safe," I heard Orochimaru whisper to his daughter. "Don't ever scare me like that again." He looked up and glared at us. "And now you punks will pay for this!"
"Don't hurt them!" Tayuya suddenly cried, looking up. "It was my fault! I was the stupid one here. They thought I was a threat to Akatsuki, so they came after me. It was all my fault! Please don't hurt them! Don't wage a war against them!"
Orochimaru blinked a few times, and his expression softened. "Fine," he hissed. "We're going home." He passed his daughter over to Kabuto and stared at us. "You idiots are lucky my daughter is so forgiving. However, if any of you EVER touch her again, you will ALL pay for it." He paused and looked at me. "This is not what Akatsuki used to be," he told me. "It was just a group of mischief-makers when I was part of it. Akatsuki members do NOT kill people."
With that, he turned and left, his sons following him, Tayuya safe in Kabuto's arms.
The tension behind me immediately disappeared, and all the fighting stopped. Konan helped Pein stand and brushed him off of dirt and blood. Kisame and Sasori both lowered their weapons and took a few steps away from each other. Deidara crouched down next to Tobi to make sure he was okay and calmed Zetsu down. Kakuzu lowered his head, as if to say he was sorry.
Kimimaro suddenly appeared before me with surprised yet sad eyes. "She cried," he murmured. "My sister cried." He was silent for a moment. "I'll ask you again, Hidan. Has she ever laughed or cried with you?"
What could I do?
I nodded. "She's laughed many times with me," I replied regretfully. "She only cried one other time though, and it was when I broke it off with her."
"Still, she cried around you, and that's what matters." The white-haired man shook his head. "My God," he breathed. "I can't believe it. That's the first time in Tayuya's life." He suddenly smiled. "You're something special," he reassured me. "When all this is behind us, you should get back together with her. With me at least, you are welcomed into our family."
He gave me one last smile before turning and leaving.
TO BE CONTINUED
