To Hell and Back
-xXx-
Chapter 7: Love and Ritual
Kakuzu wrapped Konan's hand in gauze and laid her down in the spare bedroom. Hidan was still out of it, mumbling incoherently, drooling. The missing Falls nin had a moment, however fleeting, in which he seriously considered using the Hell Water on the priest, but it passed.
'No…it isn't time. Not yet.'
He couldn't kill Hidan now. And he wasn't sure what would happen if he did.
The dead nin dragged Hidan into the bathroom and threw him bodily into the bathtub, hoping cold water would shock Hidan into consciousness. The priest jumped as soon as the water hit, hissing.
"Fuuuck."
"Snap out of it, Hidan."
"Fuck, get it away from me," Hidan moaned, flailing an arm and rolling over.
Kakuzu was confused for a moment before he realized that Hidan meant the locket. It had slipped out of his shirt and was dangling down, glowing so bright it turned Hidan's hair gold. Kakuzu straightened up and slipped the locket back into his shirt.
"Sorry," Kakuzu said gruffly.
Hidan started to shake and curled up into a fetal position.
"Just get it away!"
Kakuzu turned the cold water off. He attempted to pick Hidan up, but the priest screamed and cringed as if Kakuzu's very touch burned him. So he left Hidan there, soaking wet and shivering with cold, in the tub.
Kakuzu spent the next hour on his hands and knees, scrubbing the chicken blood off of Konan's wooden floor. It was hard, tedious work. The room was hot and stuffy, and soon he was sweating. Kakuzu pulled off his soaked shirt and tossed it. He was nearly finished with the floor when he heard footsteps approaching.
"You didn't have to do that," Konan said. Her voice sounded scratchy, blue eyes red rimmed and puffy. She'd most likely been crying the entire time he was scrubbing.
"You loved him that much…" Kakuzu murmured, frowning.
"Yes, I did."
"And yet, you're not Soul Mates."
"Soul Mates?"
"It must not have anything to do with love after all…" Kakuzu scrubbed the floor hard, gritting his teeth.
'Fucking Hidan.'
"Kakuzu, what are you talking about?" Konan asked, kneeling down beside Kakuzu and stopping his hand.
"It's nothing," Kakuzu growled. He squeezed the scrub brush hard, his nails digging into the wooden handle.
Konan watched the wood splinter and placed a hand on Kakuzu's shoulder.
"Kakuzu, what's wrong?"
"Hidan! I'm dead! I was supposed to stay dead! But because of his fucking ritual I'm stuck in limbo forever unless I kill him!"
Konan wrapped her arms around Kakuzu from behind, resting her head on the back of Kakuzu's neck. He dropped the brush, eyes widening.
"And why did he do that, do you think?" Konan asked.
'Because he loves me.'
Kakuzu didn't speak it aloud, but he didn't have to. Konan pressed her lips to Kakuzu's cheek, and then pulled away from him. The loss of warmth nearly made the old missing Falls nin shiver.
"Hidan may have used a curse to bind you to him, but I think that link was strengthened by his love for you," Konan said with a soft, bitter laugh.
"I'm jealous," Konan whispered as she left the room.
Hidan…
Kakuzu held the locket in his hand. He considered taking it off, since Hidan was so afraid of it. But remembering the last time he'd tried to remove it, Kakuzu knew it was pointless. Hidan would just have to put up with the inherently evil artifact. Kakuzu returned to the bathroom. Hidan was still in the tub, curled up into an even tighter ball. Beads of water clung to his pale skin. Kakuzu picked Hidan up. He was a lot heavier now. In only a few days and a handful of meals, Hidan had filled out. The priest looked like his old self again, though his lips were turning blue, his teeth chattering. Kakuzu set Hidan on the toilet.
"Wake up already," Kakuzu growled, slapping Hidan hard on the face.
Hidan's eyes flew open.
"Kakuzu!"
"You're pathetic," Kakuzu snorted, grabbing a towel and padding Hidan dry.
An icy hand covered Kakuzu's and he looked into Hidan's eyes.
'It really is love…'
"Hidan."
The priest pulled Kakuzu down and clamped his teeth down hard on Kakuzu's nose.
"Why do you do this to me?" Hidan whispered, scraping his teeth down Kakuzu's cheek and nipping at his lower lip.
"Who taught you how to kiss?" Kakuzu asked and ran his tongue across Hidan's teeth.
Hidan bit down harder, drawing blood. He sucked on the cut. Kakuzu felt heat radiate through his body. His heart beat erratically. It was the strangest kiss he'd ever shared. Tongues and teeth seemed to fight a heated battle. Kakuzu threw Hidan to the floor and their lips collided again, bumping teeth.
Kakuzu's threads snaked out of his mouth, feeling along Hidan's body as he kissed his throat, sucking in the skin. Hidan arched against Kakuzu, hooking his left leg around the missing Falls nin. The priest moaned into Kakuzu's mouth when they kissed again, his hands tracing the stitches criss-crossing along Kakuzu's back. The locket dug into the dead shinobi's chest, pinning Hidan's rosary in between their bodies. The charms, both cursed one way or another, seemed to repel each other. There was a sharp pain as the locket burned like fire on Kakuzu's skin. The missing Falls nin pulled away from Hidan's intoxicating mouth, propping himself up with his hands on either side of the Jashinist's head.
"Kakuzu…" Hidan murmured, his breath hot on Kakuzu's face, "what…?"
"You didn't feel that?"
"I felt something, yeah…" Hidan purred, sliding a hand down in between Kakuzu's legs.
Kakuzu inhaled sharply.
"N-no, that's not what I meant. The pain when our necklaces touched."
"Is that what it was?" Hidan murmured, squeezing.
"Damn it, Hidan, I'm trying to tell you something!" Kakuzu snapped.
"And I'm trying to be nice for once, what the fuck is it?" Hidan retorted angrily, abruptly removing his hand and grasping his rosary.
"That," Kakuzu answered, "take it off."
"What? Fuck you, I just got it back!"
"Take…it…off…" Kakuzu snarled, thrusting his hips into Hidan. The priest hissed, closing his eyes.
"Fuck. Fuck, okay!"
Hidan took a deep breath and lifted his head, slipping his necklace off. He laid it carefully on the tile beside him.
"There. Happy?"
"Yeah," Kakuzu said, licking down Hidan's chest. He sunk his teeth into his nipple, making the priest squirm.
"Fuck!" Hidan gasped.
-xXx-
Kakuzu couldn't quite remember how they'd gotten to the spare bedroom, or when his clothes had vanished. All that really mattered was Hidan. Hidan, underneath him, all around him, beside him. With him.
All the time they'd been together in life, Kakuzu hated Hidan. Another bittersweet irony of his death was that he realized how much he actually loved him. So many lost opportunities…they'd been partners for two years before Kakuzu died. Two years they could have used to share their love and lust.
"Hidan," Kakuzu breathed against Hidan's lips.
"Hmmm?"
"I don't know what to do…" Kakuzu sighed, trailing a finger down Hidan's bare thigh.
"Fuck me again," Hidan urged, shivering at the soft touch.
"That's not what I meant, you bastard," Kakuzu growled.
"Kakuzu!" Hidan gasped, poking at Kakuzu's arm.
"Ow, what?"
Hidan's finger went right through the flesh. Kakuzu winced and slapped Hidan's hand away.
"My body's starting to go," Kakuzu mused. There was no blood from the puncture. It was like his skin was no more than a thin covering, a shell protecting his soul. And it was cracking.
'Then why did it feel so normal while we were having sex? My skin was fine then…' Kakuzu thought, remembering the cut on his lip…the scratches on his back and thighs from Hidan's nails.
"Hidan, I didn't want to tell you too much…but I think I need help with this."
Hidan scooted into a sitting position, hugging his knees to his chest. Kakuzu did want to take Hidan again, but he felt as if there was something wrong…like something was going to happen.
"What is it?" Hidan asked.
"You bound me to Earth using a curse that Jashin taught you, correct?"
Hidan nodded.
"Right…I have this theory…but you may not like it."
Kakuzu tried to think. He held the locket in his palm. Hidan narrowed his eyes at it.
"This locket…it contains water from the river Styx. But the gold it's made out of…I'm wondering if it's from Heaven."
"A necklace from Heaven containing water from Hell. That's fucked up," Hidan said with a laugh.
Kakuzu licked his swollen lips. It would make sense if…yeah…it had to be. Beza was more than a mere demon. He was much, much more than that.
"I think I met Jashin," Kakuzu uttered. Hidan's eyes widened, then his face contorted, mouth open in a snarl.
"FUCK YOU! Jashin would never appear to a non believer, and in Hell of all places!"
Hidan swung his legs over the bed and got up but Kakuzu flung out an arm and wrestled him back on it, tying his arms to the bed post with threads.
"No, just listen to me. I know you don't like it, but hear me out. If my theory is correct…Beza is Jashin. And he used you. No, stop squirming!" Kakuzu snarled, pinning Hidan with his own body weight.
"FUCK YOU!" Hidan spat before Kakuzu slapped his hand to his mouth.
"Just listen!"
Hidan glared up at Kakuzu, uttering muted curses. Kakuzu talked over them.
"He needed a way to stay connected to Earth. I'm still not clear on what he has to do with the bijuu, but he needs them for some reason. He needs that Jinchuuriki to take the locket and use the water."
Hidan froze. Kakuzu let go of Hidan, but kept his hands tied.
"Jashin…Jashin would never do that. I'm his most faithful! His…his only…"
"Only what, Hidan? A pawn….a tool…that's all."
"No, NO, you're fucking with my head!"
"Hidan," Kakuzu said softly, caressing the side of Hidan's face, "I'm not fucking with you."
"Let's…let's say you're right. So what?"
"He's using both of us for something. I'm not sure what. If we keep the locket away from the Jinchuuriki, he can't accomplish his goal."
Kakuzu kissed Hidan's forehead.
"You know, I thought of just killing you with it. I really did. It would be better for everyone."
Kakuzu released Hidan's arms and the priest grabbed Kakuzu's hand.
"What's it like to die?"
Kakuzu smiled.
"It's not so bad."
"If you killed me, you could go back to Hell. But where would I go?"
The old nin frowned.
"I don't know…" Kakuzu whispered, pulling Hidan into his arms and kissing the top of his head. Hidan's hair was disheveled and smelled like sex and sweat. Kakuzu buried his face in that hair…if only he could just stay like this forever…it didn't matter where he ended up, as long as it was with Hidan.
-xXx-
"W-who's there?" Madara whispered harshly in the dark.
A loud creak echoed in the silent prison as the door opened of its own accord. Labored breathing filled the cramped cell. Feet shuffled.
"Answer me!"
"Did he tell you where he was going?" someone growled. The voice may have been that of a man or something much more sinister. There was a growling undertone to the voice, almost like two people were speaking at once.
"Who?"
Naruto stepped out of the shadows, his eyes gleaming red, pupils narrow slits. His teeth, sharp, were bared, fingers curled into tight fists.
Madara's one eye widened and he burst into laughter.
"Oh…Kyuubi, it's you, isn't it? Coming for the locket?"
"Where?" the Kyuubi repeated, its form starting to bubble around Naruto's body.
"I think…yes…yes, Kakuzu mentioned Konan."
"Konan…" Kyuubi repeated.
"Where is Konan?"
"G-guh!" Madara gagged as Naruto picked him up by the throat, digging in his nails.
"H-Hidden Rain!"
Naruto dropped Madara to the ground and turned.
"The locket is in Hidden Rain…near the King of Hell statue…only a matter of time…" Kyuubi growled.
"Take me with you! Please, I know I failed him once, but surely…surely my information is helpful? I could ask his forgiveness! He could restore me to my full power!"
Madara groveled at Naruto's feet. The Kyuubi leered.
"You can ask his forgiveness…in Hell."
"N-no, that's not what…"
Naruto, acting on the Kyuubi's orders, crushed Madara's throat. He tossed the Uchiha to the cold stone and left the cell. Hidden Rain…he had to get to Hidden Rain…
The sixth Hokage ran through the village, heading for the Gates leading out of Konoha. Kyuubi's aura churned about his body, forming four of the nine tails. The massive chakra woke up many of Konoha's inhabitants. They emerged from their homes, facing the direction he had gone.
As Naruto reached the gates, he slid to a halt. Lee, Neji and Tenten stood in his way.
"Naruto-kun," Lee began, hand held up in front of him, "we can't let you leave the village."
'If you don't get rid of them, I'm going to rip off their heads,' the Kyuubi growled in Naruto's head.
"If you don't let me go, I'll kill you!" Naruto yelled and pushed past Lee. Lee tried to grab Naruto but he knocked him away with the sheer force of his chakra. Tenten caught Lee and set him back on his feet.
"Neji, what do we do?" Tenten asked, turning to the Hyuuga.
"We can't possibly fight that. But we can't just let him go, either. Let's summon everyone to go get him back. He could hurt someone out there," Neji said, face stern. Tenten nodded.
"I'll get everyone together!" Lee said running back down the street.
Tenten grabbed Neji's hand. The Hyuuga leaned in and kissed her forehead.
"Scared?" Neji whispered in Tenten's hair.
"A little."
-xXx-
As Naruto sped through the trees, hell bent on reaching Hidden Rain as soon as possible, Kakuzu, Hidan and Konan were sitting in Konan's garden behind her house. Konan sat on the porch steps, folding paper in her hands. Kakuzu and Hidan lounged in the cool grass, staring up at the sky. A red light beamed down at them. Mars. Not a good omen.
"Jashin's Eye," Hidan whispered, pointing at it.
"Is that what you call it?" Kakuzu said.
"Yeah."
Konan finished her paper frog and set it on the grass. She made a hand seal and it began to hop along. Kakuzu watched it. God, if things had been different. Konan would have been a wonderful mother. He could almost imagine a fat little Konan look-a-like chasing the paper frog across the lawn, tripping and scraping his knee. And Konan rushing to him, kissing it better, changing the child's anguished cries into a cheerful giggle.
"Kakuzu?" Konan asked, disrupting Kakuzu's thoughts.
"Yeah?"
"Did you want me to make you one?"
Kakuzu laughed, shaking his head. His face grew serious however when he saw Konan working on another one.
"Konan, I need you to promise me something," Kakuzu said. Konan stopped folding and turned to him.
"Get married and have kids."
Konan's eyes widened. The half finished origami frog fell through her fingers.
"What the fuck, Kakuzu?" Hidan said.
"N-no…its fine," Konan said quietly, dropping her gaze to her hands. She rubbed her fingers together as if she'd gotten something on them.
There was a shrill, faint scream and all three pricked their ears. The ground shook beneath them. Kakuzu jumped to his feet.
"What was that?"
He turned to Konan, hoping she had a sensible answer, but she stared wide-eyed back at him. She and Hidan also got to their feet. Kakuzu glared up at Mars. Jashin's Eye, Hidan had called it. It seemed to wink back at him.
There was a loud bang akin to an explosion and Kakuzu thought of Deidara.
'Please, please let it be him.'
But the bangs continued. A booming roar met their ears.
"What is that?" Konan shrieked, pointing across the grounds.
Far off in the distance, near the cluster of apartments near the village's center, what could only be described as giant tails arched into the sky. They hurled down and smashed the rooftops. People screamed. Konan disappeared in a flutter of paper and flew off towards the attacking monster.
Kakuzu hesitated. He knew it. The locket. The damned locket had drawn it here. Kakuzu counted the tails when they rose back up, reaching towards the sky.
"Eight tails…"
"Fuck!" Hidan yelled as all eight tails struck the ground at once, causing an earthquake that knocked down Konan's fence and shattered the windows of her house.
"Hidan…we need to get out of here," Kakuzu said, grabbing Hidan's wrist.
"Fuck you! We can't leave Konan to fight that thing alone!"
"If we leave, it'll follow us," Kakuzu suggested, but Hidan wrenched his wrist from Kakuzu's grasp.
"No, we go over there first. If Konan gets hurt because of your fucking locket, I'm going to kill you," Hidan snapped.
Kakuzu simply nodded, took Hidan's hand, and the two ran towards the beast.
-xXx-
A/N: Oops, the 'Beza is Jashin' theory popped up earlier than I thought. Little Kunai was the only person to mention that that's what she thought, so she gets a cookie! :D Go read her SasoTen story "Eternity," it's really good!
Oh, and Jeien Uuze. What do YOU think about the theory? Hm…is it true…or not? I won't tell! Next chapter…The Hachibi.