To Hell and Back
-xXx-
Chapter 8: The Hachibi
As women and children fled from the collapsed buildings, shinobi sprung forward. Konan took form and sprouted paper wings, wielding origami weapons. She flew right at the Hachibi, throwing paper shuriken and kunai at the beast and striking it in the face.
The Hachibi flicked out a long forked tongue and opened its mouth wide, hissing. Green tinged drool hung from its gaping jaws in thick, slimy ropes. It shot a stream of water out of its mouth. Konan dodged and it struck a tower behind her. The building's surface melted as if doused with acid.
Kakuzu and Hidan reached the feet of the beast. Hidan gaped up at it.
"What the fuck is it?"
"I think it's a lizard," Kakuzu said, wincing.
The locket burned against his skin and he pulled it out of his shirt. It glowed so bright for a moment that Kakuzu had to shield his eyes. The Hachibi snarled and turned its ugly head, blinking down at the missing Falls nin. Its gold eyes narrowed to slits, pupils shrinking from the locket's light. With a bellowing roar the beast swiped at Kakuzu.
"Shit!" Hidan said, jumping out of the way of the Hachibi's claws.
Kakuzu narrowly dodged, getting scraped by the very point of one of the giant lizard's nails.
"Kakuzu!"
"I'm okay," Kakuzu yelled, feeling his back stinging. If the claws were poisoned, he might be in trouble. But Hidan didn't have to know that.
The priest hopped back at a suitable distance and swung his scythe, slashing through the giant lizard's side. Blood sprayed out of the cut as Hidan ran the three blades through its skin. He swung the weapon around and stabbed the Hachibi again. It reared, tails lashing out, attempting to bowl Hidan over. He leapt straight up into the air, landing lightly on a rooftop.
The beast followed Hidan with its large, bulbous eyes, forked tongue tasting the building he was perched on. The beast hissed and turned its head the other way as Konan sent a flurry of paper throwing stars at it. The Hachibi clawed at the weapons imbedded in its face, howling and spitting.
The blue haired kunoichi kept out of reach of the lizard's claws and whip-like tongue, crafting a flock of origami cranes. She formed a seal and the paper birds dove at the Hachibi, razor sharp beaks honed in on the beast's head. Kakuzu and Hidan watched in awe as the birds pecked out the Hachibi's eyes. Blood gushed from them like morbid geysers, raining down on the shinobi below. Blinded, the beast clawed at its ruined eyes, roaring in pain. It thrashed its tails wildly. The Hachibi's drool mingled with the blood and the very ground started to melt away at its feet.
Carts, discarded bicycles and various shops fell through the widening pit made by the strong acid. If they kept fighting here, Hidden Rain would be reduced to a bottomless pit.
"WE HAVE TO GET THIS THING OUT OF THE VILLAGE NOW!" Kakuzu bellowed.
With a grunt, Kakuzu leapt from building to building, landing squarely on the Hachibi's snout.
"Kakuzu, what the fuck are you doing?!" Hidan screamed.
The missing Falls nin ignored Hidan. He swung the locket like a pendulum on the end of its chain, praying to God (not Jashin, not now that he knew who he was) that this would work. The Hachibi raised its claw, ready to strike, and paused. Though it couldn't quite see, the glow emitted a warm, pleasant heat and a faint high pitched hum.
The beast's talons stopped an inch from Kakuzu's body. Its long forked tongue slid out and slid against Kakuzu's side. He gritted his teeth and winced as the coating of saliva burned him. His clothes smoked. Acid ate through his flesh, but somehow, miraculously, he didn't melt.
"Come on, you bastard," Kakuzu growled, hopping down from the Hachibi and running away from it, swinging the locket around so it hung behind him, a lure for the beast. The Hachibi lumbered behind him, tongue flicking out, tasting the air, nudging at Kakuzu's retreating back.
"It's working!" Hidan said, running after the beast as it pulled its hulking body along, tails swinging side to side and bashing into buildings as if they were made of crumpled balls of paper.
"Konan, remember what I said!" Kakuzu yelled at the kunoichi still poised in the air, flapping her paper wings.
The blue haired kunoichi nodded and raised her hand in farewell. It was the last time she ever saw Kakuzu and Hidan alive.
-xXx-
'Hidden Rain…Hidden Rain…' the Kyuubi chanted in its mind, picking up speed. Naruto was no longer aware of anything. He now bore six tails, his body unrecognizable. The Jinchuuriki resembled a miniature demon fox; body a vivid orange, bright and dark as the fires of Hell itself.
Get to the locket, that's all that mattered to him now. Beza was counting on it. He, Kyuubi, was counting on it. Then…then he would be free of the human shell. And Hell would return to the World.
-xXx-
"Melted the fucking blades to nothing!" Hidan yelled in anguish as he drew back his scythe, now no more than a rod.
The three sharp blades had completely disintegrated.
"Worry about that later!" Kakuzu roared, his arms extended from his body. He ran in quick circles, his threads wrapping around the Hachibi's scaly feet.
Kakuzu leapt backwards and the threads tightened. Hoping he still had enough chakra control, the missing Falls nin tugged hard. In one fell pull, the threads sliced the giant lizard's legs off. The beast collapsed on itself as its limbs crumpled, lifeless, underneath it.
Blood pooled beneath the beast, and it sunk into the ground as the Hachibi drooled. The acid, earth eating saliva carved out a hollow grave for the monster. The blood filled the pit.
"Drown in your own blood, you fucking scythe eating bastard!" Hidan shouted, throwing rocks at the creature as it struggled to keep its head above the blood.
As its snout went under the surface and bubbles stirred the blood, Kakuzu sighed.
"I'd have to say…that was easier than I thought. I suppose it's true…bijuu are weaker without a host."
"Easy? I lost my fucking scythe! You're injured! Konan's village is in ruins! What the fuck do you mean, easy?"
"We're both alive, aren't we? So is Konan. That's good enough for me."
Hidan spluttered, but Kakuzu closed the distance between them and stifled the priest's protests with his mouth. Hidan wrapped his arms around Kakuzu and cried out when he touched the slashes in the older nin's back, breaking the kiss.
"Ow, it's burning! Shit, Kakuzu, what if…"
"Shut up, Hidan. My body's crumbling anyway," Kakuzu said, making a fist. His knuckles cracked audibly.
"Sounds like breaking bones," Hidan said hollowly, taking Kakuzu's hand and pulling it up to his face.
"As long as my body holds out until this is all over, I'm fine with it."
Hidan bit down on Kakuzu's finger and the missing nin hissed.
"Ow, it won't last if you bite my damned fingers off!"
"You're far more lovable dead than you were in life," Hidan whispered, running his tongue along the teeth marks.
Kakuzu laughed. It echoed across the plains on the outskirts of Hidden Rain.
"I think you're right…must have left my real self back in Hell."
"No…no that's not it. It's still you, but maybe it's the act of dying? You appreciate life more, now that you're dead?"
Kakuzu kissed Hidan, threads snaking out to explore the priest's mouth. They scratched along the roof of his mouth and Hidan choked.
"Freaky ass tentacles," Hidan growled as Kakuzu withdrew them.
There was a rumbling gurgle behind them. They turned to see the last few bubbles of the Hachibi's breath. The locket went dark and cold against Kakuzu's chest. Hidan sighed, clasping his rosary.
"Now what?"
Kakuzu sat down on the ground with a grunt.
"Let me rest for a minute and think."
Hidan sat down beside Kakuzu, staring at the red lake, stars reflected in its still surface. Hachibi Lake. Maybe it would be a tourist attraction. Konan could sell tickets; build a little museum next to it. Perhaps one day Hidden Rain could outdo Konoha. Hidan snorted with laughter.
"What's so funny?" Kakuzu asked gruffly.
"Come one, come all, to Hachibi Lake!" Hidan yelled, waving his arms for emphasis. He giggled.
Kakuzu smiled, shaking his head.
"Dumb ass…"
Hidan kicked Kakuzu playfully in the knee.
"Don't kick me; I'm old and apt to wearing out."
"You can't play the old and brittle card; you could crush my head with your fucking han…FUCK!"
Hidan's pink eyes bulged, staring behind Kakuzu. The locket burned so hot it made Kakuzu's skin bubble. He slowly turned his head, fearing the worst.
There, perched on a loose boulder, stood the demon fox, seven tails trailing behind it like flames.
"The locket… give it to me…" Kyuubi snarled, grinning and showing all of its teeth.
Kakuzu's breath caught in his throat. Shit, he hadn't expected the Jinchuuriki to show up already. Kakuzu and Hidan leapt to their feet. The missing Falls nin pulled the locket out of his shirt. Upon seeing it, the Kyuubi's feral eyes widened. Drool spilled out between its fangs.
"To me…" it said, holding out a claw.
Kakuzu took a step forward. Hidan grabbed his arm.
"No, what are you doing?"
"Run back to the village, Hidan."
"NO! Not unless you go with me!"
"Can't."
"Give it…to meeee…"
"KAKUZU!"
The Kyuubi lunged. Kakuzu pushed Hidan away as he was knocked to his feet. The monster clawed at him with its sharp nails, digging deep into his flesh.
"Give it to me!" Kyuubi roared, raising a claw-like hand high and bringing it down on Kakuzu's neck.
Hidan screamed. Blood sprayed into the air. The Kyuubi lowered its head as if to bite Kakuzu, and shook its head, a low, gravelly laugh piercing the night.
"I have it! I HAVE IT!"
"No, Kakuzu!" Hidan yelled as the Kyuubi climbed off of the fallen man. It let out another cry and galloped away on all fours.
"Fuck," Hidan gasped, tears stinging his eyes as he collapsed beside Kakuzu.
Blood bubbled out of his throat, which was gaping open, revealing the muscle and bone underneath. Kakuzu clutched feebly at it, eyes rolling. Hidan placed his hand over the wound, coming away red with Kakuzu's blood.
"Fuck, fuck, please don't die!"
"I'm…argh…al…already…"
"Don't you fucking try to tell me you're already dead!"
Kakuzu stopped talking. He traced Hidan's lips with his finger; the one Hidan had bitten earlier.
"D-dumb…" Kakuzu choked out.
"Stop talking, asshole!" Hidan shrieked, eyes darting around wildly, seeking out help from anything, anyone. Someone.
Kakuzu raked his fingers in the grass. Hidan buried his face in Kakuzu's chest, shoulders shaking as he sobbed.
"I can't let you leave me now…not now….when I'm so unsure of everything! I love you, fuck, I love you…if you die again, I'm afraid you're going to Heaven this time. But I couldn't possibly go there…not if what you said was true…oh fuck," Hidan gasped, crying harder.
His tears stained Kakuzu's front, hands fisted in his shirt.
"Fuck you for leaving me again! Fuck you!" Hidan choked.
"Quit blubbering like a genin girl," Kakuzu growled.
Hidan looked up, eyes red, and gaped. Kakuzu was sitting, nudging Hidan away. Stitches now held closed the gaping wound.
"Did you forget about my bloodline limit, or what?" Kakuzu said, eyes twinkling with amusement.
"Oh, you are a fucking asshole! You let me sit here and cry my fucking eyes out while you laid their sewing your shit up!"
"Well it was sort of hard to talk for a moment."
Hidan glared.
"I…we need to go after that demon."
"What? Why? That thing is way stronger than the bijuu. How could we possibly take the locket away from it?"
"Something bad is going to happen if the Kyuubi uses the locket. Something much worse than what Akatsuki was planning all those years ago."
"Fuck…"
"Just don't lose your rosary. It might be the only weapon we have left," Kakuzu ordered, and made off towards the Jinchuuriki. Hidan followed.
-xXx-
Team Gai raced through the forest. It seemed that there had been some sort of bijuu attack on Hidden Rain, and Konoha, fearing Naruto may have been involved, sent out every available nin they could. Team Gai was already in pursuit of Naruto when others set out.
"Faster, you two, faster!" Gai said, spurring on his team.
"If we speed up, we can reach Hidden Rain in a day!" Lee exclaimed brightly.
He was so far ahead of the others all they could see was a green pinprick off in the distance. Neji narrowed his eyes.
"Lee, we're going as fast as we can!" Tenten gasped.
"WHAAAAT? I can't hear you from so far away!" Lee yelled behind him.
Tenten groaned.
"Sensei, we understand the situation, but wearing ourselves out won't help! Right Neji?"
"Hn."
-xXx-
Kyuubi sought out the underground cavern where the King of Hell statue was housed. It formed a series of hand seals and splayed its fingers on the ground. The blood of the dead shinobi the Kyuubi had clawed seeped into the soft earth. With a shudder, the rocky ground began to part, opening a doorway. Loose dirt flowed onto the aged stone stairs.
The demon fox squeezed the locket and ran down the steps, its fiery form swallowed by the shadows. Kakuzu and Hidan saw the beast disappear into the ground. When several minutes had passed, Kakuzu stepped out of their cover and approached the steps.
"This is it, Hidan. Breathe in the air while you can. I don't think we're going to leave this cave alive."
"You always were so optimistic before a fight," Hidan sneered.
The priest squeezed his rosary, much like the Kyuubi had done with the locket, and descended into darkness. Kakuzu watched his silver hair disappear, hesitating. He wasn't afraid of dying. But he was afraid of what he might find…
Taking a deep breath, as if preparing to dive under water, Kakuzu followed in Hidan's wake.
The stairs went down far. Kakuzu counted three hundred and forty-seven steps before they hit a landing. Hidan had paused there, muttering under his breath, rosary clasped tight in his hand. Another flight of stairs descended into the inky depths of the underground chasm.
"Hidan, keep going."
The priest seemed to snap out of a trance.
"Y-yeah…"
Hidan started to move again, slowly walking down the stairs. He extended a hand, reaching for Kakuzu's. The missing Falls nin took it, squeezing. Hidan's skin was cold and clammy.
"Scared?"
"Fuck yeah. We're descending into Hell, Kakuzu."
"I've been to Hell. Don't worry."
"This Hell is far, far worse," Hidan whispered.
The stairs wound in a gradual circle, spiraling downwards for nearly a mile. The air grew hot and stuffy, both men panting and breaking out in sweat. As ninja, they could have easily jumped down, to save time, but who knew what was waiting at the bottom?
Finally, Kakuzu and Hidan stepped onto flat, solid ground. Water dripped. Somewhere in the dark, tiny feet scurried across damp stone. Rats.
Suddenly, there was a loud, drawn out moan of pain. Something heavy thudded to the ground. More moaning, accompanied by hissing and growling. The voices of beasts filled the black space and made both men shiver.
"What is that?" Hidan asked. He groped for Kakuzu's hand in the dark and stared into the slightly gleaming green of Kakuzu's eyes.
"Bijuu. We're too late."
"Can they do…whatever it is they have to do…with one of them dead?"
"Not sure. I'd hope not, but it seems unlikely."
Kakuzu and Hidan exchanged a dark look. Hidan closed his eyes and exhaled slowly.
"Ready?" Kakuzu asked.
Hidan nodded. Together, he and Kakuzu walked towards the source of the wailing beasts.
-xXx-
A/N: The Hachibi is a comodo dragon. I've read somewhere that their saliva is poisonous or something, so I thought it wasn't too far of a stretch for a giant comodo dragon to have acid for drool. Little Kunai pointed me to a forum that discusses the bijuu and lists what each one may be, but I chose to stick with my own ideas. I'll list the bijuu's animal forms in the next chapter, most likely.
Please review and tell me what you think! Only two chapters left! T.T I don't want it to end!