A/N: I am so absolutely and completely sorry that I am a terrible updater, that I hope you guys have some pity…

For the curious, the title of this chapter means "danger" in Latin. Also, this fic was originally supposed to be at most five chapters, but that has been extended. Now I'm not really sure when it will end, but I'm assuming it will be around ten chapters, like The Game. I'm guessing that ten is my lucky fan fiction number.

Points to the botanist who can tell the symbolism behind the new bouquet Hitomi's admirer leaves this time!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or "Zombie." Naruto belongs to Kishimoto and "Zombie" belongs to The Cranberries.

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Chapter 3: Pereculum

"Another head hangs lowly; childhood slowly taken.

And the violence causes silence. Who are we mistaken?

But you see it's not me, it's not my family

In your head; in your head they're fighting.

In your head; in your head they're dying."

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Some unknown, silent stirring of the darkness woke me, my face drenched in cold sweat as I opened my eyes. I searched the darkness for what had roused me, my heart still thundering from a vivid but unremembered nightmare. That's when I noticed a sliver of light falling across my legs.

I lifted my head off my pillow, lowering my blankets as quietly as possible. My eyes followed the light's pale trail, arriving on the window. A corner of the quilt had fallen off the wall, revealing a section of moonlit night. I sighed, relieved that the quilt falling was what wakened me, and not some other, more sinister phenomenon. I looked around the room once more as I rose from my bed to re-tack the quilt. But before I had made it a single step, my eyes were drawn to a sight I never wished to see.

My eyes locked on two reflective golden eyes. My heart froze as I stared back at them through the window. Before I could muster a scream, the eyes seemed to realize what I planned to do and disappeared. Grabbing my vase full of poisonous flowers, I hurled it after the eyes. The sound of shattered carnival and window glass accompanied my delayed scream.

As I made it into the hallway, my father and several of the seven guests were there. All were rain ninja passing into or out of Amegakure. One of our frequent guests, a kunoichi, grabbed my shoulders in a motherly gesture of protection as I stood in shock, searching for my father in the crowd. The rest of the night was a blur as my father assessed what had happened, relaying it to the assembled group of his peers.

The two Akatsuki who had checked in last night volunteered to investigate, and left to search the grounds. Somehow, the guests were shuffled back to their rooms, and I was placed in Emiko's stuffy bedroom, which had a frosted window and was directly above the fireplace downstairs.

So I snuggled into Emiko's arms, comforted by the meager protection they offered. The pitch-blackness enveloped us both, setting us apart from the lighted world.

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Two faded slate blue orbs rested in hollow, pale cheeks with dark rings hanging around them. I had gotten little sleep, even with the comfort of Emiko's room. I sighed at the ghostly girl in the mirror, the sigh turning to a yawn. It was surprisingly easy to convince myself that I wasn't going to look better any time soon, and should go rustle up some coffee for myself and the sleep-deprived guests. Maybe the two Akatsuki would have some good news for me.

On my way into the kitchen, I grabbed the newspaper from the mail box that opened on either side of the wall. If the newspaper was outside, there was no way I'd waste the energy on it. My hand gripped the smooth paper as I walked into the dining room. Many of our guests were already up, some dressed and some in pajamas. They looked exhausted, rivaling my dull disposition. I nodded in greeting before passing them into the kitchen.

Soon, coffee was made in an industrial-sized dispenser and placed on a side table in the dining room. All of the assembled guests (numbering five) and my family drank the coffee like water. Emiko finished preparing a breakfast of eggs and lightly seasoned rice, two large bowls set in the center of our gigantic dinner table. A chorus of sleepy 'itadakimasu' was heard, and everyone dug in.

I made three plates. One for me, and one for each of the late Akatsuki members, who I learned were sleeping after a long night. My mind moved slowly, but even in my exhaustion I asked questions. Had they found anything? I doubted it, or they would have at least told father. And even more interesting, who were they? I knew they were Akatsuki, but which ones? I would look them up in my father's bingo book as soon as I got the chance, if I didn't find out before then.

I picked up the newspaper, yawning loudly as I unfolded it to the front page. I opened my eyes, scanning the characters on the headline. My blood ran cold, and I gasped. My hand covering my mouth, and I lowered the paper to the table.

"What's the matter, Hitomi-chan?" asked Sora, the kunoichi who had hugged me after the eyes appeared earlier this morning. I gestured with my free hand to the headline. In seconds, everyone in the room was investigating the paper. Kaoru picked it up to read the headline aloud.

"Multiple murders to be investigated, shinobi involved," Kaoru began, glancing at us to see if we wanted him to continue. A few of us nodded, and he delved back into the paper.

"Directly following yesterday's council meeting, where a new decree was presented to our town, multiple brutal murders occurred. Among those killed were council member Nakano Tatsuo, a prominent grain farmer, and his nephew Shiki. Shinobi have investigated the scene but have told officials nothing as of yet. The local authorities have also inspected the crime scenes and determined that all of the victims found were killed with the same weapon. Said weapon shredded the skin of the deceased, and all of the victims held a parchment or paper bearing the word 'Punishment.' There are no leads in this case," he finished, laying down the paper.

I closed my eyes as talk erupted, falling into my own world of silence. Things like this weren't supposed to happen; not here! I shook my head briefly, trying to reason these events out logically. Then it dawned on me.

"The Akatsuki," I said, and all of the people in the room stopped to look inquisitively at me. I opened my eyes, taking in the motley group of shinobi and civilians. A blush crept up my cheeks as I shook my head in dismissal, gesturing to my two extra plates.

"Uh, these plates are for the two Akatsuki upstairs," I covered as best I could and picked up their trays. I stood as gracefully as my jittery disposition allowed. "I'm, uh, going to set them outside their doors," I mumbled, leaving the room in an embarrassed hurry. I happily noted that the conversation had restarted as I rounded towards the main staircase. Releasing a sigh of relief, I allowed my mind to consider the facts behind the murders.

The murders directly followed yesterday's council meeting. At least the two names mentioned in the paper were people who challenged the order from God, Nakano the most argumentatively. The Akatsuki worked for God. Had one of them been in the meeting room, scoping out who the troublemakers were? If so…My clan was safe. Inadvertently, I had made sure of that much.

I set the plates in front of their doors, turning back towards the stairwell. As I reached the railing, I looked back, making sure I wasn't followed. Going down the service stairs, I silently made my way outside.

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The journal rested in the same place I had left it in, next to a bouquet of fresh lavender branches. I picked up the plastic-wrapped book, dusting it off and opening it.

"The gifts I've given to you are no where near as beautiful as you, remember that always.

If you ever need help, please ask. I'll help in whatever way I can. I'm always here for you, Hitomi."

I closed the book for a few minutes, a wry smile contorting my lips. My more prudent conscience told me to stop this correspondence before something terrible happened, or someone found out. But a part of me, hidden and tremulous, longed for the feeling of doing something forbidden.

I grabbed the pen, the darker side of me gaining sway over my better judgment, and wrote my reply in desperation.

"Please, who are you? Are you with the government, do you live in town? Nearby? What is your name?

What I need is a friend, if you are willing to be one."

I wrote, tears not far from falling. I forced them back into my eyes, blinking them away as I blew the characters dry. I closed the book, wiped my eyes on my sleeve, grabbed the bouquet, and left the woods. I felt a cloud of nervousness follow me, as if the book would grow legs and follow me, revealing my secret. I dismissed it, setting into the many chores left at the hotel.

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"I'm going to, um, deliver these upstairs," I stuttered, taking two plates of food from the counter, where Emiko had been diligently making lunches for our guests. Not many remained out of the original seven, only the two Akatsuki and Sora hanging back at our inn.

Walking upstairs as silently as possible, I set the two covered serving trays on the floor in front of their doors, noticing their empty breakfast dishes. I picked them up, trying to listen for rustles or snores. I heard nothing to prove they were in the rooms. Turning, I stopped as I felt a hot breath on my neck. It was all I could do not to scream and drop the dirty dishes held in my cold hands.

"Thank you for breakfast, Hitomi-san," the Akatsuki with the smooth voice said, and I turned back around to face and welcome him. A thrill of intimidation swept through my veins as I realized that he could be the killer of all those people. He, or his partner, or both. I bowed, positive that I was visibly shaking. As I stood back up, the other Akatsuki exited his room, his hat no longer covering his face.

The taller man had skin the same color as my eyes, a light blue. He also had gills. When the blue man smiled, I saw that he possessed pointy, razor-sharp looking triangular teeth. He laughed as I backed up. The blue man's partner put his hand on my shoulder, stopping my escape.

"Always the same reaction, ne Itachi-san," the blue man laughed, winking at me conspiratorially. I stayed frozen under the hand of the blue man's partner. I glanced slightly sideways into the intelligent and frightening eyes of the handsome Akatsuki, who I now recognized as Itachi. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I recognized his entry in the bingo book. I tried to remain calm. After all, these men worked for God, and so did I, (in a sense) putting us on the same side, the side of Amegakure.

"We must speak with you in private," he said, and I nodded. My heart thundered as we entered one of the Akatsuki's rooms, closing and locking the door behind us. I broke out in a cold sweat as the shorter man crossed the room to lock the window and close the blinds. Suddenly, both closed their eyes and focused on something. I backed into the corner of the room, wanting to fall to my knees as they turned into jelly. I surmised that they closed their eyes to either listen for something, or search for something that my dad called a 'chakra signature.' After a few seconds of waiting, I allowed my eyes to slide closed in an attempt to calm myself.

"Hitomi-san," the blue man addressed me, and I opened my eyes to see his face a few feet from me. Both of them seemed to study me, and I shivered as their gazes assessed my face. I wished I could melt into the wall, disappear forever.

"So you guessed. I'll have to admit, you have some brains hidden behind that pretty face," the blue man laughed, sitting on a wooden chair by a matching desk. He reached forward, taking my dishes and gesturing that I sit in the other chair. The handsome man didn't bother to sit, instead, leaning against a wall. I sat, my hands wringing each other nervously in my lap as I stared at the floor.

"My name is Kisame, and this is Itachi," Kisame introduced, and I bobbed my head in acknowledgement, still looking at the floor.

"No one can know about us," Itachi said lowly, and I looked up at him to show that I wasn't going to argue. I believed that even if the Akatsuki and God had a rough grip on this country, they were still the best option for us. A fierce loyalty connected me to my shinobi village, and that was something that nobody could question. If the Akatsuki wanted me to keep silent, I wouldn't utter a word.

"No one will, Itachi-Sama," I vowed, surprising myself by not stuttering once. He nodded. Kisame released a sigh of what sounded like relief, as if he was nervous about how I would react. I found that thought funny, imagining a grown man shattering his sanity over my answer. That was something men did in fairytales, not real life.

"What's so funny?" Kisame asked good-naturedly, and I realized that I was smiling. Quickly schooling my expression, I shook my head.

"I… I didn't, um, stutter," I lied, and Kisame laughed again, believing me. I doubted his good mood could withstand my thoughts about his sigh of relief. I glanced over at Itachi, whose eyebrow had raised a little. I paled, wondering if he caught my lie. He didn't push the subject, though. Instead, he addressed me for a different reason.

"It was impossible for us to find leads in the murder case last night, as you guessed," Itachi said, changing the subject. I tacked on a silent because you are the leads, but didn't dare say it aloud. I nodded, my attention focused on every last syllable.

"As for your yellow-eyed man…" Kisame continued, looking over at Itachi as he finished his part of the sentence. Itachi moved from the wall, glancing around the room.

"We cannot say whether or not we found him," Itachi said cryptically, steadily gazing into my eyes, as if trying to convey a message he couldn't say aloud. I met his gaze, trying to puzzle out what he really meant. They found the man, but couldn't catch him? The man caught them unprepared? They already knew the man and let him go? My eyes widened as Itachi's turned red. I tried to look away, but couldn't.

"Itachi-san?" Kisame asked Itachi, waving a hand in an attempt to gain his attention. The world before me became nothing but the red of his eyes. Kisame disappeared, leaving only Itachi and I. I tried to move or speak, finding myself paralyzed. What was going on? I wanted to cry in frustration, but I couldn't feel tears falling down my cheeks.

"Hitomi, you are safe as long as you never utter a word about this," he instructed me. I wanted to nod, or show some form of understanding, but remained mute and immobile. It seemed as though my whole world revolved around the words Itachi spoke, and his spinning, hypnotizing crimson eyes.

"We will not hesitate to kill your family if you disobey," my heart stilled, ice seeping into my veins. Somehow, this dangerous shinobi had discovered my true weakness, my love for my family. I wanted to scream, tell him not to dare lay a hand on them, and Itachi seemed to understand just through my gaze.

"The man you've been seeing, we could not detract him from you," he said, an undertone of regret echoing through the room. I was becoming nauseas, the spinning commas of his eyes stirring dizziness.

"Be careful," Itachi finished, and I was thrust back into the real world. My body was limp, Kisame's hand stopping me from pitching forwards off of my chair. Tears streamed down my face, unchecked because of my immobile state. Kisame glanced up at his partner, a question concealed in his eyes. I slipped into unconsciousness.

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"…Passed out from exhaustion. I assume she hasn't slept much recently," I heard Kisame tell my nervous cousins from my spot on Kaoru's bed. I cracked my eyes open, searching the room for my father. He should have been there. Where was he?

"Thank you, Akatsuki-Sama," Emiko told Itachi, bowing gratefully. It seemed that all my family did lately was thank people and bow. How far had my prestigious family fallen since our days as royalty before I was born? Suddenly, my heart froze. I remembered Itachi's threat. Growing sick, I leaned over the edge of the bed, just in case. The only thing I could think about was how much I wished I didn't know anything about the murders.

"Hitomi, are you alright?" Kaoru asked, rushing to my side with his trashcan. Heaving the meager contents of my stomach into the blue pail, I felt a blush color my peaked cheeks. Showing any form of weakness in front of the two Akatsuki was embarrassing and demeaning. I wiped my mouth with the tissue Emiko handed me, turning to glare at the two cloaked men.

I barely registered the nervous commotion as my cousins fussed over me, focusing on Itachi and Kisame. It seemed to me that although Emiko and Kaoru were older than I, that it was my duty to protect them. They suddenly seemed very naïve and innocent to me, needing some form of protection from the outside world. I then realized that for the moment, I was the one who could be their shield. I used this surge of pride in my newfound responsibility to enhance my gaze at the Akatsuki members.

I tried to convey, without speaking, that my family was to be left alone. That I wouldn't let them touch us. That I wouldn't leak even a whisper about what I now knew. Nodding, Itachi and Kisame seemed to understand. Kisame cracked a quick smirk, and they left Kaoru's room, to leave for Ame. With their presence, an overwhelming feeling of being watched also went, leaving me, for a time, happily alone with my family.