AN: Sasuke and Neji may seem a little ooc in this chapter but please remember that they are both in a very stressful environment. The conclusion of this Arc will be in the next chapter, and I have decided to add another chapter. So this story will end at chapter 24 instead of 23.
Warning: By this point it's apparent that this story is an emotional rollercoaster filled with various typos and grammatical errors (no beta ) enjoy :3
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-o0o-
Madara was the epitome of melodramatic. That was what Saki thought while he tortured her. Mozart played softly in the background of his long winded monologue about tools and their uses. Tools were only used to carry out a certain function - a task rather. She knew that - had known that all of her life. So the fact that he felt the need to remind her in such a dramatic fashion grated on her nerves, but what could she do when her hands and feet were zip tied?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing. And what was a tool if it had no purpose?
Useless.
Utterly and hopelessly useless, just like her existence. Saki had gone through so much to get to that point, to kill only one man and she had failed miserably.
"Hiashi has really trained you well. I wonder if you are immune to all poisons." Madara mused aloud as he inspected the surgical tools that were neatly laid out. "Like cyanide, perhaps."
"Never know unless you try." Why prolong it? Death was inevitable and it would one day come for them all - even Madara who viewed himself as untouchable. True enough, Saki didn't really want to die there; in a basement of some snob's mansion. But what was left for her? Her intended was already married to another man. What else did she have?
"We were all born to die." Saki told him.
"You know," Madara peered down at her and smiled. "I never really liked you. You're rather snarky and you lack the proper etiquette of a lady. What could Hiashi have ever promised the likes of you? A higher position in the clan? Marriage to a Main house member?" He went on to ridicule her for being so incompetent and naive as he picked up a scalpel.
Closing her eyes, Saki recalled the madman's previous plans before shit hit the fan. He wanted her to return to the compound and rally the Branch to start a coup d'état against the Main. It would have worked, especially after she showed them how Hizashi really died. She had never laid eyes on the footage, but if Madara was convinced that it was enough to start a revolt than she could only imagine. Of course, she planned on doing nothing of the sort.
Once the slicing began she didn't give him the satisfaction by screaming. In fact, Saki remained as silent as the dead. Sparring with Tokuma had been far worse. Surviving in the wilderness for a week had been way worse than being tortured by the elderly.
"Hiashi had initially been under the impression that I wanted you to sate my," Madara paused as he admired his handy work. "My carnal desires. I wonder, how did he prepare you for that?"
He hadn't. When Saki was old enough she asked him if it would be wise for her to at least be remotely experienced. Hiashi simply replied that it would be best if Madara believed that she was untouched. So she would need to remain that way. That was the only time that she had ever defied the clan head. There was no way that she was going to allow herself to be unprepared. Her first time had been a clinical experience; nothing more.
"Unfortunately, I am not interested in anything like that. It would appear that all of your training has been for naught. How does it feel knowing that all of your life has been a complete waste, Saki?"
Mouth still bloody from the earlier beating, she smiled. "You tell me." She snickered at the enraged look in his eyes. Then everything went black.
Madara stared at his bloody and bruised knuckles. Hitting women wasn't really his style but he had to make an exception. After cleaning up he carried her to the den where he made a nice video to send to his darling nephew. What he wouldn't give to see the look on his face. Especially when he realized that twelve hours were actually six and that no matter who he chose - they both would die.
Meanwhile, Kimimaro was in Konoha awaiting his signal to infiltrate the Hyuga compound.
"Do I have your attention now, Hashirama?" He stared at the vaulted ceiling. "Am I all that you see?" His longing gaze morphed into a bitter scowl.
Contrary to popular belief Love was truly the root of all evil. Madara's love for his brother Izuna caused him great depression after his death. It was how he and Hashirama bonded; they both had siblings who died young. From that bond grew unrequited love and his love for Hashirama drove him insane. Hashirama's love for Mito caused the near annihilation of the Uzumaki clan.
Konan and Yahiko's love for their best friend eventually started the Akatsuki. Also, Obito's love and loyalty towards Madara was his own undoing. To this day, he wished that Shisui was the one that he corrupted instead. Unfortunately, Shisui's loyalty to Itachi was unbreakable - only death was able to sever that bond.
Then Itachi came along; so young, innocent and foolish with his love for his younger brother. Madara couldn't help but to show every last one of them why love was such a useless emotion. The pain that he knowingly caused all of them was what kept him alive.
He thrived off of their sorrow.
Apparently Itachi forgot the lesson that he had taught him all of those years ago. Love was crippling, it was a consistent source of pain. And yet his half witted nephew had the audacity to marry someone. Someone that just so happened to be the nephew of his nemesis - it was as if they were taunting him. Testing him.
Madara didn't like to be tested. Itachi had seemed to forget that he had the power to take everything that he held dear and crush it. And he planned on reminding him.
Reluctantly, Hidan released Neji's face in order to answer his phone. Sparing another glance at the distraught expression on the boy's face, he smiled before stepping out of the room. Madara was calling him to more than likely issue another order. When he answered the phone he immediately rolled his eyes at how right he was . As if the bastard couldn't just get off his lazy ass and tell him face to face.
Ending the call, Hidan walked back into the room. The video had ended but Neji was still staring blankly at the screen.
"Hime, I have to go handle a few things. But don't worry I won't be leaving you alone." He removed the tape from the boy's arms and legs. Surprisingly, Neji remained silent. He didn't even put up a fight when he was thrown over the older man's shoulder. It was like Hidan was carrying a rag doll instead of a human being.
Bypassing the room that he'd previously held Neji in, he opened the door and stepped out into the hall of the bunker. Outside of the room, two guards stood on either side of the hall. He didn't really care for the mercenaries that Madara had hired. They were just walking shields for the old man to use when shit started to pop off.
Approaching the makeshift holding cell, Hidan waited on the guard to unlock the door, but he didn't move fast enough. "The hell you waiting on?" He waved his free hand at the man in a demanding gesture. "Open this bitch up!"
Once the door was open, he stepped in and noticed the other occupant was passed out before he gently placed Neji on the cold floor. Looking into the boy's eyes was like staring into an endless void. A small - minuscule part of him felt remorseful for showing his Hime the video, but he needed to see it. Only then would he understand that they were destined to be together. Before he left he removed his own shirt and slipped it over Neji's head. The teen remained completely unresponsive as Hidan dressed him.
"I'll be back soon, Hime."
The other occupant wasn't passed out; he had only been pretending to be asleep when he heard the door to the cell opening. Sasuke waited until Hidan was gone until he sat up and looked over at Neji.
Hesitantly, he moved towards the other boy. As cliché as it sounded, Neji looked as if he'd just seen a ghost. His skin was so pale that it gave him an ethereal glow in the dim cell. "Neji?" He kept his hands to himself because he understood the concept of personal space. Yet his hands were almost painful in their desire to reach out to tap the boy's shoulder to pull him out of his seemingly catatonic state. "Neji?" He asked again.
There was only one small window in the cell. It was too high up on the wall to properly illuminate the area so when Neji turned his head, he could only see a pair of familiar dark orbs.
Sasuke instantly tensed when Neji wrapped his arms around his waist. Violently his heart thumped in his chest; he had thought that the boy was about to attack him. An eternity seemed to pass before he allowed his body to relax. "Neji?" The older boy was holding on to him for dear life and it honestly scared Sasuke. This couldn't be the same guy that stabbed someone in the eye with a fork just hours ago.
"He made me watch..." Neji whispered. "He made me watch, Itachi." He clenched his eyes shut to will away the horrific images. "I tried to look away..."
Instinctively, Sasuke returned the embrace. Leaning back against the wall in order to support them both, he placed his hand on the back of Neji's head. Countless nights of comforting Naruto after he'd woken up from a nightmare about Kyuubi prepared him for this moment.
"What did he do to you?" Sasuke really wanted to know because he was still thinking about how spirited Neji was only hours ago. What could they do to break someone like the Hyuga?
Neji's mind was still back in that room, seated in the wooden chair, watching his father being tortured. "Turn it off Itachi!" He desperately clung to the fabric of the man's shirt. The salacious sounds were still reverberating through his mind as the images continued to flash before his eyes. "Please Itachi turn it off! I can't take it anymore! Make it stop!"
Taking slow steady breaths, Sasuke instructed Neji to mimic him. However the boy continued to beg him to "turn it off". Sasuke tried to pull him back, but Neji's hold was like iron. He needed to try to bring the boy back to reality or things were going to get worse. "You're safe now, Neji." As safe as he could be seeing that they were in a dreary holding cell.
Sasuke looked around the cell and scowled. He needed to describe their surroundings but hearing that they were in a cell would do nothing to ease Neji's distress. "Neji, I need you to think about the safest place in the world. Where you know that you'll never have to feel afraid or alone."
Tears fell heavily down Neji's face as he tried to wrack his mind for a safe place. His father's scream were too loud, making it difficult for him to think clearly. He could still feel Hidan's hands on his face as he held him in place and made him watch. Neji shivered in discuss as he recalled how the man's tongue felt on his face.
Closing his eyes, Sasuke let out a shaky breath. "You're safe, Neji. I'm here now." It was a terrible imitation of Itachi, but it was better than nothing. "He can't hurt you anymore..." Did they use pet names? "Baby?" Grimacing, Sasuke couldn't even picture his brother saying that to anyone. "He can't hurt you anymore, Neji."
Gradually, the pandemonium in Neji's mind quieted and his hold on the boy's shirt relaxed.
"What do you see, Neji?" Sasuke quietly asked.
"Iron gates." Neji mumbled against his shirt as he envisioned himself walking into the safest place in the world. "Cobbled driveway..." A place where he felt safe and secure.
Silently, Sasuke listened to Neji give him small details of the place that he was imagining. Unconsciously, his grip on the teen tightened when he realized that he was describing the Uchiha estate. If Neji had been inside of their home there was no denying it anymore.
"The safest place is with you, Itachi."
Neji eventually fell asleep and Sasuke lowered him to the floor. Standing up, he walked around the cell in order to stretch his legs and clear his head. Neji was in love with his older brother. Not only that, Itachi more than likely reciprocated his feelings because he didn't just bring anyone to their house. In fact, it took Itachi months to grant Naruto permission to step foot into the mansion.
As insignificant as it may seem to most, an invitation inside of their home was the closest thing to a marriage proposal as far as dating went.
So now that he was convinced that Neji and his brother were involved, what did that mean? Madara had told him that the only reason why he hasn't been saved was because Itachi had been too busy spending his time with Neji. At first, the words stung. He'd been so used to being the center of Itachi's world for so long that the thought of anyone else taking his place...it didn't sit right with him.
During those restless nights - which were every night - he had time to reflect on his life. Itachi had been the only consistent factor in his life, and he'd even admit to taking his brother for granted on several occasions. However, being held captive by his uncle had really been an eye opener.
Madara told him that Itachi only lied to him and kept him in the dark, but was that such a bad thing? Since Sasuke had been with his uncle he'd witnessed things that would haunt his nights for days to come. He had always known that safety was an illusion. Nonetheless, he had been pretty damn comfortable with living a lie. It wasn't until his brother was possibly in danger that he decided to tamper with his own fabrication of reality.
Sasuke had just been a normal teenager, excited and nervous about his last year of high school. He was happy with Naruto and the small group of friends that he'd made. In short, life had been perfect. As perfect as it could possibly be.
And it was all thanks to Itachi.
How could he ever begin to repay his brother for everything that he had done to keep him safe? Glancing down at the unconscious man on the floor, Sasuke saw his answer.
"Does it ever get better?" Itachi paused to wipe his mouth. Looking at the former contents of his stomach made him want to puke again but he swallowed it back. "Will I be able to...stomach this?"
Lying was beneath Kisame; he preferred to be straightforward regardless of how fucked up the truth may be. Yet glancing over at the young boy, he felt the sudden urge to lie. Konan advised him to be careful of how he spoke around Itachi and try to keep the boys' hands as clean as possible. But what good would that do? Coddling Itachi would only make things worse in the end.
"Do the nightmares ever go away?"
"No." Kisame watched him struggle to his feet. He offered to assist but of course Itachi denied the help. Even in his weakened state he was stubborn. "It doesn't get better. You just grow numb."
It was their third day of training. Kisame and Sasori were very thorough in their teachings. After Kisame was done beating the crap out of him, he would spend two hours of shadowing Sasori while the redhead disposed of bodies. His days started at dawn and ended a few hours past dusk. By the time that he made it home he only had enough strength - mental and physical - to spend time with his little brother.
Sasori stepped out of the room and removed his bloody butcher's apron and gloves. "You have to remind yourself why you're doing it, Itachi." He said while he washed his hands. They were all members for a reason. For him, it was because he was raised to be a killer and he really didn't know any other way to live. "We're done for the day."
"But it's still early," Itachi thought that the man was trying to baby him and he hated that. "I only threw up because of what I had for lunch." He lied.
"Isn't today your birthday?"
Frowning, Itachi tilted his head in order to really think about the question. He hadn't even thought about his birthday or paid attention to the days anymore. They all seemed to blur into one long miserable day.
"That's right; it's your 14th birthday!" Kisame smiled then his smile faltered. "I was going to take you out for Dango but I doubt that you can stomach anything after spending time with the puppet master."
"Funny." Sasori remarked dryly, and then he approached Itachi. "You have tomorrow off. Consider it a birthday gift from me to you." The statement surprised Kisame because he was under the impression that the redhead didn't care for Itachi at all. But he was also aware that Sasori had a hard time expressing his emotions. Years of being tortured and introduced to various poisons by his own parents played a major toll on him.
"I get to leave early and I have tomorrow off?"
"Yes."
"What's the catch?" Itachi knew that Sasori - despite his appearance - was very callous. If he were giving him a small reprieve now, surely he would have to make up for it sooner or later.
"No catch." Sasori lips twitched faintly. It was as close to a smile that he could manage. "Just enjoy your birthday." With that he walked back into his work room.
"Well you heard him! I'll take you home." He chuckled at the glare that the young boy shot him. "Seriously Itachi, we all know where you live. We're assassins, it's apart of our job to know. But if you still insist on me keeping a safe distance I'll drop you off at the curb or something."
-o0o-
As promised, Kisame dropped him off a block away from his house after they made a pit stop for Dango. Itachi decided to just eat it later. When he opened the door to the mansion an eerie chill settled over him. Just a month ago his parents were murdered and everything was taken away from him.
At least he still had Sasuke.
A loud crash in the kitchen made his heartbeat quicken in fear. It was the same place where he found his parents' bodies. What if the person had come back to finish the job?
Using the skills that he had learned so far, he stealthily made his way to the kitchen. He knew that he wasn't as light on his feet as Sasori, or as strong as Kisame, but he couldn't allow his shortcomings to get in the way now. Whoever the person was they were very unprofessional. Making a ruckus like that was a clear indicator of their skill level. With his back against the wall, he slowly pushed the kitchen door open.
"Sasuke?" Itachi concealed his gun and sent a silent prayer to Kami. "What are you doing home so early?" His brother was supposed to be at the center until six, and it was only five. Then he took in his appearance: Sasuke was covered in flour from head to toe; making his dark locks look grey. His cheeks however were scarlet. Either from embarrassment or exertion.
"Happy Birthday!" Sasuke lifted a plate of - something that looked like cake - and walked towards his older brother. "I made it for you, big brother. It's your favorite."
Carefully, Itachi took the plate from his little brother's hands. "Thank you, Sasuke." The cake looked as if it was made of rubber, but he wasn't going to tell his brother that. They walked over to the island; Itachi spared a quick glance to the exact spot where he found his parents' bodies. Sasuke had no idea where his parents were murdered, and he had worked hard to make sure that the boy stayed away from any news involving the incident. He only knew that the murder took place in the house.
"I made you a card too." Sasuke ran out of the room to retrieve the card that he had been working on all week. It had been hard trying to express how much his brother meant to him on such a small piece of construction paper.
Itachi watched him run out of the room. Once he heard him running up the stairs, he pulled out his gun, put it on safety then hid it in the highest cabinet. When Sasuke was sleeping, he would hide it in their parents' room - a place that Sasuke avoided at all costs. He supposed that life would be much easier if he would've just allowed social services to place them in foster homes, but his mother told him to take care of Sasuke. It was his sole responsibility.
"Here it is!" Sasuke held up a red card, with a drawing of them on the front. "This is you," he pointed to the drawing that was obviously Itachi. "And this is me." He excitedly handed the card to his brother.
Taking the card, Itachi looked at the drawing and smiled at the cape on his back. "You drew me as a superhero?"
"Yes because you are my hero."
Itachi glanced up to see his brother blushing again. He had inkling that Sasuke wouldn't always be this adorable and caring. It was a part of the Uchiha curse. Once Sasuke was older and he realized how fucked up the world was, he'd be stripped of his innocence. Itachi didn't want that to happen. Sasori told him that he needed to remind himself of why he was doing it. It was obvious that he was doing it for Sasuke's sake and he wouldn't have it any other way.
The job didn't get easier and the nightmares only got worse; but through it all Itachi held on to the belief that Sasuke's safety was more important than his own suffering. It had always been like that but now - now things were different. Naturally, he chose to save his younger brother. Sasuke was his responsibility, his family and he loved him dearly. Also, he couldn't trample over his mother's dying request. That didn't mean that he could just to allow Neji to die.
Although he wanted his brother to live, he needed Neji to live as well. Itachi had always known that one day he would have to make a choice and in every situation he would choose Sasuke, but that didn't mean that it wouldn't kill him to give up Neji.
Itachi needed Neji like he needed air in his lungs. There were just some things that his brother couldn't begin to grasp about him. Only Neji could fill that void. He didn't just want a moment in the sun, he wanted an eternity.
"Itachi," Konan knocked lightly on the door."We understand how difficult this is for you." She said. Her natural maternal instincts kicked in and her voice remained soothing despite her own uneasiness. "But we have to make a move as soon as possible. You know better than anyone that Madara isn't really going to give us 12 hours." Nonetheless, they didn't know if it were six hours, four hours of twenty minutes. The man could kill the teenagers whenever he pleased.
Itachi didn't have to choose between chocolate or fucking vanilla ice cream, but between two people that he deeply cared for. How did anyone expect him to remain levelheaded when his world was slowly crashing down on him? He had felt as though he were suffocating while everyone stood around waiting for him to make the hardest decision of his life.
"Please...let me in."
The double entendre was not lost on Itachi, who was currently pacing the floor of the bedroom. Konan was seeking entry inside of the room, and his mind - his heart. She wanted so desperately to help him and he couldn't help but to appreciate that. But what could she really do? What could any of them do?
"You don't have to always do everything on your own, Itachi."
Sighing, Itachi walked over to the door and opened it. He knew that she would be able to read him like a book without even looking at his face. "Konan -" Itachi's dark hair curtained his face, as he stared at hardwood floor. His eyes stung from the intensity of the slap to his face that reverberated throughout the house like a clap of lightening.
Pushing pass the stunned man, Konan walked in the room and shut the door behind her. "This isn't the time for one of your self-pitying moments. Time is ticking. Either you make a decision or I make it for you." She took a seat on the foot of the bed, crossed her legs demurely, and then looked up at Itachi.
"You'll make the decision for me?" Itachi's cool, detached voice cut through the room. "What makes you think that you have the right to do that?" He turned away from the door and pierced the woman with his dark gaze. "The decision is mine and mine alone." His face stung but the slap didn't bother him as much as her statement did.
Konan remained unbothered by the man's anger; it was better than him moping around. Unlike most people, Itachi was more cunning when he was angry. And that was what he needed in order to save Neji and Sasuke. The Itachi she knew didn't take kindly to ultimatums. "Well time is ticking, Itachi. Do you think that we really have 12 hours? We -"
"I fail to understand how this is a group task."
"It would appear that you fail to understand a lot of things, Itachi."
"Enlighten me, Konan. You seem to have all of the answers."
Sarcasm from Itachi was a clear indicator that he was annoyed or hostile. Possibly both. "Why don't you just choose both?" She casually asked.
"Did you not hear anything that Madara said?" The woman was known for her sharp mind. But now she wasn't making any sense at all. If he tried to save both he would walk away from this nightmare with nothing. No brother, no husband.
"If you kill Madara there would be no need to make any choices."
"Kill Madara? We don't even know where he is!"
"That is true." Konan smiled - undeterred. "But I know someone who does." Using her uninjured hand she pulled out her pager. "It's old fashioned I know but Yahiko will know how serious things are if I page him. He would know where Madara is."
Itachi stared at the purple pager in a mixture of affront and a fraction of hope. "Why are you just now mentioning this?" He lifted his gaze to stare at the woman.
"I was under the impression that Sasuke's tracker would lead us to him. And I honestly didn't think about it because I was so pissed off at Yahiko. But it's all or nothing now."
"What if he doesn't respond?" Itachi didn't want to get his hopes up. "Then what?" Hopefully she couldn't hear the building panick in his voice.
Konan heard it. "He will respond. Watch." Her fingers moved swiftly across the device, and then she placed it on the bed. Picking up her cell phone, she patiently waited.
Now wasn't the time for jokes, but Itachi couldn't help but to think that their leader, the deadliest of them all, was whipped. A full three minutes passed before Konan's phone was ringing, when she answered, Pein immediately asked her location. Itachi would've never imagined that the man would respond so eagerly.
Hanging up her phone, Konan smiled. "He'll be here in an hour." She wouldn't admit that his behavior warmed her heart. "That means we only have an hour to get our shit together. You know how he hates it when we're unprepared."
"Where has he been this entire time?" Itachi seriously wanted to know.
"I'll be sure to ask once he gets here!"
During those first few seconds of transitioning from sleep to consciousness, Neji's mind was completely blank. His breathing was steady, and a sense of calm surrounded him. As he slowly took in his surroundings consternation settled in causing him to jerk his head up in alarm. Sweat accumulated on his palms, and his forehead. Sitting up on his hands and knees, Neji dry heaved as images from earlier bombarded his mind. When he felt a comforting hand on his back he completely froze.
"Neji."
Neji whipped his head at the soft call of his name to see Sasuke staring at him with a concerned expression on his face. Momentarily, his building panic was halted and replaced with bewilderment. Faintly, he recalled Madara mentioning that they were being taken to separate locations. So why was Sasuke there?
Removing his hand, Sasuke raked his fingers through his hair, and sighed in relief. He honestly did not think that he could pretend to be Itachi again. Currently, Neji seemed more stable than he was earlier.
"Madara said that we would be taken to separate locations. Since that was an obvious lie, he has to be up to something." This was good. Something to keep his mind focused on anything other then...his father.
"Who knows?" Sasuke snorted. "He's twisted and there's no telling what he'll do next."
Sitting up, Neji sat with his back against the wall. All he wanted was to lose his virginity, and enjoy the little bit of freedom that he had before he had to give it all up. Now he was married to an assassin, two of his friends were dead, he just learned the horrible truth about his father's death and to top it all off the culprit wanted to do the same to him.
When Neji first saw what had really happened to his father, his grief felt like an insatiable fire that burnt all the oxygen in his body leaving him listless and empty. Now it was more like a thin layer of ice, cooling his insides. He'd lived majority of his life thinking that his father had died in a car wreck. But the truth was far more brutal than that. He had lots of questions. Most of them he was sure he didn't want answers to.
Sighing, Sasuke sat down as well. "This is fucked up on so many levels."
"Agreed."
"What happened to you?" He slid a glance to the boy next to him. "Hidan didn't really..."
"Not yet." Neji already knew what Sasuke was referring to. During the most awkward dinner of his existence, Hidan made it very clear what his plans were. The man saw no shame in admitting something like that in front of others and that was a testament to his insanity.
Sasuke felt revolted at the lackadaisical remark. "He can't just fuck you without your consent!" Were there no bounds to his uncle's depravity? How could he associate himself with a rapist?
"That's kind of how rape works, Sasuke." Neji's tone was entangled with spite. "He will never have my consent but that won't stop him from doing as he pleases."
"And you're going to just lay there and let him? Like a fucking doormat?" When the boy remained silent, he pressed on. "So that show you put on earlier was just a false bravado? Tch!"
With a low snarl, Neji tackled the younger boy and straddled him. "You don't know shit so I suggest you keep quiet!"
"You claim to love my brother but now you're going to what? Allow that creep to have his way with you? You act as if you don't plan on putting up a fight at all!"
His father put up a fight; in the end it had been fruitless. There was a time when he saw his father as the strongest person in the world. If he wasn't able to fight Hidan, how could he possibly think that he could?
"You don't know anything, Sasuke."
"I do know that you need to get the fuck off me." Sasuke sneered derisively. "I'm still young so it has a mind of its own. The fact that you're attractive just makes it worse."
Pale eyes widened in understanding and Neji quickly got off of the teen. A little while longer and things would have been uncomfortable. "Wait, you're gay too?" He knew that it was extremely off topic, but he needed a distraction from his inner turmoil.
"As gay as they come." Sasuke sat up and disinterestedly stared at his lap. "Back to what I was saying."
"I'm not having a conversation with you until you put that away." Neji replied haughtily, and then he crossed his arms and looked away.
Sasuke rolled his eyes at the man's condescending behavior. "Itachi just had to go marry a Hyuga. Never thought that he was into snobby men. Hell I didn't think he was into anyone at all." He kept staring at his boner in an attempt to force it to go down.
"When did you start believing that Itachi and I were married?"
When you cried in my arms an hour ago. "Uchiha Intuition." Sasuke sighed. "All clear."
Turning around, Neji glanced at the boy's crotch to make sure that it was truly all clear. "That was almost as awkward as the dinner from hell with your uncle." Nothing could top that god awful dinner. Madara really expected them to have an elegant dinner as though he didn't plan on killing them all.
"We had dinners like that every night." Sasuke quietly confessed. "Madara would have us dress up, eat dinner, and then have tea. Shit was so weird."
"I can only imagine."
Outside of the cell, they could hear someone cursing loudly, but the words were muffled. Then the door was opened revealing Hidan.
"I'm back babe!"
At the sound of his voice, Neji was shoved right back into that room, strapped to the wooden chair. His entire body was wracked with terror causing him to tremble uncontrollably.
Scowling, Sasuke watched how Neji went from his old self to a helpless boy all over again. Honestly, he couldn't understand what kind of hold Hidan possibly had on Neji. "Neji?" He reached over to touch him but was stopped in his tracks.
"Don't touch my Hime!" Hidan strolled across the room to rough Sasuke up a bit. "You and that brother of yours need to learn not to touch what's mine."
Neji seemed to return to himself at the sound of the threat. "Leave him alone!" He shouted as he stood up. "And I'm not your fucking property asshole!" He couldn't let Hidan hurt Sasuke; no matter what. Itachi would be devastated enough by what was going to eventually happen to him.
Hidan grinned. "You are my property, Hime." He turned on his heel. "Come on. We need to clear a few things up." He went to grab the boy's arm, but Neji pulled away from him
"I can walk on my own." Neji shot a quick glance to Sasuke. Telepathically pleading with him to keep quiet. If Sasuke was silent, maybe Hidan wouldn't bother him. "Lead the way." He saw Sasuke's eyes on them out of his peripheral but the boy didn't utter a word. He only sat back and watched him leave with Hidan.
. . . . .
"I picked you up a few things while I was out," Hidan tossed over his shoulder as he led Neji to the bathroom. "First, you need a bath."
Neji wasn't really listening to the man. Instead his mind was racing with possible outcomes. Perhaps, he could somehow kill Hidan when the man had his guard down. What would he use? His bare hands? He hated to admit it, but Hidan wasn't weak - not by a long shot. Looking up, he realized that they were now standing in a large bathroom. A clawfoot tub sat in the middle of the room and a toilet in the far corner. It was surprisingly clean.
"Okay Hime, clothes off." Hidan instructed while he went to the tub to draw him a bath.
Maybe this would be his chance. While Hidan was occupied with the bath, Neji could sneak up behind him and drown him. It seemed like an excellent plan so he took a step forward. When Hidan turned his head, Neji removed his shirt shyly in order to feign obedience.
"No need to be shy. I've seen it all." The extremist chuckled. "You really are beautiful babe." He focused his attention back on the running water. "And so tight."
Swallowing thickly, Neji had to fight the urge to do something brash. His skin crawled at the vague admission. While he was unconscious, Hidan had...touched him in the most private area. Kicking the shit out of him was highly desired but he couldn't be foolish right now. Drowning the man in the porcelain tub seemed like a more effective form of retaliation.
"- I had feared that fucking bastard Uchiha would have worn you out by now."
Oddly enough that one sentence triggered something in Neji. "Don't talk about me as if I'm an inanimate object!" He was a person - his father was a human being. They weren't the source of a madman's twisted fetish. "You fetishized over my father yet disillusioned yourself with the idea of love! You're fucking sick!"
Hidan talked about him being "worn out" as though he were a fucking pair of shoes. Neji was tired of people treating him like his worth was only weighed by his appearance. He was more than just looks, so much more than that.
Disregarding the boy's obvious anger, Hidan laughed. "Now your father was the best that I've ever had. I was only 18 at the time and in 11 years I still haven't found anyone that can hold a candle to my Sunshine."
"Shut up!"
"I thought that maybe it was so good because he was an anal virgin. So I mainly fucked virgins after him, but even they couldn't compare. Dei came close but he just wasn't good enough."
Hearing more than enough, Neji disregarded all of his earlier schemes and lunged forward. Hidan moved out of the way in time to dodge the punch, Neji was fast enough to recover and not slip into the tub of water. The second punch landed nicely on the man's face. However, Neji didn't stop there; he was unyielding as he repeatedly punched the man.
Growling, Hidan ducked and wrapped his arms around the boy's waist then lifted him. Neji continued to punch the top of his head as he carried him over to the tub. Water splashed on the tiled floor once Neji was literally dumped into the bathtub. The back of his head hit the ledge, causing him to black out.
After checking his pulse, Hidan went to remove Neji's pants. Once he was fully naked, he grabbed the soap and a rag so he could wash him. It was an important part of the ritual. Tonight they would consummate their love under the omnipotent eye of Jashin.
Slowly pale eyes fluttered opened. Neji grimaced at the throbbing pain in the back of his head. When his eyes finally adjusted to the bright light, he attempted to sit up but his body felt sluggish.
"You know I have your uncle to thank for introducing me to the two loves of my life."
Feeling disoriented, Neji turned his head to see Hidan kneeling by the side of the tub. The man was holding a wet rag and a bar of soap in the other hand.
"If he didn't put that hit on your dad I fear I would have never met you two." Hidan sat the soap on the ledge then started to wash the boy's chest again. Neji had still been unconscious during the first wash.
Neji closed his eyes, and let out a shaky breath. Chuckling, he turned his head to the opposite side. "You're lying." He felt the man's hand get dangerously close to his groin. "Don't you fucking dare!" Grabbing his hand, Neji swatted it away. "I don't need your help bathing anyway!"
Hidan shrugged. "I'm not lying. Your uncle wanted your pops outta the picture because he was a threat to his seat as clan head. Although he did request a swift death. It was my idea to fake his death in that car wreck." Easily, he admitted the deed like it was something to actually boast about.
Pain stabbed through Neji's heart. "Prove it." He spat. Though deep down he prayed that there wasn't any proof or if there was, Hidan didn't have it.
"Hoheto was the name of the Hyuga who gave me your father's daily schedule." Hidan removed the stopper to let the water out. "Did you know that your dad was involved with some green haired chick? Natsu I think? She was real close to being your new mom!"
Neji stared dispassionately at the water as it ran down the drain. He felt completely numb while Hidan continued to give details about his father's personal life. Things that he, himself, hadn't known. Apparently, the man stalked his father for days before he made a move. Neji had grown up thinking that his father's death was a mere stroke of chance but -
"His own twin brother ordered him to be killed." Hidan grabbed a towel and handed it to Neji who blindly took it. "But I saved him. I gave him a new life and I'm going to do the same for you, Hime."
All of the grief that he felt after his father's death, the pain and humiliation that his father suffered in his last days - were because of his own uncle? How long had Neji cursed his fate when it was the man whom gave him shelter that was to blame? Eleven years.
For eleven years he had been living a complete lie.
Tsunade had a very cruel sense of humor. That was what Hiashi thought while he sat across from the last person on the planet that he wanted to see. It was when they were an hour outside of Kusagakure that the Hokage called him and informed him of the recent developments in Madara's scheme. Then she so kindly told him of the Akatsuki's exoneration, and her involvement with Neji's marriage to the Uchiha heir. For lack of a better word, Hiashi was fucking pissed. However, none of that information could top the Hokage's parting request - command.
"I can assure you that I am just as opposed to this alliance as you are. But if it'll help me get them back, so be it."
Hiashi noted that despite Itachi's outward disposition, he was genuinely concerned about Neji's well-being. Or it could just be the desire to get his brother back. Hokage's blessing or not, Itachi was still a murderer, and a man. He couldn't allow his nephew to be wed to such a person. Nonetheless, he would keep his views to himself. There were more pressing matters to attend to.
"The plan that you have concocted is foolhardy and I will not risk the life of my nephew or any other innocent." Hiashi wasn't so cruel to ignore the fact that despite his feelings towards the elder, the younger Uchiha was still in danger. "I have a mole that has successfully made contact. Typically, Madara is luring us all into a trap."
"The young girl." Itachi recalled the Hyuga girl from the security video at Leader's penthouse. "How do you know that Madara didn't force her to relay a false message?"
"She used a few code words that are designed for certain situations." Hiashi's face remained a brittle mask; he didn't want the inner turmoil to show. "Saki risked her life by warning me. I'm sure that Madara caught on to what she was doing."
Itachi was somewhat relieved that the clan head wasn't as daft as he previously assumed. The older man was cunning; he'd make a great asset to their plan. But when everything blew over, they would need to have a little chat about a few things.
Hiashi glanced around the empty safe house; his guards were tense outside with him being alone with the Uchiha. He could practically sense their uneasiness. The other Akatsuki members were already working on the first half of the ridiculous plan.
"Why didn't you just choose your brother?" Hiashi stared at the countdown clock on the table. They now had nine hours. "Madara has already explained that if you try to save both...the consequences will be dire."
"Do you honestly believe that Madara is going to allow me to save either of them?" Itachi narrowed his eyes. "You are acquainted with Madara. How?" He caught the way that the clan head said his uncle's name with such familiarity.
"We knew each other in our youth."
"Before he was a lunatic?"
"Yes."
Leaning over, Itachi smiled malevolently. "You're lying. I can hear the truth in the way you say his name. And your reaction to the video that he sent was far too relaxed. You have firsthand experience of what he's capable of. How?" Torturing and Interrogation was his expertise, he knew all of the signs of a person who was trying to hide something. And the Hyuga clan head was definitely hiding something.
"Shouldn't you be concerned about if this plan of yours will work?" Hiashi tersely asked.
"If you're withholding information that could jeopardize our plans..." He left the threat open to the man's imagination.
Absently Hiashi wondered if Neji had ever noticed the underlying insanity in Itachi's dark eyes. The Uchiha were truly a cursed clan. Every last one of them was practically touched by madness. When he had Neji and Saki back the former was going to annul the marriage rather he wanted to or not.
Hiashi leaned forward as well. "What if I told you that I know for a fact that Madara will meet with me?" It was truly a shame that Itachi's talent was wasted on a criminal organization. It only took a few seconds for the realization to show on his face.
"You want to use yourself as bait." The gears in Itachi's head were already turning, trying to form his next plan of action. "We've tried that with Obito. He was killed on the spot."
Hiashi quirked his lips faintly. "Madara wants me alive to witness the destruction of my clan." They shared a look. Hiashi didn't just leave the confines of his compound to give out orders. No, he planned on getting his hands dirty; anything in order to save Neji.
"Pein knows where Madara is." Itachi admitted to the clan head. "My other teammates are out doing recon on the coordinates that Madara gave us. How about you and I go pay my uncle a visit?"
After the bath, Neji was given a new set of clothes and the scar on his stomach was patched up. Who knew that the man who raped and murdered his father could be so benevolent? He'd been in shock ever since he was informed of his unlce's involvement in his father's death. But the cogs and gears in his mind were restless. Neji's mind tried to concoct countless explanations yet it was useless.
Thankfully Hidan had to leave again - much to the maniac's annoyance - and Neji was taken back to the cell with Sasuke. The younger boy was actually asleep this time and he just sat beside him without waking him up.
In his slumber, Sasuke's face was more relaxed, free of the scowl that seemed to constantly mar his features. Similar to Itachi, he slept with his mouth slightly open. Thinking about Itachi was the only time when he didn't feel like all was lost. If he could just remain strong enough to make it out alive, his husband would make all of the pain go away, right? Through sickness and health and all that good shit.
Neji didn't want Itachi to necessarily save him; he could save himself. He just wanted - needed Itachi to be there to help him pick up the pieces when it was all over. Sasuke was right; he couldn't just lay there and do nothing. His body was his to give. And he had already chosen Itachi. So Hidan could go play in traffic.
"Naruto..."
Neji looked down at the sleeping teen that was talking in his sleep. He reached over to wake him. "Sasuke." Unlike his brother the boy was a heavy sleeper. On the third shoulder nudge he finally woke up - scowl back in place.
Sitting, up Sasuke stretched his arms above his head while he looked at Neji. "Did you change clothes?" He looked at the grey sweat pants and the white v-neck that the boy was wearing, and then he sniffed. "And take a bath?"
"Hn. Who's Naruto?" The last thing that he wanted to think about was the creepy bath.
Frowning in confusion, Sasuke lowered his hands. "Why do you ask?"
"You said his name in your sleep."
Sasuke was annoyed that he still hadn't grown out of that. Luckily, he was woken up before the dream got a tad raunchy. "My boyfriend." He eventually replied. The thought of the blond made him instantly feel like shit. "The last time that we saw each other things didn't go so well."
"It's okay, Sasuke. You don't have to tell me anything." Neji turned back around and faced the door. "I know that you don't really trust me."
Apparently, Neji was still unaware that he was just crying in his arms a few hours ago. They were basically "besties" now because no one had ever been that close to him except family or Naruto. However, Sasuke didn't see the point in reminding Neji of how distraught he had been. It was obvious that he was really trying to keep it together.
"I'm afraid of dying here without being able to tell Naruto that I don't hate him."
Slowly, Neji turned back around. Shocked by the quiet confession, he just remained silent as Sasuke continued.
"I don't even think I'm really afraid of dying," Sasuke spoke as though he were revealing a coy secret. "I just don't want to die without telling Naruto and Itachi how much they mean to me." He looked up when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry, Sasuke." Neji said. "We will make it out of here alive." He promised.
The moment was ruined by the sound of the door being opened. Neji dropped his hand from the boy's shoulder, and prepared himself for Hidan's entrance. But it wasn't Hidan. Two guards pushed Saki through the door and shut it behind her without another glance. The girl's clothes were soiled with aging blood stains and her face was bruised as well.
Absently, Neji wondered if any of the assholes that were abusing them were aware that they were technically minors. Well not really but for fuck's sake, they were teenagers. How could Madara be so damn cruel?
Of course, he was instantly reminded that this was the same man that ruined his thirteen year old nephew's life. Someone like that was capable of anything.
Saki made her way to where the two boys were standing. "We have to get out of here. Madara plans on killing all of us." She continued to tell them about the man's schemes and the video that he sent to Itachi.
"Itachi will walk right into a trap no matter who he chooses." Sasuke shook his head in disbelief. And to think that he'd been prepared to sacrifice himself in place of Neji. But it didn't matter because his deranged uncle planned on killing them all, including Itachi. "Why would Madara go through all of this trouble when he could've just killed us from the very start?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Saki asked. "He is deranged!" While Madara tortured her, he kept reminding her that she was a tool whose only purpose was to die. Then Saki reminded him that they were all born to die so it didn't matter to her. However that didn't mean that she was going to just sit around and wait for the curtain to close.
There was an entire world out there and she wanted to see it. "There's an air vent up there. I'll need you to hoist me up, Sasuke."
Looking at his cellmates, Neji's jaw clenched painfully as the reality of their situation settled in. He couldn't help but to notice the parallels between the teens and TenTen and Tokuma. Hidan had taken so much from him. He didn't plan on allowing him to take anything else.
"You're not tall enough, Sasuke."
"Well get off of me!"
"I'm a few inches taller than Sasuke." Neji looked up at the air vent. "Do you think that you can really fit in there?"
Saki was lowered from Sasuke's shoulders and she walked over to Neji. She was relieved that he was willing to help because they would all need to work together to make it out of there alive. Then she planned on telling Neji the truth about his father.
"Yes," Saki said. "I can take care of the guards and unlock the door to the cell and we can slip out."
"Sounds like a plan. But are you sure you can handle all of those guards?" Neji asked while he hoisted her up on his shoulders.
Snorting, Sasuke shoved his hands in his pockets. "She'll be fine." It was a compliment; a very vague one but a compliment nonetheless. Despite his initial wariness of the girl he would admit that she had been helpful during their travels with Madara.
"A compliment from Sasuke? Wow that's a first."Saki snickered. "Lift me a little higher please, Neji."
The air vent grill was easily removed, and Saki skillfully slipped into the hole. Neji and Sasuke watched her disappear down the chute. It was a risky plan but when it came down to life or death, it was a risk that they would have to take.
Inside of the cell, Neji listened by the door for any signs of Saki. A few minutes ago they heard a slight noise above them, but it had been deathly silent ever since. He was honestly beginning to worry about the girl, but it was Sasuke who was visibly showing his distress. Then they heard the sound of a machine gun and bodies hitting the floor. Minutes passed before the door to the cell was opened and Saki stepped in.
"Do either of you know how to use a semi-automatic?"
The two boys stood up from their crouched positions. "No not really." Neji caught the gun anyway. "But, I'm a fast learner."
"Well Sasuke isn't really a fighter," Saki said while she reloaded her gun.
Neji nodded his head in agreement. "I've noticed. Maybe he should be given a gun instead."
"Sasuke is right fucking here!" Sasuke seethed at the two haughty Hyugas. "Forgive me for not being raised to be an assassin!" He snatched the gun from Neji and looked at it as if it were an alien object.
Saki laughed at the bewildered expression on his face. "Thank Kami the safety is on."
"Are you one of my uncle's guards?" Neji could no longer ignore hide his curiosity.
"I promise to explain everything once we get away from here. I found a phone on one of the guards and tried to get in touch with Hoheto but the service in here sucks. We need to get outside."
Neji nodded his head at the information. "We also need a brief tutorial on operating these guns."
. . . . .
Neji had known that it was terribly too easy. Of course they weren't going to just waltz right out of the place without facing a few inconveniences. Everything had started off fine. They made it through the long corridor without running into anymore guards, but when they made it to the door it wouldn't budge. First Saki tried to pry it open then Neji. Sasuke gave it a go as well, but it wouldn't budge - not even an inch.
"This has to be the way out." Sasuke raked his fingers through his hair in agitation. "That creep was able to leave." By creep he meant Hidan.
"Maybe there's another exit." Neji was already running when he gave the suggestion. They didn't have any more time to waste. "Saki keep trying to get a signal!"
"Okay!" She pulled out the stolen phone and held it up in order to get a better signal.
Abruptly, Neji skidded to a halt when he caught a red door out of his peripheral. The vibrant color stood out amongst the gloominess of the hallway. "Do you think this is it?" He pulled on the handle and it easily opened.
Saki stepped in behind him. Her eyes widened and she sucked in a sharp gasp. "Neji!" She grabbed him by the arm and yanked him out of the room.
Neji was too rattled to be upset with how roughly he was handled. Now everything finally made sense - why it had been so easy to escape the cell.
"What is it?" Sasuke looked at the two stunned teens. "Hey!" He tried to snap them out of their stupor.
"It's a bomb." Neji said numbly. "It's set to detonate in less than two hours."
"You gotta be shitting me!" Hidan yelled belligerently. "Why'd you put a fucking bomb in there?!"
Sighing, Madara turned around to face the man. "Why else would I put a bomb in there? I plan on killing them obviously." He responded in a blasé manner. Frankly, he didn't see what the big deal was. Hidan had known all along how this would end.
Taking a step closer, Hidan's eyes narrowed dangerously. "My Hime is in there you asshat!" Hidan really hated how he kept leaving his gun in the car. If the old crone wasn't so guarded by the paid mercenaries he wouldn't need a gun.
"I'm well aware."
"We're done!" Hidan threw up his hands to add to the effect of his anger. "You're a backstabbing lowlife and I'm fucking done with this!"
Feeling cocky, Madara threw his head back and laughed. "Do you think that I really need you anymore? Look around you. I practically have a small army at my disposal." It was true; he had hired over fifty mercenaries to protect him.
"Fuck your army!" Throwing up the middle finger, Hidan turned on his heel and stormed out of the man's mansion. Too much pride was never a good thing. Madara was overconfident that his plan would work flawlessly. He was so confident that he didn't mind pissing off someone like Hidan.
When Hidan was back in his car, he pulled out his phone and went to his favorites. The phone was answered on the third ring. "Blondie, I need you right now." He knew just the right words to have the pyromaniac rushing to his aid. Convincing Deidara to meet him without saying a word to anyone else had been a piece of cake. Though, he had been practically molding the man to bend to his will for years now. So it was predicated that he would be all too willing to do as he was told.
Hidan planned on using Deidara to detonate the bomb. Then he would kill the other teens so that he and his Hime could have the place to themselves. It was the spot that he chose for the ritual. Tonight they would consummate their love under the omnipotent eye of Jashin.
-o0o-
"Fucking imbecile." Deidara muttered once the call ended. "Did you get that address, Sasori?"
"Yes." Sasori's lips quirked in amusement. Hidan was truly a fucking imbecile. "Leader-sama, would you be so kind to drop me and Deidara off." He would hold off on contacting Itachi. The man was more than likely in position to take out his uncle and he didn't want to disturb him. While they headed to retrieve Sasuke and Neji, the rest of the Akatsuki, Kakashi and the Hyuga guards would deal with the mercenaries that Madara had employed.
"We should go with you," Konan spoke from the front seat of the jeep. "I'm sure everyone else can handle the amateurs that Madara has more than likely hired." She glanced over at her soon to be ex-lover. "And don't think that you're off the hook because you decided to help us! You still owe me an explanation."
Keeping his eyes on the road, Yahiko sighed. "We can discuss this later. Now we need to focus on the task at hand. Madara didn't just hire random mercenaries, majority of them are ex- ANBU from their own countries. I think it would be best if we assisted Kisame. Deidara and Sasori can handle Hidan. Who by the way is an idiot for carelessly disclosing that information."
Even though she agreed with the man, Konan wasn't going to admit it out loud."Isn't it a good thing? His stupidity just gave us the upper hand. Who's side are you on anyway?!"
While the two bickered, Sasori and Deidara awkwardly stared out of the window in hopes to tune the two out. It was the main reason why none of them liked working with the couple. Although, they were both very skilled in the profession, they couldn't go a few minutes without arguing.
"Deidara." He turned his head to the soft call of his name. Sasori continued. "If the time comes will you really be able to kill Hidan? Not saying that you will have to, but if it comes down to saving those kids or saving Hidan, will you make the right decision?" He needed to know before they went. If Deidara had doubts he would insist that Konan go with him instead; she would have no qualms with killing Hidan.
The blond thought over the question - seriously thought over the question. Hidan had been manipulating him for years. Preying on his abandonment issues, and other insecurities that he'd gained while living on the streets of Iwa. How many times had he told Hidan that he didn't want to have sex, but he forced him to do it anyway? Hidan would even tell him that he just needed to be convinced. That he really did want it, all he needed was an extra push.
As outrageous as it may sound, Deidara believed him. Drunk Hidan was the absolute worse. He would yell at Deidara and tell him that his eyes were wrong, and his hair wasn't the right shade. Deidara didn't realize until recently that the man was disappointed because he didn't look like Neji's father. How could he ever love a man like that?
Sasori gazed his partner's profile closely. His blond brows were knit together, nostrils flared, and he could see the muscles flexing in his delicate jaw. He wanted to reach over and place a stray strand of hair behind his ear, yet he reminded himself that it would be inappropriate. Sasori always had to keep himself under control around Deidara and he was growing tired of it. He wanted to run his fingers through his golden locks all the while telling the blond that he was worth more than he would ever know.
But he couldn't.
"If it comes downs to it," Deidara finally spoke. "I'll kill Hidan."
The other occupants in the car heard the conviction in his voice and they couldn't help but to feel relieved. "Proud of you Dei." Konan turned around and smiled at the blond causing him to shift in his seat. "You're so cute when you're all flustered." She laughed at his uneasiness.
"So where do I need to drop you two kids off at?" Pein joked.
Then everyone stared at him in shock because the man hadn't cracked a joke around them in years. "What?" He asked innocently.
"Just drop us off here, hn." Deidara nervously said. The last time Leader made a joke, he killed ten people soon afterwards. He wasn't taking any chances.
Sasori nodded his head. "I agree with Deidara. We can walk the rest of the way it's not that far." They were also only more than ten miles away from Madara's location. "Once we've retrieved Neji and Sasuke we'll meet up with you guys later."
"Well if you insist." Pein pulled over to the side of the road to let them out. Once they were out of the jeep he looked over at Konan who was covering her mouth with her hand. "What? Why are you all acting so weird?" He seriously wanted to know.
"You scared the shit out of them." Konan laughed harder when Yahiko frowned. He looked as though he were seriously hurt. "Just give them time to get used to the fact that you're not a prudish prick anymore."
"A prudish prick, huh?" He got back on the road and headed towards Madara's location. Instinctively, he grabbed Konan's hand as he drove. "When all of this is over you'll have to tell me more about this daughter of ours. What was her name again?"
Konan smiled as she stared out of the window. "Karin." Maybe it wasn't too late for her to have the life that she'd always wanted.
Madara knew that celebrating prematurely would be a little too arrogant, even for him, but he couldn't help himself. There was only an hour and a half left before the bomb detonated; killing Neji, Sasuke and Saki. Consequently, ruining the lives of both Itachi and Hiashi. Also, he had just given Kimimaro the go ahead to infiltrate the Hyuga compound. Soon the entire clan will have a front row seat to Hizashi's torture video. Once the carnage began, the Hokage will be so distraught that she'll board her private jet to Konoha - the same jet that Zetsu will be waiting for her on.
Zetsu was a freelance assassin that he had employed several times in the past. The man was highly recommended and he knew that he would have no problem killing the Hokage and Naruto. Kyuubi had failed in killing the boy all of those years ago, but he was going to fix the problem.
Over the brim of his champagne flute, he watched Hiashi closely. "How does all of that make you feel, Hiashi?" He lowered the glass from his mouth and smiled at the defeated man. "I'm dying to know."
Hiashi's hair was slightly ruffled, and he allowed all of the weariness to show clearly on his face. "What will you gain from all of this?" He feigned outrage, when in truth he was seething with rage at having to debase himself in front of the man. "You don't have to kill those children. Keep them out of this!" God he wanted to reach over, and shove that glass down his throat. But Madara would get his - very soon.
"What children? The girl that you raised to kill me or the nephew whose father you had murdered." Madara took another sip of champagne. Savoring the heady taste of the wine, he hummed in satisfaction. They were sitting outside under the veranda. It was the perfect view to see the explosion and he wanted Hiashi to watch it with him. "Or my nephew whom I never really liked to begin with? They mean nothing to me."
"You will pay for this, Madara."
Madara calmly placed the glass on the table. "Hiashi you were a fool to leave the comfort of your home."
"So were you, uncle."
Fear settled in almost instantly. Madara's jaw went slack, his mouth dry and he stared at Hiashi in utter disbelief. When Hiashi smirked at him, picked up his own champagne glass and took a sip, he knew that in that moment he was made. Slowly, achingly slow, he turned around in his seat to see Itachi standing there. And it was truly a sight to behold. His nephew's long bangs stuck to his face, blood was spattered on his pale skin. There was an eerie smile on the man's face that spoke volumes.
"How?" Was the only coherent word that he could mutter. The inside of the mansion was guarded by ten mercenaries - highly skilled mercenaries that were more experienced than his nephew. On top of that, Itachi shouldn't have been able to locate him so easily.
Itachi tightened his bloody hands on the handle of the ax. "Where the fuck are you keeping them?" He only gave the man half a second to answer before he hit him in the face with the blunt end of the weapon. "Where?!" His voice was loud enough to startle any nearby wildlife.
Clutching his bloody nose, Madara tried to sit up, but Itachi stepped on his chest. "I think you should leave." He told Hiashi. "Things are about to get a little messy." Peering down at his uncle, he flashed him a crazed smile. This was the moment that he had been dreaming about.
Placing his glass on the table, Hiashi stood up. "Well I'll leave you to it." Madara's tortured screams were like music to his ears, but he had more pressing matters to attend to.
TBC