Pretty Little Devil
Chapter Two. When the Bough Breaks.
Word count: 3k
Warnings: Hidan. (I don't really know any way else to explain it…)
Pretty Little Devil
"When the Bough Breaks."
~ \ ~ Chapter Two Start. ~ / ~
"You ask me about regret? Let me tell you a few things about regret, my darling. There is no end to it. You cannot find the beginning of the chain that brought us from there to here. Should you regret the whole chain, and the air in between, or each link separately, as if you could uncouple them? Do you regret the beginning which ended so badly, or just the ending itself?"
-White Oleander
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"I have never heard of this summons before, Leader-sama." Itachi stood once again before Leader's desk, back straight and crimson gaze unwavering. He knew Leader would not be pleased with his lack of knowledge. The scroll was covered in foreign symbols, meanings lost with time. The instructions, faded ink just barely recognizable to the trained eye, were understandable, yet strange in themselves.
"Is it possible to perform?" Itachi's attention snapped back to his leader, eyeing the tense man seated behind the mass of papers on his desk. His Sharingan could spot each flaw in his stoic façade, from the slight frown marring his lips to the skin a shade darker under his sphere-rimmed eyes.
Never before had Itachi heard of summoning a demonic being. The Bijuus were the closest creatures he could think of that might match the evil described within the stolen scroll.
'Thou, who shall summon this master of beasts, beware the corollary of undying iron, whose metallic bonds forever shine within the world of another paradise, gleaming of crimson waterfalls and delicate black breath, from beyond the greatest evil, the epitome of agony. Rise, rise, rise. He is the fall.'
What could the scriptures possibly mean? The words seemed to hold a power of their own, eliciting a shiver through the vertebrae of his spine with a mere thought. Was the summons achievable? The only feasible clarification could be through trial and error. Was the risk of unleashing something far, far beyond the boundary of horror and death worth taking? Itachi did not know, nor did he try to analyze the question any further.
It was not his decision to make.
"It can be executed, though whether with a positive or negative outcome, I cannot be sure." There was a peculiar inkling of doubt within his tone, the slight pitching of his smooth, deep voice betraying his indifferent veneer. It took much power to extract and seal a single tailed beast. The idea of gaining the power of a stronger creature, one so imposing it could rein a hold of the 'untamable' and command them with pure will alone, was tempting and frightening at the same time. This influence unaided might be able to bring about the order through destruction the Akatsuki sought after.
Leader furrowed his brow, "What are the requirements?" Surprisingly, his voice held little anger, ringing like a low gong in the tall room. The air was downcast and heavy, stale chakra of extreme magnitude filtering about, laying in wait should the need for its use arise.
Itachi breathed in, the aroma of freshly spilled ink and pine needles tickling his senses. "A large amount of powerful chakra is needed from four separate entities, but it seems to last for a greater amount of time with as many signatures as can be provided." The two stoic men lapsed into a tense silence, both thinking through their less than numerous amount of plausible options. Itachi recalled another fragment of the scroll, picking the words apart to better understand their meaning, searching once more for deeper significance or hidden intentions.
'Pillage the coils of a quad of people, prone to bounds of energy. Offer the blood of as many as can be sacrificed, for an extra restraining hand to hold the chain may spell your safety. Unleashing the beast is a far easier feat than containing it.'
The urge to sigh became close to overpowering for the Uchiha, though he held fast against releasing it, male pride and arrogance playing key factors in the need to retain his apathetic appearance. The thick fabric of his coat was suffocating in the warm room. A warm bead of sweat slid down his temple, leaving a trail of damp, sultry skin in its wake. The density of the atmosphere reallocated, though outwardly unrecognizable to those without the special sixth sense most shinobi carried.
Leader had made a decision.
A nostalgic vibration shook his right ring finger, where a blood red ring resided and the kanji for 'scarlet' gleamed profusely on its peak. The sensation was chilling as it traveled through his hand and up his arm, slithering like a constricting snake with its poisonous fangs protruding, leaking acidic venom. The feeling of foreign chakra overriding one's body, consuming the stores like a vat of quick sand, was unpleasant, if not horribly violating. Itachi nearly cringed at the intrusion, the steady beating of his heart breaking its conundrum, palpitating like the ache of a kunai lodged in his chest.
Within the span of several seconds, there were a series of loud reverberating knocks on the door behind him. "Enter." Light flooded the room at the command of Leader's voice, so closely resembling the acts of a god like he so nobly proclaimed to be. Kisame was the first to enter, his tall frame shadowing the three other members already situated within Akatsuki's main base of operations in Ame. Deidara and Sasori -the former making it a point to send a scathing glare in his direction upon his entrance- had supposedly returned from a reconnaissance mission in Sunagakure, in search of their tailed beast, Gobi. Konan very rarely left since Leader generally kept within the building's radius, never venturing very far from his endlessly cluttered desk. A prickly feeling caused the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end as a distortion in the air signaled the oncoming appearance of holographic bodies.
Several feet to Itachi's right, the shadows shifted, warping from black into a pair of rainbow-colored bodies, resembling that of light filtering through a looking glass. Upon closer inspection, he made out the distinct shapes of Kakuzu and Hidan, the 'Immortal Brothers' as they were notoriously known to be throughout the ninja world. In the moment that followed, the multihued shapes of a man with a swirled mask and another with a large fern-like structure bordering his face rippled into place beside Sasori and Deidara. The organization had fully gathered in response to Leader's beckoning, all constituents present to fulfill the central purpose for the assembly.
All eyes turned toward Leader, whose hands were folded against his chin, rinnegan-clad eyes shut in what appeared to be contemplation. "Itachi," he said, silently commanding for his subordinate to give an explanation for the unexpected congregation.
Itachi maneuvered his body so he was facing the other Akatsuki, "Last night, a scroll containing an ancient summoning jutsu was discovered in one of Orochimaru's underground bases. In order to perform this technique, all of you are needed in person. If we succeed with this operation, the power Akatsuki will have may well exceed that of our expectations." Pausing in order to reanalyze his thoughts, Itachi made to begin again, but was cut off by Sasori of the Red Sands.
"What good will this accomplish if we will obtain the tailed beasts?" His voice rumbled, outrageously low for his young appearance, trapped in that eternal form. His shaggy red hair barely reached the top of Deidara's forehead, though his height was not the only short thing about him. The strain of his taut neck was enough to show Itachi that the boy –no, man was getting impatient.
"If everything happens as expected, it is possible that the power will surpass that of all the bijuus combined." To Itachi's right, Kisame's eyes widened, his form straightening with anxiety.
"Pease explain this further, Itachi-san." The soft voice came from Zetsu, his darker side staying dormant.
Itachi slowly turned, stopping the tomoe of his Sharingan from spinning before his irritation became apparent. "Kemono no Igen (1)."
Astonishingly, it was Hidan who spoke in response. "That's just a fucking rumor! There ain't a master who controls the beasts!" Kakuzu slammed a hand on the back of his head, producing a loud smack as his skin ruffled the greased silver hair his partner possessed. Hidan slid his hair back to perfection, snarling, "It's true, ya bastard! That's just some wacked up bed time story that old sage came up with on his deathbed!"
Leader scrunched his eyes, his mouth turning into a thin line. It would take a fool to miss the growing anger and resentment showing on his pierced face. "You will have until sunset tomorrow to return to Ame." The tenor of his voice led for no further argument, although nobody would think to question Leader's authority. With several nods, the colorful outlines shuddered and blinked out. The room lit once more as Itachi and the others proceeded to leave, Kisame at his side. "Itachi." The Uchiha stopped, gracefully angling his head back towards his leader. What else was there for him to hear? Most likely out of curiosity, Kisame waited just outside the door, allowing for their privacy, but not too far away, either. "Make the necessary preparations in the sealing chamber."
With a level nod, Itachi made his way outside, advancing to leave down the long corridor. Kisame fell into step beside him, their footfalls echoing in a calming rhythm. Sandals scraped against the cement below, the dim candles on either side of the earthen walls casting ominous shadows on their chiseled faces. Itachi turned on his heel, heading for the many supply rooms located several hallways down, conjuring up a list of all the items they would need. What should he seek to gather to raise the devil?
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She watched the redhead as he sat in his spacious office, a scene of Sunagakure seemingly painted through the window pane behind him. Though his face gave no twitch, nor did his body move whatsoever, the kazekage's jade-colored eyes gave way to both the anxiety and excitement he felt as they scanned the letter in his hands. The young man set the paper aside and withdrew a blank piece of his own, as well as a set of charcoals from within his desk drawer. The stick of black slid across the paper, smearing perfectly formed kanji characters on the once unblemished surface.
The note beside him, written in the Godaime Hokage's nearly illegible chicken scratch, told of the various Akatsuki sightings reported in the past several weeks, giving way to the fact that two were seen on the edge of Fire Country, as well as the border of Suna's desert, a little too close to where he sat at that very moment. Yet, a smile tugged at his lips, because this was not all that the letter told him of.
The kyuubi's jinchuuriki was coming back from his two-year training mission.
It was curious how the Ichibi vessel and Kyuubi vessel were on such great terms. The beasts that resided within them were anything but tolerable to one another. Mere months after the ten-tails was split, they were the first of the nine demons to come together. Though it wouldn't be the last time they faced off, Ichibi held a deplorable grudge against his brother since that first meeting. Perhaps it was jealousy that had her kitten's claws deployed; she had never had a chance to comfort him before he was sealed away from her touch. It was no wonder all her babies held such strong grudges against the humans; ones that rivaled her own at that.
Blinking, bright green eyes rolled back to view her dark throne room again. A crackling erupted as a thin line opened several feet off the ground. Out of the void stepped a Rakshasa (2) she had grown quite close to over the millennia after her crowning. His glowing red eyes shone like magnificent rubies through the darkness, rivaling the glow of her own emerald orbs. A grin split his handsome face as he bowed to her, the jaw of a human skeleton supported on his chin clanging against the silver pendant around his neck. As he returned to a standing position, his velvety voice greeted her, "How's it going, gorgeous?"
Draped over her throne, with a demeanor that of someone who knows how much better they are than all others, she spared him a single glance out of the corner of her eyes. "What do you want, Jashin?"
Jashin waved off her distant attitude, already used to her overpowering aura. "There's been an uprising in Lightening. A whole buncha' small fry decided to go against the helgrels you posted there to keep them in check."
She tilted her head, soft pink bangs bouncing. A growl rumbled through her throat, as she bit out, "Send the Nightingales to take care of it. Let none live. I want there to be no remnants of those fetid simpletons."
Jashin merely smirked, leaning into a mock bow before stepping through the open doorway once more. "Got it, darlin'."
Lifting a slender hand to brush a strand of hair behind her ear, she maneuvered off her crystal throne tinted red. Her feet glided across the ground as if she were not walking, but flying.
Lightening was the second uprising within the past several weeks. Although it did not render her in any way, she contemplated the chance of a larger revolt soon to pass. A cruel smile crossed her lips. 'I could use a little fun.'
The door to her bed chamber across the room located several feet before her, three helgrels seated as guards around the entryway. At the smell of their beautiful master, their tales began to wag back and forth, flames of brilliant orange, red, and yellow licking the rock walls behind them. She passed the small dog-like creatures without a word, readying to forcibly push her consciousness into a state of loose unfamiliarity.
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Pein stood in his appointed place to the right of a black candle, feet sited on the drawn line of the circle under them. The other members were all in the same situation, though each next to their coordinated elemental candle. He evoked the memory of the particular caption regarding the ten candles needed to be placed in the correct positions along the pentagonal star.
'Within the five-pointed star, on each outer and inner summit, should a candle be set to invoke this curse: Black for the spirit tainted by the damned on the tip, and on the peak across; red for the fire that will evermore burn on the top left point, and on the peak across; white for the choking air polluted by the toxins of venomous sin on the top right point and on the peak across; green for the rumbling Earth that trembles with quaking fear on the bottom left point and on the peak across; and finally, blue for the raging waters that current the souls of the soulless towards paradise or desolation on the bottom right point and on the peak across.'
The man knew not what this jutsu could do; only what it should mean if it was a success. The quest for the tailed beasts would become effortless, for this force could merely call them forward. The world was just beyond his reach, that familiar hazy line disappearing as his dream slowly became more existent. The woman behind his determination stood several members from him beside the pale candle for air. The world's new angel would soon find the peace she desperately sought for, the peace he promised to give her.
Itachi looked at Pein, silently asking if they may proceed. Pein blinked, raising his hand into the ram seal. One by one, all the members began to follow the motion. Not unlike the extraction of the bijuus technique, they all began to focus their chakra towards the apex of the circle, eyes shut from the world. Their chakras mingled, forming sturdy metaphorical chain-links that attached to one another as if creating an unbreakable bond. Pein's heart rate doubled, and then tripled, painfully ramming against his ribcage. His breaths came in short pants that escaped from his slightly parted lips, yet he pushed onward, sending more of his superior chakra forth. The small flames on the candles burst, heat exploding like one of Deidara's clay bombs, blazing in a thin writhing line of red scorching inferno. The ambiance thickened, choking and constricting his air passages, like the feeling of a hand seeking to suffocate him.
Had there been anything in the scroll that warned of this? His body felt like it was made of lead, gravity beating down on him. His knees shook from the force, legs threatening to give way beneath him. There was so, so much wickedness floating in the room. Save for the everlasting flare of the candles, the area was dark, as black as the shadow of the moon at night. A roar sounded in his ears, screaming as if he were standing within the path of a rampant waterfall as it touched the pool at its base.
Suddenly, the candles blinked out, all heat of the room dying in an instant. His ringed eyes strained to see in the encompassing black, to the right, to the left, up above, and down below. Nothing.
Absolutely and irrevocably oblivion.
Pein's body was cold and he imagined his breath was a tangible cloud of white frost in front of his lips. A tremor meandered down his back, and his viable senses were attacked by a demonic energy that overtook his will. For the first time in all his life, he wished for death, that sweet, sweet sanctuary of nothingness and peace, all sagacity lost.
A feminine voice growled, throaty and sugary at the same time. "What fool disturbs my sleep?"
And then someone screamed.
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"Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves –regret for the past and fear for the future."
-Fulton Oursler
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~ \ ~ Chapter Two End. ~ / ~
Kemono no Igen- Literally translated from Japanese into the 'beast's majesty'.
Rakshasa- (spirit in Buddhist mythology) powerful shape-shifting demon who has no true or natural form; notorious for disturbing sacrifices, desecrating graves, harassing priests, possessing human beings, and {in this story} welcoming followers who share their lust for evil and blood, as well as their desire for immortality. [Jashin is the only known Rakshasa with followers at the moment, though there have been others before him. Considering his closeness with the Demon King, he has high-status in the demon realm, therefore more freedom. Sakura allows him to do as he pleases as long as it doesn't interfere with the order of the universe.]
A/N: First topic of conversation: Sasori. Okay…I have to say that Hiruko (his scorpion form) was really cool…but ugly as hell. You all know you want some sexy puppet boy. I know I do. So…we will be disregarding that form in this fanfic. ^,^
I'M LOOKING FOR A BETA! If anyone has time or would like to Beta this story, I'd REALLY appreciated it. (I don't know how it all works, but my friend said getting a beta might be a good idea.)
I know you were probably all hoping for Sakura's appearance in this chapter, but…next chapter is the start of everything. I promise. Jeez, I really botched this chapter. It's like…the epitome of the Uchiha massacre but with writing. I apologize for my half-assed abilities. God! I absolutely HATED writing this chapter! It's just so…BORING. Ugh, at least the exposition is finally over! Time for the rising action! :D
Thanks to all those who voted! The poll is still open! (Harem is in the lead…*grins*)
Also, a special appreciation for those who reviewed!
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And I know I'm two days late, but please bear with me! I was at Megacon in Orlando, Florida all last weekend and had no time to write with school…
Love. Love. Love.
Kiss. Kiss.
~Alice