My Pain is Yours
Author's Note: A thousand apologies! My internet browser hasn't been working properly so I haven't been able to upload my new chapters! But, that issue has since been fixed and I present you with Chapter 5. Enjoy. ^_^
Chapter 5: Forever Friends
The rain was no longer falling from the black heavens hanging above the sky. Clouds of gray rolled in to extinguish any illumination remaining and thick mists were beginning to settle in. A soothing, refreshing scent followed along the back of the midnight breeze, gently rattling the bare tree branches.
The night was finally at peace.
Sitting in a room, quietly sipping her coffee, was Shinsei. She had been given a change of clothes, a simple black mourning dress to weather out the night. Her large sapphire orbs kept flicking from the window to the door, anxiously anticipating Aiko's arrival.
When they had parted at the fork in the road, Aiko had gone back into the village they fled from with Hidan and Kakuzu, while Shinsei, Itachi and Kisame went the other way.
Tightening her grip on her mug, Shinsei looked into her lap to see her rippled reflection staring back at her, each wave of brown carrying a sliver of her face. She held back her tears which put up a resistance to their stubborn barrier.
"Hey there Gaki!" Kisame boomed loudly, joining Shinsei on the couch.
Lately, Kisame had taken to calling her Gaki, which meant 'brat', and as much as Shinsei didn't like it, she was too focused on Aiko to care. Although, upon feeling the couch begin to sink, Shinsei scooted away from the grinning shark nin.
Itachi joined them a minute later.
"Zetsu just stopped by," Itachi announced, "and said that we have orders to watch the seer until further notice. When Hidan and Kakuzu return, they also have a mission assigned to them that they must complete tomorrow. Leader-sama plans on allowing the seer and medic into the organization by Wednesday evening."
"Oh?" Kisame kicked back and rested his large feet on the coffee table.
"When's Aiko going to be back?" Shinsei whispered sadly. "I want to see her."
"Stop being such a crybaby!" Kisame bellowed. He chuckled. "She'll get back when she does!"
"Kisame, hush," Itachi ordered, his voice stern.
The redhead lifted her feet off of the floor and hugged her knees to her chest. She folded her arms, placing them atop her knees, and hid her face. Apparently, Kisame must have made some motion towards her, but Itachi stopped him as she heard a "Shh…"
Why did everything have to go so wrong?
She refused to lift up her head until she heard the door click open.
"Is this the place, Kakuzu?"
"What do you think?"
Shinsei's eyes lit up upon seeing Aiko enter the house behind Hidan, but the light soon faded. The brunette looked although she might pass out from exhaustion. Shinsei watched in horror as Kakuzu removed bloodied chakra ropes from Aiko's wrists and shoved them into his pocket.
"Aiko!" Shinsei cried out, running to her friend. Aiko seemed to wake up upon hearing Shinsei's voice and made an attempt to smile. Shinsei flew to her half-open arms and began sobbing into her friend's chest. Suddenly, everything wasn't so bad.
Shinsei had her best friend back.
"Hey Shinsei, are you alright?" Aiko whispered.
"Yes! I'm fine!" Shinsei wept hysterically, tears soaking Aiko's already drenched shirt. "But what about you?! Those goddamn bastards hurt your wrists didn't they?!" Hidan looked down at the floor, scratching the back of his head and Kakuzu grumbled something.
Laughing lightly, Aiko managed to say, "It's not too horrible; I can't feel the pain anymore."
"But they still hurt you!" Shinsei sobbed. "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!"
"This isn't your fault," Aiko murmured, stroking Shinsei's head as she held her close. "It'll be alright, don't worry. Everything will be okay." Shinsei sniffled, choking back a sob as she looked into Aiko's emerald orbs speckled with gold.
They looked so sad.
"Aiko you don't have to be strong for me," Shinsei pleaded, "please, you don't have to be strong anymore!" She buried her head back into Aiko's chest and clutched tight to the back of her saturated tank top. Aiko closed her eyes and squeezed Shinsei tighter, a light smile falling upon her lips.
"I will always be strong for you, Shinsei," Aiko replied, her voice cracking.
The Akatsuki members watched in silence as the two girls clung to one another; the only sounds were those of Aiko's comforting words and Shinsei's tears. Itachi narrowed his eyes at the pair for a moment and averted them as if he remembered something.
Nudging Kakuzu with his elbow, Hidan muttered, "What are we supposed to do with those two?" Kakuzu shrugged and placed his briefcase on the counter to recount his money. Hidan snorted. "Are you still worried about your cash?"
"Shut up, will you?" Kakuzu hissed.
Clapping his massive hands together to get everyone's attention, Kisame announced, "Well, while we're all here, Hidan and Kakuzu, you two just got assigned a mission to carry out tomorrow with the medic nin." Aiko looked up and Shinsei pulled away, wiping her hand over her eyes.
Both Hidan and Kakuzu seemed to have come to a complete halt in what they were doing. Hidan exclaimed, "A mission? But we just took care of this whole medic nin business; isn't that enough?" He jabbed a finger at Aiko. "And why does she have to come with us?!"
"Because those were the orders," Itachi murmured coolly.
"Tch! Whatever!" Hidan grumbled, smoothing out his hair.
"Is it another bounty hunt?" Kakuzu rasped, snapping his briefcase shut. Itachi nodded and Kakuzu closed his eyes. "Very well."
"Another bounty hunt?" Hidan whined. "I'm not going!"
"Oh yes you are," Kakuzu growled.
Hidan frowned, eyes glinting. "All we ever do is go on those stupid bounty hunts. And for what? Money. Money, money, money…probably the only thing that runs through your mind!"
"At least my mind's running," Kakuzu muttered.
"Huh?!" Hidan snapped. "What's that supposed to mean?!"
"Will you two please stop fighting?" Kisame asked. "It's the middle of the night, and in any case a good time to send the two ladies to bed. After all-," but Kisame was cut short by Hidan.
"All right! All right!" Hidan scoffed. "I've heard enough already!"
Aiko and Shinsei exchanged unimpressed glances as if to say that Hidan was the rudest, foulest person alive. The silver-haired man didn't seem to stop either, as he continued to gripe about the entire situation and the mission that wasn't even in effect yet.
Sighing, Itachi approached Aiko and Shinsei. Aiko watched him retract his Sharingan and tightened her grip on Shinsei's hand. He stopped short. "Don't be alarmed, I've only come to bring the two of you upstairs for the night." Aiko nodded and eased up.
"Thank you," Aiko murmured, Shinsei echoing her words.
Obediently following the Uchiha, Aiko and Shinsei ascended up the steep stairs, leaving Hidan, Kakuzu and Kisame downstairs to argue. Itachi led the girls to a room across from the bathroom, advising them to remain in their room for the night if they didn't want any trouble.
"We will stay downstairs," Itachi murmured in parting. "Aiko-san, expect to be woken up early tomorrow morning." Aiko nodded. "And Shinsei-san, I will see you at breakfast."
"Y-yes," Shinsei nodded.
"Good night then," Itachi whispered, shutting the door.
Aiko and Shinsei then looked up and both said simultaneously, "I-!" But both stopped as soon as they realized that the other was about to speak. Then, they began to laugh, retreating to the bed and laying down; still laughing. Aiko was the first to stop, letting out a sigh.
"What's wrong?" Shinsei asked between laughs.
"You know," Aiko murmured thoughtfully, "this could've turned out so much worse."
"Agreed!" Shinsei thumped her head against a pillow as Aiko crawled under the sheets. "You know, maybe this won't be so bad; I mean, Uchiha Itachi isn't too horrible." Aiko shrugged beneath the blankets. "Do you want me to turn off the light?" Shinsei offered.
"Sure," Aiko whispered back. Shinsei hopped off the bed and flicked off the lights. The room went dark as she felt around in to find the bed. Aiko reached out and guided her back, scooting over so that Shinsei had room to lie down.
"Thanks," Shinsei mumbled, getting comfortable.
After a moment of silence, Aiko yawned and turned over, burrowing into the blankets and closing her eyes. Sleep was something that she had missed lately, but not tonight. Then, she heard Shinsei's voice.
"Um, Aiko?"
"Yeah?"
"You aren't…mad at me, right?"
"Of course not."
Aiko shifted around, turning onto her side. She let out a sigh. At least this bed didn't creak like the one at that cheap hotel. Aiko tucked her arm underneath her pillow, still trying to get comfy. She yawned again, muscles relaxing. Her eyes were closing…
"Aiko?"
"Mmm?" Aiko mumbled, interrupted.
"We're still friends…right?"
Aiko paused before answering, and then murmured, "Forever and ever."
Author's Note: Aww! That was a sweet chapter! This was dedicated to my beloved friend who Shinsei is based off of. Yes, yes! I have rewritten this chapter time and time again, but this is it! Ah-ha! Reviews are highly appreciated right now and any thoughts you as readers may have are also regarded highly. Thank you for reading!
Also, be prepared for Hidan and Kakuzu in the following chapter! They are going with Aiko on a bounty hunt, so that ought to be interesting to say the least. See you next time!
-Aiko of the Akatsuki
