My Pain is Yours

Chapter 15: Goodbye

Morning enveloped the world in light and Aiko was aroused from a calming sleep. She awoke, stretching her arms high above her head and yawning as light spilled in through the slitted blinds dangling from the window across from her bed. The kunoichi swung one leg out of bed and ceased to move upon inciting a throbbing pain from her abdomen.

Aiko sighed, playfully shaking her head at her wound. I may as well tend to it now.

Clapping her hands together, emitting another yawn, Aiko summoned healing chakra to her hands and pressed them against her stomach. The glow faded as there was less and less to heal. Once both the pain and greenish glow vanished completely, Aiko was satisfied, hopping out of bed and strolling over to where her Akatsuki cloak was.

"Ah, perfect," Aiko crooned, sliding her arms through the abundant sleeves.

Slipping the velvety coat on, Aiko admired the blood-red cloud pattern as it rippled with the folds to create a billowing effect. She smiled at the vivid, scarlet hue, her formerly broken spirit nurtured and revived; the carnelian colors excited and assisted the powerful, copious design. Aiko began thinking about the other Akatsuki members. This led to Hidan; which led to their encounter the previous night. Aiko's heart began to pound.

A warm blush spread across her cheeks.

Oh God…how could I forget? I kissed him last night!

She flopped back onto the bed, spreading her arms apart. Great, this is going to complicate things between us. I wonder what Shinsei's going to say when she finds out? As Aiko hit the bed, however, she was reminded of an excruciating realization. Today was the day that she would be parting with Shinsei. Her breath hitched, taking a moment to allow the shock to seep in. How could she have forgotten so easily? Suddenly, getting back out of bed was going to be a near impossible task, body paralyzed.

I completely forgot about that! Aiko covered her eyes with her pale hands. Damn.

Cradling her face, forgetting all about her dilemma with Hidan, Aiko quietly reminisced, remembering how much fun she and Shinsei had together, all the memories they shared; and now, after all those years they were being separated, going in different directions. Leaving each other. An interruptive knock withdrew her from her morose thoughts and Aiko glanced over at the door.

"Get out of bed!" Kakuzu growled outside her door, footsteps dragging across the floor as he retreated as quickly as he had arrived. "We're leaving in ten minutes." He clomped down the stairs and Aiko flinched. Now she had to leave.

Lips trembling, Aiko lifted herself from her comfortable solitude; she couldn't bring herself to say goodbye. She already had to say goodbye so many times before to so many people. It wasn't fair. It wasn't right. Bringing herself to part with loved ones repeatedly had taken its toll on Aiko. She flashed a glare at the door, hazel eyes overflowing with inconsolable sadness.

Truthfully, she was more afraid of how Shinsei was going to handle it.


"What is taking that girl?" Kakuzu threw another glower at the house behind him.

Standing in a circle, donning identical crimson-clouded cloaks, were Kakuzu, Hidan, Kisame, Itachi, and Shinsei. Hidan hadn't said a word, which made Kakuzu suspicious; usually Hidan was pointlessly complaining about everything and anything. Kakuzu quickly shifted his stare, however, when the Jashinist scowled at him.

"What?" Hidan snorted, dodging Kakuzu's frown. "Stop gawking at me."

Kakuzu's jade orbs dimmed, but his voice remained composed. "Shut up, idiot."

Hidan's voice rose in pitch. "Stop calling me an idiot! All you do is sleep, eat and breathe money! Hell, you probably screw it too, eh?" Kakuzu regretted speaking to the immortal at all.

Kisame arched an eyebrow, impressed by how quickly Hidan and Kakuzu could change moods. They're like woman with pre-menstrual problems, Kisame deducted, scoffing inwardly at their swift mood-changes. When one of them is actually behaving the other just has to go and make matters worse…you know, I feel sorry for Hime-chan…

Paying the situation little-to-no attention, the Uchiha kept an eye on the door, allowing his gaze to stray occasionally to his partner or Shinsei. He wanted to get out of there, to escape from the endless quarreling of Hidan and Kakuzu; one could only put up with it for so long. Itachi sighed, breath passing by his lips as he brushed his silky hair back, allowing it to rain back into his face. The redhead at his side winced, feeling his breath sweep behind her.

"She is taking an awfully long time, isn't she?" Itachi murmured, comment pertaining to Aiko.

Shinsei stared at Itachi, blue eyes large, magnified by the accumulating tears. She was leaving Aiko, but at least she had Itachi to help her cope with the loneliness, right? Itachi lowered his gaze to connect with hers and she evaded his calm, ebony orbs. Itachi's eyebrows furrowed, perplexed, and he gently nudged her hand with his, urging her to take it. She did.

Together, with Itachi, she would get through this.

Observing his partner and lover in silence, Kisame wondered what happened between them the preceding night. Clearly they talked about something of importance, now they couldn't be separated; in a way, Kisame felt a little jealous at the attention Shinsei was receiving, but the shark nin wasn't going to be selfish. He chuckled; maybe Itachi would be less callous now.

Then, the door behind them cracked open and a soft voice seized their attention.

"Hey, sorry for taking so long."

Everyone turned to see Aiko with her hair in a messy bun smiling cheerfully at them; though her emerald orbs betrayed the happy front she deployed to shield her grief. Her lips cracked into a forced smile and Shinsei felt a sob catch in her throat, eyes brimming with tears as she released Itachi's hand and raced to Aiko's side, throwing her arms around her friend's neck.

Aiko caught Shinsei and hugged her tightly. "I'll still be seeing you around," Aiko whispered. "Smile for me."

Rivulets cascaded down the redhead's cheeks and she whimpered. "B-but when will we see each other again? Aiko I don't want to leave you!" She quivered, trembling in Aiko's arms as the brunette struggled to repress her own tears. Shinsei pulled away, eyes crystallized. "I'm going to miss you, Aiko; I'm going to miss you so much!" Aiko felt Shinsei's hands clam around her even tighter. This only made it more difficult, but Aiko couldn't help hugging Shinsei back.

Nodding sagely and closing her eyes to wall back her tears, Aiko whispered, voice breaking, "Yeah…I'll miss you a lot too." Hearing Aiko say this made Shinsei cry harder, pushing her to realize that Aiko wasn't going to be around forever, but she found solace in the fact that no matter what she was sure to see Aiko again. Although, even that wasn't very comforting.

Hidan rolled his eyes at the pair, muttering, "Come on, let's just get moving already!"

Nodding stiffly, Aiko heeded Hidan's order, liberating Shinsei from her arms. The redhead's tears streamed down her flushed cheeks, eyes swollen. This couldn't be it already, could it? As Aiko tried to walk away, Shinsei threw her arms around her friend's waist one last time in a parting hug, one that cracked Aiko's hard shell and shattered it. Aiko's barricades finally broke and one tear escaped, causing her breath to hinder in the hollows of her throat. This was truly Aiko's most painful goodbye.

"Aiko!" Shinsei sobbed her name again. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry for being such a burden! But I can't help it! I need you!"

Breath seizing, Aiko clenched her fists, keeping her tears in check. "You were never a burden," Aiko quietly replied, unhooking Shinsei's desperate hands and taking a step out of Shinsei's reach, heart pleading with her to cease the pain by lingering for just a moment longer. But Aiko couldn't stay; she had to discharge Shinsei from herself; it was the selfless thing to do, the correct thing to do, and she knew it; though, the agony she bore to conceal her sadness was crippling. Aiko choked out the barely audible words, "You and I will be best friends; forever. Trust me."

Aiko smiled brightly, that smile shattering Shinsei's heart.

Restraining herself as Aiko began walking away, Shinsei forced herself not to cry out, forced herself to be strong, like Aiko, but she wasn't Aiko; and she knew that. Vision unclear, Shinsei watched her closest friend join her waiting companions and make a hand sign. Aiko, Hidan, and Kakuzu vanished a moment later, clouds of smoke the only remaining proof of their past existence.

Shinsei, overcome with sadness, fell to her knees on the hard ground, covering her eyes with her shaking hands and crying into them. Aiko was gone. And for some reason, it felt like this parting ripped them apart, eternally, in a sense. It frightened her, made her want to collapse, cave in, and never return.

A gentle hand falling onto her shoulder diverted Shinsei's attention, convincing her to turn around.

"Come along, Shinsei," Itachi urged softly, mouth twitching into a remnant of a smile.

Sniffling and smearing her tears across her eyes with her arm, Shinsei nodded. Itachi was with her now; she would be safe, protected; he wouldn't allow anything to harm her. She took his hand to confirm her thoughts and when he received it, she felt a tiny burst of happiness explode within her chest.

Even if Aiko was gone, Shinsei wasn't alone. She squeezed Itachi's hand, obtaining tangible verification that her pining affection was returned; besides, she would see Aiko again soon, wouldn't she? Her lips curved into a petite smile upon meeting Itachi's ebony orbs, then splitting into a beam bright enough to rival her red hair, sapphire eyes alight as she came to an abrupt realization that lifted all blockades from her eyes, overflowing with bitter-sweet bliss.

Aiko…you made sure that I wasn't going to be alone, didn't you?


"This way," Kakuzu dictated, pointing his companions in the direction they were traveling.

Silent, Aiko didn't reply. She swallowed hard, tears brimming in her eyes, threatening to break through at even the slightest moment of weakness. She had to be strong, always; it was better for everyone else this way. Shinsei and Itachi were together now as far as Aiko could perceive, observing their quixotic glances, their slight gestures directed towards each other, the faint brushing of their fingertips that Aiko knew would soon be their lips.

Blinking, Aiko's hand subconsciously rose to her chest, eyes blank as her hand perched itself above her beating heart. Something was missing, a piece of her was gone; the remaining light drained from her eyes and she knew that this was a pain Shinsei and she would share for a long time to come. Her eyes closed, agonized smile embellishing her vacillating lips.

Goodbye.


Author's Note: Aiko and Shinsei do have a beautiful relationship as friends and I hope I have been able to make that impact with you because it is vital to the development of this story. But now that I have expressed their relationship so many times we can move onto other relationships…my target for the next chapter being Aiko and Hidan's. ^_^ They will not escape me!

BTW, I'm sorry for any disappointment I may have brought with this chapter…but I am working hard on this story.

And if you really want to see Aiko and Hidan get together, you have to pay the toll; a fee of one review! *.* Just like my last reviewers; many thanks goes out to yoyshaia-chan, Cheeky half-demon, werewolfwithaheart, and Philice! Thanks again guys! ^_^ You know how happy reviews make me! I know that I try to review everything I read on this site. ;)

So, please follow yoyshaia-chan, Cheeky half-demon, werewolfwithaheart, and Philice's examples and review. ^/.\-

-Aiko of the Akatsuki

P.S. I am going to try updating Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday from now on too…wish me luck, I really, really need your guys' help though! Actually, I am already working on the sixteenth chapter! Cha! Expect it by Wednesday, because that's when it should be ready; I will push myself to have it done by then! =D