Crack!

Sasuke looked up just in time. A weapon—what the hell was that anyway?—trailed by a rope glanced off Sasuke's katana. It made the Uchiha lose his group momentarily and forced him to step back from the blonde guy's body. He looked back at the weapon he'd just been attacked with. It was a triple-bladed scythe. Its evil, sharp blades reflected the moonlight. Sasuke saw the guy from afar. He had slicked-back silvery hair tucked behind his ears. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and Sasuke could see a necklace.

A Jashinist? He thought curiously.

Hidan followed the rope calmly until he was standing in front of Sasuke and over Deidara's body. He was damn worried about Deidara, but he had to get rid of Sasuke first.

Fuck. He thought, watching the blood from Deidara's wound continue to trickle, colouring the rocks crimson. As macho as he liked to think he was, Hidan knew that if he pit himself against Sasuke, he would lose. He looks just like Itachi.

Sasuke watched the newcomer carefully. He was much more alert than the blonde one, but…was he Akatsuki? In the end, Sasuke decided he didn't care. He would—

Sasuke's head turned suddenly. He looked cautiously into the shadows. Surely, it wasn't, but if the blonde man was Akatsuki then he couldn't have been far—

Itachi stepped out and looked up. The breeze ruffled his hair dramatically as the moonlight spilled onto his features. Sasuke's mouth formed a thin, stressed line and his grip around the katana tightened considerably, the joints in his fingers whitening.

Itachi, dammit.

Itachi leapt up to where they stood. Everyone stood still for a moment. Then the rope suspended off Hidan's scythe went taut and the Jashinist dragged the scythe towards him: it sliced through the rocky ground quickly and loudly and then went into the air as Hidan twisted the rope around his forearm. He caught the weapon and held it carefully.

"Leave, Hidan," Itachi said without looking at him. He, however, eyed Deidara disapprovingly. After he and Sasori's talk, his dislike for him had grown…however…something in his mind tugged not too long ago and woke him up. At first, he didn't know what it was, but then he realized he got this feeling whenever Sasuke was nearby. He was putting his coat on when he heard a loud clang and peered out the hallway just in time to see Hidan half-drag his scythe out of the Lair. Itachi had followed him and...here they were.

Initially, Hidan was rooted to the spot. Then Itachi turned around to glare at him and he practically leapt into action. He scooped Deidara's limp body up—surprised at how freaking light it was—and stood up again. The blood has lessened, but the gash was still spewing blood. They made a sick trickling sound as it dripped onto the rock. Even Hidan, who stabbed himself as a hobby, was slightly repulsed.

Maybe because it's Deidara, he thought worriedly. Yeah…that's probably it.

He gave the two Uchiha one last look before slinging his scythe over his shoulder by aid of his rope and headed quickly back to the Lair, wondering what Kakuzu would think him of him if he saw him, but knowing that he needed to face him, to get Deidara's neck stitched up before he died of blood loss.

Careful, small stitches Kakuzu.

"What are you doing here?"

Sasuke felt the urge to just attack Itachi and ignore his question, but there was some external force that made him immobile. He wondered in frustration if it was Itachi who was making him feel that way. It could have been his own nerves, but Sasuke would have died before admitting to the latter.

"I could ask you the same question, Itachi,"

Itachi glanced at the blood pool Deidara had created.

Sasuke's jutted his chin forward in the direction Hidan had left with Deidara.

"You came because of those two?"

Itachi's answer came slowly. "No, Sasuke. I came because of you,"

A knife suddenly gleamed in Itachi's hand, mostly obscured by the long sleeve of his black Akatsuki coat, but Sasuke could sense it.

Itachi charged.

Hidan laid Deidara down as un-carefully as he dared on the metal table. He had to, because Kakuzu was watching him in that hawkish way which suggested he knew something was up but wasn't going to ask. Instead, he was going to allow Hidan the displeasure of wallowing in the uncomfortable atmosphere he, Kakuzu, emanated. It made Hidan fidget.

As Kakuzu's threads slithered from within his cloak and needled through Deidara's skin delicately, Hidan had slid his hands inside his coat and he was twisting the ring he had on his left index finger. He knew Kakuzu could probably tell he was nervous, but he still didn't want to display it openly.

As Kakuzu thread, he asked "What happened?" in his deep, growl of a voice. The question was obviously directed at Hidan, but his eyes never left Deidara's wound.

Hidan paused before answering. "Well…Itachi's brat brother decided to pay us a visit and Deidara just got caught in the crossfire,"

"Sasuke?" Kakuzu's voice went higher in interest. He was obviously much more concerned about this aspect, and not the Deidara-almost-got-killed aspect.

That's because he's yours to worry about, Hidan's conscience chuckled.

"Yeah, him. Itachi's out there now,"

"So I heard," Kakuzu said. He meant it literally. After the ruckus Hidan had caused with his stupid scythe, Kakuzu had walked out of his working room just in time to see Itachi Uchiha slither out of his room and glide past Kakuzu's.

"Hmmm. And Deidara could not stand up against him. Pitiful,"

The irritation at hearing Kakuzu badmouth Deidara unfurled in Hidan's stomach. He grew hot-headed, just like he always did.

"He had nothing, man!" he said brashly. "Check him out—he's got none of that…that clay stuff he's always eating,"

Kakuzu scoffed beneath his mask. The last thread wove itself into Deidara's neck. Kakuzu withdrew his arm and finally looked at Hidan.

"You can take your pet back to his room now," was all he said.

"Wait—aren't you going to clean his wound?" Hidan gestured meaningfully at Deidara's neck, chin and collarbone area. The blood there made the wound look ten times worse than it really was. Kakuzu seemed offended.

"I'm not a nurse, Hidan," he said shortly. Then he retreated to his work room and Hidan knew the conversation was over, and never to be dug up again. Hidan sighed and picked Deidara up again with extreme ease. He carried him outside and wondered for a moment whether to bring the blonde back to his own room, as dark and bloody as it already was. He really wanted to. But Deidara's room was obviously the better place, because then he wouldn't have to carry him all over the place, and maybe…maybe he could change him into new clothes.

God, I sound like his goddamn mother.

He walked into Deidara's room and laid the Iwa nin on the bed softly. He knew Deidara seldom used lights because of the so-called "ambience" candle flames gave off, but there had to be a light somewhere. Hidan's eyes scanned the ceiling as he felt around the wall for a switch. He found it and turned it on. It flashed a few times before it turned on completely. A harsh white, surgery-like light filled the room. Hidan quickly checked if Deidara was stirring, but he wasn't. Hidan nudged the door closed with his foot, and it gave a reassuring click as it slid into place.

If only there was some way to make it dimmer.

Hidan walked over to Deidara. Some of the blood had even soaked into his long blond hair. Hidan rubbed the crustiness it had formed when he inspected the affected strands. He looked around the room and got up. He grabbed a small tub from the bathroom and filled it with tepid water. He came back to the main part of Deidara's room only to see Sasori floating there, staring down at Deidara with a look like death in his eyes.