Jashin's Child

Chapter 2: Ko-sama

Warnings for this chapter: gore

Dedication: I once again dedicate this to my reviewers HeartsNaruto, Itachis-Only, New account sign up taken name (aka Thanks for the coffee ;]) and Kura-Of-the-Akasuki. I also dedicate this to 911negotiation who only reviewed the prologue and those who put this on their favourites and/or alerts. You all make me so happy :)

A/N: Hello people who happen to read this story :) Welcome to the latest chapter, which you will, I hope, have fun reading even though it's pretty much a filler, the only plot being the (long?) awaited meeting of Kuzu and Hidan ^^;

And now: Disclaimer I choose you! *throws poke ball and disclaimer jumps out*

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Kakuzu's POV:

Kami no ko. The child of the god Jashin. The nightmare and hope of the people living in the village of Yugakure. During the time I had already been there I'd found out a lot about that monster. And at the same time nothing at all.

The inhabitants were afraid of what would happen when the monster plaguing them died. Would Jashin smite them all? Send another, stronger, child of his? They respected, and some even adored, kami no ko. They said only those who go against the god's will were killed by it and that I had no right to think about even so much as harming it.

And then there were those who shared my and Hayabuza's opinion. Kami no ko was just another monster that senselessly killed people and deserved to die. Such a thing like Jashin didn't exist. Gods didn't exist. It was simply illogical that one being should be powerful enough to use humans as pawns for their childish games.

Furthermore I took a good look at the entrance of the cave the monster was said to live in. Ordinary. It was nothing special, no traps, no warnings, nothing. Not even an eerie feeling of dread. No monster had ever been near it. And if one had, that must have been more than 100 years ago.

My fingers touched the rough surface of the cave's walls, softly gliding over it, feeling the texture. A sudden shiver took over my body. Something was here! A dark presence once touched the same stone I did then, only that it had been a long, long time ago. A smile tugged at my lips. So there really was something to gain money from. A monster.

Sighing I went back into the village to meet with Raiden, the only one who had ever lived through an encounter with kami no ko. When I reached the place we decided to meet on he was already there, his slim figure and the goofy grin on his face betraying the fact that he was one of the strongest warriors of the village.

The ginger waved as he saw me approaching him, green eyes twinkling mischievously. His long legs carried him in my direction, the long black coat he wore swaying behind him. His lips curved farther up when he eventually stood in front of me, a slender hand reaching out in greeting. His hand shake was firm and strong, like a fighter's, and nowhere near as soft as I'd expected.

"So you're the hunter people have been talking about? I'm Raiden and I hope that my scarce information on ko-sama is enough for you to stop him from killing the people in this village, my friends and family."

I nodded and indicated for him to follow me so we could talk privately. We went to my room in the village leader's house, seeing as it was the safest place to share important information. I sat down on my bed, while Raiden took the only chair. I offered him something to drink, a glass of water or a cup of tea, but he politely declined. Getting himself comfortable, he began to tell his tale.

"Well… it was about two years ago, but I still remember it as if it had been yesterday. It was a windy day and the lightings were the only thing to bring some light in the darkness. A few other warriors and I wanted to finally take down Ko-sama, so we went into the cave. It was dark and quiet… eerily so. After wandering through the tunnels for what felt like hours we reached a bigger cave. It was lighted by torches and in the middle was a lake, a black endless pit of hopelessness.

"Suddenly we heard laughter and something scratching on the stone walls. A soft and at the same time scary melody was begun to be hummed. A dark and strong presence neared, drawing closer and closer to us. Something too strong for simple warriors to take on, the power surrounding us making it hard to breathe, the electricity prickling on our skin. We ran. As fast as we could. It didn't take long for it to get to the slowest of out group. I heard the screams of my companions, the dark song continuously falling from our predator's lips, resonating throughout the long corridors.

"Finally I reached the exit! I jumped out and fell. I heard something behind me. Slowly I turned around and there it was. Kami no ko. It stood directly in front of me, just inside the cave, red eyes glowing in the dark. And then, without a warning, a lightning struck a nearby tree and for a moment I could see it. And it was beautiful. Clad in a black robe stood an angel, white wings spread out behind it and silver hair falling into its pale marble face. Blood stained its form, black claws curving from its fingertips. And around its neck was the sign of Jashin-sama himself.

"I know that leader-sama said you could kill it, but I don't think that would be clever… it's the child of a god and one shouldn't draw a god's anger upon themselves. Just… talk to it and ask what we should do… I would have done it if I had had the time, but when I opened my mouth to say something it disappeared into the cave again."

Nodding I got up and walked him out of my room. After a brief good bye I went back and packed everything for the mission. I planned on going to hunt that monster the next day so I didn't decline Mei's offer to prepare a meal for me. And it was for free as well! Everyone who knew me, was aware that I'd never pass an opportunity for food that didn't cost anything. Especially if it was as good as the young woman's.

Leading me into the dining room and motioning for me to sit she put a pot onto the big oak table that proudly stood in one corner, nearly taking all the space there was. I fit myself between the wall and aforementioned massive object to make myself comfortable on the cushioned bench. Delicious smells filled the room when Mei opened the small pot and put some of the rice and vegetables onto my plate.

Thanking her I took my chopsticks and dug in. Her culinary creations, though simple, tasted wonderful. She didn't have much to work with, seeing as the village was poor, but the village head's daughter sure had talent. The spicy sauce melted on my tongue, its rich flavors having me hooked. That was so much better than that stuff they called food in the bars I usually stayed in.

"Don't kill it…" I suddenly heard the woman's soft voice, "It may be a murderer, but it's a god's child. Humans shouldn't play with fires they can't control."

I stared, letting my eyes do the talking. I wasn't a killer. I only took lives when there was no other way of getting rid of a target. It was messy and more often than not I had to buy a new set of clothes afterwards. And disposing of the bodies wasn't my favorite pastime either.

With a nod and a sad smile she accepted my silent not-really-agreement. Her slender fingers kept moving around each other and was I imagining things or was there really a slight tinge of red on her cheeks? No that must have been a trick of the light or something. No woman would ever blush for a man like me. A monster, deformed by time and cruelty.

After I finished the meal I bid her goodnight and went to bed. Long I lay awake, thinking about the events of the day and what would come as soon as the sun rose again. 'A white angel' Raiden had said. Beautiful and dangerous. Like a mentis, making itself appear a harmless flower or a leaf, but a ruthless killer was hiding underneath that façade. The moon shone through the only window in the room as it slowly crept across the starry sky, the gentle light reminding me again of that description. Silver hair…

The next day the happy chirping of birds woke me, a yawn breaking free from my throat as I stretched, joints popping, and got out of bed. As everything was already packed I just took my bag, filled with food and small weapons, put on my coat and attached my katana to my hip. Straightening my shoulders I left the room and was on my way to the cave.

Like a mouth the entrance gaped, the place mostly shrouded in darkness due to the tall trees surrounding it. Not hesitating even once I stepped in, leaving the wood behind, the shadows immediately surrounding me like wolves their prey. Sighing I enflamed the torch I had kept in my sack.

The air was humid, laying heavily on my shoulders, wetting my clothes, as to be expected in a cave in the woods. Long tunnels stretched before me, a labyrinth with no end. I let my senses guide me, the inhuman presence tickling my sharp senses. Like a light the moths that power drew me in.

Eventually I reached a dead end. Slowly I approached what lay there, the massive shadow eerily rigid. The stench of death was prominent, definitely coming from that shadow. Slowly I moved closer, and when the flames' light fell upon what lay before me my eyes widened a bit.

Red and tangled lay bodies, stacked like wood, a huge heap of broken limbs. Empty eyes stared sightlessly, chunks of flesh and cracked bones sticking to one another, making it impossible to decipher whom they belonged to. Or how many there were. Torn tissue and broken ribcages, evidence of torture.

Closing my eyes I concentrated on the energy circulating through the long tunnels. The pulsing heart of it all was not far from my location. A tingling sensation cursed through my veins and warmth spread through my body. I turned around, leaving the heap of corpses behind, and followed that energy again, the steady pulsating guiding my way.

It started silently, but I heard it nevertheless. A soft tune travelled through the cave's tunnels, the eerily beautiful sounds strangely touching my heart. It was a song I hadn't heard in centuries, the memory of it vague and faded, but what was still sharp in my mind was the singer. A young boy, about thirteen years old. It had been during the times of the Great War that shattered civilizations and destroyed whole nations about four hundred years ago. The small form had sat huddled on a battle field, tears streaming down his dirty cheeks and the soft tune leaving his mouth. A prayer to the gods. Specifically Jashin, the god of destruction and death…

After what felt like hours of walking and following the song, I finally reached a big open cave. The lake Raiden had described was in the middle, a dark endless pool, as if it could swallow your soul. Torches lined the walls to contribute scarce lighting. A heap of animal skins marked the sleeping place of the one living in this huge system of tunnels and caves, but other than that there was no sign that this place was populated.

Suddenly there was a shift in the energy flow, the torches' light flickering slightly. A sound was caused behind me and quickly drawing my katana I turned around to dodge the attack that was directed at me. A long metal staff connected with the razor sharp steel of my blade and my eyes met magenta hues. A pale face, perfect like that of a porcelain doll, and silver hair framing it immediately caught my attention. There was something in those orbs that stunned me. A kind of sadness, maybe loneliness.

My attacker jumped back again and now I could see the white feathered wings that spread behind the slender body, a black robe adorning the beautiful form. The staff, which turned out to be a three bladed scythe, was once again swung forward and I sidestepped to avoid the deadly weapon.

I performed a low cut, which he dodged with the staff and then retaliated swinging his scythe at me, aggressively and repeatedly attacking as I avoided or dodged his every attack. He knew how to wield his weapon, I had to give him that, but I as a master of the sword could immediately see that he wasn't used to it and hadn't had enough practice to have a chance against me.

Having watched him enough to see the weaknesses in his defense I quickly spun around to bring the hilt of my katana down on his neck, a kick to his solar plexus following immediately afterwards. His body crumbled to the floor, laying prone before me. He was in a bad position, someone who was out to kill him standing above him, a razor sharp sword in their hand, but nevertheless a confident smirked was etched to those pale features.

"You cannot kill me! I'm immortal!" he screamed, his words rich with pride and self-assuredness, the high pitched voice strangely beautiful to my ears.

He seemed to glow, and I had to admit that that cocking up of the corners of his lips fitted him. Too bad that I had to wipe that smirk off his face… Showing him my katana I began to talk.

"This is one of the four god swords." I explained, "Legends say that it was made by the great gods themselves because they were jealous of the immortals, which, although sharing most of their strengths, didn't have to forego the human pleasures. I do not think that that legend is the truth, but what I do know is that it can kill an immortal."

The confident expression vanished and left was a defeated man, the fear of death showing in those beautiful, now wide open, eyes of his. I had the taste of victory on my tongue, the feeling of the money I would receive for that head already on my hands. Raising the katana I prepared for the kill.

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Word count: 2.379

I hope you liked this and that I didn't disappoint you… and I also hope that lame cliffhanger doesn't irk you XD (lame because we all know that Hidan will survive. He's a protagonist and has protagonist immortality after all.)

Anyways! Here's your treats *hands over pastries and orange juice (or another juice of your choosing)* and I hope you won't kill me for those long waits ^^;

See you!

~Todesan