"We're wide awake now,
Our eyes are wide open,
We're runnin' this world,
We're keepin' it turnin',
We're living like giants."
-GIANTS, Lollia
The sun was too low for me to see it.
The blue sky gave way to yellow orange. The soft colors of daytime fought to stay, to bathe the world in a few more minutes of pretty light, but the darkness crept up anyway. The clouds darkened with streaks of black, and orange swallowed the last of the day.
A curtain of dark blue followed it, and then I could see the moon, a glowing beacon hanging up there in the dark. Twinkles of light peppered the sky around it, a million glowing dots that there weren't enough clouds to obscure.
"We're alone, right?" Yahiko asked.
"You keep asking me that," Naga replied.
"Spare an old man's heart, will you?"
They sat in a loose circle below me. A hole had been dug in the ground between them, surrounded by rocks and filled with logs and branches. I kept my eyes on the sky.
"Old man?" Konan scoffed.
"Deep inside, Konan," Yahiko said. "Deep inside."
"We're alone," Naga confirmed.
A pause, then I saw a flash of red in the dark. Yahiko made the tiger seal with one hand, breathing fire onto the wood. He stopped and the fire flickered on its own, growing brighter and licking at the sky.
Hidan stared at it with wide eyes. "How the fuck did you do that?"
Konan frowned at him. "You weren't taught about—?"
"It's because I'm a super powerful shinobi," Yahiko interrupted. He grinned and held up a hand, sparks appearing on the tips of his fingertips. "I'm the strongest member of the Akatsuki. That's why I'm the leader."
"You're the leader because you're the loudest," Konan said sweetly, taking a bite out of a ration bar.
Yahiko clenched his hand and the flames went out. "You always have to take the wind out of my sails."
"You didn't know what sails were until two days ago."
"Case in point."
"Fucking explain it already," Hidan demanded.
Naga held a stick with rabbit meat on it over the fire.
"How could I not after you asked so nicely?" Yahiko drawled. "I pushed a thin layer of chakra around the outside of my fingers to protect them, and then I channeled fire-natured chakra to my hands..." he trailed off when he saw Hidan's frown.
Yahiko leaned back. "Explain what chakra is to him, Konan."
"Fuck you. I know what chakra is," Hidan grumbled.
"What?" she spluttered. "Why me?"
"Because I told you to."
"My ass," she said back.
Yahiko shook his head. "You hear this, Nagato?" he asked in mock disbelief. "Right in front of Oka."
Naga didn't look up.
"If she was going to start cursing, she would've already," Konan responded. "She's had plenty of influence."
"Don't ignore me, assholes," Hidan groused.
Yahiko rubbed his chin. "If we pretend not to hear him maybe he'll stop."
"Fuck you!"
"Do you know what elemental chakra is?" Naga asked, spinning the meat in a circle.
Hidan didn't answer right away. "No," he eventually admitted.
Naga looked between Yahiko and Konan.
"You do it." Yahiko looked at her.
"You're useless," Konan said back.
"I can make it up to you," he told her, grin wide and mischievous. "We can take a nice, quiet walk through the woods later if you want—"
She slapped a hand over his mouth. "Shut up," she hissed.
Yahiko laughed so hard he had to bend forward to catch his breath.
"What the fuck is wrong with you people?" Hidan asked.
"Hey, Naga?" I asked as Konan turned red and pushed him over.
"Hm?"
"What are those called?" I pointed up at the lights in the sky.
Naga followed my gaze. He looked sad. "Stars. You can see them in Amegakure, sometimes."
"I've never seen them in the village."
"The conditions have to be right," he explained. He handed Hidan the stick of meat, distracting him. "It's usually too cloudy, but if you keep looking, night after night, you'll see them up there one day."
I hummed.
"When we bring back the sun, you'll see them every night. I promise."
心臓
"So, do you have to curse all the time?" Yahiko asked, hands laced behind his head.
"Eat shit," Hidan answered.
Yahiko nodded. "Is it a condition that runs in the family or...?"
Hidan glared at him.
Yahiko sidestepped a kick and kept walking. "I think we need to find you a hobby, Hidan. Have you ever tried origami?"
"We need to teach you to move quietly," Konan mused. "Otherwise you'll never get him."
Yahiko stopped and I looked up.
A cart was overturned on the path in front of us. A deep gouge ran along the side, the back wheels sliced in two. Sacks and boxes were ripped and broken all over the road.
"Anyone?" Yahiko signed, half-turning back.
"What the hell are you doing with your hands?" Hidan asked.
"No," Naga signed back.
Konan shook her head.
Yahiko faced forward and started walking again. "Have you ever tried fishing, Hidan?"
.
.
.
The fields on either side of the road were charred and blackened.
Ash and soot crackled under my feet. I stopped at the edge of the road and crouched, making out rows and rows of neat, orderly lines that had been carefully plowed in the dirt, burned so badly there was nothing left but black.
Was this a wheat field?
I sniffed, but I didn't smell smoke. Grass broke apart in my hand.
This happened a long time ago.
I could only vaguely make out Suisai up ahead. The general shapes of buildings, a big gate that was missing pieces at the top.
I straightened, brushing ash off my feet.
Naga was crouched opposite of me, pushing aside dirt and dead crops, looking for something salvageable beneath.
Konan, grimacing, stood up ahead with Yahiko, who'd stopped to wait for us. "You think whoever did this attacked the town?"
Yahiko shook his head. "If they wanted that, they would've started in Suisai, not all the way out here." He stopped and blinked at something behind me, tilting his head.
I turned.
Hidan stood back, palms pressed hard against his eyes, trembling.
I remembered the field I found him on. The cut throats, the empty, dull eyes. It was red, not black, but in both places, everything was dead.
Hidan hunched over, shaking harder. I watched him grind his teeth as tears dripped from his chin.
I wiped my hands on my pants and walked over until I stood in front of him. He didn't notice me.
What should I do?
I reached out, faltering right before my fingers touched him.
Hidan didn't want me to pat his shoulder and tell him it would all be okay. Ruffling his hair would make it worse. Acknowledging the tears he was trying so hard to hide would make this worse.
I lowered my hand and wondered if this was why Yahiko didn't come over to talk to Hidan himself.
Maybe he didn't have the right words either.
I released a long breath. Then I poked his shoulder.
Hidan batted my hand off him, angling his body away from me. He was crying so hard his nose was running. "Fuck you," he said. His voice cracked.
"Your face is dumb," I informed him.
Hidan's head jerked up, eyes shooting open.
"You have a stupid face," I said again.
"Weak," Namekuji quietly critiqued, somewhere around the back of my neck.
"What did you just say?"
I crossed my arms. "Did you go deaf too?"
"Still a baby insult, but better," Namekuji approved.
Hidan stared at me. "What the fuck did you just say?"
"And—" I faltered.
"Tell him he looks like he was thrown down a set of stairs as a baby," Namekuji suggested.
"What if he doesn't know what stairs are?" I signed.
Hidan's fists clenched. He looked furious, but his eyes were dry. "What the fucking shit are you saying about me?"
"Sometimes I think you're hopeless," Namekuji responded.
I leaned forward. "I signed that you look like you were thrown down stairs as a baby."
Hidan's pupils shrank. He sucked in, like he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"It's not my fault you're too stupid to understand."
"Quick study," Namekuji praised. "Keep it up and I might teach you some new swear words—"
Hidan charged at me, yelling in rage.
"Tell him he smells like you."
I caught his wrist as he threw a punch, yanked him towards me, and drove my knee into his stomach.
Hidan choked and gagged but wrapped both arms around my leg and held tight.
"I'm busy," I signed, trying to shake him off.
Hidan dug his fingers in.
"Tell him purple is a stupid color for eyes," Namekuji said.
I hissed, grabbed a handful of his hair, and jerked his head back.
"You bitch," Hidan gasped, eyes shut tight.
I freed one hand to sign at Namekuji, "You could help me."
"Could," Namekuji agreed.
I squeezed harder, shaking his head, but he refused to be moved.
"Shit stain," he raved. "Fuck face. Bitch fart!"
I was going to have bruises again.
Hidan jerked his head forward and bit me.
"Ow," I planted my trapped foot on the ground and kicked him as hard as I could with the other one. "You're the piece of—"
"Oka," Naga cut me off sharply.
"See, Hidan?" Yahiko asked. "This is why we need to find you a hobby." He stepped around me, grabbed the back of Hidan's shirt, and pulled.
Hidan, unmoved, glared up at him. "I'm busy, shit for brains. Wait your fucking turn."
Yahiko sighed deeply, shaking his head. "Alright, you've forced my hand." He wrapped both arms around Hidan.
"What the fuck—" He burst into forced laughter. His eyes shot open and he abandoned my leg to shove at Yahiko's hands. "Stop—" he gasped. "You piece of—" he laughed, kicking and straining in Yahiko's hold. "—fucking ass."
I stumbled back. My upper leg was red.
Naga grabbed my arms, turned me, and pulled my leg closer to inspect the bite. "Was this planned too?" he murmured, only slightly chastising.
"I should've hit him harder before he bit me," I answered.
Naga let out a huff of a laugh. "Did you at least accomplish whatever you were trying to do?"
I glanced at Hidan. He managed to escape Yahiko and sat on the ground a few feet away, both arms wrapped around his stomach.
Yahiko waggled his fingers. "I don't want to have to use my ultimate jutsu on you again," he said. "Be a good boy and take up knitting."
"Fuck off," he shot back, but he was grinning, despite himself.
ビート
I traced a hand up along the black marks burned into the side of a pillar.
The gate was bigger up close. It was brown-orange, a hole where the arches were supposed to connect. A cracked sign was face down on the road. The pillar opposite of me had only been scorched in a ring around the bottom.
My fingers were black when I pulled them back.
"Headband," Yahiko said, holding a hand out.
Hidan looked at the appendage. "Why the fuck would I give it to you?"
"Because we're here for a mission. The people here need to see us as the Akatsuki. If they see your headband, they'll think we're from Yugakure, and we won't get any credit," he explained, shaking his head. "I get enough of that back home."
Hidan frowned. He reached up, fingers ghosting over the symbol in the middle for a second before he ripped it off and stuffed it in his pocket. "Still not letting your shitty ass have it."
"As long as you keep it out of sight," Yahiko drawled, lacing his hands behind his head. He passed under the gate. "Who wants to bet on how long it'll take for Hidan to scare our client away?"
He didn't react as Hidan punched his back.
The grass on the other side of the gate was wilder, uneven, and dark green, popping up in patches along the road and growing out from underneath the buildings around us.
"As soon as Hidan opens his mouth," Konan answered. "And if I'm right, you have to clean up after Namekuji for a week."
Yahiko blinked. "Wait, hold on—"
"And you can't ask anyone for help," she interrupted him, smiling.
A sign that read 'supplies' hung lopsided on a broken chain pinned to a small, square building on my left. Boards covered the entrance of a shop to my right. I saw eyes peering out at us through the gaps, people peeking out of doorways before they ducked out of sight.
"It was a metaphorical bet," Yahiko said.
"He has to wash all the slime off the walls too," Naga added.
A flash of dark fingers as a man looked out at us from an alleyway.
I hummed.
Yahiko looked back at him solemnly. "It feels like I don't have any friends, sometimes."
"It's only fair," Konan said back. "You're always changing the rules if something doesn't go your way."
"All lies."
"Where the fuck are we going, anyway?" Hidan asked, pinky in his ear.
"I don't know," Yahiko answered happily.
Hidan stared at his back.
"We've never been here before," Naga admitted, sheepish. "We don't know where the client lives."
"We don't even know what the client looks like, because Yahiko was too excited and dragged us all the way out here without a plan," Konan added.
"I didn't hear you objecting back in Amegakure," Yahiko said. "In fact, I seem to remember you being on my side."
"You're the shittiest shinobi I've ever met," Hidan cut in.
Konan opened her mouth to respond when her eyes suddenly snapped to the right. A girl with pink hair stood in front of a closed shop, arms crossed, staring at us with narrowed eyes.
"Civilian," Naga murmured.
"Water-natured," Konan quietly added.
She pushed off the wall and came closer. She was taller than me, but shorter than Konan. "You're shinobi, right?"
"That we are," Yahiko answered. "You wouldn't happen to know anyone named Haruto, would you?"
Her purple skirt was an upside-down shirt. The sleeves had been made into pockets, the bottom cut apart. She was thin, all sharp cheekbones and sunken eyes. Her gaze was steely.
She looked at us for a few seconds, then turned around. "Follow me," she said, and didn't look back.
Yahiko went after her her without hesitation.
"She was waiting for us," Naga said quietly.
Konan frowned. "And if we're walking into a trap?"
"Then I blame you and Nagato," Yahiko drawled.
"Bet that girl is out of her range by now," Namekuji mumbled.
I shushed him.
メトロノーム
"Why is your hair fucking pink?"
Konan sucked in through her teeth, shooting Hidan a warning look.
He responded with his middle finger.
"I don't know," the girl answered, monotone. "Why are your eyes purple?"
Hidan looked stunned.
"I like her," Namekuji said. "Let's take her back with us."
"You can't just take people," I murmured.
"Says you."
"You got something to say about my fucking—"
Yahiko half-turned back, wiggled his fingers, and Hidan stopped talking.
The girl led us past an abandoned inn and up a short set of stairs, lined by a rickety fence.
I felt eyes on my back, but when I looked no one was there. More than once I heard quick footsteps as someone ran away.
I faced forward. "If everyone else is scared of us, why aren't you?"
She stopped on the top step. "Because that's stupid," she said, keeping her back to us. "You're shinobi. We're not. It doesn't help anything to hide, and it wouldn't stop you from finding us if you really wanted to. But you didn't come here to attack or steal from us. You walked in here like the tourists that used to come here in the summer. Lost. Lazy. You talked openly."
"It could've been a trick," Yahiko pointed out.
"Maybe during peacetime," she said. "We don't have anything worth tricking us over, anymore."
She kept walking.
.
.
.
She brought us to a tan building with a red, triangle-shaped roof. The paint was chipped, peeling off in thin curls. A word was written on the door in stark black paint.
"What does that say?" I asked Naga.
"'Traitor,'" it was Hidan who answered.
"Thanks," I chirped.
Hidan stared at me, and it made me wonder if he'd ever been thanked for anything before. He crossed his arms and looked away. "Fuck off," he grumbled.
A row of identical houses stretched all the way down on either side of the path. Yahiko looked curiously at a door a few houses down with the same word painted sloppily on it. The door on the house next to it was faded, but unmarked.
The girl knocked twice, waited, and knocked again.
Slowly, the door rattled open. A man poked his head out, his hair the same bright shade of pink. His forehead was creased, and he had frown lines around his mouth. His eyes shot up to us and went wide.
"Hanako," he hissed. "What have you done?"
"Someone had to do something," she shot back. "So, I did something."
"You must be Haruto," Yahiko guessed.
He stiffened, bowing hastily. "We have no need of your services," he said quickly. He grabbed Hanako's arm, but she shook herself free.
"You have no idea who these people are—"
Naga stiffened. He suddenly pressed both hands against Yahiko's back and shoved him forward into the house.
Haruto yanked Hanako against him and out of the way.
Naga had my hand in his before I could look at him, the other clamped around Hidan's collar, ignoring his yelling and cursing as he pulled us inside with him.
Konan quickly shut the door as Hidan shoved Naga's hands off him.
Two short gray couches faced each other in the middle of the room, taking up most of the space. There was a fridge against the back wall and bowls on the floor. A short staircase was next to it, leading up and out of sight.
Haruto had backed up to the wall, shielding Hanako with his body. There was a spark of fear when he saw the red on my pants, the stains that lingered even after Yahiko doused me with water the day before.
"How many?" Konan asked.
"One," Naga answered. "I don't think they're shinobi, but they were coming this way fast. I didn't think it was a coincidence."
Hanako wiggled in his grip, but Haruto only held her tighter, watching, waiting.
I faced him and crossed my arms. The floorboards creaked. "The Akatsuki doesn't hurt people."
"She's right," Yahiko agreed, and Haruto's eyes shot to him. "I'm Yahiko," he introduced, grinning. He sat on a couch. "That's Konan—" he pointed. "—Nagato, Oka, and Hidan, our newest member. We came here to help."
"I never said I was joining your shit group," Hidan hissed.
Haruto stared at him.
"Why'd you come if you don't want to join?" I asked.
"Fuck you," Hidan answered, crossing his arms right back at me.
I sighed at him.
"Ignore that," Yahiko said, waving a dismissive hand at Hidan. "I'm working on him, but, y'know, we can't really help you or anyone else if we don't know what's going on."
Haruto released Hanako. He looked tired. "I don't know how much Hanako offered, but we can't pay you," he said. "There's nothing I could offer that would be worth the trouble."
"The money isn't important."
Haruto looked at him. "We have nothing to trade," he said again. "No wheat, lavender, or whatever you believe is hidden here. Neither I nor anyone else has any food to spare, and the inn is closed. What would you gain by helping us?"
Yahiko leaned forward and smiled, elbows on his knees. "Peace," he answered. "We can feed ourselves, and we don't mind sleeping on the floor. What I want is to make a world without war, where kids aren't sent out to die, where wheat fields aren't burned and towns left to starve just to stop anyone else from being able to use them."
Haruto's eyes widened.
"But that's a long-term goal," Yahiko said. "Right now, I want to show people that there are shinobi still out there fighting to help and make things better. And we're starting right here."
"That's a fools dream," Haruto eventually replied.
Yahiko shrugged. "Then I'm a fool."
Haruto stared at him for another moment. He sat across from him. "How old are you?"
"Don't let my baby face fool you," Yahiko said. He winked. "I'm an old man on the inside."
"Fire-natured," Konan said quietly, eyes on the door.
"Somewhere between shinobi and civilian," Naga amended.
Haruto crossed his arms. "And you're all shinobi?"
"Let's say we've been training for a long time," Yahiko drawled, an arm over the back of the couch.
"Rouge-nin?"
Yahiko squinted. "No?"
Haruto paused.
"This is some boring shit," Hidan muttered, scratching at a scab on his arm.
"You see, we're not technically shinobi," Yahiko said. "If you were never 'nin' in the first place, can you still go rouge?"
Haruto looked alarmed. "You're civilians?"
"We were born in Amegakure—"
"No I fucking wasn't," Hidan interrupted.
"Most of us," Konan corrected, glaring at him. "We were trained as shinobi, but our village doesn't have an Academy, and we were never given ranks."
"It's just faster to say we are," Yahiko explained. "So, no, we're technically not rouge-nin."
"We technically are," Konan pointed out, leaning on the back of his couch.
"That's the beauty of technicalities," Yahiko drawled. "I can ignore the other side of them."
Haruto closed his eyes. He didn't speak for a few seconds.
"After the Second World War, the daimyo appointed an adviser of his as Chief of our town. Kunihiro Abhuraya. He came with his son, Ren," he began. "Not only are we allies of Konohagakure, but we kept them fed through the last war. We used to see a lot of foreign shinobi through here during the spring and summer. So, it was only a matter of time after Chief Naoki died that a plant would be put here to watch the town. Nothing we could do about it."
He frowned. "Abhuraya, well, let's just say he wasn't used to being one of the people instead of being waited on by them. Still, we managed. Nothing really changed, even when war rolled around again. When Kumogakure razed our fields though..." he trailed off, shaking his head. "There was no money coming in from trade, and no tourists coming through to help us tank the hit. Abhuraya was the only one with the power to do something about it, but he didn't. While we starved, he hoarded the last of the wheat that was supposed to be taken to Konohagakure and hid in his palace like a coward."
"That's awful," Konan murmured.
Haruto didn't look up. "We tried to get rid of him ourselves. Formed a group of those still strong enough to fight and take back what was ours. We made it to the door when Abhuraya offered to share our food with us and our families if we stood down and protected him from everyone else. Two-thirds of our group agreed to do it. The rest of us were called traitors and Abhuraya made it easy for his followers to identify us."
"If he'd given us any time to unite the rest of the town against him, we still could've overtaken him. So, he brought in someone from the outside. You used to be able to see his palace from outside of town, but its disappeared. Every time we sent someone to look for it, they got turned around somehow."
Konan's eyes lit up. "Genjutsu?"
"I don't know what it is."
"Do you know anything about them?" Yahiko asked.
"No, Abhuraya's been keeping them away from us," Haruto sighed. "Either way, I've given up on all that now. My wife—she's ill. The stress of everything took its toll on her. And I wanted to keep Hanako away from all this. She's already lost enough because I couldn't leave this whole thing alone."
Konan hesitated, "You don't think—"
"No," Haruto sharply cut her off. "Abhuraya's a coward, but he uses money and power to bring people to his side. He wouldn't—" he stopped, shaking his head. "My wife's been sick for a long time."
Naga was looking at the ceiling. "Is she upstairs?"
Haruto frowned. "I don't want her involved," he said gruffly. "That means no questioning her or telling her about what Hanako's done."
"I'm a medic-nin," Naga explained, tying his hair back. "Can I see her?"
Haruto's frown deepened.
"Either you trust our ability as shinobi, or you don't," Yahiko said.
Haruto closed his eyes and stood. "She's in a bad way," he murmured. "The only medicine we have is what we can make ourselves."
Naga smiled. "I can still help her."
Haruto stared at him for a moment, then motioned for Naga to follow him upstairs.
Hanako had her back to them, arms full of a furry creature. Its back legs and tail were black, its face white with black fur circling the eyes. It was staring at me.
Namekuji made a displeased noise. I didn't think I'd ever be able to wash all the slime out of my scarf.
"What?" I asked.
"It's staring at me," he complained.
The creature sniffed the air in my direction. "What is it?"
"A summon."
"Ooh."
"No 'ooh'," Namekuji sniped. "It disgusts me."
"Mean."
"What the shit is that and why is it talking to you?" Hidan asked.
I realized then that Namekuji moved to the top of my head and I didn't notice. "Namekuji," I answered, pulling him off. I only needed one hand to hold him. "He's Naga's summon."
"That's a stupid fucking nickname."
"When he's your brother you can change it."
"No one likes a smartass."
"I was the one who told Oka to tell you that you look like you were thrown down a set of stairs as a baby," Namekuji said happily. "And that you hit your face on every step on the way down."
Hidan stared at Namekuji for a few seconds, unblinking. He looked back at me. "Tell your shitty worm to shut the fuck up."
"Toilet breath doesn't think I can understand him," Namekuji said. "How precious."
Hidan's face reddened.
Hanako came closer and I put Namekuji back on my head.
"It's not often that Kuu shows any interest in strangers," she murmured. Kuu was weaving between her shoulders, occasionally stopping to stare down at Namekuji.
"Maybe you and Kuu could be friends," I signed behind my back.
"Ugh."
"I'm sorry," Hidan blurted out. He looked away when we looked at him, crossing his arms. "I mean about your shi—about your mom."
Hanako lifted a shoulder. "I don't remember a time when she wasn't sick, so it's fine."
"Why?" I asked.
Hidan blinked at me.
"Why are you sorry?" I clarified.
Why are you sorry when you didn't do anything?
Hidan stared. Then, "What the fuck is wrong with you?"
"People get sick all the time," I answered, defensive. "Are you sorry for them too?"
Hanako was giving me a strange look too.
I looked at them, and I felt like there was an invisible, impassible barrier between them and me. I suddenly felt alone.
Why didn't they see it like I did?
"Better question," Namekuji interjected, looking at Hidan. "Why does your face look like you ran into a wall? Repeatedly."
"No one gave you permission to talk, piece of shit," Hidan shouted.
"Ouch," Namekuji deadpanned.
Hidan fumed, but Hanako was still giving me a strange look.
"What kind of animal is it?" I asked, eyes on Kuu.
What was wrong with what I said?
Finally, Hanako looked down. "Kuu's a ferret. He helped bring all of you here," she said. "I snuck a message to Konohagakure through him, between letters for my aunt. I sent one to Sunagakure and Kusagakure too, but you guys are the only ones who responded."
I hummed.
"You look like a little bitch," Hidan roared.
"How much ryo do you have on you?" Namekuji asked.
Hidan blinked. "What?"
"Clearly, I need to teach you better insults. I won't do it for free."
Hidan turned a red that was almost purple.
I chose not to point out that Namekuji neither needed money, nor could spend it anywhere.
"Motherfucker—"
Hanako's eyebrows shot up.
Yahiko turned around on the couch. "I'm really comfortable right now," he interrupted Hidan. "Don't make me get up."
"Lazy," Konan teased, poking his cheek.
"Raising a kid is tiring work, Konan," Yahiko said. "You wouldn't understand."
Ignoring Hidan's death glare, I refocused on Hanako. "How does he carry messages?"
"He eats them," Hanako answered. "Kuu doesn't need to eat like we need to. His stomach is like a pouch."
"Why do you exist?" Namekuji asked Kuu in mild horror.
Hanako looked at him curiously.
"He likes to eat like we do," I explained. "Bugs, mostly."
"Fat ass," Hidan spat.
"You made me get up."
A shadow rose up behind Hidan. He barely began to spin when Yahiko grabbed him. Hidan cursed and punched and shouted as he was tickled, but he mostly laughed.
A/N: 心臓 - Heart, ビート - Beat, メトロノーム - Metronome