QOTC

You know why people don't let other people know their secrets? Because reality is dirty. You let your secret fall on the wrong hands, those hands will crush you.

- Kisame 

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Chapter 49: The Rivals are Back 

*P L A Y  RAIN SOUND EFFECTS*

THE VILLAGE HIDDEN IN THE RAIN, TWO YEARS AGO

Splashes of cold water showered Amegakure even at the inside of their hideout. As Pein raises a palm to the air, there was water pouring from the ceiling. The Akatsuki slept for the rest of the day, their bodies scattered on different parts of his house. Deidara was asleep on a dining table, Hidan was snoring at the couch, Kisame was in a bathtub with his feet nearly folded, while Kakuzu, Sasori and the others stayed awake like creatures whose eyes glowed mysteriously in the dark.

It wasn't an easy task leading the Rain village. To Pein, it brought him a lot of redundant memories from the past--Yahiko's screams, Konan's tears. But it was the way of the Akatsuki. If one dies, the Akatsuki cremates its body to give them a proper burial. They couldn't afford to let their information be leaked.

He sat at his office, patiently waiting for Konan.

Itachi was the only one in bed. He'd allowed him drowse and be in peace like an ordinary boy. He slept, just like that. He was Pein's favorite. He was reserved all the times and knew when to open his mouth for more valid reasons, unlike the others who never ceased to give him a morbid headache.

An image of Itachi's raven smeared in his head. He was sick, after all. It was uncommon for him to have a member be a burden and carry a disease, but Zetsu discovered he'd been unhealthy since he joined the organization. He was alone, carrying the burden of his family, though he thought at first murdering his clan was the greatest of his experience, it turned out it was for love.

What a good thing it was, he thought, to die for somebody. A devoted member was rare to his organization, atleast. When Yahiko built the 'Dawn', their ultimate goal was to free the crippled, make ties and peace of all the lands, and when he died, the Akatsuki was lost. He was forced to shadow it, in memory of a dying partner, and it weren't for Konan he would have committed suicide.

Itachi coughed at his room like a terrible untreated old man. Pein could still hear it, even the others, who looked as if a tornado had disrupted them. It appears the Uchiha was in an earlier stage of heart cancer, and hiding on esoretic hideouts was no help for him. He needed a doctor, if possible he needed a best treatment from a medic that must originate from Konoha. Surely Tsunade could spare a few.

The double-doors bursted open.

"Pein! Where is Itachi?"

A soaked Konan came in, her rose beautifully clipped in her hair. Until now, a couple of years Nagato had been with her, he could still remember how she'd placed it neatly in her head like a crown. She was like a butterfly sometimes; she liked to stay close with an abundance of flowers epsecially roses.

Pein didn't respond. All who were in his house seemed disarrayed of her arrival.

"In his bed as usual. What did you expect?" Said Kakuzu, who wasn't, surprisingly counting the group's funds for the week. The Akatsuki gains money from people they've robbed and slaughtered; as much as Pein didn't want to cause any commotion, 'All for the Rise of Dawn'. It was an apothegm he'd invented.

"Man, you know just the perfect time when to wake someone up, huh?" Deidara mumbled, stealing Sasori's unwanted pillow. He placed it in his head against a chair he tightly sat, his palm mouths unbelievably yawning.

Pein was about to scorn them for their temperament, when Konan chose to unacknowledge them. In times like this she would vanish in form of a paper, but she decided to walk in her feet. The door in Itachi's room shut close. Pein was left giving Deidara and the others with a look that simply meant, 'watch your words.'

Itachi's room was quite neat and organized. There were two beds on every room, one for the other residing partner, Kisame merged it into one so the latter could sleep in peace. He, along with Hidan, had to help him get on his feet with the Jashinist citing a list of dramatically errored viral words.

"You pieces of shit, who do you think I am? Do I LOOK like a carrier of wood? This is fvckload." He said, bringing Kisame and Itachi's bed together.

Kisame gave him a look. "New moon is tonight. You want to get your sacrfice? Help me help 'him' go to bed. Lazy ass."

"I'm sorry." Konan said as she sat on a chair next to the coughing fellow Akatsuki. "I was able to cross the Land of Fire but I couldn't get pass the doors. I didn't see your brother there, but I heard he just passed the second stage of the Chunin Exams. He'll survive."

"Liar," Pein spat out, "you are just afraid to tell him what his brother has become--a monster who has now possessed the Cursed Seal of Heaven."

"Pein--please." Konan said. Itachi coughed just as Konan handed him a soaked towel. Itachi didn't want to take it, in fact Konan had been excruciated that she just did the honor of cleansing his face--a face bruised with two scars. To Nagato, it's as if those scars have other intentional meanings. Some birthmarks don't just appear on a person's skin, unless if they've implications.

"I appreciate your concern, Konan, but please. Do not trouble yourself for my misfortune and my brother's." Itachi smiled, as Konan wiped his sweat. Despite the fact that Pein was right in front of them, Konan did know how to make a show.

"Konan." Pein dismissed, gathering their attentions. "Have you done what I've asked?"

Konan frowned. She shook her head, and Pein understood that kind of gesture--it was when Yahiko had died and there was nothing left. Nothing. So the Leaf people must have refused, Nagato thought, as he clenched his fists and turned around. He asked for one token and they couldn't have given him that--he'd promised them a year of full tranquility, no wars at all, and they couldn't even gamble a single medic. Hidan was right when he said a simple abduction would have done the trick.

But Pein, who didn't want to put the Hidden Rain in risk, disagreed that stealing a villager would mean triggering war. And as much as they were all itching for blood, they couldn't fight even single-handedly if one member was sickly and ill.

And first of all, none of them knew any highly excelled and medics that Tsunade would recommend. Who knows? They might want to poison Itachi. Pein learned in his era that trusting was the most difficult thing unimaginable.

He was overly frazzled once someone spoke to him from behind. "Leader," someone said in a low voice, as Pein turned his orange head to Kisame. "What should we do?" Nagato didn't even have the chance to get a glimpse of all the Akatsuki, gathered on one shallow room, to witness the last words--so so whatever dying scenery of Uchiha Itachi. They've held their blades and weapons up high and mighty, as if praising his death could be one of the most honorable thing. If the Uchiha would die, atleast he had bountiful friends in his side. Friends who could be eagerly loud and disturbing.

A sad part crossed Nagato's mind. A girl with golden wings and vivid rare eyes. He could never forget Hotaru, a dear member whom Itachi secretly hid from the world. One time they've only found her taking a shower on Kisame's room, a towel wrapped in her whole body. It was one of the most epic times Pein had ever seen based on his exotic past.

"Where is our fairy?" He asked in bravery.

"Iwa." Deidara answered boredly.

"Probably searching information about her family." Kisame said, placing his Samehada near the closed door.

Pein frowned. "Does she know?" He looked into the rest with his purple magnifying eyes, yet not one of them answered. "Very well. Shut the doors. We'll be leaving soon. If Itachi shall die in days or less, no one will ever discover his death."

"Let's not pretend we didn't know it was forecoming." Said Sasori, who, liked Deidara, seemed uninterested.

Pein waited for any objections. Itachi closed his eyes to sleep, Kisame bowed his head, as Kakuzu and Zetsu remained calm and awfully quiet. They were filled with an eternal serenity as for the whole afternoon.

One day, Pein thought, they shall have their revenge. It was a promise he swore on his grave and to Itachi's.

                         ☪ Thε ᏆhᎥᏒᎠ Uςhïhα 

                             YOU WERE WARNED

"So... When did your visions start?" Kiba asked. A few minutes ago he had been knocking into Platinum Blonde's door, and she answered wearing nothing but a towel. Kiba had to turn around, waited for her to prep herself up. She laid in her own bed afterwards, as Kiba sat on a couch just against it. If they met just a year ago they would have been uncomfortable, but since they had known each other, played with each other, friendships between the gang perched like candle light. After all, if Chunin Ninjas didn't help each other, the Nations would step on them like a boot.

"A couple of weeks." Ino replied, in reference of her visions that had gotten popular lately. "Did my dad send you? Was he really that dumb to even think that you're capable of making me talk?"

"We're talking."

"But I'm bored. You bore me, Kiba. Do something."

Kiba sighed. He knew this C-rank mission was something he couldn't persevere. Ino was giving him a headache!

"Well, what the hell is wrong with you? Is this you wearing your drug-on-point attitude? Because you're acting spontaneous, and a lot of people really get involved with it."

"Just what are we talking about here?"

"The hospital reports. You've been gone these past few nights. You think we don't know?" Kiba asked, in a tone suggesting Ino should be more mindful.

But Ino didn't seem sympathetic; she laid in her bed, her hair down and a bit muddled. "Know what?"

"She's doing her routine again." Neji said, observing the three wounded victims inside one of the hospital's private rooms. "Trick, bite, sip, compel, heal. It's a routine for her. She doesn't consider it a crisis yet she finds it normal." He looked up at Tsunade in fear, distemper.

"Well, she's a vampire now. Surely we've all expected this." Kakashi suggested.

"Stop defending your students, Kakashi." Tsunade scorned that shut the silver-nin's mouth for eternity. "She's acting like a complete child. I understand that impures are just one of the natural occurences in this Land, but if you don't fix this, I'll have no other choice but to ban her. Otherwise if you're heroic enough to track Kabuto and find a cure, you are all welcome."

Neji could only suggest one point upon the raw matter. "This has to be stopped."

"The reports came in very quick. You're draining all our blood storage, eating every innocent kid you spot in the middle of the street. I mean, this isn't you." He said. "The blood bags. All gone. Were you responsible?"

"I was hungry, no big deal."

"Ino, you don't feed on a bunch of little youngsters. Feed on an animal, go get yourself some resource." Ino blew her bang, and started braiding her hair in a fishtail braid. Kiba growled. Didn't she ever think that those things would cause her a very bad predicament? She acted whatever she'd pleased due to her free will. And there may be a lot of guards and people securing her, but one day time will come and the walls of Konohagakure would fall down like those historic bridges and their secret Vampire Queen would no longer be undiscovered. "I'm warning you, princess. As a friend. Maybe it's time for you to stop acting so reckless."

Ino tilted her head approvingly, the words okay were in there. "Don't you want to hear my story?"

"You mean your perceptions?"

Ino nodded her head.

"Should I be a pessimist about it?"

"Oh, not really. In fact death can be the reign of peace for everyone." Ino said, like a princess whose prince charming never came, and she was left waiting upon her one-windowed tower, the lonely demonic tower. "I died once and I hadn't felt so halycon."

❖

"Leader hid the secret from the world to give him a peaceful death. He gave you a new life. To start refreshingly. The only difference is, as if on a miracle, he didn't die exactly. He healed until he finally faced Sasuke himself." Kisame said. He was having a hard time pacing with Hotaru's steps as they've entered deep into the unfledged woods. Hotaru faced her. "That's the point, isn't it? He died without a reason at all. What even happened after he encountered Sasuke? Did his brother win?" 

Kisame refused to look at her, as if there was lettuce smeared on her teeth. "Dig Itachi's grave once you're done with that." He gestured at Hotaru's belly where in she gasped, and wrapped herself with her cotton knit sweater. "Shhh! Did Obito tell you?" She asked angrily, angrier than she was before. "I was going to find out by myself, anyway. You barfed on my room. My bed. You're lucky you're a girl or I'll have you--"

"What??" Hotaru tested, her golden eyes on point. "Go on. What will you do?"

"Nothing. Forget I said anything." 

Hotaru crossed her arms. She stared at the birds that flew on her right stard. Somehow she just wished she could be one--free to soar high in the daylight; birds could do whatever they want and reach places not even fairies could attend to.  

Kisame observed her expression--it was almost similar whenever she and Itachi were having an invalid argument. She always wins. "You're in no mood today." 

Wind flew in Hotaru's hair. She tucked a gold hair behind her ear, revealing a metal piercing in her pointed ear. "I'm tired, Kisame. I'm tired of being bossed around the Akatsuki like I'm some toy." 

"Wait until you meet Pein." Kisame chuckled, which Hotaru didn't consider very entertaining. "It was so much fun when the gang used to be alive. Now we're all suckers waiting for a miracle." 

Hotaru gave him a pitiful look. He was forgetting one thing--she was part of the organization too. It was one of the most wondrous deeds she was proud to present. Through Pein's era, they did truly good things together. Captured jinchuurikis, sealed them where they were supposed to--their home, the Gedo Statue. 

Back in the day, the Akatsuki was so much fun together. She was able to do free things with their God's permission, even take over hot springs, and now--staring back at Taki where Hidan used to bring them for the waterfalls, she couldn't even think of the things they've lost and things they've spent that seemed impossible to happen. With Kabuto there was no order--with Obito standing in position as the leader, justice was unattainable. 

"I miss them." She suddenly dropped. 

"Name the person you least liked." 

"Kakuzu?" 

"I thought you said you hated Hidan?" 

Hotaru laughed as the two of them sat on a mountain. Next to them, beautifully flowing, was the giant waterfall of the Takigakure. It was a metaphor of life. "I did, he was trying to sacrifice me because I'm a virgin." 

"Jashin rituals, huh?" He said, as he threw a stone to the water. The water could be a thousand meters from below, and it was amazing on how a single jump, she could instantly become a memory. "I know right? I can't believe they're all dead. They were my family, you know." Hotaru said positively. "What about yours? Did they get killed, too?" 

Kisame looked at the sun as if it was the first time he'd ever seen one. "I don't really want discussing this, but, I killed our leader because he was a fool. Fools die easily." He said, as he rested his Samehada into the grass. The sun was burning in Hotaru's eyes and she could remember it all--how her parents risked to save an important scroll, handed it over to her which she probably didn't remember where she last put, for the sake of saving a powerful secret. 

"I have a complaint." Hotaru suddenly said, feeling congenial for herself.

"Name it down." 

"Why are there so many people in this world, who are so obsessed of keeping their secrets or any information from leaking out, as if they can't live without it?!?" 

Kisame didn't seem to hear her. "What?" 

"Like if I tell you I'm not a virgin anymore, who on earth freaking cares, right? Why do people have to push through everything just to steal this scroll, and the other nigga be like, 'you'll have to get through me before you get to this.' Guess what? I already told you. Word gets out, we go to hell." 

"That's a different tale if you tell me you aren't virgin anymore, but I believe it." Kisame cheered, his beady eyes chipper. She sat back again with annoyed eyes. "Kisame, are you still a virgin?" She asked stupidly. "Kuso, what is this all about??" Hotaru felt like choking. "I'm asking you a simple question. Say the word! Yes, or no?" 

"The answer's 'or', nigga." 

"That's not fair." 

"Fine." Kisame said in veracity, staring at the sunset. "I am. Happy?" 

Woah, Hotaru wanted to sound amazed, but she didn't want to mock him. Back in the day, when she first auditioned for the Akatsuki, she thought atleast twenty percent of them weren't virgins. Hidan was easy on the eye, Sasori was beautifully handsome, Itachi--what could she say? And there wa Deidara, who had ocean blue eyes. She'd met hundreds of people with the same eye color, blue, but the artist's was the most beautiful. 

She almost cried a waterfall and she knew the Akatsuki were all gone, as if they've turned their backs on her. Betrayal was the most excruciating pain. But she remembered she didn't have any proper goodbyes, towards any of the members atleast, and she also remembered a blurred incident she would never forget. 

Her third day, on the Akatsuki, was when Deidara kissed her. He kissed her. It wasn't a bitter kiss, but it was something extraodinary and she would love to try it again. Even if how silly it was, she actually finds the blonde mesmerizing. I'm sorry. I had to do it. I had to ry. 

Maybe he actually thought he was gay, Hotaru thought. He and Kisame were left with their own inner thoughts and conscience, until Kisame finally spoke up. "You know why people don't let other people know their secrets?" He said. "Because reality is dirty. You let your secret fall on the wrong hands, those hands will crush you." 

"I know what you're talking about." She cut him.

"What? That newborn?"

"Why do you people have those terms?" 

Kisame chuckled beautifully. "I'm serious. If you want this secret to remain between us, with Madara atleast, you better tell its father. Or I will." 

"Just--stop. Stop threatening me. I know what you all are capable of."

"You know I'm worried about you. I'm damn well concerned with the Akatsuki. I'd kill someone for it." 

"Can you kill Obito?" She looked to him and asked, "can you kill the man who made Gaara forget every bit of memory left he's had with me? That is the exact reason why Gaara can never know." She said, and looked back at the waterfall that its waters fell loudly and strongly. "He refuses to remember." 

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6.15.14

edited 4.2.15 

Happy Father's Day Narutards!!!!

VOMMENT

SASUKE THINKS NARUTO IS THE FATHER, NIGGA