Chapter 2

Sakura was on cloud nine.

Lethargy was settled in her, her body still thrumming from the intense release she just had. Blearily she opened her eyes and squinted up at the shadow towering over her. Hidan was looking at her with astonishment.

"Sakura…did you just have an…?"

A what? She couldn't really hear him above the ringing in her ears. He stared at her for a while and then his lips started moving again, but Sakura was much too drained to really pay attention.

Something's not right here.

Her subconscious was screaming to have its presence known, and now after the insurmountable pleasure had passed, Sakura slowly comprehended her surroundings again.

Something's definitely not right here, Sakura thought forcefully. This wasn't right.

Finally her body began obeying her commands, and Sakura shifted her legs and arms to try getting up. Her thigh slid up against her slit and the remnants of her release trickled dangerously onto her clit. Helplessly Sakura moaned and ceased her movements, falling back against the ground.

Hidan was finding difficulty in remaining passively confused through her display. Part of him was angry as shit, because his sacrifice had not been a sacrifice, which could only mean Lord Jashin had other plans for him.

The other part was currently glued to the afterglowing female below him, and right now she was rubbing her legs provocatively before collapsing on the ground again.

Hidan's grip on the metal band unknowingly tightened, blood starting to trickle out of his fingers and palm.

"What the hell is going on…" he muttered. "Jashin-sama…"

His eyes fell onto Sakura's wrist. Instantly he kneeled at her side and grasped her arm.

"Wha…what are you doing…"

"I need to talk to my fucking god," he growled, trying to ignore the delicious way she was curling to her side to face him. His fingers grasped the edge of the rosary bracelet and began taking it off.

"Ah!" Sakura cried, and Hidan's body stiffened. His fingers were electrified, his senses blurring as intense pleasure rocked his nerve endings. His vision went blindingly white as his hand still touched the burning rosary beads.

"Get…get off me!" Sakura gasped, and kicked him away while snatching her wrist from his grasp. Hidan stumbled backwards and landed on the ground unceremoniously, his body still reeling from the intense sensation that jolted through him the moment he came in contact with her wrist, and he could tell that she'd felt too from the way she was panting.

He blinked a few times, and saw that Sakura had moved considerably away from him, trying to catch her breath.

"What…what happened?" she looked at Hidan with wide eyes. He gave no response, only managing a small insignificant glare. "What did you do to me?"

"Not what I had planned for, that's fucking sure," he growled, shaking his head violently to throw off the tingling in his nerve endings.

He could almost see the fog clearing from Sakura's eyes as realization set in. Her face transformed into a shocked expression. "You—you were hurting yourself. I woke up and…and I…you…" Sakura's eyes traveled down her body and landed at the source of her previous writhing.

Instantly she rose to her feet and stumbled away from him, still a little unsteady. "What did you do to me?" she said viciously, an angry scowl on her face.

"I tried to sacrifice you," Hidan said bluntly, standing up as well. "And it didn't fucking work."

"Sacr—that was no sacrifice! You—you made me—!" she couldn't finish, glancing down at herself in a horrified expression as heat rose to her cheeks. "Oh my…"

Hidan watched her shift unsteadily, her body trembling. "I didn't want that," he heard her say, face aghast. "And…and yet…"

And yet your body betrayed you, Hidan finished. Hidan sighed loudly, rubbing a hand on his jaw. He never thought praying to Jashin would get so fucking complicated, and he didn't like that twinge of emotion he was getting as he watched the girl fluster herself into oblivion. To an extent, he understood why she was reacting as she was. He would too of some invisible source made him jerk off.

"It's part of my ritual," he said gruffly, not liking the way she was frozen on the spot. "It wasn't anything on your part."

That made her snap up to glare at him. "You've done this perverted ritual on others?"

"Yes—no, not like this!" he shouted when her face twisted in fury. "They're supposed to die!"

Sakura blanched and she stepped even further away until her back met a wall. "You're sick! You sick, disgusting freak!"

Hidan realized what his words implicated and growled loudly, gripping silvery hair tight in frustration. "Not like that, you twig! When I perform Jashin's ritual the person is supposed—"

But he never got to finish, because in less than two strides Sakura marched up to him and pulled back her fist to crash it into his jaw, sending him flying and straight through the rock wall, landing a hundred feet away and onto grass.

Blinding white stars met his eyes for a good few minutes until they readjusted to the dark sky above him. His jaw was swelling and his entire back was in excruciating pain from being punched through solid rock. Then again, he'd endured worse.

Irritation building up, Hidan sat up on the grass and cracked his jaw back into place, wincing just a little. He knew it was healed within seconds, further proving that he was still immortal.

His mind was being definitely being fucked with.

"God….damn…" Hidan pushed up to his feet, eyes glazed over maniacally. Faintly he heard footsteps coming his way; angry, kunoichi footsteps. He'd have to remind her that ninja footsteps should never be heard, but he doubted he would impart that kind of honor.

His eyes gazed at the clearing intensely, searchingly. Sakura had caught up with him quickly, and he could practically feel the rage emanating off of her in wild waves. Hidan was a little surprised at the relatively calmness of her reaction—he was certain had any other girl been violated in such a manner, they would've burst into self-pitying tears immediately.

And while Sakura had been rightly horrified, she had chosen the opposite of tears—violence.

It almost made him smile, but his jaw still hurt and that made him angry again.

"I knew—should've known not to heal a dismembered man in the middle of the forest—"

"That was pretty stupid of you," Hidan agreed, jogging now with Sakura close at his heels and trying to get into punching distance.

"And now I know why! You're a perverted, masochistic psychopath that puts other women at your mercy!"

"I'm not a fucking pervert," Hidan shot back angrily, his eyes glued to the forest floor. Not a lot. "And it's not just women. Jashin-sama does not discriminate."

He heard her steps falter but did not look back. "You…you do that to men?" she said incredulously and disgustedly.

"Not that." Where the hell were all the animals in this bloody forest?

"But you just said—"

Having had enough, Hidan whirled around and said menacingly, "I don't know what the fuck happened in that little hut of yours, but it was not what I was going for." She opened her mouth to speak angrily but Hidan cut her off promptly. "I was trying to kill you. Not make you fucking come all over the floor."

A blush, either from embarrassment or anger, rose to her face once again, and Hidan decided to ignore the irritating pink brat when something moved near a tree behind her.

With a grin Hidan moved stealthily but quickly to the tree.

"What are you doing?"

Hidan bent down carefully. With lightning fast movement, his hand shot forward and grabbed onto something. "Finally," he growled, turning around.

His hands were holding on to a little fluffy rabbit by skin of its neck. Sakura watched with wide eyes as he fumbled with other hand and reached into his pocket, pulling out her bloody metal plate.

"That's mine," Sakura started to say but silenced when he squeezed hard with his hand until blood started to gush from his palm. "What are you…"

He ignored her and knelt to the ground, drawing the blood into a circle onto the grassy floor, then a triangle. Her eyes widened, recognizing that symbol, and glanced down at her wrist that had the pendant.

She no longer had words, just watched in morbid curiosity as Hidan rose to his feet. He took the metal and cut the rabbit's ear, blood returning on the metal.

Then, he licked it.

Sakura was going to say how utterly disgusting that was, but never got the chance. As if in apathy, Hidan dropped the flustered rabbit back on the ground and watched it scamper away in fright. Her jaw slackened when suddenly his skin transformed completely to black with white lines dipping down his arms and torso.

The rabbit only hopped three steps before Hidan took the metal and viciously slashed his chest.

It faltered, huddling in sudden agony. Red blood seeping down its front. Sakura watched in horror as Hidan growled again, though not seemingly in anger. He brought the metal to his leg and cut deep, and the rabbit twitched pathetically, more blood gushing from it.

Hidan watched the rabbit with rapt attention. "And the finale…"

Sakura, who was finally putting two and two together, watched him bring up her metal plate to his neck.

Her eyes widened, glancing down at the tortured rabbit with fear. "Hidan, no—"

With one swift movement, Hidan swiped the metal across his neck and slit his throat. He groaned and brought his hands to his neck, grimacing, but his eyes were still trained on the rabbit.

Sakura glanced down, mouth still open. The rabbit was twitching heavily, and she saw blood pouring from its neck. It fluttered, twitched one last time, and fell to the floor.

She couldn't help the soft cry that rose from her throat. She scurried to the fallen creature, staring at it with eyes wide as saucers.

Hidan made a noise of discomfort, and he stepped off the circle of blood inscribed on the grass with an air of satisfaction, skin color returning to normal. Sakura could only look at him blankly as he approached her.

"That," he growled quietly, "is what should've happened to you."

Sakura blinked up at him. Swallowing hard, a sudden fear started to settle inside her stomach. This man, foul-mouthed and short-tempered as he was, was something Sakura knew to stay away from.

He was trying to kill you.

Slowly finding the words, Sakura said in slightly shaking voice, "And why didn't it?"

A cruel smile twisted his lips. "Fuck me if I know."

He bent down and grabbed the dead rabbit with one hand. He grabbed her arm and dumped the creature onto her, causing her to gasp. "Here's your dinner."

Frozen in shock, Sakura looked down at the dead rabbit. She was not prepared when Hidan suddenly grasped her free wrist with the bracelet tied to it.

"H-hey!"

Hidan ignored her, and ignored the invasion of sensation upon touching the bracelet. He heard Sakura intake a sharp breath, feeling the effects of his touch, wriggling her wrist away from him.

"I'm taking back what's mine," he hissed, and curled his fingers around the bracelet and yanking harshly.

"I told you it can't—come—off—ow!"'

With a violent tug, Hidan wrenched the bracelet off her. He stumbled back a step, breathing heavily. With a mocking grin, he said, "Now was that so hard?"

Sakura only stared at him, a mixture of anger and fear.

You screwed up this time, Sakura, she thought to herself as she stared up at the menacing face of the killer she knew he was. He openly admitted to attempting her murder, and to using that strange ritual to inflict death upon countless others.

She had just witnessed its true nature, anyway.

Which left the inevitable question—why didn't she die? What sick, twisted universe made her uncontrollably stimulated when he attempted his ritual on her?

"I can't believe I put someone like you back together," she said disbelievingly.

"Tch. Well you can stop looking at me like that," Hidan said bluntly, "it's not like I could kill you with my ritual anyway. Not that I'd ever want to see that again," he grunted, raising his hand to his eyes to inspect the rosary beads closely.

"Of course not. You'd prefer me bloody and dead."

He shifted his gaze from the rosaries to her angered face. A grin spread across his face. "You know me so well."

Slowly he slipped the bracelet onto his right wrist and inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. "I can almost feel him…" he groaned.

Sakura took a step back, feeling increasingly uncomfortable with his behavior. He opened his eyes and gazed at her intensely. Sakura returned the stare with apprehension, her muscles tensing perceptibly. She could feel the thrumming inside her, and indecision left her sympathetic system with the dizzied decision between fight or flight.

He moved so quickly that she barely noticed it, had his hand not suddenly gripped her around the throat. He was within two inches from her face, and his grip was lifting her from the grass, her feet dangling uselessly in the air.

"Just because I can't perform my ritual on you," he said with a deep intonation, "doesn't mean that I can't kill you another way. And I'd rather not piss off my god any more than he already is. Bastard's fucking with my mind."

Sakura attempted in vain to yank his hand from her neck, with little success. Desperately she started gathering chakra to her fist and hoped he would not notice it. Trying to stall, she gasped, "Arent you…pissing him off…by trying to kill me?"

His eyes narrowed dangerously, the grip around her throat tightening. "What the fuck did you say?"

Sakura gazed at him, lifting her chin even though her eyes were seeing stars. "Obviously—your Jashin didn't want me dead—I'd say he…" she trailed, coughing a little.

"He, what?" Hidan whispered dangerously, bringing her closer to eye level.

She stilled, looking at him directly in the eye. "He must like me more than you."

Without another pause Sakura's fist connected with his head, and immediately Sakura was dropped to the floor as Hidan fell to the ground once more.

Hidan groaned loudly, cradling his head on the grass. "You fucking bitch!" Hidan tried to stand but crashed onto his knees.

Sakura's body was still thrumming with adrenaline, and she knew she had to run. Damn her and her stupid altruistic mind for healing an immortal, dismembered stranger! She'd dug her own grave with this one, and now she had to reap what she sowed.

Not taking any chances, Sakura marched up to Hidan and gave a hearty kick to the side before he could block her.

"Go to hell," she hissed, then bent down to gather the fallen metal protector that had been in his grasp a few minutes ago. Within seconds, she shot out of sight and began to run once more.

"Oh no you don't," Hidan seethed, stumbling to his feet once more. Cracking his neck, his eyes returned to full focus and he turned to the direction she had taken off to.

-:-

The sun had risen and set again by the time Sakura had stopped her flight. The forest was getting deeper, and Sakura was disinclined to know what exactly lurked inside the heart of this never-ending forest. But she had to keep going, and she knew she should continue south.

Sakura tried remembering what compelled her to do such a reckless thing such as putting a dangerous, immortal man who was buried under a mountain of boulders back together. Why? Why did she do something so stupid?

It was unlike her, from the little she knew about herself. Sakura had fled from a battlefield, clearly showing she was in no mindset to play with fire. And yet play she did, the moment she lent her chakra to the violet-eyed murderer.

Several times during her run, Sakura had expected a large hand to grip her by her shoulder or neck and kill her on the spot. She kept shooting glances behind, to the sides, up ahead, just to ascertain that Hidan was not pursuing her. So far he had not appeared, and thus she continued forward.

He was unable to kill her through the psychotic ritual he performed on the poor rabbit, but that didn't mean he wouldn't kill her some other way. He proved as much when he started choking her yesterday. She wondered why that was, why he was so insistent on her death. She saved his life, and his idea of retribution was taking hers?

Sakura walked slowly, the dense trees and the darkening sky making it difficult for her to see. She was shivering, but was hesitant to start a fire. Doing so practically screamed 'here I am' to anyone with less than noble intentions.

Sakura paused in front of a hollowed out tree and furrowed her brow. It was a good place to sleep for a few hours before she resumed her journey. Peaking inside, Sakura sighed in relief when she saw it was uninhabited by other animals or large, ghoulish insects. Rubbing her bare arms roughly to gather warmth, Sakura lowered herself and crawled in.

She turned so that her back was against the inside of the tree wall. Tucking her knees under her chin, Sakura looped her arms around her shins and gazed blankly out into the dark forest. She could hear little crickets chirping, the rustle of leaves against the wind fluttering outside the hollowed tree.

Her mind was buzzing with a mixture of confusion, fatigue, and anxiety. Sakura still could not shake of the question of her actions in the past three days. What compelled her to dig out someone who was clearly left behind for a reason? Someone with a vapid temper and an insane religious addiction, not to mention his near-obsessive need for that blasted rosary bracelet that Sakura made.

Her thoughts halted. "The bracelet," she whispered faintly, her voice lost in the wild wind blaring outside. The moment she found that rosary bead, her entire journey had turned upside down.

She could feel it, feel the answer on the tip of her tongue. The answer was slowly crawling in her consciousness, like a slow-moving epiphany…and suddenly she knew it had something to do with those rosary beads…

Sakura's eyes started to droop, though her mind was fighting to stay awake. The sounds of crickets and softly rustling leaves grew further away from her mind, and her eyelids slid closed.

-:-

Sakura had no grasp of how much time elapsed from when she dozed, but the amount of lethargy blanketing her mind indicated it she fell well into deep sleep at some point. A gust of wind blew onto her and Sakura shivered, curling tighter together and clenching her fingers into her shins.

Blearily one eye opened, and saw that the first tendrils of dawn light were peeping inside the entrance of the hollowed tree. Her mouth was incredibly dry, not having found a viable water source since before she passed out after putting Hidan back together.

With a herculean effort, Sakura untangled her limbs and crawled out slowly from the tree. Her hair was dusted with dirt and her clothes barely recognizable as such, tattered and frayed at the edges. She felt incredibly dirty, viciously hungry, but most of all thirsty.

"What god did I piss off to deserve this," she mumbled, sleepily rubbing an eye. It was still dark but not enough for her to have difficulty navigating around. She stumbled a few times on roots that stuck out from the ground, and Sakura cursed silently at the amount of noise and attention she kept attracting to herself. Some kunoichi she was.

The terrain was sloping down, and the dirt beneath her feet was become less tough to walk, getting softer the more she walked. Eyes widening, Sakura picked up the pace and began walking in earnest, sleep and tiredness no longer dictating her clumsy steps. They were fast and precise, and Sakura scanned frantically with her eyes, waiting for the trees to part ever so slightly.

And part they did. Sakura inhaled sharply, a smile breaking across a world-weary face.

Cautiously Sakura took a few steps. Slowly she kneeled to the ground, and extended her hands into a cup. Cool water dipped into her hand and Sakura first used it to rub them together, washing off the dirt and grime from her palms and fingers. Once they were satisfactorily cleaned, she repeated the motion and brought the water to her dry lips.

The effect was immediate, and Sakura nearly rolled her eyes heavenwards at how incredible it was to drink water again. She took a few more generous gulps from the little stream and a genuine smile touched her lips.

She inspected herself, and pondered if washing in the stream would do more harm than good. What she really wished for was a new change of clothing. She briefly thought of Hidan, and how even though he had been blown up into pieces, his wardrobe managed to evade serious repercussions. He still had pants and a strange black cloak with red flowers on it. Enviously Sakura wished she could wear that cloak instead of the tattered and sweaty fabric clinging to her torso.

And soap. She really, really missed soap.

Sighing, Sakura drifted closer to the edge of the stream and fiddled with the hem of her shirt. She leaned over to the stream to crawl in, but through the flickering water and dark sky, her eyes saw something in the reflection. A dark figure looming near her…

In less than a second Sakura gathered chakra to her hand and twisted her torso, and her fist collided with a hand. Hidan was standing directly behind her, his hand encompassing the fist she threw at him. He grimaced but did not waver, and for a tense few seconds they stayed that way; Sakura kneeling on the ground and Hidan towering over her.

"Just give up, already," Hidan seethed, and she was briefly amazed that even though she shattered every bone in his hand, he refused to move. Then again, his immortality was probably already healing him already.

"Why are you trying to kill me?" Sakura demanded. "I saved your life!"

"Because I made a promise," Hidan growled.

"Yes," Sakura spat, "one that clearly your god wants nothing of. You can't kill me with your ritual. Isn't that proof enough?"

"Stop running from me," he hissed.

"Stop trying to kill me," she shot back. "Start thinking with your brain for just a second and ask yourself why everything that's happened happened the way it did. Doesn't it strike you as odd that I found you? That when you tried to kill me, you couldn't?"

She watched him struggle internally for a minute. With a growl he released her fist and stepped back. Sakura cautiously rose to her feet.

"The deal still stands," Sakura found herself saying. "You must take me to the next village. You are notallowed to try to take my life through any means."

"I don't remember that part being in the deal," he said bitingly.

"It clearly needed revision," said Sakura plainly, though she felt her bark was going to be a lot bigger than her bite.

Hidan stepped closer to her, and it took an enormous amount of willpower to stand her ground. Defiantly she raised her chin to look up at him. "And what makes you think," he said quietly, purple eyes glazing brightly, "that I would listen?"

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "Because if you don't, you're going to end up exactly as you were before I found you."

Violet eyes clashed with bright green. Hidan gazed slowly down her face to her body, then dragged them back up to her eyes. He smirked slightly. "You think you can take me?"

Sakura looked at him defiantly. "I know I can. And you know I have the power to do it."

Hidan knew that her words were just for show, and he knew that in a fight he could easily overpower her. Hell, he could snap her neck right now and she wouldn't know what hit her.

However, there were unanswered questions that plagued his mind that he simply could not ignore. The most important being why Jashin refused her as a sacrifice, and instead manipulated her into the most primal state of humanity, writhing in pleasure on the floor. He had to admit he was a curious bastard, and he just knew this girl would be important in his quest for finding the answer.

And, now that his body was fully restored, he wished to know more of the workings and whereabouts of Akatsuki. Not so much because he wished to be reunited with them, but because they were a convenient means to an end—the very reason why he joined in the first place. If it were up to him he would kill every arrogant dickhead in the organization.

Taking Sakura to the nearest village would prove worthwhile, and he would probably get vital information out of her and the villagers they would come across.

And most importantly…he couldn't ignore that this chit was connected to him in some way. At specific points when they came in contact, he would feel all-encompassing sensation from her touch, and he knew she experienced the same thing as well. There was something bonding them together, preventing her death. He was not happy with this. If there was indeed a bond between the two, it would become his weakness and his downfall, something he was not ready to have again.

"Alright."

Sakura blinked, visibly stunned at his sudden acquiescence.

"What?" she said unthinkingly, and immediately snapped her mouth shut. Hidan's smirk deepened.

"I'll stick with the deal," he said, amusement lingering in his eyes. "Let's go."

He stepped away from her and started crossing the stream, leaving her stunned.

Well that was easier than I thought it would be, Sakura thought vaguely, turning to follow him. Her steps were tentative, as if prepared for him to suddenly spring up and change his mind. His actions screamed trap.

He did no such thing, and unwaveringly strode through the forest. Sakura kept herself a good distance away from him, but close enough to have him within earshot.

Now that she had him, she did not know if it what to do.

Yes, conventionally, she told him her plan and knew what their destination was, but Sakura never actually thought he would agree to it. And she wasn't sure she wanted him by her side at all. Having him breathing down her neck did not make her feel safe whatsoever, and Sakura started to wonder again what compelled her to heal him.

"I didn't realize I was dealing with an incompetent shinobi," Hidan drawled ahead of her.

That snapped Sakura back to the present. She narrowed her eyes. "Excuse me?"

She heard Hidan make a disapproving sound. "Maybe this is why you can't even find your way out of this forest, pinky. You don't even travel like a ninja."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Sakura scowled at the back of his silvery head and glanced down at her feet. She was walking perfectly fine, and even though her shoes had holes in a few places, she kept going. She honestly found no fault, and deduced Hidan was just a bored, foul-mouthed nutcase.

She ignored him when he decided not to comment any further. Soon enough her mind drifted back to the same things she thought of constantly when travelling—everything. The spot at the back of her head that seared with pain when Sakura first woke up on the battlefield still dimly throbbed a little, and no matter how hard Sakura tried to heal the spot with her medical jutsu, it was never enough. Sakura had even tried to heal her injured head in attempt to regain her memories, but was ultimately unsuccessful.

Sakura's eyes wandered back to the form of the silver-haired man striding ahead of her, and she wanted to groan. The moment she pulled his head from the mountain of rubble, Sakura's life had taken yet another turn for the worst. He was everything she wanted to avoid until her memories returned. Psychotic. Dangerous. Uncontrollable bloodlust. Worst of all, he had tried to kill her. And would have succeeded, Sakura thought as her mind returned to the dead rabbit. She saw his ritual first-hand as it should have been.

That thought puzzled her to no end. Why didn't it worked on her? Why—why did it make her...Sakura clenched her fists, her cheeks heating up faintly. There was no denying that what he did to her was the most pleasurable thing she ever felt. Actually that was untrue. Sakura didn't know her past. Maybe she did feel something like that before. Hell, I don't even know if I'm still a virgin, Sakura mused. She glanced down her body and eyed her covered womanhood skeptically.

Shrugging slightly, Sakura looked up and widened her eyes. Hidan was no longer walking in front of her. In fact, he was completely out of sight. Her footsteps stopped as she glanced around. Did she lose track of him when lost in the thoughts the preservation of her innocence?

The air beside her ear stirred, causing strands of her pink hair to sway slightly. A deep voice said quietly near her ear, "If you keep up this pace, I'm going to sling you over my fucking shoulder. I agreed to take you to a village, not to your deficiencies in travelling."

Sakura whirled around and suppressed an instinctive step back when she saw just how close he was to her. "What is your problem? This pace is perfectly fine."

A silver eyebrow rose. "Are you kidding me?"

Sakura glared. "I'm walking as fast as I can."

Hidan barked out a laugh, this time causing Sakura to step back at the volume of his voice. "I was wrong. You're not a shinobi at all. What pathetic Leaf nin died at your hand for you to steal that forehead protector?"

"I didn't steal it, it's mine," Sakura hissed, turning around and walking ahead furiously while swatting away branches from her body. He was chuckling mirthfully behind her, easily falling in step beside her.

"Is that so?"

Sakura refused to acknowledge him, instead increasing her pace. She could feel him watching her, and suddenly he grabbed her hand and lurched he towards him.

"What the he—let me go!" Sakura screamed as he threw Sakura over his shoulder. She was about to pound his spine into shattered pieces when without another moment's hesitation, he took off.

Sakura felt the breath escape her as scenery around her blurred. Trees became green and brown blobs, and her hair was flying wildly from Hidan's impossibly fast speed.

Sakura's eyes narrowed and she stared at the Hidan's bare back. Gritting her teeth, Sakura slammed both fists angrily.

The effect was immediate. He stumbled forwards and crashed to the ground with a violent, screaming curse. Sakura rolled backwards and quickly jumped to her feet.

"Don't you ever do that to me again," Sakura said in evenly, watching in curse on the forest floor.

"Fucking bitch, do you realize how much it hurts to heal a spine?" Hidan screamed up at her, violet eyes flashing dangerously.

"I wouldn't know," she said dryly, "but at least you know not to touch me without permission ever again."

"Sensitive about it, are you?" Hidan managed a smirk through his grimace of pain. "Don't be a prude, kunoichi. Even if it was unintentional, I was the best you ever had."

Sakura's lips tightened and she walked up to him, bending slightly to look over him. "I've had better."

She was about to turn and retreat when his leg shot out and tripped her over her ankles. Sakura immediately stumbled and landed on her knees next to Hidan, palms digging into the grass. In an instant he was behind her, twisting both arms behind her back and sending her facedown onto the grass. He pressed heavily into her so that she couldn't move, his bare torso emanating heat into her back. She tried in vain to kick with her legs but his shins trapped them both.

"I don't appreciate getting fucked with, you little bitch," Hidan said harshly into her ear. Using one hand to keep hold of her wrists, he grasped her head with the other and twisted it sharply so that she could see the side of his face. Sakura made a noise of pain, the muscles in her neck twisting dangerously. "I have my own reasons for keeping you alive. I couldn't give two shits about your deal. I'm a fucking S-class criminal, and I have killed enough people to fill five villages," he yanked on her head again and her neck joints cracked just a little. Sakura's breathing became rapid, fearing for her life. "So you keep that in your pink kunoichi head the next time you decide to break a bone in my body."

Sakura was breathing heavily, afraid to make the slightest movement that could provoke him to do her harm than he already was. "Understood?" Hidan whispered severely against the shell of her ear and his grip on her wrists tightened painfully, demanding her to respond. "Y-yes," Sakura gasped, her neck and arms twisted agonizingly.

He snorted a little and released his grip on her head, and Sakura winced as she looked down at the dirt, pressing her forehead against it numbly. She felt the weight that was pressing into her back lift off of her and she sighed a little in reprieve. She did not realize he was still holding her wrists until he used them to yank her upright while kneeling, and she could feel him pressed behind her again.

"Now that we have that cleared up," said Hidan conversationally while still holding her arms behind her back in a death grip, "let's get some things straight."

"No," Sakura said, and she winced when he pulled her so that she arched slightly against his torso. "You have to let me go first."

"And have you scamper away? Nice try pinkhead," he chuckled. "Just answer a few things and I'll get out of your hair." Sakura fumed silently, staring forcefully into the distance. He took that as acquiescence. "Why were you travelling alone in the middle of a hundred acre forest?"

Sakura swallowed heavily. His fingers tightened around bruising wrists and she grimaced. "I was running away."

"From what?"

"…A battlefield."

Hidan was quiet for a moment. "You are a Konoha kunoichi." Konoha? Perhaps that was what the symbol on the metal protector meant. Silently, she nodded. "Is there a war going on right now?"

Sakura bit her lip. Honestly, she had no idea, but that was the impression she got when she regained consciousness for the first time. "Yes."

She knew Hidan was lost in thought, for the tight grip on her wrists was slowly loosening. "Who are you fighting against?" he asked with curious interest.

Sakura sighed and closed her eyes, knowing that she could hide this fact no longer. "I don't know."

Suddenly she was released and Hidan was standing over her, a look of impatience written on his face. "How the fuck do you not know?" he shouted exasperatedly. "You're a ninja who was fighting in a goddamned war, and you had no idea who you were killing?"

"It's not like that!" Sakura shouted back, massaging her wrists gingerly as she looked up at his towering form.

"And how is it then?" he mocked. Sakura scowled, disliking his sardonic expression immensely. Before she knew what she was doing, Sakura retorted sharply, "Because I don't remember anything anymore!"

Sakura widened her eyes and glanced at Hidan's face. He was staring down at her in mild surprise. "What?"

Not liking their height difference, Sakura rose to her feet and took a step back, refusing to meet his eyes. "I woke up on the battlefield and didn't know who or where I was. A boy screamed my name and told me to run…so I did."

A frown crossed his features, and purple eyes scrutinized her. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that?" Sakura's lips parted in shock. Clearly she hadn't thought of the possibility that Hidan wouldn't believe her.

"It's true!" Sakura protested, walking closer to him.

Hidan gave her a passively bored look. "Spare me the damn theatrics," he sauntered over to her, cocking his head back. "You're too stupid to be ANBU. Then again Konoha is a shit village, so it's possible. But you don't know who I am, so that makes no sense…"

Sakura glowered. "How would knowing you change anything?"

Hidan frowned a little at her words. "Don't you recognize this cloak?"

Sakura eyed him up and down skeptically. Reluctantly she said, "Am I supposed to?"

Hidan observed her for a second before laughing incredulously. "Well fuck me, you really don't know shit." He drew close to her until he was a foot away, gazing at her with amusement. "I wondered what kind of idiot heals an immortal S-class criminal that a Konoha nin put down."

Sakura scowled deeply, not liking where he was going. "What do you mean by Konoha nin? Who did that to you?"

"Nothing for you to be worried about," Hidan grinned roguishly, running a hand through his silver hair. "Oh, this is fucking perfect. Jashin-sama has truly been generous to me this time. I'm going to hunt that Nara punk down and avenge myself." His smile faded as his gaze lingered on her for a moment, before he shook his head. "It's no wonder you don't know how to travel like a shinobi; you don't even remember how."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sakura snapped, growing annoyed at Hidan's cryptic words, she heard him mutter something along the lines of 'of course you don't'.

Instead, Hidan gazed at her in wonder. "What made you do it?"

Sakura frowned. "Do what?"

"Heal me. Find me. How did you know where I was?"

Sakura furrowed her brows. "I…I actually don't know…" she rubbed her arm nervously, not at all liking how this conversation was going so far. "I came across the clearing by chance. I discovered my medical jutsu and chakra control by chance. I heard your voice…" Sakura's eyes grew large, and Hidan scowled when she became mute.

"Heard me? How the fuck could you hear me? I was buried under a shitload of rocks."

"The bracelet," she breathed, emerald eyes snapping up to violet ones. "It was the bracelet. I was walking, and it started to burn my wrist, and—and I heard a noise, and it wouldn't stop hurting unless I—"

Hidan, who was not following the sudden rampant babblings of the pink-haired idiot, snapped impatiently, "Spit it out!"

Sakura shook her head. Hidan frowned when he saw fear reenter her eyes, and found himself disliking that appearance. She should only be afraid of him.

He watched her swallow hard and reluctantly look into his eyes.

"The deal's off. Not that it did any good anyway. I told you all that you need to know. You can leave me alone and travel wherever you like."

"Huh?"

She turned her back to him. "I need to go." She began sprinting away, and for a moment Hidan was stunned at the abrupt actions of the increasingly confusing kunoichi.

"Wait," Hidan called. His legs kicked off the ground and it didn't take him long to catch up with her. He reached for her arm but she must have sensed him, for she quickly shrugged away from him and changed her route. "Fucking wait! I'm not trying to hurt you right now!"

Sakura wasted no breath on him, and merely stuck with the task of getting as far away from him as possible.

With a leap he landed in front of her, causing her to skid to a stop. She whirled around but he was faster, appearing in front of her again.

"Please," she said pleadingly, "leave me alone."

"Not until you tell me why," Hidan said angrily. "What the hell did you figure out that's got you so scared?"

She avoided his gaze, keeping her eyes trained on his body movements instead and looking for an escape. He was having none of it, making sure to keep blocking her way until she gave up.

Sakura stilled, her eyes staring fixatedly at the ground. Taking a shaking breath, she whispered, "It's your rosary beads."

Hidan glanced at his wrist vaguely, not following her train of thought. "The rosary beads are what's gotten your panties in a twist?"

Sakura shook her head emphatically. "It's because I put them back together. I found them, found your pendent, and strung it back. Ever since I found them…I…" she took a shaky breath, jamming her eyes shut as if trying to eradicate treacherous thoughts, "…it hurt me at some point…made me black out and I heard a voice speaking to me…and it was because of those rosary beads that I found you."

"Wait," Hidan furrowed his brows, "You said you heard a voice?" Sakura glanced up at him quickly, and the nodded while looking away. A breath escaped him, and he held up his wrist to his face.

He remembered too, when a voice came to him…the voice that had granted him his immortality…and if he recalled clearly, it wasn't too long after that that Sakura had pulled his head out of the ditch.

"Jashin spoke with you," said Hidan quietly, "as he spoke with me."

Sakura glanced up at him, this time not avoiding his violet stare. "Jashin. Your god?" Hidan stared back at her grimly. "What would he want with me? How can I even believe that this Jashin even exists?"

"What did he say to you?" Hidan asked in a low voice, ignoring her previous statement. Sakura shook her head slowly. "I…I can't…" What did I hear that night? Sakura thought frantically, suddenly quite afraid with the knowledge that some unknown god had entered her mind and played with it until she did as he wanted, digging out his follower and healing him.

They stared at each other for a long while, a flurry of thoughts flying through their minds. Slowly, almost hesitantly, Sakura took a step towards him, noting that Hidan did not even flinch as she approached him. His eyes remained blank, his stare fixated on her. Sakura slowly reached towards his wrist, and wrapped her fingers around the bracelet.

Their bodies jolted simultaneously, and Sakura let out a small noise as Hidan sucked in his breath harshly. Immediately she withdrew her hand and took a step back, eyes wide as saucers.

"We're…"

The words never finished. They didn't need to, for they both knew they were connected in some way. Hidan watched her as he tried to regain the breath that had just been stolen from him.

Hidan marched towards her and gazed at her deeply. "I want you to try something."

Sakura blinked. "What?"

"I want you to try something," Hidan repeated, his voice foregoing all the foul words and cantankerous disposition.

Sakura shook her head, not wanting things to go deeper than they already were. Her thighs were still slightly trembling from touching the bracelet on Hidan's wrist.

"I have to know."

Sakura had to fight off a shiver, desperately clinging to control herself. This was pathetic. She was stronger than this. This was not who she was, and she had landed herself in a horrible mess, and she had to get away from this dangerous man immediately before things escalated out of control.

"Sakura."

Like a taught string that snapped, Sakura's resolve disappeared.

His voice was velvety and deep, her name rolling off his tongue like a sinful embrace. Inviting. She did nothing when he drew closer to her, and did nothing when he lightly grasped her hand into his larger one, lifting it so that her palm was facing up.

"Give me the hitai-ate."

Sakura blinked dazedly. Slowly she reached into her pocket and retrieved it, and Hidan took it from her. Her eyes were transfixed onto his deep, purple ones, wondering what was going on in his mind. He held her gaze steadily, a strand of silver hair falling in front of his left eye.

A sudden pain stung her palm, and Sakura inhaled sharply. She glanced down and saw that Hidan had made a cut down it, and red liquid was seeping from the wound. He closed her hand into a fist with his own, squeezing hard as blood dripped from her palm onto the grass below them. He dragged his foot onto the small pool of blood and drew it into a circle then a triangle. Belatedly Sakura realized what exactly he was doing, but did not have time to think. For within moments, Hidan wrapped his arm around her waist tugged her forward until their chests collided. She looked up sharply and saw Hidan biting his lip, almost as if in indecision, when suddenly he dipped his head down and pressed his lips to hers.

Sakura's eyes flew wide open and she pushed her arms against his chest, but he held her tighter against him and wrapped his other arm around her waist, anchoring her up so she was almost on her toes to make up for their difference in height. Her mind was screaming in protest, but he seemed to have anticipated this. He slowly tilted his head and massaged her lips, gliding his own against hers sensually, encouraging her to return the kiss, and Sakura unknowingly found herself doing just that. The kiss was gentle but firm, Hidan letting his intentions known with the expert way his mouth was moving against her own. He nipped on her lower lip lightly and then ran his tongue over it, causing Sakura to unwillingly gasp lightly and part her lips. He seemed to be waiting for this, and wasted no time in slipping his tongue in.

A shot of pleasure went down her spine, causing her toes to curl as Hidan explored the depths of her mouth, his hand travelling up her back until it reached her head, fingers curling into her pink locks as he tilted her head slightly, slanting his mouth at the same time. A small noise erupted from the back of her throat, her heart hammering rapidly and she could feel the blood heating up her face. This was wrong on so many levels, and she knew that this kiss was not at all what it seemed, and she knew if she wanted she could punch him with a chakra fist…but that part of her conscious was quickly fading into the recesses of her mind when his right hand began caressing up her side, and when he somehow coaxed her tongue to move against his, until his mouth closed around her tongue and sucked lightly.

Sakura was vaguely aware that a throbbing had begun in her center, causing her to clench her thighs together tightly; she hardly noticed that the taste in her mouth was sharp and metallic, and continued to taste like that all throughout the passionate kiss. Her brain could barely keep up, fog clouding her mind as unbearable pleasure was wrought out of her with just Hidan's mouth. He pressed into her harder, the kiss growing more forceful as he moved his mouth against hers in a tantalizing dance that had her spine curving as he bent her backwards.

His lips released hers, and Sakura couldn't help the small moan that escaped her lips at the sudden loss. Slowly she opened her eyes and saw deep purple eyes gazing down at her. Hidan took a step back and straightened them so that they were standing upright, slightly breathless from the exchange. Sakura was still panting as he placed the forehead protector into her hand.

"Cut yourself," Hidan rasped, his voice rough and deep. It took Sakura a few seconds to process his words.

"Cut… why?" Sakura asked breathlessly, fighting to regain control over herself. Her eyes flickered over his lips, and noticed a small smudge of blood staining his lower lip. Had she kissed him too hard? How did that…?

Understanding dawned on her, and it almost made Sakura angry with disbelief. He…he had kissed her so that she would have some of his blood into her system! She remembered seeing him biting his lip before he kissed her, and now she knew it was no valiant portrayal of indecision. He knew exactly what he was doing.

Remembering what had happened when she was on the receiving end of this ritual, Sakura almost gave a sardonic smile. "Of course." Gripping the metal, she glanced down her arm and was surprised to see that her skin had completely changed color, resembling the same inky black and white design that had adorned Hidan when he performed the ritual. Shaking her head, Sakura cut quickly across her upper arm.

Hidan's eyes widened almost imperceptibly. His jaw tightened, and she watched his spine straighten. Sakura watched him for any other signs, unsatisfied with his almost lack of reaction. She lowered the metal to her forearm and made a large gash.

That seemed to do it. A low groan sounded in his throat and Hidan took a step back, hunching over slightly as his hand gripped his thigh. Sakura glanced down at her bleeding arm and noticed with some surprise that most of it was already healed. She hadn't even been using any healing chakra. That fact had her mind reeling, and shock registered on her face.

Sakura took a step back, her hand holding the metal lowering to her side. Hidan saw this and shook his head. "No. You must finish Jashin's ritual to completion."

"I can't," Sakura whispered. She knew what this meant; it wasn't hard putting two and two together. She…she was…

"Finish it!" Hidan yelled hoarsely, and Sakura jumped at the volume of his voice.

"No!" she cried, taking another step back. She was almost out of the circle when Hidan gripped her upper arms tightly and tugged her back into the center. "You will fucking finish the ritual; do not test Jashin-sama's patience."

Biting her lip, Sakura gripped the metal tightly and ran a cut below her collarbone. Hidan's eyes closed as he released his hold on her, stepping back slightly. She watched his face twist into a look of grimaced pleasure as she dragged the metal down her other arm, ignoring the painful sting of her cuts and the deep red blood that was trickling from her wounds. Her eyes lowered down his torso until it rested on the prominent bulge in his pants. She could tell from the way he was gritting his teeth and holding his hands in a death grip onto this pants, that he was doing all he could not to reach down and relieve himself. The thought was embarrassing and brought a slight blush to her cheeks, but she knew what he was experiencing and why. Not too long ago, that had been her. But how? How was she able to do this to him?

Without a warning, Sakura took the metal and forced it into her chest, not wanting to draw this out any further than it had to.

Hidan's eyes flew open and a he gasped, falling to his knees as a helpless groan emitted from his throat. His hips were twitching and he shuddered, before gripping his hands into the grass and fighting to calm his breathing. His eyes were closed and his head bent down towards the ground, and vaguely she saw the massive bulge in his crotch area settle back down.

She should be dead. Even with her chakra, it would take ages to heal a direct hit to the heart, and yet she wasn't even doubled over in agony. She felt pain, definitely felt the pain—but it was passing, throbbing slightly in its wake, until it disappeared altogether. Sakura glanced down at her arms and saw that almost all the wounds had closed up by themselves, streaks of her blood being the only remnants of the exchange, and the color of her skin had returned to its normal state. The ritual was complete.

Her eyes wandered back over to Hidan, and suddenly she felt filthy. Stumbling out of the circle, Sakura dropped the metal band as her legs gave in. In a daze, Sakura leaned against the tree behind her and brought her knees to her chest.

Hidan, having finally regained some control, lifted his head to look up at her. "Looks like I'm not the only person Jashin's given immortality to. I fucking knew it."

Sakura gripped her knees tightly with her hands. "Why?" she whispered to herself, but Hidan could hear her nonetheless.

"I have no clue," Hidan gravelly voice admitted. "Probably because you put his rosaries back together. And that you saved me. I have no fucking idea why Jashin works the way he does, but one thing is certain," his eyes penetrated her own. "He has plans for us. Plans for you. And he is not going to let you go now that you're in."

"I don't want to be in!" Sakura cried, gripping her hair so tight that a few pink strands started to fall out. "I just want to remember! I want to get out of this forest, away from you and that damned bracelet! I want the universe to stop screwing me over and to give me my life back!" Tears unwillingly gathered in her eyes and she angrily wiped one away as it trickled down her cheek.

Hidan crawled over to her until he was resting his hand on the tree trunk beside her head. His eyes…they seemed almost understanding. They hardened when he began to speak. "Serve Jashin and he will bring your life back to order. It's only a matter of time."

Sakura looked away from his intense gaze, feeling utterly drained. "You are immortal now," she heard him say, and Sakura turned back to look at him. A mocking smile twisted his lips. "Looks like that adjustment in the deal was unnecessary anyway. We can't die."

Sakura gazed up at him and shook her head slowly. "Aren't you curious?"

"About what?" Hidan frowned slightly.

Sakura blinked. "You told me that this—Jashin's—ritual was intended to kill the person trapped in it. I saw you even do it to that rabbit." Hidan nodded. "Then why does it…why does it make us so…"

"Turned on?" Her face heated, but she nodded. "I don't know. But from what we've done so far…" his eyes darkened.

"What is it?" Sakura inquired, her curiosity piqued.

"You were wearing the bracelet when I did it to you."

"Yes," she said.

"I was wearing the bracelet when you did it to me."

"Yes…" Sakura trailed, her eyes falling onto his wrist. "Are you saying that that bracelet is the reason behind it?"

"Most likely."

Sakura moved to kneel on her knees, facing Hidan. "Then get rid of it."

Hidan scowled at her sudden shift of demeanor. "What?"

"Get rid of it," Sakura repeated, and he could see traces of excitement light up her eyes. "Don't you get it? That bracelet is what's binding us together! If we just get rid of it—"

"No," Hidan spat, anger brewing in his eyes. "You don't fucking disrespect Jashin's prayer beads. I'm not getting rid of them."

"But it's causing all this, Hidan! It could be stopped!"

"You really think so?" said Hidan sarcastically.

"Yes," she replied firmly. A cruel smile twisted his lips, and he leaned closer to her.

"If it's that fucking easy, it's not going to work," he hissed. "You're underestimating the work of a god, pinkhead."

"He is not my god," Sakura said angrily. "I want nothing to do with this."

A jolt of pain travelled down her spine and a cry tore from her throat. Her eyes were blinded with white, but as soon as it came it left just as quickly. Panting hard, Sakura saw that her palms were planted on the ground and she was almost doubled over.

Slowly she lifted her head to see Hidan, who had an amused smile on his face.

"Not your god, eh? Don't let him hear that again."

Sakura glowered at him and straightened. "Let's just go, already," Sakura muttered, standing up with the support of the tree. "I don't know what's going on, but I'll feel much better once we're in a village, preferably with new clothes and a much-needed shower."

Hidan snorted at her shift in mood and rose to his feet as well.

"Whatever you want, kunoichi. But I think," He took her hand and brought it to his wrist, forcing her to take off the bracelet for him and slipping it onto her own. "I think it's your turn to wear that."

Smirking, Hidan began walking ahead of her. Sakura trailed behind him after a few moments, wondering why it was her turn.

-:-

Not the most interesting end to the chapter (I usually go for the cliffy, quirky endings) but it was needed, as this is sort of a transitional/explanatory chapter. Also if I kept going, it would end up 30 pages again, and I don't want to test your patience like that again.

More importantly, thank you so, SO much for the feedback! I loved your input and you guys are the sweetest people on the planet! I didn't expect anything more than like two reviews and one alert, but you knocked my socks off with the amount of love that came my way. You all deserve a mind-numbing Hidan kiss.

Speaking of which, you might think in relative terms that this story is going a bit fast since yes, Hidan and Sakura have already kissed by the second chapter (and both had orgasmed already…), but it was sort of needed and I don't plan on making this story more than 20 chapters, so things have to get to the point. :)

Also, I need to remind you guys that this story is gonna be really, really M-rated. I want to give a go at dizzying lemons and it's going to get really kinky and really hot so if that sort of stuff makes you uncomfortable…well, honey, you're in the wrong ship is all I gotta say~ It's Hidan. Come on.

Thank you animelover772123, Kaus-y, Sasu-Cakes137, Thrae Elddim, LadyRea, lexypink1, PLacIDwiCkedNEss, howlingwindofthestorm, silentsakura, The Seldom Seen Kid, Gaiagirl33, dolcezza, and Wendy The Anonymous Reader for taking the time to review and let me know what you thought! I tried replying to all those who reviewed, so here's the ones I couldn't PM:

To Wendy: you were my first reviewer and it was the nicest thing anyone has ever written. Thank you so much. Don't worry, this story will definitely finish. It would be cruel to write something with Hidan and leave it incomplete! Thank you again for your encouragement and I'm flattered that you enjoyed my writing so much :)

silentsakura: thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed this fic!

lexypink1: oh yes, that ending just had to be there. I couldn't resist~

LadyRea: Yes, I particularly loved Hidan's expletive when he realized he was in deep trouble :) This is also definitely one of my favorite crackships. Hope I do it justice!

Okay, this is an unreasonably long author's note. I'll leave with saying that I probably won't update till next month as I have final exams for the next two and a half weeks. But this story is definitely not a short fic, and it will definitely reach completion. And there will be shameless hidasaku. SHAMELESS.

Sorry for errors. Leave me some love?