Hello again! ^_^ This one's a little messy, I'm afraid. Tying up loose ends and such. POVs are sometimes mixed again. ^^; I decided not to redo that last chapter…I didn't even look over it much. :( Reviews are always welcome, please enjoy.

Ch. 17

There was a moment of silence as Kakuzu took in the scene before him; Orochimaru's startled, livid glance, which quickly dissolved into his calculating stare, Hidan's wide, incredulous eyes and the snakes that bound him to the floor. Evidently, he was needed.

Hidan scowled to cover the immense sense of relief the sight of Kakuzu had given him.

"I thought Pein sent you like a week ago?! Where were you?"

"You were supposed to stay put," snapped Kakuzu. His stitches unravelled quickly as Orochimaru straightened up and stepped back from Hidan. Several snakes rose with him, glowing eyes turned towards the intruder. Hidan tensed and tried to lift himself, but the snakes hissed angrily and merely tightened their grip. Orochimaru's eyes left Kakuzu's momentarily.

"Hush, Hidan-kun. I haven't forgotten about you."

"Fuck you!"

Orochimaru chuckled, turning to Kakuzu again.

"I can't imagine why you of all people, Kakuzu, would go to all this trouble to rescue such a troublesome partner."

Kakuzu's expression was unreadable.

"He's convenient."

"Gee thanks, asshole."

Kakuzu duly ignored this. His three remaining extra hearts burst from his torn back and stood in an offensive formation. Orochimaru slapped his bloody hand on the floor, and three giant snakes appeared, guarding the two from Kakuzu. Hidan tched.

"I fucking hate snakes."

There was no reply.

"Raiton – Gian!"

There was a sharp hiss as one of the giant snakes fell to Kakuzu's lightning heart. The other serpents were roused to anger and launched themselves at the masked figures, fangs connecting with black thread as they tried to throw them down. Hissing, poison, wind, earth, water and lightning sounds exploded from the scene, while the two combatants stared at each other through their weapons' mêlée.

In a heartbeat, Kakuzu was across the room. Hardened fist met legendary blade, and their battle began.

Even with his hard skin covering, Kakuzu felt Kusanagi's bite and he winced as it caught his forearm. Orochimaru must have noticed, as he pressed Kakuzu back, his sword work gaining ferocity. Kakuzu continuously blocked, punched and kicked out, always looking for an opening, a way to disable the sannin.

The blade came down hard at his head and he caught it in both hands. It was a stalemate. For the first time in the fight, Kakuzu took in the snake nin's appearance fully. The sight almost made him falter.

Orochimaru looked terrible. Though his various wounds were closed, his clothes were heavily bloodstained. His face was haggard, his eyes wide and bloodshot and his long back hair was matted with dried blood.

What was he fighting on?

He looked like he was keeping himself together by sheer force of will.

The two sprang apart as a snake came crashing between them, landing heavily on its back. Orochimaru's snakes were falling, but as he risked a glance around before Orochimaru could come at him again, he noticed a couple of casualties on his side too.

Movement to his left made him turn his head – and he quickly knocked the airborne Orochimaru aside. His fist caught the other's wrist, and Kusanagi was loosened. The clatter of metal on concrete told Kakuzu Orochimaru was unarmed. He whirled around and dealt the snake nin another winding blow, and sent him flying across the training ground.

Finally gaining the upper hand, Kakuzu raced after him to finish off the weakened shinobi. His lightning heart sailed over his head as he pounded across to where Orochimaru lay. The snakes' numbers were dwindling, and so he gestured to the heart to follow him.

Orochimaru looked up at him through half closed eyes, a smirk still showing though a trickled of blood ran down his chin.

Kakuzu roughly lifted him up. He looked winded, and as far as Kakuzu could see he couldn't speak. And yet, when he grinned and threw his eyes over to where Hidan and the snakes were, Kakuzu understood at once. He followed the sannin's gaze – and threw the snake nin down forcefully in anger.

Hidan was gone.

Where had that damned masochist gone now? Kakuzu's patience was on its last legs already, if that idiot of a partner had run off again, Kakuzu would leave him here. Quickly, he scanned the room.

A small hidden door leading out of the stadium was just closing. Cursing, Kakuzu threw the sannin a regretful look, ran with the two remaining hearts to the door and flung it open.

Glancing over his shoulder, he noted that Orochimaru still hadn't got up. Taking that as a good sign, he continued on, the Katon heart slamming the door shut behind them.

He was leaving too many people alive today.

…

While Kakuzu and Orochimaru had been fighting, several of the smaller snakes that had been guarding Hidan had taken on human forms – Sound shinobi, and had lifted him bodily up, ignoring his murderous cries, and borne him through the door.

Right now, they were racing up the passageway, taking him Jashin knows where.

Some snakes were still binding him – he now loathed the creatures with a passion – the rest had been replaced by equally strong hands, and he couldn't break free. He was trussed up like some wild animal headed for the slaughter.

But they wouldn't kill him. They couldn't, obviously. No, if these bastards got their way, he'd be locked up in some guarded dungeon, subject to that freak's experiments.

Hidan gritted his teeth, a low growl escaping past his profanities. He was weapon less again, but he'd rip out their throats with his teeth given the opportunity.

"Kabuto-sama!"

Hidan turned his head to where the leader of his abductors had shouted at. He was motioning at a silhouette at the top of the passageway, and Hidan squinted against the light behind the figure. He looked vaguely familiar. They drew closer, and his jaw dropped. Some of his captors threw him curious looks.

"You're the one who-"

It was the spy he'd met outside the Akatsuki base.

Kabuto averted his eyes and addressed the leader of the party.

"Through here-"

"I fucking KNEW you weren't from Akatsuki!"

As the group filed into the smaller tunnel Kabuto had pointed out, Hidan glared at him.

"I'm gonna rip you to shreds, bastard!"

Before Kabuto could reply, an agonised yell came from the passage, and Hidan's captors fell back, the first two dead. The others were thrown into disarray, and Hidan was unceremoniously dropped as the vanguard scrambled to form a protective ring around him and Kabuto.

"I'd prefer of you didn't slaughter my new spy, Hidan."

Hidan gaped.

"Sasori?"

Hiruko shuffled into view, weapons out and glistening with poison and blood. There was movement from Kabuto and his chakra scalpel traced red lines on the sound ninja's throats. They fell to their knees, blood gushing from their necks and adding a sickening gurgle to their cries.

Hidan's hissing bonds were next – as soon as the immortal was freed, he leapt to his feet and flung Kabuto against the wall. The bespectacled shinobi let out a squeak; Hidan had him by the throat.

"What the hell's going on?"

All at once, he felt chakra strings pulling at his fingers, prising them away from the sound shinobi's neck. He looked at Sasori suspiciously. Hiruko stared emotionlessly back.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to get good sound spies? He's close to Orochimaru, we need him for information."

"How do you know he won't turn on us?"

Sasori sounded affronted.

"My seal, of course."

Scowling, Hidan let Kabuto drop. The shinobi fell against the wall, gasping. Hidan turned his back on him – and got a large, furious fist to the jaw.

As he fell heavily to the ground, Sasori remarked casually,

"Ah. Kakuzu."

Hidan got slowly to his feet, wiping the blood from his mouth.

"Shit, Kakuzu. Take a few teeth next time, why don't you? What was that for?"

He met Kakuzu's livid eyes as he straightened up.

"I should hit you again for asking that."

"It's nice to see you too."

Hiruko hulked down the passage into the main corridor.

"Come on – we got what we came for. What happened to Orochimaru?"

Kakuzu took a glance down the passageway that led to the arena.

"He's still alive I think – I left him to go after this idiot."

Hidan was indignant.

"You left him alive?!"

But Kakuzu's murderous glare silenced him.

"Don't give me that. You've had a lot more chances to kill him than I."

Sasori kept moving.

"It can't be helped. We have to move."

Kakuzu took a step, and then they froze. All three of them could hear reinforcements coming; the hideout suddenly teemed with activity on the floor above and below them. Shinobi appeared at the end of the corridor, armed to the teeth and fingers blurring in handsigns.

Kakuzu's hearts jumped ahead, blasting out jutsu of their own. Kakuzu, not taking his eyes off them, took something from his battered sleeve and tossed it to Hidan.

"Here. Make yourself useful."

Hidan caught it just as it extended fully. He grinned in relief.

"My pike! Where'd-"

"Outside."

Kakuzu's hearts skirted backwards, edging towards the tunnel as more shinobi rounded the corner and into view. Kakuzu backed up.

"Back down the passageway. We're not here to start a war."

Sasori was already following the hearts the down the side tunnel back to the arena. The other two turned and ran after them, Hidan tching loudly.

…

Orochimaru could feel his broken and bruised body rejecting him. He lay, spread eagled, where Kakuzu had thrown him, hearing fading in and out, his eyes still wild and desperate, clinging to life. He wouldn't die here. There was so much more to be done, so many ideas, so may theories he needed tested.

He needed a body – any one's, he didn't care anymore. Not when he was this dilapidated.

Anyone's, except Hidan's.

He mentally berated himself. He should have seen this coming, If only Hidan had been caught sooner, and Orochimaru had had the time to study him more. He had underestimated Akatsuki – a foolish mistake born of his own pride. He never thought Pein would practically imprison a member to keep them out of harm's way.

Putting it out of his mind, Orochimaru's eyes roved around, looking for something, anything that would keep him alive. With each passing second, Orochimaru grew more fearful of his death. A post mortem of the events would not help his situation now.

His fingers twitched. Concentrating all his remaining strength to his hand, he beckoned to two small purple snakes, all that were left of his summons.

As soon as they reached him, a flick of his wrist sent them off again, a single mission in mind.

They soon vanished from his sight, and his hand flopped back down. A minute passed, and his eyes were becoming heavy and unfocused, but at the moment, he felt the vibrations of footsteps coming towards him.

"Orochimaru-sama! Please hold on!"

He didn't even take in his rescuer's appearance, he barely recognised her fully, but as soon as he set eyes on her, she was doomed.

The snakes hissed loudly, and Orochimaru's body grew still, the facial features changing to that of a younger face.

The girl's eyes turned a bright gold, and she vanished, her wide grin the last thing to disperse.

…

The side door was torn from its hinges as Hiruko, Kakuzu and Hidan burst into the empty arena. Orochimaru's old body lay a small distance from them. Kakuzu's eyes narrowed, his back still restitching itself around the last two of his extra hearts.

"He's gone."

Hidan gave the body a look of disgust and turned away.

"Good riddance. Fucking psycho."

Kakuzu rolled his eyes.

"That means he's not dead, Hidan!"

"My scythe!"

Ignoring Kakuzu, Hidan picked up his weapon and slung it on his bare back.

"Hey -You didn't happen to get my cloak while you were-"

"I wasn't sent to pick up after you."

Hidan opened his mouth to retort, but Sasori interrupted.

"They're coming."

The other two glanced back down the tunnel. Hiruko and Kakuzu moved to the centre of the arena.

"Forget about it, Hidan. It's time we left."

Hidan scoffed.

"Well it's kind of hard to escape when there's enemies coming through every door."

The three grouped together as kunai and shuriken started flying through the tunnels. Hidan's scythe was out, held loosely in his hands. The fist barrage reached them and he dutifully knocked them off course. The threads on Kakuzu's left arm unravelled.

"In that case, we'll make our own door."

Inside Hiruko, Sasori put his hands over his ears.

Kakuzu's fist smashed through the high ceiling, demolishing it. He leaped upwards as the rubble rained down, using the falling boulders to gain the extra height. Hiruko was in hot pursuit. Frowning, Hidan launched himself after them, just as purple and tan clad shinobi poured into the ruined battlefield. His scythe latched into the ground outside, and Hidan tugged at it, activating the recoil. It jammed.

"You have to shitting me…"

The rubble was settling, but the air was rife with throwing weapons and jutsu. Hidan hauled himself up the rope; dodging air attacks all the while. There were some screams as he flung his pike into the nearest group, granting him a bit of relief from that side. Suddenly, explosive tags were flung from the hole above and into the crowd, narrowly avoiding Hidan. His head jerked up, glaring at the hole.

"Still down here, assholes!"

A tanned hand tugged at the scythe rope and Hidan suddenly accelerated. He caught the edge of the hole and dragged himself out, blatantly avoiding Kakuzu's impatient stare. Standing up, he ripped the scythe out of the ground. The other two were already running. Kakuzu called over his shoulder.

"Hurry up! Out of the village, then we'll teleport."

Hidan sighed, and glanced ruefully back down the hole. Shinobi were scaling the walls. He shrugged and turned away.

"Can't believe I'm walking away from so many potential sacrifices."

He kicked a stone down the hole, hoping he got someone, and ran after the other Akatsuki.

…

"Orochimaru-sama-"

"Ah, Kabuto. There you are."

The sound spy lowered his head briefly.

"The attack has ceased. They made it beyond the village borders."

There was a pause, and Kabuto frowned.

"Sir, if I may ask, why did you call off the attack? We could have recaptured them, there were enough of us…"

He trailed off as Orochimaru stood up from his chair and walked away from his subordinate. Kabuto was right to ask, of course. All of his servants must be wondering the same thing.

"Akatsuki no longer have any use for me."

Kabuto still looked puzzled; Orochimaru knew he was trying to figure him out. Kabuto had no idea what had happened between Orochimaru and Hidan. Orochimaru hadn't breathed a word about the failed transfer ritual, or what he had discovered about Hidan's immortality to anyone. He could understand that from the outside it looked as if he just let Hidan go, after months of tracking him. But this was the simplest reason he could give.

Kabuto opened his mouth to say something, but Orochimaru's hand shot up, requesting silence.

"If I had let all those duty driven pawns continue after them, it would have been a waste of subordinates. Those Akatsuki would have slaughtered them. The Sound Five-"

He corrected himself, a touch of bitterness entering his voice as he thought of Kimimaro.

"-The Sound Four were also in the crowd. I need them alive."

Kabuto's expression softened a little.

"Orochimaru-sama, Kimimaro's condition is stabilising-"

Orochimaru turned to face him again.

"Don't patronise me, Kabuto. I know his condition."

He turned away, anger simmering under his calm exterior. Kimimaro had been such a promising candidate for soul transfer – his Kaguya bloodline, his elite skills, and his unwavering loyalty –

There was a smash as the sannin's fist slammed onto the desk in the lab, sending jars and flasks crashing to the floor.

Kabuto was immediately at his side.

"Orochimaru-sama, you've just transferred. Your health isn't perfect either, stop this."

The sannin seemed to get a hold of himself, and stepped away from the desk. He didn't look at Kabuto, but stared into open space.

"I've just transferred…that gives me three years to find Kimimaro's replacement."

Kabuto wasn't sure where this was going, but his eyes didn't leave Orochimaru. A grin suddenly broke out over Orochimaru's face.

"All this talk of Akatsuki has made me nostalgic. Itachi is out of the question, but I know there is one more Uchiha left..."

…

"Yes, we got him. His curse mark is gone."

"He thinks he lost it during the attempted soul transfer."

"Hey, bastards, stop talking about me like I'm not here. Let me talk to Pein!"

"…No, no punishment yet."

"Kakuzu did get him in the jaw."

"That felt good."

"What, you're ignoring me now? That's really immature, seriously. What age are you guys?"

"Hold on, we're almost at the base."

'You can start without us.'

"What are you talking about?!"

The two cloaked figures stopped suddenly, radiating menace. The other passed them before he too slowed down.

"What's with the hold up? We're gonna be – aargh!"

End.

I mentioned on my devART a/c, I'm thinking of making a doujinshi of this. :3

Thank you for reading all the way to (rushed) end, I hope it was as fun to read as it was to write.