- Chapter 21 -

Bodies

"What do you mean we have to go out of town?"

The cluttering of forks against plates filled in the silence after this question. Some Akatsuki members, like Sasori and Kakuzu, simply focused on their food. Others waited for the answer to this dreadful question, like Akira, Deidara and Kisame. Pein simply chewed on his food and swallowed painfully slow, eyes never leaving his team.

"Since the incident yesterday," he eyed Akira, "we are forced to get out of town and complete our mission. There are other organizations, maybe even the higher yakuza, who know what we're after and are currently planning another attack against us, most likely. We'll have to go to Amegakure for four days to do the exchange with Nagato and then we'll get back to base."

He paused and checked his wrist watch. "You have two hours to get ready."

Kisame sped up his fork and started swallowing chunks of food instead of chewing them while Sasori simply stood up and left the room. Akira sighed; the previous day had taken an emotional toll on her and she couldn't shake off the disturbing feelings she had for this mission. 

"We should go and get ready, Akira-chan!" Tobi's squeaky voice blasted besides her ear.

His arm wrapped around her shoulders in a not-so-friendly way and she felt as if she was going to suffocate. Not only the way he held her, but also the aura he was emitting was off. Ever since their Utakata mission, Akira didn't feel comfortable and safe around her partner.

She shook her head. "Go on ahead, I'll be there in five."

"Okie dokie!"

The ginger watched as her partner hopped off to their room and didn't notice Deidara crawling besides her. 

"Still can't understand how you can put up with Tobi, Akira. He's more annoying than Christmas, hm."

The girl let her bowl on the coffee table of the living room, accidentally jabbing Kisame with her elbow. "I know. I can't understand that either."

Instantly, a new question popped in her mind. "Oh, who is that Nagato guy?"

Deidara shrugged. "He's supposed to be the guy we are working for. Don't know much about him, hm. But I'll get my share through him, so I don't really care." He finished eating his salad and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

Akira hoped their last mission would go as planned. Everyone gets their share, she learns what her mother has to do with all of this and then goes back to living her normal life. She hoped.

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When Pein had said that they were going to Amegakure for a mission, she never expected she would have to get in a van with eleven people. And their personal stuff. With Kakuzu doing dangerous driving and Akira realizing she couldn't tell if the man was old or simply a young adult with really bad joints. 

Stuffed in the front of the van was Kakuzu with the two Zetsus since he was the only one who could shut them up and refrain them from talking about food the whole time. That left a rather explosive combination in the back of the van: Akira being squashed in a corner between Kisame and Tobi, Deidara, Hidan and Sasori bickering over who should sit on the bags and the rest three leading members probably cursing inwardly for not taking the bus.

"Kisa- Hoshigaki-senpai, you're killing- me- here-"

Kisame stepped off Akira's leg the moment he realized he was sitting on it, making the van tilt to one side as he moved. Akira felt her blood stream releasing blood on her leg again and she groaned. She hadn't felt this free ever since they had left Konohagakure which was approximately half an hour ago. They still had half an hour to pass in the deadly van with no A/C.

"Oi," Kisame growled to the three bickering teens, gaining their attention. "Stop yelling at each other and bring out the shoji board. I'd rather play a table game than listen to you three idiots."

"Watch your language, or I might have to mummify your tongue, Kisame," Sasori countered, brown eyes glaring at the large male who didn't waver even a little bit.

One would have to spend years with Sasori to get used to his glare. Akira was more freaked out about Sasori's hobby than the boy himself. One walk out of his room and you could smell the rotting flesh.

Deidara kept rummaging through his bag and grew more annoyed as he did so. "Some dumbass took the shoji board out of my bag, un."

The blonde instantly turned to look at Hidan who was grinning widely; another reason for Deidara to blow up the van. The girl still had no clue as to why Deidara had such an unrequited love for bombing things. Yet that was not the weirdest thing she had faced in this organisation.

"Before you go out of your way to bombard the van or kill each other," Pein intervened, looking as tired as he could muster, "I have to tell you that we're here. Kill yourselves outside of the van. I cleaned it last week."

One by one, the Akatsuki members boarded off the 'Van of Death and Sweat' - as Akira named it on the spot - and let the heavy air of Amegakure fill their lungs.

Looking around, Akira could not help but notice the clouded sky of the city, the grey buildings and the wet streets. No wonder they had named it like that. No sun shone there and the air was loaded with humidity. A few faraway yelling from kids could be heard, along with the usual bar music emitting from hidden alleys. And that was Amegakure. 

"Shittier than Konoha," Deidara mumbled, throwing his bag up his shoulder. 

"Seems like the place to kill someone, rob someone, gamble- I bet the police here don't dare stepping out of the station," Akira pointed out as she grabbed her own bag with little clothing and personal items in it. 

The whole Akatsuki group did good at blending in with their surroundings; Pein had ordered each one of them to wear dark clothing before they left Konoha. Walking besides the buildings was like being invisible, ghosts in this ghost town. 

Akira flipped out her phone from her pocket and checked her inbox.

No new messages.

She clicked it shut and pursued her lips. Ever since the previous day, Gaara had not bothered answering to any of the sixteen text messages she had sent to him. But she concluded it was for the best for now. The girl did not want anyone else to mess with the Subaku family; they had suffered enough. She dearly hoped the mission would end soon so she could see him properly again. 

"Why are we so fucking unorganized?"

Deidara's voice snapped Akira out of her thoughts and she checked her surroundings; all Akatsuki members were standing in front of a door of what seemed to be a motel. Rain had started pouring outside and they all had to rush in the tiny apartment. Once they entered it, Akira realized the point of Deidara's complaint. 

The room had a double bed, a TV and a bathroom. And they were twelve persons.

Pein threw his bag in one corner of the room. "It's fine by me."

"I don't want to sleep anywhere near you fuckers," Hidan seethed, leaning against a wall with the most annoyed expression on his face. "Did Kakuzu book this room?"

All eyes turned to the male who silently stood in the middle of the group with the calmest expression on his face. Or eyes, as they were the only thing visible on him.

Hidan stared at him for a few moments before throwing his arms on the air. "He fucking did!"

Akira sighed silently; she had concluded from the rare mentions to Kakuzu this whole time that the man wasn't the easiest person when it came down to money. Due to that, they all had to put up with each other for four days straight, crammed in a room with two windows and a bathroom. 

'Didn't really expect something else . . . We are talking about a shitty gang here,' Akira thought to herself and let her bag in a corner of the room, close to the entrance. Deidara slid down besides her and sighed loudly, probably having the same thoughts as Akira.

"Have you visited Ame before?"

Deidara hummed. "Once, and it was to complete my first mission. It's as terrible as always, un. It has one nice bar, though."

"Holy hell, we should go right now," Akira entreated. "I won't stand another moment in this room. Even though the air outside is probably more polluted than Konoha's dumpster area but at least we won't have to deal with Sasori's graveyard smell."

The blondie agreed instantly and stood up, his hand reaching in his bag to pull out his wallet. 

"Where are ya two assholes going?"

Hidan stood in the open doorway, eyebrows raised as he eyed them from the bottom to the top. He never missed a chance to get back to them or make their lives miserable with his constant fighting urges.

"To the hole you had taken us the previous time," Deidara mumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Hidan snorted. "Fine. I'm coming along."

Akira stepped out of the room with Deidara, her nose scrunching up upon sniffing the air around them. "No one invited you."

"I invited myself."

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Soon, the three Akatsuki members found themselves standing outside of a pretty junked bar entrance with only a few neon letters turned on, spelling: Bo i s.

The ginger head chuckled. "Imagine naming your bar 'boys'. Dumb."

"It's 'Bodies', dumbfuck."

"I can read, asshole."

Hidan surely missed no chance in messing with her. It was pretty clear that he did not take a liking in her since day one but at the end of the day, who did Hidan like? The only persons he seemed to respect were Pein and Kakuzu - or at least, they were the only ones who had not tried killing him yet. Akira had heard Itachi mentioning that even Konan had tried stabbing him once.

"Crazy," Akira whispered to herself silently as they entered the bar.

The inside matched the outside; a snooker table standing on three legs under yellow lights, a handful of people sitting around the old tables and rock music coming out from behind the bar. Akira surely expected no more; at least the music genre did not match elevator music.

The three of them sat around a table and waited for the lanky waiter to approach them. Meanwhile, Akira started inspecting Hidan's appearance; hair pulled back in a not-so-carefully-combed ponytail, a brown button-up shirt barely hanging on his abdomen and exposing his oddly pale skin. His fuchsia eyes always hid a dangerous spark in them, as if he was bloodthirsty and was calculating his next victim's demeanor. She found it oddly attractive.

The waited finally trudged towards their table. "What would you like to drink?" 

"Rum, with ice," Hidan barked.

"Sake, hm."

"Uhh . . . " Akira had never went to a bar before and had certainly never drunk properly. She may have sipped some wine during Gaara's birthday party but that was it.

"He'll have the same as me," Hidan piped up and the waiter nodded, tramping away.

Akira's eyebrows knitted together in both confusion and annoyance. "What the hell?"

Hidan let out a crusty laugh. "You are obviously a booze virgin! Be thankful I didn't order ya a lemonade."

Akira massaged her temples with her fingers. "Whatever."

"I'm so bored already, un," Deidara wearied, leaning back on his chair. "This mission is going to be as dull as the previous one. Do you remember it, ass?"

Hidan groaned. "Don't remind me. I'm seriously thinking about leaving this shitty gang and joining a better one. The place we're living in is a shithole and the payment isn't that great, anyways."

"How about finding a real job?" the ginger questioned just as their drinks arrived.

"Pfft. Like an office job? Not even in your dreams, dumbfuck," the male miffed, sipping some of his dark rum. "Not in this life, not in the next one."

Akira smelled her own drink and made a face; that whatever-liquid stank. Really bad. She swung her glass and took a huge sip, forcing the liquid down her throat. It tasted awful.

Deidara eyed his friend, not sure if it would be right to laugh or be concerned. "Are you crying, un?"

"N-No," Akira stammered out, placing her hand in front of her mouth. She glanced at Hidan who was grinning maliciously. "How are you able to drink this - blegh - shit?"

Hidan guffawed, hitting his fist on the table. "I should- I should have taken a picture of your shit face! Jashin!"

"Just drink your fucking horse piss," Akira mumbled and motioned to the waiter for a glass of water.

Hidan shrugged and downed his own drink, the ice cubes dancing around the now empty glass. As he moved, Akira noticed a necklace hanging from his neck, a silver symbol she had never seen before. 

"What is that?"

Hidan took a few moments to realize Akira was talking about him, specifically his necklace. His fingers came in contact with the stainless metal. "It's the symbol of my God, Jashin."

Akira chuckled, ignoring the warning look Deidara gave her. "Out of everyone, I expected you to be the last one to believe in God."

Deidara knew Hidan was going to hit Akira. He could sense the male clenching his fists and his head hammering angrily. But the punch never came, neither did the chair he was supposed to throw to the ginger's way. He simply shrugged.

"Huh."

The Jashinist grabbed Akira's unfinished drink and downed it just like the previous one. Despite Hidan's boasting about drinking, she could clearly see he was starting to get drunk. Especially when he ordered two more drinks and carried on sipping them with the same sequence as before. The girl clearly knew nothing about him but she could sense that there was something going on in his life.

"It's amazing how the one who attacked you yesterday was Haku, un," Deidara mentioned, snapping the ginger out of her thoughts.

"Yeah, I mean - when you guys first told me about his story, it seemed ridiculous. But coming face-to-face with him, twice, that was . . . a whole different experience."

Deidara huffed. "The way he died was pathetic, hm. I had never seen Leader-sama use a gun before. I didn't even know we were allowed to have guns!"

"It's . . . forbidden by law to carry guns around, Deidara. We are a criminal organization," Akira acknowledged, realizing how ridiculous she sounded. A criminal organization. Who would have thought.

"Hey, where's the douchebag?"

Akira looked at the now empty seat of Hidan. She looked around but in vain, as the male was nowhere to be found. The girl stood up.

"Uh, excuse me."

She waltzed her way across the bar and pulled the hoodie of her jacket up; it was raining outside. The moment she stepped out of the bar, water droplets attacked her face and hands along with the slight chilly weather of Amegakure. She reached in her pocket for her glasses and placed them on. 

Hidan was spotted immediately; he was sitting under the pavilion of the next bar, a cigarette hanging from his dry lips and his hands finding comfort in the pockets of his hoodie. The girl carefully walked towards him and lingered besides him, waiting for a nod of acknowledgement, anything. However, he simply stood under the dry pavilion, seemingly lost in deep thoughts.

"Hidan."

He glanced at the girl and took the cigarette out of his mouth, exhaling the smoke that was trapped in his lungs. "Want something?"

"Just checking up on you."

He shook his hand in front of her eyes. "I'm having a smoke, see? Fuck."

She raised her hands in surrender. "Whatever, dude, my fault for caring to see where you'd run off to." The girl stood closer to him, eyes steeled on the falling rain. "This reminds me the first day we met. Dreadful."

Hidan snorted. "You still remember that? Damn, you're such a queer."

Akira side-glanced at him. "I think that someone else in this . . . room is queer. For real."

Hidan paused his hand mid-air for a moment before resuming to sticking his lit cigarette in his mouth. 

Akira turned to face the male, adjusting her glasses in the process. "Hidan, look, it's really just o-"

The girl cut her sentence off when Hidan threw his cigarette on the street and grabbed her by the collar with the same hand. She had no time to process what was happening as he leaned in and pressed his mouth against hers. The nicotine instantly invaded her mouth and she squinted her eyes closed, not knowing what to do. Move her tongue? Move her lips? Move away? She simply stood still, for what seemed to be centuries before Hidan released her collar from his grip.

They stared at each other, breathlessly, waiting for each other to say something. Anything. 

"So I'm assuming you're gay?"

Hidan laughed nervously, tearing his gaze off her as he pulled out another cigarette. "Yes."

"And I'll also assume you have been having problems with your partner? Who is, uh . . . Deid- Forget I said that. Um . . . Kakuzu? Sasori?"

Akira was still in shock from the sudden kiss and she fumbled with her fingers. Hidan motioned with his hands in the air.

"First guess."

"Kakuzu?" Akira questioned, not being able to hide her surprise. "Well . . . He's the only one who can handle you."

"Yeah, he . . . is."

Akira bit her bottom lip nervously. She was utterly confused about the current situation, even more since the booze she had drunk was starting to get into her. Yet she decided to give it a try.

"I'm no love expert but you should probably talk. I don't know. Communication is everything, right? You shouldn't just go around kissing people," she pointed out. "For which kiss, by the way, I'm not offended or anything but, uh, yeah. I don't know how to . . . kiss . . . people."

Hidan chuckled - a sound Akira never expected to hear from the certain boy. "Right. Thanks."

The bar door swung open and the blonde bomber stepped out, jogging towards his two friends. "You are the worst company ever, un. I'll take Sasori to a bar with me next time."

Hidan reached in his pocket and slapped some yen in Deidara's palm. "Whatever. My treat."

Deidara eyed suspiciously both Akira and Hidan, then took a glance of the yen bills sitting on his palm.

" . . . What the fuck?"

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Hope y'all enjoyed my new update! I wanted to make this a kind-of-filler chapter to relieve this book from the tension. If you enjoyed reading this chapter, you should check out my SasuSaku fan fiction, called Downfall ! You can find it on my profile.