In rock and a hard place

8 - Raid

I always knew the inevitable was coming. We were all on a raid when Deidara and Hidan were slain. I always knew that some of us would die, but I never expected it to be them so soon. I was closer with Deidara than anyone else in the Akatsuki, well, except Itachi. Deidara was like my brother, and in a fit of rage, I went out on a rampage. The sight of Deidara's lifeless body, his once vibrant eyes now dull and empty, sent a searing pain through my heart. Hidan's end was brutal, a reflection of the chaos he so often embodied. My vision blurred with tears and rage, and Kurama's power surged within me, a torrent of raw, destructive energy. I tore through the enemy ranks, my screams of fury mingling with theirs of terror. Buildings crumbled under the force of my attacks, and flames licked the sky, casting an eerie glow over the battlefield. I felt Kurama's chakra intertwining with mine, amplifying my strength, pushing me further into the depths of my rage. Itachi's voice echoed in my mind, a calm amidst the storm, trying to rein me in. But I was beyond reason, lost in the anguish of losing someone so dear to me. Deidara had understood me in ways few ever had, and now he was gone, ripped away by the very violence we wielded. When the dust finally settled, the village was nothing more than a ruin, a testament to my fury and grief. The surviving enemies fled, their spirits broken, leaving behind only silence and the haunting smell of smoke. My breath came in ragged gasps, and the adrenaline that had fueled me ebbed away, leaving a hollow emptiness in its wake. Itachi approached me, his eyes filled with a mixture of sorrow and understanding. He placed a hand on my shoulder, a silent acknowledgment of my pain. We stood there in the desolation, surrounded by the remnants of our destruction, and for a moment, I felt utterly lost. Back at the base, the atmosphere was heavy with grief. The Akatsuki, usually so composed, were visibly shaken by the loss of Deidara and Hidan. The dinner table felt emptier, conversations were subdued, and the laughter that once filled the air was replaced with somber silence. I found solace in Kurama, whose presence in my mind offered a strange comfort. He reminded me of our shared purpose, the reasons we fought, and the necessity of sacrifice. But even Kurama's words couldn't completely fill the void left by Deidara's absence.
As time passed, I began to channel my grief into my training. Itachi pushed me harder than ever, and I welcomed the distraction, the pain of physical exertion a welcome reprieve from the agony in my heart. Each mission, each battle, became a way to honor Deidara's memory, to ensure that his sacrifice wasn't in vain. Yet, in the quiet moments, when I was alone with my thoughts, the weight of my actions bore down on me. I questioned the path I had chosen, the lives we had taken, and the friends I had lost. The camaraderie we shared was a double-edged sword, binding us together in both strength and vulnerability. I knew that more challenges lay ahead, and more sacrifices would be demanded. But I was resolute. For Deidara, for Hidan, for all the Akatsuki who had become my family, I would continue to fight. We were bound by our pain, our ambitions, and our unyielding resolve. And as long as I drew breath, I would ensure that their legacies lived on, carved into the annals of history through the fire and blood of our enemies.