"Sasuke won, he's on his way to Orochimaru's lair," Zetsu's voice woke Hanako up from her deep slumber.
"So, it happened, huh?" she asked.
"Yeah...barely...but yeah," Shiro paced around her room.
"Barely?"
"Naruto let the Kyuubi out." Hanako moved her head as if to look at Zetsu, although she was still blinded. "But he didn't do much, he ran out of chakra before he could."
Hanako turned away again. "That's good." They didn't exchange words after that, and Zetsu left.
Hanako decided to stay that day around the Akatsuki hideout. It seemed to be a regular cave on the inside, except for the several carved bedrooms for members to stay for a day or two. Konan facilitated one of those rooms for her to rest, while in the meantime they would gather all of the members to the hideout. Pain told her they would introduce her that day as an official member to the rest of the organization. She had to admit she was nervous, being about to be introduced to a bunch of deadly criminals as an equal.
Hanako gripped the scroll she had in hand. The Jinchuuriki of the Five Tails was still in her possession. Another reason Pain wanted her to stay was so she could finally deliver the Bijuu. But she had refused to do so until Tobi performed the surgery.
Hanako lay on her bed until she heard a knock on her door and stood, putting the scroll back in her pouch. The door opened, and Pain's chakra entered the room. "Everyone is here," he said.
Hanako followed Pain as he walked around the dark tunnels inside the cave. She was still healing after the operation in which Tobi placed her sister's eyes on her sockets —she wore bandages over her sockets to cover her wound. The Uchiha had to be careful and change the bandages since she would bleed occasionally.
Pain halted and the girl stopped right behind him. She could sense the chakra of eight other people and she pressed her lips into a thin line. They were already there, although still hidden in the dark from the view of the rest of the members.
"We have a new member joining us from today," Pain said in a grave voice. Hanako felt everyone's chakra tense and bit her lip.
"Another one?" asked one of the members. "I thought there weren't any vacancies anymore. At least that's what you fucking told Tobi."
"I would've told Tobi the same thing, he would've only slowed us down." Another voice spoke. "The same goes for you, Hidan."
"HUH?! Do you want me to fucking kill you, Pinocchio? Because that's how you make me want to fucking kill you!"
"I'd love to see you try, if I don't make a puppet out of you first that is—"
"That's enough," the leader interrupted their quarrel while flooding the cave with his chakra. Hidan and Sasori immediately shut their mouths. Pain turned to the girl, looking at her from over his shoulder. Hanako felt his ringed eyes on her, but she remained still and expressionless. "Come here, Hanako Uchiha."
Hanako took two steps forward, revealing her silhouette to the rest of the members. Barely three seconds passed before she was attacked by one of them. She summoned her scythe and blocked an ironed hand directed right to her heart.
"Kakuzu, what's the meaning of this?" Pain inquired darkly. The member retreated his hand, slowly pulling it back into his arm through its attached gray veins.
"Heh, I thought it was someone else..." Kakuzu said. Hanako tilted her head to the side with a smirk pulling at her lips, her weapon disappearing into a fire barrage.
YOU ARE READING
Caught in the Darkness
Fanfiction[THIS STORY IS NOT PART OF A LETHAL WEAPON SAGA] It had been almost five years since Hanako left the Village, but now―after finally mastering Essence―she's back. As she was promised, three years prior to her departure, she was put in charge of the t...
