A Couple Steps Back

Chapter 45

To those of you asking for updates:

Please stop.

I update multiple times a day. I can go back to updating once a month, it is your choice. I appreciate your support and understand your eagerness, but it's rude and stressful. Please refrain from doing such a thing. Thank you.

Ah, I have been named as someones... manager, as I gave them advice and helped them edit something... does anyone else need a manager? I do not understand what I did but it made them reasonably joyful, which was good. I apologize for all the notes. It is against policy to make so many, although I made the policy... I do not know.

Third person pov

Hidan perked up at the loud, desperate banging on the door while the three brats in front of him continued to converse idly with each other about various topics of mild interest. He knew the chakra signatures behind that door; there was more than one. Two belonged to, without a doubt, Gaara and Rasa. He grimaced when he felt them, knowing that if they were back, something was up. The third signature was what was making him pause. He turned around as Kakashi moved to open the door. His magenta eyes widened in surprise and horror.

Ibiki met his eyes, an uncharacteristic smile forming on his face. Hidan's whole world seemed to slow as the interrogator's wrist flicked, three kunai appeared between his knuckles, ready to be thrown. Suddenly, the silver-haired man could hear himself breathing, and he could hear his heart beating and pounding in his head. Immediately, he knew what he was going to do. He was already moving, his body not thinking about it as Ibiki released the kunai.

"No!" Hidan cried desperately as he dove into the line of fire, time returning to normal. Kakashi's weapon was yanked from it's sheath as the Hatake readied himself, and the Hokage was already on his feet, his brown eyes wide. What... had just happened?

Shikamaru was the first to turn around, spinning around just as Hidan crashed to the ground, gasping and sputtering as blood began to fill his airways. His hands clawed at the ground, his eyes darting to Naruto and Sasuke as they whirled towards him, their eyes widening with sheer horror as blood began to pool out of the three wounds. Two kunai were in his chest, the other embedded deep in his abdomen.

"Damn, I missed." Ibiki's voice wasn't his own, and Naruto's body began to tremble with rage as his friend's blood began to pool around his feet, his face pale. "And all because poor little lonely Hidan wanted to save his friends! Sad." Ibiki pouted, but snickered soon after. Naruto's fists clenched. What... was this?

"H...Hidan?" Shikamaru croaked, sinking to his knees. He reached out with shaky hands, and the man cracked open one of his eyes, which had clenched shut at the sudden pain. He forced a grin onto his face. The Nara's heart rate sped up as fear filled him, his body beginning to shake with tremors. Sasuke lowered himself, ready to lunge whenever Naruto commanded it. Ibiki simply observed the situation with a terrifying amount of calmness, paying to heed to the gaping Hokage and frozen Kakashi staring his way.

"I-I don't think I'm i...immortal anymo-" Hidan coughed, a gurgling sound filling the silent room as blood pooled in his mouth, overflowing as he hacked, trying to get air back into his lungs. Shikamaru's eyes flew to the wound, and he blinked out of his shock. He couldn't take the kunai out of his body but he also didn't have the correct supplies to treat him. Especially not in a place like this. This barrier was going to be Hidan's end, and Shikamaru was sure that was Ibiki's intention.

"Be still. Y...You're going to be okay." Shikamaru blinked away the sting in his eyes, his his hands flying to put pressure on the worst wound. He curled his hands around the kunai, careful not to press the piece of metal any deeper into him. He felt the sharp weapon slice into his small hands, but he didn't care. He pressed, and Hidan groaned. Shikamaru had to look away.