Are the Roses Red or Black?

I awoke the next morning with Hidan at my side. He was awake- was he watching me sleep?
“Good morning, sleepy head. Sleep well?” Hidan asked more chipper than I would have expected.
“Like a rotting corpse,” I muttered groggily. I sat up and stretched, “And you?”
“Like a log!” He sat up smiling at me happily. Hidan moved to sit behind me, wrapped his arms around my waist, and rested his head on my shoulder.
“How long were you up?” I asked craning my neck, trying to see his face.
“Oh, just long enough to do my morning routine and lie back down on the bed to watch you wake up. Oh, and to find out from Itachi that we all have the day off,” he replied.
“Which means…?” I asked.
“We can do whatever we want for the entire day,” he explained.
“I have an idea of what we can do to start off the day…” I said wrapping my finger tips against each other.
“Really? How?” Hidan asked curiously.
I spun around so I could see his face better. “A freak out,” I answered mischievously.
“You have a plan?” He asked not wanting to miss out on the fun.
His smile grew larger and more villainous as I whispered my gruesome plan in his ear.
“This should be fun…” Hidan said slowly rubbing his hands together.
“Shall we begin the preparations?” I asked a small, yet evil smile tugging at my lips.
“We shall…” he replied evilly.
And so, the evil ‘Freak Out’ plan was brought into action...

--Later--

We walked down the stairs, each with two swords and a can of black spray paint hidden in our clothes. We walked into the corner opposite the stairs. We took out the spray paint and used them to write “EMO CORNER” on the walls. We threw away the cans and sat down Indian-style, facing each other. Everyone- even Pein -gathered to watch our sick silent show. I used my right hand to take a sword out of my shirt and placed the sharp tip on my left shoulder. I put pressure on it and punctured the fleshy skin. I slowly dragged the blade all the way down to the tip of my middle finger, watching as the crimson colored blood dribbled down the length of my arm and pooling around the shape of my hand on the floor. Hidan copied me with his left arm as soon as I dropped the sword to my right side. When Hidan dropped his sword, I pulled the other sword out of my shirt with my left hand and lowered the shiny blade tip onto the top of my right thigh. Then, I punctured the skin and dragged the blade all the way down to my big toe. I dropped the sword and stared at the potent, iron-y red blood pooling around my leg as Hidan did the same to his own right leg. When he finished, I grabbed one of his swords and he grabbed one of mine and we both stood up, facing the crowd. Slowly, we raised the swords to our lips and licked all the blood off. I smirked psychotically and Hidan found the smirk of a mad man. We pulled the swords away from our lips and turned the tips down to rest horizontally on our chests. We closed our eyes and plunged the blades straight through the middle of our chests and out our backs. We then took a bow and grabbed the other swords before proceeding back up the stairs, leaving the swords in our chests. The entire Akatsuki witnessed our performance and continued to follow us with wide eyes until we disappeared through our bedroom door.

--In Hidan’s room--

We rolled around on the bed, laughing our asses off so hard that Hidan fell off the bed and kept laughing while I laughed at him, causing me to fall off the bed, which made us laugh even harder at each other’s stupidity. We laughed and laughed until we almost forgot what we did that was so funny in the first place!
“We sure had ‘em going there. Didn’t we, Mikoto?” Hidan asked sitting on the bed.
I sat next to him on the bed and said, “Yeah! Their eyes were glued to us as if we were part of a child’s television program! Trust me. Those things can hypnotize you. Once you start watching one, it takes a ton of will power to unglue your eyes from the screen. I know by experience,” I shuttered at the memories.
“I know. I hate those fucking things too,” he wrapped his arm around me as a way to comfort me.
“Want to go have more fun with them? Emo Corner type fun, I mean,” Hidan suggested.
I held up a dagger, “Let’s. What’s the plan?”
I giggled while he whispered his plan in my ear.
“Ooo! I love that plan! Let’s do it!” I said excitedly.

--Emo Corner--

We walked down the stairs again, readily prepared for another Freak Out session. Everyone gathered around us again as we stood facing each other in the Emo Corner. We pulled the hidden daggers out of our shirts and sat down, facing the crowd. We placed the blades on the bridges of our noses and cut down, under our left eyes, across our cheeks, down our necks and chests, across to our right shoulders, and ended it at our wrists. We licked the daggers and showed them to the crowd.
“Would anyone like to join us?” We asked in voices that could only have belonged to mental patients.
“Tobi does! Tobi does!” Tobi screamed running up to us. We handed him a clean dagger and he sat down between us.
“Any other takers?” Hidan and I said in the same voices as before.
“I will.” Deidara said sternly, walking over to us.
“Really?” I asked in my normal voice.
“Yes,” he sat between me and Tobi and took the dagger I gave him.
“Is there any specific reason why?” I asked.
“I’m tired of everyone calling me a damn girl,” Deidara replied.
“Well, what do you expect with hair like yours?” Hidan commented.
“Oh, Jashin! Now he’s done it!” I thought.
Deidara was steaming- literally, “What was that about my hair?”
“It’s not my fault it’s so long and girly,” Hidan taunted.
“Like you’re one to talk! With all that hair gel you use, I-” Deidara tried to retort, but I intervened before the arguing turned into a full-blown war, “Okay! Are we going to do this or what?”
“Yeah. I’m ready,” Deidara agreed solemnly.
“Okay. First, take off your cloaks and shirts and roll up your pants,” Hidan said.
All four of us did as instructed. I was prepared with a bikini underneath my clothes so I was not uncomfortable with removing my shirt and pants. My bikini was black with randomly colored dots scattered all over it.
“Next, choose the place on your body that you want to cut and put the dagger on it,” I said.
I couldn’t decide, so I looked around to see where the others chose. Hidan chose his stomach, Tobi chose the front of his right shoulder, and Deidara chose his torso. I still couldn’t decide, so I just put the dagger down in front of me.
“Last, cut the skin however you want, but not so much as to kill yourself,” Hidan smirked as he gave the final instruction.
“Good luck!” I said cheerfully.
They grunted in response we began cutting. The blade felt oddly cold on my warm skin as I carved into my feet. I’m not saying that it was uncomfortable or even painful. It was just the opposite; easy and soothing. It was a nice sensation. Every curve of the blade, every cut, all the blood. Yum.

By the time I was finished, I had inscribed many words over various parts of my body. The left had happy words, the right had evil words. I’ll make a list, so it’s easier:
Left foot: LOVE
Right foot: HATE
Left arm: PROMISE
Right arm: FORGOTTEN
Left thigh: TRUTH
Right thigh: LIES
Left calf: LIFE
Right calf: DEATH
Down my torso: PAIN

Deidara had carved the word GIRL vertically down his front, Hidan carved Jashin’s symbol around his belly button, and Tobi carved an awesome skull and cross bones in the front of his right shoulder.
“So, is everyone done?” Hidan asked us.
We nodded to him and we all stood up.
“Is that all you want to carve?” I asked the others.
“Yeah, why?” they asked me.
“I’m decked out in words.” I said.
“So?” they asked.
“Whatever. Hey, I want everyone to carve their name into my back please!” I requested, “All of you! Get in a line and only use my dagger!”
I watched as they formed a perfectly straight line behind me. When they were ready, I handed Zetsu, who was first in line, a fresh dagger. I spun around and he carved his name. He passed it to the next person and that repeated until everyone had carved me. The last person in line, Sasori, handed me the dagger after he had finished carving.
“The carvings will scar as they heal.” Hidan said.
“Hey, Deidara…” I said.
“Yeah?”
“I don’t think that carving GIRL in your torso was the best decision.”
“Why?”
“Well, if you go to a beach…”
“Aw, damn it!” Deidara slapped his forehead.
“Do you want me to fix it?”
“Please do.”
“Alright. Lie down on your back for me.”
He lied down. I knelt next to him and placed my hands over his chest. I forced the chakra flow through my palms and they started glowing.

A few minutes later, the word was all but erased.
“Okay, Dei. It’s gone now.” I released the chakra flow and my hands stopped glowing.
“Arigatou.” He sat up, “I want to carve something else.”
He grabbed his dagger and carved a breathtakingly beautiful rose in his chest. He dropped the dagger at his side and stared almost lovingly at the rose.

“I’m bored,” I sighed, “and it’s only noon!”
“Let’s just talk then.” Deidara suggested.
“About what?” I asked him.
“I don’t know. How about you tell us about yourself? Do you have any family?” He asked.
“Not any that I remember. The ones I do remember… Let’s just say that they were murdered…” I smirked.
“By who?” Someone asked.
“By me, myself, and I.”
“How? Why?”
“The fun way. One at a time. I used a different method on each. Why? Mostly, I have my reasons. Some, I thought it would be fun. The rest, those are just the ones who pissed me off, day and night. It was all for my quest for joy.”
“Did you find it?”
“Absolutely.”
“When did you do it?”
“Only a few months ago, really. But I don’t exactly feel like myself when I do it.”
“What do you mean?” Sasori asked.
“My eyes turn red, like those of a cold blooded psychotic murderer, and I blank out until someone is dead.”
“Can I see?” Hidan asked.
I suddenly got very angry, “No!” Them I was serious again, “No. Be thankful that you never will. None of you. ever.”
And out of nowhere, Getting Away with Murder by Papa Roach began playing.
“AHHHH!!” I scream, falling over and clutching my ears. I shut my eyes tight, but the murderer inside me forces them back open. She takes control over my body and I black out. My eyes are red…

--Murderer POV--

“Thank you, for setting me free.” I said, “I think I’ll kill… You.” I pointed at the one with gray hair and amethyst eyes. I slashed his head clean off and disappeared into my host, Mikoto, setting her free.

--Mikoto POV--

“AHHHH!!” I screamed as I grew conscious again. I stood up and yelled, “Please tell me that no one is dead!!”
“Nope!” Came Hidan’s voice, but I didn’t see him anywhere.
“W-Where are you?” I asked.
“Down here.” He stated.
I looked down and his disembodied head at my feet. I smiled and picked the head up by the hair. “Well, well, well. She seems to have made a bad decision, on her part. A very good thing, on our part.”
“Toss his head here. I fix him.” Kakuzu said.
I tossed it to him and he caught it and slung Hidan’s body over his shoulder. He threw the body on the couch and sewed his head back on in a matter of seconds.
“I’m sorry you had to see... Uh… that side of me.” I furrowed my brow, “Who played that song? No, don’t tell me. Just, whoever you are, don’t ever play it again!” I commanded.
“It’s okay. And we won’t.” Deidara said for everyone.
I then became unsteady on my feet and wobbled a little. I put a hand on my forehead.
“Are you okay?” Hidan asked.
“Yeah. I-I just need to-just need to sit d-down for a mo-a moment. That’s all.” I said, confidence wavering. I didn’t blink. I couldn’t. I sat down on something with a small thud. My expression was blank-no, horrified- no, wait- I don’t know anymore. It’s gone numb. Hidan came to my aid, anyway, worry consuming his features. Suddenly, I threw my head back and screamed bloody murder, though it was totally silent, a scream is a scream. I clutched whatever I had sat on so hard that my knuckles were white. Then, multiple things occurred all at once: the soundless scream ended, my grip loosened, my eyes rolled back into my head, I fell backwards into Hidan’s somehow waiting arms, and passed out from lack of oxygen.

--In my head--

“I’m going to get you, Mikoto. But first I’m going after your friends. I want to make you suffer.” she said. She was standing on my piled up friends in the Akatsuki. They were all dead. “Now it’s your turn to die, Mikoto.”
I tried to run away and she walked calmly after.
“There’s no point in running, Mikoto. I will get you.”
I tripped and suddenly she was hovering above me.
“I found you, Mikoto. Prepare to die.”
I tried to scrabble away, but she stomped on my ankle, crushing the bone under her foot.
“Time to die, Mikoto. Say good bye to life!” She held up a sword and swung it down at my neck as I screamed. Then, my scream was cut off abruptly as she sliced my throat. She walked away laughing, “I win, Mikoto. I always win.”

--Real world--

“Is she okay?” Kisame asked.
“Well, her pulse and her heartbeat are both normal, but she won’t breathe!” Kakuzu said.
Kisame nodded sadly.

--Mikoto--

I woke up in the dark. I stood up and looked around. “Where am I?” I ask.
“The crossroads of life and death.” a voice said.
Oddly, I didn’t doubt that that was the truth. I could tell he wasn’t lying… whoever he was.
“Why am I here?” I asked.
“You are here because you are being killed from the inside out.” The voice answered.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Your murderous side that you locked away inside your subconscious is shutting your physical body down. She started with your senses and continued from there. In other words, she’s literally messing with your head. You are dying, Mikoto.”
“Can I stop her?”
“No, I’m afraid not. You’re stuck here until either she eventually kills you or your friends out there find a way to save you. Have faith in them, Mikoto. They are your only hope.”

--Outside--

“Damn it! All her systems are shutting down! Her left kidney and her liver have both stopped functioning." Kakuzu yelled.
“It’s like something’s killing her from the inside.” Sasori said.
“That’s exactly what it is, Sasori, and I don’t know how to stop it.” Kakuzu said.
“First, we start with breathing.” Hidan said.
He pumped Mikoto’s heart four times and then took a deep breath. He put his mouth on Mikoto’s and exhaled. He repeated the process about twenty more times before the girl’s lung pumped air fluently.
“Nice job, Hidan-sempai! You did it!” Tobi said excitedly.
Kakuzu then put an oxygen mask on Mikoto to support her.

--Inside--

I heard something rough. The sound was vibrating all around me.
“What’s that noise?” I asked.
“Breathing. Your friends got your lungs functioning again.” The voice replied.
“Really? Yes! They are awesome! Keep it up guys! I know you can save me!” I cheered.
“They truly care for you, Mikoto.” The voice commented.
“Very much indeed.” I nodded.

--Outside--

“I think her senses are shut off. I need to tap into her brain to turn them on again.” Kakuzu said.
“How are you going to do that?” Pein asked.
“Like this.” Kakuzu connected some wires to Mikoto’s temples and some to his temples. Both of their brains appeared on the screens.
Kakuzu pointed to Mikoto’s brain and said, “See, this is where the problem is. Anyway, our minds are connected right now. I need to find that spot and turn her senses on.”

--Kakuzu’s ‘mind self’--

Brains are weird. All metal hall after metal hall. I could only feel that I was going the right way in Mikoto’s mind because I could feel it in my mind.

After a while, I found the right spot. I found five unplugged plugs. I walked over to the one with a picture of an ear above it. I tried lifting the large plug. It was surprisingly heavy, but I got it into the socket, all the same. I left that plug and went for another one.

When all five plugs were plugged in, I carefully left Mikoto’s mind and pulled the wires off both our temples. I checked her status. “I managed to turn her senses back on, but she’s slipped into full coma. I think her liver is returning to normal, but her kidney is another story.”
Everyone sighed in relief.