The Akatsuki were in the area to take down a group of ninja, having been hired to do so by a village who had been attacked by them. Pein might have just assigned a pair to carry out the mission, it was true, but there was one problem: they specialized in invisibility, and as such it had proven difficult to track them. They could be in the same village at the same time as the Akatsuki and they wouldn't know—only when they decided to act would things then become a problem. As such, Pein had opted to bring all the Akatsuki together in order to take down the group. Of course, that didn't get rid of the issue of not being able to see them, and it was why they had set up shop in their hideout for the time being. From rumours they'd heard and information they'd found out, this had been the last place the group had been seen in. They'd just have to work their way out from there.
Kakuzu didn't mind particularly. He looked around for any information that he could get, and even if he couldn't find anything, he didn't feel useless just sitting around doing nothing, as with how they were in a stationary position, Kakuzu was able to go out and get bounty hunts in the meantime. It would be nice to get the mission over and done with it was true. But Kakuzu was still making progress—albeit in a different sort of way. It was the same thing he was doing today, and luckily enough, the bounty he was after wasn't far away at all, in fact living in a village only about half an hour away. That being taken into account, along with the location of the collection office, and Kakuzu could have the money by lunchtime, meaning he wasn't in much of a rush as he went through his daily routine, checked up on whether anything had changed with the mission, and then headed out in the direction of the village.
You weren't in much of a rush either. Being a bounty hunter yourself, you could pick and choose when you did jobs, and with the amount you had done over the past couple of weeks, it wasn't a necessity to get one today. So you'd had a casual morning, going through your daily routine, talking with your father…you weren't about to take a walk through the village or anything, though. You hated the place. They knew you were a bounty hunter, and as such felt the need to look down on you—not that you cared. You didn't want their approval, and were more than willing to keep yourself at arm's distance. It wasn't as if you had ever been described as a 'people person', and out of the general population, the only one you really cared about was your father. He had been a ninja himself back in the day, and it was only because of an injury he'd received during a battle that he couldn't fight as well as he had. The abilities that your clan, and ultimately both you and your father, possessed, was called soul release. It allowed you to absorb other people's souls and use them as energy stores. Even if you were hit with a fatal wound, because of those 'extra souls', you would heal and be back to normal, and it would take several attacks to kill you, as all of the souls would have to be destroyed to do so. Because of your kekkai genkai, it allowed you to use astral projection, take over people's bodies, and take away their abilities and others like it. When your father had been injured, it affected his kekkai genkai, and now his ability to absorb those souls as energy sources was hindered, meaning it was only ever parts of souls he absorbed now.
He'd been a powerful ninja back then, and ultimately pretty well known, and he could still fight, even if it wasn't as well as before. It was why, as you set off on a quick bounty hunt, you weren't exactly bothered as he told you he was going for a walk, knowing you'd be back within the hour and that he could take care of himself. The area was quiet and idyllic, so there wasn't much to be wary about as he wandered through the forest, enjoying the warmth of the sun through the trees as he walked. It was only when someone appeared in front of him that anything changed. Neither you nor your father knew the Akatsuki were in the area—not that you exactly knew much information on the Akatsuki in general. It was why your father wasn't exactly prepared as Kakuzu began to attack, the fact he wasn't as strong as he used to be coming to the forefront of his mind as he dodged out the way and attacked in return.
Even when you returned from your bounty hunt, you still weren't particularly worried, though you couldn't help but wonder what he was doing to have been gone so long. At first, you let it be, but after a few minutes you decided just to check where he was, using another ability granted to you by your kekkai genkai: being able to sense souls. It meant you could send your power out and search for any soul, as well as detect who that soul was. It didn't take long for you to locate your father, knowing his soul better than anyone's. The only problem was that he was in trouble, and immediately you left everything where it was and ran to find him. Kakuzu was surprised he'd managed to hold out as long as he had, when it was evident he wasn't the ninja he used to be, but it wouldn't take much longer. A thought that was brought to fruit a few minutes later as Kakuzu managed to get a hold of him, pinning him up against a nearby tree by his neck, and raising the other to kill him. Kakuzu didn't notice you arriving until the body beneath his hand dissipated into nothing, and as he turned round, found him now laying beside you, standing ready to face him, glaring defiantly. You shared the same raven black hair as your father—though Kakuzu didn't know it at the time—but your eyes were different: black irides with a white pupil—strangely captivating as Kakuzu's eyes met with yours.
A moment later and he'd shaken it off, his anger rising at how this was taking longer than he wanted, and involving more people than he would have liked. It meant he didn't hold back as he began to attack you as well, finding you were a lot quicker than your father. As you dodged round Kakuzu's attacks and made sure nothing hit your father, seeing he was too tired to help you out much, you scowled as you heard your father speak up, his breathing heavy from his fight,
"Don't bother. Just leave! He wants me—don't get involved!"
It wasn't a statement you were about to accept sitting down, your glare deepening at the idea you would do that. You hated everyone—human nature made everyone a bastard. But the one person you cared about—the one person you actually had left—was your father, and you weren't about to let him go so easily. Contemplating what your plan would be to get out of this, it suddenly occurred to you that this guy had shown up out of nowhere to attack your father. Wondering why, you abruptly questioned,
"Why do you want him?"
"His bounty—what else?" Kakuzu answered bluntly, and you hid a sigh—you should have known. But a moment later and it hit you what you could do to save your father. You were bounty hunter; you knew what it was like. You knew how he thought and what his motivations were, prompting you to slow to a halt as you asserted firmly,
"If that's all your after, then take me in his place."
To begin with Kakuzu was ready to dismiss the comment and destroy the both of you, but something made him pause and come to a halt as well. You weren't stupid. Kakuzu might not know you, but it was clear with the way you had acted so far and the skill with your fighting that you weren't stupid. If that was the case, then clearly you would know that shouting something like that at him and expecting him to agree instantly was out of the question. Kakuzu had come after him for his bounty—he wanted money out of this, not just a kill. You had to know he wouldn't leave without a bounty, so why offer yourself up if there was nothing he could gain out of it? It meant he didn't move to attack again, meeting you stare for stare as he asked, quieter this time,
"Who are you?"
"Rei Tamashii."
You shared a surname, and Kakuzu's suspicions were confirmed: you were his daughter. But that itself gave a solution to his problem. Being his daughter, you were from the same clan, shared the same abilities—you too had your own entry in the bingo book. However, you were more powerful than your father had been even at his peak, and though Kakuzu couldn't exactly remember the amount, he could be certain your bounty was higher than your father's. Narrowing his eyes as he thought it all over, he soon decided and nodded once to show his approval, stating bluntly in agreement,
"Fine."
Instantly your father began to speak up again, protesting that you shouldn't have to do this. It wasn't your responsibility and you shouldn't have to feel like you had to do this because of him. But turning to face him, he faltered in his protestations as he saw the look of determination in your eyes. He'd seen it many times before, and knew that once it appeared, you weren't about to go back on your decision. You'd made up your mind, and that was the way it was going to be. Frowning, lowering his gaze to the ground, he tried to think of something that would convince you otherwise—but he knew it was hopeless as you affirmed softly,
"Dad…I have to do this. I wouldn't say I'm a particularly honorable or moral person, but it's different when it comes down to you. If it means getting hurt, then so be it. But I stand by my decision."
With a quiet goodbye, you walked over to Kakuzu and nodded to say you were ready. For a moment Kakuzu paused as he met your gaze, seeing something there he wasn't sure he could place, but that seemed similar somehow. Still, even with the situation and what he'd agreed to, he murmured for you to follow him and began to head off. It took you a while to do so, however, as you hadn't been expecting it in the slightest. He wanted your bounty, after all, so why weren't you dead right now? Narrowing your eyes at his retreating back, you contemplated just what his reasons might be—but the only solution you came up with barely made any sense. Was he taking you away so he wouldn't be killing you in front of your father? True, you weren't about to reject the idea, but you hadn't considered the idea that Kakuzu would actually be willing to go through with it. But he was—and without you mentioning anything. Wondering just what this guy's story was in order for him to do something like that, you shook it off, glancing back at your father before catching up with Kakuzu as he led you on.
Neither of you spoke as you walked, but that wasn't particularly surprising. It gave you both time to think about things, more curious about each other than you might have thought to start with. Not that you would have much time to think it over, when he'd be killing you soon enough. Still, Kakuzu wasn't about to waste time leading you all over in order to go along with his choice. The hideout was closer than the collection office; he'd stop there just so he could kill you, then carry your body from there. He might not have cared and just led you straight to the collection office, but if you were dead you couldn't fight back, complain or do anything that might change the outcome of this deal. It was better to be safe than sorry, and Kakuzu had never been one to trust words—there was no telling what you might do now that your father was safe. As you finally reached the hideout a while later, though you wondered what Kakuzu was doing for a moment, knowing it wasn't the collection office, you soon figured out what he was planning and continued following on behind him. You didn't like being in this position, you'd admit it, but you'd made him a deal, and you weren't about to go back on it.
As you headed inside, though the place was silent and apparently empty, as you passed a doorway a little further ahead, you heard noises inside, and a second later someone stepped out behind you. Turning, you saw his slicked back hair and violet eyes—along with the absent look on his face, and narrowed your eyes at him, not quite sure what to think of him, though it might have been the fact he was going around without a shirt. Though as he finally spoke up you began to get a better idea, glaring slightly as he questioned bluntly,
"Hey Kakuzu! Who's the girl?"
"Rei Tamashii," you shot back, but before Hidan could say anything else, Kakuzu cut in simply,
"A bounty." He didn't halt on his path after saying it, however, continuing down the hallway. More than happy to follow and get away from Hidan, you kept your gaze on Kakuzu's back as you went along, not seeing Hidan's look of confusion as you did so.
When Kakuzu finally stopped at a door, opening it up and stepping in first, you gathered this was it, and braced yourself, preparing for what you were going to do. Naturally you weren't about to just sit there and let it happen, but you weren't about to back down from the deal. Considering your abilities centered around souls, however, and you were pretty sure you could do both. He might be set on killing you, but his soul just might act as what could stop you from being killed completely. As much as he'd be killing you, he'd be saving you too, in a way. Certain in your plan, however, you didn't hesitate as you went in after him, seeing it was his room before concentrating back on Kakuzu. He seemed relatively calm about the whole thing, closing the door behind you and moving to stand in front of you from where you had walked across the room—but even you had to admit as you were pinned against the wall by your neck it took you a little bit by surprise. Even if you hadn't agreed to the whole thing, breaking out of his grip would have been a struggle, feeling your breath cut off as he pressed harder against your trachea, yet strangely enchanted by his eyes, unable to look away.
What you didn't know was what was happening elsewhere in the hideout. Pein had finally arrived, having seen what information he could get and checking up on the others and not finding much. Wanting to see if Kakuzu and Hidan had found anything, he'd come back to the hideout, and walking straight through the building to the living room, he picked out Hidan, but didn't bother asking if he'd found out any information with the way he was laying on the couch, instead questioning as to whether Kakuzu had anything to report.
"I doubt it. He went out for a bounty and then fucking brought the girl back here, for some reason."
Pein himself was confused at that, knowing how Kakuzu was with bounties, and that he would have no reason to bring one back to the hideout, prompting him to question,
"Her body?"
"No—alive! What was her fucking name again? Uh…Rei Tamashii, I think?" Hidan replied incredulously, stopping Pein in his tracks. He might not really have cared to begin with, considering it was a bounty and therefore there was nothing you could find out—or if you did, you'd be dead soon enough. But hearing that name had caught his attention. Not your first name, but he knew your surname—he knew your clan. Not to mention he knew the abilities that came with it. And considering the mission they were all on, those abilities might just be what they needed to make some headway with the whole thing.
Turning instantly, Pein headed swiftly down the corridor until he reached Kakuzu's room, and didn't bother knocking, opening the door and immediately spotting Kakuzu pinning you against the wall, your chest heaving as you struggled to breathe. Calling out for him to stop, Kakuzu halted in what he was doing, though hesitatingly. Pein bursting in like that had been a little unusual, making Kakuzu hesitate, though there might have been reason for Pein to talk to him. But telling him to stop was another thing entirely. Pein didn't care about Kakuzu doing bounties—he never had. So why was this suddenly a problem? He'd had enough trouble with the bounty already—though his mood didn't exactly improve as Pein proceeded to tell him that he couldn't kill you, as you might be able to help with the mission. Scowling in Pein's direction at this news, Kakuzu eventually loosened his grip on your neck, knowing the mission was absolute, only able to watch as your feet touched the floor once more, coughing and spluttering as you gulped in air. But though Pein's appearance had ultimately stopped Kakuzu's attempt, you weren't sure what to think about it. He'd said he thought you could help out with a mission, but you didn't know if you wanted to. You didn't know who Kakuzu worked for, and with everything that had happened, the idea of getting involved with them wasn't sounding like a particularly good idea. Not to mention you were a bounty hunter, you worked alone—and there was a reason for it.
But as Pein turned to you to explain, you knew you wouldn't have a choice.
They were searching for a group to kill, and with your abilities that would be possible; as to anyone else they would appear invisible. You were told a little about the Akatsuki, and that you'd stay for however long the mission went on for, and Kakuzu would be looking after you considering he'd brought you there in the first place. You were told all of this as you had shackles placed around your wrists and were led to your own room, with Kakuzu himself being warned that he wasn't to hurt you while you were working for them, regardless of the circumstances. You almost sympathized with him as he grunted in acceptance of all that was going on, feeling exactly the same, but attempted to shake it off, simply watching as Pein and Kakuzu then left the room. It wasn't until you heard a voice that you realised that Kakuzu hadn't gone quite yet, turning to see him halfway through the door, threatening darkly,
"This only lasts until the mission is over. I'm still going to get your bounty—so don't forget it."
With that he was gone, leaving you to glare at the door, angry at not only what he'd said, but also the fact you hadn't been able to say anything in reply. Instead you sat down on your bed, rubbing your wrists and the shackles there, knowing you wouldn't be able to fight back against them with them on as they suppressed your chakra. Gritting your teeth, you laid back on the mattress, staring at the ceiling and wondering just how this was going to turn out—especially with Kakuzu looking after you. You got the feeling you weren't about to be friends, and just being here after being forced into helping them was pissing you off. So when Kakuzu returned a little while later, opening the door and telling you that as everyone was eating you could come out and make yourself something as well, you balked. The idea that they were just going to tell you what to do and you were expected to do it all without complaint was not one that sat easily with you, and as such you growled back, not even looking at him,
"Why should I? You're forcing me to help you on a mission, and you're going to kill me after for my bounty—I see no reason why I should do anything."
There was no point in turning around to see his expression, when Kakuzu's mask covered up his face—the only thing that showed his anger was the glare that instantly appeared, as well as his hand gripping the doorknob hard enough that it was in danger of breaking off. He might have just gone ahead and attacked you for it, if it wasn't for the fact that the mission ran through his mind a second later, causing him to hold back—or as much as he could. That didn't mean to say his anger dissipated, however, and as such he snarled fiercely,
"Fine! I'm not going to make you your food and bring it to you like a servant, so if you won't do it yourself, then you won't be eating!"
Before he slammed the door and stormed off down the corridor, needing to get as far away as possible from you before he lost it and did end up killing you. Rolling your eyes at his tantrum, you turned to lay properly on the bed, crossing your arms and glaring at the room as you considered how things would be with Kakuzu treating you like that every day—especially when you knew you shared the same intensity of anger. You might not anger as quickly, but you'd been in his position before, knowing that feeling of rage and barely being able to hold back. Not that you were trying to excuse what he was doing or anything…you just knew how it felt. It didn't help your hunger, however, feeling your stomach rumble once again a few hours later. The idea of facing Kakuzu after what he'd been like earlier was not one you wanted; just needing food, and that was it. As such, it didn't take long for you to come up with an idea. Though the shackles suppressed your chakra, it didn't stop you from being able to use your astral projection. Your body wasn't doing anything, after all—your soul was just taking a walk. If anything, the shackles helped, as it kept you connected to your body enough that if you ate or drank it would still relieve your hunger and thirst. Therefore you got yourself into a comfortable position, closed your eyes and awakened your abilities, making your way to the kitchen once your soul had left your body.
Searching through the cupboards to discover where the food was, you picked out snacks and made yourself a drink, not about to cook yourself a meal when someone might hear it. You kept up your guard as you stood eating there, not sure how Kakuzu would react if he knew you were there, and as such when you sensed someone coming into the room you immediately reacted by throwing a kunai in their direction. It was only after you'd done it that it occurred to you that that might not have been the best idea considering the circumstances, but it was too late now, prompting you to fully turn and face them to see what had happened. However, though Hidan hadn't had time to dodge, considering he was immortal, it hadn't done a thing. He had to explain that, though, as you could only stand and stare at how he casually stood there with a kunai in his chest. But once he had, you narrowed your eyes at him, unsure what to do from there. What was Hidan going to do? But he dismissed your concerns a moment later as he shrugged and casually said,
"Don't worry about it—go ahead, eat what you want. It doesn't matter to me. I'm not about to tell anyone. You piss Kakuzu off, and that's good enough for me."
Raising an eyebrow at this knowledge, you shook your head and turned back to your food. He was obnoxious, true, but with that statement you knew you had a mutual respect. At least he wouldn't give you any trouble, even if he was obnoxious. However, it was easier to deal with over the next couple of days than you thought. You came out to get food properly the next time, meeting the others as they appeared, but though Kakuzu kept an eye on you, he pretty much ignored your presence—of course, that made it easier for the both of you, not being able to anger one another this way, and for the most part you stayed in your bedroom anyway. You didn't want to be there, so why should you mingle? Not that you were about to sit back and let time go by, either. You'd asked for more information on the mission and received no answer in return, so you'd decided to take matters into your own hands. With astral projection being the only ability you could use, you used it to snoop around a little, finding out what you could, whether it was about the mission or the Akatsuki overall.
It was on one of your little sojourns that things went a little differently. You'd been making your way around the hideout, and eventually appeared in Kakuzu's room, wanting to see what information he had—or at least what he might be hiding in there. But as you slowly walked round you didn't come across anything of interest, until you spotted his bingo book lying on the desk. True, it wasn't what you were there for, but you figured you'd take a look at Kakuzu's entry and see what it had to say. Opening it up and flicking through to try and find it, you only noticed the door opening a moment too late, flinging your head up to face Kakuzu glaring at you from the doorway, growling darkly,
"What do you think you're doing?"
Instantly you released the jutsu, returning to your body and jumping up from the bed, getting the feeling this wasn't about to end well. A thought proven a moment later as you heard Kakuzu stomp down the corridor and slam the door open—and it took you the work of a moment to know you'd have to dodge, seeing his anger rise and knowing he'd lost his temper. Lifting his arm, he unleashed a massive blast of power, and dodging just enough that it didn't kill you, you immediately turned to the hole he'd created in the wall and disappeared through it. You hadn't planned it, but he'd just given you an escape route. By the time the dust had settled and Kakuzu had calmed down, you were already gone, and murmuring curses under his breath, he turned to find Hidan standing behind him, a smirk on his face as he teased,
"You're not gonna be able to complete the mission or get her bounty now."
Pausing only to throw a glare in his direction, Kakuzu quickly set off to find you. You weren't about to make it easy for him, though, keeping up your speed as you headed through the trees, avoiding the village and going deeper into the forest. The kunai that hit your side was a slight surprise however, causing you to halt instantaneously, pulling out the kunai and tossing them to the side as you faced your opponents: a small group of ninja after something, though what, you couldn't tell. Not that it would take long to defeat them, raising your arms to perform a jutsu—before it abruptly occurred to you that you still had the shackles on and couldn't do a thing. Scowling in frustration, you did the only thing you could do, using kunai and taijutsu to take them down, blocking and dodging any attacks that came your way. You couldn't avoid all of them, however, receiving several more hits that only slowed you down more. Wondering when things might go right for you, you found yourself facing a jutsu that was going to hit you head on, without the time or the speed to get out of it's way.
So it was a surprise as you were pushed to the side, turning to look up at Kakuzu as you landed on the floor, watching as he used his own jutsu in return that took them all down in a single blow. As you slowly got up, narrowing your eyes at Kakuzu, that same feeling you had received when he had led you away from father so he wouldn't see you killed came back to you. He'd killed all those ninja, true, but he'd pushed you out the way to avoid you getting hurt anymore—but why? He'd tried to kill a few minutes earlier. As much as he made you angry, the more time you spent around him, the more curious you got. Several questions appeared in your mind, though you knew they wouldn't be answered as Kakuzu avoided your gaze and bluntly ordered you to head back to the hideout. You didn't protest or argue this time, a lot to think about as you walked. You were surprised to find that your room had basically been repaired—albeit in a rather slapdash way—and as such headed inside, tearing away any ripped pieces of clothing and going into the bathroom to get a cloth, soaking it in water and wiping away any traces of blood from your wounds.
But for the third time today, you were caught off guard as Kakuzu suddenly appeared, walking over to you and pulling you towards him, holding out your arm for a better view of your injury. A second later and you saw his threads extend from his body, quickly and painlessly sewing up the wound on your arm. Murmuring a question as to where your other injuries were, you slowly turned to show him, pointing them out, and as he began to stitch those up as well, he said softly but firmly,
"Don't do that again."
"If you hadn't lost your temper I wouldn't have done it," you shot back, as Kakuzu returned irritably,
"If you did as you were told and didn't go anywhere you weren't supposed to I wouldn't have lost my temper in the first place."
"'Do as I'm told'?" you scoffed incredulously, "Coming from an S-rank criminal? Since when have you ever done as you're told?"
Kakuzu had nothing to say at that, merely continuing to stitch up your injuries in silence. But everything that had happened in the last hour or so continued to rewind in your head, prompting you to eventually murmur softly,
"But thank you."
Kakuzu simply nodded in acceptance, finished up with your injuries and turned to leave the room. Watching as he did so, you called out as he opened the door,
"And thank you for coming to help me."
"Don't mention it," he stated bluntly, stepping out and closing the door behind him, and you got the feeling he meant that statement literally, causing you to smirk and shake your head.
But it changed something between you. That curiosity about Kakuzu didn't fade, and you couldn't help but be calmer and more open as you tried to find out more. Kakuzu had his own questions he wanted to know the answers to, and it meant he didn't ignore or dismiss you like he had at the start. It didn't take long for you both to see you were more similar than you thought, and had a lot more in common. It was only now that Kakuzu found out you were a bounty hunter, and couldn't help but comment on how that was an unusual job choice for a woman, though you explained there was a reason for it.
Your clan had been a lot bigger, and you had all lived in another village, but they were attacked and the large majority of the clan was killed, leaving the rest of you to separate and make your own lives. You had picked a village and moved in there, and gathered that was where you'd stay. You'd lived a normal life. It was just you and your father, and he was training you simultaneously, so you weren't exactly well off, but you had what you needed. When you were older your boyfriend—who was in a ninja group—said that they were interested in letting you join them with missions; you just had to complete a 'test' of sorts. Wanting to do missions in order to help with income, you had been more than willing to agree…before they turned around and said you'd done what they wanted you to, but they weren't about to work with you. You weren't good enough for them with the way you lived—because you were poor. The whole village looked down on you because of it. Everyone was willing to turn their backs on you because of it, and it didn't put you in the best of moods. After everything you'd done for them and they still treated you like shit—so you'd killed them all and left with your father. You had found out about bounty hunting and got into it right away—you didn't need to worry about money anymore. You didn't need anyone's help with money, especially not the likes of the village.
Kakuzu could understand that point of view, he knew what it was like to be put in that position, and didn't feel the need to hide what had happened in the past from you, explaining his own motives in return. Even with how things had started, it didn't seem so strange now for you both to be friends like you were, and as you continued to help out with the mission you enjoyed spending time with him and vice versa. After everything that had happened at the village you didn't care about anyone but your father, and never wanted to be close to anyone but your father. But there were times you had to admit to yourself that you might just care about Kakuzu—that you could possibly want to be close to him. Kakuzu had spent enough years fending for himself, never relying on anyone and focusing only on money, not wanting or needing anyone. But spending time with you and he had to consider the possibility that maybe he wanted, or perhaps needed to be around you. The only problem with that was that the only reason you were helping on the mission was because he wanted your bounty, and he'd told you right at the start that once the mission was over he was going to get your bounty, regardless. Kakuzu didn't want to lose out on money. He didn't like the idea of saying he'd given up on one because of his emotions…but when he thought about killing you and taking that money around with him…Kakuzu couldn't accept it.
There was plenty to take his mind off of it, though, as you were going around searching for the group, and managed to find them as they were making their way towards a village. Instantly they got into battle, as you stood aside, unable to fight because of the shackles. They often turned invisible to get away from the Akatsuki, and each time you had to point out where they were, but that didn't make the fight any easier, and you began to ask Pein if you could fight—you knew you could help if they just let you. At first he dismissed you, but as the fight continued to go on, he gave in and released the shackles, taken back as a moment later several ninjas were down and the rest were injured—a minute or so later, as they tried to retreat, everyone was easily able to take them out. Pein wasn't sure what to say afterwards. He'd known your clan was powerful, but not that you had that kind of power. The fight wasn't quite over yet, however, as there was still more of the group to take down, and as such you all headed back to the hideout. A day went by, and you were a little more thoughtful than you would have liked as you sat on the edge of your bed. Though you were glad you had finally be able to fight again, you knew that with that fight the group would know of you. They would know you'd be able to fight them, even with their invisibility and so would concentrate on you. You wouldn't have minded normally, but you were away from your father at this point, and when you had concentrated on his soul to check up on him, though he was alive and all right, you just had a really bad feeling that something was wrong—you just didn't know what to do about it. When you hadn't come out of your room all day, Kakuzu decided to go check up on you. The moment he saw you, more somber than usual, he questioned as to whether you were ok. Explaining your concerns, you said nothing more, frowning at the floor as you tried to come up with a solution. You just hadn't been expecting hands to circle round your wrists and release the shackles a moment later. Looking up in shock at what Kakuzu had done, before you could say anything he stated simply,
"Go. You know what it's like to be betrayed by someone—but you had someone who stuck by you."
Standing slowly, still not quite believing what he'd done, you could only gently touch his cheek, whispering 'thank you', your eyes meeting for a moment before you vanished to head back to the village and your father. Though a part of your mind was thinking about Kakuzu as you sped through the trees, touched by that gesture, you shook your head and focused on the path in front of you. You'd have to think about that later—what mattered now was your father. With how intent you were on getting there, and with the village not being too far away to begin with, it didn't take you long before you arrived, immediately storming up to the door and slamming through, searching round for your father. When you saw a ninja from the group standing further down the corridor, you knew it was too late, though you automatically cut him down, as well as any others you came across when entering the living room. Your father's body was lying in front of the couch, but you didn't stop to analyse it, instead turning to the only ninja left. Pinning him before he could escape, you snarled,
"You're going to pay for what you did," only for the ninja to blurt, flustered,
"Yeah, well it doesn't matter. It worked. You're the only one who can fight us, and without you, the Akatsuki can't do a thing—especially not with our leader there."
Hesitating at this news, you quickly brushed it off to kill him, knowing the ninja who had gone to the hideout would be more powerful than those you'd faced before, and they'd definitely need help this time. Glancing down at your father's body you contemplated what to do, but gritted your teeth and turned to leave the house once again. As much as you'd like to stay and bury your father properly, you didn't have time. Kakuzu was now the only person you cared about, and you had to do something to help him. You headed back to the hideout as fast as you'd left, determined to make sure the group wouldn't kill anyone else you were friends with. So a little while later you arrived at the hideout, seeing the battle taking place outside. They'd killed some of the group, but considering this time they didn't even have you to point out their general direction, their attacks weren't having as much effect as they would have liked. That in itself had pissed you off, but a moment later you noticed the hole in Kakuzu's cloak, scowling as you realised he was one heart down, and immediately lunged forward, picking out all the ninja and controlling them away from the Akatsuki. From there you destroyed their souls, turning to the only ninja left—the leader—and pinning him up against a tree. Placing your palm against his chest, you swiftly started your jutsu, smirking as he cried out in pain, his body jerking simultaneously as you took away his abilities. With that completed, however, there was only one more thing to do, snarling dangerously,
"You made a big mistake—now your soul's mine."
"W-what—and add it t-to your life?" he spluttered weakly, but fell silent as your face became calm, no expression apart from the malicious look in your eyes as you replied softly but darkly,
"No. You'll be my puppet—I can summon your soul to fight for me and you won't be able to do a thing without my permission. You belong to me for eternity, and I'll make you suffer for all of it."
As you finished, the last of his soul was removed from his body and he went limp, moving backwards to allow his body to slump to the floor. Turning round to look at the Akatsuki, you smirked, as they said nothing to begin with, blinking in shock at what they just saw. It didn't take long for them to shake it off, however, as they all came over to you asking questions and commenting on your abilities. Dismissing them all for the time being, you simply walked with them as they went back into the hideout, getting a drink and finally responding to questions and general chit-chat, but it didn't take long for the novelty to wear off, causing you to get up from the table and head to your room, enjoying the silence. Sitting on the edge of your bed for a moment to breathe in the quiet, you opened your eyes once more as the door opened and Kakuzu stepped in. Standing to meet him, he greeted casually,
"Thanks for coming to help me," and holding back a smirk, you responded simply,
"Don't mention it," before the situation occurred to you, and glancing down for a second, you returned your gaze to his as you added,
"You can get my bounty now—the mission's over."
Kakuzu paused at your statement, but though you hadn't been sure how things would end, you didn't fight as he grabbed your neck once more, closing your eyes as you accepted what might come. So it was a bit of a surprise when you felt his lips press against yours a moment later, and though you hesitated at the action, it didn't take long for you to respond, wrapping your arms around his neck as his left yours, circling your waist and pulling you close to his body. Teasing the stitches around his mouth with your tongue, he growled softly and pushed his tongue into your mouth, entwining it with yours as you moaned in response. His fingers slowly traced patterns across the skin of your abdomen, slowly rising up underneath your shirt and making you shiver in pleasure. Kakuzu soon shifted his attention to your neck, exploring round until you tensed, causing him to begin sucking and biting there as you nibbled on his earlobe, returning to intertwining your tongues a once he was done.
You didn't notice the door opening at first, but as you pulled away to see Pein standing there, an eyebrow raised at this new development, neither of you said anything, allowing him to say teasingly,
"I was coming to talk about letting you join, Rei. But I guess I don't have to worry about you wanting her bounty, then, Kakuzu?"
But as his arms remained around your waist, continuing to feel his fingers rubbing up and down your skin, you got the feeling he might want something else.