-3rd Person POV (Keaira)-

"Keaira," he called, his voice low, quiet. Her head snapped up, dark eyes staring into his quietly. He didn't respond, simply staring at her. Curious, she got up, walking silently over to him.

She stopped in front of him, and a part of her felt horrified that she was standing so close to her leader. She never really had the best relationship with the stoic man, and her respect for him was the type a servant had to his king. Yes, that was how she saw him. A king, a god.

So standing so close in front of him while he remained seated did ring a few bells of alarm in her head, as she moved to step back and bow for forgiveness. But the man simply grabbed hold of her arm, pulling her down before him so that she sat close, so close she could feel his breath. The young girl stiffened slightly, confused by the strange act she would never have expected from her leader.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked, her voice wavering as she lifted her head slightly to look at his face. He didn't respond, those unflinching Rinnegan eyes boring into her plain dark ones, and she fought back a flinch that threatened to show her slight fear. Yes, she was scared of him. But it was a good sort of scared, a respectful sort of scared.

"Do you regret coming here?" It didn't really sound like him. The voice was much too strained, something that only those familiar with his cold nature will realize. The girl's brow furrowed slightly in confusion.

"How could I?" she asked quietly, gaining slight confidence as the topic that she had her utmost confidence in was brought up, "You took me in, took care of me. You didn't leave me."

Silence reigned in the air as the man remained quiet, as if he hadn't heard her speak.

"...Something's wrong. Why would you ask me this all of a sudden?" Her voice wavered slightly, a tinge of panic she was trying to cover up leaking into her words.

The man remained silent.

"You are dismissed," he finally said dismissively.

"P-" Keaira was once again cut off as he turned to face her, his hard eyes boring into her. She knew the conversation was over, but the fact that she couldn't help him, share the burden of whatever was on his mind, hurt her.

She lowered her head as a sign of submission.

"Understood, Pein-sama."

- Time Skip -

-3rd Person POV (Pein)-

Pein glanced at the girl in front of him. He had instructed Sasori to inject poison into her food to keep her unconscious for the next two days.

Her long dark green hair fanned out around her, her cheeks were slightly flushed from the alcohol she had consumed just moments ago, because of a bet with Hidan. Her breathing was shallow, her form rising and falling slightly with every breath she took. She looked like she was in very deep slumber.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" he heard an enraged roar, and turned to see Hidan landing a blow on Sasori. The red-head stumbled away, but otherwise made no response whatsoever at the hard blow delivered. "You think we're fucking stupid?! She wouldn't just fucking pass out like that all of a fucking sudden. You put something in her food didn't you, you fucking asshole?!"

"Hidan," Pein stated, and despite his monotonous tone, Hidan stopped immediately, mumbling an apology. His body fidgeted, as if it was taking all it had in him to not gouge out the puppet man's eyeballs, an action Pein would most certainly not appreciate.

"I instructed Sasori to put poison in Keaira's food," Pein said. It was strange how he could say that so calmly. But then again, he always sounded calm.

There was a slight twitch from Hidan as the man turned to face his leader, his brow furrowed in confusion and slight annoyance. The rest of the members didn't respond, all eyes trained on their leader as they waited for him to continue.

"Akatsuki's goal is world domination. Weaklings are not needed," he continued.

"She's fucking 12," Hidan snapped, and he almost wanted to take his words back from the sharp look cast his way. He continued, however, his fists clenching in annoyance.

Hidan wasn't someone who stood up for anyone. He wasn't someone who really cared for anyone, but the green-haired girl was another matter altogether. He hated to think that he had a soft spot for her, because he really didn't. If anything, she was the one he most wanted to drive his scythe into as a sacrifice to Jashin. But maybe it was their constant bickering, and the uncanny resemblance in their temper and use of language, and maybe the years that they had spent together that made him feel so fucking enraged at his leader's revelation.

"You can't fucking expect her to be as strong as you fucking want her to be. She's fucking strong, everybody except you can fucking see that. She'll be on par with most of us soon, but you just fu-"

He wasn't allowed to finish his sentence, as a slight movement from his leader led to a sharp burn at his chest. His own scythe was sticking out of his chest in a gruesome manner, sunk in so deep the tip of the blade could be seen protruding from his back, the red spreading like catching fire over his cloak. Something lodged in his throat, and Hidan took a step back, feeling blood starting to swarm into his mouth.

"I am your leader, and I expect you to show me respect."

Nobody dared made a sound.

"She is no longer a part of the Akatsuki."

Grabbing the young girl's limp body, Pein hung her over his shoulder, walking out of the room with Konan following close behind him. The rest of the members simply watched on, their eyes following the limp form of their previous member until their leader left the room.

He glanced slightly at the blue-haired woman, and he did not need to say a single word for the woman to know what to do. Look after the base. Of course, even though the chance of the base being attacked was close to zero.

- Time Skip (2 days) -

The night was silent. They had finally reached Konoha. Pein wasn't one to take risks by taking her too near the gates and be seen. He settled for a part of the forest that was near the village, enough for them to find her before she woke up, and far enough to be safe. The man didn't bother being gentle, and he flung her off of his shoulder, letting her fall to the ground with a dull thud.

Dark eyes snapped open, and the girl startled up, arms raising in defense in experience. The moment she recognized the man staring down at her, her form immediately relaxed, flinching under his gaze.

"Pein-sama, where are we?" she asked, her voice quiet, as if trying her best not to anger the man before her.

Pein simply turned away from her, walking away.

"Pein-sama! Wait!" the girl got up, trying to catch up with him.

"No," he said, his voice the same monotonous tone it had always been. She stopped, slightly confused, her dark eyes dazed from his harsh tone.

"You're staying here."

"...What do you mean?" Keaira asked, her voice just barely above a whisper. The girl knew what was happening, it was obvious. She had heard those words before, those fucking words that had haunted her for years and years and years. How could she not recognize them?

But she had thought they were different, she had thought that there was no way they were going to do that to her. And here he was, uttering the same words that had haunted her for years, the same words that she thought she did not have to worry about anymore since she joined the Akatsuki.

"Okay. When am I coming back?" she choked out. She knew that wasn't what he meant, but she wanted, no, she needed to know that what was happening wasn't what she thought it was.

"You're not coming back."

The familiar burning in her eyes made her choke. It always happened after she heard those words. She ignored the tears, trying to hold them back. Maybe if she showed him she wasn't weak, maybe if she showed him she could handle herself, he would let her go back.

"W-Why? I thought-" she managed to say, and he started to regret the words the moment it escaped her trembling mouth. Are you stupid? Once you say those words, it's going to hurt more. The answer just makes you hurt more.

There was no response whatsoever - maybe the man before her didn't find her worth answering.

"P-Please, I'll do anything, I'll let you hit me, I'll let you do whatever you want with me, just don't leave me." She didn't know what she was saying anymore. It was the same. The same exact thing. The words that tumbled uncontrollably out of her mouth rung in her ears hauntingly, the horrible memories of her past surfacing in her mind, making her chest twist vengefully.

Grabbing something from beneath his cloak, Pein pulled out a needle containing Sasori's poison. Knowing what he was trying to do, the girl backed away, her arms rising up to defend herself in her vulnerable state.

"N-No no, p-please, don't do this."

"Don't leave me."

The man ignored her cries, injecting the poison into her arm. She screamed, her body jerking up as the poison spread through her system. "Please...don't..." she whispered, before collapsing onto the ground. The last thing she saw was Pein's back, walking away, and never looking back.