Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto…

Summary: Pein is a humanoid zoologist who has been assigned the job of observing some of the most dangerous and rare big cats at a humanoid zoo for a whole day. What will he learn about the cats he encounters?

Rated: T+ For language…

Author's Note: I love the idea of humanoids, so here is a story about the Akatsuki being big cats. The story will only be about 3 or 4 chapters long, but if you want to use any ideas I have in this story, please go ahead and use them. I'd love to read the stories if you do so, so yeah, I'm actually encouraging you to embrace the idea. Enjoy the story…


Big Cats

Chapter One: The Fuzz Ball…


"Miss Konan. I have come to your establishment to do research on the rare species of Black coated Uchiha tigers. I would also like to see the Albino Jashin panther and Golden-manned lion as well." Pein told the blue haired woman in front of him bluntly, crossing his long legs professionally.

"I see. I will permit you to see our big cats for your research professor Pein, but you must abide by all the visitor rules. The cats you are requesting to study are among our most deadly in the facility. Is that understood?" Konan told the man with a slight frown.

"Understood." Came Pein's curt reply.

"Alright then, let's begin the tour with the Deidara shall we? He is the most manageable among the cats you have requested." Konan told Pein with a dismissive wave of the hand.

"Deidara?" Pein questioned non-ceremoniously, raising an orange eyebrow to the woman.

"The Golden-manned lion."

"I see." The man said while giving a light nod of the head. "So what are the rules that I am to follow?"

"The cat's trainers will tell you the details once we get to the enclosure in which we house the humanoids." Konan explained half-heartedly, getting up from her seat behind her desk. "Let us go."

Pein also stood. "Lets."

------TIME SKIPPY------

"Yes?" Came Sasori's blunt inquiry at seeing Konan walking towards him, half lidded eyes never lifting from the his task or rising from his kneeling position which he held unmoving.

"Sasori, we'd like to see Deidara." Konan stated briefly indicated towards Pein. "Professor Pein wishes to study him."

A small frown could just be seen on Sasori's pale lips. "Very well I have only one rule. That you do exactly what I say while we are in Deidara's enclosure."

"Of course." Pein said dryly.

Sasori turned from his task and looked up at Pein's face for a tense moment, assessing the reliability of the man in front of him before finally standing to face Pein fully. "Follow me." With that, Sasori walked off towards a small door to his left.

Pein followed wordlessly behind Sasori as he walked into the darkened halls behind the door and observed Konan had not followed, but did not question her decision to stay behind. "Is Deidara the most dangerous of the cats here?" Pein queried Sasori instead.

The reply was blunt and toneless as before. "No."

Pein glowered lightly at Sasori's unmoving statement. "Which of the humanoids here would you say was?" Pein asked unhurried, deciding if Sasori was going to be arrogant then he'd play Mr. Badass too.

"In temperament or killing power?" Sasori questioned, never looking back nor halting his forward movement as he did so.

"Temperament." Pein answered bluntly, keeping his face set in an unmoved expression.

Sasori seemed to be thinking on the matter, but that lasted only a brief second. "Hidan."

Pein could feel his face tighten slightly at the irony of the answer he'd been given. "Who is Hidan?" Pein hissed under his breath, to where Sasori possibly couldn't hear.

This was likely true because Sasori didn't answer Pein, nor did he falter his pace. "Who is Hidan?" Pein repeated in silent rage as he and his guide reached a door at the end of the hall.

Sasori finally looked back at Pein, eyes a void of all emotion. "I do not wish to explain." With that, Sasori opened the door before him and walked through, leaving a silently seething Pein behind.

"Bastered." Pein hissed at Sasori's back, though it was unheard by the other.

"Come." Sasori commanded tonelessly.

Pein grunted his irritation but followed nonetheless. Pein realized there was no arguing with the man.

Sasori lead Pein to a large grassy area with a large moat bordering the high walls, where visitors would have been able to watch the lion humanoid roam if the place weren't closed that day. Pein instantly realized that they were inside of the lion's enclosure, but did not question Sasori about it. There was simply no point.

Both just stood there in the clearing for about three minutes, until Sasori broke the silence. "There." Sasori said, pointing towards the other end of the enclosure, where a small patch of trees were bunched together.

"Danna, un! Danna, un! Danna, un!" A medium sized humanoid kitten meowed to his trainer, prancing towards Sasori in long excited leaps.

"Sit." Sasori commanded tonelessly, but nonetheless the young gold-manned lion sat on his rump and looked up to his Danna with his big blue eyes expectantly.

Pein stared at the little fuzz ball of energy skeptically. "Honestly, I expected something a bit more…"

"Vicious…" Sasori cut Pein off.

Pein glared a bit at the other man. "Yeah…"

The young humanoid looked to Sasori, then to Pein, then to Sasori again, then back to Pein. "Mate, un?" The lion meowed sweetly, once again looking from Sasori to Pein.

"No. Acquaintances." Sasori told the little lion, though Deidara just tilted his head to the side a bit and flicked his tail to the side.

The little lion seemed to be thinking on the matter before he simply shrugged his shoulders and twitched his ears. "Plays, yeah." Deidara purred happily, rolling over onto his back and mock swatting at Sasori with his clawed hands.

"No…actually." Sasori said to Deidara, a wicked grin spreading, unseen by Pein, across his face. "Perhaps Professor Pein wants to play. What do you say…" Sasori questioned Pein, the grin he once held expertly hidden away before he turned to face the other man. "…for your research."

Pein looked from Deidara to Sasori then to Deidara again, who was at that moment looking to him eagerly. "Why not…"

Which that, Sasori let the smirk he had been concealing show openly, and Pein could feel a small shiver roll down his back. What had he gotten himself into?

------Ten Minutes of Doom Later------

"Lying on your back is not a good thing to do." Sasori said mockingly, but it was too late as Deidara pounced onto Pein's exposed belly, causing the man to gasp out in pain.

"Mouse play, mouse play bouncy, un." Deidara mewed in delight, once again taking hold of Pein's torn jacket and all but dragging him around Sasori playfully.

"Help!" Pein pleaded as the lion began to pounce up and down, effectively causing Pein motion sickness.

Sasori smirked lightly, but waved is hand lazily nonetheless. "Enough."

That was all it took, for Pein's limp form to be dropped wordlessly to the ground. A deep pained groan was all that could be heard from Pein.

"Danna, un. Sleep." The little lion meowed up at his trainer, rubbing his head affectionately against Sasori's hand.

Sasori remained completely expressionless as he watched Pein painfully rise to his feet. "Professor Pein wishes to examine you." Sasori told the young lion.

Deidara looked at Pein with his big blue eyes and tilted his head. "Pein, un." The lion mewed.

"Yes." Sasori said. "Professor Pein, do you wish to give Deidara a physical?" Sasori questioned Pein with a raised eyebrow.

Pein was in pain, but he stood up straight and answered as professionally as he could muster in him state. "It is my job." Pein answered Sasori, though in truth he wasn't feeling up to anything physical at that moment.

"Admirable." Sasori told Pein dryly, though there was a small ting of respect behind its emptiness.

Pein looked to Sasori suspiciously, and then turned to face Deidara. The little creature was chewing innocently on some grass that was sprouting in a large patch at his clawed hands. The little lion looked so innocent, like a big kitten, but Pein knew better.

"Check up, un." The Lion purred happily, obviously understanding what was being said. "Check up Pein, un." Deidara purred again, coming right up to Pein and sitting obediently in front of him.

Pein gave the little lion a skeptical look before raising an eyebrow to Sasori. Sasori didn't utter a word, merely nodded his head in assurance of the young cat's liability. That was all Pein needed.

Pein thoroughly examined the golden-manned lion from ears to tail. Deidara was young, maybe two years at the most. Still a young kitten, Pein concluded, nowhere near full grown.

"He is young, but healthy. One of the best examples of his species I've seen in over twelve years.' Pein complimented, lifting one of the little lion's hands gently.

"Healthy, un." Deidara mewed in excitement, licking at Pein's hand with his pink tongue.

"Yes." Pein told the little lion humanoid, who pranced up in glee.

"I see you're having a good time." Came the voice of Konan, yelling from on top of the visitor's wall.

"Could have had better I believe." Pein yelled back to the woman, indicating towards the fresh rip in his jacket as he did so.

"See you and Deidara have become better acquainted. If you're ready, let's get a move on shall we." Konan yelled to the man below.

"Of course." Pein called back, turning to Sasori. "Thank you for your time." Pein thanked the other man with a firm hand shake.

Pein turned to leave, but the sound of Sasori's voice stopped him. "Professor, if you are intending to see the Uchiha's and Hidan…" Sasori began walking up to Pein's side Deidara following suit. "…I wish you the best of luck, and I'm warning you as a friend. Do not ever turn your back on them, even for a second." Sasori warned Pein with a hard glare.

Pein stared back at Sasori with shock at the sudden demonstration of shear emotion that he was showing, but he quickly hid his surprise. "I'll keep your warning in mind." Indeed, Pein would.

"Hidan vicious, un." Deidara hissed at the name, using the word that Pein had previously described.

Pein could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand on edge. "Vicious." It was not a question, but a self warning.

Sasori placed both hands on Pein's shoulders. "Good luck." With that, Sasori left with Deidara at his heels.

What had Pein gotten himself into?

Next Chapter Teaser…

Pein's eyes widened and his mouth dropped as he stared at the blade in his hand. "What?" Pein was nearly speechless.

"I said. Don't. Hesitate." Kakuzu repeated in a hard edged sneer, turning his back to Pein with a low growl.

End of Teaser…


Author's Note

I've got the first chapter up, and Deidara's so adorably cute as a little lion humanoid. So do you think I should continue or what? Please review…