Caution: MAJOR SPOILERS FOR MANGA CHAPTER 446!!!

a/n: OMG I'm not dead!!!! I know you're all surprised. I'm not even in hibernation! I'm just working on this one fanfiction right now, and I swore not to post it till I'm on chapter 10.....

Eh heh heh. Gonna be a while.

Anyways, I hope you like. I really wanted to get inside Pein's head, because he's a very interesting character. I don't know whether I succeeded though.

Pein's Awakening

"Kill him," the voice says, pointing its horrible finger at Yahiko. "Kill him or pretty here dies."

The knife is pressed up close against Konan's neck.

I say nothing. I can't.

The voice is not the voice of Hanzo, our ally. It's the voice of a double-crosser, traitor. Monster.

Terror brims within me. More terror than I have ever felt in my life. This is worse, far worse, than all those other times, all the other deaths, because now I am in charge.

"Do it," the monster snarls. "Just kill him and I'll let the girl go."

How dare he? How could he?

How can he ask me to do such a thing? I never would, I'm not a monster like him, it's a ridiculous, laughable notion—

"Kill me." Yahiko says. His voice is broken and harsh-sounding, but steady and determined.

He's not looking at me. His eyes bore into Konan.

I have no answer for him. I am frozen, like a small child who has not yet learned to speak.

I understand suddenly that this is real, no nightmare. Horribly, painfully real, and if I don't do something soon, someone will die.

I swore to protect them. No matter the pain it would bring.

But the only question is: who?

Who to protect?

Who to kill?

Yahiko tries to decide for me. "Do it," he says. "Do it now, Nagato. Before he hurts Konan."

"But I—" I grip my knife.

"Please," Yahiko whispers. "Please. You have to."

I unsheathe the knife.

Konan's eyes widen. "No!" She says. "Yahiko…" her voice pleads.

"I'm sorry, Konan," he mutters.

He turns towards me.

I don't know. There's nothing I can do.

I raise the knife.

Konan sobs.

I lunge.

Yahiko steps forward.

The knife pierces his skin. His shirt darkens with the liquid. Blood seeps from his mouth, like the life seeping from his body.

No.

Yahiko turns towards me, eyes unfocused. "Protect her… Nagato. Please… you promised."

He slides to the ground. So do I, taking his body in my arms.

It becomes dimly aware to me that Konan is screaming.

The full force of what I did hits me, like a blacksmith's hammer striking a sword.

Yahiko…

Yahiko. Konan.

Yahiko has always been our leader, our protector.

I don't know what we'll do, now that he's…

I can't say it. But I must.

Yahiko is dead at my feet. Yahiko's blood is on my sword.

How could I…? I had no choice, but still…

I can't look up at Konan's face, can't see the loathing and disgust I know will be there.

She will hate me. I know, because I hate myself too.

Die. Die. Just die.

It's too much, far too much, too many, and I break.

If I hadn't promised to protect Konan, I would've turned the knife on myself right then.

But I won't.

And I will protect her, and she will protect me, and we will live. Live, and grow strong.

This pain, it will heal me; morph me, into something that can create peace. Then people like Yahiko won't have to die.

No one will have to die, and there will be no hatred, no wars.

And so I stand, this new idea rising in my mind. Yahiko's death will not go to waste.

No, definitely not. Because he is more important than anything.

I will create peace.

I will create a perfect world.

It will be ruled by Pein.

And I am him.

a/n: Dun dun dun... lulz. Please review. Did I write a good Pein?