As usual, another sequel of Change.
Disclaimer: Please Jashin, don't sue me. I own nothing, save a rather twisted imagination and fondness for anime smut. Sincerely, your humble slave.
I'm not sure I like this chapter and might change it. But, as I have the other two stories up already, I really wanted to get this one on with the show. So... here it is...
The soft white glow of moonlight played across the mahogany floor boards, a canvas for the trembling shadows that scattered about the small room. The leader of the Akatsuki lay across the couch, his head comfortably pillowed by the arm-rest as he scrawled the last bit of information in the paperwork he so dreaded, working by moonlight so not to wake Konan. He tossed the papers on the floor carelessly and stole a glance at the clock on the opposite wall. Its hands read nearly two in the morning. Pein sighed and closed his eyes, listening, for a brief moment, to the rhythmic sound of the wind and his roommate's sleeping breath.
Ever since Yahiko died, the woman had not been the same, nor had Pein for that matter. Yahiko, their friend, their brother, had passed so untimely, so wrongly, that his passing would haunt them forever. Pein understood her longing and often felt it too. And sometimes it was too painful to bear, especially in the desolation of night, the dark of night, where the mind wandered to even darker places.
Konan stirred in the sheets and muttered something obscure, shaking Pein from his trance and grabbing his attention. He listened for a moment to make sure she didn't awake suddenly from a nightmare. But she was quiet. He closed his eyes again and slipped into sleep.
The off-key screech of a hawk sounded outside the Akatsuki headquarters, waking Pein from his sleep. He blinked his ringed eyes a few times, adjusting them to the morning light. Konan was still fast asleep, curled up in the tangled mess of her bedsheets. He quietly made his way across the room, grabbing his Akatsuki cloak off the desk, then walked to the roof to meet the messenger bird.
The large, reddish-brown bird was perched on one of the railings, pacing back and forth. Pein grabbed the small scroll off its leg and sent it on its way. The kanji for "fire" was printed on the scroll's exterior. Tsunade. He stuck the scroll in the sleeve of his Akatsuki cloak and walked to the kitchen.
"Coffee, Leader-sama?" the blonde bomber asked politely, holding out a steaming mug that smelled of the rich flavor of coffee beans and said "I love tea" on it.
Pein nodded and took the mug gratefully. "Thank you, Deidara." He wandered into the common room and took a seat on one of the couches. Kakuzu sat on the opposite couch. The older man, unlike usual, was without his mask and had his brown-black hair strewn across his shoulders. Pein gave him a slight nod, and Kakuzu returned the gesture.
"What news from Konoha, Leader-sama?" Kakuzu asked, taking a sip of his own coffee.
"I was just about to find out," Pein replied, grabbing the scroll he'd tucked away.
"They better take that damn teacher back," Kakuzu grumbled, his eyes narrowing hatefully.
Pein sighed. "One would think you'd appreciate Iruka's company. The more time Hidan spends with him, the less time he's bitching and complaining about you."
Kakuzu shrugged. "He gets on my nerves."
"He's just nervous. You're not exactly welcoming," Pein retorted.
Kakuzu scowled. "Are you saying that I should be a nicer to him?"
Pein nodded.
"Not a chance in Hell."
Yelling echoed through the hallways before Pein had a chance to reply. They couldn't make out what the commotion was about, but they could tell it was Hidan.
"Speak of the devil," Kakuzu muttered, scowling again. "Think he died?"
Pein just rolled his eyes. He set his coffee mug on the table and went to see what was the matter. Before he even got out of the common room, the brunette chuunin had collided with him. Iruka panicked once he realized exactly who he had run into. He managed a string of "I'm sorry's", acting as if his life depended on Pein's forgiving nature.
"Is there something you need, Iruka?" Pein asked, interrupting the chuunin before Iruka ran out of breath.
"I... uh..." Iruka started, fidgeting with his shirt and averting his eyes "Uh, looking … for..."
Pein raised his eyebrow.
"S-Sasori," Iruka managed.
Pein nodded toward the kitchen and returned to the common room. He took another sip of his coffee before picking up the scroll again.
"What was that about?" Kakuzu asked.
"I don't know," Pein replied.
"Do you want to know?"
"No."
Kakuzu smiled smugly. "And what was that about being nicer to him?"
Pein ignored him and skimmed through the content on the scroll, paying particular attention to the words in bold. "Tsunade has some missions for us that we're to complete with the aid of Konoha shinobi."
"Fighting with Konoha shinobi? That'll be interesting. Until someone dies," Kakuzu muttered.
Pein continued reading. "And they want Iruka back."
Kakuzu looked up at him, surprised. "That's delightful." But he went right back to scowling. "They should pay us for saving his sorry ass."
"He didn't need to be saved in the first place."
"Hidan said he was lost," the older man retorted.
"Exactly," Pein replied, "Hidan said he was lost." Pein made to get up, but Kakuzu interrupted him.
"Going to inform Iruka?" Kakuzu asked.
Pein nodded.
"I'll do it," Kakuzu said with a grin, before heading off to find the chuunin.
The red-head rubbed his temples with his fore and middle fingers, then walked back to his office, taking the scroll with him. He saw Konan seated in his chair and shuffling around in his desk, looking for something or the other while trying to put her hair up.
"Find what you're looking for?" Pein asked quietly.
"I can't find a thing in this mess," Konan retorted. "I don't know how you get anything done."
"I have a system. What are you looking for?"
Konan grumbled and finished putting her origami flower in her blue locks. "I need the mission requests. A new group of genin just graduated. I want to give them missions this afternoon."
"Konan-"
"Don't," the blue-haired woman interrupted. "You need to take care of the Akatsuki and our relationship with Konoha as well as with the other nations. I can help you take care of Rain for a little while." She kicked her feet up on the desk and smiled. "Besides, I kind of like this chair."
Pein sighed. "I know you do." He opened a drawer and pulled out a file, handing it to his partner. Konan took the papers and thanked the leader before leaving the small office room. Pein took a seat in his chair and began to reorganize the mess of papers scattered across his desk. A timid hand rapped on the office door, interrupting him.
"Iruka," Pein said calmly, inviting the chuunin in and shutting the door behind them.
Iruka was tense, to say they least. He noticeably jumped when Pein shut the door, and looked nervously at all corners of the room as if it were a cage instead of an office. "Yes, Leader-sama?" the chuunin finally asked.
"Are you alright, Iruka?" Pein asked, resuming his place behind his desk.
The chuunin rubbed his arm sheepishly and nodded. "I... I was just... uh..."
Pein raised an eyebrow. "Nervous?"
Iruka nodded again, still averting his gaze. "Yeah, that."
"Hm..." Pein shuffled through his papers and retrieved Tsunade's scroll from the pile. He handed it to Iruka, who took it tentatively. "Tsunade sent me this earlier today."
Iruka read the letter, seemingly in a hurry, but seemed very relieved. "Oh, I thought you wanted to see me for something else..."
Pein smirked for a moment, thinking back to the awkward conversation between himself and Hidan the night prior. "It wouldn't have anything to do with last night, would it?"
Iruka brushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, uh... about that..."
Pein shook his head, still smirking. "I'm well aware of Hidan's antics. Don't worry about it."
Iruka let out a deep sigh. "Thank Jashin..."
"We'll leave tomorrow, then," he stated. "I suggest you spend tonight with Hidan."
Iruka's face went white. "Hidan's not coming?"
Pein shook his head, watching the chuunin's face go from relieved to horrified in moments. "You and I will leave tomorrow. The rest will meet us a week later."
"You... and me?" Iruka asked, pointing to himself and gulping between pauses. "Umm... O-okay..."
"Try not to get yourself chained to a bed in the meantime," Pein said before dismissing the petrified chuunin with a wave of his hand. Pein smiled to himself as Iruka ran back to Hidan. It would be long and awkward, but the chuunin would survive.
