Okay, this idea came from an episode of 'Dead Like Me' This is a sad oneshot, and long heh...sorry...
Please read. This is my best work in my opinion.
I don't own Kakuzu, TakiGakure or Hidan, but I do own any ocs that randomize in this story, though most of them are jsut that,...random hehheh...any ways, please read...
Enjoy^_^
Papa's Baby Girl
It had been several decades since Kakuzu had even remotely thought of the village he once loved so much, but today…he couldn't stop the memories from flooding in. Not even Hidan's pestering made things better or at least took the things that flashed in his mind's eye away.
He looked up. The last mission had been brutal, but it was nothing he and his team couldn't handle. While his sensei went to give a mission report, the seventeen year old decided to rest underneath a tree beside one of the more beautiful natural waterfalls.
In the Water Fall village, the waterfalls were bigger and prettier than any in any other country. It was something they could be proud of. These natural wonders were pristine and clean, something that always made the young Kakuzu feel at peace.
Now, the waterfall village was not a very big village, and Kakuzu had grown up with them all. He knew everyone and they were his family, his friends, the people he would always protect with his life. His eyes closed gently and he listened to the water splash at the bottom of the pools of water. It was soothing.
"EEP!" a feminine squeal rang out, piercing his peace like the sharpest of kunai. The shinobi opened his eyes to see a young woman trying to walk across stones in the water, but made the mistake of stepping too close to the edge. She had slipped and fallen in the, most likely, ice cold water. He chuckled at the girl's misery. She sat up coughing, pushing the dark brown hair from her face.
Kakuzu closed his eyes again, trying to push out the sounds of this strange girl-wait, who the hell was she? He had never seen her here before. He groaned in anger, standing up. The Waterfall nin walked up to the water's edge, "Hey, who the hell are you?" he snapped. The girl interrupted his peaceful rest, and she wasn't part of the village.
Her dark blue eyes met his emerald ones and she had a stone cold glare on her face, "Of course…don't help me out of the water or anything, just stand there and curse me out!"
"Who was cursing, just get out of there now," Kakuzu growled. He had a short fuse and this girl was cutting it shorter by the second. She got out of the water and rung her hair out, then her shirt. Her body racked with shivers. The tall shinobi sighed and grabbed the jacket he wore.
"Here," he dropped in on her shoulders. Her blue eyes widened.
"Thanks…" Kakuzu just rolled his eyes.
"What's you name?" she quietly asked. His lips turned down in a frown, "You still haven't answered my question."
She gave him a hard glare and crossed her arms, "I just moved here from the village in the rain…things are getting out of hands there, so I moved here with my father…"
Kakuzu nodded and walked back over to his tree, "I'm Kakuzu," he grunted closing his eyes.
The girl plopped down next to him, "My name is Takara," she smiled lightly. He didn't bother to acknowledge her anymore. The girl glared and huffed, walking off. This wasn't the last time Kakuzu was to be in the girl's company.
He slammed the door shut behind him as he walked into the inn's room. Hidan jumped and shot him a glare, but went back to his ritual, letting blood out all over the inn floor. Kakuzu rolled his eyes, "You better make sure that gets cleaned up, I'm not paying for it."
Hidan rolled his eyes and clutched his pendant tighter and continued to whisper to his god rather than go off on Kakuzu and be forced to restart the ritual again. The silver haired man was already two hours in and had another hour to go.
Kakuzu dropped onto his bed and pulled out his case of money. Counting always brought his temper to normal and calmed him. Of course, along time ago there was something else that had done this for him.
A couple months ago, Kakuzu met his neighbor, Takara. He found her to be increasingly annoying. She would come over for dinner, much to his chagrin and his mother's delight. His mother wasn't a shinobi, but he and his father were.
The two women spent countless hours talking and gardening. Takara had lost her mother in a raid. Amegakure was starting to fall. The girl's father didn't want her growing up where things were slowly getting bad.
Today, they were eating another dinner with their neighbor. Kakuzu was on a short break given by the elders of the village. Since this was a relatively new village, they had few missions coming in. The man plopped down on his sofa and reached for one of the jutsu scrolls.
"OH," his mother's voice drifted into the living room, "Takara is coming over again, so be on your best behavior Kuzu-kun!" Kakuzu growled at the ridiculous nick name his mother had given him.
"Don't call me that…"
She poked her head in through the door way. She had bright emerald eyes, that matched her son's, and long dark brown hair framing her mocha face, like his. He sighed. He was practically the spitting image of his mother. He got his build from his father though, in just a few short years he would tower over most people in the village.
"You know, I've been calling you Kuzu-kun since you were born," she held up a spatula with soup dripping down the handle, "I gave birth to you, I'll call you whatever I please!" she smiled. Kakuzu just rolled his eyes and turned them back to his scroll.
A knock came from the door and Kakuzu growled again. He waited patiently for his mother to answer the door, but another knock interrupted Kakuzu from his reading. The young man pushed himself from the couch and stormed to the front door, which he swung open, fully intent on giving the girl behind the door a nice long chewing out.
But when he did open the door, his breath was taken away. Takara stood there in a short white sundress. Her almost black hair was pulled up into a messy bun hanging on the side around the base of her neck.
"Hi, Kakuzu," she smiled. He waved her in and watched her walk to the kitchen. Despite the two months he had known the girl, he had never seen her in anything but baggy clothes that looked like they belonged in the garbage, a not on a young lady.
Where did she even get a dress like that? He followed after her with his eyebrow raised lightly. The girl was hugging his mother and showing off the new dress. Kakuzu shook his head and went back to his reading. But the image of Takara kept creeping back into his mind. She just looked so…girl now…
Dinner was bearable for Kakuzu, but his mother kept pestering him to talk, when all he really wanted to do was eat his damn food.
"How was your last mission, Kuzu-kun?" his mother smiled. He loved the woman, but really this was getting ridiculous.
"I told you last week when I came back from it…" he took another bite of the rice. His mother looked slightly hurt. And his heart throbbed.
"It was okay…we just took the Hero's water to help Amegakure fight down the latest uprising. They figured that is the last of the troubles and the village will return to normal."
The woman smiled softly. She rose from her seat and began clearing dishes. Takara offered to help, but Kakuzu's mother refused to let her. So instead Takara followed Kakuzu into the den. The tanned man sat down and picked up his scroll.
"What are you reading?" the annoyance beside him inquired. He turned the green eyes to her and his eyebrow rose.
"Fine!" she crossed her arms, "Don't tell me!"
He chuckled. This creature was so easy to irritate. Kakuzu enjoyed doing so. "It's just a scroll of simple jutsu."
"Jutsu?" she leaned onto his arm to look at the page.
He gave her an odd look, "Techniques used by nin to help them in battle…these are basics, like substitution and clones…" she smiled.
"So if that is basic…then what's considered advanced?"
The man shrugged, "It depends on the village and way you were trained…for me it would be a water released attack…for someone of Iwa, it would be a stone release, something I can't use."
Takara giggled, making Kakuzu give her a dirty look. He began to pull away from the girl when she grabbed his arm, "I'm sorry," she laughed lightly, "I wasn't really paying attention to what you were saying…" her cheeks grew tinged with pink, "I was thinking about how pretty your eyes are…I love that shade of green…"
This statement threw the young man off. Never in his seventeen years had someone other than his mother complimented his eyes. He personally hated them. They were a simple green, uninterrupted by a pupil, yet the whites of his eyes washed them out since they were a lighter green.
The annoyance just smiled lightly, stood up and pressed her lips tightly against his.
Morning came and the Akatsuki member rose from the hard bed. It didn't bother him, though. Sleeping on that bed was 100 ryō cheaper than any other inn around the small trading village. He turned his dark red, almost black and green eyes to the sleeping Jashinist, "Hey! Wake up, we don't leave soon, I'll be forced to pay for another night we don't need!" he stood and grabbed his cloak, hood and mask, as well at the metal briefcase he never let out of his sight.
Hidan rose and yawned and let lose a long string of curses as he grabbed his cloak and slipped it on. "I was having this really nice dream where me and this hot-"
Kakuzu cut him off so that he could reluctantly pay the man behind the counter, "I have a headache, so shut that trap of yours…" the old man closed his eyes and tried hard to push the memories from his mind.
He was eighteen now and also a full fledged equivalent of one of those Konoha ANBU. He was constantly on secret missions for the better good of this village, the village he loved and treasured.
Kakuzu stepped up towards his home, the one he bought several months earlier for him and his fiancée. Takara run up to him and threw her arms around him, "I missed you, Kuzu…" she buried her face in his dark skinned neck.
He smiled and wrapped his arms around the girl, "I missed you, too, Kara…" she had dinner ready for him, something she usually neglected. He gave her an odd look and studied her over. It just happened to be his favorite: liver.
What was his bride-to-be up to? He slowly ate and watched her closely. The girl giggled as squirmed in her seat. She bounced lightly with every step. The skin that clung tightly to her was glowing lightly. His eyes traveled down her body. She was wearing a pretty dress, one she usually saved for special occasions. What was going on?
Takara walked up and cleaned off the table, "Kuzu, do you think we can talk for just a bit?"
The tanned man shrugged, "I guess…" he could hear the anxiety in her voice as she spoke slowly. Something was wrong now? He was thoroughly confused. She had been happy, overflowing with joy a few minutes ago and now she was acting shy and nervous.
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her away from the sink, "Takara, tell me…"
She gripped his shirt tightly and buried her face in her favorite spot on his neck, "MM PMMMNNN" her heavily muffled voice came forward, offering no valuable information. He rolled his eyes and pushed away slightly, then his eyes pierced into hers. His temper was growing short. He hated this about the girl, she liked to beat around the bush and end up not telling him.
"Takara…"
She looked down, "I'm pregnant…"
This news crashed down on the young nin like a rain of kunai, but they each turned into a warm gush of wind. His insides twisted and he felt like his stomach was floating and his heart was falling. It sped up and he felt this burst in his brain, sending joy rushing through him like an unstoppable flood. He grabbed her tightly and held her until the wave stopped and then he pressed his lips to hers lovingly.
"This is the best thing I've heard since you said 'yes'…" he kissed her again, sending the girl into a happy fit.
"Hey!" Hidan growled, "Where the hell are we going?" he was getting irritated by Kakuzu ignoring him and walking in some random direction.
"If this is some other bounty, then just tell me!" he scratched his head and gave up for the third time since they left the inn. Kakuzu was no fun when he refused to threaten Hidan's life.
He looked over and saw signs that were long ago worn away, so it was no help.
"Just keep breathing Kara-chan," the nurse spoke softly to the woman. Said woman screamed and tried to breathe as instructed. She gripped her husband's hand and squeezed. Kakuzu groaned in pain, but he knew he deserved it. They had been in the room for several hours and he was really beginning to get worried about his wife and child. He closed his eyes tightly and the mere thought of losing them.
"I love you Kara…" he whispered, pressing his forehead to hers. He hated hearing her scream like this.
"One more push!" she let another scream lose and then the room became eerily silent for a second. Kakuzu opened his eyes and heard a baby's cry rip through the room. His heart felt like it stopped beating as the nurse carried a red messy bundle to the back of the room. She took a towel and cleaned up the baby and they checked it's health. He turned to Takara, who was already dozing off. He let go of her hand and ran his dark fingers through her hair.
"Kakuzu…it's a baby girl…" the nurse shyly held out the tiny pink bundle out towards him. He gasped at how small she actually was. Her skin was dark like his, and the fuzz that covered her head was dark. His heart stopped again just looking down at the precious thing in his arms. He felt tears rise to his eyes and he choked up a smile.
"How is she…?" a soft female voice whispered. Kakuzu looked up and smiled lovingly at his wife, "She's perfect…"
He handed the baby to the woman and they shared their first real family moment. Takara named the child Kichōna, which meant precious and valuable. Kakuzu chuckled lightly and smiled. Now he had Precious Treasures to protect.
The baby squealed and her little eyes opened. They were the very same green that Kakuzu had and his mother had before him. He smiled. Suddenly he loved his eyes so much more.
Lunch was horrid. He couldn't stomach any of the food he had ordered, leaving a sour taste in his mouth from both that and the fact it was wasted money. Hidan refused to eat anything Kakuzu either touched or ate.
"That shit is disgusting," he pointed to beans.
The dark skinned man rolled his eyes and recovered his face with his mask. He paid for the wasted food and left the building.
"Kakuzu, what the hell is wrong with you!" the silver haired man spouted again, "I swear in Jashin's name, I'll kill you if you don't tell me what's going on! Where are we going!"
"Shut up." his voice was dangerously low. Hidan wasn't afraid of the man. There was nothing he could do to him that he couldn't survive, but still something was off about Kakuzu. On any regular day, Hidan's head would have been detached and reattached twenty times for pestering the man this much.
"Are you finally going senile?" nothing. Hidan growled about how Jashin was going to smite Kakuzu.
Kakuzu closed his eyes and felt a throbbing rising in his mind.
"Papa's home!" the little five year old squealed delighted to see her father home from another successful mission. Kakuzu smiled and picked up the tiny child.
"You're bigger! Kichōna, have you been a good girl for your mother?" he hugged the small child. Takara appeared in the door way of their small home holding a spatula.
"Takara…" his breath was stolen, as it was every time he came home to see his beautiful wife. He always missed her terribly when he was away for longer missions.
"I've been a great girl!" the child yelped happily.
Kakuzu laughed and set the little girl down so she could go inside and wash up for dinner. The twenty-three year old shinobi wrapped his arms tightly around Takara happily, taking in her scent. She always smelled like fresh rain fall.
It was calming for him in a way the spot under the tree had never been. He felt he always had somebody he could turn to, who would always be there. He walked into the house and was met with a delicious smell of his favorite dish. Takara always made it when he came home from long missions, even thought she really didn't like it.
Kichōna babbled about her starting her nin training soon, much to Takara's anger. Takara did not want her daughter to grow up fighting, especially with talk of nearby villages growing more and more dangerous.
Kakuzu rubbed the child's head and sent her to bed after dinner. Takara smiled and kissed her husband lovingly. He held her tightly, as if the world would fall to ruins without her there in his arms. He needed the touch, he needed her.
Thunder crashed and Kakuzu was jolted from his sleep when he heard his daughter scream and start sobbing. He ran into her room to see her lying on the bed shaking and crying. Kakuzu felt his heart tear apart. The child was afraid of the thunder storm.
Slowly, the man made his way to the bed and grabbed her into his arms. She had always been afraid of thunder storms, but he knew something that always calmed the child. For as long as she had been alive, he could always stop her from crying by singing a lullaby his mother sang to him and her mother sang to her.
Little child,
be not afraid,
Though rain pounds harshly against the glass
Like an unwanted stranger,
there is no danger,
I am here tonight.
Little child,
be not afraid,
Though thunder explodes and lightning flash
Illuminates your tear-stained face,
I am here tonight.
Takaya walked in and smiled softly. Kakuzu was rocking the sweet child in his arms and singing his deep voice, the lullaby she had heard so many time now. The tanned man pressed his thumb into the back of his daughter's hand and rubbed it in little circles.
And someday you'll know,
That nature is so,
The same rain that draws you near me.
Falls on rivers and land,
An forests and sand,
Makes the beautiful world that you see
In the morning.
Kakuzu held her closer, feeling her crying finally stop, the hiccupping still remained. So he sang on.
Little child,
be not afraid,
Though storm clouds mask your beloved moon
And its candlelight beams,
still keep pleasant dreams,
I am here tonight.
Little child,
be not afraid,
Though wind makes creatures of our trees
And their branches to hands,
they're not real,
understand
And I am here tonight.
She sniffled and wrapped her free arm around the man.
And someday you'll know,
That nature is so,
The same rain that draws you near me.
Falls on rivers and land,
On forests and sand,
Makes the beautiful world that you see
In the morning.
His voice grew low and he slowed down.
For you know,
once even I Was a little child,
And I was afraid
a gentle someone always came
To dry all my tears,
trade sweet sleep for fears
And to give a kiss goodnight.
He kissed the top of the five year olds head, and she smiled lightly, despite the crack thunder that had quickly followed a flash of lightning. He smiled widely at the sight of his daughter's eyes droop.
Well now I am grown,
And these years have shown,
That rain's a part of how life goes.
Her head dipped and she forced it back up to hear her father's song.
But it's dark and it's late,
So I'll hold you and wait
'Til your frightened eyes do close.
Takara sat beside them on the other side and joined in singing to her sleepy daughter.
And I hope that you'll know,
That nature is so,.
The same rain that draws you near me.
Falls on rivers and land,
On forests and sand,
Makes the beautiful world that you see
In the morning.
Everything's fine in the morning,
The rain will be gone in the morning,
But I'll (you'll) still be here in the morning…
Kakuzu kissed Kichōna's again and laid the now sleeping girl back against her pillow. He ruffled her hair and grabbed Takara's hand and led the woman from the room. Little had he known this was his last peaceful night.
The next morning a loud knock had come from the door. Kakuzu sensed the chakra signature immediately, it was one of the elders. Takara gave her husband an odd look as he got up and opened the door. The elder handed him a scroll with the letter 'S' printed in red on it's seal. It was an 'S' rank mission, one of deep importance.
The tanned man turned to his wife and frowned lightly. He didn't want to leave so soon, but with this kind of mission, he had to leave as soon as he was able. Kichōna happily padded into the dining room and jumped up at the table, "Hi Papa! Hi Mama!" she grinned before eating the eggs on her plate.
Kakuzu kissed the child on the head and Takara on the lips, "I'll be in my study…" he whispered, grabbing the plate and heading for the room. This room was filled with dusty old books and scrolls. This was where he came when he needed to think or wanted to read. Takara rarely went in there, except to clean up or bring him tea, and Kichōna knew better than to disturb the room or her Papa.
He sat down and ran his hand through his longish dark hair and let the locks fall into his face as he opened the scroll using a special chakra key signature. The contents were simple. 'Infiltrate Konoha and assassinate Hashirama Senju, the first Hokage'.
He sighed. The man should be an easy kill if he did things just right. He would have to sneak in, but trouble was, Kakuzu preferred tai jutsu to nin jutsu and that tended to get messy and loud. Oh well…
Kakuzu packed up the things he would need, as well as made a small list of the nin he knew he could take with him in case he needed the back up. With a sad heart he kissed Takara good-bye and hugged Kichōna and ruffed the girl's dark hair.
"Take care of your Mama, I'll be back soon baby girl…" he wiped away the little girl's tears.
She sniffled and nodded, "I will, Papa…" he hugged her again, "Don't cry baby girl…I'll be home soon…"
Takara picked up the little girl and they walked back inside the house as Kakuzu went to meet his team.
Hidan groaned and was thoroughly frustrated with Kakuzu's odd silence. It was something he was not used to. The old man should be ripping him apart with the cords or at least threatening to, but no! He was walking silently, only saying things like 'shut up' or 'I won't tell you again.' But he did. Kakuzu kept whispering over and over for Hidan to just shut up.
The Jashinist growled and pulled out the pike. Maybe a good stab will make the man react like normal. He shoved the weapon at Kakuzu.
Kakuzu growled and snatched the item from the silver haired man and pocketed the pike in his cloak, "I told you to shut up…"
Hidan's purple eyes widened in anger, "I didn't say anything! I tried to stab you!" but these cries went unheard. Kakuzu was already lost in thought again, having already given up the flash of memories that decided to reemerge and destroy his psyche.
The mission had failed. No one warned him that the man's wood style was so powerful. Both his tai jutsu and water style failed against this, making it impossible for him to fight the man. He had to retreat before he and his team were caught and destroyed. At least he could go home and see his beautiful wife and sweet daughter.
He entered the village and saw a small crowd. It was the village elders and a few able bodied shinobi.
"The mission?" one of the elders inquired.
"Failed, Hashirama Senju was too strong," Kakuzu muttered bowing respectfully. He tried so hard to do his job, for this village, but it had been in vain.
"Then I'm sorry," Kakuzu suddenly found himself bound in chakra chains. His head darted side to side in confusion. His team mates were also being bound. The elders led them to the prison chambers and threw them in individual cells.
Kakuzu roared in anger, wanting to know what the hell was going on. No one would tell him anything. Days passed and one by one his comrades were taken from their cells, not to return.
He began to wonder if Takara knew he was here. He begged the guards to tell him something, anything. Tell him about why he was here, tell him if his family was okay.
It seemed as though a week had passed, but he was so unsure. Time seemed to speed up and slow down and twist and cause him pain. He wanted desperately to just go home to his family. He had already figured he was here because he failed his mission. It was the only thing he could think of. Kakuzu growled lowly thinking about that. If that was why they were keeping him, he was going to be absolutely furious.
The door to the prison opened and his head lazily looked up toward the bars. His green eyes fell upon a pair of deep blue eyes and a pair of ones that matched his. He felt his heart skip a beat.
"Takara…" he walked to the bars and felt her hand reach out and caress his face. It was the most soothing thing he had felt in his life. Having her there for him.
"What have they done to you, Kuzu…" she whispered, biting back her tears.
"Papa!" the young girl screamed. Kakuzu dropped to his knees and pressed his face to the bars to send a small smiled to his daughter. She started sobbing and begging him to hug her. He whispered that he could not, and that they had tied up his hands.
"Takara, why have they done this? Where is the rest of the team?" her eyes fell. She did not want to tell him that his village had imprisoned him because he failed, despite his intense loyalty to this village. She didn't want to let him know that he was going to be here for the rest of his life because of that loyalty, but the rest of his team had been executed. But she knew she had to. So she did.
Takara knew the man she married had a short temper. She knew he was easily angered, but never in their five years of marriage had she seen his skin turned red with anger. The woman had never seen the man scream loudly in desperation and intense anger.
Kakuzu thrashed in his chains and screamed for those elders to get in there and talk to him. Kichōna started sobbing harder, which stopped Kakuzu in his tracks. His face returned to a normal color and he knelt down and pressed his face into the bars.
"Papa's sorry baby girl…he's just really angry at the village right now…" she turned and pressed her forehead to his and continued to sob, just wanting him to hold her tight.
He smiled sadly and began to sing his lullaby to her.
Days later, an elder finally showed his face to the angry nin. Green eyes glowered at this man who dared show himself with such pride in front of the nin.
"You finally come to tell me yourself why I'm here?" Kakuzu's deep voice rang out, dripping with venom.
"We're sorry Kakuzu, but you failed an important mission. The Hokage still lives," he blinked, as if this was pure fact that Kakuzu should spend eternity in a jail cell because he failed a mission.
"People fail missions all the time, that is NOT a reason to lock me in here!"
The elder sighed, "This mission had been of greater importance than anything. At least we decided to let you live, for Takara and Kichōna's sake." he started to walk away.
"ARRRGHHHHHHHAAAHHHHH!" Kakuzu screamed so loud, his voice broke and was raw. He had never been this furious in his life. He was literally seeing red. The nin thrashed around his cell and pulled his hands until he felt the wrist on his arm break, allowing him to slip the hand from the chains.
Pain erupted from the limb, but he didn't feel it as he used a water jutsu to slice through the bars that caged him. He raced into the hall, where his guards sat. There was a short man with long brown hair all ready to fight, but Kakuzu sent one swift kick to the man's gut, knocking him out when he hit the wall.
Another guard came running with his blade poised and ready to piece Kakuzu's heart. With his injured arm, the man blocked the sword and with his good arm, he sent a punch into the guard's jaw. Blood spilled but his newly busted lip and he stumbled back.
Quickly regaining his composure, the nin rushed at Kakuzu. The tanned man kicked him and sent him flying into a wall as well. Now was the time to take his revenge.
This village, the village he loved so much, betrayed him in ways he could not fathom. His temper had broken and he would see the elder's blood cover his hands. He would paint the walls with the crimson lies they fed him his entire life.
The elders had definitely been caught off guard by the shinobi that burst into the office. They jumped up, ready to fight him, but nothing could stop this bull, as he had his eyes set on his targets.
They fell quickly, almost too quickly. Kakuzu barely got to enjoy the vengeance. He walked up to the elder who had spoken to him barely an hour ago and grabbed the man by his shoulders, "I never want to hear you speak my name, or my family's names again…" he pulled out a knife and held it to the man's throat.
The elder's labored breathing sped up, and Kakuzu felt his heart pounding, pushing blood and adrenaline through the body, hoping the old man could try to survive. Kakuzu pulled the knife away from the elder's throat and dragged it lightly over his chest, where his heart beat beneath it.
"The heart…it causes pain, but allows you to feel love. It courses blood and energy though our bodies. It holds our joys, our loves…our darkest secrets…" he plunged the knife deep into the man's chest, careful not to damage the very thing he wanted. He ripped the heart from the chest and lavished at how it still beat.
His chakra surged into the small thing and felt everything. Kakuzu felt all the jutsu the man had learned and stored away, including the forbidden techniques hidden away for good, or so the elder had hoped.
It was a crazy jutsu, but it would suit the nin well. The Earth Grudge Fear…he laughed as he performed the jutsu. The pain he felt in his heart, as well as that his felt in his injured arm was nothing compared to what he was feeling now. His chakra surrounded him and he screamed in terror as his blood turned to something more sinister, thick grey cords that came breaking from his body.
They thrashed about the room and came spilling from his mouth. He felt his lower jaw dislocate, sending even more pain tearing through him. He tried to scream, but the cords filling his mouth wouldn't allow for it. He looked down and saw his arms had fallen off and were lying on the ground before him. Cords spilling from his arms were the only things attaching the appendages.
He watched as the cords began to sew him back together again, pulling all the torn skin to meet and even his arm, which sported a new tattoo like set of black lines where his forearms had been detached. The cords brought his jaw back and his lips finally touched each other. Kakuzu closed his eyes and felt the pain subside.
When he opened his eyes he saw the heart was missing It was no longer in his hand, but he could still feel the knowledge it possessed. He slowly stood on shaky legs and walked to a mirror that hung near the window. What he saw scared him, but filled him with a sense of power at the same time.
The whites of his eyes had turned a dark, almost black red. He saw where his jaw had been ripped, as the thick black-grey threads went from the sides of his mouth all the way back. Similar tears covered his entire body. He was literally like a rag doll now, just like the one Takara had sewn together for Kichōna. Kichōna…he couldn't let her see him like this…
He searched the heart's memory for more information on the kin jutsu. Kakuzu could use these cords like apart of his arms or legs as well as use them to steal jutsu from other bodies. He turned away from the mirror and something caught his eyes. There was a white mask sewn into his back. It looked like an odd creature, with colored paint on it's face. 'So that's where the heart went…' he looked at the bodies of the remaining fallen elders and a smiled graced his blood thirsty lips.
His back now sported four masks, each one being a heart of the elders he had slain. He grabbed a hood and mask from the storage, as well as a small stash of weapons. He needed to leave. He pulled the mask on and rushed from the building, and into the water that surrounded. There was one last place he needed to visit.
The man crept into his house and in the bedroom, where his wife slept. He leaned over her still body and kissed her gently, so not to wake her.
"Good-bye…" he walked to his daughter's room and repeated the process of telling her good-bye and kissed her head softly.
"Papa…?" she sat up and rubbed her eyes. The pretty green orbs widened when she spotted the man with the strange mask on. Kichōna opened her mouth to scream but Kakuzu covered her mouth.
"It's me baby girl…Papa has to wear a mask so he won't get caught sneaking out of jail…" he pulled the girl close to him. She started to cry and wrapped her little arms tightly around her father.
"I missed you papa!" she sobbed. He whispered and smoother her hair down.
"I missed you too baby girl, but papa has to leave now…I need you to be-"
"You just got back Papa! You can't leave us already!" tears streamed harder.
He rubbed her hand, "I'm sorry baby girl…I have to…so be a good girl for you mama…I'll tell you a little secret…" he smiled, though she couldn't see it. She looked up at him with wide, curious eyes.
"When you were born, and I first held you…I loved you…You were so small and tiny and I told myself I was always going to protect you," he hugged her closely again, "I will always be with you, baby girl, always…"
Kichōna grabbed onto him tightly and cried. He rubbed her head, "Be strong baby girl, know I always loved you and your mother…I promise I'll be back to see you," he stood up and walked into the hall where he came face to face to Takara.
"Did you really think I was going to let you go with out saying good-bye…" she said, her voice was clearly showing how hurt she was.
Kakuzu winced and grabbed her, "I'm sorry…I have to leave…I did something I won't regret, but shouldn't have done…" he felt her hands reach up and touch the edges of his mask. His heart sped up and he grabbed her wrist.
"Kakuzu, let me see your face…" how did she always know something was wrong? She pulled the mask down and gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.
"What happened to you…Your eyes are even different…" she whispered caressing the stitches.
"I…killed the elders…I stole a few forbidden jutsu…"
"Forbidden?"
He tried to smile, but couldn't, "Another type of jutsu not given out freely…" he remembered the night of their first kiss, the night he tried to t each her about jutsu.
"I have to leave now…I love you…I'll miss you…" he kissed her passionately and left her standing there.
Years later, he had finally cut off the feelings of longing and want. He suppressed the memories and grew cold. He had been betrayed by his village and he in turn betrayed his family. If you couldn't count on humans, what could you count on? He found the answer. It was love and trust that made the world go round, it was money. With it, you could always buy your way out of situations, and pay off the fighting that raged.
"Hey! Where the hell are we?" Hidan yelled. Kakuzu looked up to see a giant tree surrounded by water. His heart throbbed in a mixture of emotions, anger being the first that came to him. People walked around them, oblivious to their status by relation to the Akatsuki.
They happily went about their lives. Hidan yawned and continued bitching about Kakuzu not talking to him or telling him anything.
The tall masked man grabbed some flowers off a nearby stand, leaving a nice tip on the edge.
Hidan's eyes nearly flew out of his head. It was one thing that Kakuzu bought flowers, a total waste of money because they die, but he spent more than he should have for them. He slowly followed the man who was acting weirdly. He followed him right into a graveyard.
Kakuzu walked down the line of stones right up to one that was starting to wear away. He looked at it with his stone eyes.
Hidan looked around him and saw the name 'Takara' scrawled across it, 'Wonderful wife and mother. Will be missed dearly by those who loved her.'
"Who the hell is this bitch?" Hidan growled. Considering Kakuzu's odd behavior all day, he was not expecting a swift punch to the face with Kakuzu's earth spear arm. The rock solid arm pounded into Hidan's face hard, sending the silver haired Jashinist flying.
Blood spurted all over the place from the man's broken nose and lip. Hidan started spewing more curse words than anyone could have ever thought to put together.
"What the hell is your problem!" Hidan yelled, holding the nose that was slowly healing.
Kakuzu just growled and started walking until he came across another grave. He set more flowers down, but this time Hidan didn't say a word about it. His nose just stopped bleeding and he wasn't willing to risk pissing off Kakuzu, who was obviously holding in all the rage that had been building, thank to the silver haired man.
They approached a small worn down house. A small child played out front with his ball and his twin sister ran over to him when the two men walked up. Hidan looked at them oddly. They both had dark skin and brown hair. The boy had pale green eyes and the girl had deep blue.
The boy yelled out, "Mommy!" a tall woman with her blonde hair pulled up walked out and eyed the men mysteriously. Kakuzu turned to Hidan and handed him a stack of cash, "Go find an inn and do what ever you want."
Hidan was sent reeling in confusion. This was not the Kakuzu he knew. He looked over to the woman and her two children, who were now joined by a man with pale skin and dark brown hair. His eyes were blue.
The tall man saw him too. He looked just like his Takara. His eyes softened and he turned back to Hidan with a look, "I said leave."
Hidan held up his hands in a defensive position, "Okay, Okay, Okay…I'm leaving…just don't expect any of this cash to be left, I'm going to buy as many hookers as I can find." the Jashinist laughed as he walked off.
Kakuzu growled and turned back to the family sitting on the lawn. The man stepped forward, "I don't know who you are, but you had better leave…I know those cloaks you wear…leave now…we don't want any trouble…"
The man obviously knew where he was from and possibly who he was. He stood his ground. Kakuzu held up his hands and grinned beneath his mask, "I don't want trouble either, I just want to know if Kichōna stills lives here."
This statement put the man on an even further edge, "I said leave. I want you away from my family."
He turned and pointed inside the house, "Rina, take the kids and find mom, don't open the door for anything." the woman nodded and grabbed her kids taking them inside.
The brunette man turned back, "I don't know what you want here, but you will leave us out of this."
'Mom?' Kakuzu thought, 'So this brat is my grandchild…' his skin crawled at the thought of his baby girl having kids, who had kids. Was he really that old? Well, it had been sixty something years since he had left.
"I just want to talk to her, I won't harm you, nor the children." Kakuzu was beginning to lose his patience.
They stared hard at each other for several minutes, before 'Rina' came walking out of the house, "Your mom said she wanted to see the stranger…"
"She doesn't know what she wants…he's one of those men they told me to watch out for…one of the Akatsuki…"
"I know honey, I told her that…she threatened to get out of the bed…" He sighed and looked at Kakuzu.
"You do anything to her or us, and I'll kill you myself!" he threatened, before motioning for the tall Akatsuki to follow him.
Kakuzu walked in and memories flooded him of the first night he and Takara had spent here. No bed nor food, they ended up telling stories in the moonlight, which turned rather romantic soon after. It was just the way he remembered it, minus the few details of added things and some things were missing, like the table he hand built, and broke his thumb doing so, was gone. He wondered where it was. As he passed a wall, his eyes drifted over a bunch of pictures of his grandson and his family.
As the pictures went on, the boy got younger and younger soon pictures of a woman began showing. Those green eyes and brown hair framing a dark skinned face. It was his baby girl all grown up. He growled seeing a man beside her in some of the pictures. He hated that he didn't get to watch his little girl grow up and he definitely hated that he didn't get to scare this boy the right way for touching his daughter.
She got younger and younger until his heart stopped, all five of them. It was a picture of Takara, old and worn, yet smiling. She was holding her grandson, with Kichōna beside her. There were only a few pictures after that, a few of them made him stop and think. They were of him and his family, before the mission. He held Kichōna in his arm and Takara pressed to his side. A true smiled placed on his lips. He hadn't smiled like that in more than half a century.
He reached out and touched the photo, almost willing himself into the past where he could kiss his wife lovingly and hold his daughter. He closed his eyes and wished more than anything to go back.
"That's my mom when she was a child, and my grandmother…" Kakuzu turned and smiled beneath the mask.
"That man…is my grandfather…I never met him…apparently he died long ago after running away from the village. He wasn't a bad guy, but…he did some bad things…"
Kakuzu chuckled, "I knew him, he was a terrible bastard…" the tall man turned, obviously wanting to get to Kichōna's room.
"I'm Kuzumaru, by the way, named after my grandpa." the man, now Kuzumaru, said, "My kids are named after me and grandma, Kuzumaru junior and Kara…"
Kakuzu just nodded and waited a little less than patiently for him to open the door, which he remembered all too well. It was the last room he'd seen his daughter in. the painful memories decided to rise again, sending his rage flying, but the second his eyes laid upon an old woman with pale green eyes.
"You have awesome eyes!" Kakuzu looked down and spotted the small boy, Kuzumaru Jr. Kakuzu smiled and ruffled his hair.
"Come on guys, leave your grandma alone now." he roped the kids out of the room.
Kakuzu slowly made his way to the seventy-three year old woman. Her head was faced out the window. His heart sped up. Despite her age, she was still his baby girl. He reached out and grabbed her hand.
Her eyes darted and met his, softening instantly, "Hi Papa…you came back…" her voice came out in a small croak.
"Hi baby girl…" he sat on the edge of the bed.
"You still have to wear that mask?" He laughed and reached out and gently ruffled her hair, "I missed you…"
"I missed you too, Papa…" tears flowed from her eyes and onto her blanket. Kakuzu reached out and wiped them away, his calloused fingers gently swept them away, but more followed. His daughter reached out and grabbed the mask, pulling it down.
"Hahaha…Papa…you look like the doll Mama made me when I was young…" she smiled, running her fingers over the threads holding his face together. He smiled softly, "I do, don't I?"
"Is that why you really hid your face Papa?" he nodded slowly. He felt a lump rise in his throat.
She giggled softly, "I think you look fine Papa, just like I remember," her tears still streamed heavily until she couldn't stop. "I tried to be a good girl for you and Mama…Mama was so sad after you left…I made her feel better though…Oh Papa, why did you have to leave us!"
Kakuzu felt the words rip through his like no blade ever had, "I would have gotten you two into a lot of trouble, it was better that why…I'm sorry…" words he hadn't had to say in a very long time.
He scooted up on the bed and grabbed the old woman in his arms and held her tightly. He grabbed her hand and began rubbing his thumb over the back and opened his stitched mouth and began to sing.
Little child,
be not afraid,
Though rain pounds harshly against the glass
Like an unwanted stranger,
there is no danger,
I am here tonight.
Little child,
be not afraid,
Though thunder explodes and lightning flash
Illuminates your tear-stained face,
I am here tonight…
Kuzumaru stood at the door and listened to everything. That man in there…he was his grandfather. The one who should be dead, because he was a missing nin AND he was at least 91 years old. How had the man survived this long? Not to mention being in the toughest group of shinobi in the world. He looked in and saw the so called Akatsuki sing to his daughter. Kuzumaru watched at tears flowed from his mother slowed down and the woman's eyes closed.
For you know,
once even I Was a little child,
And I was a gentle someone always came
To dry all my tears,
trade sweet sleep for fears
And to give a kiss goodnight.
Kakuzu pressed his lips to the top of her graying head.
And I hope that you'll know,
That nature is so,.
The same rain that draws you near me.
Falls on rivers and land,
On forests and sand,
Makes the beautiful world that you see
In the morning.
Everything's fine in the morning,
The rain will be gone in the morning
,But I'll still be here in the morning…
Kakuzu held her tightly, not wanting to let go of the only thing he had left in this world, besides money. He rocked back and forth and apologized a hundred times for leaving her and her mother. Tears that he had been holding for sixty plus years finally came spilling out as he felt his daughter's heart stop.
She was resting peacefully in her Papa's arms when she passed, a smile on her face. Kakuzu silently begged what ever gods did exist to let him die too. He wished to be with Takara and Kichōna more than anything. How had he fallen do low? A week ago he would have killed anyone for a little bit of cash. He was the heartless heat stealer of the Akatsuki, know for his greedy nature. How had he gone from that to this pile of shit holding his passed away daughter in his arms? He laid the woman back and his tears dried up. Kakuzu stood up and laid his hand on her forehead and smoothed her hair down.
Is this how Takara passed? Missing her husband in her sleep? Was it peaceful? Or was it from heartbreak? Did she know that he had locked away everything and had been completely heartless the passed several decades? It probably would have killed her to know he had tried so hard to forget her and Kichōna…
He hoped that she had gone peacefully…He pressed his lips to her forehead, "Be a good girl…take care of your Mama, and be strong…I love you both…"
Kuzumaru walked in and tears streamed his face, "She was sick…the doctors told us she was in pain…and that she should have died months ago, but for some reason she couldn't let go…" he touched the woman's hand.
"…I promised I would come back…" he whispered as it dawned on him. Kuzumaru sighed, "She used to speak highly of her 'Papa' all the time. Even though he was supposedly an enemy of the village she was raised, whenever anyone ever said anything bad about you…she would fight them. People grew used to it and refused to speak of the great Kakuzu…"
Kakuzu nodded and smiled softly at his daughter, "She was always a daddy's girl…"
He walked into the hotel where he sensed Hidan's chakra signature and entered the room. Hidan didn't look at him.
"Done being a pansy?" the silver haired male muttered. The tall tanned man growled and pulled out the pike he had stolen from Hidan and slammed it down on the Jashinist's head, earning a loud 'ouch' from the man.
"Just shut up and give me the rest of that money, now." He extended his hand and took what was left of the cash and started counting it.
"So that's it? You go berserk and all girly on me, and suddenly it's all better? Who the hell were those people? What the hell are you not telling me?" Hidan was getting on his nerves already.
"Hidan, I swear on all the cash I have, if you don't shut the hell up now, I'm going to rip off your head and drop in in the toilet!" he swung his stone fist at the silver haired man, who blocked it with his scythe.
"Good to have you back, bastard," Hidan smirked.
Kakuzu turned away and finished counting the money and placing it in the case, "My bingo book says there's a temple in the Land of Fire housing a pretty powerful…and valuable…bounty. We're going there next." Something told him this would be an interesting bounty to catch.
Okay, I'm sorry it was so long, but this idea had been under my skin for awhile and i had to write it out.
Its based on an episode of this show called 'Dead Like Me' great show, by the way ^_^ usually funny, but there was this one episode that made me sob like a baby, which is honestly something i did while writing this.
I really hoped you enjoyed and read the entire thing ^_^;
The song is "Lullaby for a Stormy Night" by Vienna Teng, i do not own it, but i love this song and thought it fit the moment.
I also apologize for what seems like OOCness, but really i read several times that he once was truly loyal to that village and loved it alot, so i figured he loved once. at least more than money lol
Lady Pyrien