I woke up the next morning, warmth surrounding me. Then I realized what position I was in.
My head was lying on Deidara's chest, my arm across his pale stomach as his arm wrapped around my skinny waist. It took all my strength not to jump up, slowly sliding off the bed to let the boy sleep some more. A deep blush marked my face, and I put my hair into a ponytail as I ran to the kitchen, remembering its location from passing it the night before. A traditional breakfast of miso soup and steamed rice was finished just as Kisame walked in, Itachi behind him.
"Good morning, beautiful. That smells delicious," Kisame stated in a goofy tone.
"Thank you, fish-boy. I'm just doing my job. Good morning, Itachi."
"Fish-boy? Really?" Kisame stated grumpily, his happy mood decreasing greatly.
"Well, that's what you look like," Kakuzu said, sliding into the room. "Breakfast smells marvelous, Kaori-chan."
"I agree, it's fucking wonderful." Of course, Hidan was right behind his partner.
Tobi ran in, hugging my waist from behind as I poured the soup into bowls.
"Tobi-kun already thinks Kaori-chan is a great cook! Good morning Kaori-chan!"
I just laughed as a response, continuing my task as Konan, Leader-sama, and Deidara walked in. Sasori followed behind, and Zetsu came in last. I sat the last bowl down onto the table and turned to the plant-like member, who looked at his soup as if it was a poison.
"Is anything wrong, Zetsu-san?'' I worried, wondering what I had done wrong.
"This smells delicious, I'm a carnivore." His two voices disturbed me, the white half's gentle as the black's was violent.
"Oh! I'm so sorry! Here," I said, rushing to the refrigerator and pulling out a piece of meat. "How would you like it done?"
"Just hand it to me, thank you, Kaori-chan."
"Kaori, would you like to go into a nearby village and buy some clothing? I'm sure Deidara would love to escort you," Leader-sama asked kindly, looking at me from his bowl.
"I would love to, Leader-sama, thank you. I can wash the dishes and be ready in about an hour."
"No need, Tobi usually washes the dishes. You can go get ready as soon as you finish your breakfast," he said, standing up. "And you may call me Pein-sama."
He disappeared into the hallway, and I just looked at the other members, who seemed shocked. "What's wrong? Is the soup not good enough? I can fix something else-"
"Pein-sama rarely lets people call him that, especially after he's only known them for a day," Deidara interrupted me, answering my question for me. "And don't worry, you're the best cook we've ever had, and this is the best breakfast I personally have ever had."
Everyone agreed, except Sasori, who wasn't eating. Intrigued, I turned to him.
"Sasori-san, why aren't you eating? Do you have a special diet like Zetsu-san?"
He looked up at me, his thoughtful eyes turning calm. "Oh no, Kaori-chan. I am a puppet; I do not need food."
Noticeably confused, everyone laughed at me. I hadn't expected an answer like that. His eyes were amused as he explained what has happened in his past. He was a self-made puppet, and that was very interesting to me.
Deidara was the last to finish his breakfast, and he placed his hand on my shoulder.
"We should probably get going. Hopefully we can find you some clothing to travel to the village in, un."
--
An hour later, I had chosen clothes similiar to those I had as a ninja: a short, black tank top, fishnet shirt, a skirt and knee length leggings. I changed at the store, grabbing my bags of clothes and essentials and walked out to find Deidara. His eyes went wide, and I laughed at him as he turned.
"What an outfit, un."
"This is how I dressed in Konoha. Besides, I have regular shirts and such in the bags, but it's hot. And I like showing off my stomach, thank you."
This was a true fact. My brother, Kakashi, had always cringed at my clothes ever since I graduated the academy. I enjoyed showing off my toned body, which showed the muscles of a good ninja. Besides, the pictures of our mother showed that she dressed similarly.
"What are you thinking about, un? You've been silent for longer than usual."
"Oh, my mother..."
"Do you miss her, un? I know it's hard to have to leave a village."
"Oh, I never knew her. She died giving birth to me. I'm an orphan, though I'm sure you know about my father."
"Konoha's White Fang, am I right, un? Commited suicide after being shunned by the villagers for abandoning a mission to save his peers."
I smiled sadly in response. My father had been a great ninja, and his life had ended too soon. I had nearly hated the village after that point, which was why I had no problem with the Akatsuki. I would've joined, except I didn't want to hurt Kakashi, my only surviving family member. He was the only thing I missed about the god-forsaken village.
--
The subject was changed, and soon we walked into the organization's hideout. Passing the living room as we walked, I heard a catcall and turned. Every eye was on me, and I felt slightly uncomfortable.
Hidan was the first to speak up. "Wow, hime. Flashy outfit, eh?"
"Hime? Itachi, what-" I was silenced by his gaze, telling me they hadn't gotten the nickname from him.
"That's what we decided to call you, Kaori. But what does Itachi have to do with this?" Kisame grinned, catching on to my mistake. Before I could answer, a monotoned voice answered for me.
"I called her that when we were children."
Everyone looked at the Uchiha, surprised etched onto their faces.
"Yeah, and I made you push me on the swing sets after school," I laughed, causing a faint smile to appear on his face. "Anyways, I'll go make lunch for you boys. Come to the kitchen in a half hour, and it should be done."
As we walked, Deidara looked slightly awkward. I looked at him with question in my eyes, and he shrugged.
"You wouldn't mind some help cooking, would you, un?"
"If you'd like to, you can help. Or you can just keep me company in the kitchen."
And this became my daily routine as maid of the Akatsuki, evil organization and my new family.
