NARUTO
OJOSAMA TO MIKO
~O~O~O~
When the Akatsuki happen across a girl in the forest, none of them are prepared for what's about to happen next. Returning to their world from another one, and unsure of her memories, it's up to the lethal criminals to protect her – from one of their own…
~O~O~O~
CHAPTER TWO
A Sudden Disturbance…
~O~O~O
Kakuzu and Hidan walked into the Akatsuki's base, a giant structure constructed within a cliff.
They were greeted in the entrance room by Konan.
She took immediate stock of the situation – of the look in Kakuzu's eyes, of the firmness on Hidan's face, and mostly of the unconscious and injured girl in the priest's arms. The kunoichi sighed. I hate it when I'm right…
"Follow me," She said to Hidan and Kakuzu's, leading the way down a long hallway, toward the room where Nagato was waiting.
"She needs healing." Hidan stated flatly.
"I know," Konan replied calmly, turning around to face him. "Give her to me, and go in and see our leader."
Hidan hesitated.
Konan's deep blue eyes pierced into Hidan's violet ones. "Do not worry," The blue-haired woman said softly. "I will take care of her…"
Hidan nodded once, and transferred Emma to Konan's arms. "If you don't, bitch…" He warned her.
"Go." She said sharply, inclining her head toward the door, before walking off down the hallway, carrying Emma in her arms with ease.
Hidan and Kakuzu watched her go, and then went into the room to speak to Nagato.
Konan glanced down at Emma as she walked, and wondered: What is it about you, that has Hidan acting this way?
~O~O~O
Inside the room, Nagato listened patiently as Hidan and Kakuzu gave their recount of the mission, finishing with Hidan stating that he wanted the girl to stay.
Nagato paused for a moment, before asking simply: "Why?"
Hidan faltered. He hadn't actually come up with an appropriate reason yet, one that the non-religious members of the Akatsuki would understand. Because she's a priestess? Because I met her once before? Because I'll massacre you all if you say no? Somehow, Hidan doubted those reasons were sufficient enough to stand well, particularly that last one…
Kakuzu, however, surprised Hidan by having an answer ready, but it wasn't the one Hidan wanted to hear. "The girl seems to possess a strange amount of chakra." The bounty-hunter stated flatly, noticing but choosing to ignore the Look Hidan gave him at those words. "It is not nearly as powerful as that of the tailed-beasts, but it isn't something I have encountered before…"
Nagato nodded, his face betraying none of his emotions.
Hidan glanced at Kakuzu, a slight look of desperation in his eyes, and then back at their leader. "Can…can she stay?" The Jashinist asked, a serious note to his voice that neither of them had ever heard him use before.
Nagato looked up at him, and seemed about to answer, when the door to the room opened, and Tobi entered.
"Can Tobi talk to you?" The man in the orange mask asked cheerfully, sitting down on a chair in front of Nagato's desk in a seemingly careless fashion.
Nagato nodded. "Of course." He looked up at the Jashinist and the bounty-hunter. "Go." He ordered, coldly.
Both of them knew better than to argue with their leader, and so left.
As soon as they were gone, and out of earshot, "Tobi" turned to Nagato. "About this girl…" Madara said, none of Tobi's tone in his voice now, but with an odd sense of cheerfulness. "Absolutely she must stay."
Nagato stared at Madara, who stared back at him from behind his orange mask. Neither of the men said anything, until Nagato nodded.
"Fine." He said.
"Good." Madara stated, getting up and walking out without another word.
Nagato sighed, and rested his head on his hand. Now what?
~O~O~O
Konan watched as the girl opened her eyes, and noted that she had the same confused look in them that most people have after they've fainted.
That look was soon replaced with panic, as she sat bolt upright and looked around her.
"Where am I? !" She asked in a strangled kind of voice, glancing at Konan and then glancing away again, embarrassed and shy.
This can't be happening…I thought that stuff in the forest with Hidan and Kakuzu was just a dream, but now… She glanced down at her arms, which were bandaged up. This is NOT what I expected when I got my headband back…oh no…my headband…I dropped it back in the forest!
Choosing not to convey this information to Konan, Emma took a deep breath and asked, a lot more calmly now: "Where am I?"
"You're at the Akatsuki base, in a location I cannot tell you," Konan said.
"The Akatsuki?" Emma blinked. Yup, this just gets weirder and weirder…fan girls back home, eat your hearts out! "Wait, are you called Konan?"
The blue-haired woman nodded. "Yes. Who are you?" She asked, in a not unfriendly way.
"Umm…Emma…" The younger girl replied, remembering how Hidan seemed to have known her name. I have to ask him about this… She thought, pushing the covers back and swinging her legs over the side of the bed. "Umm, how long have I been out, Nee-Sama?"
Konan almost smiled at being called 'big sister'. "The whole night. How are you feeling?"
"I've been better," Emma replied truthfully, not looking at her.
She's shy. Konan realized. Then, she's not gonna like this next part. "Our leader wishes to speak with you." She told the younger girl.
Emma's face paled, but what she said was not what Konan was expecting. "Do you mean Nagato-Dono or Madara? !"
Konan stared at her for a moment, trying to process this new information. Whoever this girl was, she knew a lot. Finally, she said: "Come with me."
Emma followed her out of the room, looking as white as her new dress.
~O~O~O
Emma didn't mean to stare, but there was something mesmerizing about Nagato's Rinnegan eyes. She had just finished telling him about the world she came from, and the undeniably amazing manga and anime known as Naruto. She had omitted certain details, saying that she hadn't read very far through the incredibly long series, and that she only knew a little bit about what was going on with the Akatsuki.
"So, this is how you know of us?" Nagato asked flatly.
Emma nodded. "Yes, Nagato-Dono…I mean, Pein-Sama…Leader-Sama…umm…"
Nagato waved his hand dismissively. "Are you aware that Hidan knows you?"
"I'm aware of it…" Emma said carefully, finally managing to look down and fiddle with the rings she wore on her left hand. "I just…don't know how he does…" She shrugged. "Maybe Jashin-Sama told him, or something…"
She didn't see the look Nagato and Konan exchanged.
"Alright," Nagato said finally, and Emma looked up. "Konan, show Emma around the base, introduce her to the other members."
Emma gulped, but stood up, bowing to Nagato before following Konan from the room.
"Are you okay?" Konan asked her, once they were out in the hallway.
"I don't do the whole 'people' thing…" Emma whispered.
"Excuse me?" Konan blinked.
Emma looked embarrassed. "I mean…I'm not really…good at meeting new people, Nee-Sama…I don't usually see people outside of my family…" My family…I wonder if they miss me… She cast her eyes down.
"I see," Konan replied, a little sadly. She decided to keep an eye on this girl.
Just then, Emma became aware of a presence behind her, and then a voice said: "So this is our new member she has strange Chakra it's so strong I want to devour it and her…"
"Eek!" Emma all but shrieked, nearly jumping into Konan's arms but settling for hiding behind the blue-haired woman instead. "This is Zetsu…"
Konan sighed, as Zetsu appeared from the woodwork. "Yes, this is Zetsu. Zetsu, this is Emma."
"A pleasure to meet you then eat you…"
Emma gasped.
"Don't mind him, he won't hurt you." Konan assured Emma, whilst sending Zetsu a look that said YOU WILL NOT. "Zetsu, is there something wrong?"
"Depends…do you consider a flood to be a bad thing?" Zetsu asked her.
Konan groaned. It was just one thing after another with the Akatsuki these days. "Alright, lead the way…Emma?" She glanced down at the younger girl, who gave her a look that plainly said she wasn't going anywhere with Zetsu. "Why don't you go to the kitchen and make yourself some breakfast?" Konan pointed one orange-manicured hand down the hall. "It's just straight down there, turn right and then it's at the end of the hallway."
Emam nodded. "Okay, Nee-Sama…" She glanced at Zetsu. "N-nice to meet you, Zetsu?"
"The pleasure was all mine or so I thought."
Emma had no idea what that meant, and was eager to put some more distance between her and Zetsu, which she did.
At the door to the kitchen, she stopped, and thought: Okay, I'm in the Naruto world. Hidan seems to know me, but I don't know HOW. The Akatsuki have seemingly taken me in, Zetsu wants to eat me but Konan-Nee-Sama won't let him, and there's a flood. What do I do? I MAKE PANCAKES!
She suddenly opened the door to the kitchen. "Ohayoo gozaima…" She trailed off when she saw who was sitting in the kitchen. "Su…?"
Deidara was sitting at the large table in the equally large kitchen. On the table in front of him was a clay bird. The blonde-haired young man turned to look at her, his blue eyes unmistakably curious.
"I've not seen you before, yeah." He told her. "Who're you?"
"Well…" Emma trailed off again, and looked at the clay bird on the table. She gulped. "Are you gonna say katsu?"
"Not yet, I was planning on…wait, how did you know about that, hmm?" The blonde asked her, still staring at her.
She sighed. "It's a looong story, I mean really long, like, if we were to document it, it'd take up over forty-one manga or something…"
Deidara looked confused. "Umm, what?"
"N-never mind," She told him, and headed over to the kitchen stove. Oh, damn, I forgot, I hate cooking… She gulped. Her insides were aching with hunger, but she wasn't about to say that. It's been…how long since I've eaten? And…I'm talking to Deidara! Eeee! ! !
"Hey, who are you, anyway?" Deidara had turned around in his chair and was leaning his chin on the back of it. He wasn't wearing his Akatsuki robes, just his normal grey outfit, since it was still early in the morning.
"My name's Emma," She told him, finding it easier to say this with her back to him.
"Ah, right, Leader said something about a new member, hmm." Deidara nodded.
"N-new member?" She stammered. "That's what Zetsu said, too…but I…" Do they know something about me I don't? I'm not a ninja! I just brought that headband at Waicon!
"Hey, what happened to your arms, un?" Deidara wanted to know.
"I nearly got blown up yesterday." She responded, still staring at a place on the wall where a window should be, except they were underground, so…
"That was you?" Deidara exclaimed.
"No, I just got caught up in it!" Emma replied hastily. "It was cool, though…it just got brighter and brighter, a massive wall of flames…" And, believe me, I know…
"Yeah…" Deidara sounded impressed. "I can see you appreciate art, un."
She laughed a little, starting to feel a little more comfortable but still wishing she was elsewhere. "Maybe, but I'm not that kind of artist…I prefer…manga…" The last part of her statement was drowned out by Tobi entering the kitchen.
"Sempai!" He exclaimed.
"Tobi!" Deidara swung around in his chair, picked up the clay bird and tossed it to his partner. "Here, catch!"
"What's…?"
"KATSU! !"
Emma, frozen seemingly over by the side of the kitchen, now turned around, in time to see the clay bird explode in "Tobi's" hands. Her insides churned as she realized who was underneath that mask, and wondered why she felt like running for the hills, full tilt.
"Un yeah!" Deidara grinned, as Tobi, his mask covered in black smoke, stood up shakily. "That's for being so annoying!"
"Sempai is so mean!" Tobi exclaimed, just as he spotted Emma. He ran up to her and gave her a massive hug. "Our new member!" Tobi/Madara felt the younger girl freeze up, and almost smirked. She probably knew who he was. "Emma-Chan!"
"M-Tobi!" She stammered. "You're getting s-soot over my dress!"
He let her go, and she glanced at Deidara. "Then again, that was probably your fault, Deidara-Kun…"
Deidara seemed about to answer, but didn't, because Kisame had just come into the kitchen, followed by…Itachi.