Hey?! Where did everyone go? Did Masaru scare you off? **Glares at Masaru who grins** I'm going to make Pein chase you down if you don't stop scaring off my readers!
Masaru: **grins** I'd like to see you try…
**Okami tries to strangle him but Deidara holds her back**
Dei: Stop, uh! Violence isn't good for the baby!!!
**Sigh** Disclaimer… Still a disappointment that I have yet to own the characters outside of Rai.
Relieved. That was all Pein could feel when Rai walked through the door of the base with Deidara behind. Ever since the meeting with the new kage, Naruto, he had been anxious, on edge the entire time. There had even been a few moments when he had decided to go out and bring her back himself, but Konan only reassured that he was over reacting. He didn't see it as such, after all, he had a good reason to act like that after all that Madara had put them through. Just the memories alone were enough to boil his blood, but he kept any emotion from reaching his stoic features. Rai was back safely and that was all that mattered.
Deidara closed the door behind him with his usual wide grin in place before he spotted Pein. Surprised by the blonde's next action made him blink as Deidara rushed to him before engulfing the Akatsuki leader in a bear hug, stunning the Rinnegan user into a skeptical twitch of his eye. Rai blinked and watched with a slight fearful expression of Deidara's strange behavior at actually hugging Pein who looked strangely uncomfortable. It was to be anticipated she supposed when she no doubt knew he had expected it to be her that ran to embrace him other then the now insane bomber.
"Get off," Pein ordered coldly when he recovered from the shock. Deidara did nearly instantly but there was no embarrassment seen in his twinkling blue eyes.
"I have to tell… uh, ask you something," he said with a knowing finger pointed in the empty living room. He didn't wait for Pein to ask, or even lash out at him, before he nearly skipped to the room, waiting for Pein to follow. The said man looked over to Rai who was watching the retreating Deidara with a skeptical raise of her elegant brow before shaking her head. Sighing, Pein turned, deciding he better go see what Dediara was up to before he hurt himself by hugging the next man to enter the room, which if Pein was lucky it would be Hidan.
"You try that stunt again," Pein started as he entered the living room to see Deidara smiling brightly despite the dark promise that Pein was beginning to state before stopping. "What are you on?"
"On, un?" Deidara blinked at the strange question.
"Have you been sniffing the Sharpies again?" Pein asked darkly with suspicious narrowed eyes.
"Uh… no." The answer didn't convince Pein but he waited for Deidara to continue. "I was wanting to ask you for your permission to," Deidara looked around carefully to make sure Rai or any of the other members weren't around before whispering loudly from across the room, "marry Konan…"
Pein had to strain his ears to hear but he had caught the two words in crystal perfection. There was a long pause as he studied Deidara through ringed eyes, making the blonde look away nervously with a finger tapping his thigh awkwardly. Now the realization of just what he had done to the Leader was setting in and he started to greatly regret it.
He had to admit that Deidara asking him for permission was… shocking. Respectful but still shocking. Pein wasn't her father, but more of a brother figure as well as Leader so it only fit, but the fact that this homicidal bomber actually had high respect and responsibility to take it upon himself and ask was something Pein never thought he would see. Now to work on Kisame and Hidan and the group would be set. Even so he knew that he would never get Hidan to say the word "please" but it was wishful thinking. "You have my permission," Pein said slowly.
"Thanks, yeah!" Deidara yelled happily and leaped over the couch, coming straight at Pein with his arms wide and a crooked grin.
Ringed eyes widened momentarily before stepped only the slightest to the left and out of the line of fire of the running blonde who leapt in midair before crashing hard to the ground where Pein had stood moments before. As Pein stared at the crumbled heap of Dediara who groaned when his head had hit the wall, he felt a wave of satisfaction though his facial expression didn't give it away as he stepped over Deidara and left the living room in silence as a ghost. He had other important things to deal with that concerned a white-haired kunoichi.
He followed her chakra trail all the way into their room where he frowned before opening the door. It was no doubt that she was troubled when she returned. Her lack of reaction towards him was enough for that. In fact it troubled him deeply. It wasn't like her to not say a word or even laugh when Deidara acted stranger then usual. To be expected from the blonde's behavior alone was that she would have shot a few teasing comments to the blonde or….. something, but she only shook her head as if it was nothing that she cared about before disappearing. As he opened the door, he was met with an empty room with a large…larger then normal bed on one end where a tattered dirty cloak lay at the foot of it. The door to the bathroom was closed and a small shaft of light was shining brightly from under with the sound of the bath water running.
Pein smirked while closing the door behind him and walking to the cloak. Maybe he was over reacting… After all she may be tired and that would explain her strange behavior. It was true that she hadn't been able to go out on any missions since she came back with him from Konoha, so it was to be expected that the mission wore her out. Perhaps a nice nap curled up to him would help… The thought made him smile to himself as he picked her cloak up to take it to get cleaned as the water was turned off from the bathroom. It was suddenly silent in the room as Pein stared at the closed door. Oh that reminded him… He reached a hand into his pocket and pulled out her necklace of a silver choker with the scarlet ribbon intertwined with the links and the onyx shuriken pendant. The once blood red stone was missing from her fight with Madara which brought a frown to his lips. He would have to fix that before he gave it back to her. With that in mind he set it back into the safety of his pocket just as a sudden ghostly crash came from the bathroom followed after a startled scream.
Forgetting the cloak in hand, Pein rushed to the bathroom door and opened it to find blood pooling across the floor and Rai naked and curled in the corner of the bathroom with her knees pulled tightly to her chest and hands holding her ears. Tears were flowing wildly down her cheeks with sobs leaving her shaking body. As he stepped closer he could see blood deep in the roots of her white hair above her forehead that was bleeding profusely.
"Rai," he started, drawing her attention as sudden dread filled him at the sight of her. She glanced at him with shimmering green eyes before the small drip of the fosset made her flinch while pushing her hands to her ears again and another sob left her. Now Pein realized what had happened. The drip of water had no doubt scared her from the hours of water torture she had endured with Madara… Quickly he pulled a towel and leaned over her, blocking the view of the bath with his body and lifted her up carefully. She was still shivering and hugged the towel around her as if it could protect her, not caring that she was naked in Pein's arms bride style. Gently, he walked around the bed before he set her on the mattress with her legs over the side and wrapped the towel around her body much like a cacoon while kneeling in front of her knees. Rai held the towel closer and watched him as he raised a hand to her now bruising temple with his thumb rubbing over the purple yellow like stain.
"I-I fell…." She said quietly while his eyes turned back to her.
"Well you tend to be clumsy," he said lightly with an attempt to make her smile. She did although slowly before it shrank.
"I…the water…" she tried to explain but he leaned up and touched her lips with his briefly.
"You're ok now." With that he stood up and walked into the bathroom again before coming back with a first aid kit. Again he kneeled in front of her and set the box to her left with the lid open for him to pull supplies out as it was needed. In his other hand was a small rag soaked in warm water that he used to softly dab her face where the blood was caked on from the wound but her shivering made him pause. She was cold and a thin towel wasn't something that would keep her warm. Glancing at Rai, she didn't look at him, from what he assumed as embarrassment before he took off his cloak and wrapped it around her.
Rai blinked and turned to look at the man in front of her before smiling again at Pein as he went back to cleaning her wound. Still smiling she slouched deeper into the cloak with it being pulled higher over her shoulders and inhaled his scent, letting all troubled thoughts leave her mind. It was amazing that just his sent alone had that power over her and she relished it. She suddenly felt safe all over again as she started to relax until a sharp pain entered her skull. "Ouch," she muttered.
"Sorry," Pein said with an apologetic smile before reaching over to the medical box and pulled out iodine. "This will sting."
And sting it did. She winced as he applied the medication, feeling a little of the liquid starting to roll down her face but he caught the drip with the corner of a rag. As soon as the pain started, it stopped. Green eyes bled to blue as she deactivated her bloodline and watched Pein rummage through the materials next to her before finding some other medicine. Smiling at the care he seemed to be taking up with this, she pulled the box into her lap, hoping it would make it easier for the orange haired man instead of leaning over to reach it. He seemed to appreciate it after he flashed her a heart throbbing smile and leaned up to kiss her one more time before going back to her wound. "Perhaps you should have music in the room when you take a bath," he proposed. "I would think that the water wouldn't startle you if there was other noise."
Rai frowned at her own weakness and Pein seemed to notice as he watched her carefully. She didn't say anything at first, just sat there and allowed Pein to finish clotting the wound with a thin ointment. An uncomfortable silence settled over them and Rai bit her bottom lip in thought. She was scared and once again she was showing just how weak she was. The memories of her kidnapping and the recent run in with Masaru was pushing her close to the edge, making her want to be left alone and cry it all out, as if that would help. She knew well that it wouldn't but she didn't know what to do. Too deep in her thoughts, she was unaware of Pein letting his hand fall on her lap while he stared intently on her face, picking out apart all of her emotions.
"What happened Rai?" he asked softly, bringing her out of the fearful memories. Although his eyes and voice were soft, his expression was hard.
"What?"
"On the mission? There's something bothering you."
"…Nothing," she said and backed it up with a shake of her head though quickly regretted it after the pain increased. "I'm just tired from it, is all…"
Pein studied her in disbelief and it only added to her anger at herself for being so easy to read. "Rai. If something happened I want-"
"I told you nothing happened!" she snapped but blinked a moment later and regretted it.
A flash of hurt crossed Pein's eyes but was immediately replaced by his emotionless mask he never wore around Rai. He didn't say anything as he sighed in disappointment and stood before walking out of the room.
"Wait- I'm sorry," Rai started when she realized that she had offended him, not to mention hurt him, but all she got in reply was a door closing shut, leaving her alone in the room. With an angry grimace she turned back to look at her knees while she bit back tears. Pein was only trying to help her and she had yelled at him... It frightened her and all she could do was sink lower in her self doubt. With tears leaking and burning her skin, she fell onto the bed with her face buried into the pillow and a sob racked her body. Pulling the cloak tighter around her, she cried at her own weakness.
Rai sat at the end of the bed with Pein's shirt pulled over her and hunter green cargo capris. She sat with a firm frown and both hands placed on either side of her with her shoulders slouched while her feet kicked back and forth against the side of the bed; a book lying forgotten by her side and opened face down on the comforter where she had left off of. The tick of the clock on the dresser was all that she listened to. The tick tock tick tock being the rhythm she bounced her legs to while her blue eyes stared off in the dark room with a distant glaze. Guilt was being merciless on her conscious as if pounding against her like waves on the reef and dragging her farther and farther under until she couldn't breath anymore. This was starting to wear down whatever resolve she had with moving past all that had happened and although she looked calm if not lost, she was a raging storm within. Not something she knew was good for her or anyone else for that matter.
But Masaru was back and had brought along a string of threats to her and all she held dear. Life wasn't ready to let Rai breathe and recover while the same could be said that Kami was considerably busy while ignoring her prayers that this was all a dream. But it didn't take a fully functioning sane kunoichi to know that it was in fact reality. Still she tried to think, or even convince herself to wake up from this night mare. Nothing seemed to be going her way. All she wanted was to live a life in Akatsuki peacefully. Hell she could forgive Kami and whoever pulled life's strings about Madara, but what on this green earth would bring her luck to a path of Masaru? The Demon himself must have very well known connections to the supernatural. Shaking her head she paused in her kicking before picking it up once again with a sigh.
Masaru had acted… strangely. If he didn't want to destroy the Shinobi Nations then what did he want her power for? There wouldn't be any other use for her right? She knew he had no interest in her bearing an heir as Madara had which she was more then grateful for, but that didn't mean that her worries were over. Surely in that sick and twisted blood lusted mind of his, he had something up his sleeve that she would find worse then anything before. And why did he let her go?
He came, he threatened... he let her leave. What was his reason for that? Pein, much like Madaru, only did things as well as allowed things to happen for a deeper reason or goal. Much like Pein returning her to Konoha's borders the first time they met with full intentions of seeing her again. The man planned his moves and never seemed to fail in getting what he wanted. Masaru was very much the same, however what he wanted came to a higher price then Pein's. If Masaru let her leave then what would he get from it? Perhaps he was too soon into whatever plans he wanted with her? But why would he be looking for her? The fact that he had men separate her from Deidara was enough for her to know that he had planned that meeting in the forest which suddenly sent a shiver down her back that she was so easily fooled into his traps.
You know you'll have to tell them soon, Jaci proposed warily. With him being within her, he was all too aware at how close she was to the edge mentally. Madara had truly done a number on her head with the few weeks of torture.
Hearing Jaci's calming voice made her pause in her kicking with a dark shadow casting over her features and a frown between her brows. She had to tell someone? Did she? Why? They didn't need to know. No they didn't so she wouldn't say anything.
That's not a wise choice, kid—
It was perfect, she ignored her kantana. She would pretend that it never happened. None of it. Like Madara and Masaru. She had heard of people blocking out traumatic accidents from their mind. Perhaps she could do that. Convince herself that what Madara did never existed….
You do that and you'll cause yourself more problems--
Again he was interrupted by a knock on the door that made Rai nearly jump out of her skin and bring her crashing back to reality hard as if she had been asleep, unaware of just how deep she was into thought; not to mention that she wasn't even sure what she was just thinking about as if it had all washed away. She blinked to find herself in the bedroom before looking around as if she had never seen it before just as a knock on the door echoed again eerily. "Rai. You didn't come down for dinner, un," Deidara's muffled voice implied in concern on the other side of the door. Rai stared at the door behind her but still didn't say anything as she glanced back at the clock on the dresser to see it was nearly 10pm. "Rai? Are you ok, hm?" he asked after getting no reply and his tone was starting to become anxious.
Knowing that he would soon be charging in at any moment, she curled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them before answering, "Sorry. I was just reading my book…and I must have lost track at time."
"Oh," Deidara said through the door. He was tempted to open it and welcome himself in, but ever since he had found her a few nights ago in the forest, scared out of her wits, she had acted differently. He didn't like it and knew that he needed to talk with her to see what the problem was. But she didn't want to talk with him; the wooden door staring him in the face still was enough of a clue to that. Instead he said his good night and went back into his room down the hall where Konan had disappeared to.
Rai watched from over her knees, the light under the door where Deidara's shadow was before he stepped away with his feet echoing down the hall. She knew he was trying to help, but she was worried. Not for herself but of what Masaru had said.
(Flash back)
"Let me tell you a secret," he said to her with his aristocratic features abundant in the limited moonlight and a wind ruffled his shimmering hair. His eyes almost looked ethereal as they nearly glowed through the shadows. "You send this man my regards and I'll take the time to meet him, yes?" Rai said nothing. "And if he doesn't forget about you and move one, then I will be the one to help him move on to Hell," there was a pause as she bristled in front of him before he continued with a menacing smile, "And he won't die. He'll live but only with the faintest breath in his lungs," he leaned closer, "With the smallest drop of blood in his veins," Closer. "The weakest beat of his heart." Now his lips her brushing against hers. "And the quietest whisper left in his being."
She could see the images clearly of Pein being chained to a cold leaking wall with black grime pasted over the cold bricks. His short would be torn and shredded to undignified rags that barely hung to his thin shoulder and starved figure. Masaru would no doubt find pleasure in ripping out every one of Pein's piercings savagely with glee. Deidara, Konan, Kisame, Kakuzu, Zetsu, Hidan…. No one else would be spared. Each would be torn from limbs and muscles before being fed to the demonic ninja. The images were playing like a movie and she jerked her head from side to side, taking in the pain from her head wound that made her mind fuzzy with throbbing. Anything to keep her mind from the negative thoughts was welcomed to her. She had to stay strong through this. What Madara did to her was a thing in the past and would never happen again. Pein would see to that. He would go to the ends of the earth for her. She knew it.
Eyes to the horizon and keep your chin up…But while you wait, here's a question…
If you light an invisible kunoichi on fire, can you see her burn?
The words of the stranger from when she was held prisoner rang through her throbbing head. What did that mean? Repeating those words in her mind like a mantra only calmed her nerves and all thoughts before drifted to her dark corner of her mind. Masaru was back but if Madara did one thing write since he took her it was giving her more power then before. Pein wouldn't leaver her and he was a God. No matter what he wouldn't lose to a low life like the Masaru so what was she thinking? The demonic Shinobi only wanted to mess with her head and he did for a moment there. But he would have to do better then that. She had her chin up and she wouldn't let this man take her down. She had a lot of healing to do, right? Best time to start was now. And now was time to find Pein and talk to him.
With that, she stood up, letting Pein's white pin striped button up shirt fall over her waist and snuggled her cloak higher over her shoulders, knowing it would be cold outside where no doubt Pein would be to clear his head. Once prepared for the bitter air, she pulled her long white locks from inside of the cloak and pulled it over the collar before walking to the door with her hands stuffed in her pocket. Suddenly they brushed against something cold and she carefully removed it to see before blinking. It was her necklace. She had thought she had lost this long ago but it seemed to always find her way back to her. Funny. With a bright smile, and her mood lifting drastically she pulled it under her hair and clipped it together before centering it over Pein's shirt. With her smile growing, she walked out of the room to find Pein.
Meanwhile, Deidara entered his room where Konan looked up from brushing her hair and smiled before is shrank. "What's the matter?"
Deidara sighed and took a seat next to her un the bed, letting his eyes wander over her curved frame under her short night gown that stopped just above her knees. "Rai is acting strange."
"She's probably tired is all," Konan shrugged but she kept her eyes on Deidara to watch his reaction.
"No that's not it." He shook his head. "She's been jumpy since we were attacked by those ninja, yeah."
"You were attacked?" Konan asked while furrowing her brows and letting her hand holding the brush drop to her side. "You didn't tell me."
"It wasn't a big deal-or at least I didn't think so. They were a bunch of weaklings, un and weren't hard to deal with at all." He paused and a troubled frown set in. "But Rai and I were separated and when I found her afterwards she was in a scared mess, un. Completely startled and sweaty…and pale like a ghost." Again he shook his head while Konan contemplated his explanation. "It just doesn't make sense, yeah."
"Well," she started slowly after a few moments of silence. "Maybe she is having a hard time getting over the kidnapping. She hasn't spoken a word about what that bastard did to her and we have no idea outside of rape and water torture. She has a near fear of the dark and I would be surprised if she panicked because she was found alone in the forest."
Deidara thought it over for a moment. It sounded logical enough but after a flash of her bright grin and rich laughter from the time before the attack when they were at the village made him think there was something that didn't fit. She was so innocent and lighthearted before. Her confidence even when scaring their source wasn't unlike her normal behavior.
His shadow stretched out in front of him, disappearing at the end of the roof before being continued onto the ground below. The wind was soft and bitter against his bare arms from his t-shirt with one hand behind him to keep him sitting up while the other hung haphazardly on his single bent knee. He hadn't meant to leave Rai when she was slowly falling apart and now he greatly regretted it. She needed him and whether or not she admitted, he knew. But with this new fear that she was put into danger again and the anger that she was broken from torture was in a raging battle within him. There was no way he could think clearly for what was best for her when all he wanted was to keep her close to him. The moon was full and bright against his back as leaves fluttered off of the branches around the base and into the air like celebrations through the moonlight.
He no sooner felt, rather then heard her approach. She walked in a ghostly silence that a skilled ninja learned from experience but the vibrations were evident on the shaky rafters of the roof top. He lifted a hand and combed his fingers through his orange spikes with his silver ring flashing in the white celestial light. Rai carefully sat beside him, not glancing over to the man who she suddenly embarrassed being near. They say, side by side, silent until she shifted her weight uncomfortably.
"I'm…Look. I'm sorry for snapping at you. It's just that there has been a lot of things going on in my head and… well it wasn't right and I really am sorry," she said as her voice dropped off.
Pein smiled softly knowing there was no fault in what she did. He would be more worried if she denied that the entire incident didn't have any effect on her. "Bad day is all," he said shortly. "I'm expecting there to be worse in the future."
Rai frowned and the shimmer of her eyes drew his attention before he reached out apologetically. "Come here." She looked up and met his eyes with hesitation. "Are you going to make me wait?" he asked lightly.
The corner of her lips pulled and she scooted closer and into his inviting arm where he wrapped it around her shoulders. Pleased, he felt her head rest on his shoulder before he reached his other arm across from him to hold her tightly against him while he laid onto his back with her cuddled against him, the warmth of her breath being all he needed to fight the cold October air. "It will get worse before it gets better and I apologize for walking out on you."
Rai was surprised to hear him apologize and she sat up a little to look down on him. "It'll get worse?"
He nodded. "But nothing I can't handle," he added with a chuckle that made her laugh softly.
"You know me so well," she retorted teasingly.
"Maybe," he shrugged against the roof. "But it helps. It's not like you would tell me you had a bad day on your own. You are stubborn like that."
"Glad to hear you have faith in me."
Again he chuckled and pulled her closer while lifting his head slightly to drop a kiss on her forehead. Rai leaned closer to him, cuddled in his warmth. She had fallen for him and hard but like he had promised before, he was there to catcher every time. She wouldn't have made one change in her life if it meant that she would miss a day without him. His hands weren't the softest but were strong from a lifetime if fighting for survival nor were his words the gentlest, but deep down she knew he cared for her the same. She wasn't sure if she would call it love, mainly because she wasn't sure what love was. But what she did know was his voice made her weak in the knees and his laughter made her heart flutter while his lips on hers made her stomach flip. He wasn't perfect and wasn't the fastest but she didn't care, as long as he was strong enough to hold her tight. She saw his every fault and cared for every one tenderly. If she could call this anything it would be love and love was something she would fight for.
"I love your attire," he smiled but didn't make eye contact with her. "You should wear it more often."
"Really? I think it smells funny," she shot back.
"Smells funny?" he asked in mock offensive. "It can't be too bad if you continue smelling my pillow when I get up first from bed."
Rai felt her cheeks flush before she buried her head deeper with in his chest to hide her embarrassment. "You weren't supposed to see that," came a weak argument.
He laughed at her expense but didn't say anything else as they sat there staring into the sky with their own thoughts blissfully drifting past one another. A few minutes ticked and past before Pein felt Rai yawn against his chest. "You should go to bed, Rai-chan."
She shook her head no and stayed curled against him. "You're better then the pillow."
"Well we will have to see how true that statement is another time." When she didn't respond to the hidden remark, he knew she was starting to drift off. "Go to sleep, Rai."
She felt his arm around her tighten protectively. "But I have to tell you…about someone," she whispered and was soon after asleep.
Pein frowned down at her, shaking his head slightly. Carefully he rested her against the tile while he sat up with his cloak still snuggly wrapped around her. He lifted a hand and swept away a strand of his hair from his face and leaned over her before he moved his hand until if hovered over her face. His fingers flexed but he still didn't touch her that stayed centimeters from her skin. He stared at her as if contemplating on whether to touch her bruised skin or not. But he sighed a moment later and let his hand fall to his side while the other rubbed the back of his neck. The kunoichi was slowly coming around from the accident but the damage was still done.
Not to mention that this new threat was running around and he had….. regrettably allied himself with Konohagakura.
Aww this is such a cute and sad chapter… I'm falling in love with Pein all over again!!! I don't know about you but I was grinning the whole time writing this.