(resurfaces from oblivion) Um... hi guys. Damn, it sure has been a while, has it? So much for my plans for updating right after I'm back from vacation... that was in friggin' July! And now it's already September... can someone tell me where all that time went?!
This is the last update I can make before I'll go to college. Like I said at the beginning of the story, I will have to put much more time into studying than I used to so far. Still, I will try my best not to keep you waiting for too long, I promise. It's just that this is really important... and if I screw this up, then I'm dead.
You'll hear this from me again, but be warned - I don't think highly of this chapter, not at all. I wrote a tiny part of it quite a while ago, but then my muse abandoned me when another obsession entered my life. Fine time for that... (sigh) And now I've been watching practically nothing else but "Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs" and "Beauty & the Beast" for the past two days... for real! (Ah, those classic movies... I missed watching them! ^__^) But thanks to a dear friend of mine, SwissYaoiFangirl, I got inspired to continue my writing again! You might not believe this, but that inspiration actually came from watching "A Very Potter Musical" - check it out, it's epic win! And for some reason, I caught myself thinking that their Voldemort somehow reminds me of Hidan... and voilà, my muse was back! Thank goodness!
So in short: brace yourselves for potential crappiness. Don't get your hopes up... most of this was written today. With the same two songs from "Fern Gully" playing in the background over and over again. (lol)
"This had better be good!"
"Yeah! Where the hell is she? Doesn't she think that we've got better things to do on a Saturday night?"
"I even postponed my date with a hazel bush!"
The whole table fell silent as the other Akatsuki members stared at Zetsu.
"What?" the member in question asked huffily. "She's gorgeous! Now she'll think that I dumped her!"
"Hazel bushes?! Zetsu, are you getting desperate?" Kisame asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Am not! What makes you say that?"
"Well, I just thought… You know, we were all cool with the monstrous Venus Fly Traps you were seeing for a while…" Agreeing nods from the others. "…But a puny little bush? You could do better than that."
"See? I told you we shouldn't have given up on them!"
"You told me?! That's a laugh! You just couldn't stand the fact that someone had an even more monstrous appetite than you!"
"Lies! It's all lies!"
Sweatdropping, Sasori tapped Zetsu's shoulder. "Um, Zetsu… I think you're getting a tad bit side-tracked here…"
"Huh?" In the middle of an argument with himself, he paused and looked around. Kisame looked slightly irritated, and Kakuzu was busy picking something out from between his teeth with his tentacles. "Oh yeah… This isn't over yet!" he told his black side with a hiss.
"It's far from over, buster," came the immediate retort.
Zetsu's white side harrumphed and picked up where he had left off before:
"Like you're one to talk, shark boy! When's the last time you got some action, huh?"
"At least you wouldn't see me hanging out with a sardine!"
"Of course not! With your luck, you'd end up eating your date!"
"Mmh, fish…"
"Hey! When a guy is hungry, a guy is hungry! Don't make me get the weed killer!"
"Oh yeah? Don't make me get the sushi knife!"
"Shark sushi… argh, stop it, you're making me hungry all over again…!"
They leaned over the table and growled at each other, but before a fight could ensue, a voice interrupted from the now unwatched head of the table:
"Boys, no fighting at the table. Sit down right now. There will be no weed killers or sushi knives, is that clear?"
Five heads turned to see Konan standing there with a stern look on her face. She spared the two squabblers in particular a very pointed look before speaking again.
"If you absolutely must discuss the touchy subject that is your love lives, then do so outside. But now we have more important matters at hand. I hereby declare this conference open." She sat down and folded her hands on the table while Kisame and Zetsu resumed their seats, though glaring daggers at each other one last time.
"More important matters? There's nothing more important than money, Konan – we've been through this plenty of times already," Kakuzu commented with a theatrical sigh.
"Your precious money isn't running away from you. What we're talking about here is Itachi – or more specifically, what he brought along."
"The kid?" Zetsu asked.
"Yes, the kid. That is his little brother Sasuke. Your job will be the one of integrating him as good as possible. It will require patience, tactfulness and commit–"
"Aw, Konan! Babysitting?! You can't be serious!" Kisame groaned. She gave him a look that would have made a flower wither.
"Yeah, I agree with Kisame," Sasori interjected. Now the death glare was fixated on him, but he stared right back. "You know that we can't pull stunts like that. Remember the last time we tried such a thing? I believe it was Leader-sama himself who vowed never to take such a course of action ever again."
"That was one party those kids will never forget, no matter how much help they get. At least we got paid in advance," Kakuzu remembered, grinning as he thought about the fairly decent sum they had received despite having done not exactly a satisfactory job.
"That was a birthday party, a one-day ordeal. This is a different thing entirely. You could at least try this time," Konan advised them.
"I'd be glad to help," Orochimaru offered. He was the only one who wasn't sitting at the table, but leaning against the counter instead.
"Your help is the one kind of help we can do well without in this case. But say, why don't you join us at the table, Orochimaru? We'd hear you a lot better if you took a seat here," Konan said sweetly, but with a wicked smile playing on her lips.
"She's right. What's up with that, anyway? You're making me nervous, slinking around behind us like that," Sasori agreed, turning around to glance suspiciously at the snake-sannin.
"Um… uh… no, no, I'd prefer to remain standing this time, thank you," Orochimaru hurriedly rejected the offer, dismissively waving his hands.
"But it's so unlike you. You even ate dinner without sitting down," Zetsu pointed out.
"Look, I'd rather not talk about it, okay?!" Orochimaru tried to shush them while one hand gingerly rubbed his backside. Kisame sniggered when he noticed that, and Konan couldn't quite restrain a triumphant chuckle.
"Well then, have it your way," she told him in that same mild tone of voice even though she knew perfectly well what was the matter with him. Then she refocused on the other members. "Now, back to Sasuke…"
"What is in it for us?" Zetsu interrupted.
"Hopefully a leg or two," his black side chimed in.
"Certainly not," Konan huffed.
"Payment?" Kakuzu suggested, his eyes gleaming expectantly.
"Additional vacation?" Sasori piped up.
"No and no," the blue-haired woman answered. "What you'll get is appreciation, respect… and maybe even the love of a child, if you do it right."
The other members (save Orochimaru) exchanged glances, then Kakuzu voiced their identical thought:
"That sucks."
Konan frowned.
"We don't work that way, Konan, and you know that," Kisame pointed out.
"I was hoping that you'd pull yourselves together for once and turn over a new leaf," she responded immediately, not missing a beat.
"Come on… the kid's got you, what would he need us for?" Kakuzu asked exasperatedly, beginning to get impatient. His beautiful plans of counting money all evening long was going down the drain, and he didn't like that outlook at all.
Konan sighed. "I can't do this on my own. If I could, I would… but I can't. Come on, you guys – Sasuke has no one left besides Itachi. I'm sure he'd appreciate all the support he gets."
"What's wrong with Itachi? I mean, he's his brother…" Sasori trailed off.
"It's not that simple. You see, prior to his return, he had to complete a mission…" Briefly, she told them everything she knew about that mission. When she had finished, a moment of silence fell, but then Kisame whistled.
"Wow… for his age, I'd say that's pretty hardcore."
"Mmh. And the problem is…?" Kakuzu waited for Konan to elaborate.
She complied, though not in such a calm fashion anymore. "What do you mean, what's the problem?! How would you feel if your brother suddenly killed your whole family?"
Some rather indifferent glances were exchanged, then they all shrugged.
Konan growled. "Is it too much to ask of you… to have a heart? He's only eight!"
"It's a tough world, Konan," Sasori replied blandly. Agreeing nods from the others.
"Are you sure you don't want my help?" Orochimaru whined in the background.
"I'm absolutely sure!" Konan spat. "You're not patient, you wouldn't be tactful, and your commitment would be the wrong sort! As for the rest of you…" She paused, struggling to find the proper words. "…I don't even know where to start!" she concluded with frustration.
"In that case, could we drop this? The night's still young," Kakuzu suggested.
But that was the wrong thing to say. With an angry cry, Konan rose so suddenly that her chair overturned with a clatter. She slammed her fist down on the table and glared menacingly at each of them.
"Idiots! Morons! Why can't you for once treat others like you'd like to get treated too if you were in their place?! I'm not asking for much, just a little sympathy! But it's always the hard way or no way at all with you guys, isn't it?! You're impossible! I was willing to have a thorough discussion with you and let everyone make their own suggestions for their contribution, but the fact that you show no interest at all disappoints me beyond all measure! I don't care if we're S-ranked criminals – this is just purely and utterly despicable!"
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One might still have been able to hear a pin drop in the silence that still remained as Konan left the room quickly, feeling unnerved. She slammed the door behind her, and her cloak billowed behind her as swift steps took her down the hallway in search of Pein. Usually, she had her way with the others, but it seemed as if when it involved having a heart, they were the most stubborn creatures on the planet. But really, was it that much to ask for to show some compassion for a boy who had lost his entire family, save his brother? She would keep on trying to get through to them, but perhaps she could also count on some help from Pein. A little "men's talk" could be all they needed.
Speaking of whom… in the dim light of the corridor, she could see the red kanji sign of his office up ahead. She slowed down, wondering if it was still too early. Was his own little meeting already over? If there was one thing that not even she was allowed to do, it was to interrupt those meetings. What kind of punishment awaited those who disobeyed that rule was still a mystery – probably because no one had lived to tell the tale so far. In any case, several steps away from the door, Konan stopped for good, unsure what to do. She was dead meat if the meeting was still in progress when she entered… or maybe it was over by now, and Pein was thinking it over…
After a little while, the door opened and Pein stepped out into the hallway. Konan had only just felt a smile tugging at her lips when it died already.
Pein didn't look very good. She had never seen him like this after a meeting: he looked much paler than usual and his breathing was uneven. He obviously was under a lot of stress.
"…Pein?" she asked carefully, testing if he was in the mood to talk.
He just held up a hand tiredly to silence her, but took her by the elbow anyhow and dragged her away from the office. She quickly glanced over her shoulder, but she saw no one at the door, no one leaving the room. Had the meeting been that bad that he was in such a hurry to get away?
"Konan, what are you doing here? I thought you were holding a meeting with the others after dinner." His voice would have been enough to tell how stressed he was. But knowing what he could be like when she made comments on certain moods of his, Konan truthfully answered his question.
"I did, but sometimes I really wonder where we found these people. Is it that hard to show a little bit of compassion? Surely they would appreciate it too if they were in Sasuke's shoes and others should show some sympathy for such fates?! I will try again – they haven't heard the last from me yet, not by a mile – but perhaps you should try talking to them too –"
"About that, Konan…" Pein sighed heavily. He also paused briefly, then continued: "I'm not sure if we can go through with this."
Having gotten carried away by her previous rant, Konan rolled her eyes. "It would just be a little men's talk, Pein. It wouldn't hurt anyone of them."
"That's not the issue. I'm talking about Sasuke."
"I thought we had already talked about that." Konan's face darkened as she all but glared at him.
"Yes, but now I've had another talk about it," Pein retorted pointedly. "Now he knows for sure that Sasuke is here…"
"What else did he think? He saw Itachi leave with him, didn't he?" Konan was bristling.
"Yes, but I presume he was hoping that somehow, Itachi would dispose of him anyhow." When Konan raised an eyebrow skeptically, he frowned, and his voice became louder. "Look, how should I know?! It's not like I could read his mind or anything! Who knows what he's thinking?!"
"You can't expect me to know how a crazy's mind works," Konan shot back. "And I do intend on keeping that promise we made."
"Konan…"
"Give me one reason why we shouldn't do exactly that." Her voice sounded just as cold as her eyes looked.
"Because there weren't supposed to be any survivors. Itachi defied his orders by sparing Sasuke."
"So in other words, it's because he wills it. I meant a good reason, Pein." She was beginning to sound impatient – but in response, so did he.
"Well, can't you think of one?! You know who he is and what he can be like when things really don't go his way! Would you fight him if he went after Sasuke right now?!"
"Yes," she answered in a heartbeat.
Pein narrowed his eyes. "You wouldn't. You know that we cannot defeat him just like that."
"I don't care; all I know is that we made a promise to Itachi and that he's counting on us. If you intend to break your word, you probably should name a better reason than the one that someone simply wills it differently," she told him, crossing her arms.
"And you should keep in mind who we're talking about! I… I can't believe how you'd practically throw your life away for a kid we've hardly even spoken to so far!" Pein threw up his hands in exasperation.
"Then don't believe it. See how I care," Konan snorted, then turned on her heel and stalked off in the direction from which she had come.
Pein glared for a moment, but then a look of ruefulness appeared on his face.
"Konan! Konan, wait!"
But she didn't wait, and just after he finished calling her, she vanished in the dim light of the hallway. Snorting with displeasure, Pein quickly turned away and shuffled off to his room.
"Fine. Be like that, then. It's not as if I care… sort of…" he added in a mumble.
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Itachi looked first to his left, then to his right before he quietly opened the door. Like a shadow, he stepped into the room. As soon as he saw the silhouette of a small form lying in the bed, he didn't take his eyes off it as he came closer. At the foot of the bed, he stopped and stared at the boy's face for a moment. A soft sigh of relief escaped his lips: Sasuke was sound asleep. He knew that his little brother had suddenly gotten confronted with a harsh reality and that that would take a dreadful toll on him, but now he looked more peaceful than he had expected him to.
"Sasuke, I'm so sorry…" he whispered.
The younger Uchiha didn't react in any way, blissfully unaware of his secret visitor. Itachi glanced back at the door, then walked around the bed until he was right at Sasuke's side. The closer he was to him, the greater his own pain and ache became; he wished for nothing more than to explain why things had had to end in such a way, and hopefully Sasuke would understand and be able to forgive him. But Itachi also reminded himself that he mustn't put too much hope in that, for if he was completely honest, he did think that it was a bit much to ask of Sasuke. And yet… he feared what he would do if it turned out that he had lost his sibling's love. It was his certain source of happiness, the one thing that had kept him going when he felt down.
Being so close to Sasuke, he no longer dared to speak out loud, fearing that he might disturb the boy's sleep and prevent him from getting the rest he needed. Instead, he spoke to him in his thoughts:
'Otouto… I wish I could let you know how sorry I am. And I hope you will forgive me and listen to me whenever we'll get the chance to talk to each other again. I hope that despite everything, you will remember that I will forever be your brother and that I love you. If there is one thing I pray you don't forget, then it's that.'
His hand reached out for him, but Itachi hesitated. Dare he take the risk of touching Sasuke, thus possibly awakening him? If only his little brother weren't so hard to resist…
'I don't deserve this. Heck, I shouldn't even be here. But Sasuke… who knows when I'll get an opportunity like this again? Forgive me, little brother…'
His fingertips lightly touched Sasuke's forehead. But the boy didn't awaken; he didn't even stir. He just slept on, breathing slowly and deeply. Itachi breathed a sigh of relief, not even having noticed that he had been holding his breath. Thank goodness. So far, so good… maybe he could afford to stay just a little longer. If he was really careful, then Sasuke would remain asleep, and he could enjoy a few more secret moments at his side.
He knelt down beside the bed and tenderly tucked one of Sasuke's long bangs behind his ear. He didn't dare take his eyes off Sasuke's face, just in case the boy would wake up. But that wasn't the only reason; he simply loved to look at Sasuke, especially now that he looked so peaceful and innocent… unlike how he had looked at him back in Konoha. The youngster's expression had nearly torn his heart apart on the spot. It had been more than enough to make him dread the moment when Sasuke would see him again. What he would say and do… Itachi shook his head a bit, trying to put those thoughts aside for the moment. Affectionately, he ran his fingers through Sasuke's hair, over and over again. Against his better judgment, he couldn't stop repeating that one motion. Soon he figured that he would need a sign before he could stop, because now he was powerless to stop by himself… all he was doing was telling himself that one more pet certainly couldn't hurt… and then another… and another…
Suddenly, his fingers buried themselves into the dark hair strands a bit to get even more out of the touch. And this time, Sasuke reacted: with a soft sigh, he shifted until he was lying on his stomach and buried his face into the pillow a bit. An adorable smile played on his lips, and a sound that could almost be described as a purr escaped his throat when he exhaled.
Itachi thought his heart skipped a beat or two when Sasuke moved. He held his breath until his brother had made himself comfortable again, and even then he released it as slowly and quietly as possible.
That did it, he told himself. He had already lingered here much longer than he should have, especially since he shouldn't even have come here in the first place. He had to leave now before his antics would wake Sasuke up. They would probably meet soon enough, but he believed that nearly any sight would be more welcome to Sasuke upon waking up than the sight of… a murderer. Or perhaps Orochimaru. Maybe someday, Itachi thought with a pinch of amusement, maybe someday he would ask Sasuke what he would have preferred. Someday in the distant future…
"Sleep well, otouto," he whispered, barely hearing himself, "I'm sorry that I disturbed you."
There was one last thing that he couldn't resist doing, however: he ever so softly kissed the back of Sasuke's hand, which was half-buried beneath the pillow. Before the bittersweet temptation to stay for another moment could overcome him, Itachi stood up again and swiftly but silently left the room. With a 'click', the door closed behind him, and only now did he dare to breathe normally again.
"…Itachi!" he heard someone exclaim.
Startled, he whirled around to find that Konan had walked in on him. Her eyes darted from him to the door and back again, and when two and two were quickly put together, she gave him an incredulous look.
"Konan, I can explain…" Itachi began, but faltered instead of continuing. Could he really explain himself? Now more than ever, he wished he hadn't paid this secret visit in the first place. It had been sheer bliss to be at Sasuke's side, but that changed nothing about the fact that it was forbidden. Konan had told him so when she had checked on him before dinner.
"How is he, Itachi?" Konan asked quietly, stepping up to him.
Somewhat surprised that he hadn't gotten told off, Itachi answered: "He's fast asleep. No signs of nightmares or likewise…"
"That's good to hear," she muttered.
Itachi waited in vain for her to continue, and soon he couldn't stand the suspense any longer.
"Konan, listen, I know I shouldn't have been here, but I just had to –" he rambled.
"Shush, Itachi! Not here!" she silenced him with a pointed look. He obeyed instantly. With the ghost of a smile, she put a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, you should rest while you still can. You'll have missions on your hands soon enough."
Silently, Itachi allowed her to lead him away. Still waiting for the inevitable, he stared into space. Konan let him be for several moments, but then she waved her hand in front of his face a bit to get his attention.
"Itachi, look at me," she asked of him.
Hesitantly, he did.
"I know what you're thinking… but I'm not mad at you. I'm just a bit surprised that you actually went in there. You… did do that, didn't you?" she asked reassuringly.
Still looking somewhat guilty, Itachi nodded. "I just couldn't resist. I had to see him, I had to know how he was doing. I appreciate that you told me so yourself earlier on, but I had to see it for myself."
"I understand that. He's your brother, after all."
"Yes… he's everything to me…" Itachi murmured.
Noticing the forlorn expression in his eyes, Konan gently forced him to stop. Blinking, Itachi gazed at her.
"I know how much you're worrying about your first encounter with Sasuke here, but believe me when I say that I'll do whatever I can to help you two find your way to each other again. He might reject you at first –"
"Might?" Itachi repeated in disbelief, "He will, without a doubt. And that might not change for as long as I live."
Konan shook her head. "Try to have faith. You're brothers, and unless I've drawn a very wrong conclusion from what you told me, you share a strong bond. If he is given plenty of time, we have plenty more patience and he is repeatedly reminded of what you two should mean to each other, I'm sure that he will forgive you someday."
"I hope so… more than anything else…" Itachi mumbled.
In that moment, Konan was strongly reminded of the way Sasuke had looked when she had asked him how he was doing. She did not wish to bid him goodnight like this – and so, although hesitantly at first, she hugged him. He almost seemed to be petrified for a moment, but then she felt him return the embrace, holding on to her in the same careful way Sasuke had after she had "saved" him from Orochimaru. Noticing these similarities made her smile.
"It'll be alright, Itachi," she whispered, gingerly patting his back. "One way or another, it will be alright. You'll see."
"…Thank you, Konan…" a somewhat shaky reply reached her ears.
"You're welcome," she told him, then they let go of each other again. To her relief, Itachi managed a weak smile.
"I… I'll be on my way, then. You don't need to see me off," he said.
"If you insist. See you tomorrow," Konan replied, gracing him with a smile. Itachi nodded, then she set off, heading for a certain leader's room. Her anger from before had subsided, and now she thought that she ought to have another talk with Pein. It was worth a try.
Tomorrow would be a new beginning for everybody.
So... like I said, nothing special. This is the first time I'm saying this: feel free to flame me. The beginning didn't turn out nearly as funny as I had (long ago) imagined it to, and the rest... meh. I kept thinking that I must keep it funny at all costs, but then I remembered that actually, this isn't supposed to be a humorous story, save for some comical relief by the Akatsuki. I'll try to do better next time. But they have a serious side too, people...
Anyhow, this chapter has been written, and once that has happened, I rarely can go back and redo it. Especially now that I have practically no more time left. Forgive me, my friends. Forgive me for the ridiculously long wait and for this... work. (prays)
CC, I've started writing your overdue birthday fic. I'm so sorry, girl... but it's in the works now!
Hoping that I haven't wasted too much of your time,
~dd