-Complaints-

I'm not about talking and finger-pointing and complaining. I'm about getting things done.

Christine Quinn

-0-

The week passed quickly. It was filled with conversation between Mitsuki and Deidara, lounging in the living room watching the TV, occasional outbursts of the childish masked-man Tobi, and Mitsuki's dutiful study of the organization's medical records. However, her 'study' was short lived; to her disappointment the files were sparse. For the most part, the records only had names, profile photos, birth dates, and some other useless tidbits. She could get more information from a bingo book than from the files she was given. Pein and Tobi's files were altogether nonexistent. In her frustration, Mitsuki nearly threw away the near blank files of deceased members who were killed by Kakuzu, only keeping them in a 'better safe than sorry' afterthought.

The maid, Ayaka, made her appearance twice in that week. She was a plain, quiet girl, but she cleaned quickly and with precision. Not a single spot was left untouched, the living area and kitchen sparkled. Ayaka only went into a few of the bedrooms, and after Mitsuki had allowed the maid into her room, she was thoroughly impressed by the shine left in the wake her work. Besides the fifth and sixth floors, Ayaka also made her way through the other floors in the base though she only cleaned them once a week, whereas the Akatsuki living areas were tended to on both her days of work.

Mitsuki, to her surprise, learned that the bulky body she had first seen as Sasori was merely a puppet he controlled from the inside. Deidara had told her that when she gave a questioning glance at the boyish face and crimson red hair that sparsely came out in the open on his own business.

As the week progressed, she caught glances of the other members. They came in at random as they finished their other missions. She could name them, due to the files, but they otherwise stayed to themselves. Mitsuki guessed they were in need of rest.

Before the last team arrived, Deidara and Tobi were in the living room, the blonde threatening to kill the other while sending small, firecracker-like bombs his way. Mitsuki was sitting on a bar stool at the adjoining kitchen's counter, fingers stained with ink from the brush in her hand. Papers from the medical records were scattered around her, while in front of the woman was a paper filled with scribbles of her plans on what to do during her physical exams and a list of vaccinations she thought the members needed. She was able to acquire them and had already set them up neatly in the medical room's fridge. The liquid in syringes. The syringes organized on eight labeled trays according to member. Pein refused for an examination, to Mitsuki's dislike, while she had took the liberty of giving herself and her dog, Kira, much needed vaccines prior to that day.

When the last team entered the base, Mitsuki heard the loud familiar voice along with a deep gravelly one travel up the stairwell long before she saw who they belonged to. Quickly, she gathered the papers in a neat pile, still ignoring the bickering of Deidara and pleas of mercy from Tobi. Her attention was focused on the staircase, anxiously awaiting her reunion with an old teammate.

From the records, she was surprised to find out he was a member and since then she had been awaiting his arrival, not knowing what to say to him. They hadn't parted on the best of terms, but they didn't quite part on the worst.

As Hidan came up the stairs with the taller man she recognized as Kakuzu, the silver haired man's argument about Kakuzu's 'damned money' fell quiet before he said, "You.."

"Last time I saw you," Mitsuki started, her personality easily transitioning in the instant to what it used to be when they had been around each other before. It was snarky and sassy, but not aggressive. "I was saving your ass from Anbu. Looks like you're not doing much better now… If you need him," She smirked, pointing her chin to Kakuzu, "to protect your porcelain face."

Kakuzu let out a brief snicker, while Deidara and Tobi had fallen silent as they watched the encounter. Irritation at the insult spread on Hidan's face, yet Mitsuki could see the delight in his eyes as he looked at her. Those two emotions converged as the corners of his lips twitched wryly upwards and he spat out his words through his teeth, "You bitch! You haven't fucking change a bit, have you?"

"Nope." Was her simple response.

"Bitch!"

"Ass wipe!"

"Cunt!"

"Shithead!"

The two were smirking at the other as they threw derogatory names at each other. Their yelling brought the rest of the Akatsuki, save Pein and Konan, down from their rooms, wondering what was going on, and they each took a place in the living room.

"You really want to go on with this war, Hidan-chan?" She laughed at him. "I can keep this up all day!"

Before Hidan could retort, Kira came bounding down the stairs, barking angrily in response to hearing his mistress' shouts. He pounced on the Jashinist's back, making the man plant his face on the polished floor, and just when the canine was about to bite down with his massive fangs Mitsuki quietly commanded, "Stop." The large dog did as he was told immediately, sitting on his target as looked at his mistress with a tilted head.

Mitsuki quickly composed herself, grabbing the pile of records while ignoring the curious stares of the other men around her, and pulled Kira up the stairs by his red leather collar to her room.

The living room was remained silent until Kakuzu rubbed his temples and muttered, "She's like a miniature Hidan…"

"Tobi's never heard such bad words from her. And Tobi's been around all week." The masked man spoke in a horrified tone. "Hidan-sempai is a bad influence!"

"Yeah, un." Deidara agreed quietly, still processing the scene he witnessed.

Grunting, Hidan stood up. "She's a fucking nutcase." Although he was upset for being tackled by a dog, a smirk still graced his face. He missed how she could keep up with him with the profanity. They had become shinobi together, climbing up the ranks of genin, chunin, and jonin, only parting teams when she joined Yugakure's Anbu and he had become a Jashinist. He remembered how she would only break from her respectable personality when the two were together, becoming as raucous as him. That hadn't changed from what he could tell. The name-calling match that the Akatsuki had witnessed had been fairly common for the two and neither were offended by the words they shot at the other. Yet Hidan couldn't be sure how much she had changed. It had been some years since they last met but he was glad that had stayed the same.

Pointed teeth glimmered inside a grin as Kisame asked, "So Hidan, that brat's our medic?"

"She's a bipolar bitch, is what she is." He huffed, "She'll probably be fucking nice to you guys though." Hidan walked away, up the stairs, leaving the others to murmur among themselves.

-0-

Mitsuki ran her hand through Kira's course fur as he lay next to her on the bed when someone knocked on her door. The canine growled but she quickly shushed him. "Come in."

Hidan walked in, closing the door behind him, and she smiled at him. "Long time no see, huh?"

"No kidding. You know you could have avoided that whole fucking scene if you could stop the damn insults."

She laughed, "I know, but what fun would that be? Besides you know it's all smack-talk. Anything we say like that doesn't even mean a damn."

"Yeah," he grinned.

Unable to find anything else to say, they fell into an awkward silence, Hidan focusing on the wall while Mitsuki stared at Kira's blackish brindle coat. Then, a sudden thought popping to his mind, the Jashinist spoke up. "I remember that you wanted to look for your family. Did you find them?"

A hard look crept on her face, "They're all dead."

"Man..." Hidan groaned slightly, "That fucking sucks..."

"Yeah."

"What the fuck happened?"

Mitsuki drew her knees up to her chest, "I don't know exactly. Just whatever I could get from people. Apparently, I had a little brother. But he had same kekkei genkai I have. Mom wasn't able to send him away in time, like she did with me. What I heard was that the villagers killed Mom, and my brother killed our dad in self-defense."

"And your brother, what happened to him?"

"That's where the story gets choppy. I barely heard anything of him, and then suddenly there's word of him with one of the seven swordsmen. I got to the Land of Waves just a week after he was killed."

Hidan put a hand on her shoulder hesitantly, unsure of what to say to his old teammate. "…Shit happens, you know."

"Yeah, no shit..."

Another awkward silence began, though Mitsuki broke it this time, "So are you still doing that Jashin shit?"

"It's not shit!" He said harshly. "I've been granted Jashin's gift of immortality because of how fucking loyal I've been."

She looked at him incredulously. "You're lying."

"Like hell I am! Do you want me to fucking show you?" He pulled a metal spike from in his cloak, intending on using it on himself.

Hands held up, she replied, "Nope, nope, I'm good."

His face, excited before from the prospect of showing off his immortality, dropped immediately. "Whatever."

"…I've missed you…you know..." Head down, Mitsuki refused to meet his gaze. Even after the years and hardship, her feelings for him barely changed. She had never told him, in fear of it being unrequited, but she always felt a little more than just the friendship and teamwork that their history held.

Hidan's silence worried her until he lifted her chin so their eyes could meet. "I did too." He drew his face forward,his lips lightly brushing hers. Mitsuki's breathing hitched and her heart beat sped. But just before Hidan could make another move they both could hear Pein's voice loud and clear in their heads, thanks to their rings. "Everyone is to report to the third floor. Immediately."

Hidan clenched his teeth, furious for being interrupted, "Fucking Leader. Fuck him!"

Mitsuki rose from the bed immediately, almost glad for the disruption, and once again composed herself, "He must want the physicals done now."

"What fucking physicals?"

"As your medic I need a better understanding of how you guys tick and if anything's wrong with you. That way, if I'm ever treating anyone in an emergency I don't accidentally kill any you." She made her way to the door but as soon as she opened a frown formed on her lips as it she discovered a guilty looking Deidara and Tobi leaning in where the door previously occupied. "Were you two eaves dropping on us?!"

"Tobi wanted to make sure Mitsuki-chan was alright! Tobi didn't want Hidan-sempai to kill you!"

Mitsuki shook her head in exasperation, deciding in the moment to forgive and forget the invasion of privacy instead of wasting time getting angry about it, "Come on. We need to get going."

-0-

Pein stood in front of the door to the exam/operating room facing the Akatsuki. On his right side stood Konan, on his left was Mitsuki. Some of the members held stoic, if not bored, looks, while others appeared curious at what was going on. The room they currently stood in had the feel of a lobby with the waiting room chairs that sat around the group.

"For those who do not know, this is our medic, Kurosawa Mitsuki. At her request you all will undergo a physical examination so she can better serve our organization."

A chorus of complaints instantly emerged most of the men:

"This is completely unnecessary."

"What the fuck, man? I don't need it 'cause I'm fucking immortal!"

"It's a waste of time."

It was all silenced by Pein's usual withering gaze. "This is mandatory! All of you, except for Tobi, are to participate."

The chorus started back up:

"Why does he get a break, un?"

"That fucking brat can't be the only one that fucking escapes this!"

"But Tobi wants to take Mitsuki-chan's physical!"

From the corner of Mitsuki's eye she saw Pein's eye twitch before he growled out, "Enough! I will not hear any more of your complaining! Tobi will come with me to my office. The rest of you will await your turn, and when you are done you will wait for my orders for your next mission." Turning to the medic, the agitation in his ringed eyes seeming to bore holes in her, he said, "Mitsuki, if any of them refuse come get me and I will set them straight."

"Gotcha, sir."

Chocolate orbs watched Pein leave up the spiral staircase with a disappointed Tobi reluctantly following him, waiting for them to be out of hearing range before speaking to the men and woman before her. "Alright then. Basically what I want to do fill out these pathetic excuses Leader-sama calls medical records and turn them into something respectable that I can use when I work with you guys. All I'll be doing are some simple tests, ask a few questions, and get you caught up on your vaccines."

"How much of our money did you spend, exactly, on these vaccines?"

"Common, Mitsuki. We've been doing perfectly fucking fine so far. We don't need to waste our time on this shit."

"Agreed. This is a complete waste of time. I have better things to do."

"Yeah, un. I haven't been sick since I was a kid. Why would that change now, un?"

Understanding now how Pein could get so agitated, Mitsuki glared at them. "Listen! I don't care how stupid you think this must be. It's been my experience that anything can happen, even to shinobi. For example, any one of you can be hit with the flu, or something worse, if you come into contact with it. Especially if you come into contact with the blood of someone you kill." Her glare was directed at Hidan for the last part before she looked at the rest of the members. "Then what's going to happen? You'll become incapacitated from illness, and be a useless burden to the Akatsuki. I've seen perfectly fine shinobi become incapacitated for months at a time by things like pneumonia, and others have gotten lock jaw simply from getting stabbed by a rusty kunai. All of that could have been easily avoided if they had just kept up to date with a damn medic." A low mumble still came from the men.

To Mitsuki's surprise, Itachi spoke for the first time since she had seen him. He was quiet, but everyone stopped to listen to him, "This seems highly intrusive. We are S-class criminals. If this information is stolen we would be compromised anyway."

Her tone became serious and professional. This was a problem that was on her mind the entire week, but she had already figured out a solution. "I've already settled that issue. Your information is personal, and only the specific individual and I will have access to their file. I assure you that compromised confidentiality won't be an issue." She debated with herself on telling them her secret to her solution, deciding that it would set them more at ease. "A while ago I acquired my summoning scrolls." These were the same two she carried with her to the base. "The seals on them are very secure and only react to my chakra. I'll put the records in there; therefore I will be the only one who can access them." Mitsuki was already confident in her ability not only as a medic, but also in her abilities with fuinjutsu. The seals she created in her scrolls would hold up against all except a shinobi who was truly seasoned in seal breaking.

Itachi nodded, finding her answer sufficient, while the rest of the men murmured again in reluctant consent.

"Now, I would rather not get Leader-sama involved in this, so what I'll do is take volunteers first. I'll restrain and drag into the exam room anyone who refuses." Her eyes swept through the group as she asked, "Ok, who's first?"

Konan stepped up, quiet and mellow. "I'll go."

Smiling warmly at her, Mitsuki gestured to the door, "Don't worry about a thing. I'll try and get you through here as quickly as I can."

-0-

Author's Note:

*Insert me squealing like a little girl here* Yaaaaaaay! I got my first favorite and my first review! Heh, sorry for the outburst, but I'm just super happy about that. I've got to thank Happywheal for adding on OTR as a favorite, and then Emojisarelyf for the review. I'm glad you like my story!

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I can't wait to post the next one, though. But like I said I don't want to just burn though the content I've already written. The next chapter was one of my favorites to write so far since it features some bite sized one on one time with Mitsuki and most of the Akatsuki.

But for now, Khaos out. Ja ne!