Me: Awww thank you for your kind reviews! Sorry I took so long to update. ITS BEEN SO VERY LONG! -falls over- GOMENASAI!

Sasori: Ziggy-chan's just finished her Midterms which are basically crap.

Me: Yeah. I don't see how the study of Cell vomiting and Cell eating will benefit me.

Sasori: Or why metals have lustrous feature.

Me: Yeah. Or-

Sasori: Uh Ziggy, I think we should get on with the story.

Me: *sigh* Yeah. I mean, Midterms! It really sucks, man. But, for you lovely readers, here's Chappie 36!

CHAPTER 36

Ever had the air leave your lungs completely and you're left with a breathless sensation which suffocates you? Ever felt your stomach knot and twist and you feel like vomiting but nothing seems to come out of you? Ever had the urge to scream out but no sound leaves your mouth when you tried? Ever been told that you were pretty much the cause of the end of the world? (Now that's just me being dramatic but, hey! I had a right to!)

If you ever experienced any/all of the above, congratulations; you know of how terrible I have been feeling for the past five days.

The Rain Festival went on and we all tried to celebrate and have fun but with Deidara missing, because of his decision to leave so suddenly had left the group so distracted and frustrated. It was hard.

Kurotsuchi decided to sleep over for the whole week because she was extremely worried for me. Hana was worse. I hadn't told the two about what happened that day and the others were pretty edgy about the topic too. We never really practiced properly and with the Rain Festival drawing nearer and nearer, that was a major problem.

Five days has passed and still no word from Deidara. I remember so clearly what had happened after Pein told us about him.

Flashback

Obito asked the question that I dreaded, "EH?! Why the hell wouldn't senpai perform with us, man?!"

Pein sighed and ran his hand through his hair, "Well he did say he had quite a lot going on right now. He wouldn't say what, though."

And that's when our eyes met. Though it was only for a nanosecond, it was enough to let the realization strike upon me; Pein knew.

Well they were buddies and yeah, Deidara probably explained it to Pein at least, if not the others. Completely normal; it's what friends do.

So why did I feel so uncomfortably guilty about that simple fact?

Obito stood up, knocking his chair over as he did so, "I'm gonna so bust his ass! I'll be right back!" He hurriedly fished his orange mask out of his bag and put it on while rushing out of the room, muttering curses about how he was going to Iwa and something about cabs. And then, there was silence.

I was positive that Sasori and Itachi noticed I was shivering and clenching my fists even before I did myself. They probably noticed that Pein was eyeing me carefully. And since they're not idiots, in fact, since they're among the smartest people I've ever met, the both of them probably figured out Pein and I knew something but wasn't sharing.

And we were. So the four of us just stood there, waiting for one of us to make a move or say something, anything, to break the tension in the room. Finally, after what seemed like a century, Itachi cleared his throat.

"Well, I better go check on Obito," he said quietly. "I hope he is really not considering going to Iwa in a cab in this weather." I hadn't realized that it had started to rain outside. Raindrops made pitter patter noises on the window.

"I'll come with you." Sasori said quickly. He glanced first at Pein and then at me. He gave me a small smile and the two exited the room. I didn't know what to do. I found myself making a stupid excuse to rush home.

I brushed pass Pein, avoiding his eyes, and into the rain.

I was in the college campus right now. I had forgotten my lyric journal in the music room during practice (which wasn't very serious as we lacked a bassist and everyone seemed distracted) and hadn't gone to retrieve it. The sky outside was dark and gloomy and the clouds were threateningly rumbling, ready to pour down any second. The minute I entered the music room, I wish I hadn't for I wasn't alone.

Pein was there too.

Being in the room was Pein was twice as stuffy as it used to be. I started to shiver again, like I did before. I couldn't control myself. I wrapped my arms around myself but it did little to help. I tried to ignore him and went around the room, searching for my lyric journal. I couldn't understand why it was so uncomfortable around Pein in particular. For the fact that he knew? For the fact that his band's bassist is off somewhere, needing space (obviously from me) right when their band performance is coming up? Perhaps.

No. But there was more.

I feel terribly guilty, which I am of course. But this guilt . . . it's something else. It was more of an I-feel-like-I-cheated-on-my-lover kind of guilt which is crazy since I'm not dating Pein nor do I like him that way. So why was this very obvious feeling bothering me? I must be out of my mind.

"Are you cold?" Pein's voice snapped me back to reality. I looked at him. He was looking at me. His eyes were as mysterious as ever, brimming with emotions I couldn't decipher. I realized I was still shivering and I had wrapped my arms so tightly around myself that when I released them, I breathed heavily.

"You know?" I whispered.

He frowned, "I asked if you were cold-"

"You know." I said firmly. I looked at him in the eye. He hesitated, watching me. We stood there in the empty room, holding each other's gaze. No sound was heard except the rain outside.

"Yes." He finally said. I expected him and maybe even wanted him to be mad at me and start scolding me or something. But he didn't. His voice held neither anger nor disgust. It didn't hold any sort of emotion. Whatever he was feeling was hidden under a veil, just like his eyes. That alone, set my own emotions off.

I rushed out of the room, my lyric journal forgotten, and at that moment, the rain started to pour down in all its glory; how ironic.

I didn't know where I was heading because I had my eyes closed (don't try this at home kids) but all I wanted to do was run, run as far away as possible. The rain pelted against my face fast and hard at the speed I was running. I didn't care. I simply kept running as if I had a place to run away to, as if by running I could escape everything.

I tripped over something and fell (well it was to be expected for running with my eyes closed) onto the cold, wet earth. My left knee and elbow stung. I reached up and felt my forehead and it felt wet. I withdrew my hand at stared at it, at my bloodstained fingertips. I shakily tried to stand but my legs gave away and I fell on my knees. My left knee throbbed with pain but I paid it no heed.

Screams yearned to escape my mouth. Tears threatened to flow. A part of me wanted to come undone while another part of me wanted to stay strong. It's true when they say there will never be peace if there is no peace within. My mind and my heart were at war and I felt like I was going insane. Why was I feeling this way? Yes I felt guilty and yes I accept fault but it shouldn't have to bother me this much. It was so unfair.

I sat there in the rain. I didn't even know where I was and I didn't even check to see. I sat there in silence, the rain mercilessly soaking me to the bone. I didn't stop shivering.

"Hn, you're bleeding." I turned to see Pein nonchalantly walking towards me with his hands in his pockets. He didn't have an umbrella with him so even he was soaking wet but he seemed fine with it. He came to a halt next to me and stared at the sky. He then leaned down and pulled out a Kleenex from his pocket and started to clean the wound on my forehead.

"You're a mess." He muttered disapprovingly, eyeing my now muddy and rain-soaked attire.

"I'm sorry." I croaked.

Pein didn't reply. He simply kept cleaning my wound. Again, I couldn't tell what he was thinking. He was even more of a mystery today than he usually was.

I pushed his hand away and glared at him, "Say something!"

He didn't say anything. He simply resumed cleaning my wound. His eyes were focused intently on my wound. My breaths came out in short pants and I was shivering more than ever. Why wasn't he saying anything? The silence, the annoying calmness, the suspense was making me sick.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" I said, my voice quivering. "Aren't you angry? Disgusted?"

"No." He replied as he crumpled up the Kleenex and put it back in his pocket.

"Liar!" I shrieked. It felt a little better when I did so. The welled-up frustration inside was killing me.

"It's not your fault you know," said Pein. "Stop over reacting."

Was he kidding me? I shook my head, "Yes it is. I . . . I can't perform at the rain festival. Everyone was looking forward to it and . . . and I-"

"So you wish you lied to Deidara and ruined both your lives?" Pein snapped. "This is not about you. This is not your fault."

"But I . . . I can't perform knowing I played a part in . . . in . . ." I started to say.

"Stop taking responsibility for everything," Pein said firmly. "This is something Deidara brought upon himself. This is not his first heartbreak. He will be fine."

"I can't do this!" I said hugging myself. "I can't do this!"

"Yes you can!" Pein snapped. "Now quit babbling; it's annoying."

I looked at him, my tears already flowing down my cheeks, "I can't okay! I'm sorry for being selfish but I just can't do this!"

"You think this is all about you don't you?" Pein said to me in a very bitter tone. "Well it's not! Quit blaming yourself for something you didn't do!"

"But I-" I started to say but I could never finish the sentence. How could I when his lips were on mine, setting my entire world on fire.

We sat there in the rain; Pein kissing me as I cried. Time seemed to stop there. As he kissed me, I realized he wasn't lying. His kiss held no anger or resentment. It didn't hold love and compassion either. His kiss was a gesture of calming me down. And it did.

When he pulled away, I stared at him, still sobbing. He watched me with his captivating eyes. I felt embarrassed and frustrated at myself. I hastily wiped away my tears but they refused to stop flowing. I let out a bitter laugh which came out strangled.

"I must be PMS-ing." I croaked.

A ghost of a smirk played on Pein's lips, "Let's get you home."

The wounds on my knee and elbow, the rain and the aftershocks of my emotional breakdown finally rubbed off on me. I tumbled forwards and collapsed onto Pein's chest. The last thing I remember before the world turned black was a pair of arms wrapping around my body, enveloping me in warmth, not body heat, but a different kind of warmth which made my mind feel at peace.

I finally stopped shivering.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"OH MY GOD, PICK UP THE DAMN PHONE SENPAI!" Obito yelled loudly. He stood in the rain near a bus stop. He impatiently tapped his foot, making the water on the ground splash around.

"Obito, will you shut up?" Sasori said with a groan as he and Itachi walked up to him, each holding black umbrellas.

Itachi handed Obito a grey umbrella, "I seriously hope you weren't thinking of going to Iwa in a cab."

Obito shoved his phone back in his pocket and opened his umbrella, "No. I was going to take the bus."

Sasori sighed exasperatedly, "You moron. This is your fourth attempt to try and go to Iwa. It won't do any good. Deidara is acting weird. Give the brat some space will you? He'll talk when he wants to."

"But Sasori-san, he said he's not performing with us!" Obito exclaimed.

"I wonder what got him so bothered," said Itachi. "I thought he was looking forwards to it as much as any of us."

"I don't know about you but I think Pein knows something about Deidara; something he isn't telling us." Sasori said as he stared at the sky.

Itachi nodded, "Konan was acting weird that day too."

Obito thought about it for a while. And then, it hit him like a ton of bricks, "I . . . I think I get it. Deidara-senpai likes Konan-san!"

Sasori's eyes widened, "Say what?"

"Oh come on Sasori-san, you're not dumb," said Obito. "You know Deidara's been acting a bit weird after our Child Labor Day performance and even while we were in Konoha. We saw him doing origami once remember?"

"Obito has a point," said Itachi. "And judging from how he's acting now . . ."

"I'd say it didn't work out between Konan and him." said Sasori.

"But even so," said Obito as he put his foot down hard, splashing Sasori's pant with water. The redhead glared at the masked man. "This is no time for being emotionally worn! He's a guy for heaven's sake!"

"Be considerate Obito," said Sasori as he gingerly stepped away from Obito. "Though the brat has talent, love is something that hasn't been too kind on Deidara. The one girl he loves is to belong to another. Though he has had several women in his life, none of them were able to fill in the hole in his heart. Konan is the only one in a million who reached his heart and helped his wounds heal and when he thought he could find solace in her, it didn't work out."

The bus passed them by and the rain which fell in a heavy shower, bounced off of their umbrellas.

"So," said Obito. "Do you think Konan-san likes Pein-san then?"

"Konan is just as unpredictable as Pein is," Itachi said with a smirk. "The chemistry is there but right now, it's hard for us to tell whether if Konan likes Pein or vice versa."

"Pfft! Pein in love? That's something I'd like to see." Sasori said with a chuckle.

Obito gave out a dramatic sigh, "Everyone in the Akatsuki is falling in love."

"What do you mean everyone?" Sasori said, ruffling Obito's wet hair. "We're still here."

"Yeah right," said Obito. "Like, you two totally don't like Hana-chan."

"Shut up." Both Sasori and Itachi said at the same time. Obito laughed in response.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hana sneezed.

"Bless you." Pein mumbled.

"Thanks." Hana grabbed a tissue from the side table next to her and blew her nose.

Kurotsuchi draped a blanket over Konan's sleeping form on the couch and turned to Hana, "Either you're catching a cold or someone's talking about you."

Hana rolled her eyes, "Please; I go with the cold." She disposed of the tissue and looked back at Pein, who was drying his hair with the towel she had lent him.

Her gaze then turned towards Konan, who lay passed out on the couch. Kurotsuchi was pushing her hair out of her face. She and Hana had changed her clothes for her; they had been watching a music channel on TV when a loud knock on the door and Pein had carried Konan in, both of them soaking wet.

"Tell me again why two of you were running around in the rain and not carrying umbrellas?" Kurotsuchi chided. "I mean seriously! Do you want to be sick before the Rain Festival even starts?"

The words 'Rain Festival' must have struck a nerve because Pein stiffened up a bit. He sighed and ran his hand through his now semi-dry hair. He had brought spare clothes from his car and changed in their bathroom.

"Tell us what happened exactly, Pein-san." Hana said softly as she sat down next to Pein.

Pein was silent for a moment before he started telling Hana and Kurotsuchi everything that happened in the five days.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was dark; very dark.

But then again, this is where I am most of the time either in the darkness or in this bizarre vivid dream which seems so real. And I was having one of such vivid dreams yet again. My vision soon cleared.

I wasn't in my eleven year old body this time. I was in my six year old body. I saw my dad smile at me with pride as my mom kissed my forehead and fussed over my uniform. It was, I assumed, the day I was starting school. Like all parents, my parents had also made a big commotion; taking photos, getting teary eyed, extra hugs and kisses, packing extra lunch plus money (just in case), writing down phone numbers, the usual.

I smiled and waved goodbye to my parents and bounded in through the gates of my new school. I skipped happily as I went. I wasn't nervous at all. The others looked nervous; they were all fidgety and anxious looking. But I felt superb. The bell rang, signaling for all of us to enter the school building.

As I was about to enter, a movement, in the shadow of the tree next to the school made me pause. Curiosity got the best of me and I went to see what it was. I thought it might be a snake and thought I could show it off to my classmates. But instead of a snake, I met a little boy, who yelped when my hand touched his knee.

He was also attending school the same school as he wore the same uniform as me. He had shaggy red hair which hovered over his shoulders and his long bangs hid his eyes. He shied away from me and hid behind the trunk on the other side of the tree. I was going to try talking to him but he kept running from me, until we were playing a weird game of cat and mouse around the tree. I finally caught him and he gasped in surprise when I did.

I let out a sigh and put my hands on my hips. I frowned at the boy in front of me, "What is with you?"

The boy said nothing. He simply tried to melt back into the shadow of the tree. I let out another sigh, "Come on! We're going to be late for class."

"I . . . I'm not sure I'm ready." The boy said quietly and hesitantly. It surprised me a little because I was beginning to think he couldn't talk.

"Why not?" I asked softly.

"I don't . . . I mean I'm . . . I'm s-scared." The boy said sheepishly. I could see his face flush red.

I understood what he meant and smiled, "Well that's no reason to try and hide behind a tree."

The boy looked surprised by my response. I continued to talk, "To be honest, I was nervous about today too. When I woke up, I felt horrified. But my mama told me I shouldn't let that get in the way of my big day. You shouldn't either."

The boy fidgeted, "I don't know . . . Yahiko said he isn't-"

I grinned, "Come on!" I grabbed the boy by his hand and dragged him out of the shadows and into the light of the sun. For a moment, I thought I caught a glimpse of his eyes, which were a strange, alluring purple color. I dragged him with me as I rushed inside the school building just as the teacher called out my name for attendance, "Konan?"

"Hai sensei!"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I woke with a start.

My breathing was fast and my body was covered in sweat. This dream bothered me more than all my other dreams had. Truth be told, I didn't remember much about my childhood except for my parents' death. I have vague wisps of my memories from my childhood, like everyone else and that was it.

But where were these dreams, this visions, these, dare I say it, memoires come from?

Who was that little boy in my dream? He had said that name too. That name which had been haunting my mind for quite a while. I tried to recall the name again but as usual, it made my head hurt. I groaned and clutched the side of my head.

"Konan-chan!" Hana's worried voice snapped me back to reality.

I looked at my surroundings; I was back in our apartment. My clothes had been changed (probably by Hana) and I was lying on the couch with a blanket draped around me. Hana hugged me tightly and stroked my hair, "You okay? Pein-san told us . . ."

At the mention of Pein's name, my eyes searched the living room to see if he was around. Hana, realizing who I was looking for, answered my unasked question, "Pein-san left just a while ago. When he carried you in as soaked and wet, I was really worried. I thought you had a blackout right in the middle of the road or something."

Hana didn't let go of me and continued to stroke my hair, "Don't scare me like that again."

Hana's voice cracked a bit and I regretted the worry I caused her. I gingerly extended my arm and wrapped it around her back, "I'm sorry."

Hana pulled away and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She cleared her throat, "So . . . Pein-san told us about Deidara."

I'd momentarily forgotten about that and once I was reminded, the feeling of unease came back and settled itself in my stomach. Hana wrapped her hands around Konan's shoulders, "Hey, hey, it's like Pein-san said, it isn't your fault."

I sighed, "I still feel responsible."

"Don't." Hana said as she gave my shoulders a squeeze. She then stood up and stood in front of me with a grin on her face and her arms extended.

"Don't worry, about a thing. 'Cause every little thing's, gonna be alright! I don't know the rest of the song but you know what I'm saying."

"Hana, did I hear you sing Bob Marley?" Kurotsuchi came into the room and saw that I was awake. She grinned brightly at me. "Welcome back, homie."

"Good to be back, homie." I replied with a small smile of my own.

"You gave us quite a scare there." Kurotsuchi said as she sat on the couch, near my feet.

I groaned, "Don't. Hana already had the emotional talk with me."

Hana rolled her eyes and then smiled warmly, "Now you sit there while I make you a nice hot cup of cocoa."

"Make that two, please." Kurotsuchi called out.

I watched as Hana skipped out of the room while humming the tune of 'Three Little Birds.' I sighed and lay back down on the couch. The dream I had just now still bothered me. So many questions revolved around in my head the way planets revolved around the sun. I wonder if the sun ever gets fed up with eight (or nine; is Pluto still included?) planets circulating him for over the past centuries because these questions of mine were giving me a major headache.

"Deidara-nii must be out of his mind," Kurotsuchi muttered. She then looked at me and smiled. "Don't worry about it so much. Pein's right, this isn't your fault so stop beating yourself up for it."

"I don't know." I said as I pinched the bridge of my nose. "There are other things on my mind too."

"Like what? Another crazy vision?" Kurotsuchi asked.

I nodded. Before I could tell her about the recent dream and the intense migraine I was currently having because of it, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it." said Kurotsuchi as she got up to open the door.

Shortly after I heard the bustling of the door locks, I heard Obito's voice, "Kurotsuchi-san!"

"Hey Obito," I heard Kurotsuchi say. "And Itachi and Sasori too."

I buried myself under the blanket as the boys came in while talking to Kurotsuchi; I was a little embarrassed to face them after how I had reacted. They aren't dumb so I am sure they noticed something was off about me and Pein and that I was a wee bit responsible for whatever happened.

"Hey Konan-san," Obito came over. I peeked out from under the covers. He knelt next to me and smiled. "You okay? You look awful."

I smiled back at him, "I'm fine. Just . . . stressed out, that's all."

"Well whatever it is, don't worry so much about it, okay?" I had a feeling his words had a double meaning to it.

Hana walked into the room with hot cocoa for everyone. Sasori was helping her carry some mugs. I gingerly took mine and took a long sip. I didn't care when the hot liquid burnt my tongue. It felt nice in my stomach. I savored the marshmallows in my mouth, which also helped in putting out the fire on my tongue. As we enjoyed the cocoa and the sound of the rain, the doorbell rang again.

"Now who could that be?" said Hana.

Obito shrugged, "Beats me. Perhaps it's that guy looking for Mira? He might have liked your voice and tracked you down for some action."

Hana wrinkled her nose in disgust, "Don't. Just . . . don't." Obito chuckled in response.

I wrapped the blanket around myself a little tighter. I didn't feel cold, yet I shivered. I watched as Hana got up and opened the door.

Hana gasped, "Oh my!"

We all just stared at the person who was at the door. There at the door stood the person I had never thought I would see.

Silence enveloped the room. And then-

"DEIDARA-NII?!" Kurotsuchi explained, nearly choking on a marshmallow.

Indeed, it was Deidara, standing there in all his glory. He had an incredibly weary look on his face and had tied his blonde hair, which has lost its sheen, in a loose ponytail. He wore a simple white shirt and jeans and gave Kurotsuchi a lazy smirk, "Hey there, Midget."

It all happened really fast. In a blur of black, Obito and Kurotsuchi tackled Deidara to the ground in what looked like a very tight hug (to be honest, it looked like they were wrestling on the floor.) Kurotsuchi was crying and Obito was screaming stuff at Deidara but I couldn't make anything out as he too was on the verge of crying and his voice was cracking.

"Idiots, will you get off of me, un?" Deidara sounded really tired too. But he was his normal, easily-irritated self at least.

"And just where may I ask," Kurotsuchi said as she helped Deidara up. "Have you been all this time?" she hastily brushed away her tears.

"Meh," he said with a shrug. "Here and there, un."

Sasori rolled his eyes, "Sure. That answers everything."

Hana sighed, "Now now, you all look like lunatics, piled up at the door, screaming questions. Let's talk this over cocoa, okay?"

And that's just what we did. Deidara had been travelling everywhere in the past week; Konoha, Suna, Kiri, Kumo, you name it. Kurotsuchi fussed over it, babbling about how careless and how reckless that was but deep down I knew she was extremely worried for him and relieved that he was back.

All of us asked him how he went around, when he left and what he was doing but never why. Everyone in that room probably knew what was really going on and avoided the topic. I was glad. But one thing still nagged me.

"Why'd you come back then?" I asked; my voice was raw and hoarse. I let it out. I let out a question revolving around 'Why' rather than what, how, where or when. Silence was my reply. Everyone else was silent too.

Obito cleared his throat, "Hana-chan, let me help you clean up those mugs."

"Yeah, um, I'll all help out." Kurotsuchi said, casting a nervous glance at me and then at Deidara. The three of them disappeared into the kitchen.

Itachi got up and said he was going to get some air on the balcony and Sasori said he had to make a call. Deidara and I were left alone in the living room.

I was thinking of getting up and going to the bathroom to freshen myself up when Deidara replied to my question.

"Sasori."

"What?"

Deidara's eyes met mine, "He kind of convinced me, you could say, un. And of course the rest of the Akatsuki; everyone was really looking forward to this concert though most of us didn't show didn't show it much, myself included, un.

I tore my gaze away from him and stared at my hands on my lap, "I'm sorry, Deidara. I really am."

Deidara sighed, "Deidara, huh? What happened to Deidei-chan, un?" I didn't reply to his light attempt at making a joke to lighten the atmosphere.

"Listen," He said as he came over to sit next to me on the couch. "I assure you it is not your fault. It is my own, un. I am sorry for every placing that burden on you."

"I still feel responsible," I told him. I brought my knees to my chest and hugged them. "I . . . I-"

"Shh," he said as he put an arm around my shoulders. "I'm glad you were honest and pushed me away, un. I really do like you but deep down, that's just an excuse for me to get over . . . somebody else."

This had me intrigued. "Somebody else?"

Deidara sighed and gave me a bitter smile, "Let's just say no matter how hard I try, I can never get over that person but then again, I am not allowed to look at that person as anything more than a friend for she is to belong to another, un."

I was trying to place a finger on who this 'somebody else' was (for Kurotsuchi's sake, mind you) but Deidara continued to speak, "To be truly honest with myself, I feel guilty for falling for another when my heart still belongs to that person, un. I feel like I used you now, Sharpie. I'm sorry."

I placed my head on his shoulder, "You didn't use me. You have nothing to apologize for."

Deidara ruffled my hair, "Even so, un. We're still good right? We're friends?"

I smiled at him, "Of course."

A huge load had been lifted off of my chest. I felt at ease at last. I felt closer to Deidara than ever before and I had a feeling the bond we had now was going to remain eternally strong. So we sat there in silence, enjoying each other's company. Again, my curiosity kicked in to ruin the moment.

"Who is this person who has your heart?" I blurted out. I couldn't help it! It was nagging me!

Deidara sighed and pinched my nose like he always used to, "Save that question for another day, un."

I pouted and looked away. Oh well, patience is a virtue. I just hope I don't have to wait too long. My curiosity usually eats me up on the inside.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So he's back?"

"Yup," Sasori said into the phone. "Told you, he just needed space."

"I never disagreed with you about that fact."

Sasori rolled his eyes, "Shut up, Pein."

Sasori could almost hear Pein's eyes rolling at the other end of the phone, "We'll practice thoroughly tomorrow; that should be more than enough. Konan's a fast learner, shell catch up too."

Sasori smirked, "So we are really doing this? The Akatsuki is officially back now?"

Pein was silent for a moment but eventually, he replied, "Yes. We are back."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God! It's today! It's today! It's today!

TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE RAIN FESTIVAL, BABY!

Decorations everywhere, tents and stalls put up, music blaring through the speakers and the stage! Oh the heart breaking-ly beautiful stage with the lights and the mic and the instruments and the colored smoke (I saw the people test them out). The concert performances were always on the last day, which was today.

"We have it every year and it never gets old!" I screamed with delight.

Hana laughed, "Calm down, Konan-chan. You don't want to lose your voice."

My performance was later this evening. Right now, it was 10:00 in the morning with the sky as cloudy as ever but today the clouds literally had a 'silver lining' to them because of the rays of the sun that shyly peeked through. The weather outside was pretty warm too.

The morning I was going to spend with Hana and Kurotsuchi, making up for lost time and having fun. Plus, I feel I deserved the morning to myself when yesterday, Pein had me and the Akatsuki practice our asses off. Tiring but no complaint on my part for it was extremely fun. And with Deidara back, that was simply the cherry on top of it all.

I was wearing tattered jeans with a baggy red shirt and my favorite washed out red converse shoes. With my hair up in my usual ponytail with my origami in place and a deep purple stud on, I ran around humming to myself with Hana and Kurotsuchi following behind.

Kurotsuchi was eating cotton candy, wearing jean shorts, purple flip flops, a cap which said YMCMB and a black tank top under her white, kinda see-through button-down shirt. She was carrying a plastic, consisting of all other food items she had bought; pocky, fish sticks, seaweed you name it.

Hana wore a pretty cream-colored sundress with black ballet flats. Her hair was tied in a braid today, which hung over her shoulder. Unlike Kurotsuchi and me who came empty handed except for our phones, Hana was also carrying this huge grandma bag. Yes, I'm calling it the grandma bag for it looked like one of those bags grandmas would carry around their knitting stuff in. Hers was black on the outside with a big daisy embroidered on it and the interior was pink and white stripes where she carried God knows what; probably her college books.

There were rides too; a Ferris wheel, a rollercoaster, bumper cars and merry-go-rounds. Hana absolutely refused the rollercoaster so it was only me and Kurotsuchi who rode. We went on all the other rides and tried out all the games at different stalls. We decided to save the Ferris wheel for after the concert.

By lunch, we were all sweaty and tired and stopped to get something to eat at a food stall.

"How come you're hungry?" I asked Kurotsuchi. She was the one eating the whole time yet she was ordering twice as much as I was.

Kurotsuchi shrugged as she took her double cheeseburger and fries, "A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. And I gotta eat."

I sat down at a nearby bench to eat my light lunch while Kurotsuchi waited with Hana for her food. I took a big bite out of my buttered corncob when someone spoke to me from behind.

"You know you'll get fatter than you already are right?"

I turned, with my mouthful to glare at Pein. I swallowed and stuck my tongue out at him. He was wearing a black jacket over a grey t-shirt and jeans. He stood casually with his hands in his pockets, a cocky smirk plastered on his lips.

"Well I'm not dieting like to, Mr. Moody-ass jerk."

"Hn. Annoying Blue Bird." Hana and Kurotsuchi came over and saw me talking to Pein. Kurotsuchi smiled and waved, "Yo, Pein!"

Pein nodded in greeting. Hana offered him some of her fries but he politely declined. I rolled my eyes, "He's dieting, Hana."

"You're the one who needs to diet." Pein said as messed up my hair. I squirmed in protest and tried to slap his hand away.

"Oi Pein," I heard Obito's voice from behind Pein. "And the girls too! Good morning!"

Obito came running over, followed by Sasori and Deidara. Obito wore a checkered blue button-down shirt with khaki shorts. He had his mask on and like Kurotsuchi he was carrying a plastic full of food stuff. Deidara wore a plain black t-shirt and jeans while Sasori wore a maroon hoodie with jeans and had white head phones around his neck.

"Good morning!" I called out to them, finally slapping Pein's hand away from my hair.

"Looks like everyone is here, "Hana said with a smile. Her smile faltered a teeny weenie bit. "Except for Itachi-kun."

"Itachi will be with us shortly," said Sasori. "Say, wifey, what do you have in that bag of yours?"

Hana smiled, "Oh just a few stuff to help Konan-chan later. And of course, random necessities with Kurotsuchi-chan and Konan-chan forgot to pack."

"Ten bucks says she has one of her college books buried in there." I heard Kurotsuchi mutter to Deidara. I couldn't help but grin.

"Yosh!" Hana said cheerfully. "Let's all eat something before-"

Hana turned around and accidently bumped into a woman. She had brown hair tied in a tight bun and wore formal attire consisting of a beige colored blouse and a black knee length skirt with black stilettos. The woman was in her late thirties and looked like those typical stern librarians you see in movies.

"I'm so sorry," Hana started to say. "I didn't mean . . . eh? R-Reiko . . . san?"

The woman, Reiko, studied her with her olive green eyes. The woman seemed to have already recognized Hana, "Hello Hana-sama."

The look Hana had on her face scared me. She looked so emotionless yet her eyes were brewing with so many emotions; I could almost see the confusion, fear and rage in those coal black depths.

Reiko spoke to her, "I had a feeling I might see you around here. How have you been?"

"Swell," Hana replied rather stiffly. "I see you're doing good too?"

Reiko nodded, "Can we go somewhere more . . . private?" Reiko's eyes gazed over at me and then back to Hana.

Hana straightened up, "I'm afraid not Reiko-san. I am a bit busy as you can see. I am with my friends. It was nice seeing you again." Despite her words, Hana didn't look too pleased to meet this woman. In fact, I have never seen Hana be so curt with anyone. Ever.

"Let's go, everyone." Hana said with a commanding tone in her voice, as she walked passed Reiko.

Hana was two steps away from Reiko when she quietly said, "Your father would like to know about you, Hana-sama."

The word 'father' struck a nerve in me, Kurotsuchi and most of all Hana. I stiffened up a bit and glared at Reiko. I had a feeling Kurotsuchi was doing the same. So Hana knew this woman through her father. No wonder she was displeased.

Hana was so very quiet too. Her back was turned so I couldn't see her face. Finally, Hana clutched her bag a little tightly and said, "I have no father Reiko-san, you know that. You're getting me mixed up with someone else."

And with that, Hana walked away, her pace was swift.

For a while, nobody moved. Sasori had a worried expression as he stared at Hana, who walked away. He ran after her "Okay . . . what is going on, un?" said Deidara.

"You there," I heard Reiko call out. She was talking to me. She handed me a card with her name and number on it. "Give this to Hana-sama. Tell her to call me when she's ready. She'll call eventually. Hana-sama was a curious little child after all."

I took the card from her and watched as the woman walked away. I was so mad! I started after her to pull her hair right out of her tight little bun and if I'm lucky, maybe right off of her head.

"Whoa there, what's with the two of you?" Pein held me back and I saw Deidara holding back Kurotsuchi. She probably had the same idea I did.

"Let me go," I demanded. Pein slowly did. I immediately tore up the card and threw it on the ground. I started to stomp all over it like a little kid.

"What in God's name are you doing, un?" Deidara said as he caught me when I stumbled. I was too angry to reply. How dare she? How dare that . . . that Reiko woman, spoil our day?!

"I'm assuming this has something to do with Hana's father?" said Pein.

Neither Kurotsuchi nor I replied. It had everything to do with her father. How dare he try to be a part of her life when he was the reason Hana never had a proper childhood? When he was the reason Tsume-san suffered so much. When he was the reason Kiba never knew the love of a father.

"I'll take that as a yes," said Deidara. "What's the matter, un?

"That's for Hana to tell," I said to him. "She trusts you all so she'll tell you herself eventually. It's not our story to tell."

Sasori came running back, "Guys, I can't find Hana anywhere!"

"She must have really been bothered," said Kurotsuchi. "Let's split up and look for her."

And that's just what we did. We split in pairs; Deidara and Kurotsuchi, Pein and Sasori and Obito and me. I volunteered to go with Obito. He was acting weird too. He was extremely quiet the whole time and kept on glaring in the direction where that Reiko woman had disappeared. I had a feeling he knew Reiko in some way too.

"Obito," I called out to him. "Let's go."

Obito sighed and properly adjusted his mask, "Right."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Itachi sighed as he tied his hair. The girls around giggled and stared at him as he did so. 'Can't a guy at least tie his hair in peace?' Itachi thought to himself.

He looked around for any sign of the other Akatsuki members or Konan or Hana or Kurotsuchi. The thought of Hana was still painful. He felt stupid for overacting when she had spoken to her old teacher. He had hurt her and he hadn't apologized for it. He knew he had to and decided he would do it today.

"Curse it all!" He heard a voice shriek from behind one of the game stalls; a very familiar voice. Curious, he went around the back, to see if it really was the person who he thought was behind the tent. And he was right; he saw the woman he had just been thinking about.

"Hana?"

Hana turned to see who it was and saw none other than Itachi. When Itachi saw her, his heart clenched. There she was, looking beautiful in a cream-colored sundress but her nose and eyes were red from crying.

Hana hastily wiped her eyes and turned away from him, "H-Hello Itachi-kun."

Itachi knew he caught Hana in a bad mood but he couldn't just leave her like that. He was in conflict, not knowing what to do. So he simply stood where he was, "Is everything alright? You're a mess."

Hana gave a bitter laugh, "Really? It's that time of the month I guess."

"Is that so?" Itachi asked slowly. He knew it was more than just PMS. Both of them were silent and neither of them moved.

"Life is so unfair sometimes," said Hana after a while. "Just when you're living your life in the now, echoes of the past come back to haunt you."

"So something from your past is bothering you then?" asked Itachi.

Hana shook her head, "Forget it. Just . . . leave me be okay?" She still had her back to him but Itachi could tell she was crying again.

'No,' thought Itachi. 'I won't forget it. I won't forget you and leave you here when you're broken.'

Itachi walked over to where Hana stood and wrapped his arms around Hana's waist. He heard her gasp as he placed his chin on her shoulder, "Let the past haunt you. Let it do what it pleases to you. You just have to stand tall and strong through it all. You don't have to do it alone either."

Hana broke down in to sobs. Itachi held on to her tightly as she did so. No words were needed at the moment. It was perfect there for Itachi, with Hana in his arms.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

We found Itachi helping out Hana behind a game stall. Hana looked awful. I could tell she had been crying. I was glad that Itachi was there to help her out and by the looks of it, they had probably made up with each other too.

It was already 2 o'clock in the afternoon by then. We had a light lunch and decided to head for the stage now and do some last minute rehearsing.

As we were walking towards the stage, I saw that Hana looked nervous. She was lacking behind. I slowed down my pace so that I could walk with her. Kurotsuchi did the same. I took Hana's hand in mine, "You okay?" I saw Kurotsuchi take the other hand in hers.

Hana nodded, "Yeah. Just . . . about earlier . . ."

"Who was that Reiko woman?" Kurotsuchi asked her.

"She was my fa- I mean Shinzo Kenji's PA." That explains how she knew her and why Reiko had referred to her as 'Hana-sama.'

"I wonder what that creep want with you." I mumbled to myself.

Hana heard me, "I don't care. I don't have a father. I found out when I was in Konoha that few years after he left. He had asked my mother for an annulment."

"What?!" I exclaimed.

"An annulment," said Kurotsuchi. "An annulment . . . meaning their marriage wasn't left at a divorce but was . . . terminated? Like it never happened?"

Hana nodded, "That's how the news of my mom and him being together never went around much. He paid the press companies to keep shut; probably out of embarrassment of me and my mother. So as far as I'm concerned, I have no father."

Kurotsuchi and I stared at Hana. Way to go Reiko, you ruined her day.

Hana smiled at me and then at Kurotsuchi, "But hey, I'm not going to let that bother me now. I can't wait for your performance Konan-chan."

My performance. Drat! In the heat of the moment, I had forgotten I was a performer tonight.

"I don't feel so good about this." I said as I ran my hand through my hair.

"You'll do fine," said Hana. She then turned to Kurotsuchi. "You too, Kurotsuchi-chan."

"Eh! Kurotsuchi? You're performing?!" I exclaimed.

"Shh!" she said quickly. "It's a surprise. Hana gave me her form."

"Hana," I said. "You were going to perform?"

"I was thinking of it but Kurotsuchi needs it more than me," said Hana. "She has this beautiful song written for you-know-who. There no better way of expressing yourself than with music." Hana couldn't have said it any better.

I processed all of that in my head and then grinned, "Wait till you see what outfit I picked out for you to wear." Oh the bet had such a perfect timing!

Kurotsuchi groaned, "Better not be a sissy frilly dress!"

"It's a dress," I admitted. I continued before Kurotsuchi could argue. "But it's not sissy or frilly. Trust me."

Kurotsuchi sighed in defeat, "Fine!"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was even more amazing backstage. The ladies changing room was filled with female performers. There were a lot of dressing mirrors with all kinds of makeup available from blush and eye shadow to foundation and lip colors. We had already dropped off our clothes before so all we had to do was pick them up from our lockers. Hana immediately set to work with Kurotsuchi's makeup as I entered a changing stall.

The attire I had picked out for tonight's performance consisted for a plain violet tank top and black skinny jeans with a studded leather jacket (courtesy of Kurotsuchi) and a pair of calf-length, high, metal heeled black boots which made me feel like a total bad-ass.

I tied my hair in two ponytails instead of one and waited in one of the chairs in front of the mirror, next to the one Kurotsuchi was sitting in. I put on a black choker, with a red rose on it, around my neck. I pulled out the rose and fixed my origami in it.

Hana smiled at me, "You look awesome, Konan-chan! Wait till I'm done with your makeup. Ta-da! There you go Kurotsuchi-chan!"

Kurotsuchi looked like a whole new person. Hana had used light flecks of golden eye shadow and outlined her eyes with black eye liner. Blush wasn't necessary for Kurotsuchi's cheeks were already flushed with red. Her lashes were coated with mascara and her lips had a light shade of red lipstick. Konan had even curled her short, messy hair.

"You," I said as I placed my hands on Kurotsuchi's shoulders. "You look like a princess out of a fairy tale."

"Shut up," Kurotsuchi said, blushing even harder. "

"Now while I work on Konan-chan," said Hana. "You put on your dress and please try not to smudge your make up."

I handed her the bag where I had her clothes picked out for her. Kurotsuchi glared playfully at me before taking the bag and disappearing behind a changing stall. Hana worked on my makeup.

She coated my eyes with a light purple shade of eye shadow to match my top and outlined the bottom lids of my eyes with black eyeliner. Instead of lipstick, she used a pink lip gloss on my lips and applied just a dash of blush on my cheeks.

"How are you the makeup expert again?" I asked Hana.

Hana shrugged, "I asked Obito to teach me a few things."

"Uh huh," I said. "And how is he, a guy, an expert in makeup?"

"Rin." Hana replied softly. I left it at that and nodded.

"The hell is this monkey suit." I heard Kurotsuchi say. Hana and I turned to see a completely different person.

Kurotsuchi was wearing a tube-topped, knee-length dress which was golden in color along with black strappy heels. The dress had a slight V-neck and a black belt around the waist which complimented her figure perfectly, especially her eyes.

"You look amazing!" Hana squealed. I could see some of the girls in the room eyeing Kurotsuchi with envy.

"I really am Fairy Godmother aren't I?" I said with a grin. "I spent a fortune on that outfit!"

Kurotsuchi fidgeted nervously, "You didn't have to. It was just a stupid bet . . ."

"It's for a friend," I told her. "And call it perfect coincidence that you are performing. Deidei will be knocked over when he sees you."

Kurotsuchi looked surprised. She then smiled, her eyes tearing up, "Thank you, Konan."

"Now, now," Hana chided. "You will smudge your makeup. No crying okay?"

Kurotsuchi nodded and stared at the ceiling to stop her tears from falling. I smiled and got up to go and hug Kurotsuchi but alas, fate had to ruin the moment for when I walked over, I bumped into none other than Fuyu.

"You again!" We both screamed at each other.

Fuyu had adorned herself with a black midriff top and jean shorts and high heeled boots, kinda like mine. Her black hair was curled but it looked like a ball of fuzz atop her head since she overdid it. She wore a dark shade of red lipstick and also had on heavy eye makeup over her icy blue eyes.

"Please," she said. "Talentless people should not be here."

"You're right," I said with a sarcastic smile. "Please show yourself out, Fuyu-chan."

"Fuyu, where's my- oh look what we have here?" Aiko, a.k.a skank number 2 was wearing a skin-tight, leather body suit which to me looked extremely uncomfortable. The suit had metal studs along her shoulders to her arms and from her thighs to her ankles. It also has two parts on each side of her waist which showed some of her skin and had a deep V-neck which showed a lot of cleavage. She was wearing high heeled boots (I regret wearing these boots now) and her red hair was tied in a high ponytail.

"Can we all just disperse and pretend the other didn't exist or something?" Hana groaned.

Aiko rolled her eyes, "Why don't you go off in a corner and do your little assignment that I accidently ruined hmm?"

"Oh there's no need because Itachi-kun helped me with it shortly after you left!" Hana blurted out.

"Liar!" Aiko shrieked. "Don't you dare dangle Itachi-kun's name in front of me. To you, he doesn't even give a-"

"Will you shut up?!" I said covering my ears. "You'll deafen me."

"You shut up, bitch!" Fuyu said as she shoved my shoulders.

Kurotsuchi held me back as I made an attempt to grab Fuyu's hair. She then glared at Fuyu, "Get out of here."

"Looks like you got yourself another loser." said Aiko.

"Said loser with rip that body suit if you don't leave right now!" Kurotsuchi snapped. She and Aiko glared at each other. I'm assuming Kurotsuchi glared harder or Aiko got bored because she dragged Fuyu and walked off.

"Man, they're annoying." said Kurotsuchi.

"We have to deal with them every day in college." Hana said with a sigh.

"Nice job using Itachi's name there." I said to Hana. Hana blushed and punched me in the shoulder

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

We met the Akatsuki shortly after we were done dressing. They were all dressed up in their black cloaks with the red clouds on them. We were currently in the corridor of the dressing rooms. Kurotsuchi refused to show herself to anyone until the performance so she hid in the dressing room. Hana and I had to lie and say she went to the bathroom.

"Woo hoo!" said Obito. "This is it!" He still had his mask on and I was wondering if he was going to make a comeback or not. I didn't question him though.

Sasori smirked, "Yup. In a few minutes, we, the Akatsuki, will make our official comeback."

"I say it's time for a photo," Hana said, taking out her camera from her bag. "Everyone get close."

Since nobody was around, Obito shifted his mask to the side of his head and grinned cheekily. Deidara, trying to annoy Sasori, slung an arm around him and grinned at the camera while Sasori threw him an annoyed glare.

"Konan, you get in the picture too," said Itachi. "You're basically one of us."

"Oh no," I said. "It's okay."

Pein rolled his eyes, "Quit being so humble. Get over here." He grabbed my wrist and pulled me in between himself and Itachi. I didn't know what else to do so I simply held up two fingers in a peace sign.

Hana laughed as she clicked the picture.

I could hear the sound of the people filling in from outside. Obito quickly adjusted his mask as a stage worker came to inform us that the show was about to begin in roughly ten minutes and the performers were told to assemble into a separate room. The Akatsuki were up first.

"Yosh!" Obito said as he pumped his fist in the air. "Let's go!" He ran off ahead.

"Yay!" Hana cheered as she pushed Itachi and Sasori into the direction Obito was running. She turned to me and gave me a tight hug. She wished Pein a very best of luck and went back to the dressing rooms, probably to get Kurotsuchi.

It was only me and Pein now.

"We're really doing this?" I said with a smile. I looked up to meet Pein's eyes. He gazed into mine.

"Yeah," Pein said after a while. "Yeah, we are."

I took a deep breath and without thinking, I reached out and held Pein's hand. He didn't pull away; instead, he squeezed my hand.

"Let's do this!" I said with a grin and together, we walked forward.

Sasori: Yosh! The Akatsuki and Konan's performance is coming up next chapter!

Me: Stay tuned and here's a taste of the next chapter.

Me and Sasori: Read and Review, good people! ^_^

"Thank you." Pein said into the mic.

The crowd went wild for the Akatsuki. I was sure I could see girls crying their heart out with happiness for the Akatsuki had returned.

They were about to leave the stage when Deidara spoke up, "Wait."

He was looking at something or rather, someone. The rest of the Akatsuki all looked at the same person Deidara was looking at. The audience gasped in shock, awe and surprise.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I hate her," I said with a pout. "But you have to admit, that song's pretty catchy."

Kurotsuchi sighed, "Yeah."

My performance was coming up soon. Everything seemed about right; the butterflies in my stomach, my knees magically turning to jelly and of course the fear of choking on my own saliva. Ah, the joy of having the jitters before getting on stage.

But I was used to it. I had been performing, even if it was in private or in front of my parents or in front of a small audience, I performed. But honestly I couldn't remember the first time I performed in front of someone apart from my mother and father.

I was about to ask Kurotsuchi to pass me a glass of water when a sharp pain invaded the side of my head. This pain was familiar. It was one of those pains which accompanied my crazy visions. This time it wasn't a vision; I could faintly hear the sound of a boy and girl singing from far away. As always, the pain left me breathless and weak.

Just then, one of the stage workers came into the room to call me back stage and get ready for my performance. The pain in my head refused to subside.

Oh no, not now!