Chapter 7 : Clarity, Secrets, and Plans
"So, what?" Lisa piped up, fingers interlocked behind her head. She had been spending this time leaning off of the side of Itachi's vacant bed, pestering Kisame as a result. Her eyes narrowed skeptically, "Half of the Akatsuki just up and left?"
Kisame's beady eyes slid to his side, eying the girl cautiously. He had been through nothing but interrogation, and while he had nothing short of the right to deny outright answers, it was also true he thought nothing of their ability to utilize it. "Basically. Other business to attend to. And just why are you so curious all of a sudden, eh?"
Her shoulders loosely shrugged, "Why not?" Her hands slid out onto the bed at her sides, digging into the plain, but neatly placed beige bedding to pull herself upright. "We're stuck here with no definitive answer to what the Hell's going to happen to us." She drawled almost to herself mostly, arms hanging limply against her legs, "That, and I don't know how I feel about some of these guys roaming around with no big leader guy to keep 'em in check."
"We're adults, pipsqueak." He leaned back after setting Samehada to the side, back resting calmly against the wall. His eyes shut to the tune of a soothed exhale, "We're perfectly capable of handling ourselves-"
"Amber!" One could hear Tobi's heavy footsteps pattering down the hallway, chasing after the fleeing brunette, "Amber, wait! Why are you running?!"
Lisa's widened eyes, which traced the twosome's route past the door, slowly became bland as they turned on Kisame. "Yeah." She maintained the same dullness, sarcasm seeping into her tongue, "What capable adults you are, huh?"
"The Akatsuki's perfectly capable. That kid's an extra," The blue-skinned male clarified calmly.
"Oh, yeah sure," Lisa smugly shot, "Anything just to make yourself right, huh? You "Akatsuki adults" are somethin' else."
Kisame's eye hardly opened, stale gaze locked on her and her haughty countenance, "Is there any reason you're still hanging around?"
"Lack of entertainment..." She answered, level of bemusement matched evenly.
"If it'll get you to leave me alone," he trailed, rocking himself up to the edge of the bed whilst groaning in exasperation at having to move from the sweet spot he'd just gotten comfortable in, "we'll find you somethin'... Ever played Shogi?"
"Mmmm!" A strategy game? It was like Japanese chess, right? "I'ma stop you right there." No way in Hell she was going to be 'entertained' by forcing herself to think. What was wrong with him? She wasted no time, didn't even wait for him to look at her - only for him to stop, "Ever played Poker?"
Molly stepped back from outside the door, having thought for a moment that the two she had been listening in on were really going to leave out -though, thanks to Lisa, and her on-demand deck of cards, they didn't. The small blond clutched the collar of her hoodie through her long sleeves. She wouldn't say she was the most information savvy of the group, with regards to the Naruto fandom, but from what she knew... Tobi didn't officially arrive until after Sasori had... died, right?
The house in the woods, the normal appearance, all of the Akatsuki being present - Tobi included. It was such a bizzare, non-canonical spin. Was that to be her proof that none of this was real..? But then... that didn't explain their strength - their personalities and appearances.
The small girl drew her fist in a little tighter, bright blue eyes beginning to dull just slightly at the thought that - well... Nothing was making sense. Realization was something she came to often - but it was just as true that it was something that she much-preferred to avoid. To know that returning home seemed bleak, or maybe even impossible... The idea terrified her.
"Oh?"
The blond jolted, looking up briskly to stare the mask in the face, "Tobi!"
"Why are you looking so sad, huh? You don't have any reason to be, do you?" His head tipped much like a curious child, shoulders risen with a clear eagerness to hear a speedy reply.
Appeasing, Molly swiftly and forcibly shook her head, looking up to the bending male blissfully, "Of course not! I was just thinking! Come on! Let's go find Amber!" She knew that Amber would probably be less than pleased about that, but it was a good way to shift the situation.
"Mhm!" He lifted his arm triumphantly, a sense of duty in his puffed out chest as he gripped Molly's arm and dragged her along and a speed and strength that was potentially a bit uncomfortable for the small girl - but she never complained.
Hailey watched as they corralled down the hallway, messily swaying to and fro whilst bumping the wall multiple times from what she could assume was their own unsteady footing. Her blue eyes drooped in stare whilst her fingers traced over her collarbone.
"It's a shame that this is becoming normal to me..." She droned, turning to look around the hallway intersection in rapid head turns. "That aside, however, I need to know where the leader is." Her free hand eased down the chest-bindings and netting shirt that she had been given to wear out of the poorly picked clothing of other Akatsuki members. It truly felt like something that should have been worn beneath something else, rather than by its lonesome. "I haven't made too much of a fuss, but I can't keep wearing these clothing. I'm a woman."
"I'm afraid that fuss will have to wait a moment longer then."
Haily turned her gaze to the room at her right, eyes locking onto the redhead sitting occupied at his table. Her brow furrowed, seeing what appeared to be a lot of disassembled doll parts lying around with unhinged joints and loose, dangling limbs. Her brow furrowed from a wave of immense discomfort, but she began her hesitant stride over regardless.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She piped up. As if from normal responses to just about everything and anything, she crossed her arms expectantly over her chest and delved into a sassy disposition with crooked hip.
The red-haired male never passed a glance in her direction, only continued to repair the pieces of his work, "It's self-explanatory, isn't it? The leader isn't here."
"What?!" Her hands inadvertently settled atop the corner of his desk, blue eyes piercing through him, "When will he be back? Can't one of the ones around here take me shopping? It's not that big of a task, right?"
"Sorry." He didn't truly seem sorry. In fact, the way his tone descended almost gave the impression that he took a certain pleasure from shutting down her desire, "We can only do as we have permission to do."
Hailey's brows knit together, lips upturning to a strong pout.
"Also," He casually began speaking again, brown irises sliding to the edge to gaze at her from the corner of his eye - despite their serene and almost unnervingly calm appearance, a certain venom was most-definitely taking refuge there as well, "if you don't remove your hands from my workspace, you may find yourself on it." One could recognize a growing hesitation towards the endpoint of his sentiment, though he finished it regardless. It was only afterwards that his studying eyes were translated into speech, "Nevermind." He was looking directly to her chest.
Hailey snatched her hand back from the work table, a twinge of pink bridging over her nose from cheek to cheek. Her arm fell defensively over her chest whilst her blue eyes fell into a distasteful glower, "E-excuse me?"
"I'd rather not build something with such imperfections." Disinterest filled Sasori's once appraising glance, and with Hailey's hands removed from his workspace, he returned to it. Surely, he had been referring to the still dark and unsightly bruise across her upper chest, but it seemed that was far from the thing that the blond had assumed.
"W-What!? What are you-" Well, now, rather than embarrassed, she was merely threatened. At least the change in emotion would stop her from making ridiculous assumptions, right? "I'll have you know, I keep a careful eye on my diet! I take care of my hair and my skin, I exercise daily, and I am sure that my body is riddled with nothing but the most perfect of 'imperfections' so, Puppetman, that is your loss!" Scratch that - it caused her to make even more of a fool of herself than before.
"I heard body." A certain silver haired male popped his head into the room, magenta eyes aglow and tongue practically poking out from the corner of his mouth.
"Ugh!" A rigid shiver coursed up through Hailey's spine. Her hands ran over the goosebumps that sprouted up on her arms, eyes shifting irritably away, "Insufferable pervert."
"If this will turn into an argument or 'debate'," Sasori spoke up, peering between the two, "feel free to move this away from my room." His eyes were looking primarily to Hidan, being he was well-aware the rebellious fool would be interested in doing the exact opposite, just for the sake of causing annoyance.
"You heard 'em," Hidan leaned back against the frame of the door, bulkier arms crossing expectantly over his chest, "let's keep it outta his room and take it back to mine." Oh that grin procured his point so well.
Hailey sat down at the edge of Deidara's empty bed, crossing one leg over the other with her nose turning so far up in the air that it was a wonder that she could still see what direction Hidan was even in, "I'd rather die than set foot in that dirty, musty dungeon you call a room. Leave me be, thank you."
Exasperation lined Sasori's face as the silver-haired male moved to speak up again. He honestly should have seen it coming, but for some reason other than hopefullness, he dared reiterate, "Out of my room."
"Tsk," Hidan scoffed quietly, looking to Hailey disdainfully, only to crook his head to the side and leer intently instead - only to infuriate her, which he succeeded in doing. Within only a couple of moments, there were pillows being hurled at him through the doorway, causing him to vacate whilst letting loose bouts of howling laughter.
Meanwhile, down the hall, one could hear Amber's pleas for solitude, "Just give me some time alone!" She shouted through a locked door. It was a room that was relatively empty, only a curtained window there to save it from being completely bare. Throughout the course of this time, it felt as if the brunette had been shoved into social situation after social situation. Surely, she wasn't anti-social, but after long hours or days of being exposed to people, she needed time to herself to recharge.
She actually blessed this empty room - it was just the place she needed, but would they really allow there to be an unattended room with a window?
She rose up off of the floor, ignoring the sounds of knocking from just outside, and crawled over to the window. Her hands glossed past the curtains, which seemed to be collecting nothing but mounds of dust that lifted into the air the moment she touched them.
Had this room been empty for that long?
She traced her fingers over the sill, collecting dust as well, whilst making their way up to the window's hinges: nailed down.
Of course - they wouldn't have even one place where they could escape off to themselves, huh? Her lips parted to offer a quiet sigh. Her back rested against the door before slowly lowering down to the ground where she began.
"Amber!" Tobi called out from outside once more, leaving a small anger tick against her forehead.
"I'll come out in a little while! For now, leave me alone!" It was a bit more coarse than what he was used to, she was sure, but a little solitude was a necessity.
"I don't think you're supposed to be in there!" Tobi called back once more.
Why couldn't she be? It was literally just an empty room. What would happen? Would she die of dust inhalation? Because that was seemingly like the only likely result around now. "Why not..?"
"I dunno... No one's really gone in there in a long time! People stay away from it!"
Oh... So everyone avoids it. 'What a wonderful reason,' Amber thought dryly. Just because everyone thought it was bad, it was? What a hive-minded- 'There's a lesson in this somewhere, isn't there..?' She shook her head, huffing quietly as she opened the door to exit, "Fine."
"You're alive!" Molly attached to Amber in a full bear-hug, clearly responding far too over-dramatically, as if swept up in the hype. Amber didn't mind this too much, but her brow twitched slightly as she felt Tobi latch on as well - it certainly didn't take long for his antics to begin wearing on her nerves.
Abruptly, all semblance of 'hugging' was dropped as Tobi was off again, lifting Molly to carry with him - what was he running to?
"Deidara's back!" He gleefully chimed, tossing the small blond girl in the air then continuing to run, "Hurrah! I can tell! I could hear it!" He reached the door, peering outside enthusiastically, "Ohh! He brought everyone! Leader's here too!"
"FINALLY!" One could hear Hailey shout, hopping back up to her feet, "I need to have a word with him!"
A/N: It seems the plan is to go shopping! It seems harmless enough, but who knows if the Leader will wanna give that a shot. Also! MYSTERIOUS DOOR. and... hidan. okey. yeah. done here.
Feel free to leave me your predictions for ships, and I'm always open for feedback!
TUNE IN NEXT TIME FOR FUN YAY.
Also: I'd like to thank all of you for your amazing support! It's really encouraging!
PS: I'm working on some other stories - not all of them being for the Naruto fandom. So look out for those if you wanna see more!