For the next few days, it was basically the same thing over and over again: I would wake up utterly alone (I assumed the rest of my questions would be answered later on), find some leftovers waiting for me in the morning which would have to do me the whole day; wander around in search of anyone or anything yet at the same time trying not to get lost; and try my hand at some of the jutsus that were written in the scrolls. There was this cool one that I tried to learn, but even still couldn't really get the hang of it. It was called Earth Release: Earth Spear where it allowed my arm to become as hard as a diamond. Despite my enthusiasm about learning it, the hand seals came slow to me and how to perfect such a difficult technique came even slower. I wished there was someone around to help me with it, yet everyone was probably too busy out doing something about the bijuus.
I missed having those training sessions with Ayumu were I would usually blindfold myself and try to get into practice sensing chakra. I couldn't use that training anymore since there was no chakra to sense besides my own. The blindfold was like a precious keepsake that I liked to keep around with me at times when I felt lonely. Momma's hairpin helped a lot with that as well. My thoughts even kept my occupied from the idea that I was so lonesome. They kept going back to making my final decision about staying with the Akatsuki or not and to what I would tell Dei-Dei the next time I got a chance. Though I still didn't come up with an answer for Leader-sama, I was fairly sure he wouldn't bust a gut trying to beat an answer out of me. After all, I still had to go through all my training and I didn't quite yet have a solid reason to join them.
One of the days I was just hanging around waiting for the Akatsuki members of whom I would be training under there was a commotion down the hallways from my room. I just finished my ration of food for breakfast, so I decided to poke my nose out to see what was going on. When I did, though, I saw the red and black cloaks of Akatsuki members, so I shut the door over a little bit more so I could just barely see and hear what was going on.
"Why do we have to waste our time training the bitch?" An annoyed voice of a young male complained. Since my vision wasn't the greatest, I had to make the assumptions that he was talking to Leader-sama and that 'the bitch' was me. I leaned in closer, trying to hear a little bit better when a softer voice replied to him.
"You heard Leader-sama; stop complaining." I faltered a little bit when my theory about the first guy talking to Leader-sama was wrong, but I didn't lose my curious edge.
That is, until the door was ripped opened which revealed to me a man with short silver hair and frustrated purple eyes. He glared down at me, as if willing away my existence as the other guy - his partner, I guessed - came in as well. On the silver haired man's back was a giant scythe that had three deadly red blades. He was much taller than I which frightened me so bad that I took a few steps away from him. Not only that, but he seemed really powerful even though I had seen nothing of his skills or abilities yet. He was a well built man that was plainly revealed to all considering he wore his Akatsuki cloak wide opened.
When I switched my gaze over to his partner, I was surprised to see passive green eyes that owned no pupil. A dusty grey mask covered his mouth and a hood-like thing covered his head as if he had something to hide. His forehead protector showed that he was originally from Takigakure. He looked much older than the silver haired man which made me wonder how much experience he had and exactly how old he was. Obviously, if he was any older than the silver haired man and was a part of the Akatsuki, he must be quite the foe.
"So you're the new bitch that Leader was talking about." The silver haired man said, scanning me up and down. There was a long pause until I realized that I was supposed to answer him. Shakily, I nodded my head up and down in reply. Man… I felt so nervous! I knew the day was coming when I was going to meet with more Akatsuki members, yet I was as scared as I was with Leader-sama.
"Nothing more than a child." The other masked guy sighed softly to himself though I heard it quite distinctly. I wasn't exactly appreciating the way I was being counted down so early, but if that was what they thought of me, then it was all right. As long as I tried my hardest, they couldn't say a thing that could lower me. Besides, what they were saying was partially true since I was only sixteen - not even an adult and I was really inexperienced compared to them. Instead of complaining about their attitude toward me, I bowed to them deeply, trying to be as sincere as I could.
"Under your teachings I will undoubtedly try my best to meet up with your standards." With just that one sentence, I used as much etiquette as I was taught to know. It kind of made me sound like I had a stick up my butt, but I didn't want to anger them with moodiness since we just met. In fact, I wanted our relationship to be neutral - neither hateful nor friendly; just so training will go by much faster and easier than if I tried to get on their good sides.
Only the masked man acknowledged my respectfulness whereas the silver haired man groaned murmuring something under his breath, "Chiasa, was it? My name is Kakuzu; and my annoying partner is Hidan." The silver haired man - Hidan - immediately blasted at Kakuzu for calling him that.
"I'm not fucking annoying! You're the money absorbed shithead who annoys everyone!" Hidan bellowed rudely back. They went on a rally of insults that I had no and didn't want to have any part in. I just kind of slunk back, waiting patiently for them to finish although it kind of enraged me that they didn't at least try to settle their differences for one moment. Honestly, what was Leader-sama thinking putting these two on a team together if they constantly bickered?
"Hidan, we're getting off track." Kakuzu-san reminded the infuriated Hidan. He raised an eyebrow with confusion until Kakuzu-san pointed to me - reminding him that I was still there. It was as if he had seen me again for the first time. I would have sighed, if it wasn't an S-ranked criminal we were talking about. Hidan didn't say anything to me though, he just scowled and breathed deeply out through his nose as he left the room. With him gone, I had to admit, I wasn't as scared. Kakuzu-san at least tried to be at least a little bit kind, but Hidan ruined his image for me by 1) calling me a bitch, 2) groaning loudly for all to hear when I tried to be polite and 3) forgetting my presence in three seconds. Didn't he care what others thought of him? Wait - duh; that was an obvious question.
Anyway, Kakuzu-san motioned for me to follow them so I listened obediently. I assumed we were going to either the lobby or outside to train. Actually, going outside didn't sound so bad. I hadn't seen the sun for a few days and I was beginning to miss it. Sadly, that wasn't where we were going; probably due to Leader-sama's orders. Oh well, considering they could be doing far worse to me than just keeping me indoors, it was actually a luxury. Hidan kept to himself the whole way there, yet, so did Kakuzu-san. It wasn't my place to strike up a conversation and I doubt either of them would appreciate it much. Kakuzu-san seemed like a quiet person and Hidan hated me already; my incessant chatter would fall on deaf ears.
When we made it to the lobby, Hidan stubbornly walked over to the platform and just sat there, eyebrows knitted closely together. He probably didn't want to do this at all and I suppose in a way I felt sorry for him. To be dragged in the middle of doing something to train someone you didn't know or really care about must suck quite a lot. Still, it wasn't really my choice to be here as much as it was his. Kakuzu-san just seemed to put up with having to be forced to train me like this - if he had any qualms about the whole matter he definitely wasn't showing it. He just stood before me a few feet away and faced me, scanning me thoroughly. There was no doubt in my mind that he was judging my abilities by my appearance alone. I felt bad that he wasn't going to get very good results inside of his mind since I was kind of on the thin side, there was hardly any muscle on me, I wasn't outlandishly tall either - about five foot six inches. There were no obscenely strong features that immediately stood out in me. Still, I hoped that he would count at least something good about me.
Kakuzu-san sighed, "Well, show us what you can do."
Nodding, I began my little show for him by throwing some kunais and shuriken stars into the nearest stone pillar, hoping that I was strong enough to let the metal sink into the stone even just a little bit. I tried but failed slightly when I tried to make the kunais and shuriken stars all land in a neat column, but some fell out of place. I didn't want to let that bother me so I ran up to get them again by climbing up the stone pillar, retrieving the ones that were lodged into the stone and kicked back off. As I was falling back down another idea to impress them jumped into my mind. I threw five kunais, hurdling them straight ahead. When they were doing that, then I summoned the earth up to hit each of them upwards. They spun for awhile in the air, just as I hit them again with earth from the walls which ended the spinning so it was easier for me to manage shooting them around. From there, I slapped them with clay whips from the earth I had already summoned which sent them flying out toward me unrelentingly. I took a deep breath just as I jumped back into the air again while pulling out a string where one could put kunais in a line at their hip if they chose. I threw out the barely seeable line so that the hole of the kunai at the back and the hole in the middle of shuriken stars were perfectly in sync and so went onto the line. Though it sounded so cool, I could only get a few of them on the line whereas the others just flew around randomly onto the floor.
I made contact with the ground again and ended my little show for them there. Kakuzu-san didn't seem in the slightest impressed - he had probably seen much more amazing feats being performed on a daily basis. Hidan hardly blinked his eye in my direction as a scowl was drawn deeply on his face. I was discouraged. Maybe I should have tried something a little bit more exciting - something worth getting up in your seat for. Though… I didn't know a whole lot yet that would make people of their stature as thoroughly struck by the primitive moves that I almost perfected. Choking back a sigh, I went over to collect my weapons.
"…We have a lot of damn work to do, eh, Old Man?" Hidan called to Kakuzu-san mockingly. If I was depressed before, I was now embarrassed of my mediocre abilities, ashamed that my effort to impress them was so useless, angry at Hidan for calling my bluff like that and at myself that I didn't take a stand when stupid old Hidan had to go and shoot his mouth off like that. He was once at this stage in his life too, I'll bet!
"So, you use Earth Release?" Kakuzu-san asked rather than reply to Hidan. I was grateful that he just dropped the subject that Hidan started so I nodded jauntily in response.
"I don't know a whole lot, though." I warned him, feeling another two cents from Hidan in the happening. Before he could get across, though, I added, "I know Devouring Earth, Earth Dragon Bullet, and Earth Clay clone. There was a scroll that I found in my desk one day called Earth Spear that I was trying to learn, but couldn't quite get it." When I said the name of the move, Kakuzu-san's dull green eyes seemed to spark with recognition - the kind of look that I wanted to flash through Dei-Dei's eyes when I told him my name. Shaking my head quickly, I chastised myself - I was supposed to be focusing on the lesson! If I angered them by not listening, I wouldn't want to find out what kind of punishment they had in store.
Kakuzu-san began making hand signs - the types and the order of them being to what I remembered Earth Spear having. I watched intently as he finished them with such ease and how his arm changed into a darker color; like that of dirt. He extended out his arm for what I assumed for me to examine. When I came over and looked at it - he really looked like he transformed his arm into a different substance. I asked quietly with a red face for permission to… feel the texture of his new arm. He didn't seem to mind me asking as he allowed me. When I ran my fingers along his transformed arm, I found that it was like touching a really tough stone. I was awed; this was what it was like to perfect this move.
"Wow…," I breathed, still amazed even though Kakuzu-san ended the jutsu, "Could you teach me how to use that move?"
"You know the hand signs, right?" Kakuzu-san asked to which I answered with a nod, "Then try it out on your own first." I immediately did as I was told; not wasting a minute as I ran through the hand signs through my head once before doing anything. Then, I quickly began completing the signs - but in a slightly slower pace than what Kakuzu-san did them at because I wanted to make sure I didn't mess up. After I finished the hand signs, I began to falter - this was where I usually messed up; was I going to do it this time? I collected the earth into my arm as per usual, but this time I tried to swirl it around my arm rather than just pile it all together like I tried last time. The swirling worked for a time, but then it all exploded in my face when I thought it was time to sustain it in one place. I nearly fell backwards, just regaining my balance before falling completely on my back. Hidan bursted out laughing at my failure which made the disappointment come on worse than it would have without him around. Kakuzu-san didn't chide me horrifically nor encourage me even a little.
"You were collecting the earth around your arm properly, but you didn't make the chakra go into sync with the earth." Kakuzu-san speculated. How he knew what I was doing with my chakra and the earth eluded me, but he must have some awesome sense of chakra if he could detect the motion it was moving in even if he didn't seem to have full attention on it. He folded his arms across his chest, seemingly annoyed as he also shot a glare at Hidan who was still chuckling a bit. Hidan gave him a glare back which made the room tense for about a minute but it was better than him laughing at me. Kakuzu-san sighed and said to me, "Try it again."
This time, I focused on what Kakuzu-san told me in order to perfect this move. It was difficult focusing on my chakra as well as the earth element at the same time because usually one has to insert the chakra first into the element then they are able to manipulate whatever type of element they have. Though, I guessed that was what made this move so advanced. Anyway, I moved my chakra and the earth pretty slowly just to get used to moving the two of them at the same time. It took nearly all my concentration whereas with Kakuzu-san it took only the blink of his eye in order to complete it. That was what it meant to perfect this move. Even though I had done it extremely slow, I finally got it done - I made my arm like Kakuzu-san's!
With my all my pride beaming out of me I extended my arm with a giant smile stretching across my face for him to see, "I did it! I can use Earth Spear!" Kakuzu-san narrowed his eyes at me, making my radiant happiness of learning the move dissipate almost immediately. I canceled the move and brought it back to my side, "…That is, with your help, Kakuzu-san."
"If you were to use that attack in a fight, you would be dead before you even knew it; with the rate you completed the move." Kakuzu-san told me, causing me to flinch with hurt. There was no praise, but instead only room for improvement. It isn't like back home, Chiasa; it never will be. My heart continued beating with lowliness, "You have to go faster. Not only that…," Kakuzu-san approached me to which I found the urge to run away immediately. He easily towered above me when he was before me - though, I never followed my instinct to move. I looked up at him wide-eyed, for some reason expecting him to hit me.
Instead, he just told me to use Earth Spear again and so I listened quickly not wanting to ask questions to someone like him. After a long time of waiting for me to complete the move, Kakuzu-san had to bend over to meet with my eye-level. Taking my hand between two fingers, he pressed down, inflicting a dull pain to which I couldn't help but gasp at. How was I feeling that? He was hardly even trying to hurt me and I could feel it as easily as I would if I didn't have Earth Spear activated! Did that mean that I didn't actually complete the move as well as I was capable of? Kakuzu-san stood up again shaking his head with disappointment.
"…You didn't even harden your arm enough. There needs to be more chakra and earth - you're not giving it a sufficient amount." Kakuzu-san informed me, once more neglecting any praise for me to feel the need to perfect this move. I hung my head sadly but nodded with understanding. In other words, he meant: 'You're not able to learn this move at your current level.' Kakuzu-san paced for a moment, his arms crossed.
"Oi, Old Man! You're gonna have to start with the basics!" Hidan shouted to us once more, an irritating smirk displayed across his face, "She doesn't know enough to use a move like that! How about you teach her how to make a Bushin?" With that, Hidan laughed a bit more at the expense of any pride I might of had at that moment. Kakuzu-san just rolled his eyes at Hidan once again, but didn't listen to him one bit. Maybe that was how I should react around Hidan - just tune him out. I mean, if he wasn't going to say anything intelligent why listen to him?
"Hmm… perhaps Earth Flow Wave would be a better jutsu to begin with…," Kakuzu-san murmured to himself, but then turned to me. I didn't want to make a fool of myself by just standing there waiting for him to teach me an alternate move so I got my hands ready to perform hand seals in an instant. Kakuzu-san - even if he didn't mean it - had a glimmer of respect in his eye for me even though the… terms (I guess you could call it that)of which I was learning under weren't the greatest considering if I made a mistake it would get discouraged or told that my best wasn't good enough.
Anyway, Kakuzu-san told me the hand seals which I completed as he went along and he guided me into using the move. I had to admit that it wasn't as hard as Earth Spear, but even still it took me some time to learn it fully. I had to collect the earth from underneath me and make it into a spire - sort of like what a pinnacle looked like. Kakuzu-san told me there was a follow up to that move, but I wouldn't be learning it today. I was kind of grateful for that because I was beginning to run out of chakra.
"To end off this training session, we'll have you spar with Hidan." Kakuzu-san told me much to my surprise - and to Hidan's. Immediately, Hidan got to his feet and protested like a crazy man. If Hidan agreed to the spar, I would most likely die by the end of today.
"There is no way in hell I'm going to spar with her!" Hidan shouted right in Kakuzu-san's ear. Kakuzu-san seemed used to it as he brushed it off like he was merely whispering, "You know it's against my religion to leave people only half-dead! You spar with her!"
"I already taught her a move, now it's your turn to contribute." Kakuzu-san replied calmly walking over to the platform and sat on it much like Hidan did to mock him. Hidan's face turned a bright red with fury, but then he pulled out his scythe with a vengeance as he faced me with his teeth bared much like a predator ready to kill their prey. My eyes widened with fear for my life - I hadn't ever seen a man like this before. He was almost animalistic the way he faced me. Luckily, Kakuzu-san called out, "No jutsus, Hidan. Only taijutsu. That means your scythe is disqualified." Hidan spat on the ground, a little less enraged than before.
"Like I'd listen to you! I'll do whatever the hell I please!" Hidan said getting into a stance. My heart pounded in my ears. He was really going to kill me! My knees quivered with the cold grip the fright had on my heart. Still, I pulled out a kunai so at least I had something to deflect that scythe of his with and took a gulp.
Immediately - before I could come up with a decent plan - Hidan came charging for me without remorse. I gasped silently at how fast he was - I barely had any time to dodge his scythe coming down upon me. Just as I kicked off the ground to get out of the way, the scythe connected with my leg and ripped a large hole in it. I grunted with pain as I tried to stand again, but found it difficult with the giant wound Hidan mercilessly gave me. When I faced him with one eye closed to bear with the pain, I saw him lick my blood off his scythe which I found utterly disgusting and strange. It was like he enjoyed my pain with that giant smile that had formed on his face.
Not wanting to lose so easily by him - not that he wanted to end it just there anyway - I ran staggeringly toward him with my kunai in my hand to get close. His scythe came down again as he saw me coming, but I stopped the blade from connecting with me again with help of the kunai, but it was a struggle to keep it that way. His power was quickly overriding mine and I had to improvise unless I wanted my head to fly off my shoulders. I brought my knee up to slam it into his stomach but he blocked it by bringing the scythe's handle to halt my knee. After that, he easily threw me away; one of the three blades of his scythe running across my face and made the kunai in my hand to fly off into the dark room somewhere in the distance.
Hidan let out a crazed laugh that seemed foreign to what his voice sounded like before - like battle brought out another side of him. I swiped away the blood on my face that kept dropping from my face anyway. Looking from left to right, up and down, I tried to think of a way to get out of this mess. Hidan had gone mad - probably forgetting that I was partially in the Akatsuki thus we were allies - and I wasn't nearly strong enough to fend him off on my own. I turned to Kakuzu-san who just watched closely, evaluating every going on. Hope faded from my sight when it seemed that Kakuzu-san didn't even think that I was worth keeping alive. Though, I had learned a move he spent time teaching me - I had to be worth something!
Flipping his scythe around so that it was now pointed in his direction, Hidan ripped his side open, the blood squirting out like an orange. I was horrified - what the heck was he planning by doing something sick like that?! With that smile that seemed permanently screwed onto his face, he actually seemed to be enjoying the pain. I knew that the Akatsuki was full of strong and intelligent ninjas gone bad, but what was this called? Did they pick Hidan up from the suicidal looney bin or what? Using his blood that pooled around his feet, Hidan slid one foot around in a circle so that it surrounded him…
Before I even saw it coming, Kakuzu-san had a tight grip around Hidan's throat with Hidan's feet dangling above the circle of blood he had created. He still sat on the platform and black strings extended from his forearm and the one that held Hidan. Kakuzu-san gave Hidan a dirty glare while I just stared in shock. Was this Kakuzu-san's power?
"I told you before: No jutsus." Kakuzu-san warned him.
Hidan croaked, "OK, OK! I get it! Now let me go, you son of a bitch!" The strings slunk back to Kakuzu-san's arm as he released Hidan's neck. Hidan fell back on the floor, but didn't crumble as most people would if they were caught in such a hold and had such a wound.
As if nothing happened, Hidan swiped the dust off of his cloak with a scowl on his face. I gaped at the two of them in disbelief - were these really the type of people the Akatsuki had? How could I ever match up to that?! I slightly wondered what kind of jutsu Hidan was going to use, but then again, maybe it was better that I didn't know. If Kakuzu-san decided to stop him even though Hidan had broke his rules prior then it must have been something powerful.
"It's not just a jutsu," Hidan added sneering at Kakuzu-san, "It's a gift of power given to me by the Almighty Jashin-sama!" I didn't comment or ask any questions in fear of Hidan going into that wild state again. I never wanted to see that ever again.
"The only one who cares is you." Kakuzu-san said, dismissive. Though, Hidan continued the argument with shouting and yelling. Kakuzu-san would just reply calmly while Hidan was in a fit of rage - in a way, I was happy that their attention was shifted to something other than my pathetic abilities and skill.
Though, I couldn't relish in their permissive attention because my gravely wounded leg gave out from beneath me. They both turned to me, unconcerned, no doubt, but I didn't care. I struggled to get up again but the pain was too great for me to even stand. I couldn't believe that I was actually able to run with this wound - but maybe that was the adrenaline pushing me forward so I wouldn't be killed by Hidan. Kakuzu-san took the liberty to check my wound to which he didn't seem too concerned of. That told me, at least, that my injury wasn't serious. I severely wished I could use my Kekkai Genkai so they didn't have to be forced to watch out for me - even if it wasn't out of care.
Kakuzu-san extended his arm and from underneath his sleeve came the black strings from before. At first I was worried he was just going to end me since I was useless to them wounded, but instead the strings went into my leg. It hurt a lot, but not as much as the wound Hidan originally gave me. Slowly, the strings moved around, stitching together my skin. I put up with the pain by clenching my teeth together tightly, but I really felt like stopping him from continuing. It was for the betterment of my injury so I couldn't really speak against it. With a final tug, the stitching was completed and nearly closed with only time left to heal it.
"Keep practicing that move I taught you and we'll continue tomorrow." Kakuzu-san told me to which I replied with a curt nod. Getting to my feet now that my wound was a little bit more stable now, I bowed to Kakuzu-san and partially to Hidan. Although the only thing he did was hurt me verbally and physically, he still took time to train me and I guess that needed to be recognized.
"Thank you very much." I said to them sounding a little robotic. They didn't say anything to that and left without a sound. As soon as they were gone, I went over to the platform and even though it wasn't comfortable at all, I laid down on my back on it. I stared up at the ceiling for the longest time, only feeling the throbbing wound in my leg and on my cheek. That whole training left me completely drained; I couldn't do that again tomorrow. Did they think of me some freaky person who could withstand that kind of training everyday?
The only thing that got me up was the rumbling of my stomach telling me to get off of my lazy butt and eat something. Staggering through the narrow, empty hallways, I finally made it to my room. The food was disgustingly stale, but it was the only thing I had so I ate it as happily as I could. Since it was stale already, I wondered what time it was and how much time I spent training with them. It felt really long, but since there was no clock or even a sun to go by for that matter I had absolutely no idea. Surely going outside for a few minutes couldn't hurt anyone - least of all the Akatsuki. I mean, who in their right mind would accidentally go wandering to that specific part of the woods and see me? I suppose since they were always on the run they couldn't take any chances - even if it was insignificant.
After that, I reached into my kitbag and shuffled things around until I finally found some herbs that I had found while in the clearing with Ayumu that would speed up the healing process of my wound. People of the Baaten clan, even with their Kekkai Genkai, were taught of every known herb and what they did. This was a great thing for me considering I didn't even have a Kekkai Genkai available. Of course, even with all this knowledge that was carried onto me, I didn't know exactly every herb. I sighed; I should have paid more attention.
Since my chakra had been drained quite a bit and I lost a bit of blood, I hit the sack earlier than I usually would have. Lifting the blankets up to my chin, I found myself staring at the ceiling again - thinking deeply about different matters. They just kept darting from thought to thought until, slowly but thankfully, sleep claimed me.
