Stage 9: Unravelled
Neji carefully unfurled the red scroll slowly. What he saw failed to startle him. Zetsu's photo graced the majority of the page, seemingly half man, half plant. He was the only member Tsuki honestly knew next to nothing about. There wasn't much included in the scroll that he wasn't already aware of. He had been present for Tsuki's tale recapturing her view on events that had spanned the couple years prior to her becoming a resident in Konoha. She told that story, all five hours of it, from a hospital bed.
He knew it was a game of patience; his against the Akatsuki's. He prided himself a patient man; the evidence was in his willingness to take Tsuki under his wing and be responsible for her every action. Their relationships had started out with much hostility, and now look where they were. He would not be bested by a criminal in any way. He would watch Zetsu's every move, day and night, as he had been for the last week. It would be him who filled in the missing blanks in Zetsu's file.
Pushing aside his thoughts, he tentatively reached for the blue scroll. Tsuki had invested so much on this experiment: her reputation, her credibility, and ultimately, her life here in Konohagakure. He felt its weight in his hands. This tiny little scroll had the power to destroy her, or make her accepted within the eyes of the village. He debated on opening it, but couldn't bring himself to do it. So sure was he that she would return, he felt it wasn't his place to break the seal.
He stashed the scroll away in a pocket. In the same motion, he pulled out Ryo and brought it to the counter, where he gave it to the woman tending the register. She counted out his change, which he stowed safely away. He left the tea house.
Konoha had definitely gotten boring now that Tsuki was gone. It was maddening. He was surrounded by people he had grown up knowing, yet he felt isolated and desolate. He hardly ate, his sleeping was irregular and the dreams were fitful. Her absence was driving him almost stir-crazy.
He wandered back to his clan's compound. His boredom was overwhelming. Even before she came into his life, he had never spent so much time meditating. Training was nothing without her. It had no sense of accomplishment, nor was it rewarding. She drove him harder, made him move faster, built his muscles stronger. Without her, it was pointless to even try.
XxX
Tsuki stared up at the ceiling as she lay upon Itachi's bed. He leaned back in his chair, throwing his pen down on the desk. When she looked over, his eyes were closed in frustration. He removed his hair band and forehead protector and placed them on the desk, and began massaging his temples.
"Maybe you should stop for the night," she suggested.
A crimson eye opened, and was looking straight at her. "That would mean I would have more to do tomorrow," he sighed.
"It would he half as stressful for you if you weren't the only one working on it," she informed him. "It's not like I'm hard pressed for time. "
Sighing, he responded. "It's sensitive information. I would love to share the burden, but I cannot."
"You're spent for the night," she suggested. "Your brain doesn't want to process anything more."
He sighed, giving in to her wishes. "All right." There were times in the day when he'd find himself watching her more than he was paying attention to his work, and other times when he would lose hours to the pages. He knew she was curious as to what he was working on. He honestly wished he could tell her.
"Why does Leader-sama have you buried behind so much paperwork?" she asked him suddenly, as though she read his mind. "Don't you have some tailed beast to capture?"
He blinked in surprise at her break of silence. "It is not time for me to capture Naruto," he answered. "I can't tell you what the paperwork has to do with the ordeal."
She sighed, knowing that meant that she would have to endure watching a comrade be taken and killed. She didn't know if anyone would be willing to sacrifice themselves for Naruto the way Lady Chiyo had been willing to do for Gaara. Neji would fight for him, and so too would she.
"I know where your loyalties lie," he whispered softly. "They're the same as mine. You're going to do everything you can to protect Konohagakure. Naruto is in no danger of me. However, I fear he will be in danger of whoever inherits my assignment after I'm gone."
Her eyes narrowed in sorrow and pain. She knew he was destined to die by Sasuke's hand. She couldn't resent him for the task he felt destined to do. She disagreed with the importance of vengeance, and had told him so, but didn't allow her feelings to interfere with their brotherly feud. It was what Itachi wanted for Sasuke; who was she to stand in their way?
She sighed, clearing her mind of the sorrowful thoughts. "Naruto grows stronger every day," she stated. "I wouldn't be surprised if he turns the entire thing around and conquers whoever it is who is sent to capture him."
Itachi allowed her a moment of sadness before answered. "He probably will," he stated. "Naruto gave Sasuke strength when he needed it the most. Who knows what power he has lying within him, as well as the Kyuubi? Are you going to tell the Hokage about my coming for Naruto?" he asked, quizzical.
She shrugged. "She already knows," she answered. "They asked me all sorts of questions when I decided to stay. When it comes to me returning, they'll ask me the same questions, and send Inoichi to interrogate me. As it is, I'm looking at a month's worth of reports to write."
"Then they don't know why you're here, I take?" he inquired.
She laughed softly, a small yawn breaking toward the end. "They think the Akatsuki's trying to get information out of me on Orochimaru's movements. Konoha got a hold of Kabuto after their encounter with Deidara and Sasori back when Gaara's Shukaku was extracted."
He nodded, "That would seem the most logical from their standpoint, given your affiliation with him in the past and lack of binding to him. You were there of free will, and we both know how easily free will can be broken."
She agreed with him before pressing on. "I told Lady Hokage everything I knew, but the elder council members all have selective hearing. To them, as I'm not a tailed beast, I have no business in the affair and couldn't possibly be associated with the entire mess. They don't even want to think about what you're planning to do with them."
"How naïve of them," Itachi concluded bitterly. Tsuki knew of his hatred for the elders. She wasn't sure why. The signs were all there, though. His eyes clouded, his body language closed off, and his mood turned sour when she mentioned them.
"What does it matter?" she asked, rhetorically. "They'll figure it out eventually; and it might not be me who has to do it. Pein keeps telling me that I'm not irreplaceable. The council will figure it out when your ungodly weapon comes knocking at our front gate."
Itachi's eyes narrowed at seeing that potential future. "What do the councilmen think Leader-sama intends to do?" he asked.
She shrugged again. "That information is above my pay grade," she stated blandly.
He sighed. "You'd be astounded at the information they keep from the public just to ensure a false sense of safety," he informed her.
She looked into his vermilion eyes. "I'm sure that's a shocking revelation in its own right," she answered. "They like us to think they are in control, when in fact, they aren't."
He rose from the chair and crossed to his bed. "They have more power than you might think."
She edged away from him, allowing him more room. "They seem like a bunch of stuffy old wind bags," she stated.
Itachi sighed. "There's something I want to tell you."
She eyed him cautiously. "I'll listen to anything you have to say," she answered. "Just know, what ever you have to tell me will be subject to whoever interrogates me when I return."
He nodded. "The elders are already privy of this information. There's just one thing I have to ask of you before I can begin my story."
She inched herself closer to him. "Go ahead and ask it, then."
His eyes met hers with intensity. "Don't tell Sasuke until I'm dead. Promise me."
Her eyes widened at the request. "I-, I promise." It took her off guard that he would ask her to keep a secret from his brother, when Sasuke was the only one he cared about, other than herself.
"All right," he sighed. He launched into the explanation of why he massacred his entire clan. She already knew about his ANBU training. He went into detail about the mission he had been assigned, and the Elders' reasons for it: the Uchiha clan had grown too strong, and too rebellious. He explained that he knew it would be the path with the least amount of blood shed, in the end. They had ordered him to destroy his own family, and he knew that they would let the entire village believe he was a mad man. All he had ever wanted was to protect Konoha, to be useful. They had stripped him of that right. They made him an outcast, and his brother an orphan.
Throughout the entirety of his story, Tsuki's expression changed from neutral, to curiosity, to sorrow, then to disgust. She knew Itachi was a loyal man, who only wanted to protect and be of use to those he cared about. She had no idea the village had just thrown him away. "To think," she whispered, "That's the same village I serve to protect."
He sighed. "You do, but not out of loyalty to Konoha. You serve out of loyalty to Neji. I'm not asking for you to go against the village. Please, whatever you do, don't turn your back on them. The Elders I couldn't care less about. It's the people, the good, honest people that need to be protected. Those are the people I don't want you to turn your back on."
"I won't," she vowed. She looked at him with sorrow and rage. He understood why, but did not want her sympathy. There was something else burning up from inside of her, and he didn't have to wait very long to find out what it was."Why do you ask I not tell Sasuke?"
"I cannot live with what I have done," he answered. "He needs to bring honour back to our name. Otherwise, he will forever live in the shadow of my actions, and the actions of those who came before us. Sasuke is the hope for bringing the Uchiha clan back from the brink. If he knew the truth, he would destroy Konoha, and leave me alive."
A nod was his response. "That sounds very much like Sasuke. He uses anger as motivation. If he isn't angry at you, then he has to be angry at something."
Itachi agreed. They talked for a while longer, discussing the happenings of their days. He was surprised to learn about her exchange with Hidan, and the mess she had left around the compound for Kakuzu to clean up. She stated she would have been perfectly okay with Hidan's remains being left about to rot in the rain, but Itachi knew that wouldn't be allowed. He had chuckled when she told about biting his tongue off after she had enough of his shenanigans.
After her story, they bid each other good night. She returned to her own bedroom, and the bells clattered as she slid the door shut.
XxX
Tsuki found herself running Itachi's paperwork back and forth for the next few days. She hadn't seen many of the other members during that time. It could have been because she didn't linger in the streets or public areas. She would occasionally see Kisame, who by the third day, informed her that Hidan had been reassembled and was now seeking his revenge.
She thanked him, and felt Itachi's caution as she walked out the front door and into the drizzle. She didn't get halfway down the block before Kisame could be heard behind her. He took his time catching up, but when he did, he kept pace with her.
There was accusation in her eyes when she looked at him, and she could tell he didn't like it immediately. "Itachi sent you to guard me, didn't he?"
Her blue companion eased up when he realized her dissatisfaction was not with him. "Yes, yes he did."
A thought crossed her mind as they walked. "Since he's constantly watching everything, doesn't Pein get mad that you've gone against his orders several times to protect me?"
A grunt ensued before he fully explained. "He didn't give the orders to me. Hidan was complaining to Kakuzu about his mission, and Kakuzu took that information and did with it what he pleased. If he would be mad at anyone, it would have to be Hidan. As for just now, we all have orders to keep you alive. Those commands are loose enough that we can interpret them how we want to, so long as your life is not endangered. Hidan, to me, is a danger. Technically, I'm following orders."
Her head shook with frustration. "I feel as though you're all playing a separate chess game, trying to win as you dance across each other's boards."
"We all have our motives, and some of us can be quite manipulative, but you're not innocent of that either. You have your plans and your tactics for dealing with us. They seem to change with every visit you make. You analize, you learn, you evolve."
She agreed. That was something she did to survive them. It was something she was doing now. Everything they did became information she would eventually use against them. The only one who was particularly safe from her menace was Itachi, and that was only because he was willing to go so far for her.
Kisame escorted her all the way to Pein's office door, where he figured she could handle herself. He bid her a polite good bye, not feeling the need to be overly familiar with her. After all, he only did anything in her favour because he respected Itachi so much. Surely she had to have done something to earn his respects, too, and that was enough for him.
Tsuki knocked at his door. When Pein answered for whoever was out there to come in, she pushed the door open, pulling the papers out of the bag she carried at her hip. The rain would have ruined them if she had carried the sheets in the open. She turned around as soon as she was inside to shut the door. It was that moment she realized there were three people behind her, from the breathing patterns.
When she turned to address Pein, she saw Hidan and Kakuzu sitting across from him at his desk, and the orange haired sadist was staring at her with a smirk. "I see Itachi still has you running his errands," he stated.
"I'm here once every few years," she spat. "He has to deal with your bull shit all the time. I figure he could use a break."
Hidan chuckled, obviously amused that she wasn't just brash with him, but with anyone she had issues with. The noise drew her attention, so she turned toward him, observing the myriad of new stitching that circumnavigated his body.
"I'm impressed with your stitching, Kakuzu. I've never seen sutures so even." She purposefully ignored Hidan, knowing it irritated him to no end to be second best.
Kakuzu inclined his head toward her. "Normally, I would be irate at having to retrieve his wretched body, but I have to admit the story you told with the injuries was a fascinating one."
For reasons unbeknownst to her, she blushed at his compliment. It was a strange thing to be admired for; painting an elaborate picture through scattered, severed limbs was certainly a macabre art form to both accomplish and interpret.
Hidan made to loudly protest their discussion of his defeat, but Pein silenced him with a raised hand. "It was a most impressive display of defiance, certainly, but that is not what you came here for, was it?"
Retaining a respectful distance from all three, she responded with a, "No," as she walked to Pein, handing him Itachi's papers. She took special care to stay far out of Hidan's range with his scythe. He was only ordered to keep her alive. That has nothing to do with testing her tolerance for pain, as he has demonstrated on many occasions.
Once the papers were received, Pein looked over them for a brief moment, then filed them away meticulously. He looked from the men across from him to Tsuki, making note of the intense energy they were producing. There was anticipation in the air. Pein had never seen Hidan this saturated with volatile rage. Tsuki appeared cool and collected before him.
Pein handed a stack of paperwork to her. "You're all free to go," he stated.
Tsuki turned for the door, hearing Hidan shoot out of his chair behind her.
Kakuzu sighed. "I don't have time for this." He vanished from the office, circumventing the chaos that was guaranteed to ensue when Hidan and Tsuki reached the hallway.
Tsuki threw the door open, and didn't bother to close it behind her as she left. She knew Hidan was following. His footfalls confirmed her suspicions. She heard the metallic rustling of his scythe being unstrapped from his back. She ducked just in time to feel the blade embed in the wall above her head.
She reached up above her and pulled the weapon out of the sheet rock. "Did I anger you?" she asked, toying with him.
He smirked like a mad man. "You think you could anger me? Bitch please; you merely excited me." He slid the blades over her shoulders so she was unable to escape him. He had her by the head. "I would love to return the favour, but unfortunately that pain in the ass has forbidden me from wounding you heavily."
She eyed him cautiously. "Are you even capable of that?"
Stepping toward her casually, he had the look of a feral beast that has finally cornered its prey. "We'll find out, now won't we?" He assumed his familiar stance of boxing her in against the wall between his arms.
Her eyes rolled. "I don't want to go through this again, Hidan. Kakuzu probably gets tired of sewing you back together, doesn't he?" She pushed him off her and pulled the scythe out of the wall. "If it were anyone other than you, then there might have been a chance."
Reclaiming his scythe forcefully, he followed her down the stairs. "You can't just reject me, skank. That's not how this works."
A shrug rolled off her shoulders. "You have orders to refrain from wounding me heavily," she reminded him. "I can make anything you do much, much worse; the damage would be unbelievable."
The weight of understanding crashed into him. "You'd intentionally mutilate yourself, just to watch me fail?" he asked. "That's fucking sick., woman." A smirk dawned upon his lips as he admired her masochism.
They reached the landing, turned the corner, and continued down the next flight of stairs. "I would do anything if it meant keeping you away from me. Like I said, if it were anyone but you, there might be a chance. Well, not anyone; I have loyalties to keep."
A snort of laughter sounded from behind her. "You don't have loyalty," he mocked. "You'd double cross anyone if you felt you had something to gain. What's wrong, do we not entertain you anymore?"
She laughed at the remark. "Yeah, that's pretty much it. This organization has lost its appeal. The fear for my life has worn off. It's pretty clear you're not going to kill me. There's nothing to gain by pretending to be interested in any of you. You're just a bunch of selfish, pent up boys who have had way too much time alone. There's nothing else to it. There's no dynamic to keep me interested. Even now, I already know you're going to argue my point, call me a name, and try to physically force me to reconsider. You're predictable, you're dry, and it's boring me."
For once, Hidan was stunned silent. That was exactly what he was going to do. Only, now he couldn't do it, because if he did, it would only prove she was right, and he was boring. Even if he didn't, it would be to prove her wrong, and she was expecting that too. She had him at check mate. He chuckled. "You're something else," he muttered. The scythe went back into its sheath on his back.
They continued at a steady pace down the stairs, maintaining a begrudged silence. Hidan was licking his wounded pride, and she was seething at the audacity of the Akatsuki as a whole.
The silence was broken by Hidan, who cleared his throat loudly behind her. "I'm leaving tomorrow," he stated.
A huff escaped her lips. "Why do I care?" She picked up the pace, trying to end their close proximity as soon as she possibly could.
"I thought you would like to know, considering I'm irritating you whenever we're together." There was genuine offense in his voice. "You'll have a few days to yourself."
It was highly unlikely she would be on her own. Pein always ensured she was guarded by someone. "I'm guessing you have a bijou to collect, then?" she inquired.
"Yeah; it fuckin' sucks. The whole organization is going to be gone." He caught up to her, keeping stride as they descended. "Why does that ass wipe have to be at the top of the tallest god damned building in the entire fucking city?"
Her scrutiny hit Hidan like a ton of bricks. "You're saying that there's going to be no one here?"
"Well, yeah," he sighed, glaring at her. "We can't just sit here and summon a demon out of its vessel inside a populated city. If shit hits the fan, you're all fucked."
For someone who swore more than most, Tsuki was getting annoyed with Hidan. "Can you say the word, 'Fuck,' any more?" she ranted.
"Repetition annoys you, doesn't it?" He grinned at her, then very pointedly, and loudly swore at her again.
She shoved him into the railing, knocking him off his stride. "Fuck you, too, jack ass."
Laughter rang through the stairwell. He composed himself, rejoining her. "Don't be so serious," he joked. "It stinks."
They had nearly reached the bottom when her curiosity had overwhelmed her. "If you're all going away for the sealing, what's going to happen with me?"
His eyes narrowed. "I don't have a stinking clue. We're the first to leave. You're not going to be allowed to wander alone, I know that much. You'll just run away, and then I'll have to hunt your ass down again. It's a giant waste of time."
Resisting the urge to punch him, she asked another question. "How many Akatsuki members are there that I don't know about?"
He scratched his head. "I'm pretty damn sure you know us all. It's not that big an organization."
Sensing his usefulness had dried up, she left him in the lobby of the building. She pressed into the rain of the streets alone and in thought. They were all leaving. Itachi, Deidara, Kisame, Hidan, and she suspected even Pein would be needed. She didn't allow her hopes to get too high. They were S ranked criminals, and there were bound to be a few cards still up their sleeves, especially since the last time they left her unattended, she escaped despite their tricks to keep her confined.
She wracked her brain for answers. It could be her window of opportunity. She couldn't count on there being a chance, but if there was one, she would be a fool not to take it. There was already a chance Lady Hokage might execute her for disappearing. It was a fear she would have to face when she came to it, though. For now, she just had to focus on getting out.
A crumbling wall cracked under the force of her fist as she lashed out her frustrations. How could she use this to her advantage without even knowing what to expect? If only she had asked Hidan when everyone else would be leaving. That would have given her more clues as to what she could expect. He said he was the first to depart. Would the others catch up later, all at once? Would they trickle out, passing her from one guard dog to the next? She punched the wall again, breaking a hole in it.
XxX
Itachi looked up at her when she came bursting in. She dropped the papers on his desk. Deep thought clouded her eyes; he knew she was thinking at a hundred kilometers an hour. "You're troubled," he stated.
She threw herself in the chair opposite him."When are you leaving?" she demanded. Her eyes were fierce when they penetrated his own.
He set down his calligraphy brush. "In two days," he answered. He didn't care how she got a hold of the information, the fact was, she had it. "After that, you'll be passed to Deidara. I suggest that you two get things figured out, because he's scheduled to have you for nearly five days."
That was it then, they were just going to trickle out. "What could you possibly be doing for five days before the sealing begins?" she asked.
"You certainly know a lot about what's going on," he observed.
She blew her hair out of her face with impatience. "I'm not stupid," she reprimanded, "And Hidan doesn't keep secrets very well."
A chuckle escaped Itachi's throat. "You certainly have your methods for deriving information. Very well, then; we're scattering ourselves. Konoha knows where we go with the bijou. If your village were to execute a well timed raid, we would all be caught and killed, if we were all there. Pein has devised a time and space jutsu that allows our conscious minds to be where our bodies are not."
Understanding washed through her like a wave of relief. "It has its uses; I wouldn't mind learning that one." Barely audible, she swore under her breath. "Pein is staying here, isn't he?"
He nodded. "He always does. This city is his kingdom. He wouldn't dare leave it to be overtaken in his absence, unless he absolutely has to."
She slammed her head into the desk with so much force, the calligraphy brush clattered to the floor. "I'd rather go with Hidan," she groaned.
If he wasn't so concerned that she might have a possible brain hemorrhage, he would have chuckled at her distaste for Pein. He lifted her hair with the back of his hand and gazed at her with concern.
Swatting his hand aside, she rose from his desk. "Don't be so worried," she advised. "You should see the indentation I left in Orochimaru's desk with my forehead. I'm fine."
This time, he did chuckle. "I can only imagine the fights the two of you had."
She smiled with nostalgia. "We broke a lot of furniture with those fights."
He knew better than to draw the topic out further. It was a rare day when she remembered Orochimaru with a smile. Typically, the subject could induce a nervous break down; that was before she abandoned him. It was hard to say what horrors had taken place that Itachi wasn't aware of. There were a great deal of injuries that she would arrive with when they would abduct her that at first, they couldn't place. Hidan was suspect, as he was the one who intercepted her. Broken bones, deep set bruising, and the occasional hemorrhaged organ were all scrutinized, and it wasn't long before Itachi realized that Orochimaru was the culprit. She had idolized him, and he abused her, telling her he only did it because he cared.
