There were just some days were waking up just didn't work out for me.
"Anjira, get up, we need to go, hm." I heard Deidara knock on my door. Looking out the window, I realized it was early morning.
"Am comin'." I slurred, forcing myself to leave the bed and staggering to the bathroom, feeling all dizzy and groggy.
I brushed my teeth, trying to my best to stay awake, before haphazardly combing my hair. Melodies and voices were pretty much always in my head but today was especially noisy and annoying. I don't get what the excitement was all about.
Well, maybe because of last night when Deidara watched me play. It was a bit embarrassing and I'm not entirely sure if he even enjoyed my performance but he stuck around until the end which I appreciated a lot and made me internally giggle like a silly teenager. Thinking about it made me blush, and I tried my best to keep a straight face.
"Alright, settle down, everyone…" I grumbled, finishing up in the bathroom and quickly threw on my clothes so I could meet him.
There he was looking all fresh and gorgeous as usual, while I was a complete mess. A whiff of shampoo, sulfur and clay was detected by my nose, primarily coming from his hair. A funny combination but not unpleasant. I wish I could just stay here and smell his hair but there was work to do.
"Mornin'." I greeted him with sleepy eyes, smiling at him even though my head felt like bursting.
"Told you to sleep early. You look like crap, hm." He replied bluntly.
It hurt a little but he wasn't wrong. It was just like him to be so bold and honest, but I suppose it was better than sugar coating it.
"Yeah, I might need some coffee before we leave. D'you mind?"
"No, let's go, hm." He nodded.
We headed to the bar downstairs, which served a variety of food and drinks, including coffee, tea and alcoholic beverages. Deidara sat next to me as he ordered tea while I ordered some sake.
"Sake? You said you were getting coffee!" He protested.
"I changed my mind."
"We can't go on a mission if you're drunk, hm!"
"I'm not gonna get drunk, I just need to wake up."
"Then why don't you just get coffee?"
"It's not enough." Indeed, ordinary coffee was not enough to make this throbbing headache go away.
"You're not even gonna eat anything?" He continued nagging.
"Nah. Don't worry about it, alright?" I waved my hand in dismissal as the bartender served our drinks. I proceeded to gulp mine down. In a matter of seconds, my headache subsided a little but I felt my kidney cry.
"Wait, a minute, hm." His eye widened as if realization hit him. "Are you even old enough to drink?"
I looked at him in shock before glancing around. It's not like I wanted to lie to him but the bartender was literally within earshot.
"Of course." I bluffed.
"Bullshit. There's no way you could be older than me, hm."
I looked at him in disbelief. This very Akatsuki member who also happened to be a terrorist bomber wasn't old enough to drink either? I stifled a laugh.
"Tell me, hm." His expression was completely serious.
"16." I whispered.
"16?"
"Shh, keep it down!" I hissed, glimpsing at the bartender.
It was already too late, though. The bartender overheard our conversation and angrily threw us out of the bar. I wanted to fight him, but there were other people around and our leader had instructed us not to attract any unnecessary attention so we left in defeat.
"That didn't go too well." I commented.
"That's entirely your fault, hm. Seriously, save the drinking for when we actually complete our mission."
"Sorry, but I need to be awake." I flashed him an apologetic grin.
"So young and already an alcoholic." He dramatically shook his head.
"I'm not…" I pouted. "Well, you know my age now, so what is yours?"
"19."
"That's not so bad. One more year and you'll be old enough to drink."
"Frankly, I'm not really interested, hm."
"Fair enough." I replied. "How old are the other members?"
"It's a pain in the ass to remember everyone's ages but the oldest is 91."
"91? Wow. Is he still kicking it?"
"Don't let it fool you, he'll kill you if you get on his nerves. He also stitched my arms together."
I whistled, rather impressed. It was also reassuring to know that there was someone who could stitch my limbs together incase I lose some.
"How about the youngest?"
"You, hm."
"So… before me, you were the baby of the Akatsuki." I mused.
"Baby? Seriously?" He groaned. "Well, since you are the baby now I'll make sure to let everyone else know the next time we have a meeting, hm."
"What? Why? I was just kidding…"
"Too late." He smirked, looking all smug.
The teasing went on as we transferred to another area via Deidara's bird. This time we headed to a mountain area and I hoped we'd eventually find something.
We climbed the slope of the mountain in silence. Upon reaching the top I took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air, but my tranquility was interrupted by this strange feeling of being watched.
I glanced at Deidara who didn't seem to have noticed anything. I looked around before I saw something weird that had grown on one of the trees.
It was some kind of plant but there was a person inside, but it didn't really look like a person, it was black and white and wore the Akatsuki Cloak. It looked incredibly disfigured, reminding me of some of the test subjects back then. I wondered if I should attack it but then again it was wearing the Akatsuki cloak so maybe it's a ally? I thought for a moment before deciding that the best course of action was to ask my partner.
"Deidara, what is that?" I asked, pointing at the creature.
He raised his brow, looking at the direction before his face lit up.
"Zetsu! What's up, hm? Tobi being a nincompoop again?"
Apparently that thing is named Zetsu.
"Tobi is alright." He answered
"So, that is the new member." He spoke again, voice much deeper this time. I realized the halves were different persons. Reminds me a bit of Sakon and Ukon.
"I was hoping she would look cuter." The lighter side commented.
My eyebrow twitched. Was it really necessary to say that right in my face?
"A bit too thin but still edible." The darker one replied.
"The skin looks very appetizing."
I took a step back, completely repulsed by this stupid house plant. First they insult my face, then they voice out their cannibalistic desires towards me. I tightened the grip around my guitar.
"Oi, you didn't come here all the way just to eat my partner, did you?" The blonde replied.
Zetsu grinned.
"The Two-tails has been caught."
"Already?" Deidara's face fell.
"Pain wants us to seal it now."
"Alright, we'll be there in a bit, hm."
Zetsu absorbed himself back into the tree and vanished. I watched the position he just disappeared to, staying on guard in case he just randomly pops out and eats me.
"Let's go." He instructed.
"Okay." I nodded and followed him, still looking around for Zetsu.
"Don't mind Zetsu too much. He's a creep but as long as you're an active member of the Akatsuki, he won't eat you, hm."
"Well, isn't that reassuring..."
After a reaching a specific spot, he muttered "Here should be good enough..." and created some clay spiders and birds.
"We're gonna seal the two-tails, hm. Need to make sure no one attacks us while we're busy." He told me.
I blinked at him, not entirely following what he's trying to get at.
"Sit down, hm." He gestured towards the rock and I sat beside him. He began teaching me a specific jutsu, although he didn't explain what it was for. He said that this will take 3 days which confused me even more. Regardless, I followed what he demonstrated and as soon as I closed my eyes, I found myself in a dark cave.
I was standing on what looked like a thumb of a giant hand statue. I looked around and saw other holograms occupying the remaining fingertips, their figures obscure but their eyes were clear which were without a doubt, were the other Akatsuki members.
I couldn't help but feel apprehensive being surrounded by a bunch of S-rank criminals whose faces I couldn't discern but hopefully they can't harm me like this.
I looked for Deidara and it took me a while to spot him. He was the second furthest away from me, which made me a little uneasy, even though in real life he was just sitting right next to me.
I could see Pain beside him who was the furthest from me, his Rinnegan crystal clear. Next to Deidara I could recognize Konan, beside her was a pair of Sharingan eyes which distinctively belonged to Itachi Uchiha. Beside him was that creep Zetsu from earlier.
The pinky of the hand I was settled on was empty and had originally belonged to Orochimaru but he had never returned the ring. On the ring finger was a pair of yellow shark-like eyes which I assumed was Itachi's partner. Next to him was a pair of red eyes with green irises and a pair of fuchsia ones right beside me. I had no idea who they were.
The last person I noticed was a blonde kunoichi with bloody hands lying on the ground, the only one who was not a hologram. She had to be the host for the two-tails.
"So, we get to meet the new member." Someone said, who I assumed was Itachi's partner, Kisame.
I could feel their eyes on me, worsening my anxiety.
"Yeah, and she understands what true art is, hm!" Deidara boasted.
I bit my lip, embarrassed he was putting me on the pedestal like that. The other members didn't particularly look impressed either.
"Great, now we have another weirdo." The guy positioned next to me commented.
"Hidan, don't forget you are the weirdest among us." The guy next to him replied.
"Come on, Kakuzu, I'm not that weird."
"Everyone here is."
"Well, she's not that bad. And she's now the baby of the Akatsuki, so be nice to her, hm."
I glared at Deidara's hologram. He actually did it. How could he do this to me?
"Baby? She still a kid?" The guy named Hidan asked.
"Well, I think someone at 16 is still considered to be a kid, hm."
I gritted my teeth. Why did he have to announce my age to everyone? Or was that an obligatory part of a new member's introduction?
That Hidan guy spoke up again.
"16, huh? You better keep your dick away from her. "
"What the actual fuck, Hidan? Who do you think I am? I'm not a creep like you, hm!"
"Ah? Who the fuck are you calling a creep, Mr. Licky-Tongue?!"
"I'm not the one who stabs myself for fun, you freak!"
"I don't stab myself for fun! Well, I do- But I have to do it for my religion!"
"That is enough." The Leader raised his voice, sounding exasperated. "We'll commence the sealing of the Two-Tails now."
"About time. I think it's best to stop making our new member feel uncomfortable." Kisame said.
"You don't join our organization and expect to find comfort." Kakuzu uttered cynically.
"Everyone, focus. We can't afford to waste any more time."
I obeyed the leader and concentrated on the flow of my chakra. The host of the two-tails floated in the chair, chakra leaking from her orifices to the statue's mouth. Grotesque, but I guess that's just life.
Not much time passed before Hidan spoke up again.
"Hey, newbie, do you want to join the way of Jashin?"
"What's that?"
"You can kill people and sacrifice them to please Lord Jashin. Sounds pretty good, eh? Wanna join?"
"You don't wanna join, hm. Trust me." Deidara chimed in.
"I wouldn't either." Kakuzu added.
"Hoi, I wasn't asking you two blasphemers!" He turned back to me. "So? What do you think?"
"I'll… I'll think about it." I answered, presuming this was the safest answer In truth, I didn't really want to join his cult but that Hidan guy seemed demented so I didn't want to upset him.
"Don't even bother thinking about it, hm."
I opted to concentrate on sealing and remained silent, much to Hidan's dismay.
"Hoi, Deidara, why doesn't your partner talk?!" He complained.
"Why would she want to talk to you?"
"She's just like Itachi. They could be soulmates or something."
I grimaced at Hidan. What was wrong with that guy?"
"Why would you even suggest something like that, hm!" Deidara snapped at him.
Not even five minutes had passed and Hidan asked me again.
"So, have you made up your mind yet?"
"Um… no."
He repeatedly asked me throughout the sealing process.
"Hidan, stop harassing our new member." The leader reprimanded.
"Hah? I wasn't harassing her! I'm just trying to save her soul! I bet it's you who constantly harasses Konan!"
Aside from Hidan continuously asking me to join his cult and other members expressing their annoyance towards him, the sealing process went rather smoothly and we were finally able to complete it after three nights.
The jinchuuriki dropped lifelessly to the ground with a loud thud, signifying the end.
"The two tails has been sealed. Good job, everyone. Until then." Pain declared and dispersed from his position.
"Hey, newbie, you wanna join yet?"
I ended the jutsu without answering Hidan and found myself back at the mountain area, relieved it was over. I took a deep breath and stretched my back. Deidara, too, returned his main consciousness to our original location and stood up.
"You okay?"
I nodded. He acknowledged my response and looked up to the sky.
"We need to hurry. Let's go, hm."
