Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I wish I did though sometimes.
Time is an equal opportunity employer. Each human being has exactly the same number of hours and minutes every day. Rich people can't buy more hours. Scientists can't invent new minutes. And you can't save time to spend it on another day. Even so, time is amazingly fair and forgiving. No matter how much time you've wasted in the past, you still have an entire tomorrow. ~Denis Waitely
Kairi P.O.V.
I've been in this place for a while now. I didn't know how long exactly though, the only way I could tell time was looking out a window but even then that was something I rarely did, I couldn't bring myself to look outside much; the knowledge of my captivity always managed to mock me and it hurt. I didn't bother to keep track of the days either. In the long run the pain of being separated from the outside world and being held prisoner went from a sharp sting to a dull aching throb over whatever time I've spent here.
I was also alone most of the time too. The only exceptions were when I was with Konan. I hardly ever saw any one else except at meal times and even then most of them were not there, I had yet to meet any more members. The lack of human contact was beginning to affect me and I'd begun the habit of wandering around unsupervised in search of someone anyone to talk to. Konan would then come looking for me later and I would spend an immense amount of time locked in our shared room as punishment. It was starting to drive me crazy!
So here I am yet again wandering around, punishment be damned I needed an outlet for my pent up frustration! And I was hoping to find just that…
The place wasn't as big as I thought it was, there weren't many hallways or doors. Konan had said most of them were empty rooms or places for storage and things like that besides their own rooms and then there were a few that were locked. I also asked her why they had the underground halls and she said it was mostly to confuse prisoners if they ever escaped and to keep them from reaching the ground floor. I was surprised she said anything about that at all.
Rounding a random corner I saw a strange scene. There were a few men and all of them surrounding and arguing over a dark lump from what I could tell. Then even stranger, one of the men started to kick it repeatedly, the lump making low whimpering sounds. I realized then it wasn't some lump it was a person!
"Hey! Stop that!" I ran over to the small group in hopes of stopping their horrible treatment of whoever they were picking on. I tried to reach for the huddled up person when an arm pushed me away and I landed firmly on my bottom. Loud laughter erupted around me. Leaping back up to my feet I shoved the same man who pushed me back into one of his laughing friends. The laughter cut off immediately.
The man turned to face me. "You should know better than to fight people who are clearly stronger than you."
He was sort of tall maybe a few inches shy of six feet, with short brown hair, dark brown eyes and a very masculine face. He had a sinister scowl twisting his features, ruining any chance of attractiveness he might've had.
I glared at him and said "I don't wanna fight, what I do want is to know why your bullying that person!" I waved my hand to the person on the floor who was now in the fetal position.
"That's none of your business!" said another man. I ignored him and glared even harder at the same man waiting for his answer.
He glared back and said, "This retard screwed up our assignment and were not about to take the fall for him."
I gasped sharply, "Well that's a really stupid reason!"
"It isn't when you have to face Leader-sama's wrath." Someone mumbled. I snapped my head in the direction of that person to see he had his hand covering his face and what I could see was bandaged up.
"Who's leader-sama?" I asked. No one answered me because the man who was on the floor chose at that moment to try and get up only to have one of the men push him back down and stomp on his back to hold him down.
"Itai! Itai! Itai! It hurts!" He shouted. At that moment something in me snapped and I once again pushed someone, only this time to defend someone else.
"Enough! You're hurting him! I don't care if you're angry with this guy and you're scared of this leader person but that doesn't give you the excuse to hurt someone!" I yelled.
"Tch, whatever. Let's go, I think he's learned his lesson now." A few of them spat at him or kicked him before leaving. I frowned at their backs as they walked down the hall and around the corner before kneeling down to help him sit up.
"Are you okay?" I looked over the man; he wore an orange mask with a swirl pattern on it and all black with a green scarf.
He held his head for a moment before speaking to me, "Tobi is fine thanks to you girl-chan."
"I didn't really do anything. Are you hurt or bleeding anywhere?" 'This guy…he talks like a kid…'
I gently touched his stomach and back just to see if everything was okay, I looked down at my hands to make sure they didn't come away stained with blood. After I made my examination he clutched his stomach in obvious pain.
"We should find you some ice…" I trailed off, ice was in the kitchen and I had no idea where I was, and Konan would usually find me by now. *sigh* I really needed to make a map of this place!
"Tobi was it?" He nodded his head. "You don't happen to know where the kitchen is do you?" I gave him a rueful smile.
"Yes, Tobi knows exactly where!" He got to his feet and grabbed my hand to lead me back down the hall I just came from and down a few more until we were in front of the kitchen door then leading me inside.
"You should sit while I get the ice." I gestured to the chairs at the counter. He sat down which surprised me a bit but I brushed the shock off and opened the freezer door. It didn't have much in it just a few chunks of frozen meet, a carton of ice cream and lots of ice cubes but no ice pack. Well there was an ice pack just not the ones I was used to seeing, you know filled with blue or green gel with a company logo on it, no this was different, it looked like a small dark blue plastic sack with a lid attached to it. I pulled out of the freezer and handed it to Tobi who then placed it against his stomach.
It was an awkward silence; well at least for me that is, Tobi looked perfectly at ease…at least from what I could tell from his body language. He was currently swinging his legs back and forth on his chair humming quietly. Hmmm, I did say I wanted to find someone to talk to and he has yet to threaten me…
"Sooo, what exactly did you do to get those losers mad enough to beat the crap outta you?" He stopped humming and turned his head to the side to look at me or I think he was looking at me the mask was sorta confusing me a bit.
"We were supposed to deliver something for Leader-sama but Tobi messed everything up again." He said sadly.
"I'm sure whatever you did isn't that bad." I said trying to cheer him up.
He sighed, "Tobi accidently delivered the wrong package and the man Tobi was supposed to give it to chased us cause he was mad. And he said to tell Leader-sama that he wouldn't work with him again." His voiced cracked at the end.
"It's okay," I soothed, "I'm sure this Leader-sama will understand it was an innocent mistake."
He just shook his head and started to quietly whimper. I patted his back while he cried, even though I couldn't see his face and I just met him I still felt bad for him.
"Why the hell are you crying now un?"
I turned around to see Deidara walking in to the room followed by the hunchback I remembered from before.
"Se-senpai!" Tobi leapt off the chair and stood facing Deidara.
"I heard from some of Sasori no Danna's men you screwed up again." Tobi lowered his head in shame.
I looked between the two before asking "Sasori no Danna?"
"Oh that's right you haven't met Sasori no Danna yet un." He pointed to the hunch back behind him and said "This is Sasori of the red sand."
I looked over to the man and observed him from the top of his head to the end of his cloak. He had tan skin, a strange hairstyle that reminded me of cornrows and wore a mask. The only thing I could think of at the time was how this shorty could ever get in to a criminal organization looking like that? I mean it wasn't the height or anything like that; it was more about how he didn't look human…
"Erm…nice to meet you?" I scratched the back of my head. He just stared blankly at me…
"Uhhh, so are you and Deidara friends?" I asked, I was uncomfortable with the way he stared at me.
"We are partners." He stated.
Partners as in… "Are… is that…are you two…uhh…together?" the whole time I was struggling with my sentence they were giving me strange looks. Deidara and Sasori's eyes grew wide as the meaning of my question hit them.
"Of course Deidara-senpai and Sasori-san are together!" Tobi shouted out. Both of them looked ready to strangle the poor guy. Stepping in front of Tobi I repeated my question.
"Of course not!" Sasori shouted.
"I'd rather blow myself up un!" Deidara yelled.
"But senpai you are together…" said a confused Tobi.
"Not in that way you baka!" Deidara yelled back.
"In what way senpai?" he asked from behind me.
"Tobi don't you know what…" I wasn't sure if I should explain what homosexuality was to him or not.
"Hmmm, Tobi is…confused."
"Don't worry I am too." I reassured him.
"What the hell does that mean un?"
"Dude, you're wearing a ponytail." I deadpanned.
"Whatever, un. I don't have time for this come on Sasori no Danna." He glared at me then walked back out of the kitchen with Sasori glowering at his back in tow.
"You are either very brave or very stupid girl-chan."
I turned around to Tobi, "What do you mean?"
"Tobi knows senpai is very scary when he's mad and girl-chan speaks to senpai with no respect. Senpai must be having a good day if he didn't punish girl-chan for her disrespect." He said matter of factly.
."Girl-chan?" I asked.
"Oh that's right Tobi doesn't know your name!" he grabbed my hands suddenly and started to jump up and down excitedly, "My name is Tobi! What's yours girl-chan?"
I sweat dropped, "Uhhh, My name is Kairi, nice to meet you Tobi."
"It's nice to meet you to Kai-chan!" He hugged me unexpectedly and threw us both off balance and we both tumbled to the floor with a loud thump. I cracked my head against the cold linoleum and something warm and surprisingly hard landed on top of me. I heard loud pounding and from my view on the floor saw the bottom of the kitchen door swing open.
"What happen- oh, it's you." Said a voice.
"Ohayou Kisame-san!" Tobi sang from on top of me.
"Tobi, why are you squishing Kairi?" Kisame asked.
"I'd like to know too." I puffed out.
"Ah, gomen kai-chan!" he jumped off me and held out a hand to help me stand up. I took his hand and stood up slowly, once I was back on my own two feet I turned to kisame.
"Long time no see shark boy." I smiled.
"Pft, same here shorty." He patted my head.
"Kai-chan has met Kisame-san already?" Tobi asked.
"Yea, I've also met Konan, Kakuzu and your leader."
He gasped, "You've met Leader-sama!"
I rolled my eyes, again with this Leader-sama… I froze, wait was the ginger head really the guy everyone was so afraid of before? "Uhhh, Tobi what does this leader-sama look like and why's everyone so afraid of him?"
"Ummm, well he's about this tall," he raised his hand up to measure his height, "He has orange hair and these purple gray eyes and he's the leader of Akatsuki."
Tall with unusual features sounds about right…Holy crap he's the leader of what!!! "Bozo the Clown is really your leader?!"
"Who's Bozo the Clown?" Kisame asked.
"Never mind that!" I told him, "He's really in charge of everything here?! For real?!"
"Mmhm." Tobi nodded his head swinging his arms by his sides.
Well great, I'm totally screwed. The dude I was starting to dislike hugely was their freaking leader. What in god's name did I do to deserve this!
Mina P.O.V.
It was now a week and a half in to January. Kairi's been dead for more than a month now and I still couldn't believe she was gone. I didn't leave my room for a couple days after Sakura told me. I refused to go anywhere when ever Sakura or Ino would stop by, even my sensei and Shizune had stopped to see if I was okay two or three times. After three days stuck in our… my apartment Lady Tsunade had come by to see me, I guess she was feeling sorry for me too.
After about a week of just staying inside I got tired of being by myself; instead of feeling better I felt worse and worse. I decided to walk around Konoha, but the pain of losing my best friend followed me everywhere I went until I eventually found myself in front of the village's main gate. I remember I just stood there looking out of the large doors for a long time until I eventually got tired and went back to my apartment.
I was doing better now; most of my tears and sadness had dried up and I was able to focus more on my ninja duties now. I became a genin after most of Tsunade-sama's packages were recovered, (I finally found out what was in them…it was sake, what a big surprise right…) and after passing the graduation exam but she said that's she couldn't assign me a team as of yet because of obvious reasons and that I still had one more thing to complete…
I guess she was planning to make me and kairi a team along with someone else but I guess since… she's well gone, I guess she was going to have to move things around…
I thought about all this as I made my way over to the small meat stand me and kairi had once asked directions from. I'd been coming here a lot lately either to eat or to just sit against the nearby shop and watch people go buy things while I relaxed.
"Why hello Mina-chan, here for your regular?" the old woman Masuyo smiled to me, surprisingly she had all her teeth.
"Yea." I smiled back.
She nodded, "How's training coming along?"
She busied herself with my order while she waited for my answer, "Good…sensei says there's room for improvement." I said sheepishly rubbing the back of my head.
"Mmmm, more interested in looking at the boys instead of your sensei?" She raised an eyebrow.
My face turned bright red with embarrassment, "Noooo."
Setting the container down in front of me she grinned, "I'm just teasing you, now, I want you to work hard and become strong to protect this village. Do you hear me young lady?"
"Hai, I hear you." I grabbed the container and paid her the money and made my way back to my apartment for dinner.
I thought over what old lady Masuyo said. She said she wanted me to work hard and become strong to protect this place. Even though I've only been here for about a year this place was really starting to grow on me; I realized she didn't need to tell me I had to become strong. No… I would be strong for Kairi, she wouldn't want me to lounging around and possibly getting myself killed; she would want me to learn how to protect myself and the people I care about.
I couldn't think of this place as some book anymore, I had to think of it as a real place, a place where people are hurt and killed every day. I wasn't in Atherton any more; I wasn't even in the U.S.! I was in a place where ninja's existed and people were allowed to kill and some just killed for the sake of killing. Kairi wouldn't have wanted what happened to her to happen to me…or anyone else for that matter.
I had stopped outside of our once shared apartment while I thought about all this, I sighed knowing that starting tomorrow I would being starting a new and improved training schedule, but I couldn't find it in me to be hateful to it like I would have a few weeks ago. No, now I was determined to get stronger and I could only look forward to it.
Kairi P.O.V.
I was currently being dragged around the place by the wrist courtesy of Tobi with Kisame following closely behind. He decided that since I met most of the members that he would introduce me to the rest of them.
"Who should Kai-chan meet first? Hmmm, what do you think Kisame-san?" I glanced behind me to look at Kisame.
"Well… Itachi should be here, I think he's in the training room, but I have no idea where anyone else is."
"Then Itachi-san it is!" He tugged on my arm a little more forcefully and led me down a new hallway and paused outside a wide door.
"Ano, do you think its okay to take Kai-chan inside while Itachi-san is training?" Tobi asked.
"Hm, I'll go in first, just in case and you can follow behind." Kisame answered. I watched him push the door open and slowly walk inside. After a couple seconds he waved his hand in a signal that said it was okay to follow.
Walking in beside Tobi I studied my new surroundings, the room was made entirely of concrete had high ceilings with a large skylight and a smooth concrete floor. Looking down for a closer inspection of the floor I saw several brownish stains. Blood, it was left over blood stains!
"Oh that is so gross!"
"What is Kai-chan?" Tobi stopped to look at me.
"There's blood all over the floor…"
I got the impression that Tobi found me dumb cause he said, "This is a training room Kai-chan, people get hurt in here sometimes."
"I knew that. It's just there are a lot of stains." He looked at me for a few seconds before walking ahead of me. Well fine then man boy!
Kisame had walked to the back of the room and was talking to another man with long dark hair. Both of them turned towards us as we walked towards them. Coming up beside them I took in the features of this new person. He was tall with a finely formed face and black hair in a low ponytail. What stood out the most about his appearance were his eyes, they were so dark a grey they were almost black with creases under them. I shivered, I didn't like his eyes, they looked like eyes that saw too much despite his obviously young appearance. It almost felt like being watched by a tiger waiting for you to make a wrong move so he could take you down, as if he was getting to know you without actually speaking any words.
A small cough broke my train of thoughts only for me to realize I'd been staring at the stranger for well over a minute. My cheeks burned with humiliation, I felt like smacking myself for my outright stupidity. 'Come on kairi! You aren't supposed to be staring at people.'
"Itachi-san please meet Kairi-chan!" Tobi sang.
"Hn." He tilted his head towards me which I could only assume was acknowledgement then faced the wall he had been looking at before I began staring at him.
"Uhhh…" I wasn't sure if this meant the introductions were over and I could leave or not.
"What, that's it Itachi-san? Not even a hello?" Tobi pouted. He turned his head to the side and said a quiet hello and then resumed his wall staring. Okaaay, that was the weirdest hello I ever got.
"Er, hi." I said back. I guess tobi was satisfied with the whole introducing thing because the next thing I know he's dragging me back outside the room.
"See you later Kisame-san, Itachi-san!" He yelled with a wave as we exited through the door.
"Where are we going now Tobi?" I asked as we made our way down the hall.
He paused to scratch his head, "Um, perhaps kai-chan wants to meet the others?" he asked.
"I thought Kisame said they were out or something?"
"Well tobi doesn't know for sure but we could look for them if you want." He said brightly.
Hmmm, what should I do? I really don't feel like going through anymore meetings like that if the others are even close to what that Itachi person was like. But then again what if Tobi just decides to drag me to them? I thought over my options as Tobi patiently waited for me to answer him.
"Uhhh, can't we wait til later I'm sure Konan's looking for me and-"
"I understand kai-chan! Lets go find Konan-san if you're so worried!" he exclaimed.
I furrowed my eye brows at him, "I'm not worried it's jus-" I never finished since Tobi began towing me down the hall again. I sighed heavily at the treatment but then smiled brightly, I was beginning to like Tobi.
"Ne, Kai-chan."
I looked at him, "Hm."
"I'll make sure everyone comes for dinner so you can meet everyone, okay?"
My mouth dropped its smile and formed an alarmed 'o'. Another awkward dinner! I wasn't sure how many more I'd be able to take!
Itai- Ouch
Ohayo- Hello/ good morning
Gomen- sorry
Ne- it can mean anything thing really depending on the sentences context, like here it means hey.
Chan- it expresses that the speaker finds a person endearing. Using chan with a superior's name would be condescending and rude. In general, chan is used for babies, young children, and teenage girls.
San- is the most common honorific and is a title of respect similar to "Mr.", "Miss", "Mrs.", or "Ms."
Sama- It is used mainly in addressing or referring to people much higher in rank than oneself, toward one's customers, and sometimes toward people one greatly admires.
Senpai- is used to address or refer to one's senior colleagues in a school, company, sports club, or other group. In a business environment, colleagues with more experience are senpai, but one's boss is not a senpai.
Danna- It can mean two things. It can mean "master" in some cases, but more commonly you use it meaning "husband". Which is why Kairi said what she said. =)
Sorry this update took so long. Please review!!!
