Chapter 10: Sociopath

"Kakuzu, I thought you would be asleep," Konan said, spotting Kakuzu as he was just about to enter his room. "Well since you're up I need to speak with you."

"It can't wait?" Kakuzu grumbled, he and Tohru had ended up talking for a few hours and his legs were stiff from sitting on her floor that long, he just wanted to go to bed.

"It's about a mission for you and Hidan, if we go over the details tonight you two would be able to leave earlier tomorrow morning."

"Mission!" Kakuzu snapped. "We just got back from a mission; send Sasori and Deidara I know they haven't been out in a while."

"We were going to go originally but with all things considered you and Hidan would be more apt for this particular mission," Sasori smirked walking out from Konan's office to stand beside the blue haired woman.

"Come inside and we'll discuss the details," said Konan, giving Kakuzu a look that told him it wasn't up for debate.

"Why didn't you tell me about this earlier?" Kakuzu bit out once he, Sasori and Konan entered the office.

"Sasori didn't bring it to my attention until I got back about an hour ago."

"What do you mean Sasori didn't tell you, if this has something to do with him, he should be the one dealing with it," Kakuzu growled, glaring daggers at the redhead.

"One of my subordinates has broken contact with me, either my technique has somehow been released or they're dead. I need to know which it is," Sasori stated casually.

"That's your problem."

"It's our problem," Konan corrected. "Sasori's sleeper agents are his responsibility but this particular one is very strong and very fast that's why I want you and Hidan to go instead of Sasori and Deidara. If he's dead I want you to find out the cause of his death, if the technique has been broken there's a possibility that he could try engaging you in which case you'll need to kill him."

"His memories should still be suppressed but there's a marginal chance that something has gone wrong. Any information about the Akatsuki wouldn't necessarily be detrimental to us but could cause some minor annoyances," Sasori explained, replying to Kakuzu's glare with a smirk.

"Sounds really fucking important."

"The Akatsuki is beginning to draw more and more attention but at the moment we would still like to keep as low a profile as possible. Even 'minor annoyances' are more than we want right now, at least until we start to become more aggressive in our actions."

"It's still his fucking problem," Kakuzu snapped, his glare turning to Konan.

"Excuse me?" Konan hissed. "You don't have a choice in the matter, this is an order. What the hell is wrong with you tonight, you hardly ever throw a fit when asked to do something."

"Tohru," Sasori coughed.

"This is about Tohru?" Konan exclaimed in a combination of surprise, agitation, and a tiny…very tiny bit of humor.

"No!" Kakuzu yelled, even though it was the truth. Everything was progressing well with her but the time remaining to win the bet made him uneasy. That and he didn't want to come back to find that everything he had thus far accomplished with her had come undone.

"She'll still be here when you get back," Konan sighed as she reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose. Men became downright weird when women were involved.

"I think he's worried that she'll have a change of heart while he's away because he's not spending every waking moment stalking her," Sasori nodded sagely.

"I don't stalk her!"

"It doesn't matter!" Konan said quickly trying to disperse a fight she knew was bound to happen if the two continued. "If you're quick the mission could take as little as three days."

"Nothing is ever quick when Hidan is involved."

"Funny because he says the same about you," Konan snorted a little. She rolled her eyes and placed a folder on her desk. "This has the information on your target and their location."

"Are you sure he'll be there, you aren't very good at knowing where people are supposed to be," he retorted. His eyes instantly clenched shut at the realization of how immature the comment had sounded.

"Just because it's a bit of a novelty to see you like this I'm going to let this attitude of yours slide," Konan chuckled, shaking her head.

"I'll take the mission," Kakuzu grumbled, taking the folder from her desk. "But if I need a new partner after this I will not be held responsible."

"It's not like you can kill him," Konan snorted.

"Oh I don't have to kill him to make sure he never sees the light of day again," Kakuzu said darkly. "So are we finished?"

"Yes," Konan sighed.

"There is one question I wanted to ask you though Konan-sama, but it doesn't involve you," Sasori said, giving Kakuzu a pointed look.

"Whatever," Kakuzu said, turning to leave.

"It's about Tohru," Sasori said just as Kakuzu reached for the door, causing the taller man to turn back around.

"Something you wanted?" Sasori asked innocently.

Konan arched a brow; both of them were acting extremely…odd.

"What were you going to ask?"

Sasori shrugged a little, turning his attention to Konan. "Me and Deidara were talking and it came to our attention that because none of us were really here for Tohru's birthday last month," Sasori said turning an evil look to Kakuzu. "At least any of us that really cared about Tohru at the time. She really didn't have much of a birthday, so we wanted to know if it would be okay to take her to an onsen for a few days."

"She's not allowed to leave the village!" Kakuzu fumed.

"That would be my decision," Konan said, eyeing Kakuzu, he looked beyond flustered. "But Kakuzu is right, I would prefer if Tohru didn't leave the village."

"She wouldn't have to, we don't have any natural hot springs but I do know of a very nice ryokan which offers several artificial baths…even a mixed one, I'm sure Tohru and Deidara would enjoy themselves very much."

"You and Deidara are not taking her anywhere…especially if I'm out taking care of your fucking problems!"

"Not a whole lot you can do about it, I'm sure Tohru will agree," Sasori smirked. Kakuzu prided himself on being 'rational' but if you knew the right buttons to press, as Sasori did, he was rather easy to manipulate.

"Like hell!" Kakuzu yelled, storming out of the office.

"Uh…I'm sure Tohru really would like to go but," Konan said, still staring at the door Kakuzu had slammed behind him. "I don't think…I'm not sure if I want to find out what would happen if Kakuzu got back and found out that she had gone…After that whole incident with Hisha…I mean…"

"I won't be taking Tohru," Sasori laughed lightly.

"You did that just to piss him off?" Konan asked.

"Sort of," Sasori nodded. "You see, I can guarantee you that he is either going to go wake up Tohru now, or before he leaves in the morning so he can inform her that he will be taking her. He'll think that if Tohru knows that he wants to take her she's decline to go with me and Deidara. So actually Tohru will need a few days off after he returns."

"You never planned on taking her yourself did you?" Konan deadpanned.

"No," Sasori smiled.

"Why would you do that to him?"

"It's for his own good, trust me. With how cheap he is he would have never willingly taken her and I think if this relationship is to ever fully blossom to its full potential they need to remove themselves from their everyday settings. This way it will be just Kakuzu and just Tohru, not Kakuzu of the Akatsuki and Tohru the housekeeper."

"Is there a reason you feel the need to meddle in their relationship?" Konan groaned.

"I have my reasons."

"Well that wasn't cryptic at all," she said sarcastically. "But I don't know if I like the idea of our little Tohru…naked…with an equally naked Kakuzu."

"The mixed baths require bathing suits," Sasori laughed.

"So you've already done your research of the place?"

"Of course I did."

"And how do you know he'll take her to that particular one?"

"There are only three total. The other two are simply day onsen and are open to the public so actually there is only one ryokan that offers an onsen…he won't have a choice in which one he takes her to."

Konan nodded, trying to figure out which place he could be talking about. The village was closed off so they didn't ever get tourists but because they were closed off that also meant that people generally weren't allowed to travel for leisure purposes. You would think the lack of tourist traffic would kill things like ryokans and onsen but actually business went pretty well for them. People liked the illusion of 'getting away' even if they weren't technically leaving the village.

"Atami…is that the name?" Konan asked, finally remembering.

"M-hmm," Sasori nodded.

"He's going to pay out the nose for a room there," Konan laughed.

"I'm sure it will be worth every ryo."

"It's targeted at couples though…"

"Isn't that what they are?"

Konan wrinkled her nose a little at the thought. "Oh Kami…they are, aren't they?"

"Hn, just figuring that out now?"

"You don't think they're…ya know…"

"Having sex?" Sasori asked bluntly. "I'm pretty sure that would be a no."

"That's good."

"Why?"

"It's…well…it's Tohru."

"Yes, sweet little Torhu who you desensitized by getting hooked on those damned books," Sasori said dryly.

"I didn't want to have the talk with her, I thought she would be better off reading about it," Konan sighed.

"You mean the talk her mother had already had with her?"

"What?...how would you know..I mean…"

"Interesting subjects get brought up when you spend a lot of time with someone, sex included."

"Tohru has actually talked to you about sex?" Konan asked, staring wide-eyed at Sasori.

"Yes, and thankfully because of the advice given by her mother she has a very grounded outlook on the matter. I think those books have warped her mind a little on how the act itself is carried out but she is still aware of the emotional ramifications that come with a physical relationship."

"So you don't think she would ever…well…"

"Have sex with Kakuzu?" Sasori laughed. "How old are you again Konan?"

"Why does that matter?" Konan snapped.

"Because I don't think a woman your age should be getting so squirrely when talking about sex. But to answer your question, of course it's going to happen. When it happens is completely up to the two of them, but I think they are more than capable of making that decision wisely."

"I just don't want her to rush into anything…it's her first relationship...I don't want her to feel like…"

"Taking a relationship to a physical level may change how you see the person you sleep with but it won't necessarily make a relationship stronger or weaker. It won't make the other person want to stay with you longer and it doesn't mean the person loves you. It can be an enjoyable part of being in a relationship with someone who cares about you but it's not something you should rush into. On the other hand it's not something you should shy away from because of the misconception that it's wrong. If it is something that both of you truly wish to share it's not something you should feel ashamed about, even if it doesn't work out between the two of you in the end."

Konan tilted her head to one side, giving Sasori a questioningly look. She supposed he was right in some respect but she wasn't the one that needed the advice.

"Tohru quoted that to me when I asked her view on sex," Sasori explained. "It was what her mother told her when she gave her the talk. She seems naive but I think she's more mature and level-headed than we sometimes give her credit for…but anyway. If nothing comes up Deidara and I may suddenly feel the need to accidentally show up at Atami the same day Kakuzu and Tohru go."

"Oh I'm sure he'll be thrilled to have you two tag along," Konan laughed.

"I'm not going to miss out on seeing them interact…or Tohru in a bathing suit…"

"I don't think she even owns one."

"That's something I can help her out with," Sasori smirked. "And without Kakuzu around I'm free to persuade her into buying one that I think would be…enjoyable…to see her in."

"I don't understand you sometimes Sasori," Konan groaned, pressing the heels of her palms against her eyes.

"What's there to understand? Granted I can't get sexual gratification from seeing a pretty girl in a bathing suit but it doesn't mean that I don't still like looking. It's a shame really," Sasori mused, tapping his index finger to his chin thoughtfully. "Until I met Tohru I never understood the subtle sensuality of simple white cotton panties. It wouldn't do me any good to act on impulse but I will disclose that the idea has crossed my mind a few times."

"No," Sasori chuckled, when Konan glanced down to his crotch. "But you would be amazed by the modifications I can come up with."

"Do I want to know when you've had the opportunity to see Tohru's underwear." Konan asked, choosing not to follow the subject of what Sasori did or didn't have.

"I've seen them on a number of occasions. She does have a wide variety…but white cotton happens to be my favorite."

He couldn't forbid her from going with Sasori, it would seem possessive.

"Stupid fucking puppet," he grumbled. It had become Sasori's unofficial name, one that he thought was quite fitting.

'I am not possessive. It isn't possessive to not want your…my…argh,' Kakuzu was stopped by his own thoughts as he paced his room. 'I don't want her spending an excessive amount of time with Deidara, she's given up on him and it needs it to stay that way if I'm going to win the bet.'

Like anything having to do with Tohru as of late he repeatedly told himself that it was only because of the bet, anything he did was for the bet, any feelings he experienced were because of the bet…but he couldn't deny the small twinge of jealousy at the idea of Deidara and Tohru sitting together…naked…at a hot spring. Jealousy, no matter how he looked at it, it had nothing to do with the bet.

"If anyone takes her it's going to be me…and if she's going with me she won't be going with Sasori."

Just as Sasori predicted Kakuzu made a swift exit from his room and hurried down the hall. He knew Tohru was asleep; he had been there when she had fallen asleep but he figured it would be better to wake her now rather than trying to talk to her in the morning amongst everything else he needed to take care of before him and Hidan left.

He didn't knock or pause to give thought to what he was doing before he entered her room.

"Tohru," he said gently as he sat down on the edge of her bed, giving her a small nudge.

"You sleep like the dead," he chuckled under his breath when she didn't show any signs of waking up.

"Torhu," he tried again, a little louder this time.

"Kuzu-kun?" Tohru asked groggily, blinking up at him through sleep laden eyes. "Something wrong?"

"I'm leaving on a mission tomorrow. We'll probably head out before you usually wake up so I thought I would let you know now. I'm not sure how long the mission is going to be but once we get back I'm going to take you to an onsen for a few days, if that's something you would like to do."

"What about Kyo?" Tohru murmured, still half asleep.

'I tell her I'm leaving and I plan on taking her somewhere, she should find romantic, when I get back and her first thought is about the damn cat?'

"I'm sure you can get Deidara or Konan to look after it," Kakuzu sighed.

"Hn," Tohru mumbled, her eyes beginning to close.

"Not going to tell me you'll miss me at least?"

"Why?" Tohru asked, her eyes opening again. "Where are you going?"

"Mission," Kakuzu chuckled. "I have a mission. I just told you that."

Tohru, slowly starting to get with the program, sat up. "How long are you going to be gone?" she asked in concern.

"I told you, I'm not sure, hopefully no more than three days."

"Oh," Tohru frowned.

"And when I get back," Kakuzu smiled, a small part of him happy to see that she didn't want him to go. "We're going to an onsen for a few days."

"What about Kyo?"

Kakuzu couldn't help but laugh. She was spacey most of the time but even more so just after waking up. He leaned forward, pressing his forehead to hers. "What am I going to do with you?" he sighed in faux exasperation. "Either Konan or Deidara will take care of Kyo I'm sure."

"Okay," Tohru smiled.

"So are you going to tell me you'll miss me so I can let you get back to sleep?" Kakuzu asked as he pulled away from her.

"I will miss you," Tohru said softly. "Be safe, okay?"

"Get off!" Hidan wailed as Kakuzu pressed his foot harder against the side of his face, in turn pressing Hidan's head harder into the dirt. "The fuck is wrong with you!"

"You were snoring," Kakuzu growled.

Hidan tried prying Kakuzu's foot away but it wouldn't budge, it was hard to get a good grip and proper leverage with how he was pinned down. He had been sleeping, quite happily he might add, when he had received a rather rude awakening. Kakuzu had first punched him, which left him dazed, kicked him in the gut, and then began trying to stomp his head into the ground.

"And I just hate you," Kakuzu added as he moved his foot enough to grind Hidan's cheek against the dirt.

"I didn't do anything!" Hidan screamed. This wasn't the first time that Kakuzu had done something like this, but usually it was because he had said or done something. This time he had only been sleeping.

"You don't have to do anything," Kakuzu sneered. "Just the fact that you're here is enough to annoy me."

"How is that my fault!"

"I don't like waking up to your sorry ass!"

Kakuzu pulled his foot away from Hidan's face.

"And I don't want to be on this fucking mission!"

Hidan scrambled to his feet, his hair sticking up in random places, small rocks imbedded in one side of his face, and the impression of Kakuzu's sandal on the other side. He tried glaring at the taller masked man but it seemed pointless, Kakuzu had walked away and was pacing amongst the trees.

"That worthless piece of shit Sasori, he should be the one out here!"

He should be mad, he really should be, but confusion was taking over as Hidan watched Kakuzu throwing what seemed to be a fit. Someone had to of snuck into the camp sometime during the night, stole Kakuzu and replaced him with this imposter. Kakuzu did have a temper, a violent one in fact…but he usually didn't have issues with going on simple missions, regardless of how stupid they seemed to be.

"He did it on purpose!" Kakuzu yelled, pointing stiffly at Hidan. "That little son of a bitch, I'm getting tired of his fucking games. None of this is any of his business!"

Hidan absently brushed the gravel from his cheek, a little unnerved by Kakuzu at the moment. The old man had finally gone off the deep end.

"Uh Kakuzu?" Hidan said cautiously, prepared to run if needed. "It's just a standard mission, I don't think Sasori…"

"He did!" Kakuzu bellowed, cutting Hidan off. "He's some kind of sick voyeuristic bastard, that's why he's doing it!"

"You think Sasori is watching us?" Hidan asked slowly.

"No!"

"Then what the fuck are you talking about!"

"He's a sociopath!"

"Sasori?"

"Yes."

"How is Sasori a sociopath?"

"He's trying to play us like…like his fucking puppets!"

"You and I?" Hidan asked, arching a brow.

"No!"

Hidan slumped down; sitting sprawled out in the dirt. He didn't get it, Kakuzu had been okay the day before, he had been a little on edge but nothing major…and now this. He was raving like a fucking lunatic.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Hidan groaned, he didn't want to know, but if he did know he might be able to find a way to bring his partner back from whatever madness he had slipped into.

"He's trying to interfere with me and Tohru. That's the real reason behind this mission!"

"Hey you can't prove that!" Hidan yelled, worried Kakuzu was going to use it as a way of turning this bet in his favor without actually winning.

"I don't need his input, I don't want his input, I don't even want him talking to her anymore. God knows the shit he's telling her. Making it all play out to suite his own fucking desires. If I do something it's because I want to do something, and if she does something I want to know that it's her own fucking choices not because of something that fucking puppet said or did!"

Kakuzu continued to fume away. He had been pissed when he had been forced to go on this mission, it meant less time to finish the bet and also… he didn't like the idea of being away from Tohru which pissed him off even more. He didn't want to worry about what she was doing, if she was okay, if she went out somewhere and what could happen if the person escorting her somehow lost her. Rationally he knew that she had managed to do just fine without him for three years but now that she was…

She was his, even if it was just for the sake of winning this bet she was still his. He had come to the painful realization that he did care about her, on some level, when she had fallen asleep, curled up in his lap, while talking to him. She enjoyed his company, and he could tell she meant it when she had told him that she would miss him while he was gone…but…

Last night, as he tried forcing himself to sleep, his mind had begun to wander. Did she care about him because of something he did or did Sasori somehow manipulate her? The idea of it had actually hurt more than he cared to admit, hence the reason for Hidan's cruel wake-up call.

The mission was bogus, he knew it. So that was one way Sasori was manipulating them. He had a sneaking suspicion that his decision to take Tohru to the onsen was also planned on Sasori's part. Sasori had even edited his book…which he planned on burning the moment he got back to the base.

Whatever game the puppet was playing needed to end. It was going to end, Kakuzu would see to it. If Tohru did ever admit that she loved him it would be because she really did, not because Sasori had somehow made her believe that she did. He wasn't going to have it any other way.

He still fully intended on winning the bet but his decision to simply drop her afterwards had been swayed. He didn't mind the idea of seeing where things ended up, and more importantly…he didn't want to hurt her.

"Always towards absent lovers loves tide stronger flows," Sasori sighed dramatically, watching as Tohru cleaned and already clean kitchen.

"Huh?" Tohru huffed, only pausing for a second to look at Sasori before going back to scrubbing a cabinet door.

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder," Sasori explained. "If you read something other than all that smut you would know that. But I don't think the statement is true in your case, for you I would say that absence makes your brain go loopy."

"I am not loopy."

"What do you plan on doing after you've finished cleaning cabinet doors?"

"I was going to clean the top of the cabinets," Tohru nodded.

"You mean the counter tops?"

"No, I mean the top of the cabinets, it gets dusty up there."

"See, loopy. He's only been gone for a day and already you're losing it."

He had been hoping to see her mope around the base, sighing wistfully until Kakuzu got back, not flying around like a cleaning crazed madwoman. In a way he almost felt bad for coming up with his little ploy. His sleeper agent had indeed stopped communication, but it wasn't as dire a situation as he had made it seem. The kid was dead, plain and simple. Not because he had been found out…no he was just dead. Konan, or more importantly Pain would have his head if they ever found out that he had essentially manipulated them into making Kakuzu and Hidan go on their little mission, but he was confident that they wouldn't catch on.

Absence did make the heart grow fonder, thus the reason why he wanted to get the two of them separated for a while. As hard as it was putting up with Tohru in her current state, Sasori took comfort in knowing that at least he wasn't in Hidan's shoes. Kakuzu was sure to be in a wonderful mood.

"If your warm why don't you wear something other than a sweater?" Sasori asked when Tohru reached up to wipe her forehead with her sleeve.

"I'm not warm," Tohri said quickly. "I was cold…it's been cold lately."

"Not really, but if you say so," Sasori replied, arching a brow. The base was always a constant temperature. She had worn a sweater the day before as well now that he thought of it.

"You're not getting sick are you?" he asked.

"No."

"He might be back tomorrow," Sasori said, hoping to get a reaction out of her.

"I hope so," Tohru smiled, perking up considerably.

"Oh Tohru," Sasori smirked. "Are we falling for the oversized rag-doll?"

"He's not a rag-doll," Tohru grumbled. "And no…I just enjoy having him around…"

"Liar," Sasori chuckled.

"Maybe a little," Tohru smirked.

"Well then I should offer you some advice shouldn't I?" Sasori grinned, stepping closer to Tohru. "Regardless of what those silly books tell you, don't ever tell a man you love him until he tells you first."

"But isn't it better for the other person to know how you feel…even if they don't share those feelings?" Tohru asked. "I mean…I wouldn't say that I love him…I just…well if I ever do…"

"No," Sasori said. "For someone like Kakuzu, and trust me on this, you would only scare him away by telling him something like that. Men like him don't want to be smothered by affections."

"But…" Tohru trailed off with a frown. It didn't seem right…what he was saying, but she knew Sasori would never mislead her, and he did usually give good advice.

"Not to worry though," Sasori said soothingly upon seeing her face fall. "I'm not saying that he's incapable of returning your feelings, I just think that…to save yourself some heartache, it would be best not to tell him how you feel, at least not completely."

Hidan glanced to Kakuzu, he had finally calmed down. He really wasn't sure what to think or say, so rather than risk Kakuzu losing it again Hidan opted to travel in silence. From what he could gather from Kakuzu's little tirade, this bet was turning out to be more interesting than he had first thought. He knew that Tohru was starting to care for Kakuzu…but he hadn't expected for Kakuzu to start caring for Tohru, and from bits and pieces of what Kakuzu had said Hidan knew that was what was happening.

It was just flat out…weird, to think of Kakuzu falling for someone. Hidan reached up and rubbed his sore cheek. If this is what it was like when Kakuzu was in the beginning stages of falling, he didn't want to be around when he fell completely. It was a violent…and painful.

"I'm sorry," Kakuzu grunted.

"What?" Hidan squawked, his eyes going wide.

"I said…"

"No, stop it!" Hidan yelled, putting some distance between him and Kakuzu.

Kakuzu blinked a few times, Hidan was acting like he had just said he wanted to scull fuck him or something. For once Hidan hadn't done anything to warrant Kakuzu attack, so he was simply apologizing.

"You're fucking weirding me out!" Hidan exclaimed, walking even quicker up the path away from Kakuzu.

"This, this is why I stay away from anything with a vagina," Hidan yelled from up ahead. "Because this is what happens…they start getting in your head and shit and screwing everything up!"

"So you prefer something with a dick?" Kakuzu laughed, shaking his head.

"No!" Hidan screamed, spinning around to look at Kakuzu with a horrified expression. "I like pussy but I'm not going to get attached to the owner of the pussy!"

No there will still be no bow-chika-wow-wow for while. I just prefer it when a characters viewpoints on sex are clarified long before it actually happens… I hate when it's something along the lines of "She knew it just felt right." That's a terrible reason to have sex.

Lol…Tohru is indeed far from my own personality type…so I struggled with what her viewpoint might be…BUT I see a lot of similarities between my life and Kyoko's…soooo the advise Kyoko gave to Tohru is essentially the same thing I once told my friend the night she was thinking about handing in the V-card…it's also the same advice I plan on giving my own munchkin…Anywho…I'm probably just over explaining things…yeah…

SASORI!...well…hmm…is he being evil…is he being helpful?... DUN-DUN-DUUUUUN…you're not sure are ya?