Good-byes And Interrogations

The next morning I woke up before the sun rose, after two years it had become second nature to be up that early. I laid in bed for another ten minutes, today I had to leave to go back to AHQ. I rolled over and looked out the window, the birds were awake as well and singing their songs. You couldn't hear the small winged animals inside the hideout, so it was nice just listening to them.

Finally I got up and had a quick shower to wash the dirt and sweat away from the day before. While I was washing my hair I thought about what happened last night. What was with mum? She never acted like that before, it was almost like she thought Sasori and I were...together? No way! That can't be it. Like I would ever go out with that jerk! What was she thinking. I mean sure he's not that bad looking, but come on, ew. I mean he was a, well, a jerk!

I got out of the shower and got dressed, grumbling to myself about how mum must have gone insane while I was away, when I heard movement somewhere in the house. I picked up my daggers and slowly made my way to the sound. Quietly walking through the house I heard it again, coming from the kitchen. I hid behind the door frame and peeked inside.

"Dad? What are you doing?"

"Huh? Oh good morning honey. Your up early." Dad turned around to looked a me while he tried to cook his breakfast. Bacon and eggs by the smell, and smoke. Putting my daggers into their holder at my hips I hit my forehead with the palm of my hand. Dad grew up cooking with his mum, ask him to make a five course meal that you would get at a very expensive restaurant and he'd do it without blinking, ask him to make bacon and eggs, well he could very well set the house on fire.

"Yeah. Kind of a habit now I guess," I walked over to the stove to see how bad the damage was. "Where are you going so early?" I asked as I took over cooking. It was savable, but only just.

"I'm meeting with someone." He gave a slight smile and sat down to wait for his food.

I flipped the bacon over and turned back around to face him. "A meeting? For what?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

Dad looked around, like he was making sure no one was listening. When he felt it was safe he looked back at me and leaned in close. "It's for mine and Katie's anniversary. I'm buying a vacation house!" He whispered, rather loudly, in excitement.

I smiled fondly and went back to the food, I turned the heat off and put everything onto the plate dad had already gotten out for himself and sat down next to him. "That's so sweet dad."

"Yeah, but you can't tell her. It's a surprise." Dad was stuffing the food down his mouth, trying to eat as fast as humanly possible without choking. "She thinks I'm seeing off an old friend that is also leaving today, which I will, just after I've finalised the deal." He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and stood up.

"Will I get to see you before I leave?" I stood as well, moving to give dad a hug, I held back tears when I felt, more then saw, him shake his head no.

"I'm sorry Kaiya, probably not." He said softly as I pulled back. "But I'm glad I got to see you now." He had a smile on his face now, though I could see he was also holding back tears just like I was. "You're all grown up now. Not my little girl any more." Dad learned down to my level and looked me straight in the eyes. "Just promise me you wont forget about us."

My eyes started burning with fresh tears. How could he even think I would forget about them. They were the only family I knew, up until the kidnapping. How could I forget them. Blood or not, they were my parents. I wrapped my arms around my dad and squeezed as hard as I could. "I'll never forget you."

Once dad was finally out the door I started making breakfast for everyone else. It was quiet in the house still since no one else was awake and most of the village was only just waking for the day ahead. I hummed to myself softly as I cooked. I decided on steamed rice, miso soup, and tamagoyaki, it was filling and with the long trip home, Sasori and I could use with a descent meal before we left.

I looked out the window as I waited for the rice to finish cooking, it was almost eight by now and kids were slowly making there way to school for a day filled with learning and playing, adults off to work to earn money. I smiled to myself at the simplicity of it all. What would life be like if I never found out who I really was? I was pulled out of my thoughts as the water started to boil over. Quickly turning the heat off I rinsed the rice off under the tap and started serving the food onto plates.

Turning around to place everything on the kitchen table I very nearly jumped out of my skin. "Sasori!" I said in a higher pitch then I'd have liked. I put the plate down and then placed my hand over my still racing heart. "You scared me."

"My apologies." He mocked with a well hidden smirk. He sat down and waited for me to serve him his food. Was he...teasing me?

Soon after that, mum walked through the door as well and greeted me in a more gentler way then my partner had, I don't think my poor heart could take another scare that morning, so the soft kiss to the cheek was appreciated.

"Thank you for breakfast Kaiya. It was great as always." Mum praised while wiping her mouth and getting up to clear the table.

"You're welcome mum. It's the least I can do." I smiled up at her as she leaned over me to get my dishes. "Besides, we have to leave today to go back to AHQ to give our mission report, so this'll be the best we'll eat for maybe two days."

"Oh no. Not on my watch you wont. Your taking some food with you missy." Mum ordered in her concerned parent voice.

Again I smiled and gave a slight nod of my head. "Okay."

Finally, after what seemed like hours had passed, we were walking out of the village. I turned around for one last look at my old home and waved mum goodbye. Turning back around I looked over to Sasori. He looked a lot better then just a few days ago. That was a good sign. I gave a small sigh and pushed forward too try and get home as soon as possible, all I wanted was to crawl into my warm bed and sleep for a week.

Pain stood before two men with their heads bowed down, and hands tied behind their backs. The self pro-claimed god watched them as they shook from terror, knowing just who held them captive.

One of the two bravely pulled his head up to look the leader in the eyes. "Why are we still here? We've told you everything we know!" He cried out, with tears, of pain and fright, slipping down his bloodied face.

With a look of disinterest, Pain calmly turned away. "Your usefulness has not run out just yet."

Konan sat on the window seal behind Nagato's desk in his office, waiting for his return. Kaiya was suppose to be coming back today and although she would never show it, she missed her daughter, and was excited for her to be home again.

Just then her love walked in and went straight to his chair and sat down, turning to Konan and waited patiently for her to explain what she needed. "She will be back today correct?" The origami user asked airily, while looking out the window. The dark clouds covering the sky, and the rain pounding to the ground, drenching anything not under shelter. It was a sad but beautiful sight to behold.

"Yes." Nagato closed his tired eyes and just for a moment, where they were, it was peaceful. They stayed like that, listening to the rain and thunder, together, for what seemed to them, an eternity, waiting for Kaiya to come back to them.

We walked at a slow lazy pace through the trees, neither of us in much of a rush, and the scenery was so tranquil and serene. I breathed in the fresh air and soaked in the warm sun, living in the rain village that was always cold and wet, I was very much enjoying the soft heat.

I glanced side ways to Sasori to check how he was doing, and saw the most peaceful look on his face. In the short time I'd known him he'd never looked that calm, just walking there beside me. I gave a small smile and closed my eyes, drew in another refreshing breath and let it out slowly.

"You seem rather happy." Sasori spoke, breaking the quiet atmosphere around us, and turned to give me a questioning stare.

Looking back at him, I grinned. "I am happy."

Shaking his head, he focused his eyes back onto the path ahead, but not before I caught the beginnings of a smile of his own.

It wasn't long after that we finally made it back to AHQ and was walking down the halls to get to dad's office.

"Enter."

We both walked in and stood before dad's desk, waiting for him to finish what he was doing and give us his full attention.

I looked just behind dad and saw mum sitting down by the window looking outside, absent-mindedly making another one of her paper creations. The small amount of light streaming in from the glass, brightened her features and made her look like the angel the village believed her to be.

"You have both returned I see, good. How did your mission go?" Dad asked, jumping straight to the point as always. He interlaced his fingers and rested his chin on them, waiting patiently for our report.

"It went well. There were no complications to speak of. All were an easy kill. Whatever that man knew, he had kept it to himself." Sasori said, clear and also to the point. He stood straight and looked dead into dad's eyes, without blinking once. It was all highly professional. It made me feel like a complete amateur.

Dad turned his gaze to me waiting for me to give my part of our report. Clearing my throat I tried to mimic Sasori. "I was out side keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Everything went smoothly."

I took the slight nod of his head as a sign he was happy with what we told him and let out the breath I didn't know I was holding in.

"Good. Before you both leave I have one more thing for you to do."

I silently followed Sasori down a dark hallway I'd never seen before. I didn't even know it was there until today. There was hardly any light, just a few lamps every so often to fight away the complete pitch black. We walk passed door after door, all wooden with brass knobs.

After some time Sasori finally stopped in front of one. Although nothing outwardly look different from all the others, he knew which one he was looking for.

"Sasori, how often do Akatsuki interrogate people?"

He stopped before the door and went to open it, but stop short and turned to me. "Enough to have an interrogation room." Sasori smirked, and then continued into the room.

I walked in after him and moved to the corner next to the door. Looking around the small cell, because that's all I could call it really, I saw a table in the middle and two men hand cuffed to it, badly beaten with blood running down both their faces. There were no windows, plain walls painted a dull cream colour and a concrete floor.

"So, he's sent a couple of kids to finish us off huh?" One of the men, possibly the elder of the two, said with a weak smile. "Does he think that little of us?"

"Quite." Sasori's voice was quick and harsh, almost like a wipe in the form of words.

The redhead circled the table, sizing up the men in front of us. They seemed to be nothing special, just normal ordinary civilians. The man that spoke before looked like he was in his early 30's while the other looked to be mid 20's. Neither had any weapons or shinobi gear that I could see. They defiantly weren't ninja. What could dad possibly want from them?

Sasori took out some papers from his robe. 'When did he get them?' He leafed though them, pausing every so often to read something, and finally handed all but the last page to me.

"You can take care of them." He passed me and walked back to the door.

"What? Why do I have to do it?" I asked, rather annoyed by his tone. 'I've never interrogated anyone before in my life! Only read about it in books. What could Sasori be thinking?'

"I have things to do." He replied simply and walked off with an air of arrogance.

"Hmph! Fine." I sulked while looking through the pages myself.

After a few minutes I was completely caught up on what the two men had been questioned on, and it now all made sense. They were in league with the man Sasori killed just a few days ago for collecting information on Akatsuki. So that's why dad choose us.

I look to the two men and thought. I had read a lot about interrogating. It was an interest of mine, so I'd taken many books from the library to study. I knew how the human mind worked, not just from the books but also from my time with Integra-sensei. I knew how to cause pain with minimum damage to the body. And I knew what a person in their position would want to hear to spill all I wanted to know. I could do this! …..I hope.

Two tall figures clad in the Akatsuki cloak walked casually toward the rain village's gates, their faces hidden by straw hats.

"I wonder why leader has called us back so suddenly." The taller of the duo stated to his partner, with no expectations of a response.

"Hn." Was all he got back.

The first just smirked back and continued forward. A few hours previous, they had been contacted by the god of the rain village telling them to return as soon as possible with no reason given.

"WHY THE FUCK DID HE MAKE US FUCKING COME BACK! I DIDN'T EVEN GET TO FUCKING SACRIFICE THAT BITCH BACK THERE!"

Both gave a sigh. "Looks like Hidan's back as well." The shorter person said, already exhausted by the upcoming presence.

"Hey look Kakuzu! It's Itachi and Kisame!" Said a white hair, pink eyed man, Hidan. "What the hell are you guys doing here?"

Kisame and Itachi both stopped walking and waited for the two, to catch up. "Heh. We got called back just like you. Though I don't know why." Kisame grinned, showing rows of sharp teeth. "Either of you wouldn't know anything would you?"

"How the fuck should I know?" Hidan gave a lazy yawn, looking almost cat like. "Guy was as cryptic as ever. Heh."

"Yeah sounds about right." The blue man agreed, smile still stretching his face with mirth.

The four men once again began walking to the gate of the village.

Once Sasori was out the door he sat down in front of it and waited, listening to what was happening inside. 'Hmm, wonder how'll she'll go.' Sasori thought as he leaned back into the wall, re-reading the page he didn't give to Kaiya.

It was quiet for some time, while Sasori guessed she was reading the pages he gave her.

After a few minutes, if it were possible the room behind him grew even more silent. It lasted about 2 minutes, then...

"AHHHH!"

Cries of pure fear and pain echoed through the near-black halls.

"Heh. So she does know what she's doing after all." Sasori smirked in the darkness. "Interesting."

Wiping my hands of imaginary dust and walked around the table much in the same way Sasori had done before he left.

"So, you two ready to talk yet?" I sent them both a wicked smile to show I had no problem with hurting them again, although it was a lie. I didn't like hurting them, not while they were tied up and defenceless like that, but first rule of being a ninja, never show your weaknesses under any circumstances.

"We already told you! We told your leader all we know!" The younger, less experienced man screamed in fright. "Please just let us go." He was almost in tears.

"No. you may have told our leader all you know, but now you're going to tell me." I leaned back against the wall, next to the door, and crossed my arms, waiting for one of the two, to just give up and tell me what I wanted to know. It would make things so much easier for them. Hmph!

"We don't even know much! Our leader didn't speak much about what he did. We were only bodyguards really." The younger one again the first to speak.

"How much did he find out?" I asked, my calm expression threatening to flutter.

"I don't know."

"How did he find it out?"

"I don't know."

"Who did he go through?" I pushed out through gritted teeth.

"I err, don't know that either." The younger of the two finally gave up and hung his head.

I sighed in defeat. I wasn't getting anywhere with this. "Well what do you know?"

"Like I said, he nev-" Then it was as if a lightening bolt had struck his face, he brightened up, head held high and looking like he was conflicted about what he wanted to say.

The older man, who hadn't said much at all since I'd walked in, looked at him and knew instantly what his friend was thinking. They knew more then they'd first realised, and now weren't sure if it would be wise to tell me. "What is it?" I pushed forward and placed my hands on the table, leaning down close to the men, silently waiting for them to finally give me what I wanted.

"We know who wanted the information."

Kisame and Itachi walked out of Pains' office and went straight to the kitchen for food. "Wonder why he wants us to stay here for so long." Pain had just told them both that from now on until told otherwise they'll be staying at the Ame hide-out whenever they have no missions. It was odd simply because they never spent more then a few days in one of their hide-outs and even then that was rare. Pain wanted them spending every free minute they had searching for their jinchuriki. It didn't make any sense, but who was he to question their leader.

Itachi said nothing as usual. After five years Kisame was more then used to it by now though. He just gave another one of he's toothy grins and continued walking.

I was shocked at what I'd just been told. My eyes were wide, mouth slightly hanging open and mind a whiling haze. "You mean to tell me," I closed my mouth after what seemed like hours and swallowed excess saliva, making an almost gulping sound. "That some 'other' organisation, one with past experience with our leader," I paused, trying to find the correct words, or any at all really. "Somehow found out about the leaders child, and are now trying to gather info about them?" For the first time in a long time I was truly frightened, practically shaking to the core. Who could want to know about me? What did this mean for me? How much did they really know? And most of all, what were they planning to do once they found out what they wanted?

"Yes." They both said in sync. It seemed they knew a lot more then they first remembered. They had been with the guy Sasori had killed for so long, and also been kept out of the loop for so long they'd forgotten what they were supposed to be finding out, but once they'd started talking about who hired them, everything came back. They still couldn't tell me how much their 'boss' had known, or how much he'd been able to tell anyone else, but the fact remained, someone knew about me. Someone who was willing to pay a lot of money to find out even more.

I fell back into the wall, my head still spinning with thoughts of what it could all mean, when the door beside me opened to revel Sasori.

"That's enough. We've got all we need." Sasori looked at me waiting, for what I wasn't too sure, but when I got my bearings and stood back up he seemed pleased enough and walked back out of the room.

Looking back at the two men, I walked out as well, following Sasori to where ever it was he was headed. I knew I had to tell my father what I'd just found out, but I needed time to wrap my own head around it first. It was just to unreal. A part of me was saying that everything was just a dream. None of this was real. But I knew better then that. It was happening, and it was very real indeed.

After ten or so minutes we finally came to a hall I knew, but instead of separating and going our different ways I continued to follow the red headed boy in front of me. I didn't know why. It wasn't like we were 'friends' or anything but, something was telling me I should, that I would be safe, how stupid did that sound right? But the strange thing was, was that he didn't tell me to stop. Didn't really seem to care at all, if I didn't know any better I'd say he didn't even know I was there.

"That was your first time interrogating right?" His voice broke through the silence that had been almost deafening, and I was glad he did although I was surprised as well.

"That obvious?" I tried to smile but it came out looking more like a grimace then anything else.

"Not really." Was that...a compliment? "You did pretty well." Ok. That was defiantly a compliment. 'What the hell? Wait why does my face feel so warm? Oh my god! A-am I...blushing? Oh god I am!' I started to feel warm not only on my face, but over my whole body. A light feeling in my chest, what was going on? "For a first timer."

And he ruined it.

My face still red, though from anger now, I pushed past him and went straight to my room. Muttering under my breath about stupid red heads the whole way.

Sasori smirked as the young girl stormed off. He was only teasing her, she did actually do a really good job. She got more out of them then Pain himself did which was a feat onto itself. Still the look on her face was worth it.

Once Sasori was in his own room and sat down at his work bench and looked out the window. The clouds were hiding the sun as usual, but he could tell that the sky was saying good bye to the last rays for the night, meaning it had to be at least 6:30. It wasn't any wonder he was getting hungry.

The boy was still getting use to being human again. After having been a puppet for so long, simple things like craving food for sustenance was startling. Sasori decided that he'd have a shower first though and a change of clothes. Another thing about being human he had to remember, frequent bathing and changing clothes, while he was a puppet the only time he'd need to change what he wore, was if it had somehow managed to become to damaged to wear. Other wise he didn't bother, it wasn't like he had to deal with perspiration or anything like that.

But now he had to do all those things again, and it was just...weird.

After his shower he got dried and dressed, and finally started for the kitchen to get something to eat, though about half way to his destination, Sasori ran into an old friend, well the closest thing he had to one.

"Sasori-danna!" Sasori stopped walking and waited for the blonde to catch up. "Hey, your looking pretty good for only waking up a few days ago." Deidara greeted with a massive grin. While not on a mission he always did have a child like nature to him. Some would have called it refreshing, Sasori on the other hand mostly just found it annoying.

"Your back from your mission I see." Sasori noted and went back to his plan of getting food for his now very empty stomach.

"Yeah, it was pretty easy, kinda boring too." Deidara said as he fell in toe with his ex-partner. "Heard you had one as well. How did it go? Your still recovering right?"

"It went well, I suppose." The now younger of the two, if in body alone, strolled into the deserted kitchen and started rummaging around for something to eat. "Kaiya was annoyingly concerned over my health the whole time."

"Doesn't surprise me."

"Why not." Sasori asked, only giving his comrade half of his attention since he was still looking through the cupboards.

"Well she spent over two months trying to save you, so she's probably really worried something will happen and screw it all up." Deidara explain lightly, lifting his head to the ceiling and briefly shutting his eyes. "It's just the way she is."

"Just the way who is?"

bringing his head back down at lightening speed, he sent the new comer a nervous laugh while rubbing the back of his neck. "No one Kaiya."

As I watched Deidara slightly freaking out, over what though was anyone's guess, I shrugged, smiled to the two boys and went about making a late lunch, ignoring what was going on behind me.

By the time I'd sat down and was able to dig into my meal, Sasori had left and Deidara was sitting down next to me looking pointedly. "What?"

"Nothing!" Deidara threw his hands into the air with a great smile on his face. "It's just that, since I first met Sasori, he's never 'clicked' with someone as fast as you." He slowly dropped his hands back down and leaned back into his seat. "It took him almost a year to get used to me, even now he's still a bit if-y sometimes."

"Well he didn't talk to me for almost a whole day expect to yell at me about 'ruining his art'." I folded my arms over my chest and pushed out my bottom lip in a pout. He just laughed at me.

"Yeah he's very closed minded about his art, same as myself really," The blonde paused and suddenly went dark. "Although we've never come to an agreement on what real art is."

I giggled a little, almost chocking on the last mouth-full of my food, and stood up to clean the last on the mess I'd made. "Yeah, he was very touchy on that subject." I said with a soft smile.

If I had looked back to the boy in the room with me, I would have seen the light bulb go off on top of his head and the tiny hint of a smirk, as dots connected and wheels turned, and the start of a plan formed in his mind.

A plan that would make my life a living hell.