Finally, we're in the double digits for CCM. Hm, I'm really sorry about the wait for this chapter. Just as I expected, the week was insane. Yesterday, I went downtown with my best friend for anime, manga, ramen and pocky. My feet were killing me but it was way worth it, hm. -Munches out on strawberry pocky-

Sad News: I still don't own Naruto.

Good News: I still love writing fanfics for it.

Thankies To: Knightchaser and Panda-chan101.

Big Thankies To: BloodRenevant and slavetothekeyboard.

Hm, enjoy the chapter. -Sets out pocky for readers-

--

For the second time since the ring was found, days went by without anything crazy happening. Zetsu's finger even got better and was back to the usual black color. Maybe it was a good thing that he left the ring with his plant, Rukia. No one had to suffer its wrath and if anything, Rukia was just a plant, which made it easy for it to take the hit for the group. Of course, that was something Zetsu would never dream of. This also set Tobi, Kisame and Itachi on edge since they were the victims of the ring though they never told anyone.

Everyone was doing their own thing, which meant Zetsu was in at his garden with his lovely plants. Again, he was with Rukia but just to check her leaves and things. It wasn't until he discovered something that made him scream like he did before but this time...it was in depression.

"NOOO! RUKIA'S DEAD!"

The scream made everyone tremble as Zetsu began to franticly run around the garden. The plant was dead and there was nothing to do but to him, it was like he lost a great friend or maybe even more. How could this happen?! She was perfectly healthy before! He sighed as he shook his sadness. It was really a mystery that needed to be solved and one that would be solved now. Leaving everything the way it was, he went to get the others.

--

Rounding up everyone else in the Akatsuki, Zetsu brought him or her to his garden to see the dead Rukia. "So...what am I looking at here?" Hidan asked, already bored when he was only there for a minute. A quiet sniffle could be heard from Zetsu before he answered, "It's Rukia...she's dead."

No one in the group could understand what he was going through besides Kisame who watched his beloved girlfriend...fish friend get burned alive. "No way!" he said with a step closer to the drooping plant, "How could she die? You took such good care of her...you take such good care of all your plants." The question was a very good one though one Zetsu couldn't answer. If anything, it was the same question he had himself. Before, Rukia was perfectly healthy and everything. What could happen to make such a drastic change?

"I don't know." Zetsu finally said back when he noticed the others waited for his reply, "I just...I don't know."

That was all he said before he left the garden and back to his room to think it through.

--

One thing he really didn't want to do was take Rukia from her pot and throw her dead...body away. It felt like a hard blow to his heart as Zetsu was sprawled out on his bed, looking at the ceiling. Sure, he had other plants but this was one different. Not only was it one that he really liked from the others but...it was one that died so randomly. If there was a problem, Zetsu would have defiantly known but he detected no problems. That's what kept nagging at him, letting a perfectly healthy plant die for some random reason.

I just don't get it...how could Rukia be dead? She was fine when I last checked. Maybe I didn't check enough...this is probably all my fault. Should have paid more attention...then maybe she would still be all right. Ugh, I still have to go and throw her away. I really don't want to. Maybe I can get Tobi to do it or something. I'd probably break down like a bitch.

As Zetsu stared at his ceiling, he was having a conversation in his mind about Rukia, if there was any way to have saved her and saying his final good-byes to her. He really didn't want to but he knew he had to. It was like one of those things where you just had to go and bite the bullet.

I won't let this happen again. He promised himself as he left his room back to the garden.

--

Now back in the garden, Zetsu saw the others had left but it wasn't much of a surprise.. He didn't really expect them to stay anyway. They was either watching television, being anti-social, reading, blowing up stuff, building stuff, running around like an idiot, painting their nails, counting money or praying.

He really didn't mind their absence anyway since this was something he just wanted to be alone with. Sadly, he looked down at the wilting plant that was once perky and glowing with bright green color and sighed. "I'm sorry." Zetsu muttered as he began to take the soil from the pot so that he could take Rukia out and figure out what to do with her...body?

As Zetsu brought a bag next to the pot that held the dead plant, he could just hear the depressing music in his head. He just shook his head and continued to remove the dirt around Rukia so he could pick her up and put her in the bag. It was like a deja vu to him since not too long ago, he put a very healthy Rukia in the pot. Now, he's taking her out of it but instead, for a not-good reason.

Picking up the plant made some of the soil shift and break above Zetsu's hands. Leaning to the side to place it in the bag, more dirt fell to the floor. He did nothing about it though but decided to clean it up when he was finished. As more began to pour into the floor, the ring also was revealed from it and onto the floor with a metallic clink. Putting Rukia into the bag, Zetsu tied it closed and went to get a broom and scooper to clean up the mess.

When he returned, he began to clean up the floor. Pushing the dirt into one big pile, Zetsu saw the ring and stared at it. He had forgotten almost everything that had happened with it. The ring I found. The Akatsuki member stared at it with mixed emotions. It was the very ring that he found in Rukia's soil, had worn and then returned to her soil after a weird incident with his finger. A few minutes past by until the stare turned into a glare.

It was this damned ring! Rukia was fine until it got into her soil. It must have gotten her sick or something...but then I would have known! No! It's all the rings fault!

In a burst of anger, Zetsu dove for the ring and looked at the dreary gray color. A mad snort came from him as he threw the ring out with blind rage. Watching it sail out into the sky, he soon lost track of it. Good fucking riddance! He smirked when he couldn't see its gleam any longer. Turning back to the bag, he picked it up and slowly carried it to throw away. The walk was one that made him feel strange like he wanted to walk after to get the depressing moment over. He also wanted to walk slowly, to cherish what he could with one of his most beloved plants. After what seemed like forever in a few minutes, the bag was thrown away and Zetsu once again sighed.

His little depression moment was ripped in half when he felt a poke to his shoulder. Not saying anything, Zetus turned his head to see Deidara leaning towards him. "Are you okay?" he asked but for some reason had to get one more poke in. Am I okay? Zetsu sighed and said that he was.

"Great! Come outside with me, hmph!"

"What? Why?"

"'Cause everyone is hungry and they want me to go out and get something to eat."

Zetsu stood silent until he noticed he was hungry but then refused. "It's alright. You go on." he said though he wasn't much of a fan of his mode of transportation anyway. With a nod, the other left.

--

Being outside, Deidara could see that it was almost dinner time just by how the sky looked. Creating a bird, he crawled onto it and sat at it's neck. After that, he didn't do anything but wondered what to get. Everyone had given him money to buy food but never said what to get. A few minutes eventually turned into twenty minutes and he was still trying to thinking. Who knew it could be so hard to push explosions and sculpting out of your mind for a few minutes?

"Oh, well...we'll see when we get there." he finally said to himself and the clay bird. Directing it to launch itself in the sky, Deidara stopped midway when he saw something shining in the grass. It looked like the hunt for food would be put on hold a bit longer.

Moving the bird to the shiny object, he ordered the bird to stop and then patted it's head. "Wait here, Hoshi." he told the bird before getting off. Walking to it, he began to see what it was until he saw it was a coin through his camera. "Yay! I found money!" he cheered as he went to pick it up.

--

As that happened, back where the others were, Kakuzu felt a tear run down his eye and he sniffled. Hidan stared as he wipped the tear and asked, "What the fuck? Are you crying?" with shock. Kakuzu shook his head and then shrugged. "No...probably allergies." he replied after another sniffle.

--

Hm, I couldn't help myself with the ending! I just had to put it and get a poke at Kakuzu! I also have a little question with Deidara and how he talks. In Shippuden, he either says, "Hmph" or, "Hm" and I admit I'm not the best person to pick since it'll be bias. How I talk, type, think, etc. should say it all if you don't know why, hm. Please, when or if you review, include what you want me to go with. Hm, if I get nothing, I think it'll be pretty obvious which I will go with.