I AM BACK!

Shiro came out of the bathroom with Konan. Wrapped in a fresh white towel. And her neck completely healed.

"Hidan?"

"Hmm?"

Konan looked at Shiro.

"We have a little bit of a problem here… Shiro still can't talk."

"What chew mean 'she still can't talk'? She's fixed now, right?"

Shiro moved forwards and motioned with her hands, summoning forth her magic fiery letters.

'I haven't talked in so long that I have forgotten how to.'

She sighed and slumped her head.

Dinner time rolled by, and Hidan escorted Shiro down the halls, to the dining room, Konan at their side.

As he reached the door, she stopped his hand with her own small one as he made to open the door.

"What is it?"

'I don't want to go in there like this! Kakuzu will blow his capillaries!*'

Hidan smiled at the shivering girl next to him, and patted her soft hair comfortingly.

"It will be alright. I'm right here beside you. Ok? It's all good."

He pushed open the door and walked inside to her right.

The whole room went silent.

There she stood.

Teal eyes blazing with a newly re-kindled fire,

White hair in a clip (like Ankos ;))

Her Akatsuki cloak open to her stomach, where her slashed out head-band was loosely tied.

THUNK

Kakuzu awoke with a start!

Where was he? Looking at his surroundings, he frowned.

'How did I get back to my own bedroom?'

"Oh! Finally, you are awake Kakuzu."

Said man looked over towards the door behind him to see leader-sama standing there.

"We wondered when you would join us again!"

He straightened up from his slumping position against the doors frame, and walked quietly over to Kakuzu. Standing at the foot of the bed, he looked down at the older man with an apologetic look in his eyes.

"There are now many times that I have seen you lose control of your emotions. Whether mad, happy or even sad. But passing out at the dinner table? Ha! That's got to be a new one"

Kakuzu looked at his own feet lying on the bed.

"I had a daydream-"

"It was not a daydream Kakuzu. That was Shiro. Exactly as she used to look."

He turned his back and walked back towards the door, stopping when he reached it.

"You should thank Jashin-sama for this Kakuzu. He has saved her."

He looked back at him.

"From the exact fate that you yourself said you would…and then caused."

And with that, Pein fled the room, leaving a lonely stitched man alone with his thoughts, in the darkness.