Wasteland

by Roucarnage

Born with an extinct bloodline, Zetsu was considered nothing more than a living weapon in times of war. When the Akatsuki acquired her, a lifetime of servitude was expected. Instead she discovered the organization doubled as a dysfunctional family with an overprotective father figure, sibling rivalry, puppy love, and tragedy. An alternate telling of the Akatsuki. Zetsu centric.

11. Arc 1: Chapter 10

AN: Chapter 10 is finally completed. I apologize for the wait. This chapter was originally was supposed to be two chapters due to its length but I decided to combined them so it get through this arc faster since after this, there is only one more chapter then the focus will be entirely on the Akatsuki. Due to the size of this chapter, I have probably missed a lot of errors or made things too drawn out and I apologize again but as of now, please excuse it since I don't have another set of eyes to read it over for me. That also goes for any mistakes. If you notice anything I should chance to improve the story then inform me through message and I shall edit it in. For now, here is the chapter and hopefully enjoy.

Warning(s): Violence/Gore, Genderbend, Language

…

Wasteland

Act 1:

Chapter 10

The next few days before K-MF-084 was set to be picked up, were the longest days Kiyoshi had ever had to endure in his life. He didn't sleep and ate little as his mind was split between her and his family, mainly 084. Kiyoshi distracted his distraught mind with memories of when he had met 084. It had been sever years ago when he and another doctor had gone to the village orphanage to obtain children for the Mayfly project. They wielded a false tale about another Hidden Village offering to shelter a small percentage of the orphans and they were going to evaluate them to ensure their health before handing them over. The sisters that owned the orphanage were more than happy to give the children over, their resources and finances stretched thin with the increase of children orphaned due to the wars. After Kiyoshi and the doctor obtained an acceptable group, they were about to depart when another sister ran after them, a child at her hip with a head of moss and honeycomb eyes.

The girl was tiny, smaller than other children her age, and very sickly as her skin was unhealthily pale and covered her bones like a white sheet. The sister told Kiyoshi about the girl, named Zetsu, about how she had been abandoned at their front doorstep as an infant and her lifelong battle with an unknown stomach illness. It prevented her from digesting food and upon consumption, would immediately regurgitate it so her diet only consisted of soft foods such porridge and mushed fruit, as it was the only things she was capable of keeping down. Due to their restricted funds, they could not take her to a doctor to be diagnosed and pleaded with Kiyoshi to take her so she may finally get the help she needed. Kiyoshi reluctantly agreed and took the little girl's hand, remembering how tiny it had been in his palm and how she limped alongside him from how weak her legs were from malnutrition. It was a miracle was still alive in such a sad state. He introduced himself to the girl but she said nothing, just staring at him with those large, golden eyes. He couldn't recall her ever uttering a word.

The children were taken to the laboratory and underwent routine screening for any diseases or disorders that might interfere with the introduction of the Mayfly. When they did, they discovered the source of Zetsu's impaired condition when she tested positive for possessing the Mayfly herself, a pure blooded carrier. Everyone celebrated with champagne that night. The Kekkei Genkai, however, was unstable as it had already mutated the enzymes responsible for digestion which explained her inability to eat 'normal' foods. The doctors with shinobi training reported her chakra pathways were 'infected', the Mayfly polluting them and if not ceased, would travel to her brain and reprogram it. Immediately, upon obtaining knowledge of the girl's bloodline, the Council ordered for her to undergo chemotherapy with the formula Kiyoshi had crafted to prevent her Mayfly from progressing farther so she may be used at a later occasion for their planned intentions.

With her currently in containment, Kiyoshi feared for her Mayfly. She had never been off her chemotherapy or feeding tube for so long, not even for surgeries, and he couldn't imagine how scared she was, locked up and alone like a prisoner. To save his sanity, he occupied his days with gathering together all records on K-MF-084 and the Mayfly and planning her rescue. It wasn't impossible, he soon realized, and as he thought on it more, the more optimistic he became. He had managed to narrow it down to three objectives. Now he just had to wait the perfect opportune moment. It came two days later. The night before K-MF-084 was arranged to be retrieved by the representatives of the Council.

It was evening and everyone was either changing shifts to the hospital or retiring for the night. Kiyoshi stood in his office, piling together paperwork and eyeing the people that walked past his open door towards the elevator that led to the hospital, counting bodies and striking off names to ensure there wouldn't be a soul left in the laboratory. After about an hour, there was a knock on his door.

"Tarou-sama." Kiyoshi said, greeting the overweight man standing at the door before noticing Ryouta awkwardly standing behind the doorframe. "Ryouta."

"Ah, Kiyoshi, I see you have all the paperwork ready." Tarou stated, observing the stacks upon stacks of neatly arranged folders of paperwork that sat on the man's desk. "Perfect. I just had confirmation that our guest plus party are within the Woodlands and should arrive in Kusagakure by tomorrow afternoon." Kiyoshi nodded, swallowing down the bile that crept in his throat at the thought of those people being within hours of taking K-MF-084 away forever. "Our guest is eager to meet you and Ryouta both tomorrow. The men behind the Mayfly."

"Honoured." Kiyoshi said dryly. Ryouta coughed.

"Perfect. Well, good night, Kiyoshi. I expect to see you bright and early tomorrow. Oh, and perhaps wear something nice?" Kiyoshi nodded, and Tarou gifted him a smile before waddling off. Ryouta did not follow and Kiyoshi quirked an eyebrow when the man clearly had something caught on his tongue.

"I'm sorry about K-MF-084." Ryouta finally said, rubbing the back of his head. "You obviously love the girl and if 001 hadn't died then the Council wouldn't be revoking her. Better care should have been taken."

"It's alright, Ryouta." Kiyoshi said, surprised by the man's honest apology. "None of us could have predicted this."

Ryouta shrugged. "Perhaps. Anyway, just wanted that off my chest. I'll see you tomorrow. Good night, Kiyoshi."

"Good night, Ryouta." Ryouta delivered a small wave as he left.

The short talk had touched Kiyoshi. Since the day Ryouta was employed as head of K-MF-001's project, the man had initiated a playful rivalship with Kiyoshi and their respective experiments. When 001 was acknowledged by the Council, the rivalship became competitive with Ryouta viewing himself and 001 superior to Kiyoshi and 084 which made Kiyoshi's impression of the fellow man sour over the years. Especially after witnessing the lengths he was willing to go through to 'train' 001. To see the man's humanity again was enduring.

Only minutes later, there another knock on his door and he smiled when seeing it was Ayana, clad in her jacket and handmade scarf, probably ready to walk the man home as she did most nights. Not tonight however.

"Ayana-chan." Kiyoshi whispered, drawing the woman into a warm embrace. "They're coming for 084 tomorrow, tonight is my last chance. I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry, Kiyoshi-kun?" Ayana replied, voice muffled against his shoulder. "I came to tell you I've decided on your offer and want to come with."

"What!?" Kiyoshi gasped, stepping back and staring at the woman in pure shock. "Ayana-chan, you do not have to. I was emotional and blubbering. I never meant to make you feel pressured into this."

"No," Ayana shook her head, flicking her long, black hair over her shoulder. "I thought about it, I thought about it hard and realized after you and 084 was gone, I will have no reason to remain here. You two are the reason I come to the laboratory every morning and without you… I don't want to be without you both so I want to join you."

"Oh Ayana-chan…" Kiyoshi whispered, resisting the overwhelming urge to kiss her from her heart touching devotion. She was willing to abandon her career for him and 084. If for some reason his wife did not accept him back, even after he finally told her the truth, it was nice to know he wouldn't be completely alone with Ayana and 084.

"Is there anything I can do to help you rescue 084?"

"No, I have a plan. If you are serious about joining us then I suggest going home and packing whatever you might need or want. After I get 084, I will meet you at your home then we'll leave the village. Hopefully Iwagakure will permit us to cross the bridges out of the country and from there we'll take a carriage to Sunagakure."

Ayana nodded. "Alright, I can do that. How long should I wait before I come back in case something happens?"

Kiyoshi checked his watch, estimating how long his tasks might take all together. "I should be no more than two hours. If I do not arrive by that time, return here…" He hesitated. "If for any reason I rescue 084 but cannot leave…can you take 084?"

The request took Ayana back as her brows furrowed. "I can…" She said slowly. "But nothing is going to happen Kiyoshi-kun. You'll get 084 and we'll leave together. I'm positive about it."

Kiyoshi smiled at the woman's optimism. "Thank you, Ayana-chan. Go on now. Everyone is almost gone and I need to get this done as quickly as possible. I'll see you soon." Ayana obeyed and glided out of his office, her black hair and scarf fluttering behind.

After Ayana departed for her necessary packing and the last accounted person departed the laboratory, Kiyoshi proceeded with his careful plan. Step one, securing a key card required to unlock the vault. There were four security cards that currently existed. One belonged to Ryouta, one to Tarou, the other to Toshi, and the last was a spare. Stealing the card off Ryouta and Tarou were impossible and he was unaware were the spare had floated off to, so that just left Toshi and the base of Kiyoshi's entire plan.

Kiyoshi left the security of his office, walking past the cubicles and offices and peeking inside each one as he past to ensure no one had decided to work later. After confirming he was alone there, he left the wing and into the main floor of the laboratory, heading through the hallway towards Toshi's office, the security room. Kiyoshi peered inside the closet, discovering Toshi nodding off in his seat only to be startled awake when Kiyoshi knocked on the doorframe. His hand darted toward his stun rod, but relented when noticing it was Kiyoshi and not an intruder.

"Oh, hey, Kiyoshi-san, you startled me." The overweight guard said, stifling a yawn. "Working late tonight?"

"Yeah, K-MF-084 is being retrieved tomorrow so I need to finish gathering together her paperwork."

"Oh right. Heard about that. I'm sorry about 084, she was…err, a good girl."

Kiyoshi willed a small smile. "It's alright, Toshi. I was going to make some coffee, would you like a cup?"

Toshi visibly perked up at the proposal. "Why yes I would. Three sugar. Thank you, Kiyoshi-san." Kiyoshi nodded before leaving the office and walking towards the kitchen, sneaking a veil from his pocket and into his sleeve.

He flipped the light to illuminate the scrunched together kitchen and proceeded with making the coffee in the brand new coffee pot which took him a moment to figure out how to use. He was much fonder of tea than coffee and the robust stench of the hot beverage made his anxious stomach wrench. Once the coffee began to brew, he dug out two random mugs from the cabinet and laid them out, waiting for the pot to steadily fill. After a few minutes, he deemed it full enough and poured the two cups, leaving his black while he dumped three sugars cubes into Toshi's as requested. As he stirred it, he slid the veil from beneath his sleeve and pierced the foil with his thumb nail before pouring it in also. It was a serum ingested by patients before surgeries, meant to make the recipient drowsy. Due to Toshi's near twenty-four hour schedule, he would be out in a matter of minutes.

He deposed of the container in the sink and picked up the steaming mugs, one in each hand, and departed back to Toshi's office. The guard was eagerly awaiting his return and graciously accepted his cup, sparing Kiyoshi a smile and thank you before he proceeded to slurp the scalding liquid, making the doctor wince.

"Ah, just perfect, thank you again, Kiyoshi-san." Toshi remarked, carefully placing the mug down on the control panel to avoid tempering with any of the sensitive buttoning.

"Of course, Toshi. I shall be in the infirmary wing. I need to prepare the medication necessary for 084." Toshi flashed him a thumbs up and Kiyoshi quietly left, marching towards the infirmary wing.

After letting himself in, he tiptoed into the medical ward so not awaken the slumbering children and retrieved a flashlight stored with the emergency supplies, using it to safely navigate through the darkened room to the storage closet located in the back. He fished out his keycard again and scanned it through the card reader, unlocking the metal door and engulfing him in the bitter air that bellowed from within as it slowly opened. The light inside automatically flickered on and Kiyoshi stepped inside, kicking down the stopper behind him so he wasn't locked inside as he scanned the refrigerated shelves. To his relief, 084's special medication was still stocked and hadn't been relocated or purged.

The medication was a creation of Kiyoshi himself, used not to cure the Mayfly but rather suppress its ability to mutate and override the host's brain, similar to the behavior observed in the Cordyceps fungi. Unfortunately, prolonged exposure to the drug resulted in stunted mental growth and dramatic memory loss which it why, despite being a teenager, 084 behaved half her age and her memory would erase itself every few months, including memories of Kiyoshi and herself. As sad as it was, it was a necessary evil. Kiyoshi restocked the formula once a month so the supply was thin, perhaps only two weeks' worth remained. He prayed it was enough to hold 084 through the travel to Sunagakure and until he could concoct more. Otherwise, he feared her Mayfly might begin its mutations once more.

Kiyoshi obtained a nearby box of frozen blood bags and dumped them out, using the container to carry the medication as he stacked the baggies of clear fluid within, the box barely large enough to hold them all. He relocked the freezer and set aside the box on a counter as he walked through the ward, picking up miscellaneous things he suspected he might need, mainly first aid supplies and piled them onto the overflowing box. Lastly, he yanked down the clipboard hanging over 084's empty bedside and threw it on the pile. It had all his notes he scribbled down after her procedures and chemotherapy. He did not intend on leaving behind a shred of information about her behind.

Kiyoshi heaved the box into his arms and waddled to the exit, nudging it open with his shoulder and softly closing it behind with his foot. He checked his wristwatch and discovered he had killed at least twenty minutes. Hopefully, Toshi was lost in dreamland by now as he left the infirmary and headed back towards Toshi's office, heart thumping as he prayed the man was out. His prayers were answered, as only feet away from the office, he could hear a very distinct snorting thundering from within. He jogged the remainder of the distance and peeked inside, discovering that guard fast asleep, slumped in his chair with his hands folded on his round belly. The coffee mug had been drained. Now to get the card.

Kiyoshi dropped the box and stepped into the room, debating where Toshi kept his clearance card as he visibly lacked it in his blue shirt pocket where most kept theirs. Kiyoshi kept his in his slack's pocket, which he tried as he dug into the man's front pants pockets, only finding a packet of chewing gum and a pill bottle of blood pressure medicine. He attempted his shirt pocket, on the off chance it was there but did not see it, only to fish out a handful of lint. That only left one more place, much to Kiyoshi's dismay. With a sigh, he rolled up the sleeves to his laboratory coat and leant forward, awkwardly pressing his face into the other man's chest as he reached behind to wiggle his hands into his back pant pockets. The reek of body odor liked old cheese assaulted his nose and tears welled in his eyes as he searched franticly. Thankfully, among the rolls of fat, his fingers traced the outline of a card and he hastily yanked it free, holding out the security card in success. It was red compared to Kiyoshi's yellow card and had a smiling picture of Toshi inked on the front. Toshi snorted in his sleep and Kiyoshi scurried out but paused when realizing there would be camera watching his every move with an unblinking eye. He debated about switching them off but another snore from Toshi made him disregard them as he fled back to his office. Engage step two, rescuing K-MF-084.

Once back to his office, he proceeded to gather together everything he had. He had brought an old duffle bag from home and unzipped it, piling in the tightly bound folders of paperwork inside, each folder containing a thousand plus pages. He crammed the dozen folders inside and barely managed to zip the bag closed around them. They left no room for 084's supplies so he stored them away in his suitcase instead which he had used to pack clothing for both himself and 084 for the trip. After everything was loaded, Kiyoshi made round of his office, checking cabinets and his desk to ensure no record of K-MF-084 remained, making sure to check behind said objects as well for any misplaced paper. He had been the only one with her records, he had never made copies or shared his notes with anyone else that would permit them to copy them, not even Tarou, so when nothing turned up, he was confident that he had safely secured away everything that had ever existed about her.

Kiyoshi shouldered the duffle bag, it weighing heavy and he had to rest the strap across his chest for better support and grabbed his suitcase before shuffling out of his office towards the elevator smuggled in the cubicle wing meant exclusively for descending to the basement level. Similar to the emergency elevator, only those with the special red keycard could access the basement elevator to prevent anyone from entering K-MF-001's floor unauthorized, so a key reader was in place of any buttons. Kiyoshi scanned the card and the elevator dinged, the doors sliding open without hesitation and he stepped inside, the doors closing and the elevator chugging downwards. The ride was short, only a floor before it slowed to a halt and he exited into a long, dim hallway.

The floor was only composed of the testing chamber, K-MF-001's vault and a single hallway that circled through them both so Kiyoshi walked through it at a brisk pace, eager to see K-MF-084 and get her free of that jail as quickly as possible. The hallway took a hard left into a pair of swinging doors and he pushed through them, a stumpy hallway was at his immediate right and at the end was a massive vault door that mirrored those seen in banks. Kiyoshi practically ran to it and dumped his bags before approaching the towering door, card in hand. He scanned it through the card reader and after a few agonizing seconds, it emitted a happy beep before the locks in the metal door retracted with an echoing slam, making Kiyoshi's jump and ears ring. The door slowly whined open and he grasped the handle, too anxious to await it to open itself as he heaved the heavy door back himself. Once it was wide open, he looked inside and his heart seized when he saw 084, slumped in the corner and not moving.

"Zetsu." Kiyoshi whispered, rushing inside. To his monumental relief, the girl lifted her head at the mutter of her name and her honey orbs peered up at him, dry lips widening into a beartrap grin as she muttered a happy noise. The doctor collapsed to his knees, embracing the girl and petting her unwashed hair, eyes welling with tears. "Oh Zetsu, I am so sorry."

The girl, Zetsu, whined again, unable to communicate with words, but it was obvious she did not blame him as she hugged him back. Kiyoshi pressed up his glasses, wiping his blue eyes as he returned the teenager's smile, relieved she had not been harmed while imprisoned despite being without food during that time. At least he hoped. He wouldn't put it past Tarou to place the girl on a 'carnivorous' diet considering the Mayfly. If not, he was positive she was hungry and he hoped she could ingest granola bars until they reached Sunagakure and he could get her replaced on a feeding tube after he forged new medical records for her.

"We're leaving, Zetsu. We're going somewhere new and you'll never be harmed again. No more surgeries, or procedures. You can know what it's like to be a child." Kiyoshi told her, brushing her hair with his fingers to loosen some of the drastic knots in it. They did not give and it was likely he would have to cut her hair later as the majority of it was snarled. As he did, he uncovered a shaved spot on the side of her head where the skin had been crudely sewn together. He feared what Tarou had done to her. "Does that sound nice?" Zetsu nodded, answering with another keen noise though Kiyoshi questioned she could even understand him but did not dwell on it. He had to get out of here, Ayana was waiting for them. Engage step three, get the hell out of Kusagakure.

Now that he had Zetsu, it was too dangerous to remain, even if he found somewhere in the village to hide out. He had committed that which parred with a federal offence for stealing government 'property' and he was positive Tarou would assemble an entire army to pursue him to get her back. If not him, then certainly the Council. Once in Sunagakure, he would mail his wife about everything that had happened and prayed she accepted such a tall tale and forgave him for abandoning their home in Kusagakure. Some people might think of him as a bastard for abandoning his family, but he considered 084 his family also and right now, she needed him more than anyone.

The storm lingered on outside so Kiyoshi shed his white, laboratory coat, bundling her tiny frame inside so she would not get a chill, being only clad in a flimsy hospital gown, before he assisted the teenager to her feet, her knobby knees trembling as they struggled to uphold her meager weight. Zetsu rarely walked, only walking with Kiyoshi to her surgeries every other week for samples and with his support, so her legs were not as well adjusted to walking as the normal person so after wobbling a few steps, she tumbled to the floor with Kiyoshi catching her before she struck the unforgiving metal floor. He did not want the girl to push herself, especially with the long travel ahead of them, and he scooped the teenager into his arms. She was skin and bones, being without a physical diet, so she was as light as a feather and Kiyoshi, not being a strong man, was able to balance her in his arms with ease.

Kiyoshi stepped out of the vault and balanced Zetsu against his shoulder as he retrieved his bags before walking back down the hallway and towards the elevator. Once he was in the elevator, he released a sigh and resisted the urge to burst into insane laughter with the overpowering wave of relief that washed over him. He had Zetsu, and he was on his way out. His plan had worked perfectly and cleanly. If Toshi hadn't fallen asleep from the seductive, he did not want to imagine what he would have had done to render him unconscious. He was glad there had been no need for it. He glanced down at Zetsu, discovering the girl had nodded off with her face buried against his neck and supplied a kiss to her cheek.

The elevator doors opened and Kiyoshi scurried out, around the maze of cubicles and towards the exit of the wing. Now, all he had to do was reach the emergency elevator, meet up with Ayana and get to Sunagakure. After that, all he had to be concerned with was adjusting Zetsu to her new life and groveling to his estranged wife to return and allow them all to be a single, happy family, Ayana included. It was highly doubtful, but he could dream. Sayuri's stubborn streak had been what charmed him when they both met during their school years, but now, that trait he once adored was raising hell. He was positive Miku would love to have a sister and Sayuri had always wanted a second child, but Kiyoshi could never give it to her. It could be so perfect.

All those thoughts were brought to an abrupt halt, piling into a jumble of nonsense, when he rounded the corner into the main corridor and viewed another person standing at the end of it, crouched outside of Toshi's office. At first, Kiyoshi's startled mind told him it was Toshi, having woken unexpectantly early from the drugs but it was quickly apparent it was not Toshi as the figure was twice the guard's height and clad in black trench coat.

"W-Who are you!?"

…

The next few days Kakuzu spent recouping and gathering vital intel for his objective of retrieving evidence of the Mayfly.

After the fray in Old Kusagakure, he checked in the last remaining hotel in the village, barely avoiding being witnessed by the hoard of Iwagakure shinobi that flooded the streets towards the ground zero. The person owning the bed and breakfast was a small old man with thinning, grey hair and teeth like rows of corn. The elder expressed his surprise with Kakuzu's presence, stating that due to Kusagakure's bad reputation and current Iwagakure occupation, they no longer received outside guests and no one in Kusagakure could afford to rent a room for even a single night. Due to the lack of customers, he upgraded Kakuzu to their best suite for free. Kakuzu liked free.

The room was on the top floor of the three story building and would be a nightmare for a health inspector. The unsightly pink, striped wallpaper piled off the walls, revealing the termite eaten wood walling beneath and the ceiling weighted heavy with water damage, leaking into a bucket positioned in the corner. The carpet was frayed and crunched beneath Kakuzu's feet and he suspected her was walking on the corpses of thousands of cockroaches hidden beneath. The bed sagged and the white blanketing was spotting with brown that appeared suspicious like old blood. When he shed and his jacket and tossed it on top, the blanketing wheezed and exhaled the stench of old softener. Despite all the negatives, at least it harboured a plentiful view of Kusagakure and all its poverty.

Buildings were decrepit and falling apart at the seams, more people sat the dusty streets than walked them with no one wearing a headband to display their unrivaled pride in this village, and the majority of area was littered with abandoned structures slowly being devoured by the surrounding forest as foliage sprouted from broken windows and rotted roofs. A century ago, Kusagakure had been the superpower of the world and possessed the largest population, rivaled only by Konohagakure. Today, it was hardly larger than a civilian village and in ruins like it had suffered through the Apocalypse. A legacy lost.

Amidst the decay, was a strikingly clean hospital across the street from the hotel, a harsh contrast compared to shady grocer and pawn store seated alongside it. It was larger than a stranded clinic and appeared almost brand new, as though it had only been built a matter of days prior with its untouched white paintjob and intact, shiny windows. Above the entryway was a golden plaque that read 'Kusagakure Hospital'. Kakuzu assumed that had been the hospital Domon spoke of and could understand the man's curiosity into it and his slew of questioning. It was obvious the little government that Kusagakure had left was very interested in keeping it in pristine condition instead of assisting the civilians sleeping on the footpaths and groveling for food or rebuilding their military. From personal opinion, he assumed approximately seven-percent of the villagers could not afford healthcare and such an expensive hospital would not a wise investment.

The next three days, Kakuzu spent observing the clinic and it quickly became apparent that something was off about it besides its perfect appearance. Within the first few hours of his investigation, he counted more than a dozen doctors and nurses entering and exiting the hospital for their morning shifts and lunch hour, far too many for such a tiny facility to contain, even on different shifts. In the evening, when the sun was setting, a hoard of them piled from the doors within an hour and scattered across the village to return to their homes. Kakuzu counted each individual and memorized around thirty different faces. Something was not right indeed.

On the third night, he judged himself to be in better health, the strain in his chest having faded as his two hearts adjusted to supporting each other, and he was eager to leave such a wretched place. The upgrade was free and fee cheap, but he was tired of waking wake each morning to insect friends crawling his pillows and in his hair. His surveillance proved encouraging for an easy job done. He mentally recorded each face and their time window of departure at night, each one leaving near the dot every night and he was able to estimate who remained within the hospital, being only a handful. He could easily stroll in, wrestle the few inside into submission and obtain any documentation of the Mayfly. First however, he would require additional information about the hospital and that opportune moment presented itself only an hour after Kakuzu had checked out.

The rain had finally thinned into a tolerable drizzle but the chilled lingered as Kakuzu huddled in his coat, collar upturned and shades concealing his eyes so passerbyers could not view his face and possibly recognize him from his outstanding bounty, especially the Iwagakure shinobi patrolling the streets. He staked-out in an alleyway of a closed hand-me-down shop that had a decent enough view of the hospital down the street. Doctors and a few nurses departed the building and Kakuzu crossed them off his mental list and until his estimated number of who remained inside was met and no one else left outside that timeline. An hour later, a greying doctor stepped out, but not to leave as he struck a cigarette, rounding the clinic to smoke in peace. That was when Kakuzu acted, crossing the patch of darkened road and hugging the adjacent structures towards the hospital.

He peered around the corner and saw the man propped against the wall, casually smoking his cancer stick and swooped so quickly the other man was unable to exhale, smashing his hand over the man's smoky mouth and dragging him off into a secluded area. The back of the hospital was submerged in a section of unrestrained forest which Kakuzu carried the thrashing doctor through, far enough until he was positive his screams could not be heard through the thick wooding. He tossed the old man against a thick, oak tree, hard enough to daze the doctor as he slumped, wheezing and Kakuzu extended his hand around his throat to keep him upright and to prevent any attempts at a struggle.

"You are going to answer my questions, all of them, and I shall not kill you. Is this understood?" Kakuzu spoke slowly to the petrified man who franticly nodded in agreement. "Perfect. Now, where is the information on the Mayfly?"

"The M-Mayfly? I don't know w-what you mean!"

Kakuzu snorted at the obvious answer and a thread sprouted from his wrist, waving in front of the doctor's bulging, green eyeball. "That is not correct and every time you lie to me, I physically remove something off your person. If you lie to me again, the first thing is your eyes." Kakuzu felt him swallow against his palm. "Now, where is the Mayfly?"

"I-I don't know I swear!"

"Wrong answer," The thread plunged into the man's eyeball through his pupil, end pointed like a syringe and Kakuzu compressed the man's throat with his fist to silence his screaming as the older doctor thrashed and clawed at his assailant's tattooed wrist. The eye was yanked out and deposed of on the forest floor with Kakuzu stomping on it, squishing it beneath his boot like a grape. He relented on the man's jugular and the doctor released a keen sound, trembling with his mouth agape as he inhaled and exhaled sharply, blood pouring from his empty socket as he hovered a shaking hand over it. "I suggest you stop lying to me. I was in the Iwagakure camp when that abomination attacked so I know well that the Mayfly existence and that this is where is originated. Again, where is the Mayfly?"

"T-The Mayfly…" Another thread danced in front of the man's other eye to discourage another lie. "I-It's here! I p-promise!"

"Where?"

"The l-laboratory."

"Where is the laboratory? In the hospital?" Kakuzu asked, patience being stretched thinned already and the thread twitched closer.

"Under the hospital! I-It's under the hospital!" The doctored insisted, compressing himself against the trunk away from the threatening black string. "The h-hospital is just a d-decoy!"

Kakuzu hummed, this new information interesting him. It would explain a lot, like the hospital's existence if it was just built to conceal a secret laboratory beneath. The thread relented and the doctor sighed a little before it was crept closer to prevent such relief. "This laboratory developed the Mayfly?" The man nodded. "Was that one that ambushed Iwagakure the only one?"

"Y-Yes." The answer didn't sit right with Kakuzu as he noted the hesitation in the man's voice occupied by the shutter and averted glance, exposing the clever lie that substantially enraged Kakuzu. Without warning, the thread pierced his other eye with a spurt of blood and the man screamed out before his airway was crushed by Kakuzu's hand, leaving him gasping and twitching as other eye was wrenched out also. Once released, he collapsed to his knees, sobbing while clenching his bleeding face.

"Wrong. Answer. Where is the other Mayfly!?" Kakuzu roared, pulling the man back to his feet and shoving him against the trunk by his bruised throat once again. There was another Mayfly, now he knew for sure, and it was vital he got it, not just for the Akatsuki, but his bank account. A live being with an extinct bloodline would sell well with the Great Nations. Especially after the destructive power he witnessed of just one. The world would be fighting tooth and claw for it. "Tell me or the next thing I take is your tongue."

"K-MF-084..." The man coughed, light-headed and breathless from the constant strangling and heavy blood loss. "Dr. Akiayama…"

"K-MF-084? Dr. Akiayama?"

"Her experiment number…Kiyoshi…he is her doctor." The fading doctor suddenly perked up. "A-Ask him! He-He'll know! I nothing else I promise you! P-Please…"

Kakuzu snorted. He had no time to retrieve this other doctor nor the patience. "How do I access this laboratory? Through the hospital?"

The doctor paused and Kakuzu tightening his chokehold to discourage any attempts of fibbing, making the blind man flinch. "The elevator! There's an emergency elevator that enters the lab."

"Where?" Kakuzu pressed, eager to conclude this prolonged interrogation.

"There's an abandoned warehouse…" The elderly doctor pointing behind himself in the general location it might be. "It's in there... Now please…I know nothing else. Please!"

Kakuzu regarded the man's pleading and released his throat. "Very well. But I shall have your heart."

"What!?" The doctor yelped, staring upward towards Kakuzu with the bleeding craters in his skull. "You said you wouldn't kill me if I told you everything!"

"I did." Kakuzu freely agreed. "But I hold no respect for a man that betrays his own." With that, he thrusted his gloved hand through the older man's chest, yanking out his beating heart and snapping the arteries that stretched from within his caved ribcage. The doctor gasped, releasing a wet gurgle as blood and bile rived from his lips before collapsing to the ground, twitching in an expanding pool of blood.

Kakuzu analyzed the dying heart, grumbling at its poor quality but at the moment, beggars could not be choosers as it would only be a temporary fix until he found a more worthy heart to replace it. He had no one to blame but himself, he had become so cocky with this new jutsu in the few years he had possessed it which caused him to dramatically underestimated the Mayfly and in return, he had had paid dearly for it. It would not happen again.

A wall of threads extended from beneath his collar and swallowed the organ, transferring it to the empty slot in his back and linking it to his other two hearts. Once the heart was successfully installed, Kakuzu trembled for a series of seconds at the rush of new charka circulating through his body, engulfing him in a feverish heat and sense of disorientating light-headedness before slowly fading away. He coughed and inhaled deeply, noting the weight on his lungs had lifted and clasped his chest where could feel three different rhythms of beating against his hand. He felt revived and was deathly curious how five hearts would function. Before, when he had interrogated the new hearts, obtaining four hearts had nearly killed him which is why had been depending on only three this entire time, but he had been crippled and sickly then, now he was stronger and had no reason to doubt he could handle those extra hearts. This process was encouraging, but now, he had the Mayfly to be concerned about and he was more than ready to conclude this mission.

Kakuzu carelessly kicked the doctor's corpse aside, leaving for the local wildlife to feast upon and walked through the shadowy thicket, searching for the elusive warehouse the old man had spoken of as a means to access this secret laboratory that contained the Mayfly. After several of minutes of walking and looking, he noticed a leery structure in the distance, nearly unnoticeable due to the layers of moss and foliage that concealed it and its wooden frame being easily mistaken for splintered timber. He approached the warehouse, keeping an ear out for anyone that might be lurking about, probably security of said secret elevator, and rounded the building before discovering the entrance that was draped with hanging vine. It appeared recently infiltrated, as the vine growing downwards over the opening had been torn away and the doorframe was smeared with a dark substance that was assumed blood. Blood was also splashed on the concrete flooring and formed an arcing pathway between the overturned tables and stained the shattered glass bottles littering the ground, indicting its freshness as this packaging plant appeared to have been left several years ago.

Kakuzu followed the trail, holding his nose from the stench of rotted food that was contained in trash bags dumped in corners and trampled on the ground. Through the darkness, Kakuzu could perceive the blood take a sharp turn towards an unsuspecting closet which had its door ajar, the silver knob painted red. Inside the closet was a set of rickety stairs that led downwards into a cramped basement and within, Kakuzu found the elevator, its clean, metal door almost glowing in the black. The control panel only contained one lit button that was wiped with more blood and Kakuzu jabbed it with his thumb. The elevator gave a happy ding and a screen above the doors flickered on that read 'Call Elev.' before a loud chugging was heard and made the thin flooring beneath Kakuzu's feet tremble as the box approached from below.

After a few seconds, the ungodly noise stopped and the ding rang out again as the doors slid open into a solid, metal room that could fit a few people comfortably at most. The floor was sticky with a large pool of blood that stuck to Kakuzu's boots as he stepped in it and made his stomach curdle at the overwhelming smell of iron and rot. There was four buttons on the inside, a blank one, two with arrows indicting the closing and opening of the doors and an unmarked one and another with an exclamation mark engraved in it that obviously advised him not to touch it, so he pressed the blank button. The doors closed and the room abruptly began dropping down, making him grasp the railing to prevent himself from toppling over from the unsteady ride as it rapidly descended. Within seconds, it slowed but not enough as it slammed to a halt, making Kakuzu hit his elbows on the steel walling behind him and swear as his funny bones vibrated with acute pain. Suddenly, two lights began to flash red, flooding the elevator with a blinking, red glow that made his head throb and the monitor above the doors read 'Clear. Need'.

"Clearance needed? Fuck that." Kakuzu pressed the button with the two arrows pointing outwards to open the doors but it did not work. He clicked it again and again, even punching the warning button with no further results except the message atop changing to 'Assist. Call' which made him scowl. "Fucking hell." He couldn't just stay here forever and he wasn't about to sit around until someone came along to let him out, that was for damned sure. He would let himself out.

There was a thin breach where the two elevator doors met together and Kakuzu scarped at it with his fingers, managing to secure a millimeter grasp on each door and with a hint of strength, slowly pried them apart with the doors resisting with a spine-chilling screeching as they grinded against the tracks. Once a large enough opening was secured, Kakuzu stepped outside and released his grasp off the struggling doors, causing them slam closed behind with a squeal. Kakuzu dusted his hands and glanced around, evaluating his surroundings to discover he was now standing in a hallway that was drenched in red from the lights beaming above the elevator. The hallway was short before ending with a windowed door and card reader and possessed a pair of doors at both ends of the hall with an elongated window between to his left with a sign beside each that read 'Infirmary'. It was a start.

Kakuzu approached the nearest door and fiddled with the knob, finding it to be unlocked as he stepped inside the clinic which was illuminated by the flashing lights in the hallway. Inside, there were two rows of beds on each side and tucked away in a few were children, their sleeping faces bathed in the mix of coloured lighting from the emergency alarms outside and the machinery at their bedside. Kakuzu stepped around between the beds, analyzing each child and the identification number that was printed on a sheet of paper hanging at the foot of their bed, each beginning with K-MF and ending with a number. K-MF-084; that had been the number the doctor had given him of this 'Mayfly Girl' and if she did indeed exist, he was already on the right track of finding her.

The numbers were random, having no particular order and Kakuzu read each sign, careful not to awaken the children as he progressed through. Finally, towards the other end of the clinic, he found the elusive 'K-MF-084'. Unfortunately, the bed was empty and hadn't appeared to have been slept in anytime recent as it had been neatly made and lacked any drabbled notes like the other children. Kakuzu swore beneath his breath and slammed his fist onto the mattress to muffle the blow. This 'Mayfly Girl' was either in another location, dead or the quack had lied to him and he foolishly believed him. Optimism told him this girl was alive and merely in another location to be found, but reality said she was long dead. Regardless, he had infiltrated the laboratory and if this live specimen was deceased or removed, the evidence of the Mayfly was certainly here and it was just the matter of finding it instead. He was on a time limit however, so he would have to find it fast and quietly exit without witnesses and more bodies.

Kakuzu exited the infirmary through the second door and inspected the door leaving the wing, leering at the card reader beside it that was the means of unlocking said door. He had always distasted technology, he himself being a relic of simpler times. It was crude and complicated but, it was also laughably weak in design as evident when Kakuzu delivered a powerful punch against the device, shattering into shards of plastic and wiring and causing the door to malfunction and unlock itself. The man smirked with a snort as he allowed himself out, only to take a few steps outside and freeze as he perceived an open room a few feet before him with its light on inside. He had never expected to be alone in such an area of unknown so now was the matter of dispatching whoever with inside without them shouting for help to anyone else in the laboratory currently.

Kakuzu stepped softly towards the room, hugging against the hallway wall but paused when he stood alongside the doorframe and heard…snoring? He listened hard, ensuring it wasn't his senile mind playing tricks on him only to confirm it was not when the sound repeated itself. He leant around the corner, glancing inside to see an obese man, clad in a blue, security uniform and reclined in an office chair with his hands folded on his protruding belly, unsoundly asleep. The sleeping guard was the only person in the small room and Kakuzu but did not relent on his stealth as he debated about dispatching the slumbering man to prevent him from jarring awake. He crouched through the short doorway and outstretched his hand, summoning a legion of threads from his wrist that hovered around the oblivious man, aiming themselves towards vital artistries that would ensure an easy death by means of blood loss. However, Kakuzu's malicious intentions were disturbed by the startled exclamation behind him.

"W-Who are you!?"

…

AN: Chapter finished, phew. I attempted to tone down the violence in this chapter the best I could but I've come to realize it's impossibly since it's all downhill from here, especially with the upcoming chapter and the Akatsuki. So, in the future, there will be violence, a lot of it, and there is nothing I can do about it since it's a necessary evil for the plot.

Also, again I apologize for all the mistakes in this chapter. If I see any I missed in the future then I shall correct them but for now, please excuse them. I can't get everything right the first time around since I forget or overlook things. I'm sorry.

Next chapter: Kiyoshi and Kakuzu meet and the struggle over the Mayfly concludes.

Until next time.