The group of Akatsuki nins were right back where they had started at the beginning of the day- in the living room in their pajamas and night clothes. Luckily for them, Pein permitted them to all shower and clean up. He must have been in a fairly good mood watching them all suffer and practically die.

Now their leader had taken up his usual position in the center of the room, arms crossed in a casual fishnet shirt and pants. "Good to have you all here."

Konan threw a couch pillow at his head. "YOU CALLED US HERE BAKA!"

Pein smacked his head on the wall behind him as the pillow made contact, rubbing his sore nose and the swelling bruise on his head with a popped vein. "Must you throw everything at me Konan!"

"I haven't thrown the lamp yet…" Konan grumbled in a threatening voice.

There were several snickers.

Pein rolled his eyes. "Enough already everyone. I would like to discuss the results of our…tests today."

This seemed to quell any signs of humor within the group.

Deidara was knocked out like a light against Kakuzu's shoulder on the sofa, mumbling under his breath about bog monsters and stupid bones that couldn't stay connected.

Sasori went to wake him up, but his leader's voice stopped him.

"Leave him be. What I have to say doesn't really concern him," Pein said.

Sasori's brows raised.

Pein coughed into a closed fist lightly, and then started to speak. "I created these exercises so that all of you would learn to work together. You bicker everyday, cause unnecessary damage to the base, and create more bills to pay. The amount of stress you morons give me is absolutely ridiculous…"

"Stress? We don't give you fucking stress," Hidan said from where he sat cross-legged on the floor.

"You're the number one stress cause here Hidan," Black Zetsu muttered from beside him.

Hidan turned to him with a popped vein. "I AM FUCKIN' NOT!"

"You're also the reason why half of us have gone deaf," White Zetsu mumbled.

"NA-UH!"

Kakuzu felt an eye twitch, kicking him in the back of his head. "Shut the hell up Hidan!"

Hidan cursed, about to start a fight when Pein clapped his hands.

"See what I mean?" Pein insisted. "Half of your fights don't even make sense and can be avoided. But that's not the point here. You are all aware of the results of these tests I'm sure. Red Team scored once. Blue Team scored once. And both tied. That makes you all even."

There were mixed sighs and expressions of relief. Their leader couldn't possibly make any of them go through punishment-

"And now I'll let you know who won and who lost," Pein chirped with a gleeful look on his face.

Everyone's face dropped in horror. NANI?

"B-B-But-" Kisame held out his hands as if that would do something. "No one could have possibly have won or lost that last test."

Pein's eyes darkened, a sadistic grin spreading across his face. "Are you doubting my judging abilities Kisame?"

Kisame shrunk considerably. "Er- no?"

Itachi inwardly rolled his eyes at his partner before bringing his gaze to the happy orange-haired man in front of them. "What's the punishment?"

"I would be able to get it out if all you of would LET ME SPEAK!" Pein yelled, eye twitching.

Itachi raised his hands.

Sasori leaned over to Konan and whispered, "Someone has a stick up their butt."

"A really big one," she whispered back.

Although they weren't really whispering. It more like talking in a loud voice on purpose.

Pein stomped his foot, flames rising out behind him. "I'm standing right here!"

Tobi giggled into a gloved hand. "Oh we can all see that very clearly Leader-san~" Ah…I sure do love ruining his good mood…

"Shut up!" Pein yelled, looking very much like a child throwing a tantrum.

His members couldn't help but laugh to themselves.

"I hope all of you die." Pein's brow quirked.

They responded by flashing him peace signs and large grins.

Pein sighed, putting his hands on his hips. "Now then- in regards to the final round…I was touched by your concern over your fellow members," he admitted. "Especially going back to save Deidara and Kakuzu. You all could have been killed- but you chose to stick by each other's sides."

Kakuzu made a grunting noise, careful not to shift the blonde resting on him. "Why wouldn't we go back for the kid? He's like the baby of this family."

Pein gave him an amused look. "Oho? Suddenly you refer to us as a family?"

"Well of course," Kakuzu harrumphed. "We all knew it. It just wasn't cool when you said it."

Pein popped a vein. "WHY YOU-!"

"So what's the verdict?" Konan asked, crocheting a blanket.

Pein's eyes bugged. "When the hell did you-?"

Konan gave him a vicious look. "The. Verdict. Pein."

Pein groaned in frustration, hanging his arms with a defeated look. "You all are victors here for your valiant acts of kindness and friendship towards on another-"

"In Japanese please motherfucker," Hidan cut him off.

Oh yes. Pein's eye was definitely spazzing now. "No one loses because you all worked together!" he shouted.

Hidan sagely nodded. "I see…"

Pein started to clench his fist and stomp towards the silver-haired man, only to be tripped along the way by Kakuzu and his extended foot. "Ack!"

"So no punishment huh?" Kakuzu innocently grouched.

Konan and Sasori laughed.

Pein jumped to his feet, killer aura rising out from his body. "You guys…"

"Tobi thinks we should watch a movie!" Tobi cheered. Before Pein changes his mind and tries to really kill us.

"What a wonderful idea," Itachi snorted. "Because we all know that's what S-ranked criminals do in their free time." He moved to find an appropriate movie before the masked man could try and maul him for being sarcastic towards him.

Hidan snickered.

Sasori got up from the sofa, heading for the kitchen. "I'll get the snacks."

"Oh- I'll help!" Kisame excitedly said. He paused and then looked back at Zetsu. "Sorry buddy. Tonight you'll just have to deal with juice and potato-related snacks."

Zetsu sighed. "Fine…"

Itachi straightened up from where he had been searching by the television set. "I found something," he announced.

Pein walked over with curious eyes. "What is it?"

"A movie," Itachi smirked.

Pein started to throttle him. "I know what it is dammit!"

"Then why'd you ask?" Konan irritably said, throwing one of her crocheting needles at their leader's back.

"Ow!" Pein released Itachi in an effort to pull the oddly sharp needle out of his spine. "You could have killed me!"

Konan huffed as Itachi put the movie in. "A shame it didn't…"

Pein faced her with fake tears running down his cheeks. "I feel hated…"

Kakuzu made a noise of agreement. "At least the feeling is mutual."

Pein pointed an accusing finger at him. "How is it- that after all this time- you still manage to PISS ME OFF!"

Kakuzu grinned beneath his half mask.

Deidara blearily blinked at the chatter around him, lifting his head away from Kakuzu in confusion. "What's going on…hmm?"

Kisame ruffled the front of his hair from behind the sofa, one arm full of drinks. "Nothing too important kiddo."

Deidara sat up, looking around at the suddenly festive members. "No… I definitely missed something."

Sasori rolled his eyes, placing a bowl of popcorn in the blonde's lap. "Just shut up and watch the movie brat."

Deidara stiffened. "What kind?"

Sasori gave him an amused look, not opting to answer.

Deidara blanched. "Sasori-no-danna!"

"Don't worry," Zetsu calmly said from in front of him where he sat with Hidan and Tobi. "It's a comedy." "And here I was hoping it'd be a horror."

Everyone visibly flinched, shooting a grinning Konan dirty looks.

"What?" She helplessly shrugged. "They amuse me."

"We know that all too well…" they all muttered, depressing waves above their heads.

Pein chuckled at their expressions, walking over to sit in the center of the sofa with the remote in his hand. "Nevermind that. Let's just relax for now."

A/N: Happy ending right?

Oh- but the story's not over yet :D