Kakuzu waited for Payton after all of her classes. Payton didn't really mind. So far he hasn't done anything to any of them. He was the quieter one and she was thankful for that. The only thing she found odd was the sudden evasiveness of the other members. The only one that talked to her was Kakuzu. She hasn't even seen Hidan around the school, though she wasn't complaining too much about it.
"You know...we never planned for that to happen." Kakuzu stated as he walked her to her fifth period class that following Thursday. Payton flinched slightly, unhappy with the sudden change in conversation. She knew something was up. "And how do I know that's true?" Kakuzu smirked. "Think about it for a moment, I'm pretty sure you're smart. Why would we come up with something like that, when we would know that it would make you seclusive and make up your mind?"
Payton slowed down a bit and 'Ned' matched the speed. He knew he was getting to her and fastly at that. "So why did he..." "Let's just say he wanted to leave an impression, no matter how bad it came off....I mean come on you and I should both know by now how Hidan can be." Payton couldn't help it, a smirk slipped to her mouth and she giggled slightly at the small humor as images of the time Hidan and Kakuzu were shown in the show.
"So are you at least going to think about your decision more?" He questioned. Payton looked thoughtful for a moment. Then she nodded and Kakuzu sighed slightly in relief. "Question though." Kakuzu turned to look at her. "How bad is it really?" Kakuzu paused unsure as to answer her. "Let's put it this way....it's gotten so bad that Kisame isn't so blue anymore."
Stacey began tapping her fingers lightly on her desk. She couldn't help it; it's been so aggravating the whole week. Only three more days left until they had to choose life or death. Yeah her, Payton, and Ava had kidded around with the characters of Naruto but this was ridiculous! Now they had to actually choose whether or not they truly want to play the parts of ninja.
She and Payton had probably talked more about it before the Akatsuki invaded their school. They had both laughed and laughed with each other about what they would do to all but ruin the lives of the infamous Akatsuki, but now that it was narrowed down to this, she just didn't think it would happen. She had flipped flopped ever since the last Tuesday when they were told to start deciding.
Stacey thought she could handle it...but at the same time she had so much here in the real world that she would leave behind. She loved her family a lot, even if they got on her nerves sometimes, but hey that's normal for any family. She didn't want to think of the worry it would cause them if she chose to go. Then again she hated where she was, school and city wise.
'What am I going to do?!' she thought frustrated. "Don't think about it too much, or you won't be able to make a good decision." whispered Pein who had been noticing her obvious anxiety.
Stacey nodded. Some part of her knew he was right...but how much could she take without breaking down?
Ava drew absentmindedly on the picture that she practically didn't know what it was. She seemed calm enough but in her mind she was freaking out. 'Of course I'm not going to go with them! I think I would die either way.' she thought out of irritation.
She knows that she's a tough girl but she had so much here...but if she told them if she won't go then what would be the point? She would probably either die or live in fear for the rest of her life. Really their only hope was that Sasori miscalculated when they needed to go back and the time comes when they can't go back....but then that means that she would have to deal with the Akatsuki for the rest of her life. She wasn't too sure that they would just blend back into the school and leave her and her friends alone no that would be too easy.
Another hope was if they decide that....'Wait! That's it! They're probably hoping that at least one of us chooses to go with them...what if all of us chose not to go? Then they'd see that their trip here was pointless to come back empty handed. This could work!'
It was the day of the party now and Gloria had been trying to figure out what was so wrong with Payton. The exchange kids were among the first to arrive and as soon as they did, Payton did her best to make herself scarce. She made excuses that she needed to finish cleaning, even though her and Gloria had finished everything an hour before they had arrived but she was thankful Gloria didn't say anything. She was also grateful that Hidan didn't show up.
As the party progressed, Payton gets hurt. She hopped to the couch where her dad hands her a frozen pea package to put over her swollen knee. "So what's wrong?" 'Adam' asked, sitting by her. Payton was looking her leg and says, "I can't even bend my toes, let alone feel from my knee down." "That sucks." Itachi comments and Payton smirks.
"How much longer?" Konan asks Pein as they sat a little away from the bon fire. He looks around to make sure no one was listening. "It has to be tonight. Once everyone leaves....we will take them."
Later that night Ava, Payton, and Stacey thought they were in the clear. They thought wrong when 'Kelly' asks them to come help her outside. Payton gets up and hugs her mom who only smiles and kisses her daughter's forehead. The three exit and as soon as they do they are put ran to the apartment in the next town.
Once there they are taken to the room where Sasori was starting up the machine. "We have to be quick with it so just tell us." Pein says standing in front of them.
The three girls look at each other. Ava and Stacey nod to Payton who steps forward and says, "I speak for all of us when I say screw off and get it over with." Pein sighed, obviously disappointed. Deidara steps forward and grabs Ava. "Please, Ava, choose differently. Come with me." Ava pushed him away. "Deidara, I hate anime. I couldn't live somewhere that I hate. I already do so why make it worse. I have so much here, we all do. We were given the choice and we all chose." Deidara looked at Ava in a hurt manner.
Pein looks at Stacey. "What about you?" Stacey looks up at him and replies, "I can't leave. While I know who you are and I like anime, I couldn't just decide that I want to live there."
"Then there's just as to why Payton didn't choose." Itachi says looking at Payton hopefully. Payton shrugs. "To tell you the truth I used to do nothing but dream about living in the anime world...but that's all it is, a dream. It's not real, you're only people created by a creative mind. I can't go with you."
"If we're fictional then how are we here?" Konan points out. They didn't have an answer and after a while Pein steps up again. "Well then we have to decide as to what to do with you now."
"Why don't you just go back? I mean you've already left word with the school that you're 'going back home' why must killing us come into the picture?" Ava asks and the other two look at them expectantly. Then Stacey pipes in, "I mean in this world you have no idea just how many people dress up like you, some almost striking a very close likeness." Payton finished off the thought, "There would be no one to believe us that the actual Akatsuki from a TV show came to our school because three girls have a hidden power in them."
"That's not the point. There is the possibility that we won't be the only ones with the power and ability to come here. We can't risk the possibility of our enemies getting that information from you that we were here." Pein said looking at all of them in turn.
Payton shrugs and walks to the machine which was in full whirl. "Just go." She said stepping aside. "If someone else does come, then oh well. You all are always talking about how powerful the Akatsuki is. If the possibly that you said does happen...prove to me that that's true, that you're powerful." She walked back to Ava and Stacey who showed that they weren't going to budge.
"I personally don't want anyone else to come and to be quite frank I have gotten sick and tired of you..." Ava was cut off by Sasori, "It's now or never." he said standing in front of the machine. He stepped through and a small screen popped up next to what he had just stepped through. It showed him in his normal form standing in a cave. He motioned for the rest of them to go. Hidan went after him winking at Payton before stepping through making her visibly shudder.
The Akatsuki stepped through, all but Deidara who hugged Ava good bye. He looked back one more time and Ava only waved at him, even though she hurt. He stepped through and a big noise was heard as the machine disappeared.
