Disclaimer: Read chapter one. Rated M for breathing room.

Pairings: Not known as of yet.

Note to readers: Any suggestions, leave in review. Any idea for pairings, leave in review. Flame me - I'll hunt you down and make you regret it. XD

Oh, if anyone wants me to put up a profile for a character that has already made an appearance, then please tell me so! It can be Gwyn's family or her friends at school. Just leave it in a review. If I don't answer all of them then I am sorry. I'll try my best.

Rating: T


Midnight Summer

Chapter Twenty-Nine


The guy, as Gwyn quickly learns, is named Pein. He's also someone not to piss off. That she learned when he punched Deidara in the face after he told him that she deserved to be put in her place. He turned on Hidan, warned him that he'd regret it if he didn't calm down, and told Kakuzu that he owes Hidan the money – and a great deal more than that. He nodded to Itachi, helped Tobi up and told him to behave, and addressed the others with questions.

Then he turned on Gwyn and her group.

"He started it." Gwyn points at Tobi who, in turn, smiles.

Pein turns his eyes, an odd gray rigged sight, onto Tobi. He raises a pierced brow in question.

The younger male shrugs before saying, "Tobi wanted to hug Gwyn-Chan, Pein-sama."

Pein just gives the blindfolded male an odd look before turning to look at Deidara. His eyes narrow and Gwyn has a feeling that he's in a lot of trouble. Deidara seems to think the same thing because he turns his eyes away from Pein's even as he holds his bloodied nose.

Did she mention that they're no longer in the cafeteria? No?

During the fight with Hidan and Kakuzu, the cafeteria had thinned out. She's thinking that Pein may have been watching and the students, knowing this, hurried to leave. Seems that everyone is scared of this man more than any other member of the Akatsuki. That only leaves her with a question.

Is he the leader?

"You, Deidara, have some explaining to do. That will wait till later. For now, I want you head home." He tells the blonde male who, in response, bows his head.

"Yes, Pein-sama."

She frowns and stiffens as he brushes past her. He doesn't he look at her.

She takes in Pein's appearance as he stands there. His hair, a 'kiss me orange' color stands out violently against his gray, ringed eyes. His skin, although tan, is heavily pierced with metal studs, rings, and small bars. It gives him this…edgy but intense feeling… but it also adds to his…aura.

Gwyn has seen a good deal of this group. Only encountered several of them in person, but she can say freely that they are attractive in their own rights. It's no wonder they have a group of girls who adore them.

But she still cannot overlook the fact that they, this group of cold and hardened students, killed someone. That they murdered in cold blood.

"And you, girl, are becoming a problem." She stiffens with someone's, Pein's, fingers brush under her chin and lifts her head up.

The skin is soft. Warm.

Their eyes meet and, even though his touch is gentle, his eyes are not. They are cold and calculating.

She can sense Naruto's unease instantly. She can hear Sasuke talking to Itachi and, from what she can hear of their tones, he doesn't sound happy. She knows that the girl's are close by. Probably sitting somewhere out of her sight.

She meets Pein's eyes now and holds his gaze. He's even taller than Deidara and she finds it to be rather hard to look him in the face. It would be easier if he stepped back. A few good steps…that is.

Gwyn worries her lower lip before saying, "I don't mean to be."

An orange brow raises before he replies, "I find that hard to believe."

"It all started on accident!" she exclaims as she pulls away even when his eyes narrow. She rolls her neck, hearing the joints pop, and then turns her attention back on the man.

"Accident? It is not easy to start something of that…degree…with Deidara and call it an accident." He replies and she sighs.

"I'm serious." She says.

"So am I." he crosses his arms over his chest as he glares down at her.

She frowns before running her hands through her hair.

"This is stupid. I didn't do anything. He tackled me. I only want to be left alone!" she exclaims.

The last part might be a bit of a lie but he doesn't have to know that…

"Be left alone? You provoke Deidara and now you expect to be left alone?" is he having a hard time understanding her? She's certain they're speaking the same language.

"P-Pein-San, if I-I may?" Hinata's voice breaks in and he turns to look at her.

A moment passes before he nods.

"Proceed, Hyuga."

"It r-really was an ac-accident. G-Gwyn started s-school here and she d-didn't know about t-the Akatsuki. She b-bumped into D-Deidara-san and it e-escalated from t-there. She e-even said sorry when i-it happened." Gwyn feels like she can cry. Timid, shy Hinata trying to help. And timid, shy Hinata is faced with the big, scary Pein of the Akatsuki.

Pein seems to be thinking about this before turning to look at the red-haired male named Sasori and he asks him, "Sasori, where you there when it happened?"

Sasori nods.

"Is that how it happened?" he asks him and Sasori makes no move to say anything. Or nod…whatever.

Instead, he seems to be thinking.

"It was along those lines, yes." He finally says and Pein frowns.

He turns and looks at Hinata. Gwyn shifts a bit and, as she suspected, his gaze shifts to her. Okay, anything that moves will have his attention. Now she just needs to keep Hinata in the clear zone.

"If I recall, she did apologize. Then Deidara approached her and she got a bit defensive. Said something about his hair. One way or another – she hit him when he grabbed her." Sasori explains and Gwyn feels herself go cold.

She doesn't really remember that. Yeah, she cussed him out and she – oh wait – she shoved him.

"What did she say about his hair?" Pein's frown increases as Sasori replies, "Told him it's really long."

Pein's lips quirk at one side before he shakes his head.

"This started about a comment on his hair?" he asks Sasori who shrugs.

"I wouldn't know. I wasn't really paying attention." He responds.

Gwyn shifts in her spot before turning her attention back on Hinata who had made her way back to the chairs where Ino and Sakura sit at.

"Uh, excuse me…" Pein turns to look at her and says, "Get out. I have things to attend to."

Okay…so much for asking to leave…


Words: .1,065(above the line)

Note from the Author: .Pein-sama! This was a rather...odd chapter to write. Could almost say one of the boring ones. Talk about a dismissal. How's Pein? Sasori? Lol - he hit Deidara.

Profiles:
Gwyn Armstrong
Age: 15, almost 16 (metioned in last chapter - hinted in the last few - but forgot to put down)
Gender: female
Hair: chocolate brown, long
Eyes: NM
Family: Mom- Kelly, dad, Max, Grandma Berta

Gin (NM)
Age: 23
Gender: Male
Hair: Long, brown
Eyes: Green
Family: (NM)

Ari Armstrong
Age: (NM)
Gender: Male
Hair: (NM)
Eyes: (NM)
Family: Mom- Kelly, dad, Max, Gwyn, Grandmother Berta
(full realionship with family - unknown)

R&R