"I am leaving you now."

"What, so soon?" Hidan's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Yes, I was instructed to return immediately once the nine tails was captured. Ahead of you two…do not worry, your efforts in the mission will be accounted for."

"Whatever," Hidan passed the immobile jinchuriki host to Tetsuya who vanished a moment later. "Fucker…did you hear him? 'Your efforts will be accounted for.' Bull fucking shit, arrogant ass." Hidan continued walking moodily and I followed a few paces behind.

"Hidan, do you think Sasuke is done with us?"

"Huh?" Hidan stopped and looked at me.

"I mean, we got the nine tails, what more does he need?"

"Well," Hidan leaned on his scythe, "for starters the nine tails isn't the last jinchuriki we need. And second of all, Nagato needs supplemental chakra to remove the jinchuriki from the host…so no, we aren't done yet."

"Maybe as a member of the Akatsuki…'officially'…you have insurance in this. But do you think they are done with me?"

Hidan looked at me for a long time. He was brash…not an idiot. I'm positive he knew my position in all of this.

"Listen…I don't know what the deal is between you and Sasuke-san, so I cannot really give a valid opinion. But I do know you have been in a bad way since your friend left. I'm guessing he was sort of a buffer between you two or something…"

"This has nothing to do with Zabuza-senpai; he was never really part of this. Sasuke was still…normal…at least mostly…when Zabuza was still with us. He just left at an inconvenient time…and even if he didn't things would have turned out the same."

"Okaaay," Hidan scratched his head. "I really have no fucking clue what you are asking me…"

"Yes you do!" Now he was pissing me off. "I'm not looking for false assurance or sympathy; I want to know if Sasuke and Nagato still need me. You've seen me, I can't expend more than minimal chakra at a time and even that is unstable," I pushed back tears, "I just want to know if I'm…necessary!"

Hidan sized me up for a moment, his brow furrowed. "No."

I sat down hard…I knew it all along. I crossed my arms over my chest, hugging myself, and pulled my knees up to meet them.

"Listen, Nagato will probably just send you on your way. Tell you that you aren't strong enough for all of this and that you need to be replaced. He's real fucking soft like that."

"It isn't up to him."

"It's up to Sasuke."

"No," I let the tears come, "Sasuke is gone…This is that bastard Orochimaru's doing."

"Orochimaru? How would he have anything to do with this?"

"He's taken over Sasuke. Sasuke just isn't there anymore."

"…I just kinda thought he was a creeper…whatever. But even so, he isn't the leader, Nagato is."

"Nevermind," I stood up slowly. "Let's just go."

"I SAID I DON'T KNOW!"

I looked at the door, "just let me talk to him!"

"I know I do not hold seniority here, but trust me this is the best option. If he were to say anything to anyone, don't you think it would be one of his companions?"

"Fine, wait here." The guard, an older ANBU who I believe I recognized from my days in the organization, went into the interrogation room. A minute later he reappeared. "You may go inside."

I nodded and walked through the door. I had only been in this room once before, merely watching an interrogation. I looked to the center of the room; Deidara was sitting in 'the chair', head down. Across the room from his stood Morino Ibiki, head of interrogation.

"Ibiki," he nodded, acknowledging me silently. I could feel his dark eyes on me as I walked over to Deidara. "Deidara-kun."

He looked up immediately, glaring at me past his bangs, he was obviously not taking this treatment very well.

"Do you know anything about this attack?"

He glanced past me at Ibiki, and then looked back cockily. "No…wish I had, that was a poorly executioned pyrotechnic attack."

"Deidara," I hissed, moving my face mere inches from his, my hand gripping his shoulder. "Don't say anything stupid…where you a part of this or not?"

"No," I examined his face. His pale hair stuck to his brow, I looked at his shoulder.

It was not unlike Ibiki to resort to extreme forms of interrogation so early on. I surveyed the contraption, designed specifically to cause pain. Barbs hooked through the muscles and tendons between you neck and shoulder, with the turn of a small knob they would move, separating the fibers of your muscle from itself.

I grabbed the device, releasing it then pulling it from Deidara's shoulder slowly. I threw it to the floor, casting an angry stare back at Ibiki.

I turned back to Deidara, my hand moving to his cheek, my other gripping his chin. I forced him to look directly at me, out noses nearly touching.

"Don't lie to me."

He swallowed, his cheeks turning pink. "I wouldn't…"

His azure eyes remained locked with mine steadily. I believed him.

"He knows nothing, let him go." I looked back at Ibiki who smirked at my words.

"I still don't believe him."

"HE DOESN'T KNOW ANYTHING!" Ibiki's stubbornness aggravated me. I turned and unfastened the band over Deidara's left wrist.

"I AM NOT DONE HERE!"

I felt Ibiki's strong hand on my shoulder, he pulled me back roughly and I stumbled to the floor.

Neither of us had noticed Deidara had wasted no time in unfastening the other strap and getting to his feet. Ibiki turned to be met with the younger shinobi's fist in his face. He caught Deidara's next swing effortlessly, Ibiki twisted his arm and I hear a snap that was most likely Deidara's wrist.

"Ah," Deidara pumped his knee up trying to get away but Ibiki was both stronger and more experienced, plus Deidara was a long-range fighter and could barely hold his own in a corporeal combat.

"Stop," I stood back up, this time trying to get Deidara to calm down. He was only making his situation worse. Ibiki took this as an advance on him and turned, his free hand grabbing my throat. I froze but he threw me back against the door.

The contact rattled my insides, causing fresh pain to course through me. I squeezed my eyes shut as I slid to the floor. I could hear Kakashi outside trying to let himself in. I let myself fall over, my face hitting the stone floor unforgivingly. I tasted blood in my mouth and felt the sick rising in me.

I forced my eyes open to the commotion still taking place. Deidara was forced back onto the chair with the injured hand back in the strap. He had his foot on Ibiki's chest, trying to push the man off of him while Ibiki twisted his other arm into the restraint. Deidara managed to slip his arm free before the clasp was done and delivered a cheap shot with his knee to Ibiki's groin. Ibiki growled and moved away only to deliver more force when he hit the blonde across the face. He had just managed to fasten in Deidara's limp arm when the door opened, hitting me on the back of the head.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and Kakashi turned me over. Yamato stepped over to me and stood authoritively next to Ibiki.

"You are excused to document the outcome of this interrogation…which is of course that Deidara was not aware of the attack on Konoha."

"Yes sir," Ibiki hissed between clenched teeth and left stiffly.

"Itachi, are you okay?" Kakashi pushed me up.

"Yes, thank you…I'll be fine."

Yamato unfastened the first strap but when he reached for the one restraining Deidara's newly injured wrist he stopped the captain.

"I've got it," He gingerly undid the clasp and pulled his arm to his chest.

Yamato examined his shoulder gently, "I'll get you two into the medics as soon as possible, but with the past events it might take a while. Will you be okay?"
"Yea, it's just a little sore."

"And your wrist?"

"It's definitely broken…bastard."

Yamato nodded and offered a hand for Deidara to get up. Surprisingly he took it…must be out of it from having to put up that much of a fight while basically just getting thrown around. I stood up with Kakashi's help. The pain had subsided for now.

"Kakashi, do you have any news form the hospital?"

"No, but there weren't many sever injuries so it should be mostly clear by now."

"And," Deidara looked over at Kakashi, "how is Konan-sama doing?"

I looked at Kakashi, had something happened to her?

He smiled, "She's doing fine."

Do I go in? Would it be inappropriate if I did or would it be rude if I didn't? Plus Fuyu would have to stay out here and he's still pretty shaken up.

"Zabuza-kun, why don't you see how she is?"

"Um…"

"She's probably a little anxious in there all by herself. I can watch your kid," Kisame waved playfully at Fuyu who buried his face into my side.

"I don't know if I should."

"Hmm," Kisame sat back and crossed his arms behind his head, "whatever you say. How long has it been anyways about an hour? I don't really know how long these things take but she's a strong girl, probably almost over by now."

I tried not completing any of my thoughts, and luckily I was distracted by Kakashi, Yamato and Deidara. Deidara had his right wrist and hand wrapped and a sported a black eye.

"Didn't you get Itachi?"

"Yea, but I though he should be seen by a medic," Kakashi stopped in front of me despite talking to Kisame. Great, he needed to tell me something. "He is in room three twelve, he's okay I think, we are just being safe."

Kisame nodded and stood. He reached over and placed a hand on my shoulder, "Get me if anything happens, okay?"

I nodded. Once he left Deidara took his seat.

"So how is Konan?"

"I don't know…Kisame said they would tell us when it's all over."

Deidara nodded. Fuyu was staring at him, Deidara tried not to notice but I think it vexed him a little.

"What happened to your face?"

Deidara stared at Fuyu for a moment. "I hurt myself."

"How did you do that?"

"Some fucking asshole…" I smacked the back of his head, Fuyu giggled. "Ugh…some guy was being…rude and hit me." Deidara glared at me as he spoke.

"Oh…once I was running and I fell and I cut my knee. Want to see?"

Luckily Deidara didn't have to answer; a nurse approached us at that moment.

"Well, the baby was delivered safely and is healthy. Konan-san would like it if you would all come see her."