The boy had managed to trick their leader into believing that what had been happening during the match had actually been a genjutsu. He had used his shortcomings in this particular type of jutsu, one that made it very obvious that he was trying to trick the receiver, to trick the man.
Why Kiba had believed so lowly of himself was beyond Itachi. Especially after the display he had put up against three members of the Akatsuki.
It brought the Uchiha great pride to know that the Inuzuka had gone so far in his life. He was strong and smart. Maybe now that he had managed to defeat three members of their organization, he'd be able to see himself for what he truly was.
As Itachi thought this, he allowed himself to look at the young boy. He was still unconscious after having defeated the leader and would remain that way for at least a few more minutes.
"He put on quite the show."
He had already finished grilling the steaks Kiba had asked for right before he had fallen unconscious, all the while Kakuzu cooked some vegetables. Even if the boy hadn't asked for it specifically, Itachi had already thought about making him this cut of steak after everything he had done. It was a prize, in a way, for having been able to defeat three members of their organization with only a few hiccups.
Now he stood off to a side of the room, looking around the group of men. Hidan was trying to argue with Kakuzu over who was to be Kiba's only teacher, Kisame sat on one of the couches with his head back, eyes closed, and a heavy frown on his face, and Deidara sat beside him with his own eyes closed, but with his arms crossed and without a frown.
Itachi couldn't blame Kisame for being somewhat angry. He had just seen a boy he had grown to care for fight off three dangerous adversaries. And even if Kisame would never admit to it, he really did care about Kiba. Enough to not want him to be thrust needlessly into danger. This made Itachi feel both relaxed and worried at the same time.
Just how deep did the shark nin's care run?
He didn't want to think of that now. Instead, the Uchiha turned his head and nodded softly at the leader's observation. He had been wondering when Hiruko, Konan, and Pein would finish up with whatever it was that they had all been doing.
Must have been together from the way they all walked in at about the same time.
"Kisame told you he wasn't some run of the mill genin." Itachi remarked, although somewhat bitterly.
It had been Kisame that had spoken the loudest when they had first brought Kiba to their organization. It had been him that had told the leader that the Inuzuka was an investment worth making. And, unbelievably, Itachi regretted having allowed him to speak so readily.
Kiba had been accepted by the organization seamlessly. Even Deidara seemed to have come to embrace the boy, even though he had started off not liking him because of his clear connection with Itachi.
He had pushed the boy away at first... And it had been for nothing.
... Yet, it had been for everything, all at the same time. He had already created an image of himself to the other members of the Akatsuki. He portrayed himself as cruel and cold, someone that was not to be messed with. And to show sudden care for Kiba would prove that he was human. Something that he couldn't risk in a group of individuals like these.
"I wish to send him on a mission with you." The man never turned his eyes on Itachi. Instead they looked over the group of criminals under his command. When Itachi followed his line of sight directly, he found that he was looking at the sleeping Kiba. He noticed that Hiruko made his way over to the boy, only to settle beside him. "There is one skill he won't be able to refine through theory and practice. And Konan will be accompanying you to help the process along."
A mission with Kiba and Konan?
For a second, Itachi allowed himself to see himself following after an excited and happy Kiba, a small smile on his face. He would love to be able to have some quality time with the boy. He wished to make his feelings clear for the young boy. He wished to have the boy's own feelings made clear.
But he chased those thoughts away immediately. Konan would be accompanying them. The leader's trusted lap dog. He would not be able to have any emotional interactions with the boy while the woman was around. He couldn't allow her to see any true emotion. Just like he couldn't allow any of the other members of the Akatsuki to see anything more than just a small amount of detached care for the Inuzuka.
"What will our mission be?" He questioned, turning his dark eyes so he could see the man.
Now the leader looked back at him, although his face remained stoic and emotionless. "An infiltration that will require for Kiba to disguise himself and convince others of being something he is not." Pein answered, then informed, "Deceit on the battlefield is one thing. He has already shown competence in this. But deceit off the battlefield is much more difficult and he will need to know this before we begin to truly incorporate him into our plans."
The man's words were smooth, to the point, and honest. And they made Itachi's stomach churn uncomfortably.
Incorporate him into our plans.
Into the Akatsuki's plan?
... Itachi wasn't sure if he wanted Kiba anywhere near those plans...
Tsunade was not prepared for the meeting of the Clan Heads. Even though she knew what she was going to say, how she would say it, and why she would say it, she knew she wasn't prepared. Even though she was prepared on her end, she was not prepared for the reactions she would receive.
Tsume would, undoubtedly, try to kill her. The woman had made a promise and a threat, after all. And the Inuzuka were an honorable group that stuck to their promises.
Shikaku would be around to help calm her. But it wasn't as if they could actually count on one man when it came to stopping an enraged Inuzuka matriarch. Especially when the reason she was so enraged stood at the center of a room, within a few feet of being touched and accessible to killing.
Still, that wasn't the reason why Tsunade was feeling so worried and apprehensive. Tsume, out of all of the clan heads, was the most predictable. She would scream, shout, threaten, most probably try to run off and find her son, and threaten some more. She was easy to read and plan against. No, the reason why Tsunade was so worried wasn't the Inuzuka Clan Head. Instead she worried over how the other clan heads would react.
Hiashi would be respectful and cordial, like all Hyuga's. But his daughter was one of Kiba's best friends. She had been affected by his absence. And because she had been affected, so had her father and sister. He may not scream and yell like Tsume, but how he would feel after he found out the boy's true fate was lost to Tsunade. He may not care at all... Or he could denounced Tsunade as an incompetent Hokage and move to have her abdicated.
Shibi was even more of an enigma. The Aburame clan was not known for having individuals with emotions running rampant. But Shino had been affected greatly by what had happened to his friend. And if there was one thing Shibi cared about more than his own life, it was his son's life. After he had lost his wife, he had been left Shino to care for. And while he was one of the most stoic Aburame she had ever met, the love he had for his son was tangible. Just like Hiashi, he could be outraged to hear that his son's friend had been left to his fate even when they might have been able to save him if they had been allowed to act sooner.
She was less worried about Inoichi and Chouza because of their close ties to Shikaku... But she didn't rest on their friendship. They were as much wild cards as Shibi and Hiashi were. Both men may stand behind their friend like they were so known to do, or they could ask for Tsunade to be removed from her position as Hokage.
At this moment, four of the five main clan heads were wild cards.
Why had she agreed to take this job? ... Right... Naruto...
With a sigh, the blonde woman sat herself at the head of a large u-shaped table, the seat reserved for the Hokage. Shizune looked at her with slightly worried eyes as she sat herself beside the blonde, but Tsunade merely waved the concern off. She needed to steel herself for what was about to come and didn't feel like talking to Shizune would help her. Instead, it may just make her feel even worse than she already did.
She didn't have her ANBU bodyguards with her tonight either. She couldn't risk too many people knowing the truth. And even though she trusted them with her life, she couldn't test her chances. Not yet.
The first clan head to walk into the room was Shikaku, which surprised both women. Even more so when Shikamaru strolled in after him, with his hands thrust into his pockets and a disgruntled frown on his face.
"What is the meaning of this, Shikaku?" Tsunade questioned immediately, standing up to and placing either of her hands on the table before her. "I told you that this was to be kept between as little people as possible."
The scarred Nara looked back at her with all seriousness, "I heard. But I also know that I may not be enough to restrain Tsume. Besides, Shikamaru has a good head on his shoulders. I already told him everything you told me and he is eager to do anything possible to help his friend."
After he said this, the young Nara spoke up, "I don't like the idea of Kiba being stuck with a bunch of criminals. And I think you were an idiot for having kept this hidden for so long."
"Shikamaru." Shikaku warned, which made the boy huff and turn his nose away from either adults.
"But dad tells me you have a plan to get him back. And that if any of the Inuzuka run off to get him back, they are very likely to screw everything up." The boy told them with a sigh, "I don't like the fact that Kiba was allowed to go through so much alone. But now I know. And I refuse to lounge around and let him continue living through it."
Strong words for a Nara. For once, Shikamaru didn't look tired or like he was about to lay down for a nap. Instead he looked like a ninja that was ready to fight. Shikaku must have been proud.
"I shouldn't have doubted your decision." The woman looked at Shikaku with a softened face, who in turn nodded at her and moved so he was standing in the chair a few feet to her left.
"Don't worry about it. Shikamaru-"
"I'm moving." The boy grouched slightly, the strong faced determination he had just shown evaporating into a lazy wave. He walked so he was standing beside his father, though he didn't have a chair to sit on.
The scarred Nara crossed his arms over his chest, closed his eyes, and leaned back in his chair. Tsunade took this as the man preparing himself for what was to come and didn't blame him. Everyone had their own way of preparing themselves for utter disasters, after all.
The rest of the clan heads trickled in slowly but surely. Inoichi and Chouza appeared together and made their way over to Shikaku, greeting him and Shikamaru with confusion yet acceptance. They most probably believed that everything Shikaku did was for a reason. So if Shikamaru was there, it was for a justifiable reason that would be explained later on.
Tsume stalked into the room with a composed scowl a few minutes after, Kuromaru following after her like a silent shadow. And in her arms was...
"Is that Akamaru?"
The pup peeked his head out of the woman's arms at the sound of the Nara's voice, yipping animatedly as soon as he caught sight of the young heir. Tsume, without a word, released the pup, allowing him to run up to Shikamaru. The Nara crouched down and began to pet him, eyebrows arched in a show of clear surprise and confusion.
Akamaru? When had he gotten back? How?
Turning to Shizune, Tsunade didn't even have to ask her a single thing before the woman was answering.
"Naruto, Shino, and Hinata returned this afternoon. But you were so busy dealing with the preparations of tonight that I wasn't able to warn you." The woman whispered into her ear, "And they brought Akamaru back with them."
As soon as the woman had said this, Tsunade cursed her horrible luck. Then she looked up as Hiashi and Shibi entered the room, completing the invited clan heads.
"My boy was in danger." Tsume announced abruptly, making everyone turn to look at her in shock. "To complete a mission, he was separated from his partner. The Hokage told us that he was sent on another mission after that, a month long important one that would keep him. But we Inuzuka are not stupid."
Tsunade frowned at the woman's strong words, eyes narrowing in her direction.
"Akamaru filled in quite a few gaps within your stories. And now it all makes sense." The woman's eyes were narrowed as she looked completely at the Hokage, although, for some reason, Tsunade felt no anger behind her words. No distrust. Just... Pain. "I would like to thank you, Lady Tsunade, for trying to spare my feelings. But there was no need for it. We may not be stupid, but we are strong. And we can hear news of our heir's death without breaking apart."
A heavy silence hung over the room once Tsume had finished speaking. And Tsunade couldn't help but be completely stumped and taken aback by the Inzuka clan's leader.
Had she truly just...?
"Tsume." Shikaku's deep voice broke through the heavy silence, causing everyone to look at him. "Just what, exactly, did Akamaru tell you?"
Kuromaru stepped up so he stood beside his partner, his own maw pulled in by a severity that could only be expected when talking of difficult things.
"The pup told us of when Team 8 was captured. How they all fought until they couldn't anymore. Until Akamaru was forced to leave his partner behind to ensure the safe return of the merchant to her home." The dog's voice was course and rough, heavy with the thought of Kiba's death. "He has not seen Kiba since. It was by an intervention of fate that he was able to meet with Naruto, Hinata, and Shino while they returned from their mission."
"As you know, while the human members of our clan have a connection with all of our dogs, it is limited." Tsume spoke up, planting her hands on her hips. "We have a rather rudimentary understanding of what the other member's dogs are thinking. But only partners can read each other perfectly. Kuromaru, though, knows our language and is able to tell us what Akamaru encountered."
Tsunade feared that Akamaru had blown open everything they had worked to keep secret. But the pup was acting strangely. He didn't seem to be mourning, like she'd seen Inuzuka dogs do before. Instead he was busying himself by lightly biting at Shikamaru's hands, all the while the boy pet lazily at his head. He... Didn't seem like a dog that had just lost his one, true partner.
The blonde woman scrutinized Akamaru for one more second before looking back at Tsume, who patted Kuromaru's head.
"Akamaru told Kuromaru everything. He went through quite an ordeal while trying to return to our village." Tsume sighed, then looked at the Hokage. "We will begin funeral arrangements tomorrow."
Quite frankly, Tsunade did not know how to take this information. Clearly, Akamaru had lied. Kakashi had told her that the pup had been there with Kiba when they went to retrieve him. He was sure of it because the pup and Pakkun had interacted. And the small dog himself had told Tsunade that he had told the pup to stay with the Inuzuka no matter what.
So, if they hadn't really been separated for so long, why did Akamaru tell Kuromaru otherwise? And, more curious yet, what was he doing here? When had he gotten completely separated from his partner?
Shikaku looked at her with an inquiring eyebrow quirked, asking Tsunade how they were to proceed. And the woman had no idea exactly.
Shikamaru decided to make his presence be recognized at that point.
"Kiba isn't dead."
All of the adults looked at him, causing him to straighten up and look at Tsume right in the eyes. "He's still alive. There's no need to prepare a funeral for someone that isn't dead."
"What?" Kuromaru questioned, "But Akamaru-"
"Let the boy speak, Kuromaru." Tsume interrupted her partner, then nodded at the Nara. "Explain yourself."
Tsunade's blood ran cold as soon as Shikamaru opened his mouth to do so. Even more so when she saw that Shikaku did nothing to stop the boy.
Goodbye, Hokage position. Goodbye the ability to command all kinds of shinobi. Goodbye annoying paperwork... Well, thinking of it in that manner, maybe it wasn't so bad that she would be kicked out of her position.
She could hand herself over to a nomadic life again. It hadn't been all that bad the first time around, after all.
These optimistically pessimistic thoughts of the blonde, though, were halted when the Nara explained himself.
"Kiba was kidnapped by a group of dangerous criminals that threatened the Hokage with killing him if anybody tried to go after him." Shikamaru told the woman, then looked at Tsunade. "She kept it all under wraps to keep anyone from your clan from trying to save him so she could think of a proper strategy to get him back."
He kept his opinion of her actions to himself. But Tsunade didn't have much time to think of this before Tsume was grabbing her attention.
"Is this the truth?" The woman questioned immediately, eyes narrowed disbelievingly. "Did you keep this from me because you thought my clan was so impulsive?"
Tsunade felt herself bristle at the unvoiced anger, but calmed down and looked at the woman levelly. "In my defense, you tried to go after your son even when I gave you a censored version of what had happened. If you felt so distraught and eager to get him back, how would the rest of your clan have felt?"
"Of course I would want to get him back, you bitch! He's my son!" Tsume slammed her hands against the table beneath her with anger, then hissed, "But none of the members of my clan would have jeopardized his life in such a manner if the threat was clear!"
Tsunade knew that this wouldn't have been the case back then. This new story Shikamaru had given was much more believable and polished than what she had managed to come up with. Clearly, Shikaku had planned for this.
Damned Nara... Thank Kami he was around!
The clearing of someone's throat broke Tsume and Tsunade out of their glaring contest, making them look at who had made the noise. And Hiashi looked back at them with a stoic look on his face, no emotions clear on his face.
"Although this has been rather intriguing," He turned to Tsunade with a slightly quirked eyebrow, "Lady Hokage, why are the rest of the clan heads here? This seems like a conversation that could have been had with only you and Tsume."
Hiashi Hyuga. One of the most respectful jerks Tsunade had ever managed to meet.
"I could answer that." The head of the Nara clan now stood up from his chair, leveling his fellow clan head's with a stern look. "First of all, it is as a caution. You all have kids. We do not know this organization's true reasoning for taking Kiba and holding him hostage. But, if Kiba wasn't safe, it is only logical to assume that neither of the rest of the clan heirs are. It is to tell you to be careful with your own children and look out for them." Then, his looked became fierce, reminding Tsunade of when Jiraiya chose to get serious. "And, second of all, it so let you know that, to retrieve Kiba, it will take more than just my strategic mind. It will take the actions of the rest of the village to make everything seem normal. If the clans continue to act normally, so will Konoha."
Inoichi closed his eyes and nodded sagely, "I understand, Shikaku. You want us to try and get the tensions between the clans under control."
"Exactly."
"Well, really, the main problem has been the distrust growing among the Inuzuka." Chouza pointed out, only to get glared at by Tsume.
"Wanna say that again to my face, pork chop?"
The man shook his head slowly, although he didn't stand down.
"Tsume, please." Shibi spoke up for the first time during the whole meeting, looking at the woman with complete calm. "There is no need to fight amongst ourselves."
"He insulted my clan!"
Tsunade had lost complete control of this meeting. And she wasn't sure if it had been a completely bad thing.
Glancing quickly at Shikaku, she noted that the man had sat back down and leaned into his chair once more. He looked completely at ease, even as the rest of the clan heads devolved into petty arguments like they usually did when a meeting like this was held.
He had planned for this to happen. That damned Nara.
When Kiba awoke, it was to the smell of mouth watering steak and a pounding headache.
Aside from the steak, he could smell all of the member's of the organization around him. And from the way he was shouting, Kiba could tell that Hidan was still angry at Kakuzu for having taught him the Head Hunter jutsu. He could smell that Hiruko was right beside him, and he could feel that he was resting on one of the couches in the living room.
And he could smell that Itachi was a few feet away, beside the leader. What could those two be doing together?
Kisame wasn't really interacting with anybody, much like Konan and Deidara.
"You're awake."
A small smile made its way onto the boy's face at Hiruko's observation, and he cracked one eye open to look at the puppeteer.
"Yeah. I am." Then he looked around the room and found that everyone had stopped what they had been doing and turned to look at him.
He felt self conscious. The fact that he had been three of the people here was very much clear in his mind. It just... Well, it was unbelievable to think that a genin like him had been able to defeat three members of this organization. It seemed incredibly farfetched. Even to him.
"Uh..." He stumbled for words, then smiled sheepishly. "How'd I do?"
For a second, none of the shinobi moved. But, much to no one's surprise, Hidan moved forward and wrapped his arms around Kiba, picking him up from the couch to spin him around.
"I told you fuckers that with Lord Jashin by his side my sidekick could not be beat!" The man shouted out excitedly, then allowed the boy to place his feet on the floor, only to ruffle his hair. "You beat all the bitches and made our god proud. I think you're ready to move onto more complex combinations!"
When he allowed Kiba to stand, the boy felt his legs wobble. Even though he felt rested, his body was still reeling from the past fights and felt rather weak. And when he was about to fall to the floor once more because of the lack of strength in his legs, he heard Hiruko's tail rush out, then felt it wrap around his waist, pulling him up into the air.
"Hidan, you idiot!" Kakuzu growled with a slap to the back of the Jashinist's head, "He used most of his chakra in the fight! He's still recovering!"
"You fucking bastard!" Hidan barked back, moving to attack Kakuzu, only to have Deidara send a small bird to fly between them and explode into a puff of smoke in front of their faces.
"You are such kids." He commented offhandedly with a yawn, which made Hidan turn his anger to him.
While all of this happened, Kiba was still carried by Hiruko's tail. And he didn't really mind it because his body felt like lead, heavy and tired.
"Shall we move to the dining room?"
The petty squabbling between Deidara and Hidan was cut off by the leader's deep and rich voice speaking up, which made all of the people in the room turn and look at him.
This was the first Kiba heard of any dining room. But, from the way the les volatile and insane members of the organization nodded and began to move, he guessed that they knew what the man was talking about.
Hiruko walked him to the dining room without a single word. And, carried by the metallic tail, Kiba didn't really mind just looking at the other members as they made their way towards one of the doors to the side of the room. Inside there was a long table with nine chairs, and it smelled of one of the richest woods Kiba had ever come into contact with.
The leader sat himself at the head of the table, then the rest of the members were allowed to sit wherever else they wanted. Hiruko sat himself by the corner closest to the leader, and, in turn, sat Kiba beside him.
Much to his surprise and happiness, Itachi sat himself to Kiba's side without needing to say a single thing.
Once all of the members were seated, Konan came into the room with clumps of paper traveling after her. There were plates and jugs on top of those clumps and the savory smells immediately made Kiba's mouth begin to water.
With a wave of her arm, Konan made some of the clumps of paper move forward and in front of all of the members, then set plates, cups, and chopsticks down for them to use. Then, with another wave, the papers set the food and jugs down in the center of the table for them to be able to grab.
"Before we begin," The leader spoke up as Konan made her way to sit in the only vacant chair left, the one beside him. "I would like to formally welcome Kiba Inuzuka into our organization."
The boy's eyes widened upon hearing his words. And when he looked up at the leader, he found that the man the corners of the man's lips pulled up just faintly, almost imperceptible.
"At first, I did not think you would be deserving of being part of this organization. But you have proved me wrong." The man said earnestly, the nodded. "Welcome to the Akatsuki, Kiba."
The young male had not been expecting this... Not at all. But he managed to nod stiffly back at the man, prompting him to allow the rest of the members to begin eating.
Itachi served his food for him, mindful to fill his plate with more meat than vegetables.
Uncharacteristically, Kiba did not devour his steak. Instead, he ate slowly, dumbly.
He... Had not been expecting this. None of this.
He had not expected much out of his deal with Itachi. He had honestly not thought much about his future when he'd made the deal. But he had not expected to be trained by a group of S Rank criminals. Never in a million years would he have thought that something like this could happen. Just like he had never thought he'd ever be a true part of their organization...
But now, as he looked at the men and woman he was surrounded by, he couldn't help but feel a tug at his heart.
He missed his home. A lot.
But... Not as much anymore. The ache in his chest wasn't as painful anymore. The hole in his heart didn't feel as big anymore. The image of them glaring at him for abandoning them wasn't as scathing anymore.
And he was terrified to figure out why that was.
Please review.