Greetings everybody!
I am on holiday!!!
In other news, I have started a new story, "Controlling the Iron Heart", a Kakashi/OC/Sasori story. If interested, please read.
Reviews would be nice; please and thank you.
I do not own Naruto or What I've Done by Linkin Park.

If anyone wants me to write the sequel to this story (which still has a ways to go to be done), please tell me so.

Chapter 37: What a Cannibal Wants…

Song of the Chapter:
What I've Done – Linkin Park
Reason: Kazumi's attempt at redemption for her previous actions

Sure enough, thirty minutes later, Zetsu emerged from the ground and was immediately skeptical. Hidan was in the middle of a ritual of his, Kisame was yet again cleaning his sword, and Kazumi was cloud watching. "Greetings, why are all of your asses still here? Kazumi-chan and Kisame, you two have a mission. Hidan… I don't know or really care…" Hidan merely glared at the plant like ninja and continued his ritual.

"Zetsu-san, I have a preposition for you…" Zetsu looked at the kunoichi and was indeed intrigued by her purple eyes; a shade he never saw before in them. She reached in her back pack and pulled out a black scroll with green kanji on it. Hidan and Kisame tried to look at the kanji, but Kazumi covered it up before they could read it. Upon seeing the scroll, Zetsu's eyes widened.

"You have possession of it. What are you willing to negotiate for?" Smirking, the scroll disappeared and Kazumi stood up.

"We want to take down the Akatsuki. Are you willing to join?" Zetsu was quiet, but judging by the clouded state in his mind, he was contemplating the consequences of turning against Madara Uchiha.

"So we get the scroll but what other guarantees? We know of your strength and deeply respect you for it, but… We are not sure if this agreement might work out to our exact advantage. Do you have thing else to tip the scales in your favor?" Kazumi's eyes reflect the smile on her face.

"Well, I suppose I could let you have this scroll too…" She pulls out a very small scroll that the other Akatsuki members cannot identify, but Zetsu definitely recognized it. "Ah… so I have captured your complete interest have I?" Zetsu nodded and started his mental conversation with himself again. After a moment of Zetsu's thoughts harassing each other, his eyes cleared.

"Kazumi Uchiha, I accept your offer. I expect both scrolls after this plan of yours succeeds. Will you require assistance with the children?" Kazumi nodded and began to massage her temples as she felt a headache come on.

"Yes and there is the matter of Team Hawk. I need to know where their loyalties lie." Zetsu nodded and proceeded to sink into the ground.

Suigetsu watched Chieko ever since her eyes changed into a black color. Since that one incident, they have not changed again, but luckily, it was a secret between him and Sasuke. Sasuke did not confide a lot in his friend, but one thing he told was to make sure that Madara or Pain would not find out. Knowing about Kazumi's powers, the watery ninja did not blame Sasuke for his behavior. Now, the little girl was taking a nap in her crib with her twin. Sasuke was also in the room surveyed his niece and nephew and took a seat next to their crib. "Suigetsu, I wonder if Hideaki will have color changing eyes too…"

"If they both do… that is a lot of power… I have a hard time believing that Kazumi-san could trust anyone here, no offense, to her children. I thought that mothers were overprotective." Sasuke almost laughed… almost…

"None taken. She drilled me on what to do and not to do about her children, but I don't doubt that she has taken other precautions. She is so overly cautious about them and I don't blame her… Thanks to me, those two are all she has to remember Itachi by…"

Kakashi felt like there was no time to waste and thankfully, Tsunade saw things his way. "I knew something bothered Kazumi the minute she tried 'killed' me. I could feel a whole surge of emotions and it was like her healing powers were at work the minute she attacked my heart. She did not want to kill me; I could feel that. Something is amiss: why did she try to erase your memories Kakashi?"

"I think she is scared of hurting the people she cares about and wants to separate herself from everyone, but she realizes that there is no way to truly separate herself from her bonds so she is trying to strengthen those bonds instead. She is planning something big… I can feel it."

Madara, Pain, and Konan were at another Akatsuki base trying to interpret the data before them. How was it that some of their bases had been attacked without their security measures being tripped? The two bases attacked were in not the most secure locations, but the fact that no one had seen the attacker was very disturbing. Their security cameras were also disabled. Madara massaged his temples; too much was going wrong at such crucial moments. "The hell is going on? Kazumi-chan and Kisame better get back soon from their mission or else…"

Zetsu made sure to be his usual stoic self when he appeared in the base. He could sense the chakra signatures of Team Hawk and was relieved that the Uchiha twins' faint signatures were present. He heard Hidan's loud and profane greeting as he noisily entered. They were instructed by Kazumi to act as normal as they did and Zetsu knew that would not be painstakingly difficult. Walking past the twin's room, he noticed them sleeping in their crib and watched vigilantly by Sasuke. This will be a challenge to convince him… I still don't understand why Kazumi-chan couldn't come herself to convince him… You know that it is dangerous for her to come now. She should have thought of that before she left her children here. She did not have a choice. Sasuke noticed the plant like ninja in his doorway and nodded in acknowledgement.

Moving along, Zetsu sighed at the predicament he now faced. Diplomacy was never his strong suit… not in the slightest.