ii.
Chapter Nineteen: Child of the Akatsuki
"There is nothing heavier than compassion. Not even one's own pain weighs so heavy as the pain one feels with someone, for someone. A pain intensified by the imagination and prolonged by a hundred echoes." -The Unbearable Light of Being
Burning Earth got up and wandered into his room just as the bathroom door opened to pour out steam.
Hidan came out in a towel, scrubbing a hand through his white hair in an attempt to get it to lay flat like he normally liked it. He gave her a roguish lopsided grin.
"Little bitch had her first kill while we were out." He said in a flippant way that she knew wasn't flippant at all as he wandered into his room.
Nanami felt uncomfortable by the amount of attention she was suddenly getting. Burning Earth came back around with a pair of scissors a comb and a considering look when he caught her eyes. False Pieces came out after his partner, pulling at the collar of his cloak as his intense almond shaped eyes landed on her as well. He leaned against the door frame with crossed arms, waiting.
Itachi actually put the whole book down. Closed it and everything.
Oceans chuckled, that deep reverberating sound that she adored.
The only one who didn't seem to care was Beating Hearts, and that was probably because he had been there. She could hear him making tea somewhere in the kitchen; ignoring them.
"Uhm." She said intelligently as Loud Blood came back into the room with his customary outfit of nothing but pants and threw himself bodily onto the floor like a slob.
"It's not that big of a deal… Nanami-" She received a sharp look from Oceans who hated her childish habit of speaking in the third person, "I kill Loud Blood all the time." She corrected as Deidara sat on the couch behind her. He pulled her into a sitting position by the back of her shirt and adjusted her shoulders to his liking before pulling her mass of sandy brown hair into his lap.
There was silence for a moment. It felt… expectant.
Nanami chewed her lip unsure of what to say. She didn't usually talk about herself, it made her… uncomfortable.
"Well?" Sasori prompted from the doorframe, the most impatient of all of them.
She opened her mouth, and then promptly closed it when she realized that no words were coming out. Burning Earth starting running the comb through the ends of her hair, pulling out little bits of leaves as he went.
Loud Blood snorted at her from his sprawled position on the floor.
"A group of ass holes tracked us down not long after we retrieved the item. Some stupid fucking thing that dimyo wanted." He told the occupants of the room.
"I stayed in the trees. There were a lot of them." Nanami offered, eyes sliding over to Loud Blood who's purple eyes were watching her, he was enjoying her discomfort too much.
"But one man pulled away from the others, I think he noticed me and thought I'd be an easy target." Here Hidan snorted rudely. She wasn't sure if she should be flattered or not at the sound.
"He tried to climb up my tree." She continued, "So Nanami asked- I asked the tree to kill him." She explained.
She received a lot of blank stares. The comb in her hair stilled.
"What." Oceans spoke for everyone.
"She just fucking sat there and watched this fat ass climb up towards her. I thought for sure she was fucking stupid and she was just waiting to die like a dumb shit." Hidan told them laughingly, like her death would be the funniest thing ever.
"Then one of the branches behind the fucker just swings around and smashed into his ugly ass. It was fucking brutal I heard his spine snap from where I was." He continued excitedly. Nanami was a little relieved that he'd picked up the story. He obviously enjoyed telling it anyways. The comb in her hair resumed, scraping pleasantly against her scalp a few times before Burning Earth set it aside to start undoing the little braids behind her ear.
Kakuzu came back in with a cup of tea. He sat at the table casual as you please without looking at any of them.
He took a sip of the steaming liquid, and the occupants of the room turned to him, as if seeking confirmation for Hidan's version of events.
He put his cup down on the table with the muted sound of ceramic on wood.
When he nodded a heavy sort of air descended on the room.
It was quiet for a minute.
Sasori sighed, uncrossing his arms from his chest and came away from the wall.
"We can't keep this from Leader-sama forever. They're going to find out."
Burning Earth's fingers stilled in their work of undoing the braids behind her ear. "Then we tell them, un." He said from behind her, as if it was the obvious choice.
Nanami wasn't sure what to think about the occupants of the room discussing her future like this, but she trusted them. They were her Red Clouds, and whatever decision was reached she trusted it would be for the best.
"Not yet." Raven Eyes shot it down with that tone that said 'I know something you don't know', he folded his hands gracefully together on top of the cover of his hardback.
Burning Earth scowled, he didn't particularly like Raven Eyes.
"Why is it such a big deal, seriously. Kid can hold her own that's a fucking good thing." Hidan grumbled as Deidara pulled the bell and a feather from her hair.
"She may be perceived as a danger to the organization." Kakuzu explained to his mentally slow teammate.
Silence descended on the occupants of the great stone room again.
"We're all she's ever known, un." Deidara spoke up softly- and Nanami sighed, because while that was mostly true, it wasn't entirely true.
Regardless of any distant life she may have had though, she would do anything for her Red Clouds.
They were her whole life- this life- the only life that mattered anymore. They encompassed every good memory she had, every worthwhile thing she'd ever done, she'd done for these men in this room.
They were hers, as much as she was theirs.
Nanami looked up from her thoughts to find herself once again under the scrutiny of the majority of the occupants in the room.
"I would do anything for my Red Clouds." she told them with every inch of conviction she had within her.
"Be that as it may." Raven Eyes said, ever the devils advocate.
Burning Earth shifted behind her, and she heard the first snip of scissors and the soft flutter of severed hair fell to the ground beside her.
"We might be able to sway Leader-sama." Oceans said smoothing a hand over the bandages wrapped around Samehada.
"We can't defend her forever." False Pieces pointed out.
"The bitch can defend herself." Loud Blood bit out argumentatively from his sprawled position on the floor.
"Nanami can tell Leader-sama." She agreed.
"When the time comes." Beating Hearts agreed as well, his acid green eyes held her from where he sat, and within their depths was an emotion she recognized, but not one she'd ever thought she'd see on him.
She filed this moment away deep within herself, so that some day when she needed it, she could pull it out and roll the precious, intangible thing in her hands and remember.
Remember that she was wanted. That she belonged somewhere.
And Nanami realized in that moment, surrounded by her brothers in the underground base that was her home that even if Pein and Zetsu decided her existence wasn't worth the trouble- that she had lived a life she was proud of. Full of people she loved and memories that were worth something.
Oceans stood up, bringing the handle of his massive sword with him. "I'm going to go cook dinner."
And with that the matter seemed settled.
The first thing Jiraiya did upon returning to their hotel was to dig for his note book, and meticulously spend the next fifteen minutes unsealing it and undoing the traps inside the cover.
Naruto was complaining loudly all the while.
"We have to go after her ero-sennin, we can't just leave her with those creeps what if-"
"Naruto." He cut the boy off as he began to flip through the pages to find the one from two years ago that he was looking for. "She went with them willingingly, and we can't just go chasing after Akatsuki members."
Naruto wasn't willing to give up so easily however. "She obviously brainwashed or something! She's just a little girl! She's not even a shinobi!" He stomped his foot on the floor boards, determination bright in his eyes.
Jiraiya missed this as he read over the page he'd copied from his most valuable informant.
Wild child collected from the forest of rivers, brought into the fold. Still alive. Possesses strange knowledge leader finds interest in.
Jiraiya grit his teeth in frustration and turned a couple of pages to a date not far from the first report.
Snake sannin has made several attempts at coercing members into providing him with the wild child, members have thus far refused his offers.
"There's nothing we can do kid." Jiraiya told him absently as he flipped to a new page from last year, skipping over reports in between that held no mention of the little girl they'd made contact with.
Child of Akatsuki still lives, posses a strange kekkei genkai that allows her to touch and guide nature chakra. Defining qualities unknown at this time. Members work in unspoken agreement to keep this information from Leader.
No aptitude or ability shown at ninjutsu, or genjutsu. Possesses formidable flexibility and speed learned from various members. Uses a self-taught taijutsu that members refer to as 'animal stance'.
His breath hitched but he read on. He hadn't taken these sections of the reports seriously when he'd first received them. Too concerned with the tid bits about the actual members, their locations, what their movements were. He felt foolish for it now.
He turned to another page. "You can't really believe that old man," Naruto continued angrily.
Child of Akatsuki rates at high intelligence under ability to understand and absorb information. Strong sensor-type. The child has endeared herself to the members of the organization. She is loyal in return to them with unwavering certainty. Has a non-manipulative personality. She is malleable, honest, kind.
Another page, a few months ago.
Child of Akatsuki has possible knowledge of future events. This is a closely guarded secret, but it is suspected that some members are aware.
Jiraiya snapped the book shut and contemplated whether it would be a good idea to burn this one like he had all the others. He let out a breath, unsure of what to think now that he'd met the girl in the flesh. He'd known there was something off about her. 'Raven Eyes' she'd said, must have been a reference to Itachi...
"I'm not giving up on her." Naruto interrupted his thoughts. He looked over at the boy to find him sitting on the edge of his hotel bed, a fire burning in his blue eyes.
"Naruto… we can't just assume she's helpless, she could be very dangerous. All Akatsuki are."
Naruto stood his mouth twisting into a hard line.
"No. She's a good kid. We're going to get her out of there." And Jiraiya sighed, because he knew once the son of the fourth had set his mind to something, there would be no changing it. If he truly believed she was a good person, nothing would sway him.
"Alright kid, if we see her again we'll try." This seemed to satisfy the boy, and Jiraiya had to wonder if pulling her out would be in Konoha's best interest. A strange kekkei genkai and knowledge of the future... that didn't sound like something that should be left in the hands of a criminal organization.
Jiraiya pulled out a fresh sheet of paper from the writing desk next to his bed and contemplated how he would write this report to Tsunade.
He put the pen tip down as Naruto ambled over to watch him write over his shoulder. It was moot since Naruto didn't know anything about code.
Child of the Akatsuki... began one of the strangest reports he'd ever written.
AN: This last tid part was a prompt requested by one. who. reads. too. much and lizyeh2000, I really enjoyed writing it, thanks for the suggestion you two!
Thanks for all the reviewers, I love hearing from you! Thank you for giving my story a chance, i'm very flattered by all the kind things i've received in my PM box and the reviews. You are all wonderful!