Suki

Konan set me down on the still-intact rooftop, just as Itachi was standing up from a crouch.

"Weasel!" I cried, hopping toward my dark prince.

"Hello, Suki," he replied, catching me with one arm and setting me back on my feet, unperturbed by my enthusiasm.

"Sakana-chan!" I gasped, my gaze landing on the kind-of redhead slumped in Pein's arms. "What happened-"

"Hatake," Itachi responded curtly. "Though his Mangekyou wasn't what put her out, that was her own exhaustion."

"Will she be alright?"

"Once she rests," it was Pein that answered, to my surprise.

I nodded, not knowing what to say for the first time in my life.

"We will reconvene in a days time, due South." Itachi spoke as he scooped me up once more.

Itachi didn't put me down until we were well into the forest, his eyes still blazing red.

"You don't need the Sharingan anymore," I tried to reassure him, and even from my vantage point on his back I could see the pained look that crossed his face.

"No doubt we've been tailed by the Leaf," he muttered, quiet enough that my ears barely picked it up.

"But you'll just-"

"Enough, Suki," he bit, "I am taking necessary precautions until we arrive at the rendezvous point and reunited with our comrades."

I fell quiet, turning my cheek into his back, watching the scenery as we barreled past at breakneck speeds.

Though he hadn't said it, I knew what he was thinking. I wasn't a threat to anyone, who I was I to be advising the great and infallible Uchiha Itachi?

Just a girl who cared about him.

And at all costs would prevent his death, because he was not put to justice. I cried for days when Kira and I had watched the episode together, desolate and angry at his stupid brother, who too regretted his actions.

And then vowed to destroy the leaf.

I finally spoke after about thirty minutes, my mouth dry and my throat scratchy. "Where is Kisame?"

He was silent a moment, but finally responded as he came to a stop on one of the branches.

"Tying up loose ends and meeting us by sunset." Itachi detached a canteen from his hip and offered it to me. "We can't linger long if we want to reach our destination in time."

I nodded gulped down the cool water, the liquid easing my parched throat. I held his canteen out to him and waited for him to reattach it to his body before we were on the path to Kisame.

Kira

Despite my protests, Sasori carried me inside of Hiruko, the two of us sitting inside of the puppet as it traveled down the road.

"It's a bit creepy," I had argued, but he ignored me and pushed me inside.

It was actually more spacious inside than it seemed. I didn't say anything though, still a bit irate at the puppet-man.

Sasori either didn't notice or didn't care. Whatever.

I picked through my jacket pockets until I located one of my creations and pulled it out to fiddle with it. Glancing at the redhead sitting across from me, I decided I didn't want to stink up the inside of his precious puppet, so I resolved myself to turning it around in my fingers until Sasori noticed and snapped at me.

"For Kami's sake, woman, just smoke it." He grumbled, pulling a pack of matches from his pocket. I shrugged and struck one, careful not to set our vessel aflame.

"I didn't want to hear you bitch about the smell," I sniped, pulling the smoke into my lungs.

"I'd sooner bitch about your dour mood than the smell. I don't have an olfactory sense," he retorted.

"Well perhaps there's a specific reason for my mood."

He gave me a dry look and leaned forward, "Alright, Kira, I'll bite. What's wrong?"

"You're an emotionless bastard," I replied, mirroring his movement. "What I don't understand is how we could possibly be soul mates, seeing that you're quite literally a puppet."

"I can't quite say that I understand it either," he mused, "perhaps the Gods have a twisted sense of humor."

I sucked another puff of smoke in through my teeth, "And you wonder why I'm upset."

"I understand why you're upset."

"Okay," I said, leaning back and leveling my gaze on him. "Why am I upset?"

"You're bothered by my comment earlier." He said simply, propping a hand under his chin. Our 'carriage' jostled and I bounced, sliding ever closer to the smug looking man. "Judging by how quiet and moody you've been during our trek, I'd say you're rather displeased."

I scoffed and pointedly looked at my fingernails. "You said it yourself, Sasori-san. You're incapable of love, and any other emotion for that matter."

Sasori didn't reply and I finished smoking, putting the cherry out on my tongue. Eventually the silence lulled me into a light sleep.

The visions took over almost immediately.

I was back at home, curled beneath the duvet on my bed.

My body was burning. Scars long healed arose across my skin, almost-black bruises and ruby-red welts bubbles across my arms and stomach. I succumbed to the searing pain and curled in on myself.

"Worthless,"

"You're weak,"

"Stand up for yourself for once, maybe then we wouldn't do this."

Months of endless brutality. The pain a trio of teenage girls could inflict was incredulous.

...All for what? Because I wouldn't fight back? It bothered them so much that I wouldn't lower myself to their immaturity?

Or was it because I was nothing like my charming and charismatic twin? I was already aware that I was nothing like Suki. Our parents made that fact abundantly clear.

Life wasn't always what we wanted it to be though. I grimaced and sat up, looking around.

Nostalgia swept over me. This was somewhere I hadn't been in a while.

My childhood bedroom. It was quite empty, a few aged pieces of furniture tucked into the corners of the room, a worn armchair place in between the bed and dresser. My eyes landed on the bookshelf.

It was teeming with books and papers, titles too mature for a young child to even be interested in.

Wincing, I stood up and shuffled across the room, taking once last glance at the bedroom before exiting into the hallway.

A sharp chemical smell invaded my senses and my wounds stung as I barreled into the bedroom across from mine. I stood above a hospital bed, a small form curled up in the middle of it.

Their face was covered in bandages, and both of their feet had casts on them.

Suki.

A sob welled in my throat at the sight of my usually carefree sister in such a state.

Weak. Vulnerable. Broken.

Hot tears stung on my cheeks and I wiped them away.

"..don't... cry."

Suki's bright blue eyes were warm and loving as she looked up at me. "Suki-"

"...I'll be fine," she gasped as she struggled to sit up. A raspy cough rattled her. She really did look small and frail.

I gulped back a sob. It was my fault.

"It wasn't your fault," she murmured sweetly. "Don't think that. I know you were."

The door slid open behind me and I whirled around.

My parents occupied the doorway, duffel bags slung over my father's shoulders. "Girls..." He seemed barely apologetic.

Mother gave us a long scrutinizing gaze, said nothing, and turned around.

"Dad-" I started.

He looked disappointed. "It was bad enough that you didn't have a future, you had to take your sisters away as well."

Then he was gone as well.

I ran after them, flinging myself out of the room and down the hall.

"Father, Mother!" I cried, "Come back!"

A force threw me back and I skidded across the floor on my butt. Wiping the tears from my eyes, I looked up and my gaze met with a deep glare.

"I think Trash just bumped into me," the brunette sneered, "What's your problem?"

I stood up and leveled my gaze on the trio. The three girls that spent months torturing me for their own entertainment.

"What?" One of the others snapped, crossing her arms. "Yuki, Hana, I think this dumb bitch wants to do something."

"Well, Trash? Are you going to finally stop being a pussy?"

I tried to ignore them and push past, but a blow to the stomach from the leader- Yuki- forced me back again.

"Leave me alone!" I growled, fixing my angered gaze on them. "Leave my life alone!"

A smirk spread across Yuki's face, a brown eyebrow flicking upward in amusement. "What are you going to do about it, Trash?"

Screw it. I punched her in the nose, and I don't know whether the cracking of bones came from my wrist or her nose. She squawked and staggered back.

I made a break for it, but Hana's right arm shot out and stopped me. The air left my lungs and the trio towered above me, blood dripping down Yuki's face. She lifted her foot and the last thing I saw was her heel.

"Get up," A warm voice urged me, and a face came into sight after I blinked a few times.

A small cherubic face, large brown eyes and a mess of red hair.

Sasori helped me up, dragging me to my feet.

"Are you okay?"

"I- the-" My wounds were gone, the scars and bruises faded and hidden once more. "Sasori-san."

"Kira-san, I believe its time we addressed this. You must stop pining for me. I could never love you."

Tears welled in my eyes and I turned on my heel and ran.

I thought that the stupid prophecy had finally given me a companion that'd never hurt me but his words stung more than any beating could.

It was foolish to think a murderous criminal would be the "true love" of an ignorant, useless sour woman. Much less Akasuna no Sasori, who still toted around the puppetized corpses of his own parents.

He'd just as soon turn me into one of his tools. I stopped in my place. Was that actually too terrible of a fate? Suki wouldn't need to take care of me, Sasori wouldn't have to deal with how annoying I apparently am...

My hands were shaky and I kept losing my vision as stood there, surrounded by dead trees and bitter cold.

I heard him softly clear his throat behind me. "Kira-san?"

I didn't say anything as I turned around and faced him. His eyes were dull now, bored and tired of me, I could only assume.

"What do you have?"

I looked down and an empty vial slipped through my fingers. It broke on the rocky ground beneath me. I crumpled to my knees, blinking groggily up at Sasori.

"What did you take?" He sounded distant and hollow.

I didn't know. It was all a blur.

"Kira." He shook me.

"Kira."

I jolted awake, drenched in sweat and my heart beating a million miles a minute.

"Kira." Sasori said again, his face inches from mine and concern written across his face. "Are you okay?"

I gasped a raspy. shuddering breath and broke out into sobs.

Sakana

I growled in frustration and bit my thumb. Pein had been watching me, silently, for hours. We had a few oil lamps spread around the camp, one lighting up the tent and another a few feet from me, casting a dim light across the old scroll Pein had given me. I squinted and read the line again, slowly forming hand seals before biting my thumb and applying my blood to the seal.

This was supposed to be very basic. I'm a fully-grown adult woman and I can't even figure out the proper order to form the seals in. Pathetic.

"Fuck," I spat and stood up, storming away from the scroll.

Maybe a walk would help clear my mind and calm my chakra.

I cast a pleading gaze at Zena, who was sitting in front of our small campfire, stoking the coals gently.

She nodded in immediate understanding and stood up, dusting her skirt off.

Our walk was peaceful... Well, except for my tirade about how much of a jerk Pein was.

"He just sits there, no direction or advice! What am I supposed to do, Zena?" I asked as we meandered down the path.

"I-"

"I mean you'd think he could afford to give me anything to work with."

"Well-"

"I mean for fuck's sake, he knows that I'm pretty much genin level on most of my skills. But fucking fuinjutsu? That's so hard to grasp."

I paused and turned to Zena, crossing my arms behind my head. Crickets chirped in the tall grass and the wind shifted the trees.

It was peaceful for a moment as we rounded the path and came to a stop at the bank of a pond.

I sat down on the rocky shore and watched the waves bring the tide up and down. Zena sat down next to me, crossing her legs underneath her.

After a few moments of watching the stars and moon reflect off of the surface of the water, my ears picked up the sound of someone walking up the path behind us.

Zetsu came into view a moment later, both sides in a heated argument. They both shut up when they saw Zena and I, flicking briefly between the two of us. "Pein requests that you return now," He rasped, his white side offering his arm out to Zena.

"You two go ahead, I'll be a minute." I said, offering a small smile to my friend. Zetsu shrugged and led her back, leaving me alone at the water.

I sat back and gazed at the sky. It was breathtaking. I could see every fleck in the sky, as if someone flung brilliantly white paint across the black backdrop of the sky. The eastern reaches of the atmosphere were lightening up, warning me of the impending sunrise.

Ah, so that's why Pein wants me to come back.

I closed my eyes and took a few calming breaths, then began reciting one of the prayers Hidan taught me.

"Jashin, my Lord, I pray to you now for protection.
For you are my Guardian.

Wrap me in your divine essence, so that the corruption of the heathen world cannot touch me.
Embrace me with shadow, so that the selfishness of this mortal existence cannot taint my mind.
Shield me with your vengeful power, so that my enemies may not harm my body.
Protect me, Savior.
For you are my Guardian.

Cloak me in your holy light, so that no doubt can soil my unadulterated blood.
Give me the strength to defend myself.
Grant me the likeness of a warrior, so that I may resist the oppression of the infidels.
Shelter me from the judgment that society presses down upon me.
Don't let me stray from your path, Lord.
For you are my Guardian."

I didn't have a sacrifice for Him tonight, so instead I sliced open the skin of my palm and smeared a sigil on one of the rocks by my feet. There I spilled my blood for Jashin and prayed He would receive my offering.

"Saki." Pein's voice resounded from behind me.

I jumped and turned to look at him. "Leader."

"Why didn't you return with Zetsu and Zena-chan?" He asked, though it was more stern than concerned.

"I had business to attend to." I replied, standing up and dusting myself off. "I'm done now though-"

"Your ritual, then?' If I wasn't mistaken, Pein seemed to be mocking me.

I sucked my teeth and faced him. "With all due respect, Leader-sama, being that you are considered a God, is it that hard for you to respect my religious beliefs?"

I could almost feel the disdainful eyeroll lurking behind the Rinnegan. "Report back to camp immediately." He said, and then he was gone.

Guess I struck a nerve with that one.

...Hidan would be so proud.

I meandered back to our campsite, feeling a tad better. I felt eyes on me as I stepped through the trees and looked up.

One, two, three... Pein wasn't in sight, but Konan had emerged from the tent, looking rested.

"Squirt." A deeper, raspier tone startled me.

"Fucking ninjas, sneakin' up and shit," I grumbled, turning to face my assailant. "'Kuzu!" I chirped, refraining from lunging at the miser.

"And here i thought you'd be more excited to see me, considering the great lengths I had to go through for your happiness."

I tilted my head to the side, curious. "What's that?"

He produced a scroll from behind his back.

"I swear-"

"I'll cut your tongue out if you don't shut up, woman." He pulled his mask down and stuck his tongue out at me as he held the scroll up. "This is just part one. It's a basic kanji/romani scroll. I had to find some kid who didn't need it anymore and steal it. You'll be paying me back for that, by the way. I'll also be charging you an hourly rate on my tutelage."

It took me a minute for my brain to catch up with all of the information, it was like old skool DSL. I could almost hear the dial-up tone.

"Wait- so, you're here to train me?"

"Yes, idiot. My rate is 500 Ryo per hour, minimum of 15 hours." This cheap bastard...

I grimaced and reached for my coin pouch to count my money. I honestly had no idea how much I had, nor did I ever know how much I got paid for the small job I did get to do.

"You don't have enough, I can tell you that much. I'll take it on your next job... Of course, for an interest fee."

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "I get it, Mr. Krabs. I don't care what you do, as long as we get this show on the road."

Kakuzu seemed in a better mood today than most others, but I couldn't really figure out why. It wasn't until later in the morning that I asked, interrupting the lesson he was diligently teaching me.

"What's got you so happy today?" I inquired, setting down my brush and looking at him.

"The longer this takes, the longer I have reprieve from your fool."

I laughed, then it dawned on me. "Wait, weren't you supposed to be bringing the rest of him?"

"Sealed, as Leader-sama requested."

"Wait, Pein requested that?"

Kakuzu shrugged, "As well as the lesson."

Did Pein actually care about me, or was there some other ulterior plan for this? What was he thinking? Why would he set up all of this without at least discussing it with me?

"Sakana." Kakauzu snapped me out of my daze. "You're doing well. That's Ram."

I was almost flustered by how incredibly easy it really was, but I was grateful for Kakuzu's diligent instruction.

Suki

The fire crackled as a log broke and shifted, jolting me awake.

I looked around the camp, meeting Itachi's Sharingan. I sat up, shaking leaves from my hair. The sky was beginning to lighten, and Kisame still hadn't reached the camp.

I tried not to be disheartened, but it must have still been obvious, because Itachi quietly stood and came to sit next to me. He silently offered his canteen, which I gratefully accepted.

I sighed and stretched my legs out, capping the container. My stomach growled and Itachi made a soft sound of amusement.

"We'll catch breakfast while we wait."

( /_\ ) -weasel

Itachi's method of fishing was pretty interesting. You'd think nets or throwing kunai at the unsuspecting pike, but I was speechless as he shucked his coat off and slipped his sandals off before wading into the stream.

The Itachi Uchiha was straight-up snatching fish out of the river, quick and agile.

It was such an odd sight that I stood on the bank and watched him for a moment, until a wet fish hit me in the face.

It fell onto the bank, flopping around until it reached the water and quickly swam away, probably as traumatized as I was.

"What the heck, Itachi?" I squeaked, removing my sandals and wading into the ice cold water after him.

"Stop gawking and help, and stop splashing around, you'll scare them all away."

I rolled my eyes and grabbed a kunai from my hip pouch.

(=^w^= ) -my fish boi

Back at camp, Itachi instructed me on how to gut and descale the fish, but he didn't involve himself more than that, opting to cook the fish with his fireball jutsu.

"Yeah, you take the easy job," I mumbled, wiping my fish-gut covered hands off on my shorts. Totally gross, but I'll just wash off in the river before we left again.

Itachi gave me a dry look and flame-roasted the poor, dead fishes.

We had enough for the two of us to eat, plus a good three or four more Kisame when he finally showed up.

After eating as much plain, cooked fish as I could, I laid back on my makeshift bed and let out a rather loud belch.

"I'd give it a 7/10. I'm impressed," An endearingly raspy voice rated and I jumped to my feet.

"Kisa!" All of my angst over his absence was gone, now I was so happy I could cry. A perfectly aimed jump had me clinging to Kisame's side in a matter of seconds, my giant fish boyfriend wrapping his be-cloaked arm around my waist to return the hug.

"I'm touched that you missed me," he chuckled, "And a bit aroused by your fishy odor."

I flushed and wriggled out of his arms, backing away a few feet. Sharkbait, ooh ha ha.

I avoided Itachi's amused gaze and picked my black travelling cloak up from the leaf pile. "Itachi made me gut the fish. I'm going to the river."

Without looking at either of them, I know they were thoroughly enjoying my embarrassment as I scurried away to rid myself of any overly-attractive scents. That was the last thing I needed.

The water was a bit warmer than when Itachi and I had caught fish, but still nippy. I quickly scrubbed my body clean and then turned to my clothes. My cloak was fine, save for a bit of grass and leaves stuck to it. Thankfully the shorts and shirt I had worn were dark and wouldn't be stained by fish blood. I scrubbed and rinsed them in the water to the best of my ability and wrung them out. Thankfully I had a nice spot hidden behind a few rocks and boulders, and I waited for my clothes to dry out a bit before I redressed.

After a few minutes of sitting in the water, fish began to swim back up, nibbling at the surface of the water and cautiously watching me.

It was serene and surreal and I hadn't noticed how long I had been watching the fish until Kiame appeared, his head bobbing over the surface of the water.

I shrieked and covered myself, though I didn't know why. We'd already explored that aspect of our relationship, so I don't know why I was suddenly shy.

"Suki, are you almost finished?" Kisame asked, swimming over and scaring away the fish. I nodded and slid deeper into the water, offering a small smile to the shark man.

"What's your deal today, princess?" He asked, swimming closer to me.

I squeaked and tried to evade him, only succeeding in pushing myself further into his element. Kisame smirked and I almost swooned, but I stuck my tongue out and made a dash for it.

Of course I didn't make it to shore before he caught me, he was like Michael Phelps and Bruce from Nemos love child. He caught me and drug me back to his chest, chuckling at my feeble attempts. "Suki, talk to me," he growled, his strong arms cementing me in place. "You okay?"

"Yeah," I replied, "I'm fine-"

"Then what's on your mind?"

I struggled against his grasp and he turned me around. "It's..." I looked up his face. His expression was concerned, and his hair was wet and sticking to his skin. My eyes trailed down his chest and was suddenly aware of his nudity. "Kisame, you're naked..."

A soft snort escaped him, "What, are you suddenly too timid? Suki we've-"

I flushed and slapped my hands over my ears. His arms shot up and steadied me so I didn't sink under the surface, serving more embarrassment to me.

"Itachi is clearing up camp, don't worry, Princess." His words did little to relax me, so he pulled me a bit closer, definitely enjoying tormenting me. He gently reached up and cupped my cheek, tilting my face towards his. His lips caught mine in a sweet kiss and he broke away after a few seconds, placing a second kiss on my forehead. "Unfortunately, my errand sidetracked us a lot and we can't afford to waste more time. Itachi-san should be almost finished. If you want to keep your modesty, I'd suggest getting out now, my little prune."

I blushed and followed him back to shore, where my shirt and shorts were draped over a bush. His were left in a pile by the shore. I dressed with my back to him, still a bit embarrassed. As soon as I had pulled my shirt over my head and turned around, Itachi materialized beside Kisame, who was zipping his cloak up. I shook mine off and and put it on as well, zipping it up as Kisame strapped Samehada across his back.

"I'll carry her," Kisame said, shifting Shark Skin so I could comfortably rest on his back without getting shredded all to hell by it. Once I was situated, Itachi led us to the correct course and we took off running once more.

I'm gonna have to find something to pass the time with how much we've been running...

Kira

Sasori didn't know what to do for the typically emotionally disconnected woman. She hardly reacted, but here she was, crying in his arms.

There was an unfamiliar feeling rising in his chest with each tear that she shed. It wasn't annoyance- he was quite familiar with that feeling, thanks to his immature and foolish partner. It left a bitter echo in the back of his mind as Kira's tears finally dried up. She didn't say anything as she sat up and rubber her face, distancing herself from him again.

"You-" He started, but left the rest of the sentence hanging, unsure of what exactly he wanted to tell her. She gave him a darkened look and fished another of her hand-rolled paper cigars from her chest pocket, lighting it with one of his matches. She took a few drags, slowly closing her lids.

Sasori watched her for a few moments, noticing the small shifts as the drug relaxed her and eased the pain from her mind. After a moment, her eyes fluttered open and her dark blue eyes settled on him.

Sasori reached into one of the pockets inside of his cloak and withdrew a blood-red silk handkerchief, offering it out to her.

She gingerly took it and dabbed the last remnants of her tears from her face, leaving it crumpled in her hand. "Thank you..." She finally murmured.

"For what?" Sasori asked, leaning forward to retrieve the cloth from her.

"For letting me cry."

"I've read that crying helps some people process their emotions, perhaps you should let yourself weep more often."

Though he had indeed read that, another reason he'd never admit to her was that she was quite cute when she cried. He wanted to wipe the teardrops from her face himself, but she'd never let him, especially with how much of an ass he'd been the day before.

Sasori couldn't explain it to her, but for once, he was beginning to feel. Before her arrival, he'd never batted an eye in an situation. While he'd grow annoyed by Deidara's incessant idiocy, most times he was unperturbed.

But now... He hated how affected he was by the recent happenings. He was annoyed at the sudden attack, he was inconvenienced by the relocation, and he was worried about Kira.

Now he was... He didn't know what he was feeling, he just knew he wanted to see her smile, even if it were just for a second.

"Kira-" He began again, awkwardly shifting his weight. "I want to apologize for what I said."

"You don't have to apologize for being honest, Sasori-san." She replied curtly, dipping her head to avoid his look.

The honorific left a bitter taste in his mouth. So that's how it is. "I'm- I'm sorry I said that." He bowed to her, hating how child-like he felt.

"Sasori-" The redhead began, touching his right shoulder. "Please stop."

The puppet-man lifted his head and gave her a long look. "Please accept my sincerest apology."

"Okay- just get up, please don't ever do that again." A light pink blush dusted her face and Sasori rose from his kneeling position. "Listen, I understand how you feel about me-"

"How could one understand something that they have no knowledge of?"

She flinched and he scratched the back of his neck.

"What I mean is that- How could you know what I feel if I've never told you how I feel?"

Was he blushing? Kira nodded and the conversation ended, Sasori finding himself studying the grain of the wooden dome that made up Hiruko's body rather intently, embarrassed and quiet.

But at least Kira had hope.

Sakana

Ram, Monkey, Ram.

Ram, Monkey, Ram.

I formed the hand seals slowly, mimicking Kakuzu's splayed fingers through the motions.

It was hour 8 of my lessons, and I had absorbed as much knowledge as I could the night before, quickly catching on to the lessons and leaving nothing but putting my work into practice left to do.

I could tell Kakuzu was annoyed at how quickly I had been powering through, both because it meant less money he'd get paid and less time until Hidan was back in one piece. I was jittery with excitement and kept messing up, placing my fingers wrong. Kakuzu quickly rapped me on the knuckle and I fixed my fingers, forming the seal correctly. "How many times do I have to do this?" I had already done the set at least 50 times.

"You'll do it until you can perform it flawlessly." Was the miser's curt reply.

I groaned. "But 'Kuzu-"

He gave me a glare and I stopped complaining.

"Ram, money, ram. Release."

Zena had appeared from seemingly nowhere. There was a poof of steam and a soft pop. Sitting atop the scroll in front of her was my boyfriend's body, arms and legs crossed. He tapped his fingers on his elbow, in what I couldn't only assume to be frustration.

I guess it was a good thing she had only unsealed his body.

"Wait, Zena why'd you do that?" I asked, looking up at the brunette.

She gave me a weak smile, "Zetsu-san was annoyed by your repeated failure, so he taught me how to do it..."

"All of that fucking work and I don't even get the satisfaction!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up.

"For what it's worth, Zetsu-san also said that the same technique would work on the box, too..." She offered helpfully.

I gave her a begrudging smile. "Okay, thanks, Zena-chan..."

She stood above me for a moment before returning to Zetsu's side by the campfire.

I was really annoyed now, but I tried my best to mimic the signs.

After perhaps the tenth try, the seals on the box burnt up and the lid slid off, revealing its contents.

I peered in. Hidan's head was facing the bottom of the box, and his blood was smeared across the walls of it. I picked him up by his ears, knowing I'd get bitched out so much for it.

Readjusting my grip on him, I felt a bit grossed out by the tacky blood and loose bits smushed into my palm now. It was warm and sticky, and I gingerly turned his face toward mine. There was a seal placed over his mouth and a very pissed look in his eyes.

"Hiya, Hidan. Hey Kakuzu, I think you were right!"

The tan-skinned mizer raised his eyebrow at me, "What are you talking about?"

"Hidan really wasn't getting enough blood to his brain!" I fell out laughing, ignoring the hateful glare Hidan shot me. I heard Zena laugh, her voice light and sweet. Kakuzu shook his head and took Hidan's from me, making quick work of the seal. One of the inky black tendrils slid down his arm and began stitching Hidan back together as my immortal lover let loose one of the longest strand of curses I'd heard from him.

"Sakana you bitch-" He started, attempting to turn toward me. Kakuzu yanked him back and threatened to leave his head detached, saving me from 90% of Hidan's ire.

Although I was glad that he wasn't sealed anymore, I was discontent with the entire procedure.

Where I should have been proud that I'd managed my task, I was frustrated with myself for the multiple failures. Zena had managed it without having to endure Kakuzu's lessons, and Kakuzu had even finished the job for me...

It was official, I was the worst ninja ever.

Feeling sorry for myself, I stood up and shuffled into the tent to report to Pein.

"I thought you'd be more enthusiastic about it," my brother remarked, watching me with his annoying Rinnegan eyes.

I shrugged. "Yeah but I didn't do it all. You were right, I should have been able to do it."

"Your chakra reserve isn't fully repleted," He explained. "You used almost all of it attempting to fight Kakashi."

I screwed my lips to the side, contemplating his words.

"I was fully aware you couldn't manage the task by yourself," Pein finally admitted.

"What? Thanks for the vote of confidence, bro." I hissed, anger taking over my sense of shame. "That's just great."

"It was a lesson, idiot." He bit, "To teach you not to act rashly as you did. To remind you the importance of conserving your chakra and practicing restraint."

Now I felt like a child being scolded. "I was just..."

"Just putting yourself in the path of danger. Hatake Kakashi is not your friend, he is the enemy. He will not hesitate to destroy you. Even with your current state of being, he is an enemy that is entirely too powerful for you to take on."

I nodded mutely, biting the inside of my lip. I still felt as if I wasn't good enough.

Like Akatsuki would ditch me in a minute if it weren't for the fact that I was the great Leader's long-lost sister.

It was like a shitty fanfiction written by a prepubescent girl and prolonged for too many years.

"Sakana," Pein said, drawing my attention back to him. "You did quite well and worked hard despite the circumstances. Don't consider it a failure because you weren't the one to accomplish the task. Take the information you learned and use it to make yourself a better kunoichi. Dismissed."

Autonomously, I left the tent and ran right into Hidan, who was now in one piece. (Wait... Like with Luffy?)

"Sorry-" I started, but he cut me off by pinching my cheek.

"You're a little asshole," Hidan hissed, but I could see the delight hiding behind the false annoyance. "A goblin, if you will."

I gave him an innocent smile but he didn't buy it.

"I guess if you won't repent, you'll just be punished." He gave me a sly smirk and looped his arm around my neck.

"Nononono, Hidan please-"

He said nothing as an evil smirk crept across his face and he pulled me into the treeline.

A few hours later

Here's a very important lesson, kids.

Do not, under any circumstance, agree to a romp in the woods. The places you could get bit by mosquitos are unimaginable. Don't agree to it because you think it'll be fun. It won't. Not even if he's been decapitated and stuck inside of a sealing jutsu for at least 72 hours. It's so not worth it. Trust me on this.

By the time I convinced him to return to our camp and eat some of Zena's cooking- which was just as amazing cooked over a campfire- I was in a much better mood.

Hidan wasn't. "How can you be so fucking annoying right now?"

I shrugged and pushed through the trees, ignoring the branches snapping back and slicing my shins.

"I need a to sacrifice tonight," he informed me. "Don't you feel it?"

Surprisingly, I didn't. There was no nagging bloodlust, no bloody thoughts about how many ways I could use nearby objects to end a life. "I... Don't."

Hidan's grip on my arm stopped me in my place. I whirled around to look at him, meeting his steely gaze.

"What?"

He squinted at me, "You don't feel the need to sacrifice or you don't feel Jashin's will?"

I scoffed. "I don't need a ritual. I offered my own blood last night, and I feel just fine."

"But not graced?"

"What's with the questions? You detaining me, detective?"

Hidan raised a silver brow at me but shook his head.

Of course he didn't understand. :/

"I was just worried-"

"Wow, you? Worried? Well tickle me pink and call me Suzy."

"What the fuck are you talking about? Shut up." He smacked the back of my head and continued walking, mumbling something about psycho goblins and their oddities. Hey, that's me!

"Hey Hidan! Wait for me!" I shouted as I caught up to him. "Sorry, what were you going to say?"

"Something dumb, probably. I'm fuckin' hungry, lets go midget." He laced his fingers in mine and pulled me down the path. I felt my face heat up a little but let him pull me until we were almost back to camp. It was uncharacteristic for him to show affection, so I didn't make a peep. When he did finally drop my hand, I was left a little disappointed. I'd gone extremely soft on the stupid jerk, but the thought of that asshole doing the things he did made a shiver go up my spine.

Maybe it wasn't 'true love' or whatever fairy tail bullshit Jashin and whoever had quoted at me, but every time he gave me that annoyed look or that devious grin I felt my knees go weak. He was so incredibly hot, I could barely stand it.

A big plus was that I didn't really have to worry about him. Even if he got hurt, he'd eventually be right as rain due to his immortality. I really only needed to keep him from messing with Asuma, if I could. Or at the very least do something about Shikamaru and his need for revenge...

But there's also the possibility that I couldn't do anything about Shikamaru. He is a genius, even if he's a child. His wit will only sharpen with age.

Damn it. I chewed on the inside of my lip. What if something happens and I go back to the other world before then? There was no guarantee that I'd stay here for the next four or five years.

I was so deep in thought that I didn't hear Hidan calling me until I ran face-first into a tree. "Shit!" I said, spitting out blood. I'd busted my lip, and the iron tang of my own life force spread across my tastebuds.

Hidan cackled but wiped a dribble of bloody drool from my chin. "Careful, Sakana, there's a tree there."

"Thanks a lot, asshole," I grumbled, turning on my heel and marching into the camp.

The tent was to my right, and the campfire was to the left. The area I had been taking lessons from Kakuzu was was cleared, four smaller tents occupying the area surrounding it. Someone had been working hard.

"What if someone spots this place?" I blurted.

"It's alright, dude," Hidan said, slinging his arm around my shoulder and leaning down so he was level with me. "Leader-sama has his ways."

What a... cop out explanation. I expected the barrier seal Itachi and Kisame had used against Team Taka, or a super high level Genjutsu. He probably doesn't know either. I shook my head and walked over to the tents, peering inside one of them. Zena emerged a second later, toting an armful of dirty clothes.

"Hello Sakana, hello Hidan." She greeted us, looking at the two of us. "I'm going to wash this laundry in the stream, would you like me to wash your clothes as well?"

I glanced at Hidan, "Don't worry about it, he can manage it. Thank you, though."

She nodded and walked away, disappearing into Pein and Konan's tent after waiting at the door for a moment.

"Aw, why'd you send her away?" Hidan whined, "My cloak could use a wash."

I rolled my eyes. "Because you're a big strong man. You can wash it yourself."

"But she offered-"

I cut him off with a curt glance. "You also don't have any other clothes to wear."

"So?"

I let a sigh loose. Was he really that dumb? "So, that means if Zena-chan washes your clothes for you, you'll be naked."

"So?"

I could slap him.

I would've slapped him, if a blur of blue and pale yellow didn't tackle me from behind.

The air left my lungs in a 'whoosh' as I hit the ground.

"Sakana!" Two voices cheered, one high and excited, the other gruff but equally excited.

"Suki!" I exclaimed, wrapping my arms around the pair. "Kisame!"

"Are you fucks done with your little reunion?" Hidan spat from somewhere beneath me. I guess that wasn't the ground I hit.

"Oops," Suki squeaked, standing up and offering me a hand. Kisame stood and picked me up by my armpits, setting me back down on my feet.

Hidan grabbed on to the back of my cloak and drug himself to his feet. "Yeah yeah, help her up."

Kisame and Suki ignored him, turning back to me. "Hey squirt," Kisame rasped, ruffling my hair. "I heard you went up against Hatake Kakashi."

I grimaced. Word spread fast.

Suki gasped, grabbing my hands. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just really dumb, apparently."

"I'll say," Hidan grumbled.

"Shut up," I replied waving him away as if he were a fly.

"He's not wrong, what were you thinking?" Kisame leaned down to chastise me.

I swatted him away, too. "I already got the lecture from Pein, it was really reckless, blah, blah, blah-"

Suki had an uncomfortable expression across her face, Kisame just gave me a smirk, and I heard Hidan snicker from behind me.

"Good to know you haven't learned your lesson, Sakana," Pein said, leaning over my shoulder. "I believe more lessons with Kakuzu-san are in order."

I winced.

After Pein chewed me out (again), Suki took the liberty of showing me the very simple floor plan of her tent.

They were like freakin' Harry Potter tents, all magical and shit.

There was a small foyer/main room and two bedrooms. The curtain going into one of them was drawn closed, and I could only assume that Itachi was in there, moping. The other room had a full-sized bed- an upgrade from our previous twin-sized mattresses which sucked to share. The only downside was that it was quite a bit short than my old bed. That would take a bit of getting used to. There was also one small table in the far corner of the room, its surface clear.

"It's so cool. All of them are the same. I don't even know where they came from, we've only been here like five minutes. Zena gave us clean clothes." Suki cut off my line of thought, practically bouncing in place.

"Slow down, motormouth," I laughed. "You're really wound up."

"Oh just you wait," she smiled gleefully. "I'm saving it all for when Kira gets here."

Kisame lumbered in, collapsing on the bed. "It's time for sleep."

Suki gave me an apologetic look and followed me out of the tent. "He hasn't rested in a few days." She admitted with a sigh.

I led her to the campfire. There was a tea kettle steaming over the fire. Konan appeared from the big tent a moment later.

"Girls," she greeted us with a small smile. "Good to see you. Would you like some tea?"

She poured tea into wooden cups for us and toted one back to the tent, returning a few moments later.

Suki told us about her small journey, from almost being left behind by Itachi and Kisame and becoming a prisoner to Konoha then Kisame rushing in, swinging Samehada like a madman to the dreadfully long and tedious run to their rendezvous point and eventually making their way to camp.

Konan explained that while Pein could move rather quickly unimpeded, she had carried me through the skies on her paper wings and Zetsu had transported Zena through his mayfly technique.

I had been wondering about the staggering arrival times, despite us all presumably leaving at the same time. I didn't actually know for sure, as I had apparently overexerted myself and passed out. A voice inside of my head pointed out how I was more pathetic than Sakura, but I pushed it back and drained my tea. "And where's Tobi?" I asked, suddenly aware of the absence of one energetic man-toddler.

"Wow, it took you how long to notice?" Konan scoffed. "He's on a top-secret mission." She winked and took my cup from me.

Oooh, how cryptic. I eventually wandered into one of the tents, looking around the strange structures. Hidan wasn't in the tent next to Suki's (which was the second from the right- and Zena's was the rightmost), which led me to assume he had occupied the tent on the left.

It made sense, now that I thought about it. This tent was placed a bit further away from the others. If Kakuzu had gotten first pick, he'd definitely go for the most distance from the others. He really was an extremely old man.

The first room in the tent was closed off, signifying Kakuzu's desire to be left alone.

Hidan was snoring on the bed in the second room, the curtain still hanging open. A pair of clothes were set beside Hidan's head, folded neatly. Hidan's dirty clothes were thrown across the floor, and a clean black t-shirt was discarded next to the folded clothing.

I sighed and shook my head, picking up the discarded clothes and quickly changed, adding my own laundry to the pile. Satisfied that everything was in order, I climbed onto the bed next to Hidan, who had decided that he'd sleep with his head at the foot of the bed. I snatched a pillow from by our feet and settled in.

Kira

Two things dawned on me at the same time, and bother were extremely sobering.

One, I only had one of my 'creations' left, and two, I had to desert my reserve when we fled the base.

"Fuckin' Konoha," I growled, catching Sasori's curious look. I threw my hands up and gave him a disdainful look. "I'm almost out."

"Ah," he replied, nodding in understanding. "If it's any consolation, we'll only be traveling in Hiruko for another hour before Deidara will meet us."

"It kind of doesn't."

He was quiet for a minute before he produced a small box from his robe.

"What's this?" I asked, taking it from his outstretched palm.

"An experiment," he replied quietly, looking away and drawing his knees to his chest.

Curious, I opened it and peered inside. It was a small cake, most likely chocolate.

"What?"

Sasori sighed, sitting forward and dumping the cake into my hand. "Sakana-san told me of something called 'edibles' from your world. This is one of my experiments."

"Ah," I said, and Sasori shoved the cake into my open mouth. I almost choked, surprised by the action, but chewed it and swallowed it down. "Cinnamon?"

Sasori raised a brow at me.

There was still cake in my mouth, and now I looked like a complete fool. I turned my head to finish chewing the mouthful and to hide my blush as I swallowed.

Already I could feel the effects, but I had questions.

"What did you do to it?"

He smirked, "Zena-san and I worked together to create something consumable and fast-acting. I presume it's working?"

I nodded, intrigued by this side of him. "What possessed you to do so?"

He made a face I didn't recognize, but it was gone quickly, replaced by his entertained smirk. "You said you weren't thrilled by the lengthy process of digesting and metabolizing the chemical. I thought there must be a way to remedy that."

It was like a long-winded nerdy version of saying, 'I did this for you.' I was touched. Maybe he does care about me.

I fought the blush that rose and tried to shoo the thought away. "How did you manage to make it take effect so quickly?"

"That's a secret," he replied.

I rolled my eyes and scooted across the cabin, sitting next to him. "It's a really sweet gesture," I told him quietly.

Sasori didn't reply, but he did shift closer to me.

The next thirty minutes were spent in silence, with nothing but the occasional wind gust or rock disturbing my peaceful calm. Sasori was still too, and when I glanced up at him, his eyes were closed and his head was tilted back.

Something inside of me desperately nagged me to grab his face and kiss him, but something else told me that something of such beauty wasn't to be disturbed.

"Stop staring at me, woman," Sasori mumbled, and I jumped.

My cheeks burned and I turned my face away.

His fingers were under my chin seconds later, turning my face back toward his. "You shouldn't hide such exquisite art from me," he chided, leaning in to study my face.

Deep, deep down, my inner fangirl was dying. Ohmygod ohmygod. I gulped and lifted my hand, brushing his away from my face. "Don't tease, Sasori."

"One shouldn't assume, Kira." He replied. "I'm not teasing, I'm quite sincere."

More blood rushed to my cheeks and he smirked, leaning even closer to me. "S-Sasori,"

"Hm?" He asked, looking at me in a way I'd never seen him do before. "What is it, Ki-ra?" My name dripped off of his tongue like velvet, and a breath hitched in my throat.

I cleared my throat, sitting back. My mouth was so dry, but I licked my lips. "Do you have any water?"

He slid the canteen to me and I uncapped it, taking a slow drink of cool water. I felt his eyes on me and quickly put the cap back on.

"Better?" Sasori asked, his voice low and husky. Dear gods, why? Why did you make him so freaking... Mmm.

Control yourself, Kira. Don't give in, don't give in.

I nodded and glanced at him. He was watching me with hooded eyes. Something came over me and I was kissing him.

And he kissed me back.

For a moment, inside of the traveling puppet, I forgot about everything wrong in the world.

dancing in the moonlight, everybody's feelin' warm and bright

Unfortunately for me, the passionate moment was interrupted by a sharp rapping on the top of Hiruko, startling the crap out of me.

"It's Deidara," Sasori told me, straightening himself out. I mirrored him, smoothing out of hair and rubbing my face with my sleeve as he opened the puppet up and climbed out, his arm reaching back in to help steady me as I clambered out of the contraption.

The bratty blonde was hovering above the ground a few feet away on one of his creations. He raised an eyebrow at me and glanced at my hand still clutching Sasori's, which I dropped it and lowered my head as I mounted Deidara's clay bird.

Sasori sealed Hiruko into a scroll and joined us, sitting cross-legged next to me as Deidara piloted us further above ground and into the cloud cover.

"So, Kira-chan," Deidara all-but purred, turning to give me a coy look. "Didja have any fun?"

"Bite me, brat." I growled, giving him a darkened glare.

He cackled and turned his gaze back to the sky.

I spared a glance at Sasori. Hundreds of questions crossed my mind, but I didn't voice any of them. His eyes caught mine and he gave me an amused smirk, then my mind was blank again. Damn hormones.

Left to my thoughts, I began analyzing every moment we'd shared, every word he'd said to me. He was beautiful and witty... and so damn confusing. He told me he was fond of me, he said he'd never stoop as low as being with me, and then he kissed me. I yearned for answers and clarity, but I knew that I'd have a hard time getting Sasori to open up to me.

Despite the incredibly sweet moment inside of the puppet Hiruko, a heavy melancholy swept over me. I tucked my knees to my chest and took a deep breath.

Soon, I'd see Suki and maybe then I could ask for advice. She seemed to cozy up immediately with Kisame, so maybe she was doing something right.

"Hey, Kira-chan," Deidara called back to me. "Have you seen anything as pretty as this back where you're from?"

I looked across the sky. We had dipped below the clouds and were descending ever so slowly. Small villages peeked up from the ground, some following circling roads and others comprised of square blocks. Some parts of the villages were lit up, but most of them were dark. The only people up at this hour were criminals and ninja. Or both. I glanced at my two companions briefly, returning my gaze to the passing scenery.

"...No," I finally replied, my voice thick. I cleared my throat and spoke again, "The closest would be airplanes, but I've never been on one. Even then I guess it wouldn't be such a sight because of what capitalism and pollution has done to the Earth."

Deidara snorted, "Sasori no Danna, our destination approaches."

Sasori didn't reply, but stood up. Deidara lowered us until we were flying parallel to the ground. I grabbed onto Sasori's sleeve and drug myself to my feet. Sasori wrapped his arm around my waist and jumped off of the bird.

I shrieked and clutched onto his cloak, but we landed upright on the ground. Sasori let go of me, but I could tell he was silently entertained by my overreaction.

"You could have given warning."

Deidara barked a laugh, walking into my line of view from the left. "I did warn you."

"Oh yeah. 'our destination approaches' is such a clear way of saying, 'hey we're gonna jump off an explosive bird that's fly at like 120 miles an hour,' you asshat." I hissed, turning and stomping off a few feet.

"Kira-chan," Deidara said, but I ignored him and kept walking.

"Kira," Sasori said and I stopped and turned my annoyed glare on them.

"What?"

"Where are you going? We need to go this way," Deidara laughed, pointing in the direction opposite I was headed.

"Shut up," I hissed, marching off in the direction Deidara was pointing.

"Stop teasing her, brat." Sasori grumbled, his words shortly followed by Deidara yelping. "Woman, we're going Southwest. If you believe you can keep up, then by all means, continue on foot, but if you'd like some assistance, I'd suggest you stop meandering about and mount me."

Deidara snorted and I flushed, images popping up in my mind. "Oh my god," I breathed, embarrassed to my core.

"What are you doing?" Sasori asked.

Deidara burst into laughter, doubling over. "He doesn't even know what he said," he managed through fits of giggles.

"Shut up, Deidara!" I hissed, climbing onto Sasori's back with a huff. Deidara cackled once more before Sasori took off running, effortlessly springing from the footpath into the treetops, then bounding from branch to branch, deeper into the darkness.