Authors notes: I apologize If this is going too slow for you guys Or it just seems like trivial childish banter. But I really don't want this story rushed too fast since I want some character growth further down the line. At the moment I am unsure how far Im willing to take this story do I stop at the end of the pain arc or do I keep going, i'm open to suggestions. anyway to why you came here hope you enjoy guy's.
Chosen
So this guy we work for. To be honest he's kinda weird and all, but then again we're all pretty much weirdo's anyway. But man, does he make me look sane for a change. Anyway we're expected to write these stupid things for Jashin knows what for. 'sigh'. Man im bored.
~Akatsuki log 22~
"So. Why do you keep that sword around?."Yahiko questioned. On several of they're supply runs; Ichigo always seemed to have it on him, and not to mention he didn't even know how to use it. To him it was unnecessary to have around since at the moment, they only needed their hands and wits about them.
Ichigo's plastered scowl seemed to deepen more. If he was completely honest with himself; he and Yahiko could never quite agree with anything for long. They seemed to genuinely get along at first, but over the past month they just seemed to clash over the smallest of things, like the weather, or what stall to steal from. It irked him to no end, If it weren't for konan they would have Knocked eachothers heads in by now.
Speaking of said girl; he glanced at her as she seemed to be in her own little world again. Sitting by the fire and lamps they had set up, making her origami scuptures on a futon Ichigo had graciously gotten for her.
From his seated position on one of the crates of food they had 'borrowed' over the course of time. Choosing to once again Ignore Yahiko's question; he gave the cave another once over, seemingly finding it more homely to when he had first arrived a month ago. Three futons placed around a fire with a lamp next to each futon, a large boulder offering them protection from the wind and prying eyes, food crates stacked in a hollowed out room in the cave, and a small chest they had aquired for clothing and essentials.
"Oi Ichigo!. I asked you a question?."yahiko stated. Snapping his fingers to get his attention.
Ichigo glared, smacking his hands out of his face. "what now?. And if it's about my sword one more time, i'm gonna hit you." He said warningly, narrowing his eye's at his now dubbed 'second accursed' being.
Yahiko seemed to brush of the warning; offering a cheeky grin." don't worry it's not. Sooo...anyway since we're all practically family now; I wanted to know your thoughts on some things?."He asked innocently
"Right?... Yeah sure." Ichigo muttered. Unsure about this since that grin of his usually attracted Konan's attention... And not in a good way.
"Cool. Ok first question why do you never smile much?."he asked
"Look outside and figure it out."Ichigo stated bluntly.
Yahiko's grin seemed to falter slightly, with a quick glance outside to see the lands namesake, It's rain, pelting down as usual."Ok maybe that was a stupid question."He thought dumbly. Before turning his gaze back to Ichigo's ever so present scowl with a perfect question in mind, as his grin returned with a passion.
"Ok next question. why do you spoil konan so much?." He questioned face filled with genuine curiousity... Or so Ichigo thought.
"I don't spoil her." he muttered in a tone that was slightly demanding, but with a hint of embarassment. Trying to deny the fact he ever spoiled her, while also sending Yahiko an annoyed look... Which he was used to by now.
"Yeah you do." he said cheekily, eyes suggestively going up and down in a perverted manner, seemingly enjoying torturing his friend.
Ichigo's eyes narrowed slightly."No I don't, now just drop it."he muttered in an even tone, not giving him the satisfaction of getting a reaction out of him and also making sure Konan didn't hear him.
"You always get her what she wants when she asks."
"That's because she won't stop asking if I don't."It was true, she's relentless when she wants something, but then again her reactions were always worth the work, so it wasn't really that much of a problem.
Yahiko seemed to glance over to Konan for minute, rubbing his chin while deep in thought."Come on Ichigo you can't be that dense!.. Ok yahiko think, what could get him to notice just a tiny bit. Hmm... Wait.. oh... oooh!."He turned his gaze back to Ichigo, grin widening to extreme lengths as his eye's seemed to have a dangerous unknown gleam to them.
Ichigo was figdeting uncomfortably in his seated position, feeling very uneasy about that look of his, It seemed to make him feel very exposed at the moment... and he never liked that feeling not. one. bit.
"How come Konan seems to sneak into your futon at night hmm..?"He said leering playfully at him, before continuing."And don't try to deny it; my eye's know what they saw."he said, a smug attitude practically oozing from his stance as he had his finger pointed accusingly at Ichigo.
"She has trouble sleeping sometimes.. my brother."Ichigo seemed to pause for a moment, a sad smile taking shape upon his face, before he shook such thoughts away, turning his attention back to Yahiko's question."I really don't see the problem with it, we're family so it's natural aint it?."he questioned giving yahiko a weird look.
'thump'.
"so hopeless... He's so damn dense"Yahiko muttered in a defeated tone, face buried into the dirt in a comical fashion.
"You guy's im going out for a bit.. and Ichigo don't worry im not going far... ok?."konan said cheerfully, a beaming smile on her face as she held her red umbrella at her side, staring at the two expectantly.
"Alright stay close to the roads. and don't take too long out there, also If you see anyone suspicous run straight back here or hide, If it passes 15 minutes and your still not back we'll come look for you."Ichigo said in a nonchalant tone. trusting Konan would follow the rule's yahiko had set up.
The rules basically consisted of total time periods of how long they were each allowed out there for the 3 of them and what jobs they would have when stealing from stalls since yahiko smartly suggested, since it technically wasn't borrowing.
Konan would act as the begging child. Pulling people's attention with her incredible acting skills towards her and of course If their lucky get more food from people in the process.
while Yahiko would steal the food right up from under their noses pretty basic job but one that required fast hands and initiative.
Ichigo had the most important job of all; he had to keep his eye's on every single thing that can act as an obstruction or a nuisance and had to make sure they had an escape route if things got... complicated.
The time limits for each of them were always 15 minutes max if either of the three were out longer than that It was either something's wrong or they do an Ichigo.
Watching her go off out there with a worried gaze; Ichigo had to remind himself sometimes that the war was far from them at this point and that they were as safe as they could be in their current circumstances.
Turning his gaze to Yahiko, to see him with a knowing look on his face. As he stood near the food crates tapping one on the lid's repeatedly.
"Gonna give me a hand sorting this out" A slight smile played at his lips trying to help get his 'apparent' family members mind off of things.
Hiding his slight smile behind a scowl"yeah, yeah you god damn slave driver."he muttered bitterly, one thing Yahiko was good at is leadership and having a healthy ambition..sort of...but god is he annoying sometimes.
~Nagato~
One foot in front of the other were the only thoughts that offered him comfort in his weary state, to remind himself that he was alive. But his mind had questioned itself at every turn...why?; he constantly asked himself this question, why does he continue on when he has nothing left to live for. First his brother who went out to get food for them but never returned his parents would-.
His already pained expression from his long journey seemed to intensify at the thought of his mother and father."I don't know what to do anymore."He thought; his already fragile determination straining itself even more.
'bark' 'bark'
Sending a downward glance to his faithful companion, a small brown furred puppy named chibi; he had been one of his reasons to continue, for everytime he fell down and just felt like giving up Chibi always gave him the drive to keep going whether it's licking his face or barking. A constant reminder he's not alone.
Offering chibi at what he thought was a reassuring smile but came out as more of a grimace, but still atleast managed to get rid of the worried look that chibi seemed to keep giving him.. But he was just so tired from not having any food, the houses he had visited and the stalls and shops were less... than generous as he was either ignored or physically told to go way.
"I can't."he stopped. As his legs wobbled slightly as he tried to keep going but just before he was going to take his next step his legs finally buckled from the pressure and he landed face first onto the ground.
Breathing heavily as he lay on his side eyes struggling to stay open; he could hear the faint whimpers chibi made telling him to get up but he just couldn't."Im going to die here... But atleast i'll see my family again."he thought. Saddened slightly that he hadn't lived much of a life but was grateful he was loved and cared for in the time he had.
Struggling to keep his eye's open, as everything seemed to blurr then darken more and more as he tries to stay awake; Chibi had decided to crawl under his arm, giving him a small sense of comfort that he wasn't going to go alone.
Just as he was about to finally accept death. Something had caught his eye; he turned his head slightly with great difficulty on his part to see... a girl?, looking to be around his age, with straight blue hair and a pair of amber eye's looking down at him as a sad smile seemed to tug at her lips.
"Here you can eat this." she said warmly, as she bent down offering him a loaf of bread.
Nagato looked at her then the bread trying to hold in his emotions; he was going to be alright... finally alright.
~Hideout~
"Konan who the hell is he?... And is that a dog?. Great more mouths to feed" Yahiko said rather bluntly with a hint of annoyance. Glancing over his shoulder at the three of them with a less than curious gaze towards Nagato and Chibi.
Konan pouted slightly."They were dying so I had to help them.. or did you forget"she said in a scolding tone, offering him a small glare for his rudeness, to which he shied away from rubbing the back of his neck in an embarassed manner.
"Ok ok im sorry, I know it's what he said to do if we found anyone else." he said giving her an apologetic grin before continuing."by the way he's gone out again; he said he'd be back in an hour or two."Yahiko seemed to say in a nonchalant manner, but he also wondered why their friend stayed out for so long.
Konan adopted a worried expression on her face; Ichigo had been pretty normal on the outside to most but when their asleep he would toss and turn mumbling the words 'no', 'failed', and, 'family', over and over again. It seemed to only get worse as time went by; she isn't stupid hence the reason why she told Ichigo to tell him she sometime's had nightmares so it wouldnt hurt his 'pride' as the both males in their little family liked to call it.. But knowing Yahiko he didn't believe a word of it.
~Flashback~
"I feel it.. I don't know how but something doesn't feel right."Ichigo muttered hands in his hair, as he rocked back and forth on his futon sweating a shaking like he was crazy.
"What do you feel Ichigo?. What's the matter?." Konan asked worriedly, Fearing slightly of how he was acting; she had seen him in fear before... Just not to this level.
He looked up slowly, and she gasped shocked to see wide glassy eye's filled with nothing but despair not the fear she thought would have been there as tears leaked out of his eye's.
"I feel," He had to pause slightly as he closed his eye's tightly and swallowed thickly before continuing"like something's missing inside me... like I lost something... but god dammit!!; I don't know what it is.. please I don't know what's wrong with me konan?."his face was etched with a pleading look as he looked at her.
She had to hold in her emotions as she had to try with all her might not to break down from the look he was giving her; he looked so vulnerable and so lost and broken it was a heartbreaking sight for her, something she never wanted to see ever again; she took careful steps foward before sitting beside putting her hand on his back running soothing circular motions while placing her head on his shoulder as she let him cry.
They sat there for hours as Konan offered a comforting prescence to Ichigo as his quiet sobs seemed to ease as time went by. Turning slightly to see That he seemed to be sleeping sitting up it seemed on so many occasions he slept like this?. if he cried and thought of this through the month he was here...
Carefully lying him down on the futon while giving him angry look."that idiot needs to stop doing things on his own."she thought fustrated that he always carried his burdens on his own, it's one of the main reasons she hasn't told him of her past and only Yahiko, because he would try to carry her burden alone and she didn't need that...she didn't want that.
Looking over at her futon, deciding she was just too tired to bother going over there; she crawled under the covers with Ichigo finding his comforting warmth a pleasant change to this dreary atmosphere they seemed to have found themselves in. Closing her eye's slowly she drifted off to a well needed sleep.
~Flashback end~
He had asked her not to speak of it, and she didn't mind that at all but she knew even with Yahiko's antic's he wasn't as oblivious as Ichigo thought, because knowing Yahiko he already knows. Shaken out of her thoughts she focused on Yahiko and their two new friends.
"so what are your names?."Yahiko asked in a curious tone.
"Chibi."Nagato muttered quietly, not really in the mood for talking but knowing he has to anyway.
Yahiko gave him a weird look, finding it to be rather weird that someone would name their kid something like that; he decided to voice his thoughts."Chibi??, that's a weird name for a person your joking right?."he questioned in an unsure tone.
"No the dogs chibi."he said pointing down to the small dog who seemed to be sitting patiently. Ears popped up looking at the two converse with a curious gaze.
Giving the said dog a small glance before turning his attention back to Nagato with a smile."Well im yahiko. you've met Konan," he said as she gave Nagato a bright smile"So what's your actual name?."he asked giving him an expectant look.
"my names-."
"Na..Nagato?."
Shocked amber met an equally shocked spiralled purple gaze.
Brother and Brother reunite.
Author's notes
That's chapter three done and dusted; i'd like to say this will probably be the last 3k word chapter since the next few will be a bit longer (5k-6k). thankyou to everyone reading my story it means alot. Oh by the way expect a certain sennin in the next chapter to make an entrance aswell since that's where I plan on making things alot more interesting, and they finally learn to use their skills and abilities to become ultimate bad asses..anyway seeyah later.