They found him before he could find them. They, or rather, she.
The last time he sighted blue hair was on the Hyuuga girl back at the Academy, four years ago. It was short and held together by a single origami rose, and this wasn't what he thought of when he was told of the infamous Akatsuki, patiently sitting before him with calm eyes. He remembered that they always traveled in pairs. The woman ordering tea was alone.
"Orochimaru."
"Konan."
Her stare was dead.
"Sit, please." Sasuke made his way over to the table but kept his hands hidden in his kimono sleeves, one on the hilt of his sword.
"Our leader Pain appreciates your interest in our cause once again and is happy to have heard from you."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow.
"But of course he has some reasons for concern… small reasons as they are." Konan spoke and her words were scripted, her eyes looking off into her tea as the syllables fell from her mouth. Her voice was soft but Sasuke wouldn't say she was really "concerned". Orange eyes, out of all things, lowered out of focus and her voice went cold and robotic. "Your past history concerns us."
Sasuke narrowed.
"You are no saint, Orochimaru. We are not ignorant to the deeds you've done in your lifetime and not fools to be played with. We have reason to believe that you are not true – you have no interest in our cause and never have – Pain will not be a part of your personal plans." Konan said.
He forced himself to smile widely, even though he knew it would not be conducive to his plea but at least holding together his act. "You know I have suffered as much as you-"
"Your background will not redeem you." Those eyes were cold and the paper rose twisted, moving like it was alive. The folds flapped and spread and Sasuke didn't know what her kekkei genkai was but her chakra spiked the air, wobbling the paper walls of the tea house like bird wings. Gaining speed. Whipping faster.
Shit, this wasn't working.
He couldn't fight her now. She wasn't supposed to be mad.
"Konan-"
The sheets whirred.
At this point Sasuke couldn't turn back now. He had only one chance to enter the group his brother was a part of and he'd be damned if he failed.
"You're right," he said and he let the red seep into his eyes. His tomoe told her that he was prepared to fight, that he wasn't joking. This time around, he clearly wasn't here to steal Itachi. "I wanted the elder Uchiha's eyes."
Sometimes, Sasuke found, honesty was the best policy, and looking irritated as Orochimaru wasn't too difficult. His lips thinned and he found himself glaring, he spent three weeks travelling to find this damn tea shop in the middle of Coal Country. It was winter, and it had been raining the last six days and he was cold, sick, and tired. He couldn't sleep. The guilt of feeling the rain on his clothes pouring off his skin in waves, and the tea arrived smelling of hibiscus and sugar, and she was right, he wasn't true, he's going to get caught, his background wouldn't redeem him. Sasuke gritted his teeth to keep the bitter taste in and he let his Sharingan do the work of acting in his place. "I never had interest in Pain's plan."
For some reason, the papers weren't fluttering any more. Their applause calmed to a rumor, then to a whisper, until Konan herself watched him closely in his face. She let the origami die down and Sasuke's body uncontracted in relief.
"But that was never your concern was it?"
Konan folded her hands. "Pain doesn't need power. He has no use for your… contribution."
Sasuke made himself smile, but it was thin and bitter.
"Ah. Itachi is a natural."
"Itachi is of no use to us either," she said stonily.
Then what do you want?
"You must be wondering why Pain has sent me to see you," she spoke for him calmly, after the look on his face. She watched him with a quiet stare, and softly inclined her head. "You must be very curious by now."
The sudden interest from her was dangerous. Penetrating. The Akatsuki were the best infiltrator and spy network the world has ever seen. They collected every jinchuuriki thus far without major interference and they knew things of every village that has ever hired them… more so than Kabuto could ever know. Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "If you have wasted my time-"
"You join, you stay for a brief period in our organization. You leave once, and then decide to come back. The Akatsuki is not your toy, Orochimaru."
"No one would mistake S-class missing nin for playthings, surely."
"This is not a joke."
"Oh? Then what is this? Tea?" Sasuke said mockingly, his tongue speaking harsh and rough against the roof of his mouth. He didn't know where he was going with this but by the dead color of her eyes, he could already tell it wasn't working. "Konan… weren't we on the same team? What is this interrogation, hm? You are so sure of your Pain's power, so what threat am I in rejoining?"
"You speak ahead of yourself."
"You're interested in me, aren't you? You want to know why I want to come back. That's why you'll let me in."
"You show yourself," she said.
Her face was stone. Absolutely unshakeable. He didn't know what kind of control this Pain had over his subordinates but his team was clearly loyal to the man, all the way to the point of irritation. Annoyed at the lack of progress, at his backwards progress, Sasuke grew impatient in his seat. He found himself having trouble maintaining some semblance of calm, and his electric chakra sparked blue at his fingertips. Konan didn't seem to notice or care of his upset, she remained stout in her position.
He can't believe he let them waste his time. This woman was cold to him, cold from the start.
"Ah. I can see that we're done here." Sasuke rose.
The other ninja was silent.
He let out a small 'tsk' of disappointment, as if he were the elder one, free and flippant about such a complete dismissal, as if he didn't actually need them. As if he wasn't bothered by this.
But Sasuke didn't show the way his stomach hurt at failing so soon in the game, how his gut churned at the thought of never getting close to Itachi in any significant way. Only through violence. He couldn't count on learning about him and the clan objectively within a fight. He clearly couldn't count on his own acting skills thus far, in composing himself long enough to even hear his brother out. He could wait for Itachi to come to him… wait beside himself for his brother to hunt him down, defeat him effortlessly (again), and finally steal his eyes. And then Kabuto would be proven wrong. Sasuke let his mouth twist in disapproval, mostly aimed towards himself, and glowered at the Akatsuki member, the source of all his problems and solutions.
He could wait for Itachi, he thought… if the man even cared that his brother's body was being possessed by Orochimaru. He could wait for another Kabuto. But Sasuke was fucking tired of being told of his own history. He was tired of being manipulated of what to think and what to feel by genjutsu or Tsukiyomi. He wanted to find out and determine for himself. Sasuke wanted the truth on his own terms, whatever that entailed, he wanted to see it on his brother's face.
"Konan, if you'll excuse me. Of course, thank your leader in my stead," he said with undisguised bitterness.
"Three small orphans," she spoke before he could turn around.
Sasuke blinked.
"'Shall I kill these children? I've seen many war orphans. It's pitiful. They would be better off if we just put them out of their misery right now…'" She finally decided to look up at him, close and hard into his eyes. "A cruel world for them, isn't it? And an only crueler future to wait. Better for their deaths. Don't you know?"
Sasuke must have taken too long. He was shocked into a small quiet, frozen still at the sudden shift in conversation, if not surprised at the fact that she even spoke at all. What the hell was she even talking about? What answer did she want to hear? Konan expected his response and got what she was looking for.
"I see," she started slowly. "These words must be new to you."
Dammit. Lying wasn't working. Being frank wasn't working. Saying nothing had failed him.
"Then you must have simply forgotten," she said through his panic.
Sasuke didn't know how to take that. She placated him, almost as soon as he had the thought, as if she read his mind and then turned her attention back to her serving of dango. She ate, ignoring his confusion and the sheer turbulence spinning in his eyes because what did it mean to catch him and give him immediate reprieve? What were they thinking? He was caught, he was suspected before he even appeared here, until they must have had a set up in place to test him of his identity, something only the real Orochimaru would know. And now Konan will tell her superior and his gig would already be up.
Why wasn't she saying anything?
"You will be assigned to the only unpaired Akatsuki member we have currently. If you wait here, Zetsu will soon make his appearance. I will report to Pain of your immediate allegiances," she said.
Sasuke could only look at her.
Konan instantly dispersed herself into paper. She turned into little origami butterflies that swarmed around their tea table, gave him a momentary acknowledgement before taking off. She left so smoothly, so suddenly, he could almost think that he imagined it all. But he was in. He's got his chance.
He could find Itachi.
Sasuke sat blinking before himself, with only one sure thought in his mind. The woman knew something. This was too easy; this had to be too good to be true.
But all he could do was wait.
…
