Hi guys! It's nearly been a month now... (sigh) Many apologies, but as usual, I was busy, and then I had a couple of problems getting started with this. Still, I guess this is halfway decent... but that's just me. Perhaps you'll agree, and perhaps not. I'll just have to wing it.
I hope you'll enjoy the chapter! Happy reading! ^_^
As soon as she closed the door and turned around to face a now extremely impatient Kisame, Konan became stone-faced again.
"You just couldn't let it be, could you?" she asked, shaking her head.
Kisame threw up his hands. "What? What did I do?" he retorted.
"I sincerely hope that I don't have to explain it…" Konan muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose as they started to walk down the hallway in the opposite direction Sasuke had taken before.
"All I said was that Itachi is awake! I thought you liked good news!" Kisame whined.
"I do like good news, but that was the wrong place and the wrong time to break them to me."
Kisame merely raised an eyebrow as they came to a halt in front of another door. Konan sighed as if saying «Why me…?».
"If you'd have just an ounce of consideration, you would have asked to talk to me in private. Now, I'll say this once, and for the love of God, don't make me say it again – at least not anytime soon: don't mention Itachi in front of Sasuke, you hear?" she said sternly.
"I can't say his name?"
"No."
"I can't say he says good morning?"
"No…"
"I can't tell him he dreamed about him?"
"For heaven's sake, no, Kisame! For crying out loud, weren't you listening?!" Konan asked irritably.
"Of course I was; I just wanted to make sure! Sheesh…" Kisame grumbled.
Konan took a deep breath to prevent the angry vein from reappearing on her forehead.
"Alright… you know what? I'd like you to spread a word among the others."
The shark-man instantly assumed a soldier-like pose.
"Tonight, I want all of you to stay behind for a moment after dinner. All projects must be put on hold for a while, and when I say all, I mean all. Got it?"
"Club meeting after dinner tonight. Roger that," Kisame confirmed, saluting her.
Konan pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. "Just… go, Kisame, go," she told him with a shooing gesture. Kisame took off like a rocket; only a cloud of dust indicated where he had been standing just before.
'Pein would kill him if he knew he called us a «club»…'
Konan had actually intended to gather her thoughts and think about what she could (and should) say before she entered the room, but instead she merely found herself thinking about Kisame and his impetuous reactions – 'Don't ask, don't ask, don't ask…' – as she opened the door.
It was somewhat brighter in here than in Sasuke's room: two candles were burning beside the bed. And on that bed…
Konan frowned. "And just what do you think you're doing?"
"…Getting up…"
Indeed; Itachi had sat up, and the blankets were pushed back. The ribbon in his hair was very loose now, so lots of his hair hung wildly around his pale face. Konan saw her suspicion confirmed: he definitely was a lot paler than the last time she had seen him. He probably wouldn't admit it, but he didn't exactly look like he was in the condition of getting up right now.
"I don't think so," Konan replied briskly as she crossed the room. "I've seen corpses who looked livelier than you do now. Therefore, I strongly advise you not to get up."
"No, you don't understand –" Itachi began, but Konan had reached the bed by now and gave him a stern, meaningful stare.
"I said I strongly advise you not to get up," she repeated in a very different tone of voice.
For several moments, they simply stared at each other, but it couldn't even have been considered a staring competition because there was absolutely no doubt about who would be the winner. Eventually, Itachi gave in and let himself fall back onto the sheets.
"But what about Sasuke?" he asked resignedly.
"You don't need to worry about him," Konan answered, lightly covering him with the blankets again.
"I need to explain… I tried to talk to him…" Itachi protested.
"It would be better if you got some sleep now instead," she remarked pointedly.
"You don't understand…" Itachi concluded sadly.
Konan couldn't help but notice that rueful look in his eyes. It made his current appearance all the more pitiful. She sat down on the edge of the chair Kisame had placed beside the bed, and her voice was softer when she spoke to him again.
"Look, I know that you're worried about him and that there are important issues you need to discuss. But now is not the time for that."
"Is Sasuke not well?" Itachi asked concernedly.
Konan made an unsure gesture with her hand. "He's doing well considering the circumstances. But… it would be for the best if you let him be for a while."
Itachi sighed. "…I should have known…"
Although she already felt like she could hardly take it anymore, Konan cupped her chin in her hands. "What else did you expect?"
"I really don't know. Maybe it's just wishful thinking… Or maybe I was just hoping that since we're brothers… you know…"
Konan didn't have the heart to tell him exactly what Sasuke had said; it would only upset him even more, and he needed some more rest before he could get confronted with that. Instead, she just shook her head.
"You should rest again. And don't worry about Sasuke; I've got it all covered."
"Even…?"
"Even that, yes. I've taken all the necessary precautions."
Just then, through the closed door, they heard a shrill yelp from the hallway, followed by not quite so easily distinguishable curses and hisses. A wicked, almost sadistic smile played on Konan's lips, and Itachi caught sight of a triumphant glint in her eyes.
"You must excuse me now, Itachi – there's a little matter that demands my immediate attention. Why don't you get a little more rest in the meantime while I go see what's keeping Kisame, hmm?" she asked in a very sweet voice indeed as she stood up.
"Alright…"
Itachi didn't sound all that convincing, but Konan didn't seem to mind that so much, for she didn't bother to give point to her words as she left the room at a smart pace. Once he was alone again, Itachi lay still – until he heard someone's agitated voice. Then his curiousness got the better of him, and as long as no one was around to stop him, he decided to continue where he had left off before Konan had walked in on him.
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Konan arrived back at Sasuke's room to find Orochimaru struggling to regain his composure. As the only other soul who was present just then, Kisame was watching him bug-eyed while the snake-sannin ranted:
"…confounded, twisted mind of hers! Seriously! She's got to pay for booby-trapping this place…!"
"Um… Orochimaru, we're talking about Konan here…" Kisame replied rather nervously.
"Yeah, well, she's not the boss of me!" Orochimaru scowled. "Son of a bitch, this hurts…!" he whined an instant later, reaching around himself to rub his backside gingerly.
"Dude, she did warn you," Kisame reminded him.
"Oh, come on! She's exaggerating! Am I that bad of a guy?!"
Kisame merely started to whistle innocently and deliberately ignored the glare he received for that.
"Well, well, what have we here? Lost something, Orochimaru?" Konan asked mildly as she entered the scene.
"You know, Konan, pardon me for being so frank, but sometimes you really are a hellish, nasty fiend," Orochimaru shot back.
Kisame held his breath at his comrade's boldness. This simply had to have some consequences, and he wasn't exactly keen on sticking around when the storm would break loose. Maybe he could just inch around them and get out of this scot-free…
"Oh. Oh, that really hurt," Konan jeered with an excessively dramatic gesture and a matching look in her eyes. It was sarcasm at its best. Without taking her eyes off the man who was merely standing half-upright, she continued: "Kisame?"
'Crap!' He had only just snuck past her – a little further, and he could have made a clean getaway! With one foot still in the air, he asked warily: "Yes…?"
"Am I really such a horrible fiend?"
That false whine was creepy. Kisame wanted to get the hell out of here – he always did when Konan was like this. As far as he could tell, most people preferred it when she threw a tantrum on the spot instead of acting like this…
"Uh… no, no, of course not!" he answered. Was it just him, or did his voice sound higher than usual?
Orochimaru huffed and mouthed «wuss» at Kisame. The shark-man shrugged irritably in response; it was true that he didn't deem Konan a fiend, exactly, but she could be pretty darn scary at times. And only a fool would have answered differently than he had. However, his main worry was still that he wanted to fly this coop while he was unscathed.
"Well-this-has-been-very-nice-but-I-really-should-go-see-how-Itachi's-doing-gotta-go-bye!" he said quickly and took off before anyone could object.
For a moment, sparks flew between the two remaining Akatsuki members as they glared at each other. The older one broke the silence:
"I'll have a talk with Leader-sama about this, I swear!" he growled before he swept past the woman – at least, he tried to, but because he was slightly hunched as he walked, the effect was lost to begin with.
"Give it your best shot," Konan challenged him before continuing on her way. After a few steps, she paused to make some hand signs. She had promised to take necessary precautions, after all…
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
An hour or two later, Konan approached the door to Sasuke's room yet again. And this time, she wasn't alone.
"Why do you need me, again?" her companion asked, crossing his arms.
"You're the one who said you wanted to see him once he's awake."
"But I was in the middle of arranging next week's schedule!"
"The schedule isn't going anywhere." With a wink and a purr, Konan added: "It's part of your job; you are the leader, after all…"
Pein mumbled something incoherent, but Konan chuckled as if in understanding and softly kissed his cheek.
"The official leader," she whispered in his ear.
What nearly had to be the ghostliest of smiles flitted across the man's face before he furtively took Konan's hand and briefly squeezed it.
"You're something else," he told her. Pure adoration resonated in his voice, and it was all just for her to hear.
She merely smiled in return as she knocked on the door and opened it just a bit. From inside, she could hear some rustling noises as Sasuke shifted in his bed. Since she wasn't sure what he was thinking and feeling in that moment, she decided to announce her presence before entering the room – after all, she didn't want him to end up thinking that Orochimaru had returned to try and grope him again.
"Sasuke? It's me, Konan. I'd like to talk to you."
There were some more rustling sounds, then the boy answered cautiously: "Oh… okay…"
Deciding to stick to this strategy in the near future, Konan looked at Pein again.
"Wait here for a moment, okay?"
He nodded, but was otherwise silent as Konan entered the room. But just because she had told him to wait didn't mean that he couldn't sneak a peek on what was going on inside…
It was an act of consideration to ask someone if they were okay, how they were doing, but in this particular case, Konan hesitated for a moment as she tried to think of another way she could ask him that. The question itself just didn't seem to be a wise option, because really, which seven-year-old was okay while processing the terrible truth that his family was dead, never to return? In addition to that, she could tell by the look on his face that he was psychically spent, so it surely couldn't hurt to be extra-considerate when asking about his welfare. However, she quickly noticed that she saw no alternative to that question; all that was left to do was to cross her fingers and hope that he would take it well.
"How are you feeling, Sasuke?" she asked.
He looked rather lost for a moment, then shrugged. "I don't know," he answered.
This got to Konan more than she probably let it show. It was all she could do to avoid biting her lower lip. "And… um… is there anything you… want? Something to drink, perhaps?"
Sasuke just stared at her for a moment before bowing his head and balling his hands to fists in his lap. Konan readied herself for his answer.
"…I want… my mother…"
His voice had been quiet to begin with, but the last two words had barely been a whisper. Unbeknownst to him, Konan stiffened. Again, she hadn't exactly thought about the most obvious answer to her question, but this was different from last time. Last time, she had nearly face-palmed because of her own thoughtlessness, but this time she felt no annoyance of any sort. This time, the answer tugged at her heartstrings, and she was torn between the urge to leave the room this instant because she was worried that she wouldn't be able to appease him, and the desire to stay here and wing it, of course hoping that it would turn out alright.
Before her mind could make a decision, she found herself sitting down on the bed next to the boy. He was trembling slightly, and his chest heaved with dry, strangled sobs.
"Sasuke," she said softly.
With a sniffle, he looked up, and even what little light illuminated his eyes was enough to tell her that they were glistening with tears that were about to fall. Nothing else was said as they simply regarded each other. Then Konan beckoned him to come closer. Sasuke just blinked, and a single tear rolled down his cheek. Patiently, though hoping that it would pay off, Konan repeated the gesture. She flashed him an encouraging smile too. Her hopes weren't in vain: slowly, Sasuke pushed the covers back a bit, then crawled over to her. Dreadfully slowly, he reached out and finally touched her cloak, his fingers carefully digging into the fabric as he inched closer. He closed his eyes tightly as he even dared to lean against her, still trying to hold back his tears.
With a now sympathetic smile playing on her lips, Konan put an arm around him and ran her other hand through his hair in a soothing pet. Although this particular situation was new for her, it wasn't exactly an uncomfortable one.
Silent footsteps came to a halt beside her, yet almost instantly she tore her gaze away from Sasuke to find that Pein had abandoned his waiting spot at the door.
He carefully took notice of the look on her face before he slowly looked Sasuke over, from the distinctively spiky back end of his hair to his knees which were pressed against Konan's thighs. But again and again, he stared at the way Sasuke's fingers had dug themselves into Konan's cloak.
Inwardly, she rolled her eyes when she noticed that, but the smile remained on her face. Pein pursed his lips and crossed his arms. It was a signal that couldn't be misunderstood, which was why she finally spoke again:
"Sasuke, there's someone I'd like you to meet."
The young Uchiha peeked up at her. She looked a lot more serious now.
"He is the leader of our organization, the Akatsuki."
"Akatsuki…" Sasuke mumbled. The name didn't ring a bell with him – that made another mystery about his brother. First the police nearly arrested him, then the massacre (he nearly shuddered when he thought about it), and now this. He had never heard anybody mention the Akatsuki… who were they, and what business did Itachi have with them?
It was only then that he actually noticed the man who had joined them. He stiffened, feeling rather intimidated by those eyes and their piercing stare. It didn't help that Pein's mouth was a straight line – it was impossible to tell what he was thinking. Sasuke couldn't look away – he wasn't even sure if trying to do that would be a good idea.
After several minutes of utter silence, Konan cleared her throat, clearly hoping to provoke a certain reaction from Pein in particular. But neither he nor Sasuke reacted to that; they just continued to stare at each other as if mesmerized. Frowning, Konan cleared her throat again, a bit louder this time. When nothing happened yet again, she nudged Pein with her foot and said loudly:
"I think that will do now, Pein. You never mentioned staring contests to be part of the ritual of greeting newcomers."
The auburn-haired man grunted. "I was just looking at him, Konan."
"Sure you were…"
"Well, I was," he all but huffed before focusing on Sasuke again: "And just for the record, you shall address me as «Leader-sama». Understood?"
Sasuke nodded timidly.
"And if the question should ever come up: this is an organization, and never, ever a club!"
Sasuke shrank back against Konan, nodding vigorously as Pein's voice grew louder. She gave his shoulder a pat and tried to silence Pein with a pointed look. But he didn't get the message.
"A club is the sissy version of what we are! And we're not sissies! Who has ever heard of a group of felons who call themselves a «club»?!"
"Pein…"
"I mean, we may start off by drinking coffee too, and sometimes we even have stupid protocols that need to be followed – that makes even more paperwork for me and gives Zetsu more opportunities to complain about destroying the environment, mind you…"
"Pein…"
"But heck, we don't do stupid stuff like collecting chopsticks or something! We're ambitious! We –"
"We get the point, Pein, thank you!" Konan interrupted with her patented «Are you quite finished?» look.
Pein had just raised his index finger importantly to emphasize his next point, and even though he fell silent with his mouth slightly agape, the finger remained raised. He looked positively lost for a moment. During the interlude of awkward silence, Sasuke looked from Konan to Pein and back again.
Finally the man lowered his hand and fiddled with his collar while clearing his throat. A blush was all that was missing to make it a perfect gesture of embarrassment.
"Right. So, uh, those were the basics… and there will be more on this later, I suppose. Konan, I need to talk to you," he said in a business-like tone of voice. When Konan nodded in silent agreement, he glanced at Sasuke once again. Two big, innocently questioning eyes stared back at him. A second or two later, Pein turned away and left the room.
Konan seemed to stare into space for a moment before remarking: "Well, that could have gone worse. But it could have gone better too, I guess."
"I'm sorry," Sasuke mumbled, averting his gaze.
"You shouldn't blame yourself for this. It's the first time we're doing this with a child, and as you might know, first appearances are quite important. He's probably dreading that you won't respect him," she explained with a shrug. It wouldn't be something new for her.
Sasuke's eyes widened. "But I… I will respect him! Honestly!" he protested, "I mean, you said he's the boss… you know…" And then he was back to mumbling again.
"I'll make sure to tell him that if you don't mind me doing so. He's bound to appreciate it," Konan assured him.
"I hope so…" Sasuke replied in a small voice.
With a sigh, Konan stood up, and without her needing to say or do anything, Sasuke crept back underneath the covers. When he lay still again, she gently brushed one of his bangs out of his face.
"I'll go talk to Pein now, but I'll come back later and bring you something to eat and drink. It's been a while since you last had something, and I'm sure you'll feel better afterwards. Does that sound like a plan to you too?" she asked softly.
"Yeah," Sasuke answered, even though there was still too much on his mind for him to really care about nourishment. He really didn't feel hungry or thirsty.
Perhaps Konan could tell that he was thinking along those lines, for she said: "That's good. And even though it might not look like it right now, it will be alright, Sasuke. You'll see."
And with those words, she left him alone again. Sasuke curled up into a ball as he watched the candle which still burned beside his bed. He didn't know if it had been short to begin with, but it was burning rather low now, and he did like a little bit of light around him in this new place – maybe if he asked Konan nicely later, she would replace it so it would definitely last a while longer.
She may be quite nice, Sasuke figured as he watched the flame flicker, but all the same, he missed his mother terribly. If she were alive, she would be sitting next to him, tenderly caressing him as she saw him off to sleep. In a soft voice that was little more than a whisper, she would wish him sweet dreams, and maybe she would sing a lullaby as well. Sasuke thought about it so intensely that he could hear her in his head, and it made him long for her so much that he nearly couldn't stand it. He whimpered and buried his face into the pillow. He missed his father too, despite certain hardships they had been through; there were many things he had wanted to ask him, and surely there had been many other things the man could have taught him besides the Great Fireball Technique.
But now none of that would ever come to be, and all that remained was the ghostly echo of his mother's voice as the last trace of something he had taken for granted, never imagining that it would get stolen from him so cruelly.
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When Konan caught up with Pein, he was facing a wall and repeatedly hit his forehead with his fist while muttering feverishly:
"Blew it, blew it, blew it…!"
Konan just shook her head before she interfered by catching the fist and thus thwarting Pein's attempts to cause more potential brain-damage to himself.
"Pein, cut it out. You didn't mess it up."
"Yes I did. You heard me."
"No you didn't."
"Yes I did!"
"No!" Konan insisted, shaking her head again. "Look, Sasuke doesn't think you're a goofball or anything. He respects your authority; he told me that just a moment ago."
"You think so?" Pein said thoughtfully.
"I don't think – I know."
The leader sighed. "If Kisame hadn't told me about our… «meeting» tonight, I wouldn't even have mentioned it. How often have I told him that we're not a club?!"
"I stopped counting ages ago," Konan confessed.
"I swear… I don't care if he's a shark or not, but sometimes he really does have the attention span of a goldfish!" Pein grumbled as the pair retreated to his office to do some paperwork.
Konan's only response was an amused laugh.
Please review - it would make me extremely happy! I'll reply instantly to all reviews I get before Friday, but after that, you might have to wait a while until I reply, because then I'll be on vacation for a week, and Mom already said that computers are strictly forbidden during that time. So yeah... that'll be tough, but trust me, I know better than to argue. Just wanted to let you guys know why certain responses would be delayed!
I hope all is well with everybody, and see you with the next installment!
~dd
