Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. No, really I don't.

Konan's room was Medium in size, painted a light green with light wooden floors. Her room was very feminine with a full sized bed covered with a dark blue comforter and a few pillows, a desk near the window with stacks of different colored papers on it, a purple rug covering most of the exposed floor in front of the bed and a closet with mirror attached to it by the desk and another door just off to the side of the bed which I assumed was the bathroom. But the thing I liked most about her room was the creamy colored paper lanterns that lit her room up with a soft glow across the ceiling.

"Do you like it?" she asked.

"It's very pretty." I agreed.

"Thank you, you wouldn't believe what I had to do in order to let Kakuzu let me buy all these things to put in my room and the lanterns were a bit tricky to make."

I looked the room over again, it was pretty but it was simple and empty. There was no messiness or a lot of personal possessions like my room…

"We'll be sharing a bed unless you'd rather sleep on the floor…" she trailed off.

"You made the lanterns?...wait what!?!"

The sentences meaning hit me like a ton of bricks. I would have to sleep with a criminal, no way was I gonna sleep in the same bed! Even if she was a girl!

"There is no way I'm sleeping with you!" There was suddenly loud laughter after my sentence. I realized a moment too late what that comment sounded like.

"Ha ha ha ha! Konan's ga-gay! Ha ha ha ha!!!" it was the blonde man/woman again standing in the door way behind us. I turned beet red at the comment.

"Deidara." She greeted him/her.

Their laughter died down,"Wow Konan-san, and here I thought you had a thing for leader-sama." Konan blushed a delicate pink.

"So what brings you to my room Deidara?" she asked.

"I came to see how she was doing,un." He gestured over to me. Why were they talking about me like I wasn't here?

"Ummm, hellooo, I'm right here ya know." I glared at them.

"I doubt that, why are you really here?"

"Hmph, I was just curious to see who she would be assigned to." He stated.

"Well, now you know. So if you don't mind I still have a tour to give, excuse us." She grabbed my hand and pulled me with her right past this Deidara person and down the hall.

Weird and I thought most people got along with they're partners in crime. "Do you not get along with," I didn't want to use the name but I couldn't say him or her since I still wasn't one hundred percent sure if said person was a man or woman either.

"Deidara? I get along fine with him."

"So it is a man?!" 'The dude was prettier than me!'

" You thought he was a she?" Laughter bubbled up from her. "Don't let him hear you confused him for a girl."

I didn't say anything to that. " Where are you taking me now?" I was tired and starving. I don't know how much longer I would last before passing out.

"To the kitchen to get you something to eat. You didn't eat much when you were down there." She stated seriously.

"I didn't decide I could live on water remember." I muttered. She ignored me.

I followed her in to a big spacious kitchen. It looked like a kitchen you would find in a restaurant. A lot of chrome and smelled like dish water. She sat me at the counter and walked over to the fridge to rummage around in there. She pulled out a white container and placed it in front of me.

"Sorry but this is all we have that's still good."

I opened the container to reveal some type of meat and vegetable mixture. I smelled it, it smelled like it's been in there awhile. "Uhhh, no thanks."

"Suit yourself, but we don't have many subordinates here and we don't really cook since we're usually not here all the time."

"Why? Are you away kidnapping other girls?" I said acidly.

She sighed and said, "Please eat, you're welcome to try and find something else in here but there isn't much."

She headed for the door then paused to turn to me and say "Don't leave the kitchen til I get back."

"Where are you going?"

"I have a meeting with… never mind just don't leave the kitchen." She turned back around and left.

Okay, that was weird. I got up to look around the place. It was nothing special a lot of pots and pans some spices and raw vegetables but that was about it. She wasn't kidding when she said there wasn't anything in here. My stomach grumbled, I guess a few carrots and water would have to do. How did those girls who were skinny as a twig think they were fat and survive on a grape for a week?! I went to wash the vegetables in the sink only to stop immediately. The water wasn't clear it was a light milky gray color. "Ewww, that's disgusting!" Didn't they have decent plumbing? Maybe taking a shower later wasn't such a good idea.

"What's disgusting?"

"Ahhhhhhhh!!!" I yelled.

"What!?!"

"Oh it's you." It was kisame.

"What are you doing in here?" he questioned.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Heh, are you always this annoying."

I thought about that, "…Yes…" I turned back around to look for a knife in one the drawer's intent on peeling them instead of having to wash them.

"You should know better than to turn your back on an Akatsuki member."

I froze in place when I felt something cold and sharp against the back of my neck. I turned my head to the side just a fraction to speak to him, hesitantly I softly asked," I-is that what you call yourselves?"

"Are you really from the Leaf?" it was a rhetorical question. "Jeez, they make anyone a ninja these days."

"Uh, c-cou-could you um please remove the knife?" My words came out in small whisper, I was too scared to make them sound strong and firm.

He let out a few chuckles and I felt the cold metal leave my skin. I let out a large breath and slowly twisted around to look at him, he was rummaging in one of the cabinets.

"Uh, thank you, I guess?" I said. He paused for a second with what he was doing but didn't say anything. I stood there for a moment then turned back to the drawers, I looked through almost all of them till I found one, it was a bit rusty. I sighed in defeat, I guess I'd be eating them like that. I sat down again and picked up the carrot, I was about to bite in to it when I lost my appetite. I knew I should have been eating the vegetable like a starving rabbit but I just felt sick. What was I doing here? I should be figuring out an escape plan not sitting here and acting like everything was fine. Heck, Kisame's little knife trick proved everything wasn't all right.

I got out of my seat abruptly and made for the kitchen doorway. "Where are you going?" kisame asked.

"Uhhhh, the…bathroom…?" I covered up the urge to scratch my head.

"…Do you even know where to find it?"

"Che tch pssh, of course, uh, Konan-san showed me." I said nervously.

"Really? Maybe I should take you there just in case." He narrowed his eyes at me. Darn it! He was suspicious!

"Sure, that would be helpful." I said slowly.

He walked over to me and motioned for me to follow him. We walked down the hall which was bare like most hallways here, just wall and floor. Surprisingly the bathroom was just down the hall and around the corner.

"I'll wait out here for you." Kisame leaned against the opposite wall of the bathroom.

"You don't have to." I said trying really hard to keep the annoyed tone out of my voice. He just tightened his mouth and gave me a you've-got-to-be-kidding-look. *sigh* Whatever.

I walked inside and made sure to lock the door behind me. The bathroom was relatively small painted completely white with gray tiling for the floor. Equipped with a toilet, sink, a towel and rack there wasn't anything else to look at. Jeez these people had no personality. Anyone else would decorate their house, make it their own but these guy's…whatever, I don't have time for this! I looked around the room again and noticed the window above the toilet. It was small, reachable, but small. Then again… so was I. I smiled to myself, I'm a genius.

Making sure the toilets lid was down and there was nothing I could knock down I climbed on top of it and stepped up to the window. I looked outside I couldn't see much, just a lot of snow and trees. The window was one that had a latch on it, easy right, even a monkey could figure how to open it. But the stupid latch wouldn't budge! What the heck! Why is it every time I try to put a plan into action it's stopped before it could even start! ARRRGGHHH!!! Why?! Why?! Why?! I was banging my head against the window with every Why?! I thought, I didn't care if fish face could hear me or not.

As if he heard me thinking *Knock Knock* there was a pause,"What are you doing in there?"

"Nothing! I'm uh shaving?" I face palmed myself at the sheer stupidity of my excuse.

"… Okaaay…" he sounded weird.

I pushed at the latch harder, c'mon you dumb thing! Move! I pushed and pushed but it wouldn't move. I tried to push the window then, thinking it might be stuck on something. I got nada. Darn it! Well I couldn't break it, not unless I wanted shark boy to bust in on me and throw me back in that cell or worse kill me! So that idea was out. What else was there to do? I could… I was out of ideas.

I heard knocking again, "Just a second!" I pushed at the window harder, I was this close to freedom no way was I letting this chance go! The knocking got a little louder and more insistent.

"Hold on a sec!" I heard muffled voices and the door handle rattle, oh snap! The handle rattled a little more then twisted, I pushed at the window in pure desperation. The door swung open a little more forcefully than necessary and I froze.

"What are you doing?" I turned my head to see who spoke, it was Konan with Kisame looking in behind her.

"I uh wanted some fresh air…" I pointed to the window. They both glanced to the window then looked back to me with narrowed eyes.

"You were trying to escape." Konan said it deadly calm, I shivered at the tone.

"I was not!" I was lying through my teeth, and they knew it.

I slowly got off the toilet to stand back on the tiled floor. I didn't know why though, I was already dead so why not break the dang window and try to escape but maybe it was because of something in their expressions that was holding me back from doing exactly that. Konan stepped in to the room and slowly made her way over to stand in front of me. We were about the same height she was just an inch or so taller than me, but strangely I felt threatened. I thought back to what Kisame had said before, about them being able to kill me before I knew what had happened. Could this woman really kill me without even thinking twice about it? I felt her movement before anything else and tightly shut my eyes. I did not want to see whatever she was going to use to kill me with and silently prayed it would be a quick and painless death.

I thought I was prepared for pain, a lot of pain but when nothing came I opened my eyes to the unexpected, She gently grabbed my forearm and pulled me with her out of the bathroom.

"What are yo-" she glared at me for a moment before facing the front again, a clear warning not to talk. I soon found myself back in Konan's room. She led me to the middle of the room and pivoted around to face me. She was ticked, great.

"Look I'm sor-" *SLAP* the sound rang in my ears and I gingerly touched my stinging cheek. And it wasn't some weak pat on the cheek either! The force of the slap actually made my head turn to the side! In that moment all I could keep thinking was she smacked me! She really smacked me!!! SHE SMACKED ME!!!!

I have no idea what possessed me to do this but I was so angry I smacked her back! Or tried to.

"What were you thinking?!" she asked angrily. She blocked my attempt then pushed my hand away from her face like it was a two year olds arm.

"Oh, I don't know! Maybe I just wanted to get away from people like you!!!"

"So you were trying to escape." She said much calmer now. I just got angrier.

"Of course I was!!! Can't you see I want to go back to the village!!! You said I was going to kill you a few days ago but I haven't even heard of you til a few minutes ago!!! What will it take to get through your heads that I'm no threat to you!!!"

"Were not keeping you here because you're a threat." She said it so quietly I paused my ranting.

"Then why are you keeping me here?! I've got nothing to offer you!" I fumed.

"…"

"Well?!"

"I don't think I can tell you."

"You don't think you can tell me?!" I was confused and mad now.

"More like I don't have permission."

"Oh, so you need permission to tell me what's going on with my life?! From who?!" I turned my head to the side and I noticed the door was still open and no one was outside.

"..." she pressed her lips together. That small gesture alone made me so angry I just threw all my self preservation out the window and bolted for the door. I could care less if they tried to kill me I wasn't gonna stay here another minute!

I ran down hallways as fast as I could while opening random doors that might lead me out side. So far Konan wasn't following me but that didn't mean I was safe yet. I rounded a corner saw a flash of yellow and smacked right in to someone. Crap!

"That hurt, un!" Deidara…

I sat up to find I was straddling him, if I was in any other situation I would be mortified but right now I was really afraid and desperate to leave this place! I jumped off of him and started to run again.

"Hey, come back and apologize, un!" he started to run after me. I increased my pace trying to outrun him but just like last time he was just as fast or faster I thought. I could hear his rapid footsteps come closer to me I tried running faster and then felt something grab the back of my dirty shirt.

"AH!" I leaped away from him but he leapt with me. My breath left my body in a big woosh when we both hit the floor. It probably had something to do with him landing right on top of me! I sat up as much as a person with a blonde man on top of them could and tried to pull myself out from under him. I stiffened when I felt him press down harder on me and felt his steady breathing on the back of my neck.

"This is the second time I've had to chase you."

"Let's not make it a habit shall we. Can you get off me?" My voice came out weak and breathless.

"Not yet, I want to know why you were running, un." Of course…

"To get away from people like you, now get off!" I wheezed out. He rolled off and stood up beside me. I just laid there trying to catch my breath and glared at his feet.

"What's going on? Oh, you found her." it was Konan. I dropped my head on to the floor trying to disappear in to it.

"What d'ya mean found her?"

"She tried to escape out the bathroom window, and when I punished her for it, she got angry and tried to fight back then tried running away."

"Pretty determined aren't we?" he bent down to my level and continued, "Why don't you just give up, un?" He paused "You still haven't apologized to me." He said. I was silent.

I felt pain in the back of my head suddenly and understood that someone was pulling my hair. I looked up see his face only an inch away from mine.

"Look at me when I'm talking, un. Now apologize."

I kept my mouth shut and glared at him, his answer was to tighten his grip on my already mistreated tresses.

"Say sorry, un!"

"No." My face made contact with the floor all of a sudden and exploded with pain while tears pricked the corners of my eyes. Deidara had bashed my head into the wooden floor. As he pulled me back up I smelt the blood running down my face rather than felt it. The salty/metallic scent nauseated me.

"How about now?!"

"Deidara, Pain's orders…"

I stubbornly shook my head, I was definitely not going to say sorry now. I expected him to make me kiss wood again instead he released my hair and kicked me in the stomach. My eyes automatically watered as the wind was knocked out of me again.

"Deidara!" I heard someone say. The room was spinning too much and my brain was throbbing too hard for me to concentrate on who it was. I held my stomach like it would decide to fall out of my body as I tried to fill my burning lungs with much needed oxygen. Someone pushed my hands off my abdomen and replaced them with theirs. The next thing I knew I was being lifted up and carried down the hall. To where, I could care less at the moment. All I knew was that I just wanted to dig a deep hole and lay in it, away from everything and everyone right now.

The person holding me put me on something soft and slightly cold. What was it? My eyes were too blurry to see through. Something wet patted my face, I flinched away from it.

"It stings." I moaned out.

"You've got a nasty cut on your forehead and on your cheek, they can get infected if we don't clean them ." I was beginning to recognize the voice, Konan. Did she carry me here? I pushed the thought to the back of my mind.

"What happened to blondie?" I tried blinking away the cloudiness in my eyes to see her better. She was frowning slightly and was holding a piece of cloth putting some ointment on it, I could only guess it was anti-bacterial cream or something.

"Kisame pulled him away from you while Kakuzu carried you back to our room. He's probably remodeling a part of the forest with his clay right now." She said dryly.

"Clay?" how does someone remodel with clay? I got no answer. She dabbed at my cheek, "Ow!"

"It's your own fault, you should've just said you were sorry and none of this would've happened."

"Sorry, if I was angry and I have no respect for people that kidnap me."

"See you can apologize, just take away the sarcasm and the unnecessary hatred and you'll do fine." I pushed her hand away and sat up.

"What do you mean I'll do fine?" she got up from her seat on the bed taking the cloth and some wet bloodied rag with her. She walked over to the door I guessed was the bathroom earlier. Opening the door and disappearing in side I could hear the sound of a cabinet opening and rummaging. I gently touched my face where I felt most of the pain coming from. It hurt like crazy, like I got hit in the face by baseball bat.

Konan came back out of the bathroom with bandages and medical tape. She sat back down next to me and proceeded to bandage my cuts. I resisted asking her if she had any Band-Aids, I wasn't sure if they had any here.

"Are you going to tell me what you meant or what?"

She sighed and said, "You still have to say you're sorry."

"What?! No way! After all that! There's no way on earth I'd ever say sorry to that blonde psycho!"

"As long as you are here you'll have to do a lot of things you'd rather not. I suggest you come to terms with this matter now before someone else does something even worse to you."

"Oh so what he did isn't as bad as it could've been! Is that what you're saying?!" I was close to losing it again.

"It's exactly what I'm saying, the Akatsuki are criminals Kairi. We are dangerous S-rank criminals that care little about anyone or anything besides ourselves. What makes you think they won't hesitate to harm or kill you if you get on their bad side." I didn't argue with her there. She got up again, put the left over bandages on the desk and walked out of the room. I heard the lock click and was left once again in a prison. Sure it was an upgrade but a cage was a cage right? But I couldn't help but wonder why she even bothered to patch me up. She had nothing to gain by showing me any kindness. I doubted she wanted to be friends. She just said she only cared for herself so why…*sigh* I decided to take a look at the damage done to me.

Getting off the bed I walked in to the assumed bathroom and switched the light on. It was small, painted white and had blue tiles for the floor. With a bath and shower on one side of the room. A nice sink and counter with a mirror and cabinet on each side of it on the other side. The toilet was against the wall in the middle with a rack of a range of white colored towels above it.

Walking over to the mirror I studied my reflection. I had a bandage covering the left part of my forehead and another one on my left cheek bone. I winced a the thought of all the bruising I'd have. I pulled my shirt/dress up to see my stomach, it was red and sore…another bruise, great. I frowned as I looked myself over again. I was dirty, with dark circles under my eyes and really pale almost translucent. I ran my hand through my grimy hair and sighed. I didn't want to shower in a place like this, especially after this incident plus the dirty water was making me a little cautious.

Turning to the shower I decided I would see what the water was like first. If it was nasty I'd wash in the sink if not I'd take a quick shower. I started the water and was thankful when the water was clear and warm. I stripped off my clothes and jumped in the tub, I saw no soap and I wasn't sure if the only two bottles on the corner of the tub were shampoo and conditioner. I rubbed every inch of skin I had clean with the small wash cloth I found, opening one the bottles I sniffed the liquid inside it, it smelled like water lilies and white tea, it didn't smell bad so I guess it was okay to wash my hair with. I poured some out and scrubbed my scalp and hair til I thought they were sweat and dirt free. Rinsing the last of the suds off I stopped the flow of water and got out of the tub. Grabbing a towel to dry myself I was careful to mind my stomach and face. Once that was done I grimaced cause I would have to put my sweaty bloodstained clothes on again.

The shower had cleansed my body but for some reason I still felt a little dirty, I had showered almost as if I was on autopilot. Usually when I showered I could relax as if all of the days stress went down the drain along with the build up of muck and grime I had collected on to myself. But this had done nothing to relax me, in fact I felt more anxious than before.

Stepping back into the bedroom I made sure the bandages were still in place than laid down on my side for a much needed nap. I couldn't help but be childish and hope that the next time I woke up it would be to Mina's face and not Konan's.

Mina P.O.V.

I don't know why but all of a sudden I got this bad feeling. I was sleeping peacefully in our apartment when I suddenly woke up feeling like something bad happened. I looked over to the night stand in my small bedroom to see the alarm clock; it was five-thirty in the evening. I left Sakura and Ino at the shop three hours ago. I looked around the room slowly, my dresser at the opposite side of the room, the small pile of clothes I had to wash near the bedroom door, twisting my head to the other side of the room I paused at my window. My bed is about three feet away from it. I got up to look outside half expecting to see Freddie Kruger ready to jump out at me. Yanking the dark green drapes open all I saw was the half way set sun and the roof tops of other buildings. I yawned and shook the feeling off, it was probably something I ate. I reclosed the drapes and dropped back down on my bed planning to get back to dream land.

*Knock Knock* someone knocked on the glass of my window, Grrrrrrrr, "Who is it?!"

"It's me Sakura." her voice was a little muffled. Huh? "May I come in?"

I punched my mattress in disappointment before opening the window for her.*sigh* I sat back down on the bed as she climbed in side.

"I just saw you a few hours ago, is there somewhere else you want to take me?" I yawned out.

"…" she looked upset.

I got up to see her better and asked. "Did you and Ino fight about something?" She shook her head.

"Did you kill a kitten?" she shook her head.

"Well I give up, are you going to tell me what's wrong Sakura?" I never liked guessing games.

"…" she lowered her head. I started to tap my foot, I wasn't a very patient person.

"Look you're my friend and whatever you have to tell me must be important so spill it already." Sakura bit her lip for a second before nodding to me.

Looking back up she said, "It's about Kairi."

I stood up straighter, "What about her?"

"Tsunade-shishou got news about her…"

"And?!" I stepped closer to her.

"We were informed by an eye witness that Kairi was killed."

Dun Dun Dun, *gasp* Kairi's Dead! Oh snap! :0 Who killed her?! But she was just alive a P.O.V. ago!.....Something is very suspect!

Until next time on A Teen in a Ninja's World...

Please Reveiw!