Ch6

Nagato's home had never felt so cold before, and that wasn't just because of cool nights, nor was it the cold walls of their new flat (if nothing else, the apartment itself preserved a temperature of over 25 degrees Celsius). No. That cutting chill was something he was feeling deep within his body and mind. And the reason for that was plain and simple…

Nagato's eyes left the bold headings of today's newspaper and glanced at the kids sitting silently before the TV screen, watching a silly cartoon. His gaze lingered on Kyuubi's back. The boy hadn't talked to him not once since that horrible night and Nagato had no idea how to approach him about it. The majority of his time Nagato spent thinking that the kid would soon stop giving him that cold shoulder and go back to his usual self, but that time never came; the boy continued ignoring him. At that moment something else had begun to bloom within Nagato's yearly harvest of rare emotions. It was heartache.

Rubbing his hand over his heart, Nagato grunted in annoyance at his own thoughts. This was ridiculous, since when had those feelings ever begun to matter at all?

A suddenly ring from his phone was just the distraction Nagato needed, though once he looked at the caller's name, he was having second thoughts. With a sigh he answered. "Yes, Jiraiya?"

…

"Where are we going now, Naga-chan?" Naruto fidgeted in his seat, barely containing his excitement at the thought of their trip. His brooding brother however was not. Kyuubi's eyes were fixed outside the window and glaring at every passing tree or car like it was his worst enemy.

Nagato glanced at them through the review mirror before focusing back on the road. "Just to a small gathering. I thought it would do you good to meet other people."

"Eh-eh? Who? Who?" pried Naruto, pushing himself against his buckled seatbelt to seat closer to Nagato.

Nagato had to wonder how the blond boy actually worked. After having lived through and witnessed so much traumatizing events in just one night, how was it possible for him to keep on smiling like that? Sure it might have already been over three days since that night, but still… "How do you function?"

Naruto tilted his head at the abrupt question, "Huh?"

Dismissing the thought with a shake of his head, Nagato answered Naruto's first question, "We're going to Jiraiya's."

"Eeeeeeeh? Why him?"

Nagato arched a brow at the pouting blond.

"What's wrong? Don't you like your uncle?"

"No." Naruto answered just a bit too quickly, "He always calls me mean names like 'little terror' or 'brat'."

"Hmm. Don't you call him names too?"

Naruto cocked his head to the side, looking cute and innocent. Nagato's eye twitched and his hands tightened around the wheel, if he didn't know those brats he would think it was all serene.

"I do?"

"You do."

"But Ero-Sennin IS his name." objected Naruto.

"Why would you think that?"

"Because he's a pervert."

Nagato set his mouth in a thin line, 'How the hell does he even know what a pervert is? What the hell Minato?!'

"All the ladies always call him by that name." the boy explained helpfully.

Nagato felt exasperated, he didn't what to hear anymore. Actually, more than anyone else, he should be well aware of his old mentor's antics; could even say that he was one of those who knew the old man the best. So it should be no surprise…

Stopping his car in front of the huge gates, above which ironed words spelled 'Sage Residence', Nagato had to wait just a few seconds before the camera on the right side of the post recognized him and his entry was confirmed. The gates opened and Nagato drove in.

…

The gathering was small indeed, but the class of people gathered was by no means labeled under the title 'small'.

Tsunade stopped in the middle of conversing with her two good friends Katsuyu and Shizune as soon as her eyes caught the arrived guests. Her small smile was not missed by two women and they also turned to see a handsome man entering the room with two boys closely following. Katsuyu was quick to coo over the cute twins, while Shizune's attention was taken by that nice built of a man.

"Who is that?" whispered Shizune, tucking the fallen strands of her short black hair behind her ear coyly.

Noticing her cheeks taking on a light pink hue at the presence of a stunning young man, Tsunade couldn't help but smirk at her curious apprentice in recognition. "Oh? Intrigued, are we?" she teased her.

"Tsu-Tsunade-sama!"

Tsunade chuckled at the shorthaired woman's reddened face. "I'm sorry, Shizune. But regrettably, he's not the man for you." said Tsunade, having a faraway look in her eyes.

"Eh?"

Looking at Nagato through lidded eyes, Tsunade spoke her next words in silent whisper, "Not that I would let you see him anyway. He's too hollow."

Shizune blinked in confusion, wondering what was her mistress saying.

"Nagato! Finally!" excusing himself from the men smoking outside in the backyard, Jiraiya closed the glass doors of veranda behind himself and went towards his awaited guests, his arms opened widely and invitingly. "Come here and give me a hug, you devil!"

A chill went down Nagato's back and he stepped back, bringing the unfortunate boys in front of him and letting them 'take the fall'.

Naruto and Kyuubi squeaked as they were suddenly enveloped into the big man's arms and pulled straight up in the air.

"My my, you two are so heavy! Gasp! Is it possible that Nagato is actually mothering you around, eh?" Jiraiya winked at Nagato, who on the other hand looked like he wanted to punch that 'funny' man in the face.

"Hey! Put me down, Ero-Sennin! You stink!" complained Naruto, not at all pleased to breathe in that strong body spray Jiraiya had dumped onto himself.

"STINK?! I'll have you know I smell like a man! Mou… Nagato, why don't you ever teach your kids to be nicer to me?"

"Aren't they already?" Nagato was not siding with Jiraiya on this one.

"Ha… ha… ha…" Jiraiya forced out a dry laugh, "You're funny, you know that?" Letting the boys go, Jiraiya grinned as they quickly scurried away and ran towards Tsunade, giving her a big hug. "Cute, aren't they?" seeing that strange look showing in Nagato's eyes, Jiraiya arched an inquisitive eyebrow. But it didn't take him long to realize the meaning behind that look; especially when he saw where Nagato was directing it. Though the question was why?

"How's that ID coming up?" suddenly asked Nagato, smacking Jiraiya away from his thoughts. The ID was meant for Nagato's other name, which is to be used as his primary alibi. Pain was a strange name to present himself as, but he liked it.

"Ah. Yes, it's almost done. Should be finished by tomorrow."

"Hn."

"Is everything alright, Nagato?" Jiraiya asked him carefully. "You look a bit lost there."

For once Nagato was surprised by the man's abrupt seriousness, but that was dropped once he realized that his teacher was once more trying to pry into things he should keep out of.

"Fine." Nagato actually hissed at the man and without another word walked further into the room.

Jiraiya sighed in exasperation. 'So it's gonna be one of those days again, huh?'

…

Naruto was a people person. Even since birth, he had that mysterious aura that attracted people to him without specific intentions, whether it was just to complement his cute looks, be fascinated by those large pools of eyes, or just to fall to his demanding screams. Tsunade chuckled to herself. She had yet to see a child who could be louder that this little goofball.

Her two friends were a perfect example to the boy's remarkable charms. The two females were long since swooped off their feet by that innocent urchin. 'That kid is going to become quite a ladies' man one day.' Tsunade thought to herself. If only he knew that…, but Tsunade was not going to raise the boy's ego, his ignorance was a pure weapon that he should keep intact.

Gathering a few of the scattered red locks with her two fingers, Tsunade hummed to herself while combing Kyuubi's hair into tight small braids. Kyuubi was calmly sitting between his aunt's legs while silently listening to Naruto's stories in the background. His audience – Katsuyu and Shizune – did not even seem to be paying much attention to it, rather than listening they were smiling at how cute the boy looked while having that spark in his eyes whenever he got into detail of his 'awesome' stories.

Compared to Kyuubi, Tsunade would not say that Naruto was all that different from his brother. Both were pretty jovial, stubborn and shrewd. Both tend to care for people they love, respect those they look up to and trust those who showed them reliance. But of course, there were characteristics they shared and there were characteristics they possessed individually. Unlike his brother, Kyuubi had more of a cynical and arrogant side to his character while Naruto's was purely ignorance and silliness. While Naruto was an outgoing person, Kyuubi was more of a conserved type of person, who did not let people in unless he felt like it. The boy partly reminded Tsunade of a certain punk sitting not far away from them in the same room.

Speaking of the punk, Tsunade was curious. Why was that usually unmoved man suddenly emitting those small waves of jealousy whenever he looked towards their direction? Did it really have something to do with hair? Her eyes suddenly widened in realization.

Kyuubi huffed as his eyes met his godfather's and he quickly looked away, his face making an ugly frown.

"Well I'll be…" Tsunade sent Nagato a cocky smirk. She could not help the small giggle, when Nagato 'tsk'-ed and quickly looked away from her. She knew that he knew that she knew what was bothering him so much. Poor man, he was probably having an emotion full war inside that hollow head of his.

"Ow! Grandma!" Kyuubi shot Tsunade an accusing glare when she pulled at his hair.

"A wind will blow on your face and you'll have that frown stuck for the rest of your life." Tsunade flicked Kyuubi on the forehead. Kyuubi rubbed his forehead before a red spot could appear. "Something you would like to tell me, young man?"

Kyuubi lowered his eyes back to the floor, his pout disintegrating under a sad look. "Nothing."

…

That pathetically glum look was starting to give Jiraiya a major headache. It was even distracting him from further discussing his favorite subject with Gamaken and Gamahiro. Their secretive subject being – pretty busty women. Well actually, it began as (and was supposed to be) a conversation about his next novel coming up, but somehow it just got to that point… as usual.

Excusing himself politely from the two men, who waved him off and decided to join the ladies in the living room, Jiraiya put up a warm smile and clapped Nagato on the shoulder, distracting the 'busy' man from glaring at whoever he deemed his 'enemy' for now (that being Tsunade). "Come. Let me get you something to drink."

Nagato's eyes linger on the boys for a few extra seconds before he followed the white-haired man into the kitchen. He had to remind himself that he could allow himself to keep calm and relaxed. He didn't have to worry about the boys' safety, not in this vicinity at least. Jiraiya's house was well known as one of the few most secure places in Japan. Yet as much as he wished to enjoy this rare chance of tranquility, there was one thing still lingering in mind (for the past few days it's been lingering). Pressuring, unresolved and frustrating…

"It's only human to feel emotion, Nagato. There's nothing wrong with that. It's not poisonous." said Jiraiya. Pouring himself and Nagato sake, Jiraiya handed it to the conflicted man.

Nagato took the glass with a small frown in place. "Emotions are a hindrance." he said, "It isn't the first time they caused me trouble in my field."

"In the field they might be a hindrance, but not when you're with the boys."

Nagato brought the glass to his lips, "Same thing."

Reproachful, Jiraiya shook his head, "Whoever taught you the meaning of life should be kicked in the nuts."

"It was you." Nagato reminded him unconsciously.

"Your first sensei is to blame there, not me!" Jiraiya gulped the drink loudly and mumbled under his breath, "That snake never knew the meaning of empathy in the beginning."

"Orochimaru was but a short-term informer and counselor, nothing more. He was never my sensei and you know it."

Jiraiya flinched, but was quick to color his words, "Yeah, but I taught you how to defend yourself and become a strong individual. Not to turn into a walking emotionless shell of a killing machine."

"And look how well that turned out," said Nagato nonchalantly, giving a false praise.

But the other man did not lose his spirit. "Haa… well, I still regret nothing." Jiraiya said with a huge grin, shocking and confusing Nagato as always. Even though he knew him well… in the end, Nagato never could understand that man's logic. One minute he's scolding him and the next he's shedding a tear of pride.

"It's not rocket science, you know," filling the empty glasses once more, Jiraiya didn't look up at Nagato as he spoke, "All it takes is just a few words."

Nagato's hand froze for a minute before grabbing the filled glass. There was no need to ask, he knew what his teacher was talking about; and as annoying as it might be, Nagato still had to applaud Jiraiya's bothersome perception skills. The bastard man was probably having a time of his life while watching Nagato struggle with an issue called 'family problems'. But it's not like he would give him such pleasure of actually admitting that he has one. "I don't know what you mean." He said while burning a hole on the table with his glare before moving to hopefully burn his teacher.

"Oh come now. It's child's play. Works like this: look!" pointing his fingers against his smiling lips, Jiraiya did a pathetic impression of a sorrowful man, "I'm soooooowwwy for being an ass, Kyuubiiiii. Ne?"

Nagato never looked more murderous.

"Oh god, such prideful entity you are." Jiraiya grabbed his glass and quickly walked out of the kitchen before Nagato's fingers decided to slip and that glass ended up in Jiraiya's eye. He'll pick another time to talk with him over the matter, but for now Jiraiya valued his life too much.

…

Naruto was very happy, because people around him were happy. But when he turned to his brother, he was disappointed to see him missing from the room. "Kyuubi?" Jumping off Katsuyu's lap, the blond skipped away from the grownups' circle, much to their chagrin, and called for his brother.

Nearly running into his aunt, Naruto looked up at her pleadingly, asking for his missing brother. Tsunade petted the blond locks and pointed outside the window. Kyuubi was out in the backyard and sitting next a pond. Jumping in joy, Naruto grabbed for the veranda door and was about to run into the yard, but stopped at the last moment. He looked to his right and spotted an old man sitting in a chair and smoking a pipe. The man didn't seem too interesting to get his attention, but what did was the thing sitting on the man.

Blowing a bubbly round of smoke from his mouth, Gamabunta opened his eyes and nearly choked on his pipe when he saw a gaping child leaning close to him and staring like no one's business.

"What the hell are you staring at, snot?"

That gruff voice of a smoking man quacking at Naruto was unheard by the boy, as the said boy was deeply transfixed by those round eyes staring at him from the top of the man's head. The thing with oval yellow eyes suddenly croak loudly at him.

"Mister." tugging on the man's pants, Naruto pointed at his bald head, "You have a frog on your head."

Gamabunta's eyes narrowed in anger. Why did that sentence sound like he was oblivious to the fact of someone sitting on his head! "Some nerve, brat! I know what's one my bloody head! And it isn't a frog. It's a toad."

Ignoring all signs screaming at him that the man was not pleased with his presence at all, Naruto just kept on talking. "Wow… seriously?!" his eyes shimmered in mirth. "I had no idea men could grow toads on their heads!"

"What the…?! Why you little twerp! It didn't grow on my head! It's just resting there!"

"Can I rest there too?"

"What?"

"I want to sit with Mr. Froggy on your head," innocent as the day, Naruto smiled and talked without thinking.

Gamabunta gave a loud laugh at the foolish idea. "What makes you think I would let a smelly brat like you sit on my head?"

"I'm not smelly," half glared, half pouted Naruto, "And my name's not brat. It's Naruto."

"Soup?"

"NO!" stomping his foot in anger, Naruto jabbed a thumb against his chest proudly, "I'm Namikaze Naruto! You'll do well to remember it!"

"And am I to know this name like it's something special?" Gamabunta was unimpressed. "Hah! What a laugh."

"Oh yeah!? Well just you wait, bald geezer! Namikaze name will become legendary in the wold!"

Gamabunta's eyes narrowed back in rage. Not even that broken mispronunciation of a word 'world' was doing any good in cheering the mood. "What did you call me!?"

…

Jiraiya chuckled in mirth when he entered the veranda. Gamabunta was grumpily resting in his chair, while trying to glare and not smile at the blond kid lying on the ground and playing with his pet toad. That boy worked in mysterious ways, Jiraiya had to admit. To have gained such privilege as actually touch Gamabunta's precious pet toad was otherworldly.

"Living a life I see." joked Jiraiya neighborly.

Gamabunta grunted in reply, "If you tell anyone, I will kill you."

Shaking his head, Jiraiya proceeded with his primary goal. Teasing the old frog could wait; he had a family to mend back together, and since Mr. Cool was not going to take the first step, he'd have to make the other party do it instead. And with gentle steps he approached the small back sitting by the pond.

…

Another rock splashed against the water and gently sank to the bottom to join its fallen brethren.

"Hey there little man!"

Kyuubi nearly jumped out of his skin, his gathered pebbles falling and scattering around. "W-wha? Ero-sennin?"

"Yo… wait! E-ERO? What the… Why?!"

Those sly purple eyes just blinked at him, shimmering in innocence and wonder. "I thought that's what everyone calls you?"

Jiraiya's eye twitched, ohhh, he knew those brats were beyond innocent. 'Little devils is what they are!' But now was not the time to start an argument, no matter how cruel it may be to let the brat get away with letting him call him Ero (of all things), Jiraiya was a man who could suck it up and continue on his way with his head held high! That's why he was so damn good, 'And good-looking too!'

"Ero-sennin? Is there something you need?"

'Oh right!' coming back from his fantasy filled head, Jiraiya crouched next to the small child sitting by the pond. "Mind if I sit by?"

Kyuubi shrugged and gathered his fallen pebbles, tossing them one by one into the water.

With a satisfied grunt, the man plopped on the dirt ground and pushed Kyuubi good-humoredly with his hips, getting himself some more space to sit and forcing Kyuubi to steady himself.

"Oi! What's the big idea, Ero-sennin?!"

Jiraiya grinned, glad that he got the boy's attention. "No particular idea, brat! Just felt like shaking this sulky drama queen right here."

Kyuubi was pouting without him even realizing it, "I'm not a drama queen."

"Oh? Could've fooled me. And here I thought it be a good idea to enroll you in one of the beauty pageants. I bet with that frown you would win any competition, with flying colors might I add."

"You're a jerk, Ero-sennin!" jumping to his feet, Kyuubi was ready to stomp away, but a large hand wounding itself around his midriff had him suddenly falling back and slamming into the laughing man's side.

"Now-now… don't be like that. You know that I'm only teasing you."

Kyuubi crossed his arms and shot his nose to the side.

"But seriously. Why such a long face, Kyuubi? Don't you know that ladies hate a brooding man?"

"I don't care."

"Such a big boy act is unbecoming of you. It's not cute at all."

Kyuubi glared at his uncle.

"And neither is this unnecessary grumpiness you have going."

Kyuubi looked away, refusing to say a word, even when Jiraiya joined his silence and just petted his head lightly. The man wasn't saying anything anymore, just waited for the boy to finally open up without him prodding. And Jiraiya was not disappointed when sooner than expected, Kyuubi began talking.

Covering his eyes behind his bangs, Kyuubi nibbled on his bottom lip. "Ero-sennin. Why does he hate us?"

Jiraiya didn't have to ask whom the boy was referring to. "Nagato doesn't hate you."

"Yes! He does! He doesn't want us!" argued Kyuubi, but silenced his voice when he saw his uncle's reproving look. "He said so himself. He yelled at us. He… he scared Naruto… … scared me."

Jiraiya sighed. He could not say anything to brighten Nagato's faded colors there. Nagato had fucked up bad in that perspective. But that's just how he was, though the boy didn't know it. Placing his hand on Kyuubi's head, Jiraiya fiddled his hair lightly, but not harsh enough to mess up the tight braids Tsunade had braided for the boy. "Take it easy on the old man. It's very hard for him to show emotions."

"He doesn't have any." Finding a pebble by his feet, Kyuubi threw it into the water angrily.

"Ohoho… you have no idea, boy, just how much of those he actually has." laughed Jiraiya. "You and Naruto might not see it, but he does care for you, more than you will ever know."

"He's never happy."

"He doesn't want to show it in front of people, but he is happy on the inside."

"He has no emotions."

"He's coping."

"He's rude."

"Not on purpose."

"He's mean."

"He's protective."

Kyuubi hissed at his uncle, his mind splitting in two while searching for something else to reproof his godfather about, "His cooking sucks."

At that Jiraiya simply burst out laughing. "Give him a chance, Kyuubi. You might be surprised just how much you're going to find out about him once you get to know him."

Kyuubi didn't talk for a while. "I don't think I want to know him more than I do."

Jiraiya smiled sympathetically and encircled his arm around the silent boy, hugging Kyuubi close. "Be patient with him. He's not as bad as you think."

"… He shot a person, Ero-sennin."

That's something Jiraiya did not know. "What?"

…

"You killed a man in front of the kids!?"

Nagato blinked at his baffled teacher. The man suddenly came barding into the room, invaded his personal space and started spitting into his face with a deafening shout.

"Why suddenly so surprised? Did you not know?"

"NO! I thought you were just your usual ass self!"

"So much for knowing everything, huh?"

Jiraiya was not in the mood for Nagato's sarcasm. "Nagato! What the hell were you thinking!?"

"I was thinking how to not get those brats placed at gunpoint. Perhaps if you were around, you would have been able to suggest me a better idea on how I should have proceeded with my actions, don't you think?"

"Don't turn this on me!"

"Don't teach me how to do my job!"

Tsunade and the guests fidgeted in their seats, the atmosphere in the room was radiating a bad vibe from those two men. Unless they speak up, there will be little to nothing stopping those two from blowing the entire house up.

"Naga-chan?" Jiraiya and Nagato stopped arguing when they heard Naruto's voice.

The small blond was dragging his feet while rubbing his sleepy eyes, clearly exhausted for the day and willing to sleep. "'m tired. Can we go now?"

From the corner of his eye, Nagato saw Kyuubi also coming back from the yard while covering his wide yawn with a hand.

"Yes." Nagato met Naruto halfway and picked him up; his eye twitching in irritation when he heard the women awing in the background. "We'll show ourselves out, Jiraiya. Good night."

"No." said Jiraiya. "You will spend the night here. I don't want you driving home this late. Come, I'll show you to the guestroom."

Nagato frowned at his teacher, still feeling a bit underestimated by Jiraiya's unmotivated accusations from before, but nodded nonetheless. The kids needed a goodnight's sleep.

"Come, Kyuubi." looking behind himself, Nagato made sure that the redhead was following. Halfway up the stairs, Nagato nearly dropped Naruto in surprise when he suddenly felt Kyuubi grab a hold of his shirt. The boy wasn't looking at him and Nagato didn't dare look back. The situation was awkward for both prideful parties, which they could respect each other about later on.

Kyuubi didn't understand much from that whole grownup bullshit, but maybe, just maybe, Nagato had a reason to do as he had done that night. His brother might have been pretty clueless to realize just how much of a price Nagato was paying when he had taken the life of those men, but Kyuubi knew that it was not something to be considered as normal. Killing wasn't a good thing. People didn't kill other people for no reason. That time, Kyuubi understood that Nagato had to do so to save them, but seeing the ease with which he had handled that actually scared him a bit. Did that mean Nagato had killed someone before? Was he a bad man? Because bad men in movies were always those who killed and robed; and their stories never ended happily. Was Nagato a bad man?

Kyuubi looked up at his sleeping brother. Naruto's hands were dropped lazily around Nagato's neck, his cheek pressed snuggly against the man's strong shoulder, the lashes of his eyes closed gently, unmoving and not flickering. Kyuubi felt the ease his brother was radiating whenever he was close to Nagato. The trust he was showing was given to the man completely and without hesitation. If there's something Kyuubi knew best about his brother, is that he knew people who could be trusted and would not harm him. Nagato might have yelled and scared them a bit yes, but he had never had any intention on truly harming them. That was true and yet, Kyuubi had to wonder again, was Nagato still a bad guy?

Reaching out his hand, Kyuubi fisted his fingers into his godfather's shirt. No. He did not believe he was bad. That's why he refused to lose sight of him.

Looking behind him, Jiraiya hid a small smirk when he saw Kyuubi keep close to Nagato, even though with gritted teeth and a conflicted look, Kyuubi was okay to take the first step in settling their differences. The boy was very strong. 'That's my boy.'

…

Thick smoke from a cigar filled the dark room, its stingy nicotine smell crawling around the air before dissolving into nothingness. "This little shit is ruining my reign!" A small reading lamp on the table flickered slightly as a fisted hand sudden slammed against the table, forcing the desk to shake and the cup of steaming coffee drop and spill on the white carpeted floor. The man sitting in a plush chair by the desk took another long drug from the cigar, his fat fingers tapping the ashes off. "I don't care what he is. Either take care of it or I will! / I want him gone from this world, understood!?" His fingers tightened around the cellphone before he tore it away from his ear and yelled into the speaker, "YOU FUCKIN' WEAKLING! DON'T EVEN BOTHER COMING BACK OR I'LL END YOU!" ending the call, the man dropped his cellphone on the table and turned his chair to face the window behind him.

"Boss?" two other men in the room waited patiently for their leader's verdict. Their postures stood straight and unmoving before the man's desk.

Throwing his cigar out the window, the so-called boss rose from the chair and face his bodyguards; his slight body not even reaching the tall back of his chair, much less the tall men before him.

"This Pain is becoming a meddlesome hurdle to my business."

"Are we to take care of him, Lord Gatou?" a pale skinned man, slightly shorter compared to the one next to him, asked, his beady black eyes hungering to shed some blood.

Gatou pushed his round glasses up his nose. "No, you're not." Grabbing the dark wooden cane lying across the table, the man headed for the exit; his two bodyguards hot on his heel.

"What's the plan then? As far as I heard, Pain is no pushover."

"Pfff. Don't you dare compare those second-rate Hanzou underlings to me, Zouri. I'm more than doubtful that that bastard Pain can even reach our standards," gloated the second bodyguard. The man was tanner than his partner and had more of a build to his body. His brown hair was slicked back and parted by three knots; the black eye patch on his right eye giving him a sinister look in the eyes of his targets. "I could cut him in half with one eye closed."

Zouri rolled his eyes at his irritably arrogant partner. He knew damn well that Waraji had just one eye, and based on his logic, what he was saying is that he could kill Pain with both his eyes closed.

Gatou laughed maliciously. "Don't be so impatient, you two. Naturally, we're not going to just sit idly by and do nothing. I have a different task for you two." Locking the door to his office closed, Gatou walked the long corridors of the Gatou Company, the rest of its offices long since closed and vacant for the day, only just a couple of night guards were seen here and there walking the halls and checking the grounds.

"Oh? But what about that Pain guy?" asked Waraji, clearly disappointed that he was not going to be the one to meet up with the infamous man, who was both a nothing and everything in the dark underworld.

"I wouldn't worry about him if I were you. Besides, why should we dirty our hands on such an insignificant individual if there are so many other pawns ready to do that for us?"

"Who do you plan on sending after him, Lord Gatou?" wondered Zouri.

Pushing the tip of his cane against the elevator button, Gatou replied, "An old acquaintance, who owes me a great debt. Zabuza Momochi."