I noticed that I tend to fixate on describing cities in my writing. Setting in general, but cities in particular. Like, a little too much. It's probably superfluous at this point. (But I'll probably keep doing it anyway.)
I even managed to add a little bit of Itachi this time.
As always, this fic is now primarily hosted on Archive of Our Own. Check there for revised chapters and a chronological reading order guide. My username is MajesticFlyingWalrus.
Asaya stared perplexed at her transcription notes from the Demonic Statue of the Heretical Path. Or, as she liked to call it, the Doomsday Idol. She fancied herself clever. One sequence she had been able to decipher and translate the majority of, but a few key symbols eluded her. This was the closest she had come to completing anything and it drove her mad. She would like to at least accomplish something.
They had set up a desk and chair for her in the cave with the statue so she could work more effectively. They had also given her all the notepaper and pens she could ever ask for. A number of them were emptied and dry at this point. Each piece of paper and its contents seemed to blur together in her mind, creating one large, abstract collage. She looked up at the statue, contemplating inspecting it again for a new clue. If it hadn't worked the last three dozen times, why wouldn't it work the three-dozenth-and-first time?
Konan, who watched her for hours a day, sat in her own chair. Asaya was a little jealous that hers had a cushion. Sometimes Konan read a book or thumbed through some papers, but most of the time she just looked bored. Asaya felt bad that she was stuck here with her all the time.
Except on the days when they let her rest. They were generous enough to regularly give her days to herself. Although, she couldn't go anywhere and she didn't have anything to do, really. It was almost worse. She had thought a lot about what the city beneath her room might be like. She could only look down at it from the window, so high up that she couldn't read the street or shop signs below.
A loud knock came through the door, startling Asaya back to the present. No one had ever knocked on that door before.
Unphased, Konan said, "Come in."
The door swung open, nearly flying off its hinges. "Hello!" A strange man- and he was definitely a man, as he was too tall and lean to be a child- wearing an all-black outfit and a spiraled, orange mask burst into the cave. "Ms. Konan, I haven't seen you in so long," he exclaimed in a nasal, artificially high-pitched voice.
"What are you doing here?" Konan asked, clearly unenthused.
"Ah, yes, well, Tobi heard that something exciting was happening here, so he came to see with his own eyes- or eye," the man said and pointed at the single hole in his mask.
Asaya stared at him in disbelief with her mouth slightly agape.
"You must be the new person," he spotted Asaya. He hurried over to her desk and peered at her scattered notes. "What's all this?" He picked up one of her notebooks and flipped to a random page and examined it by holding it wide open and level to his face with his two arms stiffly parallel to the ground. "These characters are weird. Did you make them up?"
"Could I have that back, please?" Asaya said, studying the man. All but the top of his short cut black hair was obscured. He even had black gloves covering his hands. He wasn't wearing an Akatsuki cloak, nor did he have a ring, which meant that he wasn't a member. So, what was he doing here?
Asaya looked to Konan to assess her reaction to the stranger's arrival and intrusion into her work on the statue. The blue-haired woman seemed as indifferent as always, which meant that this man was a known quantity to her, that she knew him well enough that his antics weren't unexpected and he wasn't unwelcome. He was just obnoxious. "Do you know him, Konan?"
"Yes, this is Tobi," Konan replied. "He is not an official member of our organization, but we find him useful from time to time. Isn't that right, Tobi?"
"Yes, but I'd actually like to be a member of the Akatsuki one day," he bashfully scratched his cheek, "They just don't have an opening right now. They only have ten slots, you see, and they're all full. Well, technically nine. One guy who used to be a member left but he never returned his ring, so I can't replace him unless-"
"That's enough, Tobi," Konan scolded before he could reveal too much.
"Sorry, Mis Konan, I'll be good and watch what I say more carefully. I promise!" Tobi said then turned back to Asaya, the stolen notebook still in his hand. "Anyway, it's nice to meet you. What's your name?"
"My name is Asaya. It's nice to meet you, too, Tobi. Can I please have that back?"
Tobi stared at the notebook in his hand, seemingly having forgotten it was there. "Oh, sorry, here you go."
"Thank you," Asaya gently took the notebook from him and rolled the newly-wrinkled corner over the edge of the desk to flatten it again. She wasn't sure what to make of Tobi. He seemed like a happy idiot. Someone the Akatsuki found easy to control. But he must have some useful skill for them to keep him around. "What did you say you do again? Sorry, I must have missed it," Asaya asked with a polite smile.
"Little old me?" Tobi placed both hands on his hips. "I just run errands and help out when they need me to. Nothing that special or important. How about you? What are you working on, Miss. Asaya?"
Asaya glanced again at Konan to wordlessly ask if it were alright to answer, to which Konan gave a slight nod. "I'm trying to unseal this statue." She glanced towards the ancient monstrosity.
"Oh, wow! That must be really complicated!" Tobi said, looking back and forth at her and the statue. "You must be super talented and smart to do something like that." His words carried the fascination of a child at the zoo.
"Not at all. I'm just doing what I can for now."
"So modest. That's a very lady-like quality. I bet you know everything."
"I really don't. There's much more I don't know, otherwise I wouldn't still be working."
"Have you tried going to the library? They have lots of information there. Tobi was just there last week."
Asaya's brow twitched sharply at the peculiarity of his words. "That's a very helpful suggestion. Thank you. But I'm not permitted to explore the city."
"Why? Did you do something bad? Are you grounded? That's ok, Tobi can bring stuff back for you. Tobi likes helping his friends."
Asaya visually referred back to Konan. Was she really alright with this ingratiating buffoon trying to get involved? "That's very kind of you to offer, but they wouldn't have quite what I need."
"Awww, Tobi just wanted to help." Asaya couldn't see his face, but his pout was evident in his voice.
"Actually, that isn't a bad idea, Tobi," Konan interjected.
"I'm sorry?" Asaya blinked.
"Tobi is excellent at retrieving things for us. And you've said you would like to research Iwa's libraries. Why not send Tobi to bring back what you need?" Konan suggested.
"That'd be a little more dangerous than a jaunt across town, don't you think? He'd have to infiltrate Iwa, and the collections are guarded. It's extremely dangerous."
"Then worst-case scenario, Tobi dies and never comes back," Konan said, entirely nonchalant. "Asaya, if he weren't useful, we wouldn't bother tolerating him."
Harsh, Asaya thought.
Tobi clutched his chest with both hands and slumped his shoulders. "That's so mean, Ms. Konan," he whimpered.
Konan didn't bat a single dark lash. "Write a list of what you need and any instructions that might be helpful."
"Research like that isn't always as easy as people think," Asaya felt dubious about the whole idea in a number of ways.
"Just try it and see. What have you got to lose?"
Konan's words stung in an unintended way. "Alright," Asaya agreed. "I'll write up a list and some instructions for you, Tobi."
Tobi appeared to light up. "I promise I won't let you down, Miss. Asaya!" He gave her a salute.
"Thank you, I appreciate your help very much," Asaya smiled at the strange mask, at the spiral flowing into a black eye. She wondered what kind of face might exist behind it.
In a dim alley behind a luxury hotel in a moderately-sized city in Wind Country, Kisame slung a newly-minted corpse over his shoulder. This person- former person- had been one of a handful of collaborators involved in a political embezzlement scandal. He and the others had been summoned to court for testimony and trial. There were severe charges pending against everyone involved, likely near-lifetime sentences. But being rich men committing mere white-collar crimes had afforded them the luxury of walking free until then. The group had made a pact to defend each other in court and thoroughly scripted what each would say when questioned. However, one of the collaborators, being particularly invested in not going to prison, purchased the permanent silence of the other members by hiring the Akatsuki to kill them and make it appear as though they had fled town.
There is no honor among thieves.
"Only one more, right?" Kisame asked. "I'll be glad when we're done with this. We're too skilled for simple assassinations like these, eh Itachi?"
"Sure, but do you remember where we are headed next?" Itachi reminded his partner.
Kisame groaned, "Don't ruin my mood."
Itachi silently walked further down the alley. An electric lamp affixed high on a sandstone wall flickered as he walked under it. The yellow-saturated light did nothing but make the path feel narrower, as if it were trying to constrict itself around him.
"You know, I never really know what you're thinking, but you can't tell me you aren't unhappy about being stuck babysitting that cow again."
"My point is that you should enjoy what liberty you can for the time being. We do not know for how long we will be in Amegakure," Itachi said flatly.
"Tch," Kisame scoffed, then said, "You know what? I like the way you think. I'll make sure to have some fun while we're still out here."
A gust of wind raced through the alleyway. Individual grains of sand whirled around him and scratched his face. Itachi closed his dark lashes to protect his eyes. The image of her gentle curls rippling in the wind flashed across his mind. Of her tucking the wayward, ashy strands behind her ear. He could never decide if they were light brown or dark blond. And he could not help but imagine, as he had many times before, what it might feel like to wrap those silky, loose curls around his fingers.
A grain of sand nicked Itachi's cheek below his right eye just before the wind ceased altogether. He opened his eyes to see the same alley in Wind Country as he had when they'd closed. It was so easy to allow himself to think of her when she wasn't there. When she wasn't near him. When she wasn't within reach.
The day started just like every other: raining. Asaya awoke around 9 am, showered, brushed her teeth, dressed, and enjoyed a cup of tea before Konan arrived around 11 am to escort her to the basement cave so she could continue working on unsealing the statue. Asaya was grateful they did not expect her to begin working earlier in the day. She was a night owl by nature.
As the two women once again trudged through the halls and down the stairs, Asaya felt her frustration begin to return. In the past week, she had made little progress. Not that she wanted to help a doomsday cult, but it still hurt her pride that she was failing.
"You'll be pleased to know that Tobi has returned," Konan said as they approached the final staircase. "He found quite a lot of resources for you. Almost everything you requested and more, it appears."
What? Asaya couldn't believe it. It was only two weeks ago that he had agreed to get them. Maybe two weeks and a few days. How had he gotten all the way there, infiltrated the village, identified and retrieved the items, and returned so fast? "Are you sure he went to Iwa? Not somewhere else entirely?"
She could almost hear Konan smirk. "Like I've said, Tobi is an idiot, but he is a useful idiot. We have him for a reason."
When Konan opened the door, they found Tobi sitting at the desk Asaya worked at. Stacks of books and folders of documents were piled high on top.
"Hello, Miss Asaya! I'm so happy to see you again!" Tobi greeted her. "And you, too, Ms. Konan."
"It's great to see you again, too, Tobi," Asaya returned his greeting, clearly confused.
Konan said nothing.
"I brought some stuff back for you, Miss Asaya," Tobi stood up. "I hope it's helpful."
Asaya approached the desk and inspected the materials, picking them up and shuffling them around. They were exactly what she had requested. "This is amazing, thank you. But," her brow furrowed, "How did you get these? How did you get them all so fast?" This wasn't just one or two books, but a few shelves worth. "Can you- can you teleport or something?" She struggled to think of an explanation.
Asaya didn't see the amused grin behind the orange mask. Tobi laughed childishly, "I wish. I'm just really fast at traveling, is all. Teleporting would be super great, though. I wonder if there's a technique out there for that." He smugly watched as a consternation settled in under her surface.
"Well, thank you again. This is incredibly helpful," Asaya recomposed herself. "How did you manage? It must have been difficult to get these."
Ah, what a good scout, Obito thought. He wouldn't let her know his abilities so easily. "Well, you know how it is. I just did my best. Wasn't always easy, but I came back alright." She couldn't press harder for answers without being too forward.
Evasive fucker, Asaya thought. "I'm just glad you're unharmed, Tobi. Please, tell me about it. I know the kind of security these are under. I'm impressed."
Cow. "Oh, I don't know. It's nothing remarkable, really. I'm flattered you were worried about me, Miss Asaya," he bashfully cradled his masked face in both hands. Obito should have waited longer to bring her the materials she had requested from Iwa. Or maybe not brought them all to her at once. It really was too conspicuous to bring them back so fast. He cursed his own impatience.
"I just did my best to be a good, sneaky ninja like always. And it was easy because Iwa is so big! Oh man, I have to tell you- I saw this giant stone statue of a cat. It was huge! Right near the middle of town. And there was a story about it too- something about a cat and a landslide during the village's creation. Maybe you know it, Miss. Asaya?
"I don't have all day," Konan interrupted with clear tone of irritation in her voice. "We appreciate your help, Tobi, but if you have nothing else to contribute, then be a good boy and let Asaya focus on her work."
Konan was fucking genius as far as Obito was concerned. "Sorry, Ms. Konan! I'll stop bothering you. It was nice seeing you again, Miss Asaya. Some other time!" Tobi said as he scuttled out the door.
"Bye, Tobi," Asaya waved and took her seat at the desk. She did not like that it felt warm from Tobi sitting in it. She was frustrated that Tobi had run off without answering her question, but maybe she would get another opportunity later. She read the spines of the books he had brought back, selected one that looked promising, and opened it to the table of contents.
"One more thing before you begin," Konan said from her cushioned chair.
Asaya lifted her head to give the woman her attention.
"Itachi and Kisame will be returning sometime in the coming weeks. They and I will be alternating shifts while you work. You're pleasant and all, but I have other obligations I've been falling behind on just to watch you. They'll be helping to free up my time," Konan explained.
"I understand," was all Asaya said. A strange, acrid taste filled her mouth. At first, she thought it was from the pungent, musty pages of the old book. But as she swallowed her saliva into the pit of her empty stomach, she knew that wasn't it. She didn't know quite what it was.
"She's clever," Obito said to Pain and Konan. He sat at a large wooden desk in a comfortable armchair. He sat relaxed with his feet propped up on the desk and one arm slung over the back of the chair. The other forearm rested on the desk where his fingers rapped on the wood. "I'll have to watch myself around her."
"If she weren't intelligent, she wouldn't be able to do what we need her to," Pain said.
"Yes, but not that kind of intelligent." Obito clicked his tongue. "I still haven't decided what I want to do with her."
Konan's elegant brow arched. "She is useful. No one in the Akatsuki can do what she does. None of our connections, either."
"Oh? Do you like her, Konan?"
"She does good work and she makes for a pleasant captive," Konan said.
Obito chuckled, "Enjoy finally spending time with another girl?"
I do, she thought flippantly.
"Konan is right," Pain said. "She's useful and she doesn't give us any trouble. And unsealing the Demonic Statue aside, we were able to accept jobs we otherwise couldn't. Lucrative ones."
"She gave Itachi trouble." Obito tapped his index finger exactly three times. He wondered how she did it- how she had gotten away from him when she was so severely disadvantaged. "He'll be back soon, won't he?"
"Yes."
Obito hummed vaguely.
Tobi watches Asaya, they have some form of interaction, then Tobi erases her memory with an illusion. Asaya thinks it was all a strange dream, but she's not sure?
"Do you think Itachi has a soft spot for her? I can see why he would. I guess his balls have finally dropped." – Obito to Pain and Konan
"I don't know, sir, but I suspect she is attached to him." Konan said. "Would you like to keep them apart?"
"I don't care, actually. Let Itachi have his fun. I'm sure she does good work for him," he said with a clearly suggestive undertone. "And we have nothing to lose."
A/N: OMG I can write other characters…. sort of….
Someone once said they wondered if Asaya was still aligned with Iwa after all this. It was a good question that, as the author, I hadn't even considered. I have some stuff I'd like to write, but I feel like I have to get through the events in Amegakure and answer that question before writing almost anything that takes place after.
Almost.