"There's a catch."

Saya's voice interrupted the momentary mumbles and curses of the Akatsuki members. Apparently, some weren't too keen on the idea of some woman joining their ranks, well, another woman. The man before her, who had just previously introduced himself as Pain, stood from his rock.

"A catch?" He asked, venom in his voice. Saya nodded, her palms a bit sweaty.

"Yes. The Berserker technique, otherwise known as King of Hell summon, can only be established on a summer or winter solstice." She wiped her palms gently on her haori. "They are the only times of the year that the gates between Earth and Hell are so close and a pact can be formed. Luck should have it that the summer solstice is in four weeks." She added. Pain did not answer her immediately.

"What the fuck is a King of Hell summon?" The mouthy man demanded. He turned to his partner, waiting for an answer.

"How should I know?" The masked man replied, his green eyes blazing.

"It sounds like a load of crap to me." The jittery figure nagged, inspecting his fingernails. "Fuck, I need to repaint these."

"Watch your tongue. Such crude language soils the air." His red-headed companion scolded. Kisame inclined his head towards Itachi.

"Itachi-san, have you ever heard of this technique?" He whispered. Itachi watched Saya intently, but shook his head.

"No."

"If it is in four weeks, then in four weeks you shall perform the seal, no excuses." He jumped from the boulder, next to the woman. "That should give you enough time to relieve yourself of your alcohol problem. For now, Kisame, Itachi." Both men snapped their eyes to Pain. "Imatsura will be under your guardianship until the summer solstice." He flicked a finger in the direction of the mouthy and green-eyed man. "No one is to severely harm Imatsura while she is in Akatsuki's custody, understood?"

"As long as the fucking bitch doesn't get in my way, I could care less." One said. The other simply inclined his head in acknowledgement. Pain retrained his eyes to Itachi and Kisame.

"I have another mission for the two of you, one which will require Imatsura's presence. As I said before, the both of you are to keep her under surveillance until the appointed time of the solstice. But for now, stay within the confines of the base until I debrief you on your goal. As for the rest of you, go about your business previously assigned until the four weeks have ended." The purple haired woman nodded her head and formed a pair of hand signs. Then, in a poof of black smoke, both vanished as Pains final word echoed throughout the room. "Dismissed."

Saya let out a huge sigh and fanned herself excessively.

"Man was that a shaky situation, ne?" She smiled at no one particular as she plopped down onto the dirt floor before her knees buckled.

"So who the hell are you?" The jittery man took a few steps forward into the light of a near-by torch. As he did, Saya was able to asses his features: Simply put, it was a boy. He couldn't have been more than sixteen.

He flicked a strand of honey colored, shoulder-length hair from his face with manicured fingers faded with a plum color nail polish. His skin was ivory in the dark, and his black eyes shined with a sort of mischief Saya had once identified reflected in her own, in her younger years. But they also held malice and arrogance, which shown bluntly in his self-satisfied smirk.

"It's rude to ask for a name without giving one, ne?" She drawled. She leaned back on her palms and stared the man in the eye. While hers held steady, his twitched.

"Who do you think you're talking to, woman?" He hissed.

"I don't know. You've yet to tell me." His right eye began to twitch more pronouncedly at her sly replies. He was about to whip out a kunai when his partner stepped forward, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Enough, Sho. Remember Leader's orders." The red head had a fair complexion, and he too looked very young. In fact, he was shorter than the twitching boy. What was Akatsuki full of, a whole bunch of angst-filled teenagers?

"Ah, so your name is Sho then? Short for Shotaro, I'd imagine." She mumbled.

"No, it's Sho. Just Sho. But you will address me as Sho-sama." He glared pointedly at Saya, flipping a hand. Saya noted that much of what he did was very feminine, and she almost couldn't contain a snicker at that fact. "So now that you know my name, tell me yours." Hadn't the boy heard what his Leader had said just a few short moments ago? He had said her name, after all. But no matter. Saya sighed animatedly and rolled on her back before quickly flipping back up onto her feet. She hunched over, weary with the days events, and gave both boys a tired smile.

"I'm Imatsura Sayuri, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Her arms hung limply at her sides, she swayed, and finally she fell backwards again onto the dusty floor, this time unconscious. Kisame scoffed at her lackadaisical behavior and threw Itachi a look.

"Are we really stuck with this thing?" He asked, unhappy with their predicament. And here he'd thought they'd finally gotten rid of the drunk. It seemed as though karma had other plans for Kisame and his partner, but the plans were anything but exciting. The jittery, feminine man scowled and pointed at the sleeping Saya, and looked at the blue man and stoic Uchiha.

"Mind telling me who she is? I've never heard of that name before, so she can't be that great, right?" Sho sucked his teeth while the other two shadowed Akatsuki members began to depart.

"What, didn't you hear? She was some captain or other back in the day." Kisame shrugged. He then glanced over at the retreating immortals. "Oi, Kakuzu, Hidan, where are you going?"

"The fuck away from here." Hidan called back, waving an arm. "I don't really give a shit about who the hell the woman is, and I've got better things to do than hang around this gloomy room." He cursed some grumbles under his breath that couldn't quite reach Kisame's ears, but he thought he'd heard something along the lines of 'sacrificing to Jashin-sama'.

"And I have to review our latest earnings and spending." Kakuzu said, and then he gave Kisame a pointed glare. "By the way, watch how long you spend in the shower. We're wasting way too much money on water bills." Kisame shrugged again, and looked back to Itachi. However, he found that the young Uchiha was no longer beside him, but rather near the sleeping woman.

"She's strange." Sasori mumbled, watching her slumber.

"No, she's stupid. And ugly. I mean, look how inelegant she is!" Sho exclaimed with crossed arms. "Women are supposed to be graceful, delicate, and submissive, but the brute just lays there like some animal. Hmph!" Sho grimaced as a slight snore drawled from Saya's lips and echoed in the room. "Disgusting." He spat.

"Come." Sasori called to him, beginning to exit the room as well. Sho sighed and brushed his altered Akatsuki cloak off. Instead of the traditional style, it was trimmed snug around the torso, with a red sash tied firmly around the waist. His collar was also opened all the way down to the hips, showing a black netted shirt lay beneath to reveal tight, sculpted muscles.

"Tch. Best of luck, losers." He turned on his heel after Sasori and followed him out of the room.

"Cheeky brat." Kisame growled under his breath once he and Itachi were alone with Saya's snores. "What are we goanna do with her?" Itachi watched as Saya began to drool lightly.

"Leader-sama said she is to become sober before anything else." Itachi said quietly. Kisame smirked.

"That's goanna suck for her. Without her precious sake, I wonder how she'll manage." He snidely remarked. Itachi scooped Saya up in his arms from her sprawled state. Surprisingly, as he did, he noted that she felt light as a feather. She had seemed like such a sturdy individual, it was strange that she was so slight. As he picked her up, a gourd fell to the ground with a clunk. Kisame walked to it and plucked it from the dirt.

"Guess she won't be needing this anymore." He looked to Saya in Itachi's arms, a question itching his throat. Itachi began to exit the room, planning on dropping her off in one of the two extra rooms they had within the base. Kisame shadowed him silently, the only sound were the pats of their feet against the ground. Itachi followed the hall back towards where the entrance was, and then paused before a thick root on the right wall. It trembled before slithering upwards like a snake, revealing another passageway longer and wider than the main one. Less doors were along the walls, and he stopped in front of one on the left. Itachi deftly pushed open the door, which exposed a dark, plain room. The walls were covered with a layer of wood, and the floor was sprawled with even stone bricks.

Along the right side was a small cot, and a single torch-ready lantern hung from the ceiling. Most of the rooms in the bases were designed as such, because really, there was no need for extravagance or personal touch. Bases changed so frequently, and with the threat of enemy ninja always about, the time and effort for such things was unnecessary.

Itachi carried Saya over to the cot and laid her down carefully. He swiftly propped her head on the meager pillow, and slid the rest of her body onto the covers. The air below the tree was pretty warm, so being without a blanket would probably be most comfortable. Saya's head dipped to the side as a slight dab of drool began to form on the right side of her mouth. Kisame watched as Itachi positioned Saya on the bed for a moment before he furrowed his brows in thought.

Saya mumbled incoherently in her sleep, and wiped away the drool unconsciously with the back of her hand. Seeing as how she was situated, Itachi straightened up and was about to turn back towards the door, but something made him pause for a moment. A soft sigh escaped Saya, as well as a small smile. He watched her for a moment, barely a second, and not nearly long enough for Kisame to notice, before he strode back to the door. After he closed it behind him, Itachi looked up to Kisame, noticing the taller mans frown.

"What is it?" Kisame looked down to his partner. He debated whether or not he should voice his thoughts. It wasn't that he didn't trust the young murderer, but he himself didn't know exactly what he was wondering. Questions were on the tip of his tongue, but the words hadn't really formed, and he wondered why that was.

"The woman." He began, "I don't get why she wants to join Akatsuki." Kisame shifted his weight slightly. "She mentioned before that she was going to refuse Leader's request. And if she really used to be some sort of correction squad captain, then why would she join an organization full of criminals she once hunted down? It just doesn't make any sense." He grumbled the last part, crossing his arms. Itachi regarded Kisame thoughtfully.

"Who knows." He replied halfheartedly. Turning his back, he retreated back towards another part of the base, probably somewhere where he too could ponder his own strange thoughts. Kisame watched him go, quirking a brow.

Who knows indeed. The woman seemed completely obstinate about associating with Akatsuki, never mind joining it. Ever since she pranced her way up that tree, she'd seemed almost…excited? Kisame didn't know. But for some reason, the woman seemed to have gained some sort of spark that wasn't there before.

When both he and Itachi had first confronted the strange woman, he had gotten the feeling that she cared less as to what happened to her. Her attitude was objective, a little fiery when provoked, and nostalgic to say the least. It was almost as if she were a leaf in the wind, and wherever she was blown was just fine with her. Well, other than the whole helping Akatsuki thing. Kisame wasn't exactly all that insightful, but he wasn't blind. But now, she seemed eager. And eager to do what she said she wouldn't no less. He couldn't figure out what had changed her mind. Shrugging, Kisame trudged to his own uninviting room, wondering all the while. But not wondering too much: The woman was an annoyance, nothing more, nothing less. The sooner they were rid of here, the better.

"Saya."

Saya looked back towards the beach, the waves spitting a salty mist all over her back and hair, drenching her. The wind whipped around wildly, tearing at her haori and hakama. Running along the shore was none other than Jin, his own robes clinging to his structured frame as she sped along. The yellow and red sky began to darken the closer he got, and soon Saya could hear the rumble of thunder rolling by.

"Saya."

Saya smiled fondly at the man she had become so close to after all these years. He was the smile that greeted her mornings, the lunch-time laughter that sweetened the air, the soft gaze the calmed her nerves at the end of a stressful day. Everything. He filled her being.

"Saya."

He finally came to a stop before her, hands on his knees as he tried to regain his breath. The sky turned pitch black, the waves now held the stench of blood and gore. She felt a wave spray at her back, fully encasing her with the tinge of muddy red. The smell of rust and salt filled her senses. Lifting her hand, she stared emotionlessly at her palm, which was the color of vermillion.

"Saya."

Slowly Jin lifted his head to face Saya. She lifted her face as well, to meet his gaze.

All that was left was an empty memory.

"Oh Saya-chan, you're so morbid! Dreaming dreams like this can't be good for your health!" Sing-a-song. A voice flooded her ears.

"Fuu. Get out of my head." Saya ordered calmly. Her eyes were dull as she watched the memory of Jin slowly decay into rot and then bones, before crumbling to dust and being carried away by the storm winds.

"Oh poo! Saya-chan, you're no fun! You used to be so cool, why won't you smile?" The voice echoed from the endless sky of darkness. Saya numbly stared ahead. "Saya-chan, Saya-chan! I have some great news! My master wishes your company! Isn't that great! We can see each other again!" The ocean began to tear in vicious swells, whooshing past Saya and filling the world. She was soon engulfed by a giant sea of darkness, but as dreams go, she could breath just as easy. "I'm sure it will be so much fun! Especially with all these cool bad guys you're hangin out with now! I thought you hated bad guys, Saya-chan?" There was no answer. The cheerful voice wavered, uncertain. "Saya-chan?"

"I said, get out." A violent force stirred the waters into a giant whirlpool of fractured memories, ripples reflecting long-forgotten scenes. The voice shrieked and was cast away.

It was time to get up.

Saya's eyes opened. She stared calmly at the ceiling, a strange and unknown ceiling she had never watched before. Of course, it wasn't like she made a habit of watching ceilings or anything. She wasn't some creepy hermit who lazed around all day…Okay, so maybe she was, but she didn't laze around in bed all day. And she didn't stare at ceilings…much. Where was she going with this?

Saya sighed, the memories from her meeting with Akatsuki's leader came rushing back, and she barely suppressed a grimace. She never thought she'd see the day when she would willingly join a group of criminals. Not just any criminals, mind you. But S-ranked, rogue ninjas known especially for their murderous nature.

Peachy.

But at the same time, she couldn't help but grin wildly. It was all part of the plan. The plan she had decided on not but-Er, how long was she out for? Saya sat up, supporting herself on an open palm, and searched the room for a window of some sort. Maybe then she could discern the time of day. It had been light out when they had arrived at the base. But all that surrounded her was darkness. Albeit, a low, shaking flame rested within a lantern above her, casting a low glow about the room. Other than that, there was no furniture, no windows: Nothing.

A pound thumped in the back of her skull, and she quickly went to nurse it with a gulp of liquor. As she went to retrieve her gourd, she stopped dead cold. Frantically, she shuffled her hands about her person, finding, or more appropriate, not finding her stash. Then, she remembered her deal.

With a loud groan, she flopped back down onto the bed and let out a long, agonizing sigh. How the hell was she goanna get through this? She hadn't gone ten minutes, never mind, ten hours or days without sake. In fact, ever since she left her village all those years ago, she hadn't gone one day without drinking some form of alcohol.

Even as she thought this, her head began to rhythmically pound, deafening any miniscule amount of sound that was within the room. Already she felt a deep thirst begin to form along her taste buds and throat, coating it in an arid dryness. She suddenly noticed how cracked her lips felt, how heavy her eyes were, and how a sharp pain ticked every time she swallowed.

Hell. This was undoubtedly Hell. Saya slowly rolled herself off the bed, falling onto the dank floor. A quick, sharp tingling sensation raced through her nerves throughout her body, making her bite her lip until it bled.

How was she ever going to sober up? Her mind began to claw at the pain and fear she would have to endure in the near future, and she couldn't help but cry out hysterically.

How long had it been since her last drink? An hour? Two? Six? Twelve? How long could she go before loosing her mind to the insanity of her past? One hour? One minute?

You see, Saya didn't drink because she liked the taste. She didn't drink for the fun of it, nor for any other such frivolous reasons. Saya drank to forget, as she had previously stated to Hoshigake. She drank to overflow her mind, to dull the reminders of sins and regrets. In fact, Saya hated the taste of Sake. She loathed it. But it had kept her ignorant, it had distracted her brain from focusing on the details.

Now, however, she was stuck. She would be forced to rewind, relive, and reevaluate everything. All in a dark, empty room, in the middle of a criminal lair, filled with uncaring villains she would rather dance the tango with before ever allowing them to hear or see her in such a state of disarray and weakness.

But that was when Saya remembered. Her pained expression instantly smoothed out, dredging up a cold, determined stare.

It was then she remembered not just what she was doing, but why she was doing it. Struggling, she picked herself up, and dragged her body over to the far corner of the room, where the shadows cackled at her ironic misfortune, and hid the grime that was her present and past. Her eyes were hard, her face pained but blank, and her mind whirling at a speed much faster than usual. She would get through this, one way or another. She would not allow Uchiha, or Hoshigake to lay eyes on her in such a state. She would not allow anyone to view her weakness, not ever again. She would do this, even if it killed her and she had to crawl her way back up from Hell. She would let Akatsuki use her, for now. But surely for naught; She would bide her time until she too could use them. Use their resources and use their status.

There, she sat, listlessly, and only just beginning to endure what would be a hellish few days. But it was worth it. Well worth it.

After all, if she could get through this, she would return to her village, revived.

And then…

She would exterminate the very root of all her nightmares.

Thanks everyone for the cool reviews. They really made me smile, and made my day worth living. Okay, that sounded pathetic, so I guess I'll just leave it at that they made my day. Regardless, the next chapter is going to drawl: Just a warning. But there will be a mushy part, for all of those who have been waiting for it. But just out of curiosity, who do you guys prefer? Hoshigake, or Itachi?

After that, the chapter after will be exciting. Very exciting.

-Insert Evil Laughter Here-

Toodles.

~Serb