"Have I gone mad?"
"I'm afraid so. You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are."
-Tarrant Hightopp, Alice Kingsley; Alice and Wonderland
"Misa, what are you doing?"
Saya leaned against the side of the screen door lazily, tilting her head to the side in question. Her sister sat deeper within the room, in front of an elegantly carved jade mirror. It sat on a dainty dresser just tall enough to reach her sisters head while she knelt before it. There were rows of paints and assortments of powder, a pearl necklace laced with jade, combs and hair ornaments. A few bracelets made of malleable ore curved to form breath-taking designs, all for her sisters amusement. The collection of fancies formed an exotic corner that Saya thought to be pretty compared to the rest of the tailored bedroom. Her sister's face was decorated, an attractive combination of summer colors adorning her form.
"Getting dressed, of course." Her smile was tantalizing as she looked in the mirror, past her reflection and to Saya's. She smirked at Saya's uniform, a amalgamation of leather straps and navy blue hakama. Her sisters raven hair was bound into a tasteful twist, accompanied by two ornaments of tiny sunflowers that lightly touched down the back of her neck, while Saya's deep violet locks were pulled into an array of braids, only a few strands escaping their bands.
Her sister's smirk turned into a frown of distaste as she focused on Saya's image.
"Sa-chan, do you always have to dress like a man? You look absolutely grotesque with all that plating and leather." She picked up a bottle ornately shaped and lightly padded the liquid inside onto her wrists and then collar bone. A rich smell, almost too rich, wafted over to Saya, making her want to sneeze.
"It comes with the job description, Misa." Saya smirked. "Besides, I wouldn't want to flip and let all the men see my panties, now would I?"
Misa laughed a bit, finishing up a powdered nose. She applied a sheen of rose to her cheeks, continuing to talk while fixing her face.
"No, I suppose not. But mother would turn in her grave if she saw you as you are now."
"She would not."
Misa smirked and put away her kit.
"You're probably right. Still, you're getting older Sa-chan, and when I was your age boys were flitting over to me left and right. All you have is Jin-kun and Katsu-kun." Saya rolled her eyes and turned back to face the garden just outside her sisters door. "You'll have to find a suitor one of these days."
"Misa." Saya hummed. "Just a newsflash, but ever since our old man died, I've been taking care of his affairs." She didn't bother to look over her shoulder. "It's been six years, and I'm still picking up the mess he left us. You might be the new clan head, but I'm still the correction units leader. I don't have time to play with pretty boys and paint my face." She looked stoically over her shoulder and to her sister who still looked at her through the mirror. "I'm too busy killing people."
Saya could see the shiver that made her sister tremble, no matter how she tried to hide it.
"I still can't fathom why you chose this line of work, Sa-chan."
"I didn't choose it, Misa, I inherited it when you forfeited the title." Saya watched as her sister stood from her seat, patting her kimono down and wiping away any residue of the make-up. Saya's eyes left her sister, and traveled to the neat tea table to the left. A petite bamboo placemat stood between the table and a tea set, a saucer filled with candies beside it. The sides of the cups were adorned with dusky blue Wasurenagusa, forget-me-nots, painted along in small patterns. Although Saya would not tell her sister, she had always adored the tea set, the one their mother had given to Misa. Saya had never wanted it, believing she would easily break it if left in her care. It had always suited Misa, and the sight of it warmed her veins to an ebbing thrum.
"Still, you could have let the elders handle it."
"Like they could!" Saya scoffed. "With their pretentious attitudes, they would have had our village sinking into a pit of chaos. Their arrogance would have gotten us into war after war with opposing squads, and our methods would be crueler than they already are. They are desensitized from the empathy of the worlds workings." She crossed her arms and faced back to her sister, who looked at her with focused eyes..
"Sa-chan…" Misa watched her sister carefully. "When I am married, you won't have to kill anymore. My husband will inherit your status, as well as mine, and he will take care of everything." Misa smiled a she approached Saya. She patted Saya's shoulders, their similar heights allowing their eyes to meet. "We may not be close, but you're still my sister. And as your elder sister, I know you love sparring. I know fighting is fun for you, you've always had a wild streak. And I know you're good at it, too." She smiled adoringly at Saya. "But you're not a killer. And I know it hurts you, even though you try to hide it. Jin-kun see's it too, so don't you look at me like that. Once I'm married, you can choose whatever you want to do with your life."
"Once you're married, huh?" Saya couldn't help but grin. Her sisters words had struck something in her chest, but she brushed it away quickly before Misa's eyes could detect anything. "That doesn't happen to have anything to do with Saito-san, now does it?" Saya's grin broadened as Misa's blush deepened, her hands falling from Saya's shoulders. Saya continued.
"Oh? And maybe you're getting dressed for a date you have with him tonight, perhaps after his shift ends in a little bit?" Saya watched as her sister sputtered a bit into her hand, before elegantly folding her fingers.
"And what if it does?"
"Then maybe you should know his shift ended early today, and that he's probably already waiting for you at the docks, hm?" Saya chuckled as her sister straightened up, her excitement pulsating and rubbing off on Saya.
"Excuse me." Misa murmured as she swept past Saya.
"Of course, sister dear." Saya mused. She watched as Misa disappeared around the corner in a flurry of fabric, the sunset steadily dwindling behind their abode. It was funny seeing her sister, usually uptight and prissy, so giddy and pleasant. Perhaps Saito had been a good influence on her, had humbled her, and maybe he would make a great commander. Saya knew him well enough, and he was not only a good fighter, but also a polite and brave man.
Maybe…
Saya sighed and walked away from Misa's chambers, languidly finding her own not but a hallway away. The bamboo forest leading to the coast stood just outside her doors, and she watched the distance for a stray second before entering her doors.
She closed them behind her with both hands, closing her eyes, breathing, and then opening them.
It was dark in her room, except the molten rays from outside that streaked in from the screen. Piles of tomes and scrolls littered the sides of her walls, the walls themselves cluttered with maps and notes pinned to the wood. There was only a lone, scratched table in the center of her floor, and unlike Misa's that held a neat tea set complete with dishes and flowers, hers held an organized array of kunai and senbon, and even a few stray throwing knives, Her meager garb was efficiently laid on a rack against the far wall, and to the right of it was a trio of swords in onyx scabbards.
She swept her gaze to the right, where a massive scroll leaned against another huge textbook, followed by a line of novels she kept for personal entertainment. A handful of plush cushions lay about, and grabbing one, she fell to the ground with a huff.
Yeah.
Maybe, if all went well, Misa and Saito would get married.
Maybe she could step down as commander, and maybe she could pack a little bag, filled with novels and kiwifruit. Maybe she would even pack one of her favorites, "The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi". It was a funny sort of novel, with a vision of her world with a very different natured soul. There was a hero in it, one Saya wished she could be, and that hero could do all sorts of things she couldn't, nor would ever be able to do. No matter the enemy, or the mission he was given, he never gave up hope, and he never gave into the darkness. He had a power from within, something so simple and yet so unbelievably strong, able to outstand any force against him. He was that someone who could do anything, and be anything he wanted to be, simply through pure willpower.
A dream.
Maybe…
Maybe she could sail around a bit. And maybe she could meet the author, and have him sign her book.
Maybe she could fish for a living, or maybe she could join that group of taijutsu specialists that traveled all around, leisurely performing for others entertainment. What were they called? Oh, it didn't matter.
Maybe she would take Jin with her, and maybe even Katsu, if he was pleasant enough.
Maybe…
She mumbled to herself, closing her eyes.
"Maybe you should stop giving your hopes up, Saya."
Saya's grin tore across her face as she stepped from the confines of a rather well furnished room. She had spent about an hour explaining the rings and circumstances of the summon to Pein, leaving out the bit about the deal with Shi.
Kisame was chuckling a throaty chortle behind her as they both left Pein's quarters, the man himself glaring into the back of Saya's head as she exited his presence. She could feel the palpable waves of annoyance pulsate from his form, even from the outer threshold of the room. She couldn't help but let out a throaty chuckle as she spun herself to the side of the hallway, Kisame clicking the door shut behind him.
"You really pissed him off." It didn't matter to him one way or the other how Saya behaved. He could care less as to what Saya said to him, much less Pein. In fact, he sort of found it entertaining to watch her play around with the so-called god. She knew they couldn't kill her now, so she was purposefully being obstinate.
Usually she wouldn't have been so blithely infuriating, but she was particularly pissed at the fact that the man hadn't let her a decent rest before demanding her presence. Of course, it was an important matter they had to discuss, to be sure, but discussing it could have waited just a few more hours.
"I know." She continued to grin as she spun to face him, answering his previous comment.
"How can something so weak be so annoying?"
"It's a gift." She replied, ignoring the bait towards her strength. "But that's besides the point. Why were you the one to escort me?" She eyed him, referring to Itachi's absence. Kisame walked forward, passing her by and moving down the hall. She watched him stride by, turning on her heel to fall in step beside him.
" I was already with you. Besides, Itachi usually does his own thing."
"You really are his bitch, aren't you?" She snickered. He threw her a scowl, but otherwise didn't lash out. Before he could retort further, she continued. "You respect him." She looked up to him with an honest smirk. "I can see it when you interact with him."
"Unlike you, I actually have manners, onna." Kisame smirked as she made a face. He suddenly looked down at his finger, inspecting the ring under hard scrutiny.
"Pretty little thing, isn't it?" Saya leaned towards him, looking at the ring too. "I suppose it was necessary to tell your leader that they were important. Kami knows what would have happened if someone threw theirs away."
"So we can't take these things off?"
"Not if you want to perform the summon. If you lose even one, then the whole lot will be useless." Saya's hair was still in tumbles against her back, scratches and nicks adorning her cheeks and arms. Her shirt was completely ruined, and it was quite a surprise that it was still on her. The back was in charred to tatters, leaving visible traces of the large black seal against her skin. Though, it didn't seem like her state of undress bothered her much as she walked ahead of Kisame, fluffing her hair in a stretch and yawn.
He frowned when he saw the seal, her skin raw from it being engraved into her. The seal resembled the pattern she had created in the cave, containing even the tiniest detail she had scrawled.
"You should get that taken care of." He said lowly. She raised a brow and looked over her shoulder.
"By who? There aren't any medics here." She shrugged. "Once I take a shower and clean up, it should be fine. It's only a seal." She stopped in front of a walkway to her right. It was the common room that he and Itachi shared, and without giving the mist nin so much as a questioning glance, she opened the door and walked inside. She hadn't ever gotten the chance to view the room before, but even so, she took little time to glance around before plopping down on one of the weathered leather couches. With a sour look, Kisame closed the door behind him.
The room was fairly simple, but because the base was particularly old, it had a bit of personality to it from previous members. It was originally a home base for an older clan, Geshi's late master. Although the base was large and well hidden, it wasn't Akatsuki's home base. But it did serve as home when members wanted to keep completely off the grid.
A single picture hung on the wall, an abstract assortment of watercolors depicting a crude painting of two peaches on a table. Beside it was a second-hand chair, just as worn as the two couches in the middle of the room and the tea table between them.
Saya stretched out on her seat like a lounging cat, and winced when a rather loud pop was emitted from her neck. Her slouch pervaded the pop and in a slight turn, her form folded.
"So, are you going to mope around all day or what? What happened?"
She looked over to Kisame with one lazy eye open. He was still standing by the door, and he was smirking again.
"What happened to what?"
"You know what, don't start that shit again." He threw one of his arm warmers over the side of the couch, followed by the other, and then took a seat on the couch opposite of Saya. He rubbed the sides of his arms, working out the kinks that stiffened his muscles when he had stood waiting for Saya to awaken from her fit. She had been surprised when he'd told her they'd been waiting for her for almost four hours. She told him she'd felt as if she were only one a few minutes. Crossing her legs to a better position, she rolled her shoulders in a similar attempt to loosen her limbs.
"Just what I said would happen."
He gave her a dry look.
"Which would be?"
"Which what would be?"
"Damn it, onna, I only have so much patience."
She grinned at his snarl, and with a sigh dropped her arms in her lap.
"It was scary." She said, her grin softening. "Actually, I think I can consider it the most scared I've ever been. Well, almost." She mumbled the last part.
"Hn. Alost?"
"Never mind." She said in a rush of breath. "The demon wasn't what I expected. I thought it would be some huge combination of animals, something like the pictures of the bijuu I once saw."
"No?" Kisame leaned back into the cushions, laying his arms along the back. "Then what did it look like, an ogre?" He teased.
"Not at all." She murmured. "It was…Well, I couldn't really see it. It was like looking through a camera that was out of focus." She cringed again and tried to lean back. "And his voice was funny."
"His? How did you find out it was male?" He played with her a bit more. But instead of taking the bait, she answered him honestly.
"Well, I guess I don't. But he sort of felt like it, you know? Females have a sorts to them, a sorts that can be identified by the way they talk, and he didn't have it." Shaking her head, she continued while looking down at her open palms. "Making a deal was hard. I offered him a few things, things I probably shouldn't have, before he finally asked for something else." Her frown deepened as she stared at the lines twisting on the pads of her fingers, morphing into larger, more defined ones as they traveled to the middle of her hands. Kisame would have laughed at how uncommonly solemn she was, but he kept quiet. She looked too tired to tease anymore, but then again, that meant he would get an easy rise out of her.
"I probably shouldn't have agreed."
She leaned further into the weathered cushion, the tension in her shoulders dropping with a sigh.
Kisame watched as she closed her eyes with a hum, and he wondered once again why she was doing this. It was so completely strange that she should endure, what he guessed was, excruciating pain. It was out of the ordinary that a former straight shinobi should go awry, and comply with an organization like Akatsuki.
More so, why the hell had she been in Shikai? Why had she been wandering around like she was? She said she was framed for something, and that her village had thrown her out.
But what exactly had she been framed for? What was so bad that she had resorted to alcohol in order to forget the past? She was skilled, he'd admit that much. Actually, her taijutsu was pretty damn good. Grudgingly, he'd allow her that much. He'd only been against her in a brief spar, and had hardly seen her in action, but if what he'd seen of her already was a fraction of her ability, then yes, she was decent enough.
Probably more so if she could actually use chakra. If her previous title had anything to say about it, she'd probably once been one hell of an offensive force. But all he'd yet to observe was her on the defensive, so it was a vague guess.
Of course, there wasn't a snow ball in hell's chance she could win in a fight against him.
Still, if she had been what he would admit she probably was, why had she been wasting away in Shikai? And what made her change her mind about Akatsuki?
Just what was she after?
Kisame was guarded, but really, he couldn't care less what the woman's objective was; after all, if worst came to worst, she could be handled.
Another question rose in his thoughts that he decided to voice.
"Onna…what did you agree to?"
When he wasn't granted an answer, he looked from the wall he was staring at and found her fast asleep. Her lips were only minutely parted, allowing small wisps of air to regulate in and out through her mouth. Her hair was all around her, it's plum hue almost black in the dim lighting that cast a twilight glow along the sides of the room, leaving the middle in a pool of darkness.
He noticed that she winced after every few breaths, and her sleep was rather fitful as she twisted to get into a better position to relieve the pressure on her back. Finally she settled, and tilted to the side a bit with her head lolled on her shoulder.
He repressed a snort of laughter at the comical expression she made in her efforts, but now it was rested and quite relaxed despite the taught stress lines around her eyes.
Kisame sometimes forgot how old he was getting, especially in shinobi standards. Ninja in general died at a rather young age, but a rogue like him was severely lucky to reach thirty. Of course, it wasn't completely unheard of, and considering his rather peculiar talents, he supposed he still had a bit of time left before someone bigger and better came around to make an end of him.
It was funny, then, that the woman before him was nearly his same age. She surely didn't have a baby face, but her overall mannerisms made her seem inexperienced. Kisame hadn't known very many women in his life, and even less kunoichi. But the ones he had encountered had been serious, deadly, sharp, and complete bothers. Women in general were strange creatures, emotional and bitchy and many other things Kisame would rather obviate naming. He found few to be truly attractive, and he was sure just as few found him to be the same.
So why was it that the woman here, sleeping on this couch, so curiously alluring to him?
He frowned a bit at that thought.
No, she wasn't alluring so much as she was interesting.
There were times when she was childish, ignorant, and much too carefree to have once been a shinobi. She disregarded her self-preservation, jumped before looking, and had violent changes of emotion that left him completely lost.
But then she would shift, as if she were a whole other person. She would be cynical, quiet, calculating, and almost…wise, he would admit.
And then, in another instant, she would be melancholic and reserved, soft and vague.
Kisame scratched his head and sighed, adjusting his hitai-ate.
This was why he hated women. They were just so damn confusing.
He sat for a while, just watching her sleep. Time went away, and he lost count of it as he simply sat in much appreciated silence. What seemed like hours passed before anything interrupted the rhythmic pulse to her breath and the almost inaudible one of his own.
A door clicked open, but Kisame didn't have to look to know who it was. As the door was back shut, his partner's voice hovered in the air.
"I was briefed on our next mission ,whilst Leader informed us of the summon." Itachi seemed to flicker over to the couch, like one of the shadows along the floor. He looked out of the corner of his eyes to Kisame.
"We'll leave in one day."
"That was quick." Kisame left his gaze on Saya. "What's the gig?"
"A simple assessment."
"One of Leader's spies?" He needed no reply. " Keh. Typical. He always gives us shitty assignments." Saya winced again with a hitch in her breathing. Kisame folded his fingers together, rubbing the calluses. "But then again, maybe it's better off, since she's like this."
Itachi slid his ashen eyes over to where Kisame was looking, and there they watched her for a fleeting moment before moving away.
"We're also to start looking for our assigned jinchuuriki." Kisame gave an approved grunt before they sat in a momentary lapse of silence.
"I think she has a hidden agenda." Kisame muttered.
"Perhaps."
"You don't even really care, do you?" He knew the young man had no true affiliation to Akatsuki. Kisame was very much the mercenary he appeared to be- No, he was the mercenary he undoubtedly was. His worth in the Bingo book was hefty, and not without good reason. But it wasn't just attributed to his strength and force, but also to his cunning. Yes, even a brute like Kisame had a rather sharp mind. Maybe not as sharp as Itachi's, but sharp none the less.
Itachi had always remained rather neutral in Akatsuki's decisions, merely following orders and executing them. It wasn't hard to notice his apathetic nature towards most things he came into contact with, and that included their organization.
"I guess it doesn't matter much." He grunted. "The woman can plot all she wants. What's the worst she can do?"
Itachi seemed to grunt in reply, but otherwise made no move to comment further. He seated himself in the cracked chair, the fluttering light dancing along his rigid jawbone and accenting the sleep under his eyes.
"I still don't understand what this summon is supposed to do."
It took Itachi a while to reply, but Kisame was accustomed to the Uchiha's long awaited responses. He was not surprised to hear his voice minutes later.
"The rings form a telepathic link to each member, allowing them to meet with one another regardless of the distance between them." Kisame took another look at his ring, taking it off his finger to roll around in the center of his palm. "Once the link is formed and all ten members are present, the summon commences. It requires all the chakra each member has."
"And the jinchuuriki?" He fingered the kanji.
"The tailed beasts will be extracted from their hosts and stored into the summoned statue."
"Hn. I wonder if any will live through it."
They sat in silence until they heard a resonating vibration that scoured the walls, no doubt someone training.
"When they spar like that it's bound to attract attention." Kisame slid the ring back onto the given finger. His eyes caught movement on the side of his vision, alerting him that Saya was waking from her nap. She stiffened before rolling her head to the side, another pop coming from her neck. She groaned and straightened out, blearily blinking her eyes until she could see clearly.
"I think I drank too much last night." She said in a gurgled voice. Kisame chuckled, realizing she was still half asleep and wasn't yet thinking properly. "I feel like shit."
"You look like shit." He agreed.
"Who asked you anyway, baka?" Her tone was still too smothered for there to be any real bite to it. "I could really go for a drink. Are you sure I can't just have one?"
"Yes." Itachi's voice summoned her most sour glare as she hopped her gaze from Kisame to him.
"You're deplorable."
She was about to stand and stretch when she realized she was just too comfortable to move. It was nice just sitting there, and she wasn't quite ready yet to perform any real tasks, such as bathing and cleaning herself up.
And looking even remotely human.
"I sure wish I was young again. You boys have it so easy." She sighed dramatically, flicking her fingers as if there were water on them.
"Stop your whining. I'm older than you anyhow." Kisame crossed his arms. Saya noted how the tendons slid along his skin where burly muscle clenched. Once again she was astounded by just how large Kisame was, being complete and pure brawn.
You know those times in your life when you lose your mind?
You know, when all the little fuzzies clog up your ears, until they smother your brain. Then, you're so cotton-headed that all you can think about is how you can't think. It's the only time in the world when we can account to being completely mindless. It is also the only time for genius thoughts, and at those times, we sometimes think of the most glorious things.
Saya was thinking of something, something rather silly, but all the same a something that could make her smile. It made her toes curl and her heart flutter, and it also made her snarkily laugh at the nonsensicalness of it all. The moment is bliss, something made of something else.
And after a while, it hurts. It hurts so bad, sometimes, that you can't see, and when you can't see, you can't stand the feeling anymore. So, of course, you quickly clear up the cotton with a watery blink or a strangled cough.
It's just a tiny moment, and it's not overly significant. A lot of people just brush it aside, and even sometimes, people don't feel the pain at all. Instead, all they feel is a tickle.
They account it to sinuses, that they have a minor case of an infection, or a cold.
They rub their nose and twitch their eyes, maybe even grab a tissue or yawn.
And then, the moment is over.
"I doubt you're over thirty-five." She coughed into her hand, seemingly serious.
"I thought you said you were in your late twenties?"
"Did I say that? Oh, then by all means, I'm twenty-seven. Or was it twenty-eight?" She gave him a sly expression. "A woman can never truly confirm her age. It's a standard rule."
"Standard my ass. You're a real kichigai, onna." He grabbed his arm warmers and straightened them out before throwing them over his shoulder. He crossed the room over to where there was a door, and the door looked sort of funny to Saya as she looked at it. It reminded her of a pattern she'd seen on a tapestry in one of the village's she'd wandered into. The tapestry had been a cover for a woman's dead son, who'd died not from battle, but an illness of the heart. Saya'd never known him, and she was very glad she hadn't, because otherwise the funeral would have been one she'd have to get dressed for. Still, she had been there, and the blanket had reminded her of a plate her mother had broken when she had been angry at her father. She'd been angry because he'd given an order to exterminate a village who'd been harboring enemy ninja. There were hardly any women and children there, but there were some none the less, and her mother thoroughly disagreed with his decision that would have them killed.
Or as he humanely put it: exterminated.
The death of those people never quite hit her, just as the son's hadn't. There were other deaths too that still hadn't hit her, and just like I have said before, Saya had yet to cry for those deaths. She didn't cry much when her mother died, and even less for her father.
For her sister, not at all.
And then…
No, she was dry of tears.
And this, ladies and less frequented gentlemen, is why Saya didn't cry when she hurt. This is why she didn't cry, not while she was aware.
Not when she was awake.
So it's pretty safe to say that Kisame had seen her, or more or less felt her, at a time no one else had.
Not even after meeting each other for a mere thirty hostile minutes, Kisame had already known her better than anyone else.
But, of course, he didn't know this. And he never would.
The only people to ever acknowledge this, readers, will me you and me.
Funny, isn't it?
He reached for the door, and Saya blinked.
"All the best people are mad, Hoshigake. Haven't you learned that by now?"
He paused in grabbing the knob, and chuckled darkly at her words. Then, he slid open the door and disappeared from her sight. She waited before mildly looking at Itachi.
"So now what?"
"We have an assignment."
She tilted her head and closed her eyes. An assignment already, hm? She thought they'd be on their way quickly enough, it wasn't much of a surprise. Still, she'd hoped she could sleep for a bit longer before they'd received any work. Maybe she'd been out for longer than she'd thought?
She had been briefed on her role among Akatsuki while she had been speaking with Pein, and she was pleasantly content with her stand.
It was simple enough. She would tag along with the least hostile pair.
Which of course would be Itachi and Kisame, she thought wryly. She was not, under any circumstances, allowed to travel alone. For some reason, the Akatsuki leader believed that Saya was incapable of handling herself, and he would not have her dying nor wandering out of their sight.
And personally, Saya was fine with this arrangement. She still wasn't in top form, but she was hella better than she was a few weeks ago. The weeks of traveling and training she'd acquired had definitely whipped her back into a decent state.
While they had traveled back to the base, Saya took it upon herself to spar with Hoshigake as much as she could. Their brief but intense battles had helped her regain some sense of reaction, and she'd been able to quicken her step and hits. Her taijutsu, while not as wonderful as it once was, was improving with obvious clarity.
It was fine that she was getting back into shape, but she also had to start planning. Figuring she still needed a couple of weeks worth of practice, it was decided that she wouldn't initiate any contact until she was sure she could completely handle herself. And if she could use Akatsuki's name to charge herself through Kaze no Mura's security, past their first line of defenses so she could actually gain enough attention to acquire recognition, then she could speak with the elders.
No, no, no. That was silly.
Talking never did any good.
It was more than words that she needed.
She needed something substantial.
She needed him to utter his sin before the eyes of her people, or what had been her people.
That was the only possibility of success.
It was the only was she would win.
A thought crept into her mind, winding a web from thought and idea to plot and sequenced data. Oh, she had forgotten those two. What had they been looking for, and why had the brat spoken to her…?
…Oh.
Oh.
Well, this was obvious. And if that was so, then that meant…
Oh yes, she certainly had her work cut out for her. Akatsuki would be most…Well, they'd certainly be pissed. But once she settled her affairs, she would be no more trouble to them. Because once she had, there would be nothing else left.
It would be finished.
Settled.
And she would be the victor.
And probably the loser, too.
A smile found its way to her lips, and folding her fingers, she stifled a sigh.
No, she wouldn't need her aura, her chakra, bound. It was no longer necessary.
She planned to meet this head on, and when it was over, all her sins would be collected and vanished in one swift defeat.
Slyly looking over to Itachi, she noted how he watched her with a guarded expression. He seemed to be analyzing her, and she briefly wondered what he'd concluded so far.
"So where to and how long till we go?" She asked pleasantly.
It took him a while before he responded from his reverie, but she waited patiently for his answer.
"A small village to the south. We leave at sunrise."
Oh, was it night? She hardly knew the time anymore being underground for so long.
"I suppose I should get ready, then." She tapped her fingers together, building up as much motivation as she could in order to stand.
"It's name."
She looked over to him, furrowing her brows as she pushed herself up from her seat.
"Sorry?"
"What was it's name?" His voice was so soft, she thought, yet his eyes were cunningly sharp.
"Ah, I suppose you mean the summon, eh?" She faced him. "He said to call him Shi. I don't know whether or not he was being vain or told the truth, but I think 'Death' is a bit much." She continued it a murmur. "But he sure did look like death itself. Is there anything else you'd like to know?" She didn't smile at him. She was tired of forcing smiles.
It wouldn't work with the Uchiha anyway.
"No."
Shrugging, she walked to the door she had come through, but didn't leave before saying one last thing.
"Uchiha." She looked back at him, and their eyes met. She didn't lower her gaze, regardless of whether or not his blood line was activated. "You said before that you couldn't see. You know, when we were leaving the hall." She deepened her gaze. "You weren't just talking about the ritual, were you?"
His expression didn't falter, nor did his eyes. Nothing changed in the way he stared at her.
Still, she got the feeling he was a little angry with her.
She shrugged at him before relieving him of her presence, and taking to the hall and bathroom. Hopefully she would feel better once she rinsed the caked brood from her face and soothe the ache in her back.
Unfortunately, she was yet again without decent wear, but this time she'd been prepared. She had asked Itachi, nicely, if she could borrow another shirt before her whole dramatic scene commenced. However, she requested that she have one of his shirts, and not Kisame's. Itachi was much smaller than the brute, and Saya knew well that she'd fit into his clothing better than the mist shinobi's own.
So once she was clean, she slipped on her same hakama and wrapped her chest as best she could. He had given her a mesh shirt and black overhaul, similar to the ones she'd seen him wear. It was still a little too wide for her, so she tied it up as she did her hair and left all else the same. Figuring she hadn't taken that long in the shower, she decided to clean her earrings a bit before leaving her room.
Saya hummed a tune as she took all four out of her right ear, the simple gold tabs dangling as she placed them on the bed. As she neatly rubbed each one with a terry cloth, her hum escalated to a soft serenade.
"A lonely woman waits at home, her darli'n lost at sea.
He said goodbye and with a kiss, and 'Don't wait up for me'.
A day in which she never lives, a day that's never had.
A day in which she welcomes home, her lover dressed in clad.
Oh what a dearie dragging deep, she festers and she calms.
She haunts the shores forevermore, among the swaying palms."
She finished the last one and clicked them back into place before starting on rubbing down her piercing scars.
"Salvaged deep within her heart, he lives and tells her true.
He whispers words of sweeter times.
And days they never knew."
Happy, she placed each back in their place and folded up the rag.
"There's a place among the nestled reeds.
A place she always grieves.
And-"
"Oi, stop with your damn crooning and get out here, onna. We're leaving."
She scoffed at Kisame's voice but stood none the less. Before she opened the door, she snatched up the small tanto she'd kept hidden beneath her bed and tucked it into her pants on her back. Then, with a vapid sigh, she opened the door.
They hadn't made much progress. Saya, Itachi, and Kisame, that is of course.
There wasn't any dramatic encounters that had held them up, but there was a particular issue that arose once Saya reached the tree's entrance.
"It's raining." She said in a voice, making it seem like it was only expected that she didn't continue walking any further into the forest.
"So? The branches are so thick here that you can barely feel it." Samehada was once again on his back, their cloaks adorned on both he and Itachi. She too had a robe, and it fit her nicely enough, though, it was sans the red clouds and was a simple black.
That still didn't mean she was walking in the rain.
"I hate the rain." She replied stiffly.
"I don't give a damn what you hate. You can either willingly follow us, or I could knock you back out and drag you." He said simply.
She studied him in perverse silence, actually considering the idea.
"I would be able to get some more sleep…" She trailed off.
Kisame gave her a funny look, wondering yet again if the woman had all her marbles.
"You coming or what?"
"Or what."
"Damn it, onna…!"
"If you come we will buy you dango."
Both she and Kisame looked over at Itachi, surprised. She quickly schooled her expression.
"Oh, like that would work on-"
"Deal." Kisame looked between both she and his partner, wondering if they didn't just do this at his expense for their own entertainment.
Shaking his head, he trod past Itachi and found his way along the path they so often tread. She gave the Uchiha a knowing smile before following after him as they wove through the humid expanse of land. Her coat protected her from pestering insects that flew about, leaving her to protect her face with a quick flick of her wrist as she shooed them away.
The grass and dirt was soggy but firm enough to walk on without a mess. Even so, Saya could still feel the workings of muck creeping its way into her shoes and between her toes.
"Have I mentioned how much I hate rain?"
"Has anyone ever told you that you act like a cat?" Kisame didn't bother looking back to her. "You sleep like one, you smile like one, you fight like one, and you look like one."
"Cats can't smile." She corrected. "Except for cat shinobi." She looked at Itachi inquisitively. "Speaking of which, don't the Uchiha have contracts with those little demons?"
"Hn."
"I'll take that as a yes. Does that mean you can summon a kitty, Uchiha?" He closed his eyes, as if in attempts to ignore her. "You shouldn't feel embarrassed. My summon was a whole hell of a lot crabbier than those rats."
They walked on in silence.
"Don't you wanna know what my summon was?" She asked, peering over at Itachi. "No?"
"Stop pestering him, onna, or you'll find yourself in a genjutsu." She chuckled and heeded Kisame's warning, keeping to herself for most of their walk.
"Rain is the ultimate link, don't you think?" Saya mentioned. "It connects peoples hearts, just as it connects the sky to the earth."
"Hn. Being mysterious again, onna?"
"Trust me Hoshigake, everyone is less mysterious then they think they are." She answered. "No, I think I heard that somewhere, from someone else. Who was it again?" She wondered. "Kite Tubo? No, that doesn't sound right…" She mumbled off into thought.
The rain began pelting down, allowing more to shower past the leaves and dampen their clothes. The sound was rather soothing, accompanied by the dry sounds of crickets and twitters of birds. There were more clicks sounding in the air, probably from insects and animals Saya'd never heard of or seen, and it permeated the air in a low crescendo. It was something like this, she thought, she'd miss the most when she was gone.
The sight of Hoshigake and the Uchiha's back, shifting slightly in their pace before her, was oddly comforting. They were rather humble men compared to what she had expected, and also compared to the rest of Akatsuki. She hadn't had much contact with any of them, but she could feel in their brief encounters their murderous intent. It was a subtle hostility, except in the case of the one called Hidan who was absurdly loud, and no one had really lashed out at her.
But she'd worked long enough with their kind, and she'd known that if it weren't for her agreement with their leader that any one of them would have killed her simply because she'd come within their sight. The boy, Sho, was an exception. He wasn't like the rest of them.
He had a sort of hesitance about him in the things he said, and according to his ambitious speech he'd given her, it was safe for her to assume he wasn't in Akatsuki because of his notoriety. No, it was more likely he'd joined to gain recognition, and it just so happened that he had something that Akatsuki could gain.
She wondered faintly if it wasn't too late for someone to save him.
Regardless, the two men before her were rather different in comparison. Sure Hoshigake was a little bloodthirsty…
Okay, maybe he was more than a little bloodthirsty. Still, when she'd met him, she didn't get the feeling that he had wanted to kill her. It was almost like…like he wanted to fight. There was a major difference between killing and fighting, and Kisame was a fan of the latter. He wanted action, and he found that when he battled, so she couldn't really judge.
It would be like the pot calling the kettle black.
Still, besides that funny quirk, he was an otherwise nice, albeit arrogant, guy. He'd threatened her plenty, and they all weren't as nice as 'being dragged by your hair'. But not once had he raised a hand against her in spite, and for that she grudgingly respected him.
Itachi, too, was a strange case. He didn't exude a threatening aura at all, in fact, he was quiet. If it weren't for the fact he was part of Akatsuki, she'd take him for a decent fellow.
But knowing of the Uchiha massacre told her otherwise, and she questioned the circumstances of his presence among these men, as well as his crime. His aura was not menacing like that of a murderer's, and she had often seen him staring out in thought.
Sad that such young men had suffered, she thought, and sadder still that they'd surely die before they were old enough to truly suffer for their effects.
It was at this thought that all of the clicks and chirps, snaps and crickets went silent.
As if they were never there.
"Well, something's coming." Kisame's low voice against the fragile silence caused Saya to shiver. A familiar pair of chakra signatures defined themselves not far away. In fact, if Saya didn't know any better, she'd say they were only a little ways before them.
"I'll be damned." She mumbled. She hadn't expected to catch them this quick. This was much sooner than she had anticipated.
She shrugged it away and stood between the two men.
"Should we go a different direction? It isn't anbu, they travel in groups. But it might be a pair of hunter nins." Kisame looked over to Itachi with a calculating stare.
"They would only follow. We've already been found."
"I thought you liked to fight, Hoshigake?" She smiled ahead of them. "But I guess this close to your base would be rather unpleasant, huh?"
He grumbled in response, the deep resonance of his voice vibrating in his chest. Standing next to him, Saya thought…
Yes, she was getting much too comfortable with these men.
They waited silently as the chakra approached in a slow drawl, almost as if the owners of them were taunting the group.
Suddenly, and very unexpectedly, a loud crash among the brush from the incline on their left caught their attention. Gargled curses and cries of laughter rang in her ears. Saya rose a brow as a bright yellow object fell unceremoniously in a heap a few steps ahead of them, giggling in wicked amusement.
"Ne, that was fun Yin-chan! We gotta do it again before we cross their path!" Her bubbled laughter erupted from her mouth in an assault of hysterical cackles.
Saya sighed and cradled her forehead at the sight of girl. She still dressed in those damnable colors, from head to toe. She also seemed unaware of their presence before she caught scent of tense air. She popped up and looked at them with wild surprise evident on her face, before looking into the foliage with excited jeers. Her lanky form straightened up as she peered back from where she fell, and Saya admitted that she'd grown quite a bit. She would have been almost fifteen this year, and that would make her partner fourteen. Her voice was the same, though, and just as irritating.
"Yin-chan! I found them! Hurry up and get out here, we can play in the muck later!" Her voice was like ringing bells, and they clanged against the awkward silence.
Another girl, small and slight, walked calmly from the darkened leaves. Her face was flat, her eyes lulled and half-lidded as she addressed her surroundings. Although she appeared very young, Saya's previous assessment told otherwise.
She zeroed in on Saya and turned her body towards them. In her hand that was by her side, she carried a single metal ring that resembled the kind of the playthings Saya's mother used to giver her as a child.
"Who are these brats?" Kisame's hand on Samehada dropped, falling back down to his side. "A pair of genin?"
"Speak your names." Itachi said softly, barely a trace of hostility. The Uchiha seemed more guarded than his partner, but his sharringan had yet to surface upon his eyes.
"I'm Fuu, and this is Yin-chan!" Fuu exclaimed, pointing at herself and then the white-haired girl, as if it were obvious.
"What the hell are you doing all the way out here?" Kisame questioned gruffly. Then he smirked. "Didn't your parents ever tell you that monsters live in the forest?"
"Monsters aren't real!" Fuu countered. "Katsutoshi-sama said so."
"Oh?" Kisame raised a brow. Fuu seemed to be appalled by his response and looked at him indignantly.
"He's only the coolest shinobi. Ever." She looked over at Saya with a relit grin. "Isn't that right, Saya-oneesan?"
Instantly both Akatsuki looked straight at her.
"Aw hell." Kisame grumbled.
"I told you my old village is right next door." She shrugged. "Not my fault."
She caught Itachi's gaze and knew what he wanted to know.
"Fuu, aren't you a little far from home?" Saya gave her a twitched smile.
"Katsutoshi-sama requests your presence, Saya-oneesan!" She chirped, nodding to Yin. At this, Saya bristled instantly. Despite knowing they were after her, she hadn't expected such a bold move from Katsu. Just who did he think he was, all high and mighty?
"I don't give a damn what that idiot wants. You can tell him to go to hell." She said in a harsh tone.
"Tsk, that's a terrible thing to say! What would Jin-kun say if he heard that?"
Saya froze, her arms deadweights and her legs nailed to the forest floor.
Some type of puddle pooled in her stomach and bled into her guts, staining her from head to toe in a kind of icy chill. For a brief second, she thought she might lose control of herself and fall.
But it was only a second, and plenty of those pass by every minute.
"Well, Fuu, he'd probably say that Katsu could go fuck himself, and then go to hell." Saya's hands flexed as she worked out her biting anger, trying not to snap at the infuriating girl. Then, she smiled. "Now why don't you skip your way back to your master and tell him that if he really wants to see me, he can get off his lazy ass and find me."
Kisame looked down at Saya with a subtle smirk. He had felt the woman in tears, and he had seen her cynical smile plenty. However, he had yet to see her in a rage, and truth be told, he found it somewhat…
He couldn't quite name it.
Itachi, too, was mildly intrigued by her anger. The two girls seemed to have a past affiliation with Imatsura Sayuri, and there was no doubt by the looks of these reactions that, perhaps, this Katsutoshi was an enemy. Either it be that or an unwelcome friend.
Her face was strictly drawn with lines of fury, schooled only by a thin layer of ice that chilled the fire beneath her expression. Oh, it was well enough that she should control her emotion, tiding in with a violent wave, but she did not hide it well enough to escape any of their notice.
It was a funny anger, though. Despite her obvious opposition to the girl's invitation, she also seemed aloof, a kind of sardonic humor etched in her curled smirk.
Like a lady of vengeance.
"Ne, you've changed, Saya-oneesan. You never used to be such a prickly pinecone!" Fuu whined.
"A few years of exile can do that to a person." She replied dryly.
"Well, whatever."
"You will oblige our request." Yin said, speaking for the first time. Her voice was dead, a complete opposite to Fuu's overly lively tones.
"That didn't sound like a request, kid." Kisame looked the snowy girl in the eye unwaveringly.
"That is because it wasn't. Sayuri-san will accompany us to Kaze no Mura, the village of the wind." The flat lilac eyes seemed to see nothing. Itachi narrowed his eyes dangerously, red surfacing along his iris' as Kisame's mouth opened to repute. However, Saya interceded.
"Girls," Saya's face lost it's danger, leaving a weary slip of coy, "Why is it your master wants me now, after all these years? And what would make him think I would agree to coming, hm?" Her eyes flashed. "If I didn't know any better, I would say you have something I-no, something we want."
"Still intuitive, Sayuri-san."
She threw Itachi and Kisame a quick glance, relaying a look filled with warm entertainment.
"What is it you have to offer?" Itachi looked back to the pair with calmed eyes. He seemed almost relaxed now, understanding Saya's eyes only just enough to contently handle the situation.
"Who said we want to offer you anything?" Fuu sniffed, but not before grinning. "Who said we won't just take her from you, and drag her back to our village?"
"Try it." Saya smirked, a line of static connecting between the two.
"We are in possession of the Gobi no Irukauma. My master is willing to make a trade. Sayuri-san's presence for the five-tailed beast."
Something stirred in the air between the two parties.
"How did you know-" Saya began.
"We have our sources, of course!" Fuu giggled. "You should know that better than anyone, Saya-oneesan."
Both Akatsuki men looked unharmed by her words, but it was little known surprise that ran through them. All of them.
How did these girls know about Akatsuki?
"I wonder…" Saya's face remained impassive, "Just who these sources are?" She raised a single brow in question.
"It's a secret!"
Saya didn't like that. It was blaringly obvious, to her, how they should know so much. All with those three little words.
They were dealing under the table.
They were working with spies, with murderers and cheaters to get their information. Probably through bribes.
Tch. Katsutoshi always was a coward.
"Proof."
"Wha?" Fuu looked at Saya with doleful eyes, blinking owlishly.
"He means where's your proof, baka." Saya translated for Itachi. "How do we know you're not just baiting us?"
"Oh!" Fuu shoved her hand within the confines of her jacket, wriggling around and biting her lip as she searched herself. "Ah, here we go." Pulling her arm back out, her hand seemed to hold a headband. No, it had an insignia on it- from Iwagakure. "His name is Han, and because of our current affiliations, Iwa's not so much of an allied force. So, of course, while Han-kun happened to be on a mission in our territory, we had no qualms about taking him hostage."
Saya watched her dubiously.
"How the hell did you capture him?"
"With a giant cage!" Fuu exclaimed dreamily. "Katsutoshi-sama is a genius."
"…bullshit."
"It's true!" She huffed with a stamp of her foot.
"We were given a sealing scroll containing the resonation able to withhold the demonic chakra of the five-tails." Yin informed them, giving little regard to the steaming ball of sunshine.
"Itachi?"
Itachi didn't bother looking over to Kisame. His eyes were trained on the girls, until they slid over to Saya in one swift slide.
"…We will go with them."
"Hurray!" Fuu hopped with outstretched arms, her mood changing instantaneously. "See, Yin-chan? I knew it would work!"
"I think I should go by myself." Saya met the Uchiha's eyes.
"What makes you think we'll let you?" Kisame asked.
"Explain."
Her smile curled along her lips.
"Aw, you'd miss me, wouldn't you?" She was answered with dull expressions. She shook her head. "Things will be complicated. This reeks of trouble." She laughed.
"Then we'll deal with it."
Saya couldn't see, but Kisame smirked at her as he said this.
"There's no fun in it otherwise, onna. We can handle ourselves."
Saya was ready to protest, but thought better of it and twisted her neck around to look up at him.
"Ne, let's go then! I can't wait to see Katsutoshi-sama's face when he see's you!" Fuu slapped her cheeks, grinning like a fool. "And we have bad guys with us too! Come on, I wanna have some fun!" She waved at them and began skipping in the other direction. "Follow me!"
"Freak." Kisame muttered.
"That's the pot calling the kettle black, Hoshigake."
"Shut up, onna. No one was talking to you."
The three walked forward, Saya taking the lead and approaching Yin, who held her gaze. As they met, Yin turned around and began walking. Saya's step hardly faltered when she spoke, but that didn't mean she wasn't surprised with what she uttered.
"There's a place among the nettled reeds.
A place she always grieves."
Saya's heart throbbed.
"And if you ever wander there, you'll never want to leave." She looked fondly at the head of white hair. "You remember that?"
"I have always remembered."
They walked on, following Fuu's lead as they traveled through the canopy of lush greenery. Wildflowers popped from the ground and decorated the already picturesque forest. The sound of wildlife began anew, and once again the day began.
"Kisame."
Kisame regarded his partner as they walked side by side at the rear, Fuu's extravagant singing creating a shield for their conversation.
"Yeah?"
"This is most likely a trap. Do not let your guard down."
"Remember who you're talking to, Itachi."
"Hn."
Kisame scratched his head and looked ahead.
"I'm just wondering who the trap is for."
"…"
"Itachi?"
"Hn."
"If I get the chance, I'm going to kill that brat in the yellow." His partner looked at him slowly, but Kisame only narrowed his eyes at her bright figure as she pranced about a thicket of bushes.
"She acts like a kid, but she looks at the onna like she wants to kill her."
"…Do what you want."
As they headed towards a destination meant for something she couldn't name, Saya internally trembled at what was left before her. She had played the part, and Katsutoshi's bait worked well with her own plan. It went well, she thought. Much too well, and it made her nervous. But regardless of the nerves that short-circuited within her, she kept her poker face and kept along.
It was best if she didn't falter.
A faltered step, or a hitch in her breath, or even the smallest tremor would bring her down.
No matter how scared she wished she was, and no matter how she worried hoped she could be for what she hoped for, she wouldn't be afraid.
She didn't have that option.
She could only take one step at a time, inhale in even breaths, and stare with unblinking eyes at the people among her and the road beneath her feet. She would have to be unmoving, unheeding to the forces against her. And no matter what, she could not fall. She could not give up, nor could she break. She could only clash with her steel will, and use her mind to its fullest capacity in order to outsmart her opponent. She would be brave and strong, unyielding and ready for anything.
Just like her favorite book character.
Longest chapter yet.
If there are grammatical errors or the Japanese-related stuff is wrong, just deal with it, please. I'll learn to fix it sooner or later. Plus, I don't have a beta-reader, and I'm too lazy to fix my mistakes.
By the way, Kichigai translates to 'Crazy Person'.
I'm pretty sure I've been an ass, because I never truly gave one of my readers enough credit for her illustration of Saya. It made her more real, and even if it's just one person who drew one picture, it meant the world to me.
Thank you, Puthetik.
(Ha, I just got it)
If you would like to see it, the link is on my page.
Review, because it makes me want to write.
Thanks.
~Serb