Regular POV
Tsunade looked up as the two Akatsuki members entered her office. "Well well. What do we have here?" she laughed. Shizune stepped forward defensively as one approached the desk. "We're here to take you up on that offer." he said. Tsunade opened her book. "Names would be nice." she remarked. "Deidara and Sasori." Deidara muttered something to himself. Tsunade stood. "Shizune. Get Maro here a room. I'll handle these two." she instructed. Shizune held out her arms. Reluctantly,Sasori handed the girl in his arms over to her and Shizune left. "I strongly suggest you two return home and rest. Maro will be a slow process. Going too fast could cause a permanent mistake and going too slow could cost her her life." Tsunade cautioned. Sasori turned to Deidara. "Pein is going to kill us." he said. Tsunade smiled. "Of course. To avoid death,you could always lie and say I found her and already began the surgery. Because the minute you leave I plan to do just that." she informed them both. Deidara shrugged. "Whatever un. Just fix her." he ordered grabbing Sasori's arm and pulling him out.
Sasori's POV
I matched Pein's deadly stare with a bored one of my own. He tried harder but I kept my face stone solid. Hidan watched the two of us. "Sasori. Why do you always look stoned?" he asked. Ino shushed him as well as Konan. "Where... Is....Maro?" Pein repeated. I sat forward. "She's...in.....Konoha...getting the help she needs." I answered slowly at first. Pein sat back. "We don't need help. Besides, didn't you say that if she's going to die we should use her till she does?" he asked. "I didn't mean it." I said quickly. "The child is disposable. Orochimaru threw her away and if we're smart we'll do the same thing. She's just getting in the way. I don't care if she has a Jinchuuriki inside her,real or not. The brat is useless." Pein snapped. I stood knocking over my chair. "SHE'S NOT USELESS!!!!!!!!! Orochimaru still wants her and if Konoha hasn't given up on her then neither should we!!!" I yelled. "Amen!" Kisame said. "You have no clue what's going on." Itachi pointed out. "Heh. So what. I got it all figured out. Sasori fell for some woman and Pein wants to get rid of her." Kisame said. "Really?" Hidan and Tobi said together. I hid my red face in my cloak. "God damnit Kisame. Get your facts right." I snapped walking out. "Donna!" Deidara called catching up. "What?" I growled. Deidara caught his breath. "Remember when I first met Ino?How no one thought it would work? How she was part of one of our enemies but she came back anyway. Trust me when I say you and Maro will have it easier than we did." he said. I blinked ,surprised. "That was deep. And you didn't say 'un'." I remarked. He smiled. "I'll hold Pein off. You go check on Maro." he ordered.
Regular POV
Sakura ran out to great Sasori when she saw him. "I'm sorry but Lady Tsunade hasn't finished." she said. "I came to check on her progress." Sasori replied. "She's a tougher case than the Hokage thought." Kakashi remarked . "She needs you Sakura." he said . Sakura nodded and ran into the hospital. "What do you mean by a tougher case than Tsunade thought?" Sasori asked. "She's walked the border of death more than once. Lady Hokage has gone too far to stop and she's too far for the surgery to succeed." Kakashi explained. "WHAT?!" Sasori roared. "I know it's nerve racking but try to remember that this will help your friend get better." Kakashi said. Sasori turned away. "At this point she's far more than a friend." he muttered.
Maro's POV
I saw the wolf before I heard its ghostly howl. "Maro. Do you know who I am?" the wolf asked. Surprisingly it had a feminine voice. "No." I replied as she circled me. "Of course you don't. My name is Naru." she said. "But how do you know me?And who are you?" I practically yelled. Naru sat beside me. "I already told you that. And Maro. Who do you think it is you transform into? I am your wolf." she explained. "But Lord Orochimaru.." I began. "Is as evil as they say." Naru cut in. She was back on her feet again. "Maro. He didn't artificially create me. He merely altered you. Orochimaru feared that you'd be too weak to make me stay if the Akatsuki tried to steal me. You were just another body he planned to take over." Naru said. My shoulder had become very numb while she was talking. "Why do I feel this way?" I asked. Naru smiled. Or at least I think she did. "While we speak,you are in a deep coma. The Hokage is working day and night with a team of medical ninja from ally villages as well as this one to save your life. To keep you alive. You've been asleep for a total week and soon you will awaken. Now you have a choice to make." Naru explained. She curled around me. "You can return to Orochimaru or you can return to the people who care most about you." she said. "Who?" I asked. Naru smiled again. "The Akatsuki." she breathed. She blew a cloud of dark mist at me and suddenly I was staring at a white ceiling. I was awake.