My absence in updating is inexcusable. I'm just lazy as shit and didn't really feel like updating just yet. But, this was on my mind in my absence and I kinda want to add a twist after we have a little bit of Tai and the Akatsuki.

Enjoy

Chapter 8

"'~.'~.'.~'.~'" Tai's P.O.V. "'~.'~.'.~'.~'"

I rolled in my bed when I heard a woman's scream. I scrunched my eyebrows in annoyance when the scream was sounded again. Annoyed to no end, I threw my bed covers off of me and stomped to my door. Not even bothering with the nest that I know is my hair.

"HIDAN! YOU HOBKNOCKER! I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU THAT IF YOU WERE GOING TO SACRIFICE SOMEONE TO CUT THEIR BLOODY VOCAL CHORDS. I. NEED. MY. BEAUTY SLEEP!"

"You? Beauty sleep? You're an ugly bitch!" called Hidan from the other side of the house after the woman's scream was cut off.

"I agree with him, un!"

I growled in the direction of Deidara's shared room with Tobi, Sasori, Kisame, and Itachi. I might have lived in a normal sized house, but it is still too small for 11 people. 4 rooms for 11 people. That's just ridiculous. I brought my thumb to my mouth subconsciously, letting my mind float away from the situation at hand.

When I snapped out of my trance, Sasori was in front of me inspecting my eyes. I sent a glare at him and went to turn around.

"You know, I applied you for a job, and went to the interview as you yesterday. You start tomorrow at 8am at the animal shelter." I turned around quickly to glare at him.

"YOU DID WHAT YOU HOBKNOCKER!?" I went to swing at him but he caught my fist. A smirk was evident on his face.

"It was Kakuzu's idea. Since you're the only one that lives in this world, you're the only one able to work." I growled at him and trekked to my room, mumbling under my breath about how everyone here is a hobknocker.

I crawled into my bed tiredly and shut my eyes to go back to sleep.

"'~.'~.'.~'.~'"

I awoke 2 hours later from my alarm clock. I checked the time to find that it was 7:00. I have, 30 minutes to get ready and then 30 minutes to walk to the shelter.

"Why the hell does this guy think that he can wake me up at 7 to get ready for something I don't even want to do?! That stupid hobknocker."

"You know I'm in here right?" I smirked towards Sasori's direction.

"I was aware. I want you to know how mad I am at you for forcing me to work."

"It's Kakuzu's idea."

"You're the hobknocker that's feeding his money addiction." I growled in reply as I pushed him out of my room to get ready for work.

After I changed clothes real quick and threw my green hair in its trademark side ponytail, I washed my face to get rid of the tired look I had. When I finished, I stared into my face. After a few minutes, I brushed my teeth and trekked out of my room.

I sent a glare towards Sasori when I opened my door to find him there.

"What do you want you hobknocker?" He rolled his eyes at me and glared back at me.

"Pein wants me to join you on the job to keep an eye on you." I glared at him before a glared towards my parents' room.

"Pein! What the bloody hell? Why couldn't it have been Itachi or Kisame to go there with me?!" I heard two people stride behind me and stopped. I turned around to look at the pair.

"Because we don't like you." I glared at Kisame with a pout.

"You're just a hobknocker." Kisame growled and walked away, but got the chance to hear me growl back at him. After a moment, I turned to smirk at Sasori.

"Heyyyy. Since you can't be seen in this world as a human, I guess you have to be a cat." I smirked evily at him as he sent me a glare.

"That is true Sasori; I guess you will have to do your mission as a kitten." Pein stated from behind me, I jumped in surprise and turned to look at Pein while Sasori growled behind me but bowed in understanding.

"Peiiinnnnnn, I promise I won't tell anyone about you guys! Just please let me not work! And what about school?!" Pein smirked at me.

"I had Zetsu investigate your 'school'. I say's that you have summer vacation until September. It's July isn't it? You will work until September full time and then when you start school you will work half-time." I growled at him in response.

"No way in hell will I work during the school year! What about my friends?" Pein chuckled at this and leaned into my ear.

"What friends? You have none. I had Zetsu investigate any possible 'friends' of yours. Something about starting a riot at school? You'll do fine with working at the shelter. Now get to work." I growled at him but turned to leave. I walked into the kitchen quickly and grabbed a water bottle from the fridge.

"Sasori! Time to leave! Get in the kitchen!" When he walked in, I opened the water bottle, took a small swig from it, and started walking towards the door. I smirk to him and splashed water onto him. With a poof, I picked up a disgruntled kitten and walked out of the house.

"Now don't forget we have to go by your alias. Right Gingie?" He growled at me but didn't scratch me like he did when I first named him. I chuckled at I walked towards the business district near my home, where the local animal shelter was.

"'~.'~.'.~'.~'" Amy's P.O.V. "'~.'~.'.~'.~'"

"Now Kakashi, since you know how to use the phone now, call me if anything happens. I trust you guys in my apartment. Don't make me wish I didn't." I said into my phone as I drove to work.

"I will call if anything goes up. Are you sure you don't want one of us to keep an eye on you at work?"

"What's the worst that can happen to me? You think Orochimaru will want to barge into my workplace and kidnap me? He doesn't even know where the hell he is." There was silence on the other line.

"Just be careful. You are working in the area where Neji said he saw them." I rolled my eyes at Kakashi's antics.

"I'll be careful. Now I have to go, I just got to the shelter." I heard a quick bye and the phone line died. I sighed as I ended the call and got out of my car.

I walked into the building as I girl roughly my age with green hair be escorted into the back of the building where we keep the scrubs. She must be the new girl boss was telling me about. But what caught my attention was the red kitten on her shoulder.

"Welcome back Amy! How was your vacation?" I smiled at Rita as I walked towards the dog room.

"It's great to be back, Rita! And it was eventful." Rita smiled at me happily and turned back towards the woman who walked in with a cat cage. I shook my head and headed towards the door of the dog room.

When I walked in, the dogs in the cages closest to the door stood up and wagged their tails happily.

"Hey guys! I missed you!" I said excitedly as I walked towards a few cages. I did my quick check-ups and continued down the rows of cages, when I finished and was at the end of the room, I grabbed a hold of a dog food bag and began my way back up, but this time I filled the bowls with food for them. When I finished, I walked down to where I got the dog food and set it down.

I grabbed a huge container of spring water and began to fill the water bowls in the same order. When I finally finished, I smirked happily and watched the dogs eat and drink some water. When they finished their food, I went to the left side of the room where there was a second door. I opened it and looked towards the cages where dogs were yipping happily.

I pressed a button at the side of the door that opened the cage doors. The dogs rushed towards the door I opened that led towards outside. I smirked as I walked out with them, to find the new girl already out there. Surprised, I stepped over towards her.

"Hey, I didn't expect to see you in the dog area." The girl jumped but turned to look at me curiously, her thumb was at her mouth.

"Who are you?" My eyebrow twitched at the girl's tone of voice, but placed a fake smirk on my lips.

"I'm sorry, how rude of me. I'm Amy, how about you? I held out my hand for her to shake, after a while of her looking at it, I let it fall to my side in annoyance.

"Call me Tai." I nodded to her, and noticed the cat was still poised on her shoulder.

"I would watch out for your cat. A few of these dogs don't like them." Tai smirked at me.

"Gingie knows how to take care of himself, he can be…intimidating." I chuckled at his name.

"He seems more like a Chucky to me." With that, the smirk on her face grew wider.

"If you only knew." I smirked back at her.

"I have a grey cat at home; I named him scar cuz of his looks. He wasn't very pleased." Tai chuckled at me.

"I named another cat I have squash because his face looks like a pumpkin." I chuckled slightly at that and looked towards the dogs. I watched them play for a little bit, and when they seemed to become tired I led them into the dog room again.

I motioned Tai to follow me, and she obliged; much to her discontent from what I saw.

After a while with the dogs, I showed Tai some of the simple things like where to keep everything and how much to feed them. When we finished, we walked towards the injured dog's ward. In there we did things from cleaning the cages, tending to wounds, giving medicine, feeding, and giving water. When we finished, I told her that we had our lunch break, and then we would be heading towards the cat area.

"Did you pack lunch?" I questioned towards a disgruntled Tai. She shook her head no. I smiled at her.

"I usually go out for lunch so I'll take you with me. How does a quick meal at the diner sound?" She nodded to me slightly, and I looked towards the cat.

"They let animals in too, but only to the regulars. I'm a regular so I'll say Gingie's mine." Tai nodded again as the cat looked at me. I looked at the cat suspiciously, and led her towards my car.

Recognition flashed in Tai's eyes as I marveled my car, I opened the divers' door and unlocked the passenger side. When she buckled her seatbelt, I started the car and started to drive towards the diner.

"'~.'~.'.~'.~'"

When I reached there, I watched at Gingie's claws release from Tai's shoulder and the death grip Tai had on the car handle released. I smirked at her as she brought her thumb to her mouth.

"Are you hungry?" Tai nodded in response, and with that, we stepped out of the car and into the Diner.

"'~.'~.'.~'.~'"

"Hey this is Spongebob!

Ringa linga-"

"Yello."

"Amy. We have some information to discuss." I brought a fry to my mouth and ate it.

"Listen here old man. I'm busy right now, can it wait?" I heard Kakashi sigh, and I chanced a glance at Tai, who was looking at me suspiciously.

"I'm sorry, but it can't." I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"If they broke anything, it can wait. I have a guest with me right now so a private conversation can't really happen right now." I heard a second sigh.

"… I guess it will have to wait. I'll be waiting for you to get back from work." I rolled my eyes.

"Yes father. Bye." With that, I hung up in annoyance. I looked up to see that Tai was still staring at me. "What?"

"Was that your dad?" I smirked as I ate another fry.

"Nah. But he sure acts like my dad." Tai chuckled slightly and looked towards the cat on her shoulder. I followed her gaze to find him glaring at me. I glared back at him.

"How are you two doing?" I looked up and gave a fake smirk to the waitress.

"Were doing good Jess, could I get more fries?" I motioned my head towards the cat. "For Gingie." She nodded at me and said they would be right out. I looked back towards the cat to see that he was still glaring at me. I finished the rest of my fries, not breaking the glare I had with the cat.

"Your fries." I muttered a thanks and mover the plate towards the edge of the table. The cat slowly moved down from its perch and towards the plate. After he sniffed it, he moved away from them.

"He must not be hungry." Tai stated at the cat hopped back onto her shoulder, I caught a glance of a white circle of fur on his chest where his heart is. I glared at it until the cat perched itself to where I couldn't see it. I looked towards Tai.

"Do you watch anime?" Tai smiled at me.

"A little bit, why?"

"Your cat just reminds me of an anime character, that's all." I smirked towards the cat, giving it a knowing look. Said cat hissed in my direction.

"Don't hiss at me. I bought you fries. Just because you're not 'hungry' doesn't mean anything." The cat hissed quietly in reply. I shrugged my shoulders and quickly ate my burger. When we finished our food, I paid and tipped and stepped up to leave.

Tai regretfully got into the car, and we headed back to work in silence. But I knew that the cat was glaring holes into the side of my head.

"'~.'~.'.~'.~'"

"Kakashi. I believe the Akatsuki is being taken care of someone that's at my work." I stated as I barged into my apartment after work. Kakashi lounged on the couch, reading a book.

"What makes you say that?" He asked nonchalantly, closing his book to look at me.

"The fucking cat she had. The little shit hissed at me when I said something about him not eating. And he had a mark on his chest where his heart would be. Just like Sasori from the Akatsuki. I am confident it's him. He was watching me the whole day."

"That is what we wanted to talk to you about. We believe that we are being watched by an Akatsuki member, and they found out where you work. Asuma and I also think that you should befriend this girl, maybe you can get information from her."

I nodded towards him and bowed. "Ight Kakashi. I'll try. But I can't promise you that it will work. She is pretty smart; she will probably catch onto me quickly." Kakashi nodded, understanding the risk. With that, I went to prepare for dinner.

"'~.'~.'.~'.~'" Tai's P.O.V. "'~.'~.'.~'.~'"

I looked on in annoyance as Sasori stepped out of the bathroom with clothes on in his renewed human form.

"She for sure is watching after the Konoha ninja. Traces of their chakra were on her." Sasori stated to the circle of Akatsuki members who decided to have their meeting in the hall. Pein nodded and looked towards me.

"You are to continue working there and befriend her. We need to know everything. Weaknesses, strengths, everything. Sasori will continue to watch over you. You are to not share anything about us to her." Tai nodded, and turned to walk away.

"Yes Pein." I walked towards the kitchen to make myself a sandwich. Things are going to start to get complicated.

"'~.'~.'.~'.~'"

Thanks to all. And again, sorry for the late update. I hope it was worth the wait for you guys!

Chao.