Fumetsu crept silently into the room, glancing around to make sure it was unoccupied. After ascertaining that she was alone, she dashed next to the tomb where Karasu's corpse lay. Whipping out a small knife, Fumetsu quickly ran the blade down Karasu's arm. Blood dripped out of the wound. Fumetsu snatched a narrow vial from her pocket and collected the blood, sealing the bottle before stowing it back into the pocket of her cloak.
Pain raked his eyes over the rest of the clones. Some of them were puffy-eyed, having spent the last couple of hours mourning their friends' deaths, while others were still in a deep state of shock.
He cleared his throat. "I'm sure we're all still mourning for the deaths of Karasu and Sakan, but we need to move on."
No reaction whatsoever from the clones except a few glances.
"Shiro and Kuroi must remain with each other from now on."
The two clones silently stood next to each other and fused, looking even more like Zetsu but without the green Venus-flytrap things.
Silence.
Pain was growing impatient. "This is enough!" he barked. Some of the clones jumped a mile in the air while others blinked.
Pain continued, "I agree it is sad that Karasu and Sakan both died, I know this is your first time experiencing great loss, and I can understand your grief. But you cannot remain this way!"
"…What would the Akatsuki know about it?" Sutetchi's quiet challenge broke the silence of the clones.
"What?" Pain paused for a second.
"You're all S-ranked criminals who are used to hiding emotions and feelings," all eyes darted to Itami, "How would you know what we feel when you have blocked yourselves from feeling anything?"
Konan looked at Pain, wondering if he would tell the clones about their past.
Pain remained silent for a couple more moments before speaking. "You are mistaken. I understand your feelings because I have felt the same way many years ago."
Everyone else remained quiet as Pain continued with his story.
"When I was just a child, I had lost both of my parents to Konoha. They were killed during Third Great Ninja War when Konoha shinobi mistook them for an enemy. I became an orphan. No friends, no relatives. I had nothing, until I met Konan and Yahiko. The three of us were all orphans. We became best friends, helping each other survive."
Pain took a deep breath and continued, "However, Yahiko was killed a couple years later in a trap laid by Hanzo and Danzo. They told me to either kill Yahiko or Konan would die. I didn't want either of them to go. I couldn't choose…but Yahiko chose for me." Pain's voice grew bitter at the memory of Yahiko impaling himself on the kunai.
Even the Akatsuki members were shocked. None of them, except Konan, knew what Pain had gone through in his childhood.
"What do you need us to do?" Itami asked quietly, signaling that she was ready to go and fight Orochimaru.
"I need someone to watch Orochimaru's movements. Preferably Zetsu or Kuroi and Shiro…" Pain ordered.
"We'll do it," Shiro volunteered. Kuroi nodded their heads.
"Wait," Tenchi said. He made sixteen small square sheets of paper fly off his face. Handing one to each member, he explained, "This way, we can stay in touch with one another."
Konan gave her apprentice an approving nod. The Akatsuki members who wore their forehead protectors tucked the paper away underneath it. Tenchi shook his head.
"Eat it," he commanded.
"What?" Deidara asked incredulously.
"Eat the paper."
"Is this supposed to be some kind of joke?" Itami asked, eyeing Tenchi as though the latter had gone insane.
"If you eat the paper, then you won't lose it. I would also be able to communicate with you through your mind as the digested paper enters your bloodstream and flows to your brain," Tenchi said, growing a little impatient.
"Is this even edible?" Sutetchi stuck a corner into his mouth, biting the paper carefully. It had no taste. He stuffed it into his mouth and swallowed, slightly surprised at how easily it slid down his throat.
The others quickly gulped down the paper, some making strange faces. Suddenly, Sasori froze.
"Hold on a second," he rasped, turning a little pale.
"What?" Kakuzu eyed the puppet master suspiciously.
"We just ate paper…" Sasori said slowly.
"And?" Sasori was making the others (minus Tenchi) nervous.
"The paper came from Tenchi's face…"
"…" No one said anything as the puzzle was starting to fall into place.
"Does that mean we just ate Tenchi?"
There was a total silence as the final piece clicked together in everyone's mind. Then, all heck broke loose as they started screaming.
"Oh, my God!" Ningyou shrieked, beating her fists on a wall.
"I think I'm gonna be sick, hmm." Nendo hunched over, hands over his mouth.
Hidan had already thrown up, his vomit splattered on the floor. Deidara's and Kisame's mouths had fallen open, gaping in shock. Itachi, Itami, Pain, and Konan looked disgusted but kept their composure. Kakuzu and Sutetchi looked as though they were about to stick a thread down their throats to fish the paper out. Zetsu, Kuroi and Shiro, and Tobi looked completely unfazed. In fact, Kuroi and Shiro merely sank through the ground, heading to Orochimaru's base.
"Wimps," Tenchi muttered, observing his companions' reactions to Sasori's theory.
I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long. I had a long bout of writer's block. But I finally updated, so don't be mad anymore!
Reviews are appreciated, and thanks for reading!