Midori's POV

"Let's go then!" Tsuki gave me a feathery grin. I stared at her and after a few minutes, scrambled on top of her Humongous back. She began to flap her wings and successfully glide in the sky.

"Sooo..where to go puny girl?" Tsuki grinned at me evilly.I just glared at her and replied calmly.

"In the inside of the tallest mountain in Iwa ." Tsuki just nodded and began flying a few minutes or so, I spoke up with a feline smirk on my face.

"Soo..why is your back humongous?" She was about to reply before I bounced in evilly.

"Oh, I know..It's FAT. Seriously, at least try to DIET a few times ok? Geezer." I can feel her glare at me and a smug smirk made its way to my face. But after an hour or so, we're still not there. So, naturally because I can't keep my mouth shut, I spoke up.

"Tsuki-no baka.." Ah, yea.. what a nickname..I'll totally stick on calling her that.

This time she really stared at me and glared at me but for some reason I'm not affected by it. I just felt pride and success on finally thinking of something to tease her with. Unfortunately, when she turned, we almost hit a tree.

So I cleared my throat."Umm..ok…Thank you so much for the inconvenience. Tsuki-no baka" I giggled at the nickname."Soo..Are we there yet?"

She let out a growl and replied."Uh..no."

"How about now?"

"No."

"Now?"

"Noo.."

"Umm..Now?"

"NO!"

"How about now?"

"NO! JUST SHUT UP ALREADY!" Tsuki inhaled angrily.

"OK, FINE! Old geezer.."

"What did you call me you brat?!" Tsuki let out a very improper …what? Uh.. a squawk?

"I said .ARE WE THERE YET ?!" I shouted at her ear.

She almost lost balance and flapped several times before keeping up again. "That's not what you said, Midori!" She told me threateningly. I just laughed at her and said.

"And?" I asked, eager for the reply.

She growled."..We're not there yet."

"ok..How about now?"

"NO! I mean..YES!"

"Really?!" I asked rather hopefully.

Tsuki grinded her beaks. "No!" She glided around the mountain and I could imagine her successful smile."Yes! We're here! I could feel massive chakras on that side of the mountain."

I pumped my fist in the air and yelled "YES!"

Tsuki sighed. "Geez, really got excited huh? Are you really a ninja? So much for the, Stealth." I bonked her head with the side of my fist and she let out a growl. Tsuki swooped down and I held on tightly. When she finally landed, I jumped down and saw a boulder blocking the entrance of a cave.

I looked around us.

"Uh..Tsuki? Is this the entrance?" I looked at her nervously.

Tsuki just stared at me strangely."Yea..Ya scared or somethin'?"

I could feel my face flush."What? NO! It's because..How can I frikkin get inside?!"

Tsuki just shrugged. "I dunno. Do something. Destroy the door, I guess . Go be a show-off."

I looked at her in shock. "What if they got angry?! I guess..I guess i'll just...I'll just knock." I strided confidently and knocked on the boulder.

Tsuki stared at me disbelievingly and guffawed a long laugh."Seriously?" Tsuki rolled over laughing. "Ya think that would -"

Before she can continue, the boulder moved out of place. I stared at her smugly and she glared at me and said "That's just luck,brat" Then, she disappeared in a poof of smoke because of shame.

There, before me, stood Pein himself. He stared at me up and down and asked."What do you want?"

I answered confidently and rather sarcastically. "A job."

Pein looked at me warily before shouting to someone on his back. "KONAN! The maid you asked for is here! It's a success!"

WTF?! A MAID?!What the hell?! I glared at him lightly before I cleared my throat and bowed deeply to the waist.

"Um.. Pein- sama.I mean an official member of the Akatsuki." I said a bit waveringly.

He looked at my scratched headband that is located on my waist. Then he sighed.

"I'm very sorry about that. But, before you come inside, name, Please." He said in a very intimidating way.

Now,I almost I kept my face extremely calm on the outside. Ah, training in ANBU really helps.

If he knows my name.. I thought rather panicked. But,It's not because I'm scared, It's because I'll miss a chance of a lifetime.

Besides, I'm not that weak because I got a reputation, right? And besides,I still get to fight and train all the time ya know!

So, mustering my courage, I said "Midori..Hayashi Midori."

To my surprise, Pein just stared at me. And much more to my surprise. He smiled.

"Ah. Midori no ANBU. The exiled hero of the leaf." I stiffened at the mention of my nickname.

He seemed to not to notice my slight reaction and just continued.

"Exiled after saving the 3rd Hokage himself several times, made a reputation in the ANBU, helped during the Kyuubi attack." All the time he was speaking, I was looking in the side.

Then he looked at me pitifully. "And that is how they repay you. Accuse you of a crime you did not do and brand you as an S-class criminal."

I looked at him and chuckled bitterfully. "I know,right. I swear. They're going to get what they deserve."

Pein nodded at me and led me inside. After we walked in, Pein did some quick handsigns and without breaking a sweat, sealed the entrance.

It was really dark inside. No, dim. Yes, dim. After a few seconds my eyes adjusted to the dark and found a..maze of corridors.. Wow…How exciting.

We walked in silence as Pein led me down deeper in the halls. Finally, I can't take the silence anymore. I spoke up.

"Aren't you going to tell me the rules or something?" I looked up at Pein waiting for an answer.

"Huh? Oh yes. First of all. You'll have an interview. If you pass, you'll get to have the physical test to test your abilities. And if you don't, well we'll either kill you or, if your lucky, will just erase the memories you had in these organization." I gulped at the mention of them killing me. But it 's not like I'm backing down, actually. Because, when I accepted being a shinobi, Death is always included in the to expect list.

Pein continued. "And if you passed the physical test. I'll give you a debriefing on what we do here and yadada dada and you'll be an official member. After you got your cloak, you'll get to meet the other members." He walked away coolly as if he didn't say anything weird and led me to another left, and several rights. All the time I had my eyebrows raised at him. Seriously, the speech is almost impressive,but you just got to ruin it..I mean, Yadda Yadda?

When he finally looked at me and he saw my eyebrows raised, he just shrugged.

After a few minutes, we came upon a woman with blue hair and hazel eyes that is wearing the Akatsuki cloak. Probably an official member and This is probably their designation point.duhh... I guessed.

Pein cleared his throat. "Midori, this is my partner,Konan." Then,He turned to the blue head girl."Konan,I'll leave her to you now. .This is Midori. She wants to be a member. You heard of her right ?"

The now identified girl nodded."I know what to do Pein." Konan smiled.

Pein nodded. "Good. I have paperworks to do." With that he walked away.

After that, Konan looked at me and smiled. "Hey, my name is Konan. This way, please."

My first thought was. Wow, she's nice. And, she looks nice. But who knows? One thing I learnt on being a shinobi is that Looks can be intimidating. Then I realized something. "Um..Konan-san-"

"Just Konan." She smiled at me with such a friendly smile that all my doubts have been washed away.

"Konan, have you been standing there all this time?" She seemed confused by my question, nevertheless, she still answered. "Yes,why?"

"Uh..nothing". She led me to another left.

If, she was there..then...But..Pein addressed her in the entrance!And it's been almost,like an hour before we got to her! Is it possible that she heard him? Is criminals really this weird? The thought just kept bugging me.

Of course they're weird. My eyes widened a fraction.

Conscience. I hissed in my mind, Don't EVEN start.

Konan seemed to notice my silence and glanced at me so I spoke up. "How bad is being on Akatsuki?" I asked while still focused on the way in front of me.

Konan sighed. "Really, you may think we're always badass. But..Some of us are actually nice if you get to know them. Like me." She smiled at me before continuing. "We just go badass when we're on missions. Just like ordinary shinobis. "

But somehow I got troubled on the some part. She led me to another round of twists and turns. My eyes twitched. Didn't this guys get lost? Finally, after what seemed like forever, we stopped at a big door. Probably the interrogation room.

Konan turned to me. "Here we are! Your interroga- interviewer will be here soon, so don't worry, he's usually never late." I nodded at her. "Thanks."

Then she smiled at me. "Please. If you get to pass. Please stay sane. And Please be the only person sane enough for me to interact with."

She looked so desperate so I just nodded. "Of course."

She sighed "Do you know how hard it is to be the only girl in this frikkin organization?" I just chuckled. with that she turned away, but immediately faced me again.

"One more thing,how did you know where are hideout is?" She asked me suspiciously. I just shrugged and handed her the flyer. After she read it. Which took,like, several minutes. She half-whispered, half-shouted "TOBI!" And with that, she disappeared in a hurricane of papers and a flyer.

So, she has the paper ability alright.

I closed my eyes and opened the doors.I can almost imagine that I'm opening the doors to the Hokage's office. Somehow, that thought calmed me, being safe, and being at home, and- No. Konoha is NOT home.

"Not anymore.."I mumbled sadly.I immediately swatted my previous thoughts away and I went inside the room and sat on the only place with light. The desk. And with light, I mean a really dim light. And it's really just a small desk lamp. I sighed and put my hands on my chin. It 's just so boring.

After 3 minutes and he's still not here, I decided to play with my hair. And,After that, I cleansed my nails ,After that I played beats in the desk and even sang!

But my interviewee is still nowhere in my glorious sight. Then, I remembered what Konan said.

And don't worry, he's usually never late. I groaned. Looks like today was the one where he chose to be late. I almost talked to my internal rival, conscience, when the door creaked open and violent light came flooding in.

I shut my eyes tight. I heard my mysterious and late interviewee walk into the room and take a seat in front of me.

I still had my eyes closed. And After a minute or so. He greeted In a deep monotous voice. "Long time no see..Midori"

That voice..A growl formed in my throat. I snapped my eyes open. When my eyes finally adjusted to the dim light I let out a long snarl for I realized who the stoic man in front of me was.

I spat out his name like poison.

"Uchiha…Itachi"