Ren awoke with a gasp, choking on pain and air. Struggling for breath, she tried to calm herself, so she could assess the damage done to her body.

Closing her eyes, she relaxed as much as her body would allow. Concentrating, she began at her head, checking it for injuries. Other than Chakra depletion, she was ok there. Actually, by the levels of chakra she had within her body, by all means, she wasn't supposed to be awake.

Moving down her throat, she felt the bruising of being lifted by her collar. Traveling downward some more, she noticed her chest seemed fine, besides tons of cuts and slices.

By the time she reached her stomach, the pain increased ten-fold. Embedded into her abdomen, was Sasori's poison dipped sword.

[Flashback]

"The poison of Sasori will make your body grown numb until you can't move or do anything. It will render you helpless. You had to be careful not to be cut what so ever by him, or it's the end. That is, if you don't have an antidote." Sakura Haruno told Ren one day at the hospital, when Ren brought up the subject of Akatsuki Nin.

"How long will the poison take effect, and how long will it last?" Ren asked, tilting her head to the side as she began putting away scalpels and other medical equipment.

Sakura paused, her brow furrowing in concentration. "I remember when I fought him… He said that the poison took place immediately, and lasted for three days until you were killed. That is, if he didn't inject more poison into your system." the pink haired kunoichi said. "But there's no need to worry about that now… Sasori is dead. I made sure of that." she murmured, hurrying herself with other things, signaling to Ren that she did not want to talk about it anymore.

[End Flashback]

Sasori's supposed to be dead… Sakura-chan killed him. How is it possible that he is living still? she thought, confused.

Her breathing was coming in ragged gasps from the pain in her stomach. She felt numb everywhere else, and it drove her to the point of insanity. Without feeling her limbs, it made her feel useless.

That alone, scared her beyond belief.

Panting, she could feel the trickle of sweat running down her face and body. The effects must have taken place a while ago.

Which reminds me… How long has it been since I was knocked out? I have a fever…. so counting… I must have been unconscious for….. about…. 4 hours already? She concluded, dreading the fact of her unconscious being.

Opening her eyes, Ren tried to look around, wanting to find where she was at. She was no longer in her small room where she had been detained for 5 days already, but someplace else.

"I see that you are awake, now." a smooth, soft voice murmured from a corner of the room.

Ren's eyes widened at the sound, unprepared for the newcomer's voice to interrupt her thoughts.

"Yes…" she rasped painfully, fully aware of how bruised her throat was.

"It's taken you long enough. How low are you on chakra?" the man asked. She concluded it was a man from his deep timbre.

"I barely…. have enough to….. keep me… conscious…" she whispered brokenly, coughing hoarsely as blood spilled from her mouth.

She could feel a hard surface beneath her back. Concluding that she was on a table, she tried to figure out what had her pinned there. Her arms and legs held no restraint, but her waist…

The sword was still in her abdomen, and the tip of it had been dug into the table to keep her in place.

A smirk flitted across her lips for a moment. "How… medieval…" she murmured, only to cough again, more blood splattering over her pale lips.

Pain marked her face by the creases in her forhead and lines around her eyes and lips. They showed strain, of how she was trying to maintain control.

"You will not attack me if I heal you. You will remain silent. You will stay still and do as I say." the man ordered and Ren closed her eyes in defeat.

"Yes…" she whispered, tears springing to her eyes at how weak she sounded.

Stepping from the shadows, the red headed man stepped forward, becoming bathed in the light from the room.

Ren did not see this, as she kept her eyes closed, not wanting to witness what he would do to her.

Walking forward more, Sasori made his way to the table, watching her face closely for any signs of rebellion.

She breathed in and out unevenly, pain creasing her face unattractively. Deciding that he disliked that look on her face, he began to heal her.

"I have an antidote, but Leader-sama and I think it would be best not to give it to you until you give us information on your history." he explained, but Ren refused to move or respond, keeping to her word that she would not speak.

Raising a brow at her, Sasori placed his hands on the side of the table, leaning over her to see the extent of her wounds. Besides his sword, there were multiple spots of bruising and also many cuts. The flesh was torn in several areas, and it would take a lot of cleaning to make sure infection did not spread.

Putting his hand on the hilt of his sword, the red haired man began to pull it from her body and the table.

Ren's eyes flew open from shock and pain as the sword moved within her. Gritting her teeth in pain, her body thrashed uncontrollably. She squeezed her eyes shut to stop herself from seeing the room spinning.

Tears gathered in her eyes and they streamed down her face, starting another flood of the salty liquid. "Kuso…" she bit out, trying to contain other profanities from escaping.

She grimaced, biting her lip so hard that droplets of blood dotted the lower. Whimpering softly, she tried not to sob as the pain overcame her.

Sasori smirked, watching as the pain increased tenfold on her pretty little face. Finally pulling out the sword from her body, he ended the painfully slow process of removing it.

"There… Was that so bad?" he asked smoothly, feeling sadistic.

Ren opened her eyes to glare at him, her face still twisted in a grimace. Biting back her retorts, she resulted to her glower.

Raising a brow at her, Sasori's smirk grew. "You look like you want to kill me…" he paused, leaning forward more to study Ren's face more. "Actually… you remind me of this one pink-haired kunoichi whom I fought a while back. She had the same look on her face as you do now." he murmured, lifting a lock of her black hair to rub between his fingers.

His smoldering look shot through her like lightning, and she shivered, trying to avoid his touch. Sasori's grin widened as he leaned closer, his lips brushing her ear.

"I stabbed her in the abdomen as well. You wouldn't happen to know each other would you? She tried to kill me, and succeeded for the most of it. But as you can see, I am still here. The little girl hadn't done a thorough job of finishing me off. Nor did Granny Chiyo." he murmured, his warm breathing burning her sensitive flesh.

Her eyes widened slightly at the description of her friend. Sakura-chan…

Shuddering, Ren tried to turn her head away from him, but he grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him.

"Remember what you said. If you are a Kunoichi that keeps to her word, you will keep to your word." he said, jumping completely from the subject they were on to the business at hand.

The girl felt annoyed and infuriated by his questioning of her word. But she let it go, not wanting to think about it any more than she had to.

Ren couldn't understand how he acted so calm around all the others, but seemed to show her a more open side, one more wild and inhibited.

Sliding a hand behind her shoulders, Sasori pulled her into a sitting position, of which Ren winced, coughed, and made small noises of protests. But she never said a word.

The Raven haired kunoichi looked at the nin and stared with curiosity, wondering what he would do next. She trusted him enough not to kill her, because she was needed for information, but what she did not trust him with, was the fact not to hurt her.

Sasori looked at her dead in the face, his reddish eyes staring into her grey ones. "I need to take your shirt off now. Your wounds must be healed, because Leader-sama wants you in good condition. He is furious with us at the moment that we could not contain you. It WILL NOT happen again." he said seriously, and Ren nodded, her lips slightly parted at the authority in his voice. Her breathing was still irregular, but not as labored from before, now that she was free from the sword. Blood spilled more openly now, though, and she could feel her head getting lighter and dizzier, her sight faltering.

The poison was affecting her already. It hadn't truly spread that fast while she was unconscious, but now that she was awake, it spread quickly. Her body was going numb at an alarming rate, and she felt fear spark within her.

Lifting his hand to her neck, Sasori untied the ties to her leather halter top, letting the straps fall over her shoulders as he released them. Then, his hand traveled to her mid-back, grabbing the zipper there, and pulling it down slowly, all the while staring into her eyes.

Ren's breath stilled in her chest, catching in her throat. She felt so absorbed in his touch and gaze. She felt like she would never be able to break away.

It scared her, and yet at the same time, exhilarated her.

Finally undoing the rest of the zipper, Sasori tugged at the edges of her shirt, removing the plastered remnants of it that were glued to her skin with blood.

Ren winced, the air rushing out of her lungs as he hit a particularly sensitive part, tugging a little too hard.

Making a small sound that came out like a whimper, she firmly shut her lips, not wanting to make any more noises.

Sasori's sadistic grin faded, to leave a soft, gentle smile. "I'm sorry. I do not mean for it to hurt so bad… Once I put this medication on it, you will feel much better, ok?" he informed her softly.

Ren closed her eyes, feeling helpless and useless. She felt ashamed and humiliation at the position she was in, trapped by an Akatsuki Nin. Hanging her head with thus emotions, she barely nodded to answer him.

Sasori watched the crown of her head, not even bothering to lift her head so that he could look into the steel grey eyes of hers.

Tossing the shirt away, he studied her torn and bloody bindings, which had been wrapped around her shoulders, and all the way around her chest, to about mid-stomach.

His fingers lightly traced the area around her wound. He felt her stiffen and flinch, jerking from his touch to avoid more pain. The nuke nin immediately switched his personality to Medic Mode, feeling a sort of compassion for the girl.

"I take it back now… you can talk, as long as your not spitting insults at me. I'd rather hear you speak calmly to me. From what we have gathered about you, you come from a… how should I say it… Royal family?" he concluded, glancing at her still bowed head.

Speaking low, Ren kept her voice level. "We weren't royal. We were only among a higher status of wealth and respect." She said simply, giving away no other information than that.

The red-headed nin sighed softly. This will be much tougher than we originally planned. I do not understand why Leader-sama wants information from her… There's no point to it… She won't give in that easily… Sasori thought deeply.

[Flashback]

"Sasori…" Pein murmured, his body hidden in the shadows.

"Hai, Leader-sama." The member answered.

"The Jinchuuriki… Find out her past… her history… Konan and I are obtaining information on the other, already extracted Jinchuuriki. If we decide that this girl is strong enough, we can add her to Akatsuki as a powerful weapon. We may not even extract the bijuu from her."

Sasori's eyes widened a fraction, but he forced him human body to remain calm. "May I ask why?"

Pein stirred in the shadows, switching his position. "Yes. As you know, Jinchuuriki deal with many hardships during their lives. It is then that they grow incredibly strong. If we were to obtain a larger tailed Jinchuuriki, that we have already not extracted it's bijuu from, we will have much power."

Sasori kept his face passive. "What if she refuses? This girl is quite strong. It took Kisame and Itachi to deal with her, and subdue her."

Pein let out a deep chuckle, cruel as it sounded. "By any means, do what it takes. Torture her into insanity, then pull her fragmented world together into an entirely different one. Trick her, mess with her mind. Seduce her. I don't care. Find out her past, strengths, weaknesses, and abilities then report back to me. I shall decide her fate from then on."

The red-head turned to leave before he paused, casting a look over his shoulder. "Who will she be staying with?"

The leader was silent for a moment, closing his ringed eyes. "You. Now go." He ordered.

"Hai."

[End Flashback]

Taking a pair of medic scissors out, he went to go cut off her bindings. Lifting the metal to her skin, she shivered lightly, her small whisper breaking the silence.

"Please don't." she asked softly. She didn't yell, didn't scream, didn't beg. Just simply asked. It was so soft a normal human wouldn't have heard it, but his specifically trained ears were able to.

Pausing, Sasori leaned forward into a different position, so that they couldn't see each others faces, but his ear was closer to her lips.

"Why."

Tears fell into her lap as she suppressed her sobs.

"I can't be exposed like that. I don't ever want anyone to see…" she whispered, her lips quivering, voice trembling.

Sasori felt an odd tugging sensation at his heart at her small voice, at how desperate it sounded.

"What do you not want people to see?" he asked just as softly.

"M-My scars…" she hiccupped. Her appearance only proved at how small she was, at how child-like she was. The only difference was her eyes. They showed too many hardships that should not be put onto a girl's shoulders.

Sasori pulled back enough to get a view of her shoulder. True to her word, Ren had multiple criss-crossing scars marring her pale skin. They were so thin and white, that he had to look closely to see them.

"They aren't bad." He commented, pulling back more.

Ren attempted to shake her head, but the poison and blood loss still affected her.

"No… I-It's not… that…" she whispered, but without Sasori supporting her fully, she began to tip over, her eyes slipping closed.

"Kuso." The Akatsuki member muttered, catching her in his arms while she panted, laboring for breath again as her heart did not have enough blood to pump. Sasori tilted her in his arms so that he could get a better view of her face.

Her cheeks were flaming hot with fever, and sweat streaked down her face, as well as her tears. Along the edges of her jaw, the whisker marks remained untouched.

He cut at the bottom edges of the bindings, only revealing more of her rib cage, nothing more above that. Ripping them away, he surveyed the damage with a medic's eye, immediately pulling out equipment he needed.

Laying her down flat on the table, once more, his hands reached out for a cleaning agent. Grabbing a bottle of alcohol, he poured over her open flesh, watching it fiz and bubble over infected areas.

Ren let out a sharp cry of pain, jerking as much as she could with what little strength she had.

Sasori brushed her bangs aside from her eyes and for head, pressing down there and on her hip to hold her still while the agent cleaned her wounds.

"Tch… Ahhhh…. EEeehhh…. Tcccchhh….." she whimpered through clenched teeth, wriggling beneath his touch still.

"Shhh…." He murmured, still watching the affect on her wounds. Releasing her, he grabbed for a small vile of yellowish liquid.

Holding it up to the dim light, he inserted a needle into the bottle, drawing out the liquid. "I'm going to have to give you the antidote, but don't get any ideas. You will still obey me. You promised." He muttered, before injecting it into the crease of her elbow.

The effects of the drug took place quickly, clearing away the numb feeling in her body, and the agonizing pain of it destroying her organs.

Holding her breath so she wouldn't make any other noises, Ren tried to stay still, grateful for the antidote.

Sasori grabbed for some medic thread and a needle, immediately going back over to Ren, and piercing it through her skin around the area of the sword wound.

She didn't wince or move this time. Instead, she actually remained still and quiet. The male nin worked quickly, threading the needle in and out of her skin, being quick and precise with his work. Doing the same to her back, as he rolled her over, he sewed the area shut.

Using medic ninjutsu to heal her other cuts and bruises, he surveyed her face again. She was still considerably pale, due to the blood loss, and her fever had yet to go down. What she needed was some sleep.

And he was the one to give it to her.

Ren opened her eyes slightly, still dazed, and mind hazy. Lifting a hand as much as she could, she touched his face. He had been leaning forward still, and had yet to move, but he stilled immediately.

The girl's lips parted slightly as she stared at her fingertips on his cheek. Confusion flickered across her face as she brushed his jaw line.

"You're human…" she whispered, her voice soft, child-like.

"Much to my disappointment, yes."

"Hmm." She hummed lightly, a small smile touching her lips. "I was afraid you were a puppet."

"Why?"

"We wouldn't be the same."

Confusion registered in Sasori's mind before he asked, "You never finished what you were going to say. What about people seeing your scars?"

She paused, her eyes more lidded now, as she stared up at him through thick lashes.

"They would know I was a killer and not a human being."

"I kill too."

Another smirk touched her pouty lips. "Good… Then we're the same." She whispered, her hand slipping from his face to his chest, feeling an actual heart-beat there.

Ren drifted into a deep sleep, induced by fever and blood-loss.

Sasori let her hand drop back down to her side as he stepped back. A tender moment had transpired between the two of them, and what did he think of it?

Nothing. His mind had drawn a blank on this one.

Lifting her bridal style, he carried her to his bed, laying her down on his sheets before laying his Akatsuki cloak above her.

Turning, he left his room and her alone.

Training… Yes, he needed to train to clear his head…

That girl was having more affect on him than he liked.

A/N:

Woot! Second chapter finished! I've spent like 3 days doing it…. And another story at the same time!!!!!! I awesome…. Oh yeah…. Ok…. Oh! And I forgot about that other story I finished too!

Wow…. 3 at once… and homework on top of that… Maybe I'm actually beginning to become dedicated to this….

Okay… Hopefully new updates!!!!!

Mihono: Beautiful Harmony

Breaking an Icy Heart

And I can't remember the others, but those are the two I plan on working on pretty soon….

Alright! REVIEW PLEASE!!!!!!!!!

DOMO ARIGATO!!!!!!

Ja ne!

Your hair-brained, emotional, procrastinating, over working, homework ridden,

Authoress,

Ren Mizuki