Hey guys! :D Trying to post before that 'doomsday' virus or whatever. Lol X) Enjoy!

Her ignorance astounded me. How she could act superior in this state was beyond all of my comprehension. Even with her broken bones and scarred tissue, her swollen flesh and blackened bruises, she still thought she could act so superior. However, even in this mock ignorance, she knew who wasn't faking. She treated them differently in a way almost barely possible while still making herself seem truly equal. But I understood. Pein understood. We all understood: Secretly.

Her smile was stretched, forced, no longer eager to brighten up the day. Why should I care? Even if I had accepted the fact that my feelings for her were, in fact, growing strongly each and every passing moment we spent with each other, the fact that I was using her still stood. We were using her. Every single one of us. Her incompetence to comprehend this was astoundingly painful to watch. She thought it was a growing friendship. We are criminals. Surely she understood that while working with us she would only be a tool. Surely. However…there was a flaw to this plan. I-the maker of this 'idea' was failing at carrying out such responsibility. As were most of the others. Kisame and Itachi were growing some-what attached, so was Hidan and Konan. Itachi and Konan always had a soft spot, but Kisame and Hidan? Two ruthless, murderous, sadistic assassins of this organization? Unheard of. Even Deidara had grown attached to the small family bond that had formed. Pein seemed halfhearted; Pein didn't seem interested at all, in fact. But even if he couldn't see it, I could. He enjoyed the entertainment. Who wouldn't? The bickering and constant insults being tossed back and forth? Anyone would find that humorous.

Ren and Hadder spent most of their lasting time in each other's company. The two were more like a married couple then just mere friends. But they didn't matter as much. They already had their happiness. Jeen, however –after constant surveillance- couldn't stop watching them. At first, my naivety took the better of me- most likely from my other persona- and I immediately thought of it as sisterly concern, but after a few more weeks went by and Hadder had barely lifted a finger against the elder sibling, her stares never faltered. When approached, she said it was merely concern, as I had thought weeks ago. But as more time went by, the stares changed into confused glances. First at them, then at me. After connecting two and two together, I realized that she was questioning our relationship. ' Were we together?' as they say, or were we 'just acquaintances'? Wait, that isn't right. It seemed unthinkable at the time, but as the nightmares kept going it seemed as if we were a pair.

The girl would wake up in a random point of night, terrified. Sometimes she would wake with a jolt or with a small gasp, but nothing past that. They weren't that bad and she would go back to sleep, like a child. I hadn't climbed back into bed with her for comfort, but after a while she would just come up and ask either after dinner or in the middle of the day. This puzzled me. A girl with such a tough front asking for a 'buddy'? Unlikely. Why would she want my company of all else? Was I a, so called, 'exception'? If so, why? Out of all the Akatsuki in general I suppose I had a lesser personality. Was it because she knew my plans and thoughts better than the rest? Was it because she could understand me more than the others somehow? At her question, I would stand silently for a while, but comply nonetheless. I was careful, regardless. If any of the other members were to wake up and decide to check on the injured girl, I was sure to be out of her reach and bouncing along the hallway with my mask on. Tired was a state of mind. Was I even that comforting to her? With all the insults and threats I had sent her way wasn't she the smallest bit afraid?

From my seat in the dining room I watched her work on her new drawing. A picture of Deidara and Hidan going at it. Clay birds and all. It was sort of impressive, nothing to be proud of, but the look in her eyes said otherwise.

Her black hair was pulled all the way back and tied up into one messy ponytail, the ends being tied back into the rubber band to make some kind of double fountain hairdo. No doubt that this world of hers was downright unusual. Yet…obscenely fluorescent.

She only had on a pair of long, gray sweat pants and a very baggy t-shirt of some band unknown to me and probably a lot of others. She wore no shoes.

"Madara." I glanced up.

"What." I wasn't worried about anyone hearing me. Ren and Hadder had taken them out for training and 'fresh air'. Some place called KIPS or something…gymnastics?

"What do you think?" she asked, tucking a piece of black hair behind her ear and holding up the notebook. It looked realistic enough. The idiot blond looked like himself and the idiot Jashinist was the same.

"Adequate." She smiled broadly and returned to shading. She suspected that that was the best answer she would get. From the other room, I could hear Pein and Konan conversing with Itachi and Zetsu who would, time to time, exit the room for more scouting. I took off my mask, tired of its confinement, and stared at the pencil tip she was holding.

I wasn't bored, not in the slightest. Thinking wasn't boring, it was something to do. And at least I was busying myself with that. Even from across the table I could feel her stare. It wasn't that hard to notice as a ninja.

"What?" I looked up and there she was. Still staring.

"Staring." She replied
"Obviously." I scoffed. She smiled lightly and snickered.

"You have pretty eyes." Now, at this I was taken aback at. I have pretty eyes? Did I hear her correctly? That didn't sound like something she would say. Even if she did say it, which she did as a matter of fact, my eyes are red. Red. Not blue. Not even green. They were originally black which I could barely point out as pretty. What was she on?
"I have pretty eyes." I repeated with obvious suspicion laced into my tone. She looked back up at me, blue meeting red.

"Yup. You gonna complain about it?" She asked innocently, pulling at her hair.

"Be careful about what you say. It could come back to bite you." She gave me a look.

Again, I felt that weird pang in my chest. What was she getting at?
"Anything else?" I asked, starting to look away and at her picture.

"Do you like me?" My eyes snapped back up to hers. She was looking at me with a confused pair of blue orbs. I stared back at her.

"It's not possible." I merely replied. Immediately, her features fell drastically. Her eyes turned darker and they drooped, her tensed muscles loosened. She muttered a simple 'oh' and returned to drawing. I practically stabbed her at that point. What was I meant to say? Yes, I do care for you? I'm not meant to care for someone, especially after my past relationships with anybody for that matter…..but there was something there. Something made her special. A special acceptance. Something she did just clicked in my mind. Something from when we had our first encounter? I don't know, and perhaps I never will, but I shouldn't be such a fool. I cannot be afraid of…afraid. I am not afraid, simply curious and precautious. Curiosity killed the cat. But the cat had nine lives, remember? I am confident in the fact that I could take a shot at liking her, I could try at least, but how would that work out? I could get her killed. Or worse, captured and tortured. Again. Why do I care? That's a good question….but when you care for someone you would try to take care of them, right? So, take a shot. I opened my mouth to talk, but much to my displeasure, the front door had opened, revealing the idiots in all their glory.

"I can't believe you did that?"
"It wasn't even that bad, Ren!"
"No, Hadder, he jumped off the rope, thirteen feet up, and onto a trampoline six feet away onto another!"

"He's a ninja." Came Kakuzu's voice. I could hear Itachi sigh from the front room. I joined him.

"We can talk later, Jeen-Chan!" I squeaked. For god's sake, this was getting repetitious. She gave me a short stare of curiosity before rising from her chair to greet the rest of the Akatsuki. I jumped up and followed her curtly. With copious amounts of façade, I smiled through my masks to crinkle the corner of my eye and bounced towards the blond near the door with screaming intents on annoying the man.

"Deidara-Sempai!"

I watched her cross the room and sit down on her couch. She stared at me, and me at her.

It all seemed awkward to her, awkward and boring, but to me it was boring. I couldn't even try to fathom the possible outcomes of this. There were so many. And I know woman like the back of my hand, like many others thought they did as well. They want to be told what they want to be told. It's as simple as that. Tell them what they want to hear and they're like puddy in your hands. Even Jeen could be manipulated as so if my desire was great enough.

"So?" she crossed her legs and slumped forward. I arched an eyebrow from under my mask.

"Do I like you?" I repeated, offering her something to build face flushed slightly and she turned her head stubbornly.

"Did I stutter?" She bit. With a chuckle, I leaned against the door.

"Well-" There was a loud clatter from outside and immediately followed but the long stream of curses. I pushed myself off of the door and sidestepped with perfect timing to narrowly avoid the door which, in fact, had now been pushed off its hinges by a very agitated Jashinist. I glared at him through my mask but he never noticed.

"Pein-Sama wants a word with you two." I could see Jeen's glare from the back of the room.

"You came here to tell us that? Why couldn't they send someone pretty like Deidara in instead of the Grandpa here?" she spat, standing up. I had to praise her for her courage. Hidan sneered at her and in a mock tone, "You wish you had someone pretty. You've been degraded, bitch." I skipped out of the room with Jeen behind me. Hidan followed her.

"That's the best you could come up with?"

"You want better, invite me into your room and find out." Jeen scrunched her face up in disgust and followed me down the stairs. Everyone was lined up in the living room, all of them in perfect order. I joined the ranks and left Jeen to sit with her sister on the sidelines.

"Zetsu has noticed suspicious activity growing on the outskirts of the city. To make this short," I glanced at the rest of the members. This was perfectly in character with Tobi, the one who couldn't sit in his seat still enough. The members were silent, unmoving. They knew their place.

"Kisame and Itachi, I want you to head South West of here in a radius of four miles." Kisame smiled deviously and Itachi replied with a curt nod of understanding. Pein nodded back to them with satisfaction.
"Should we approach any threats?" Itachi asked, his face passive. Kisame's smile broadened.

"If so, could I rip them to shreds?" Cue eye roll from Jeen and Itachi. Pein nodded.

"Confront them and, if possible, return them to the grounds. Kill them if necessary. Now, Deidara and Sasori, head South East of here. Same mile radius." Deidara frowned, but both of them nodded, regardless. Pein turned to Kakuzu and Hidan. "North East. You will be taking Ren with you. It is best she goes with you. No one will be at the house spare for Zetsu's constant scouting it's perimeter. Same mile radius." Hidan coughed in argument. Pein regarded him with a stare.

"I didn't hear the fucking radius." Kakuzu used black coils of his threads to wring Hidan's neck, cutting off his use of words. He choked and turned to glare spitefully at his miser of a partner who, in return, stared sadistically at his suffering.

"Four mile radius, you dumbass." Hidan went to argue, but was cut off by Konan and Kakuzu, who tightened his grip.

"Tobi and Jeen will head North West, Zetsu will scout around your area as well. Jeen, carry your own weapons, just in case. Pein and I will-" she was cut off by the sudden sound of a radio commercial. I stared at the radio, which had turned on suddenly. Someone (Ren) set the alarm. A kid's voice sounded first.

"Mom? What's that?"

"The fuck?" Hidan commented.

"It's an igloo…made of carrots."

"The whole thing is made of…carrots?" my left eye twitched.

"Yup, now I'm putting you inside."
"Mom!"
"And close the door."
"MOM WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

"Turn it off." Pein growled. Jeen shushed him.

"It's getting to the best-!"

"The only way out is to eat your way out!" The child was sobbing now.

"I-It's dark in h-here!" Ren scoffed and said something related to child abuse.

"There's a better way to get your kids the nutrition they need-" Jeen frowned when it was shut off by Sasori. "That wasn't funny?" The Akatsuki shook their heads. Only Hidan looked amused as he fingered his weapon. "How I would love to be there to end their misery, the bitches." Jeen snickered. I stood there, bouncing on my feet.

"Tobi hates carrots too! Carrots are evil, if they had legs, they'd be invading your bed." Jeen sprung up.

"BED INTRUDER!" Hidan burst out laughing with Deidara and Kisame with matching smiles, Itachi, Konan, and Kakuzu chuckled, but Pein and Sasori weren't even amused. Pein cleared his throat and stared at the Akatsuki. Receiving his message, they all quieted down. I smirked at them all and started to resume my fidgeting.

"You will commence your mission as soon as you are all prepared. You know the protocol, but do not hesitate." They all nodded, even me, but my bouncing did not cease. When Pein turned his back, we all scattered. I took Jeen by her uninjured wrist and skipped with her upstairs and into her room. "Tobi is happy to be patrolling with Jeen-chan! Jeen-chan gets to hold LOTS of weapons!" Jeen shook her head.

"I don't want 'lots'. Bitch, please." She scoffed, amused with her statement. As soon as the door was shut, I turned on her.

"Either you are equipped with lots or you are not equipped at all. Understand me?" she nodded quietly. Something puzzled me.

"What's wrong?" She turned to stare at me.

"What do you mean?" She asked. I propped myself up on the wall and removed my mask. She sat down on her bed and removed a knife from under her mattress.

"Why are you acting differently?" She continued to stare at me. "I am exactly how I was weeks ago." I shook my head solemnly. "You don't curse as much as you used to." I replied, handing her one of her world's weapons, a bottle of pepper-like spray. She shoved it onto her nightstand.

Her hair was tied back into a tight braid, her bangs still covering the left side of her face. She was in her pajamas, a pair of black sweat pants and a tight, white tank top; purple socks. She shrugged at him. " I don't cuss as often, so what?" I shook my head and turned my to stare directly into her eyes. "After getting tortured, it's only natural for you to experience something relating to a personality change, girl. It's-"

"Shut up!" she hissed, interrupting him. They glared at each other, spiteful.

"You don't know anything about it. Shut the fuck up and leave me alone." Like I was about do that, ignorant girl. So I shook my head and took a seat at the desk across from her in the small room. She seemed defiant now, willing to stand up to anything and anyone. "Calm down." I could practically hear her breathing now, ragged and speeding up.

"I thought I was going to die…" She choked, resting her elbows on her knees.

"That's just natural. You were tortured, girl. There's no shame." She started to laugh now, her shoulders racking with suppressed sobs. "Why do you call me that? I might be a bitch, but I have a fucking name." She was starting to lose it. It isn't like she's over reacting, either. Believe me…in all my time, I've seen my share of psychological issues relating to torture. She was nothing new. I knew that if I didn't do something soon, she'd break. Just like the rest of them if I wasn't careful.
There had been so many breakdowns, so many suicides. Jeen might be strong physically, but mentally? Not likely. Either your strong in one or not at all and to them, they relive the experience over and over…and over, like they're in a timeless loop. It's not something anyone would care to think about either, but it's not their choice. I don't know much about the human mind, never have, but torture sticks with you forever.
"Calm down." I stared at her quietly. She stared back, quietly.

"Jeen," I had her full attention now. ", they won't get to you again." I was playing therapist. A large drag if you think about it, but I don't need a broken pawn unwilling to be played.

"I know that…but it's like I'm still there, like I'm still drowning in that dirty water…the rims of that tub stained with my own blood. It's so real. Real and….just…just there?" She leaned forward again and rubbed her eyes tiredly. "I don't want to die." She whispered, looking back up at him. "I don't want to be another lifeless body, please…" she sounded so desperate…like a child begging for their dessert. "Madara." I shook my head.

"Who said you were going to die?" I stood up and crossed the room to sit next to her.

"You will not die." Her eyes watered slightly, but she kept the tears at bay. "I wouldn't allow it." She looked up at me now, searching for the truth. She wanted to know if I was telling the truth or just lying to her face and in absolute honesty, I think I meant it. But the glass is either half full or half empty, how she sees it isn't up to me. I wrapped an arm around her, comforting her, but it felt awkward and unreal. To hell with it, comforting someone is impossible when you've seen the deaths of so many. Hers would be a tragedy to her sister, Hadder, maybe the prisoner we keep in our basement, Jason, Lily, all of those who care about her. She could lose her life, her dignity, her will to care, but losing something as precious as a loved one isn't as painful as everything else. That's how I would feel, perhaps. It all depended.

"I had an attack….in that room." I looked down at her.

"What did they do?" I asked. When she looked up at me, I knew I wasn't going to be able to let her go. "They healed me. And then they continued.." My grip around her tightened instinctively.

What was she doing to me? Was this what they called worry? How could I, ruthless as I am, care so much as this…for someone who has barely made a change in my life. The world sucks, truly.

"I was going to die, wasn't I?" She smiled at me now. With a curt nod, I pulled her against my side.

"Are you dead now?" I whispered. She shook her head.

"I guess not." That's when the footsteps started. They were coming closer to the door, they wanted to see Jeen. I knew who it was, it was Ren, but I only had time to put on my mask, nothing else. When she opened the door, she took in the scene and turned to glare at me.

"What are you doing?" She hissed. Here we go.

"Madara, get your hands off my sister, now." Jeen stood up and walked up to her sister.

"Ren, cool off-"

"Do, NOT tell me to 'cool off', bitch. A serial killer had his arm around you and you expect me to believe that he wasn't going to harm you?"
"He wasn't."
"Tobi is a good boy!"

"CUT THE CRAP TOBI, FUCKING M-" I was at her side now, hand over her mouth. Jeen sighed indignantly and went to grab her clothes.

"You will not reveal my identity to the whole house because of your loud mouth, you arrogant little girl. You do not understand what is going on for the sake of your sister. I suggest you actually listen for once instead of jumping to conclusions like the insolent, insufferable woman you can be. You are lucky that I don't finish you right here, right now." She stood silent and I let her go, walking out to the hallway and downstairs.

"I'm only trying to protect her." She called sternly. I just kept walking.

Jeen's POV

We all patrolled, and we all came back. Nothing was really found, nothing but late traces of Kabuto and Orochimaru on our part. Everyone was tired, bored out of their minds even, and the constant bickering didn't help much, but every so often we would start laughing together. It was nice, to say the least.

"Everyone, sit down." I watched everyone carefully as they took their original positions in the living room. Deidara, Sasori, Hidan, and Kakuzu on one couch next to the door. Kisame, Itachi, Pein, and Konan on the couch on the left side of the wall. Ren was on the love seat and Tobi and I were on the floor. We simply did not have enough seats in the room, so we just had to make do. The floor was comfortable, if you consider wood flooring comfortable.

"Did anyone find anything?" Everyone was looking at Pein now. We all shook our heads.

"Nothing but dead ends and stale trails." Kisame muttered, bored out of his minds. Probably because he never got to enjoy a good kill.

"Nothing on our tracks…we only found rabbits, un. Rabbits." Deidara looked ready to kill something.

"If there even was something out there, you probably scared them away with your art, brat." Deidara's head whipped around to glare at Sasori. His hair followed the movement and his Hidan's own face.

"Watch it, bitch! Either keep your hair cut or don't wave it around like your fucking dick on New Years!" Deidara rounded on Hidan, smacking Sasori in the face. He emitted a low growl before grabbing his partner's hair and quickly snatching his scissors.

"Danna, un. What the fuck are you doing!" And as fast as his hair was yanked on, it was off. It wouldn't have been off if Hidan hadn't restrained his hands in front of him. The room was deadly silent for moments at a time, but I just couldn't take it. I was the first to break out laughing hysterically. Ren, Hidan, Konan, Sasori, and Kisame joined but not as loud. Pein, Itachi, and Kakuzu just rubbed their face, but we could see their smiles and smirks. Deidara shot up and sprinted to the mirror by the door, gawking at what he saw.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS? YOU FUCKING ASSHOLES, DANNA WHAT THE FUCK!" That only made us laugh harder. Tobi was rolling on the ground laughing.

"H-hey Deidara!" I started. "At l-least yh-hou look like a man n-nhowhow!" I was held my stomach painfully as it clenched from the strain. "Ow-how-how-ha-haha!" Deidara turned to us and snatched the scissors from Sasori's hands, throwing it straight at me. I couldn't stop laughing, but even I knew it wouldn't hit me. He was aiming for Hidan of course, who just happened to lean forward in laughter. The blades struck the side of his skull and he fell over and onto the floor, temporarily dead. That only increased the laughter.

If only everything would last this long and this joyful.

Once everyone was settled down, Deidara with his neck length hair, Hidan with his sewn up, matted, bloody hair, and me with an ice pack for my head which had been thumped rather brutally by a certain pissed off blonde. Most of us were still amused.

"Now that we are calmed down temporarily, I want to let you all know that this was a test."

It was silent once again. Everyone looked sincerely surprised, everyone but Tobi and Itachi that is. I wouldn't put it past Itachi to find out what was occurring, he is rather intelligent….to hell with rather he is intelligent. Tobi was Madara and Madara is using this group so I wouldn't put it past him either.

"So, you potentially sent us out on a mission to put us on edge…..to do what exactly?" Ren asked, crossing her arms over her chest like a real mother. Pein leaned forward and smirked.

"It was a test."

QotC: No one really answered :( Should I keep doing these if nobody bothers to answer? My last question was, what would you guys like to see?

SotC: The Funeral by The band of horses.

So, I hate paranoia. Anyone else? How's summer so far for you guys?

Okay, do you guys want me to keep writing this? I don't really know...are you guys still interested in this story line? What would you like to see?

Thanks for reading! Have a good day/afternoon/evening/morning/night/hour! By friends :3