AN: I've decided to combine this chapter with the next because otherwise, I'd be a lot shorter than I would've liked. So, in this chapter, we'll have fluff and we'll be introduced to a new character. Yep, that's all I'm going to say about it.

Kuro641: Haha, thank you! I'm glad I'm doing something right considering both dialogue and character development are my weakest points as a writer so I must be getting better.

Cat Beats: Ooh…I'm so sorry for how this arc is going to end then. Zetsu is going to be innocent as in more innocent than the other Akatsuki members if that's something. The Mayfly is going to be established at the end of the arc too, so you just have to be patient for a few more chapters, haha! Oops, did I do that? Now I'm going to have back and read, haha.

rarae aves: Haha, no, no but I can't say whether or not doesn't have Icha Icha in his collection, autographed too. But the "certain someone" is going to be introduced in the next arc. Oh, I can honestly say Hidan is going to be Sasori 2.0, twice the obnoxiousness but he cannot kill him so it's a nightmare for Kakuzu, haha.

Warning(s): Language (Med), Genderbend, OC (Original Character)

…

Wasteland

Red Dawn Arc

Chapter 33

Life in Amegakure was parts news and old.

Sasori continued to harass Zetsu but found a new way of doing so. He had repaired Hiruko and would walk around inside the puppet. Zetsu was terrified of Hiruko, since it was who attacked her in Sunagakure, so naturally Sasori used it to terrorize her; chasing her around the house while cackling and trying to stab her with its scorpion-este tail until she ran into Konan or hid inside Kakuzu's room. At least as his Hiruko persona with his dry humour and sarcasm, Sasori was tolerable, as tolerable as rectal cancer but tolerable. If anything, he quit picking on her outside his puppet because Kakuzu had told her if he tried anything to punch in the face and on two occasions, the two teenagers had gotten into a blow-out fight, fists flying and legs kicking and Kakuzu had to pull them off each other. After that, Sasori only tormented her as Hiruko so Kakuzu figured he realized she wasn't a push over anymore.

Kakuzu, on the other hand, became occupied with his new position as the Akatsuki's treasurer and spent his days crunching numbers and signing paperwork. Due to this, he couldn't spend the time he had training Zetsu and the girl ended up neglecting her training as a result. Konan had introduced her to the library, so she spent all day either reading the ten books she checked out for that week or watching movies on their new, theater-sized television. Kakuzu had walked in on her couch-potatoing a few times while going to the kitchen for tea.

"Girl." He barked at her and she paused the animated movie she was watching to hesitantly peek over the couch at him. "How is your training going?"

"Umm…" She mumbled but the answer was obvious.

"You have to train. Just because I have nothing left to teach you doesn't mean you've learned everything and are finished. If you don't keep your skills sharpened, they'll fail you in a time of need. Konan got you a library card, didn't she? If you need guidance, then rent books on taijutsu or videos or whatever else. I'm positive you could find something on the Mayfly too. You have to perfect it if you want to become an Akatsuki member. You want that, right?"

Zetsu nodded. "Yes, sir."

To her credit, after finishing her books and movies, she asked Konan to take her to the library and checked out everything she could on taijutsu then spent the week studying up on them. One of which was a video tape on the different types of taijutsu from each nation. She found herself rewinding on the portion for Kumogakure's trademark taijutsu with a complicated name she couldn't begin to pronounce, and watched, mystified as the people on the screen performed intricate flips and spins which were considered fighting moves. She tried to mimic them but fell on her head whenever she tried flipping or skinning her elbows and knees during the spins. It did little to deter her though and she rented the movie week after week to practice.

When she wasn't "training", she was studying. With their new residence in Amegakure, it took no time at all for Konan to get back and forth between the manor and Pein's office. So, she suddenly had a lot more free time, including Sundays off, and used it to homeschool Zetsu, playing the role of teacher. She purchased textbooks and materials and turned the living room into a classroom as she taught her in writing, maths, and sciences with a sprinkle of religious studies also. On days she couldn't teach her or had to leave to attend her duties, she left the girl with homework to finish before their next sessions. As the material became problematic though, Zetsu found herself having a harder time to do it and do it correctly. So, who did she turn to? Who else.

Kakuzu was the middle of an enigma himself as the numbers didn't add up and he was searching for the mistake when he heard a knocking on his door. By the quietness of it, he already knew who it was. "Come in." Zetsu pushed open the door and shut it behind her as she stepped inside his room. "What is it?" He asked her but by the papers she had held in her arms, he suspected what it was.

She laid out the crinkled papers onto his desk and pointed at a math problem that, at first glance, he could tell she had solved incorrectly. "Is this right?"

"No. Neither is number two, four, five, or seven."

Zetsu frowned as she stared at the wrong answers. So far, she was only on number eight and spent two hours on them too! "Can you help?"

"No, I can't. I've got my own problems." He said, gesturing at his own paperwork.

"Oh…ok." She weakly uttered, taking her paper off his desk and clenching it to her chest. Thinking that was that, Kakuzu went back to crunching numbers.

It took him a minute to realize Zetsu hadn't yet left and when he stole a glance up at her, he was met with the largest puppy dog eyes staring back at him. No, puppy dogs had nothing on how she was staring at him; her caramel eyes so big and glistening. They should be trademarked as Zetsu eyes. For extra effort, she had her bottom lip puckered and quivering too. Kakuzu tried ignoring her pathetic staring at him but after just a few seconds, he threw his hands up, literally.

"Alright! I'll give you five minutes then you have to let me do my own work, understand?"

"Understood!" She chirped happily and put down her homework again, explaining how she had solved the problems and what she didn't understand, which was basically everything. It was percentages which was his expertise. He told her the methods taught in her textbook was bullshit then taught her his own technique. After thoroughly explaining it, including writing it out and solving a problem for her, he had her do one herself and unsurprisingly, using his method, she answered it correctly on the first try.

"Woah! You're so good at numbers, Sir!" Zetsu gushed, going to correct one of the questions she got wrong.

Kakuzu smirked and twirled his pencil with his fingers, complimented by her genuine praise. "It isn't that difficult once you've got the hang of it."

"Can you teach me more?"

"No. I'm too busy with the Akatsuki's finances." Cue the "Zetsu Eyes" (patent pending) once more and almost immediately, he caved. "Fine! But only the ones you can't solve by yourself! Do not come to me with every little problem you have, understand?"

"Understood!" She picked up her homework and left his room, practically skipping as she did.

Turns out: she lied. If Konan wasn't present to check the girl's homework, Zetsu came to him for everything; from spelling errors to math problems as both were her weakest subjects. In the beginning, he'd tell her "no" and pointed at his door, but she'd stare at him with them damned eyes and sometimes mutter out a heartbroken "b-but!" and he'd put down everything to help her. He felt like he was fighting Hashirama again—a losing battle. She had him wrapped around her little finger and the clever girl knew it too. Eventually, she was coming to him every night.

When Zetsu started turning in her assignments with another's handwriting on them, it didn't take Konan long to put two and two together as to who it belonged to. She knocked on Kakuzu's door one day and when he answered, she poked her head inside his room.

"Have you been helping Zetsu with her homework?" She asked.

He replied with an instantaneous "no" and didn't spare her the slightest glance as he stared down at his financials, tapping his pencil on his desk.

She opened her mouth to challenge his claim but decided not to say anything. Instead, she just smiled and left. She'd let him have his pride in not having to recognize the fact he had grown soft on the teenager. Besides, Zetsu's grades had improved greatly with her extra educator.

Pein had told Kakuzu to start encouraging Zetsu to play a greater role during missions and to his credit, the senior tried but between finishing their objection as fast and efficiently as possible, and wrangling two teenagers, things got put on the backburner. So, besides the rare training session, Zetsu spent it in the background, reading while Kakuzu and Sasori did the labour.

"Why the fuck we bringin' 'er with if she ain't goin' to do anythin'?" Sasori bellyached in his Hiruko persona, pointing his tail at Zetsu who was tailing behind them, her face buried in a book.

"She's…learning." Kakuzu bullshited to which Sasori predictably scoffed.

"We'd be better off leavin' the bloody bludger behind." Kakuzu hated admitting Sasori was right in anything, but he was right.

He tried to get Zetsu involved, having her track chakra signatures and get her to pay attention to the details of the mission, telling her how she would have to do this one day. Once upon time, she appeared so interested in such things. But, she didn't take as serious now as she should be and at this point, he was starting to question if she ever would or ever would become part of the organization and if she didn't, what would happen to her. The Akatsuki had no room for dead weight, Pein had made this perfectly clear. The thought of it, it made Kakuzu a little sick and he couldn't explain why that was. It would take something big to get her bound and determined to become an official member, for better or worse—and soon.

Unfortunately, it would have be sooner than he thought.

…

It had been approximately two months since their new operation and Kakuzu was doing what he did everyday now: bookkeeping, when Pein rang the imaginary phone inside his head that he picked up. 'Kakuzu, might I inquire something from you?'

'Sure.' Kakuzu replied, staring down at his paper and spinning his pencil on his fingers.

'I've been reviewing the statements you've given me, and I'd like your opinion before I make this decision as you are the Akatsuki's treasurer.'

'Alright.'

'I've been considering recruiting a new member into the Akatsuki and from what I understand, we have the funds to support an additional person, but I do not want to make such a decision without communication with you first as you control our finances now.' While Kakuzu was appreciative that Pein was considering him in such important decisions, he was correct; if he wanted to ruin this organization, he could easily do it with just a pen. He had more power than its own leader did. 'What do you think?'

'It's true, we do have the budget for it, though hardly. Sasori hasn't eaten us out of house and home yet. But, shouldn't we wait until Zetsu is a member also?'

There was a long pause of quiet and Kakuzu presumed the call disconnected so was going to back to his work when Pein spoke again. 'Speaking of Zetsu, how is her training with the Mayfly going?' Kakuzu didn't immediately answer, swallowing thickly. What was he to say that he hadn't said before? After a few seconds, Pein took his silence as an answer. 'I'll speak with Sasori to make preparation for recruiting a new member. Thank you, Kakuzu.' Then dead air.

Sighing, Kakuzu leant back into the pillow cushioning his chair, tapping his pencil on his desk. He should've told Pein to give it a bit more time until bringing in a new person so Zetsu had a chance to finish her training because if she did that, they'd have no need for someone else. Though he was kidding himself that he could get her to master her bloodline on such short notice and so was Pein thinking what took people years to do she could do in a manner of months. For once though, Kakuzu was going to be optimistic. Perhaps with an additional person, it would give him breathing room to train her personally again. Plus, having an extra hand with missions wasn't a bad thing. Besides the financial strain and having to deal with someone else (not another teenager, he prayed), there weren't too many downsides to having a new member so soon.

What's the worse that could happen?

…

Just a month later, Pein called Kakuzu again, telling him he a mission for him and bring Zetsu as they'd be leaving immediately.

He instructed the girl to get dressed and pack up and after doing so himself, pulling him his new Akatsuki cloak, handsewn and tailor-made just for him by Konan, he left for Pein's Tower, as everyone labeled it, with Zetsu tailgating him, her pink backpack stuffed with books for the trip. When they arrived in Pein's office, a room the size of the meeting room with nothing in it but a desk, a few chairs and file cabinets inside it and no decoration except the rust corroding metal plated walls, Sasori was present, speaking with their superior.

"Ah, Kakuzu, Zetsu, thank you for your attendance." Pein greeted them. "Sasori and I were just speaking of the mission: we found a potential member to join the Akatsuki."

"So soon?" Kakuzu replied, squeezing around Hiruko's large frame so he could take a seat with Zetsu sitting beside him.

"Yes, Sasori did a brilliant job finding candidates."

"Tch, all I did was call on'a few ol' teammates an' 'convinced' 'em to 'elp our cause." Sasori causally mentioned, his shrugging could be heard inside his puppet.

Kakuzu was surprised Pein trusted the redhead to be let out on his own but he hadn't stolen the chance to run off so perhaps he was turning over a new leaf. "Who is it?" He inquired.

Sasori pulled down his bandana and produced a wanted poster through Hiruko's gaping mouth like a printer, which he then handed to Kakuzu. "'is name is Kawai Gaku an' e's a S-Ranked shinobi from Iwagakure. 'e was also known as the "Gravedigger" fer 'is proficiency in Doton jutsu in the Third War." On the public notice was a picture of a middle-aged man with bronzed complexation and greasy, black hair swept to the side; his cracked-lipped smirk spoke of his egotism while his white-irised eyes were a gateway to something darker, pure evil.

"What did he do to have Iwa put a bounty on him?" Kakuzu eyeballed the large bounty of one-million ryō printed at the bottom and it made his inner green-eyed demon cringe over the fact they would be employing this man instead of trading him in for a cash payout.

"'e's gotta laundry list of crimes. We'd be 'ere all day if I told ya everythin' 'e did. 'e's a sonovabitch, that's all'ya hafta know."

"So, where is he?" Kakuzu gave the paper to Zetsu who had been grabbing at it for a better view. Immediately, upon closer inspection, she didn't like this man's face and staring at it left a queasy sensation in her tummy. She gave it back, so she didn't have to look at him anymore.

"I've tracked 'im to a lil' town outside Konohagakure. 'e ain't hidin' neither. I'm thinkin' 'e's 'idin' in plain sight 'cause 'e don't think anyone can catch 'im."

"Let's get going then." Kakuzu straightened up, snapping his fingers at Zetsu who bounced up from her chair too.

"Oh, Kakuzu," Pein called after as the three took their leave. "Would you kindly bring him back in one piece this time?"

Sasori snickered at the call-down while Kakuzu just huffed and stepped into the elevator.

…

In a day and a half, they had walked it to the Firelands and approached the township that Kawai Gaku was hiding out in; a little hole-in-the-wall tourist trap on the inner border named Rando.

As they entered from the main road, there was an officer standing underneath the shade, dressed in a uniform three sizes too large and having to persistently push his hat back over his eyes. He noticed them and stepped in the middle of the path, holding up a hesitant hand. He was on the tinier, a lot tinier than the two men, like a child playing dress up but Kakuzu decided to stop, holding back Zetsu, with Sasori halting beside him.

"I-I'm sorry, but can you s-state your business?" The officer stuttered, observing their black cloaks and hidden faces, wide-eyed and pale-faced. If one of them so much as sneezed, he might faint.

"We're just passing through." Kakuzu explained calmly. He didn't want to tell this man their true motive as to why they here. Being told there was a criminal in their little village might cause the local law enforcement to try to detain him themselves, either getting themselves and innocent people killed, or causing Gaku to flee.

"Yes, we're jus' takin' a walk." Sasori added on in the most innocent yet suspicious tone ever.

Despite this, the smart policemen didn't take the chance to interrogate them. He muttered a defeated "ok" and backed up to the side with head bowed so they may continue on their way. However, a few steps past and the officer peeped up again. "Sir?" Not positive which "sir" the man was speaking too, Kakuzu paused and presented him a glimpse over his shoulder, eyebrow piqued to his headband. The policeman's tiny eyes were staring at him from underneath his visor, so it was obvious who he was speaking to. "Please don't let your daughter out of your sight. We've had a string of murders lately…little girls, like yours. I just…I just don't want anyone else to lose their daughter." His voice cracked and lips quivered as he said this, as it was evident that just mentioning it disturbed him greatly.

Kakuzu could've mentioned the fact Zetsu wasn't his daughter, but he didn't want to waste the breath so he just nodded, muttering that he would and grabbing Zetsu's backpack handle, using it to guide her as they continued walking. Also, so she couldn't run off now that he had knowledge of a child murderer skulking around.

"Alright, me mates tracked this Gaku bastard to'a bar he likes'ta frequent. Drinks like'a fish, 'e does. Should be 'is afternoon drinkin' 'our. Follow me." Sasori led them down the cobblestone walkway while Kakuzu and Zetsu trailed him.

As they walked, the citizens passing them by stopped in their tracks and stared at them with large, frightened gazes; a few parents hiding their children behind them out of sight of the strangers while others gifted a sympathetic glance at Zetsu. Kakuzu felt like he was walking the gallows for a crime he didn't commit while the crowd stared on—no, it was how it was when he was walking to prison after being arrested on "treason", except without the name-calling and stinking food being thrown at him. Obviously, the murders had everyone terrified, the parents especially.

After a bit of walking, Kakuzu noticed himself getting slower, like something was weighing him down, and when he glanced back, he discovered Zetsu was digging her heels into the dirt which was the cause of his sudden slow down.

He halted, eyebrow piqued. "Girl, what're you doing?"

She stared up at him, large topazes switching between him and elsewhere, everywhere. "There's a bad firefly here!" Obviously, she was speaking of Gaku because a bastard like him having a good "firefly" would've surprised him more.

"It's fine." He guaranteed her, now hauling her along.

Sooner or later, they located the bar, one that replicated a Sunagakure saloon with its doors and conditioned a glimpse inside at all the boozers. Sasori entered first, a task easier said than done given Hiruko's large frame, while Kakuzu stayed back. Since Zetsu couldn't enter with them, he had to leave her behind, but he wasn't going to leave her by herself. He summoned Rājan, since it was the mask she was most acquainted with, and after telling it to babysit the girl and let nothing happen to her then telling her to stay put and not to leave Rājan's side, he turned and followed after Sasori had had managed to squeeze his puppet through the entrance, cracking the foundation in the progress.

Inside, it was dark, and the stench of cigarette smoke strangled your lungs and contaminated your clothing. Kakuzu searched for their target but in the bad lighting, all the dipsomaniacs looked alike. Sasori must've found him though as he started shambling through the bar, pushing aside a few tables in the process and receiving dirty looks from their inhabitants. One drunkard made the mistake of barking at the puppeteer then standing up in a threatening matter like he was prepared to fight. Well, all it took was Sasori displaying his tail, the metallic joints rattling eerily, and the poison-painted pincer pointed at the man to get him to shrink back into his chair, greasy face greaser with sweat. After that, everyone else was staring at them, bloodshot eyes wide and beer mugs held in a white-knuckled grasp.

Gaku was seated in the back, having not noticed the bustle nor the two men standing next to his table. It took Kakuzu clearing his throat from the criminal to finally leave the bottom of his glass. He grimaced in disgust as his pinpricked gaze interchanged between the two other men. "Aren't you two a couple of ugly motherfuckers?" He grinned and showcased his yellow turning orange teeth, evidently tickled pink by his own remark.

"Oh? Didn' realize we 'ad mirrors strapped our faces." Sasori smoothly countered, making Kakuzu's lips briefly twitch into a smirk while Gaku's smug smiling vanished in favour of scowling. "Yer Kawai Gaku, correct?"

"Tch, and what if I am? What do you two want? Going to arrest me, are you? I'd love to see you try."

"No, we've come to recruit you." Kakuzu answered. "But, if you deny our offer, then we'll be arresting you."

Gaku barked with laughter and chugged back the remainder of his beer, slamming the empty glass on the table and dragging his tongue over his dried lips in a creepy gesture. "Recruit me? To what?"

"'eard of the Akatsuki?"

"The Akatsuki? That the name of your Girl Scout troop?"

At this point, Kakuzu was scowling too. This bastard was starting to get on his nerves and that wasn't a hard task to accomplish. Sasori wasn't too pleased either his tail clacked underneath his cloak. "No, it's a mercenary organization."

"Mercenary? So, like, getting paid to kill people and start wars?"

"That'sa way to describe it." Sasori grumbled, eyes barrel-rolling in their sockets.

Gaku tapped the glass to his stubbled chin. "So, you want me to join this Akatsuki?"

"Yes."

"And in this Akatsuki, I'll get paid to murder whoever I want?"

"You'll get paid for finishing the missions given." Kakuzu corrected, his frustrated leaking out as his tone grew terse and he folded his arms, emerald-painted fingers rapping on his arm.

"Hmm…I'll think on it." Gaku said and ushered the bartender's attention by holding up his glass and pointing at it. "Come back after I've had a few more drinks."

"Might I remind you if you aren't going to take up our offer, then we'll collect on your bounty instead?" Kakuzu's arms dropped to his sides and he clenched his dominate hand as his skin hardened into bronze. Sasori replied by withdrawing his tail again and positioning it over his head like a snake prepared to strike.

Gaku glanced at the two men and as the bartender walked over with a pitcher, he waved him over and stood up, again giving them a popcorn smile. "How about this instead? If you two can defeat me, then I'll join your little organization. How about that? Deal?"

Kakuzu and Sasori exchanged looks and agreed on their decision. "Deal." Both answered together.

"Great! After you." Gaku motioned at them to go ahead of him which they took him up on. As they exited the saloon, Sasori kept his tail poised at Gaku to discourage him from trying anything while their backs were turned.

Outside, Zetsu had decided to distract herself from the presence of the bad firefly by practicing her reading. She read out load to Rājan and the lightning elemental bellowed and nodded whenever she turned a page to act like it was listening. In reality, it wasn't. She heard the doors squeal open and glimpsed over her book to see Kakuzu leaving the bar after what felt like an eternity to her childlike mind. Standing, she left her book and ran to his side as Rājan picked up her things and lumbered behind. She grabbed his hand, smiling up at him, glad to see him and the bad firefly hadn't hurt him. Just then, Sasori stepped out with Gaku behind him.

Gaku noticed Zetsu and grinned, a "friendly" gesture that succeeded in frightening her. "Well, hello there." He greeted her. Zetsu hid behind Kakuzu from the person responsible for the bad firefly and Gaku next looked to Kakuzu. "Is that your daughter? She's a cute little thing."

Kakuzu didn't grace him with an answer which included not correcting him. Zetsu was now squeezing his hand, paining the old bitemark there. He leant back his arm so she could hug it. She was shaking and he, for once, didn't blame her. Something about Gaku was just…off with him. He didn't like him, but if this was the person Pein wanted for the Akatsuki, then he had no say in this since it'd been proven in the past his opinion on who should and shouldn't be a member was ignored.

"You know what? I've just had a change of heart," Gaku suddenly proclaimed, slicking back his greasy, black hair and shrugging. "I'll join this Akatsuki."

"Brilliant." Sasori cried, just relieved he wouldn't have to waste time with a fight that they would end up winning anyway, in his personal opinion. Meanwhile, Kakuzu was suspicious of the out of the blue "change of heart" but said nothing. "Now then, if yer goin'ta join, yer gonna hafta git rid'a that 'eadband er cross out the symbol on it." He pointed at the headband tied to Gaku's head with his tail, the Iwa symbol of which was not blemished—yet.

"Gladly." Gaku said, pulling it off and chucking it as far as he could where it landed a way off into a cluster of bushes. "Now then, I've got just one question: am I going to have to dress as ugly as you two?" He asked, eyeballing their black cloaks like a snobbish fashion designer.

Sasori again rolled his eyes and began shuffling away with Kakuzu closely behind and Gaku tailing them both.

The entire travel back to Amegakure, Kakuzu didn't let go on Zetsu's hand and he noticed, the entire travel back also, that Gaku didn't remove his eyes off her, looking her up and down with ghoulish smirk as if she was a slab of meat.

Kakuzu did not like Kawai Gaku.

…

AN: Phew, chapter done. The Akatsuki's got a new member. Also, the remainder of this arc (seven chapters) are going to be dark, like dark themes dark (if murder and cannibalism wasn't enough). So, prepare yourselves and if that sorta thing disturbs you than you've been warned.

Next Chapter: Kakuzu and Zetsu go a mission with Gaku and nothing goes right.

Until Next Time.