(IMPORTANT MESSAGE)
It's been a while, huh? Just to let all of you guys know that I'm not cancelling nor discontinuing this story. The last time I did that, I sort of regretted my decision. However, I have been away for a long time not because of cold feet, or laziness, believe it or not. The truth is that this arc that I'm about to write in this and the following chapters is more complicated than I originally thought. Mainly because there's so much I want to add and not miss a tee, but that just makes the arc super long. So, I'll try to compromise the arc length and plot as best as I can for you guys.
Also, I'm actually in the process of writing another story, and I'm not really using the storyline as a guide like this one so it's taking a lot more thinking power than this story. I'm still going to proceed with this story and I plan on making sequels if that's desired by you guys. So yeah, that's where I've been these past few months. Also, I'm in school, but it's kind of irrelevant and obvious.
As for this story I'm writing on the side, I plan on releasing it once I finish the 'Katsumi' series. That or maybe I'll just post like the first two or three chapters and see if people want more.
I won't tell you what's it about, however, I will tell you right now that it has nothing to do with the Naruto series at all. No, it's not an original because I'm not that talented of a writer/storyteller, but it is on another favorite childhood show of mine. You guys can guess if you want and I'll maybe humor you, but no hints or anything like that.
That basically sums up what I have to say. Super sorry for those who are worrying about the fate of this story. I will definitely finish this story despite my disgusting schedule. Heck, not even a schedule.
Thanks for reading, you guys! Now, like always, enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 27: Stuck In the Dark (Part 1)
Kabuto's POV:
After a short moment of effort, I was finally able to lift my heavy eyelids. I heard myself groan in pain that covered my entire body as I felt my body so stiff and sore from whatever I sustained. Because of the position I was in, the only thing I could look at was the dull ceiling above me. As boring as it was, I didn't bother myself and zoned out; I couldn't see a thing without my glasses so there was no point in "sightseeing".
I vaguely remembered the moments before I blacked out. However what I don't recalled was how I survived Sasuke's final attack. It should've finished me off but miraculously, I survived. But who saved me? It could've been Katsumi since I recalled her standing in front of me, attempting to take the blow for me. But that would mean that she was dead, and for some reason in my heart, I knew that she was alive. Besides, she was the one who stopped me from falling hard on the floor and Sasuke's Chidori was dismissed and not by said caster himself. That meant someone else came in between the fight and put a stop to it. My eyes widened in shock as my breathing started to quicken by my anxiety skyrocketing.
Lord Orochimaru. The only way I could've been saved was my Lord himself.
I assured Katsumi that he probably wouldn't mind us since he hadn't gotten in his way. But just because I assured that didn't mean it was a fact nor the truth. Besides, the fact that he of all people being the one to step in while he was possibly doing his experiments and whatnot was frightening. Simply because we all took his focus from his studies and creations of forbidden jutsu because of all the noise and commotion we had caused. Not only that, but his trusted subordinate was injured meaning I was unable to carry out my duties and tasks for him.
Considering these factors, I wouldn't be surprised if Lord Orochimaru was a little more than unhappy with everything, especially me.
Carefully, I moved himself off of the pillow and sat in a sitting position. I got a better look at my once injured torso that was now covered in bandages. It was evident to me that Katsumi was the one who patched me up since I was sort of aware that she felt guilty of me getting the beating when in her viewpoint, she deserved it. But she doesn't. The main reason why I took the fall was because I wanted to prove to Sasuke that I indeed love his sister very much and would do anything for her. Plus, I didn't want to injure Sasuke no matter how I personally felt about the boy; he was my partner's brother nonetheless so I must respect that.
But now that was dealt with, where was Katsumi now?
All of a sudden, the wound on my bandaged chest let out a sharp pain. I subconsciously brought my hand to my chest as my body slightly shook from the pain.
"I forgot. She must've went on her mission after everything settled down..." I told myself.
I checked the time that read on the wall clock and didn't think anything of it until a realization struck me hard. I then squinted my eyes to get a clearer picture of the time. I then gasped when I theorized that something was wrong. If the commotion started around ten or eleven this morning, that meant Katsumi left on her mission at around twelve. It was close to eight; she should've been here at least around six.
I immediately rummaged around the room, trying to find my clothes. Once I clothed myself, I swiftly grabbed my glasses and ran out of the room towards the entrance/exit of the hideout. The moment I halted was when I made it outside of the lair, panting and wheezing out of exhaustion and pain. I proceeded to hold my chest because of the series of pain that for some reason wouldn't go away. I activated my healing chakra and placed it lightly on my chest, soothing most of the pain.
After a moment of healing, I sensed something unfamiliar in my radar and I swiftly glanced up to see a bird flying gracefully in the bright orange and purple sky. Before I let my guard drop, I noticed that it was coming straight to me. I held my weapon pouch just in case of some sort of ambush. That was when I got a better look at the bird and realized that it wasn't just any bird. It was a white dove. Not only that, it was Katsumi's dove, Hana I believed. I removed my hand from my pouch and held out my forearm for Hana as she graciously landed on my arm.
"Hana, right?" I guessed in assumption. "Katsumi summoned you, didn't she?"
"Yes, she did." She confirmed with an elegant nod. "She asked me to give this scroll to Orochimaru or you if I couldn't reach him."
I eyed the cylinder-like bag and carefully opened it to see the scroll Hana mentioned about. I thankfully took it off her back and placed it safely in my pouch. I was about to question Katsumi's whereabouts until Hana beat me to it.
"I don't want to alert you, but I sensed two presences that approached Katsumi the moment I left her—one of which seemed vaguely familiar." Hana notified softly though she sounded concerned for her master's wellbeing. "They seemed that they wanted her for something."
This detail from Hana confirmed my worst fear: someone was after Katsumi. Not just one, but two people and by the tone of her voice, they were bad news.
"Did they ambush her?" I asked her, trying to remain calm as I was freaking out in the inside.
"No, not right away. They seemed to come in peace, giving them their request to her. I assumed that she turned them down, and they immediately attacked her as they overwhelmed her with a handicap fight." Hana answered worriedly. "She was very bold, determined, and did whatever she could within her power to persevere."
My eyes widened at her words.
'No, she can't be dead! It just can't be true!' I thought frantically, feeling my heart palpitate.
"Not to worry, Kabuto. Katsumi is still with us." Hana assured sweetly, moving up to my shoulder and petted my head with her soft head. "At least… when I last saw her as I flew off…"
"So, she couldn't be dead." I replied softly, though my stomach still felt uneasy and not because of my injuries.
"However, because of her chakra being at absolute zero, she's under a coma." She added sadly. "If I had to guess, she was put under a genjutsu."
"What did they do to with her afterwards?" I firmly questioned, containing all emotions that were begging to come out.
"They took her in since she refused to go with them willingly." Hana hypothesized softly, lowering her head.
I gazed at Hana, dumbfounded. Katsumi was rarely put under a genjutsu because she was one of the most highly skilled shinobi when it came to genjutsu. It was close to impossible for her to be stuck in one without easily releasing it. That meant whoever battled her, one of them was an elite and a master at genjutsu. But there were only a select few people who could be better than Katsumi in that league. Not to mention, the pair must've wanted her for their selfish purposes which gave me the reason to believe that she was still alive. As much as I was relieved by that, her suffering wasn't over. Whoever this person was knew the ravenette personally. In fact, there was only one person I could think of who matched the description really well. And just thinking about the name of this man made my blood boil and my stomach turn as I held back a growl so that I wouldn't scare Hana off.
'Don't tell me he's responsible for that stunt...' I thought to myself angrily.
"You said that one of the ninja was familiar, right?" I mentioned lowly, holding back the urge to snap. "Can you recall anything else besides that?"
"Sadly, no." She sighed disappointedly. "I didn't have the time nor the safety to do so since I was still relatively close by; I didn't want them to spot me."
I then caressed the lovely dove who still remained sitting comfortingly on my shoulder.
"It's alright, Hana. At least I'm no longer living under a rock." I assured her kindly as she snuggled up against my head.
I could see why Katsumi talked so highly about Hana; she was very loyal and very kind but also was very determined to assist her loved ones. She reminded me of Katsumi. How much I missed the girl so much, I just wanted her in my arms again. My bundle of happiness was the ravenette herself and without her, I couldn't help but feel tense and on the edge.
'What could those guys want from her?' I asked myself stressfully.
"Hana, do you mind sticking around for a bit?" I asked solidly.
"But my task has been completed, and you're not the one who summoned me. I can't assist anyone else without Katsumi's approval..."
"Hana, Katsumi's in danger and we need to save her before it's too late!" I interrupted quickly, becoming very impatient. "Just make this as an exception just this once. I have to save her and I need your help..."
I waited for the elegant dove to give me her final answer. I knew it was cold to snap at someone who was sweet and gentle as Hana. But for now, it couldn't be helped because as each moment went by, the chances of Katsumi's death grew. I eyed Hana one final time with a determined, pleasing look in my eyes as she looked back at me with hesitation.
"Alright, I'll help you, Kabuto." Hana sighed in defeat. "Our first priority is Katsumi and nothing else."
"Thank you." I smiled gratefully, turning in my heel. "Now let's go and report what's happened to Lord Orochimaru."
"Lead the way." Hana replied strongly.
With that, I ran back into the Sanin's hideout as I headed straight towards the main room Lord Orochimaru usually resides in.
'Just hang in there, Katsumi...' I thought pleadingly, running as fast as I could through the dull hallways. 'We're coming for you...'
Because I was so impatient and on the edge, I didn't bother knocking the door and respectfully come in. Instead I slammed the door open and stomped over towards Lord Orochimaru. He was just in the middle of his research by the sight of him reading an ancient book. He glanced up from the text he was reading and merely blinked at me for my loud entrance. He waited blankly for me to catch my breath as he was curiously looking over at Hana who was sitting securely on my shoulder.
"Kabuto, I see you're up and well..." My Lord acknowledged coolly. "Why make such a ruckus coming to me?"
"It's Katsumi, my Lord." I replied worriedly, trying to keep myself calm and collected in front of the Sanin.
"What about her?" He asked nonchalantly, not really catching up.
"She's been kidnapped, taken hostage." I immediately informed.
Orochimaru remained unresponsive to the details, however he did put his book aside, intended to listen to what I had to say.
"How do you know of this?" He questioned curiously, linking his hands together.
I nudged my shoulder where Hana sat, pushing her to speak.
"Katsumi summoned me to give you the scroll which is now in Kabuto's possession. But right when I took off to do my task, they closed in on her." Hana explained shyly.
"Who are these two you saw?" Orochimaru asked dryly.
"I'm not certain. But one of them was oddly familiar to me..." She answered unsurely.
"I see..." The Sanin mused lowly, thinking deeply to himself.
"What are your thoughts, Lord Orochimaru?" I asked intriguingly.
"It's evident that they know Katsumi personally; they didn't attack her right off the bat, am I right?"
"That's correct." I nodded in confirmation.
"And I assume their intentions weren't to kill her because they seemed to want her for a gain..."
"That's right." Hana weakly confirmed.
"Hmmmm..." Orochimaru hummed deeply, lowering his gaze.
Then, the Sanin softly snapped his head up when he possibly came up with a conclusion.
"What is it, my Lord?" I asked slowly, preparing myself for what he was about to say.
"There's only one shinobi—or should I say group of shinobi—that is capable of performing such a tactic..." He grumbled distastefully. "The Akatsuki…"
Though I suspected the organization from the moment I received the news from Hana, I still gritted my teeth angrily by the sound of their name. Before, I didn't really care about them personally. But this was different this time. This time, they had taken someone precious to me and I wanted nothing more than to watch them rot in hell.
"If I may, Orochimaru..." Hana hesitantly spoke. "What makes you think it was the Akatsuki who kidnapped Katsumi...?"
Orochimaru adjusted himself in his large throne, making himself comfortable to justify his prediction.
"It's quite practicable, if you think about it..." He remarked.
Both Hana and I stayed very quiet, allowing him to speak without any distractions nor interruptions.
"This is all just speculation: Sasori of the Red Sand died not too long ago, and he was their only member who knew basic knowledge on medical ninjutsu." Orochimaru explained lowly, recalling the days when he was with said organization. "Now that he's no longer with us, they have no one to make antidotes, treatments nor anyone to tend to the members' wounds."
"So their plan was to capture Katsumi to do just that..." I summarized darkly.
"I also speculate that they attempted to take her in by force because she simply refused to do their bidding, judging by her character." Orochimaru continued thoughtfully.
"But, why her? Why Katsumi when they could easily request a doctor themselves?" I inquired hardly as I watched my Lord getting up from his seat and walking over to a long table.
"Simple." Orochimaru replied evenly. "She has no allegiance with other villages, so no one would report her missing."
I eyed the Sanin as he picked up his old Akatsuki ring he once wore when he was with said group. Lord Orochimaru glared darkly at the ring, recalling the unwanted memories of each member in which he was once allies with.
"I wonder which two from the Akatsuki were sent to capture her..." I heard Hana wonder aloud.
I thought the same exact thing. However I did have a good idea about one of their identities but I held myself back from purposing it because I knew I wouldn't hold back to get my hands on him. Though it was bittersweet, Orochimaru regardless was thinking about the same man.
"Itachi... Uchiha..." Orochimaru seethed in disgust, gripping the small ring tightly. "There's no doubt in my mind that he's the one who kidnapped his own sister."
"Are you certain, my Lord?" I asked slowly, not wanting to feel the man's wrath.
"That dove on your shoulder said one of them looked somewhat familiar, correct?"
"Y-Yes..." Hana replied nervously.
"In that case, the other ninja was Kisame Hoshigaki." Orochimaru predicted lowly, side-glancing towards me as I stood quietly. "He's assigned as Itachi's partner, so he probably assisted him…"
I watched as my Lord eyed hardly at his knees with his arms folded firmly, thinking deeply to himself.
"Then again, I'm not too surprise by this." The Sanin commented admittedly. "I figured Itachi would want to play with the girl's mentality just by reuniting since she's harder to mastermind and manipulate than Sasuke."
"What should we do, Lord Orochimaru?" I asked determinedly, ready for anything he wanted me to do.
Orochimaru paused to softly look at me as if he knew something more. The look he gave me with his piercing eyes made me feel anxious and uncomfortable.
"Kabuto, I know this is too early to assign you on a mission right after you've just woken up..." Orochimaru briefed lowly. "But I'm assigning you to find and bring Katsumi back to our hideout."
"I won't let you down, Lord Orochimaru." I nodded strongly, determined to save my only loved one.
"And I'm having her dove to assist you as your guide." Orochimaru added, laying his eyes on the dove.
"Of course." She chirped graciously.
"Good, then I'll get ready and leave right away." I turned towards the door, ready to exit the room until...
"Kabuto, there's just one thing..." The Sanin spoke warmly.
I slowly turned my body to face him, anxiously waiting for him to reveal the final condition.
"Because you haven't fully healed and for logical purposes, you must have Sasuke assist you on this mission." The Sanin disclosed flatly.
I was astonished to hear those words coming out of his mouth. I had never doubted the intelligence of my Lord, but this really took the cake. Didn't he just witnessed what Sasuke tried to do to me earlier? Where in his right mind thought it was a splendid idea to have someone as unpredictable and stubborn like Sasuke working together with one of the people who he disliked the most like me? After what transpired, the raven probably made an oath to never see me again. Not to mention, he and Katsumi were still estranged so he might be a bit hesitate to lend a helping hand. This was the only thing I disagreed with Lord Orochimaru, especially since he too was aware that Sasuke had a distaste for me and after discovering his sister was touching tongues with me, I wouldn't be surprised if his next act of revenge after Itachi was me. Regardless, I simply didn't want Sasuke along for the ride: he was stoic and stubborn at the same time, he refused to listen to simple orders, he doesn't have no decency nor respect for anyone, and all he simply wanted to do was train to become the "strongest" because he was, quote-on-quote, "an avenger".
"With all due respect, my Lord..." I spoke carefully. "But what makes you think having Sasuke on this mission will be beneficial at all..."
Orochimaru took a moment of silence to simply eye me for my act of rebellion towards him for the first time. He didn't seem too upset about it; he looked at me as if he expected that sort of response from me.
"I'm more than aware that Sasuke doesn't particularly like you, Kabuto." Orochimaru sighed warmly, walking back to his large chair. "And considering the circumstances... he and Katsumi aren't in the best of terms either..."
I nodded, confirming his hypothesis.
"But that shouldn't matter right now." Orochimaru stated sternly, sharpening his gaze. "The Akatsuki is holding her captive, possibly torturing her for information and labour work. We have to act fast before they destroy her inside out."
"But including Sasuke in the equation won't do us any good. He refuses to act professional by any means..." I countered. "Plus, it's unlikely that he'll even agree to come along..."
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes darkly at me as his sight threatened me. I gulped the anxiety I carried when I caught a glimpse of his strong glare, waiting nervously for him to either speak or worst... act.
"Kabuto Yakushi..." Orochimaru grumbled lowly, closing his thin eyes. "Either you convince the boy to do this mission with you, or let Katsumi die on your behalf..."
I stayed quiet after hearing the piercing words of Lord Orochimaru. He was absolutely right, but for some reason, I simply wanted to decline everything he wanted me to do that involved Sasuke. Why should I ask someone who wouldn't even make amends with his own flesh and blood? Katsumi was very loyal and faithful towards Sasuke since they were children. What had Sasuke ever done for her, besides pushing her away?
"You love her..." Lord Orochimaru suddenly spoke up warmly.
I winced astonishingly as my lips parted in front of him. The Sanin then slowly walked over to me and stopped inches away as his gaze changed to a more compassionate one.
"You love her, do you?" He repeated forwardly.
My lips made a thin line as I glanced aside, avoiding any eye contact. I could feel my cheeks starting to burn as my heart started to beat quickly within my chest.
"Y-Yes..." I quietly answered.
I tried so hard and swore to Katsumi to not let anyone know of our relationship, yet Lord Orochimaru was already aware that it was more than a petty relationship.
"Then if your love for the girl is genuine..." He continued expressionlessly. "You will stop at nothing just to save her. Even if it means dealing with her brother..."
"I understand..." I replied in a murmur, closing my eyes.
After a brief moment of silence, Lord Orochimaru treaded back to his throne as he spoke once again.
"Once you've convinced Sasuke to assist you, the two of you come back to this room immediately to recap and make conditions for this mission." He simply ordered, once again sitting comfortably in his chair.
"Of course, Lord Orochimaru..." I bowed my head then wasted no time to exit the room, until his words halted my steps.
"One more thing, Kabuto..." The Sanin remarked firmly. "Do not mention Itachi being a possible suspect in Katsumi's kidnapping. It won't help the issue at all if his revenge withdrawals resurfaces."
'I doubt he'll help the issue at all, period.' I thought to myself.
"That will remain classified, I can assure you..." I accepted respectfully, bowing my head.
"Good." The Sanin smirked. "You're dismissed..."
With that, I quickly exited the room and headed straight towards Sasuke's bedroom.
"I hope Sasuke will understand that this is a serious matter and that all personal feeling should be put aside..." Hana spoke hopefully. "What only matters is Katsumi."
"Easier said than done." I commented in a scoff. "Regardless, you're right. She's our main concern at the moment."
"Everything will be alright, Kabuto." Hana reassured kindly.
"I hope so..." I replied lowly, feeling more nervous as I was getting closer towards the boy's room.
Katsumi's POV:
I could hear myself groan softly as I groggily opened my heavy eyelids. I had to blink a couple of times for my eyes to adjust its surroundings because God knows how long I had blacked out. Speaking of surroundings, why the hell was it so dark in this room? Most importantly, why the f**k was I in this room to begin with? So many questions were piling up in my head without their answers given and I grunted in frustration for not knowing. With merely my pupils, I examined the room I was currently resting in. so far from where I was laying, there wasn't much to it: the bed—the one I was on—consisted of dark maroon pillows and sheets complimented with a black comforter, a dark wooden nightstand carrying a lamp, and a small desk across the room. This room was bare but nonetheless had the necessities the owner needed. Speaking of which, who was the owner of this room?
My hand subconsciously moved over to my midsection at which I gasped by the fact that it felt a bit hard than it was supposed to. I snaked that same hand underneath my top and immediately recognized the hardness as wrapped bandages. Not only my torso, but my arms and legs were bandaged up too. But I don't remember healing myself or even applying first aid. I slowly sat myself up on the bed, moaning in pain as a result of moving my sore, torn up body.
My mind then recalled the defining moment of my fight against two Akatsuki members on my own and that exact moment where I blacked out. Yeah, I was put under Itachi's damned genjutsu. As I was in a coma, I was using all of my genjutsu training, my Sharingan, and willpower to break Itachi's hold on my mind. It took a lot longer than expected, but I got the job done anyway. But because I was on the palm of his hand, it made it much easier for my brother and his pet fish of a partner to capture me and held me captive. Now I had nowhere to do; I don't even know how far away I was from where we originally faced off.
'Damn it all…' I cursed frustratingly, clenching the comforter with my fist.
Before I had the chance to have my mini-tantrum, the bedroom door slowly opened. I laid there still for a minute and grabbed the courage and strength to turn my head towards the door to see who it was. Of course, it was my oldest brother because today was apparently my lucky day. Karin was right: I should've watched what I said because my words would eventually bite me in the ass. The man standing near the door and I had a long moment to look each other in the eye, debating if words should be exchanged or if it was too early. Frankly, I didn't really care and simply glared angrily at the raven as he hummed causally, closing the door behind him.
"You've broken my genjutsu, I presume…" He spoke stoically, walking towards the bed. "You're genjutsu skills have improved…"
"Cut that s**t out!" I snapped coldly, narrowing my glare at him. "You're not my trainer, anymore! So stop critiquing me!"
"I don't see anything wrong acknowledging another shinobi's progress." He commented flatly, unfazed by my tone at all.
I stayed quiet and turned my head the opposite direction from where Itachi stood which was right next to the bed.
"Where the f**k am I?" I questioned demandingly.
"You're in the Akatsuki's hideout. Specifically, in my bedroom…" He answered.
"I already told you that I declined your 'leader's' request!" I hissed begrudgingly, snapping my glare back at him. "What part in no you morons don't understand!?"
"On the contrary, there was no option and I already established that." My brother countered dryly. "We were simply ordered to locate and recruit you by force if need be."
"Well, mission accomplished!" I sarcastically congratulated, then gritted my teeth. "But just because you succeeded in bringing me here doesn't mean I'm now your b***h!"
After my little outburst, I suddenly started to feel as if something was choking me and its grip got tighter and tighter. Desperate for air, I held my neck, trying to pry whatever was doing this to me. After a moment of suffocating, the choking stopped and I was relieved as I breathed gradually and heavily. My hands were still around my neck and when I finally gathered up enough oxygen in my lungs, I examined the object that seemed to be clamped around my neck with my hands, making a confused face as I tried to determine this object.
"What the hell is around my neck?" I questioned aloud, referring to Itachi.
"A chakra collar, courtesy of the Akatsuki's Lord." He answered dully. "It's so that you won't escape from us and do our leader's bidding. As you wear it around your neck, it seals off almost all of your chakra and with the correct hand signs, it will suffocate you until you gasp your last breath."
After hearing a bit about this collar from hell, I attempted to stretch it open as much as I could, trying to free my neck from it.
"That's f**ked up!" I exclaimed as I continued to pry it open. "I'm not you're f**kin' dog! Get this thing off of me!"
"No." He calmly refused. "As long as you're living with us, the collar stays around your neck as a precaution."
I kidded you not, I tried my f**kin' hardest not to tackle my brother because this stupid dog collar would do its assigned job, if what he was telling me was true. So my only option was to glare deadly at him to which he simply just eyed me.
"I don't know what's worse: you hurting the people I care about or you not getting any of my f**kin' words straight!" I grumbled lowly.
"Hn."
I tried adjusting myself in a more comfortable position on the bed until a sharp pain crawled all over my body in response. I shook a bit as the pain subsided and I immediately went ahead to use medical ninjutsu to heal whatever caused the pain. It took a few minutes until I cut off my chakra then adjusted myself to sit up straight as I panted from using my medical ninjutsu. Why was I this exhausted when I hadn't even used even more than a few grams of my chakra? I slowly side-glanced towards my brother, waiting for him to speak or act.
"Let's go." Itachi simply instructed, turning around and slid towards the door.
"Where?" I asked demandingly as I stayed in bed.
"I was ordered by Lord Pain to bring you to him once you've gain consciousness." He answered flatly, glancing over his shoulder at me.
"So I have to 'meet'—no I'm forced to meet the same Lord whose idea was to kidnap me against my will…" I sarcastically summarized. "No, thank you."
Itachi stayed frozen by my words, looking at me with his icy stare. Unlike others, I was never really intimidated by Itachi Uchiha but I was mostly wary with him. He was one of the most unpredictable people I knew besides Sasuke.
"Katsumi…" He stressed my name darkly. "Though I do not wish nor intend to kill you, don't think I won't put you in your place if you don't behave."
"And don't think you can nag me like you're my big brother either!" I snapped stubbornly, folding my arms. "I meant what I said earlier: you're dead to me and I don't see you as my brother."
The raven then turned away, letting me get a better view of the back of his head.
"Such words won't change the fact that we share the same bloodline…" He commented lightly.
With that, Itachi exited his room without saying anything at all as I sat there, lost and confused by his sudden change in attitude. Was it just me or did he sounded a bit… weird? Like he was sending me a message that hadn't been delivered yet.
'Then again, when has Itachi ever been not weird?' I asked myself in thought, letting out a scoff.
Despite despising the fact that I had to see the "God of the Akatsuki", it was better than being trapped in a dark, gloomy room like this. So I slid out of my brother's bed and headed towards the door. Just before I headed out of the room, I casually took a glance from a nearby mirror and did a double take when I noticed that I wasn't wearing my usual kunoichi outfit. Instead, I was clothed with a black, bare T-shirt that was so big it didn't hug any of my curves and equally baggy grey shorts that was only tight around my waist.
'Don't tell me Itachi was the one who changed my clothes when I was unconscious…' I mentally prayed as I felt my face becoming hot.
I shook my head, shaking the thought out of my head. I quickly closed the door behind me once I was outside of Itachi's room. Now I faced a new problem: I had no idea where to go in the large, dark, gloomy hallways. Living in a couple of Orochimaru's hideouts, I had gotten very accustomed to its hallways. But this I wasn't familiar with. For starters, there were no torches that give even the slightest of light so the average person could see where they were going. I huffed in annoyance, wondering what I should do. I then activated my Sharingan, deciding to find my way around the place by my visual prowess. I could sense a source of chakra near the other side of this hideout but I couldn't disclose if it was Itachi because it could possibly be Kisame.
Dear God, the last thing I wanted right now was to bump into that walking blue shark face bastard.
With my gut instincts, I decided to go right so I did. I kept my Sharingan on just in case as I aimlessly turned every corner and randomly choosing direction without much care. It was when I turned the corner for the fourth time, something—or should I say someone—bumped into me hastily and solidly. In fact, because of the immense strength of this push, it caused me to land hard on the rock-tiled floor with a thud. I groaned in pain as I rubbed my behind, not bothering to see what exactly bumped into me.
"What did I tell you, Tobi!?" I heard an obnoxious, loud voice snapped irritably at said person—who I presumed bumped into me. "Watch where you're going, hm!"
"I didn't mean to, Deidara!" Tobi whined childishly, sounding guilty in a way a six-year-old child would be. "I'm starving, I haven't eaten all day!"
"What are you talking about!?" His companion snapped in irritation. "You just ate breakfast this morning!"
Once the pain I received from the fall died down, I got the chance to actually get a glimpse of the two other Akatsuki members—according to the robes they were wearing which were identical to the robes Itachi and Kisame were wearing. One of them wore an orange, swirly mask that covered his entire face except for one small hole that hovered over his right eye—probably used for him to see his surroundings. His personality—to say the least—was like a child and nothing that anyone and even I would expect someone like this would be a part of a formidable, dangerous organization like the Akatsuki. His jutsu must be breathtaking if the Akatsuki Leader allowed someone like him to join. The other member scolding him—most likely his partner—had long, blonde, straight hair with the top portion of it tied in a high ponytail and topped off with long bangs that covered the top left corner of his face, particularly his left eye. His right eye that was left alone was bright blue—although not as bright as Naruto's since his reminded me of the clear blue ocean—and had an evenly-tanned skin. Overall, his features reminded me of my knuckle-headed cutie, Naruto. However what made this guy—Deidara, I believed—different from the Uzumaki boy was his brash, audacious, tetchy personality.
I wasn't sure if I regretted saying that I didn't want to bump into Kisame and Itachi.
"I'm so so so so so SORRY!" I flinched by Tobi's loud, desperate apology. "I didn't mean to bump into you! Are you okay!?"
When I realized he was referring to me, I was baffled to see the masked male who was now crouched down right in front of me. I made an awkward face, not knowing exactly what to say. After a moment of mentally slapping myself, I snapped some sense back and let out a huff.
"It's whatever." I shrugged, getting up on my feet. "I'm getting used to encountering… uh interesting people…"
"So… you're not mad…?" He asked in a whimper like a child wondering if his mother would punish him.
"No…?" I answered in question; I wasn't sure what he expected me to say nor why the f**k did he even care.
If I knew I was gonna get a reaction, I would've thought twice about speaking at all. Tobi jumped for joy and grabbed me into his arms, bear-hugging me to the point where I could breathe.
"Yay, I'm not in trouble~! I'm not in trouble~!" He singed cheerfully as he jumped around with me still surrendered to his death hug.
"Hey, you bastard! Let g-go of me!" I growled annoyingly as my patience ran out.
"TOBI!" I overheard Deidara's brash voice yelling at his partner. "LET THE GIRL GO BEFORE YOU KILL HER!"
Just like that, Tobi paused his movements and slowly turned towards his partner who had a really annoyed look on his face, staring at him hardly.
"Okay, Deidara." He chirped beamingly, putting me back onto me feet.
I dusted myself off from that strong hug. Once I could feel my limbs again, I was prepared to walk off down the hallways until the blonde spoke.
"Hey, you." He called huskily as I glanced at him. "What the hell are you doing here? You a spy or something?"
I caught on the fact that this rowdy blonde was staring at me in a cold, revengeful way. I slightly frowned upon that because it hadn't been minutes since I had met them and he was already judging me.
"Sadly, no." I replied monotonously. "I was kidnapped by you jerks to do your bidding… and now I'm lost in this big ass place you live in…"
The blonde placed an interested smirk on his face as his blue eyes twinkled at me. "Quite the tongue you've got there, hm. It's not meant for a pretty little thing like you." He commented cockily.
I scoffed disgustedly. "You bastards in this depressing group are all the same: disgusting, cold-hearted predators." I folded my arms, unimpressed.
The blue-eyed man didn't take my words too kindly after giving me a dirty, unpleasant look. I didn't know what else he expected from me since it was the bloody truth. Well, as far as that goes, I assumed I was somewhat wrong after meeting Tobi. Then again, I couldn't help but think that the little kid persona was all an act to hide his true identity and personal intentions.
"If I were you, I would keep my mouth shut, hmph." Deidara snapped, offended. "We're the most prestigious, S-ranked, formidable organization in the world, consisted of the strongest rogue ninja with the most powerful jutsu you'll ever see; killing people is second nature for us."
"Nice job advertising yourself, blondie." I sarcastically complimented, earning an offended glare from said blonde.
"You snarky, little brat." He hissed. "Who do you think you're talking to, hmph?"
"I'm the brat?" I repeated with a scoff. "Speak for yourself, Goldie Locks!"
After my retort, the snobby blonde continued to glare at me begrudgingly. It was really getting in my nerves, his eyes just judging me.
"Continue looking at me like that, and I will pull out that lustrous, blonde hair of yours." I threatened angrily.
"You're..." He spoke huskily as he continued to examine me coldly. "You're... an Uchiha..."
Wording his observation about my clan lost me completely. Why did he give any sort of s**t that I was from the Uchiha Clan?
"What of it?" I snapped defensively, narrowing my eyes at him.
Apparently, I still had my Sharingan on which explained how Deidara figured out that I was an Uchiha.
"You're one of Itachi's relatives, then..." He assumed, furrowing his eyebrows.
"Duh." I snorted as I rolled my eyes.
I cocked an eyebrow when I noticed Deidara gritting his teeth with hatred. Was his hatred towards Itachi? That made more sense than anything else because A) Itachi was the last thing he mentioned when he acknowledged me being related to him and B) said raven had the amazing talent in getting people to hate him for basically existing. Sasuke, Naruto, Orochimaru, Sasuke, myself; these were just the few people I could come up with on the spot. I could empathize with the blonde in that department.
It was incredible that I completely forgot that I was supposed to meet with their Leader while wasting my time on these two. It wasn't like I was excited to shake hands with the dude, but I would rather converse with people with some level of maturity and professionalism than these guys.
"Listen, I'm lost and I'm supposed to meet the Akatsuki Leader." I groaned in irritation, then setting my gaze aside. "If you don't mind, will you please guide me to him?"
As much as I wanted to gag about being polite and respectful to a bunch of low-lives, it was the only way for me to meet with their leader and getting over the conversation as quickly as possible.
"Why should I help you?" He retorted in refusal. "Especially when you're nothing but a spoiled, bratty, self-conceited Uchiha!"
I was genuinely pissed at his insult. As much as I loathed my clan, it gave this nobody Barbie doll no right whatsoever to dis me and see me as low and selfish as my family. I hated when people were quick to assume that because I was an Uchiha, I was a gifted ninja but also a snobby royal. This enraged me so much, I was ready to activate my chakra scalpel and take him down in one blow. That is, until his partner stepped in semi-unintentionally, I presumed.
"Not to worry, Miss!" Tobi chirped, grabbing my hand and started skipping. "I'll take you to Lord Pain!"
As Tobi skipped happily down the gloomy hallways, I was trying my damn hardest not to fall flat on my face as I was forcibly being tailed behind the cheery boy.
"Hey! Not so fast, Tobi!" I exclaimed warningly, though he didn't get the message at all.
"We'll be there in no time!" He beamed cheerfully, skipping faster as I struggled to keep up with him while being pulled by my arm.
'Seriously, how could anyone smile in an environment like this, never mind skip.' I thought to myself curiously.
Suddenly, without warning, Tobi made a swift turn to the right as we burst into a room. Right after, Tobi abruptly stopped and instantly released his grip on my hand. Because of the wonderful law of inertia, I ended up on where I just hoped that I didn't end up on which was flat-faced on the cold, hard, floor. I groaned in pain as I slowly used my arms and slowly lifted myself off of the floor in a sitting position.
"Oh no! Are you okay, Miss!?" I heard Tobi asked worriedly.
I rolled my eyes at his tendency to feel guilty for his actions that he never bothered to rethink not even a little. I placed my hand on my nose which sustained the most damage from that fall. Great, I felt a bump already seeded on my skin and I knew there was possibly a visible bruise too.
"I'll manage just fine, Tobi." I responded exasperatedly, sitting in my knees comfortably.
"That's GREAT NEWS to hear!" He chirped in glee then he suddenly threw his arms around me, bear-hugging me once again. "I actually thought that you were hurt that time! I would feel so bad if I hurt you!"
It was close to impossible to hold my tongue and not yell at the kid to take a chill pill, don't speed-skip, and stop f**kin' hugging me if he really doesn't want to "hurt me".
"So, the kid decided to show up after all..." A low, guttural, familiar voice commented smugly.
I opened one eye to look up to see the owner of that voice. I didn't bother holding back my gag to see the giant tuna fish, Kisame standing idly aside. I then used that silence that followed suit to examine my new surroundings. I noticed that the large man wasn't alone. Itachi too was in the enormous, empty room stoically, not batting an eye at my sudden presence. I turned my attention his body was facing and a large wooden desk along with a large chair caught my eye instantly. There was someone sitting in the chair as he/she leaned slightly against the desk with his elbows as his finger were locked together. Because of lack of light, I couldn't even distinguish the appearance of this person. The only thing I got a very good sight of was his eyes. They were light lavender with circles that decrease in size until it reached the pupil which was a darker purple. His eyes showed no emotion whatsoever but they stared intently at me without blinking once. I gulped anxiously as I kept a brave face on while staring back at him. I was so occupied by the dark figure, I almost completely forgot about Tobi who continued to hug me tightly.
"Tobi, release the girl immediately." The figure's voice was piercing and shivering yet surprisingly very calm.
However, despite him speaking to the hyperactive male, his eyes ever left mine. Like a predator stalking its prey.
"Okay, sir!" Tobi chirped happily, releasing me from his strong grip and jumped up to his feet.
How was this kid talking to this creep like everything was normal? Was this guy even human?
"You." I heard the same monotone voice that just spoke to Tobi ordering my attention.
It was already evident after speaking to the kid behind me that the gender of this stranger in front of all of us was male. What was also evident was that he was said Leader of the Akatsuki because both Kisame and Itachi stood in front of him respectfully and Tobi listened to him intently like an owner with his pet dog wagging his tail eagerly. I could slightly understand why everyone spoke so highly about him but I thought it was because his powers were so holy and whatever. But I shouldn't be critiquing him because like Karin told me earlier: watch what you say or else it would bite me in the ass. It was best to examine, see what happened and keep my mouth shut until it was necessary for me to speak.
"Stand before me, if you will?" He commanded nonchalantly, however I could hear his threatening tone speaking to me as a warning.
I slowly got up to my feet and slowly treaded towards the massive desk. My stomach started to turn as I got closer to the man whose physical appearance became clearer to the point where I saw most of his face. His skin was an awkward greyish-pale colour with numerous amount of piercings located all over his face: his nose, his ears, his lower lip were just by catching a glimpse of him. He had spiky hair that resembled Naruto's but in the colour orange. Then I noticed another person in the room who stood very still closely next to "Pain", if I remembered correctly. She had bright blue hair with golden yellow eyes and had matching light blue eye shadow. She had—I presumed—an origami flower hairpiece attached to her hair, holding up a small hair bun. She wore a large Akatsuki robe but I could tell she had wonderful, feminine curves under it. The look she had was similar to Pain's however it was more calm, simple, and expressionless. She somewhat reminded me of my brothers. I had to be honest, she was a very beautiful and elegant as she stood straight with her posture carrying no flaws.
"Your name?" I winced when I heard the man sitting in front of me stressed sternly, trying to get my attention back.
"Katsumi..." I introduced gently, keeping a brave face on. "Katsumi Uchiha..."
Pain simply scanned my appearance with those cold, piercing eyes until he glanced past me with only his pupils.
"This girl is your youngest sibling, correct Itachi?" He questioned in a gruff. "And if I'm not mistaken, she's one of the most skilled medical ninja?"
"Yes, she is." Itachi answered plainly.
Pain then laid his eyes back on me and continued to examine me hardly. I could feel his heavy gaze on me, actually making my knees feel weak. But I didn't want him to know that so I continued to stare back at him and wait for him to speak some more.
"I'm assuming you're already aware about the reason for your presence in our group." He purposes figuratively.
"Yes, and I've turned your request down more than once yet I'm here standing in front of you." I responded firmly, hinting my annoyance.
"It was either you assist the Akatsuki or die." He cut in sharply as he watched my reaction calmly.
"My allegiance is with Orochimaru." I stated firmly, slighting frowning. "Why should I help an associated enemy?"
"We are in need of a high-classed medical ninja and you're the one we've set our eyes on." He answered as if it was the most obvious thing to know.
I literally was stuck; I had to get out of here. But that idea was way out of reach. I knew luck wasn't behind me when I battled Itachi and Kisame but being stuck with a bunch of S-rank criminals was clearly a kick to the stomach. I had too much pride to let people order me around and do their work for them so behaving in front of those who could easily kill me in one blink was a struggle for me. Not to mention that the snake and the evil organization were legitimately like water and oil: you couldn't put the s**t together. I had grown kind of "fond" with the Sanin after what transpired, and despite what happened or if I still disliked him, I would never expose or betray the side I was on regardless that I was put into that side by force. I didn't know what to do. I most certainly don't want to die here, but I refused to help these guys in any way. Plus I would betray not only Orochimaru, but Kabuto especially. That was the last thing I wanted: to hurt the bookworm and make him think that everything was a lie when it wasn't at all. What about Sasuke? Yes, we hadn't put the effort to mend our relationship and yes, I was still angry and hurt for what he did to Kabuto, but breathing the same air as Itachi was so wrong. What would he think of me if he learned that I was aiding our brother and his group? We would never look at me the same and would see me as dead to him. I had already lost a lot of things with Sasuke, but losing his respect was the one thing I couldn't afford; I don't want him to think that I sunk so low into "forgetting" what he had done to us.
But maybe, just maybe, this could work to my benefit. If I played my cards right, I could make it out here alive. Maybe I should agree to their terms under my conditions. Plus, staying with these guys was a great opportunity to gather information on each and every one of them for the snake. As long as I stayed on their good side, this could be an easy goal to achieve. And who knows, maybe I could learn awesome tricks, techniques and jutsu during my stay.
'Huh. Look at me, taking initiative and putting myself on a mission for the snake...' I thought with a small smile.
Luckily, no one caught onto the look I had on my face and I took this opportunity to mask it with a dull, serious look.
"I understand." I spoke respectfully, though gave a bit of edginess to my tone. "How about we make a deal?"
It was then Pain finally blinked his special eyes when he heard a possible proposal.
"You have my attention." He notified huskily, listening intently for what I had to say.
"I'll willingly stay with the Akatsuki to assist you all in medical treatment and creating a supplies of antidotes, under one condition..." I briefed professionally, then narrowed my eyes as I finished my sentence. "You won't interrogate me nor even question me about Orochimaru's whereabouts, plans, and/or intentions… anything that gives him away. Plus, you stay far away from his subordinate, Kabuto Yakushi and my brother, Sasuke."
"Is that all your stipulations you have for the Akatsuki?" He inquired hardly.
I nodded certainly, then heard the Akatsuki Leader sigh gently.
"Very well." He agreed monotonously until he interjected, "However, there are conditions I have that you must follow yourself."
"And they are...?" I beckoned him to say more.
He suddenly stood up from his seat, never leaving his eyes off of me. I cocked an eyebrow, still waiting for him to tell me the rules. Seeing that I was confused, he blinked at my appearance.
"Tobi, inform the other members to be in the Meeting Hall this instant." Pain ordered sternly.
"You got it, boss!" Tobi saluted happily.
Said boss laid his eyes back on me and parted his lips to say, "I'll disclose them... soon enough..." He mused smugly.
With that, along with the woman who stood beside him, he disappeared out of thin air. I stared at his empty chair incredulously.
"I should be going now! Gotta tell everyone to be in the Meeting Hall!" Tobi beamed and once again grabbed me in his arms for another tight hug. "Goodbye, Katsumi! I can't wait to see you again!"
"I can." I mumbled coldly, struggling to free myself from his sold grip.
Luckily he didn't hear me and skipped out of the room without turning back. Where did he get his happiness from, I would never find out. I dusted myself off, huffing in annoyance as I felt two pairs of eyes at me. I could feel a nerve making its debut on my forehead as I spun on me to glare at them.
"Do you mind!?" I snapped.
Kisame giggled at my sudden mood swing meanwhile Itachi wasn't really with us mentally at the moment but his eyes were still glued to mine.
"My, my..." The large man smirked amusedly. "I forget that you're still a child, sometimes..."
"I'm FIFTEEN!" I hissed defensively, furrowing my eyebrows at him.
"Oh, really..." He mocked playfully.
I knew I was supposed to be a "good girl" and behave, but if I had to deal with something that belonged to the sea, that would be a deal-breaker. I quickly tried to find my inner peace and the first thing that popped into mind was Kabuto. Thanks to an image of him, it convinced me to suppress my anger and relax. I unclenched my fists and took a deep breath in. I couldn't believe I was saying this but I would rather talk to Itachi than his lunch.
"Just out of curiosity, who changed my clothes when I was unconscious?" I asked hesitantly, eyeing him as he did the same.
"Konan." He briefed uninterestedly. "She also took the time to patch up your wounds."
I blinked obviously at the name the raven gave me. Was she that blue haired woman that was with Pain? If yes, I felt a bit less awkward about it. If Itachi was lying and it was actually him who changed me, then I would've had another reason why I wanted to stay away from the man.
"Well, what am I supposed to do now?" I asked lazily.
"Go to the Meeting Hall." The swordsman answered bluntly.
I cocked an eyebrow at the blue man, not understanding the point in going to said location. But then I recalled Pain ordering Tobi to send a message to the other members to meet in the Meeting Hall for some reason. Then it hit me: the reason why he wasn't gonna tell me his rules and why he sent Tobi to send the message was because he planned on telling everyone in the organization what was going on in one room.
'Does that mean I have to deal with more low-life douchebags?' I thought to myself in exasperation. 'Why do I always have to deal with so much s**t!?'
"Let's go." I heard my brother beckoned, walking towards the double doors.
"Is it actually necessary for me to see the rest of your group?" I questioned stubbornly behind the raven.
"Of course, it's necessary." Kisame interjected nonchalantly, grabbing my attention. "We don't want the others to think you're an intruder and kill you on the spot. That'll just give Sasuke and Orochimaru another reason why they should take us down."
'I mean, if Sasuke still gives a damn about me and if Orochimaru is concerned of me to begin with...' I commented in thought as I just scoffed at the large man.
"It's better if we get the introductions over with." Itachi added monotonously, opening the door.
I watched him slipping past one of the doors then lost sight of him when he started walking down the hallway. Suddenly I felt a large hand grabbing mine and pulling me forward. I flinched at this sudden gesture and looked up to see Kisame being the one responsible. I struggled to free myself from his grasp, but his hold on me was rock solid; he wasn't even fazed by the fact that I was trying to release myself.
"C'mon, kid." He beckoned in a gruff. "We don't want to keep the others wait, now do we?"
"I can walk perfectly fine on my own!" I exclaimed, trying to root my feet on the floor but they just slid against the surface because of Kisame's strength.
Eventually, I gave up and allowed him to guide me to the Meeting Hall I kept hearing about. We walked for about five minutes until we approached a door that was at the end of one of the hideout's long hallways. Kisame opened the door and moved aside graciously with his toothy grin, pretending to be a gentleman, all of a sudden. I rolled my eyes and walked through the door, keeping my guard up just in case. The moment I set eyes on the room, my mind immediately went blank the second I was pairs of eyes looking directly at me. The heaviness of their stares/glares started to pile on my shoulders, but I brushed as much stress as I could and kept a solid face on. Once I sort of gotten used to being accustomed to everyone's eyes on me, my eyes subconsciously laid on my oldest brother who was the only person in the entire room who wasn't looking at me; his blank eyes were glued firmly on the long table he and the other members were sitting.
"KATSUMI!" I winced in pain from that screeching voice that called my name.
Lucky me: I got a friendly, tight hug from the one and only, Tobi.
"Tobi…" I grunted in annoyance as his arms were wrapped firmly around me.
I wouldn't lie: he was friendly. Very friendly. In fact, I was still so curious as to why the hell would the Akatsuki let in someone like Tobi?
"Tobi!" Kisame snapped, grabbing the boy's attention. "Give the girl her personal space, will you?"
I secretly felt grateful for that gesture from fish sticks, but I knew I would soon regret admitting that the next time I encountered him.
"Oh, sorry!" He gasped in guilt, holding his hands up as I moved to face him. "I'm just so excited that you're gonna be one of us! It gets lonely living here with no one to talk to and all I want is a friend in this group!"
I felt for the kid because that was exactly how I felt when I lived—or should I say, hid—in Orochimaru's hideout. I thought that I had my brother to keep me company, but I was farther from the truth than I ever thought. At least I had Kabuto by my side which erased the feeling of being alone. Now that I thought about it, it must be lonely and gloomy, living in a place like this with high-ranked criminals that only lived for themselves. The least I could do was be a bit easier on him. He was harmless anyway, so why should I keep my guard up for someone like him?
"Don't sweat it, Tobi." I huffed with a small smile as I patted his head.
Despite wearing his orange, swirly mask, I could tell by the body language, he was blushing by my sudden kind, gentle gesture.
"And you're not alone." I added friendly, earning a confused hum from Tobi to which I gave him a wink. "Deidara is your friend, isn't he?"
"No, I'm NOT, hmph!" I heard said blonde shouted in disagreement.
"He just said that he isn't my friend!" Tobi whined childishly, sulking his head onto my shoulder as I awkwardly patted him on the back.
"Oh, he doesn't mean that…" I brushed off hesitantly, signalling a look at Kisame who simply smiled at me.
"Yes, I DO!" Deidara argued persistently, intended to verbally fight me.
Just before I was about to turn around and punch a tooth out of the loud-mouth blonde, one of the Akatsuki members that I was unfamiliar of final spoke up.
"Will you just shut the f**k up, Deidara!" A male who—by the tone of his voice—looked like the typical douchebag. "The last thing I wanna hear is your bulls**t!"
Said male wore an identical Akatsuki robe but unlike the others, he seemed to have no shirt underneath—I was assuming everyone in the room had a shirt on—since he buttoned his robe halfway, showing off his built chest. He wore his forehead protector around his neck which showed he was from the Hidden Hot Water Village, if I was correct but had a slash across it, signalling his broken ties with him home village. He had grey, shoulder-length hair that was sleeked back and had dark purple eyes. His skin was lightly tanned—just as tan as Kabuto, and along with his headband, he had a beaded pendant with a weird shaped… jewel? I couldn't help but stare curiously at it. I also noticed his weird but unique choice of weapon: a Triple-Bladed Scythe. Luckily, his attention was on Deidara so he didn't catch me eyeing him directly. Frankly, this dude could be Kabuto's brother—the type of sibling who was literally a polar opposite of him. I smiled to myself humorously at that thought.
"You shut up!" Deidara countered instantly. "Nobody asked for your input, Hidan!"
So the guy's name was Hidan. Good to know, I guess.
"And nobody gives a f**k about your opinions either, blondie!" Hidan fought back aggressively. "So stop complaining about your f**kin' relationship with Tobi and let's get this meeting over with!"
He also had a bad mouth like me. Now that was something good to know.
"What are YOU gonna do, hm!?" The blonde barked mockingly. "Sacrifice me to your stupid LORD!?"
I don't know how and why, but by the way Hidan reacted to this remark—and by reacted, I meant like his eyes were bulging with anger and with the intent to kill—Deidara should've watched his mouth. Then again, I was getting the feeling that he was one of those people who don't watch their use of words and don't give a damn about it.
"I dare you to say that AGAIN, punk!" He hissed venomously, pulling out his weapon to intimidate the blonde.
Unfortunately for him, Deidara wasn't scared the slightest and instead was ready to attack as well.
'Is anyone gonna do something or are they actually letting them duke it out here?' I asked myself incredulously, keeping a straight face on.
It was then I wondered if anyone would notice if I simply walked out of the room and let them deal these two since everyone's eyes were on them. Everyone except for Itachi who was sitting there, keeping his thoughts to himself.
"Hidan!" A gruff, low, annoyed voice that I wasn't familiar of finally snapped, had it with this petty argument.
I tried to locate the owner of the voice until I laid my eyes on one particular fella who sat in his seat, holding what seemed to be a tall stack of bills to which he held securely in his hands. He wore a black mask that was similar to which Kakashi wore. It only showed his red eyes that consisted of large, green pupils. He wore a white hood over his head, covering any bits of hair he might have and wore his headband over it which indicated that he was from the Village Hidden in the Waterfalls. Like everyone else who had a headband, there was a long scratch along the symbol. I assumed he was the one who spoke up in between the two because he was glaring at Hidan. If I had to guess, Hidan and this guy were partners in this group.
"Just shut up already! You're not helping the situation at all." He demanded coldly, going back to counting his money. "Just sit down and be quiet."
Hidan glared darkly down at his partner as he didn't seemed too bothered that the male was give him the death glare.
"Enough." Another voice pitched in roughly, causing everyone to stand/sit still and be quiet.
Everyone turned to the far end of the room, revealing the Akatsuki Leader and his trusted subordinate, Konan I believed. I blinked bafflingly, wondering how the hell did they entered the room without anyone sensing them at all. Pain walked over to his seat located at the far end of the table. He sat comfortably on his larger, grander chair while Konan sat near the corner of the table, next to him. Everyone immediately took their seats as I stood there frozen, unable to move. Once everyone was seated, they turned their attention back towards me, possibly wondering why I was just standing there like an idiot.
"Please welcome our newest recruit, Katsumi Uchiha." Pain announced respectfully as he eyed me intriguingly at me.
The way he was looking at me, I was anxious to know what his rules were for me during my stay with the infamous, deadly group.
Finally done! Again, I want to apologize for the long, long, LONG wait. I kind of underestimated the details that would be put into this arc to make the story flow as smoothly as possible.