Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Our Lives in the Hurricane Chronicles ❯ Chapter 27

"I’d like you to meet the other side of me,” –Skye Sweetnam (Split Personality)
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"Does every shirt you own have the Uchiha symbol on it?" Mayu grumbled, searching through her teammate's bag. The group had to stop moving because of the sudden downpour. Luckily, they had managed to find a cave capacious enough for all of them. However, the five did not manage to escape the rain in time, and because of this, they were stripped down to their undergarments. Even with the small fire that had been started, Mayu was still cold, so she was digging in Sasuke's bag. Besides, he had torn her shirt earlier and she needed a new one, anyway.

"Quit complaining," Sasuke told her. Mayu turned her head slightly. She had her back to the rest of the group. "Either choose a shirt to put on or stay how you are." His eyes were trained on the fire. She was surprised that he hadn't tried to look at her change. "It makes no difference to me whether you're topless or not, though I would prefer the former." The other three males produced flat looks as the Uchiha narrowly dodged a large rock. Finally, Mayu chose an overly large, short-sleeved black shirt. Of course, there was the Uchiha crest on it. However, it was small and on the right sleeve.

Sasuke watched her with wide eyes as she crawled over to her place near the fire. He was more than a little stunned at how different she looked just because of that crest. He looked back at the fire with narrowed eyes. Despite fighting it, he found himself flushing. It was at that moment that he remembered something his older brother once said to him. He had said that ‘the only reason you are here today is because mother had worn an old shirt with the Uchiha crest on it.’ He had not understood what he meant until now. Mayu looked more attractive wearing it. Generally, women who belonged to the Uchiha clan, but didn’t have the Uchiha blood, did not wear the clan’s symbol. Sasuke scoffed and picked at the fire with a stick. That would definitely change.

“Mayu and I will take the first watch,” he said. “We will wake the two of you when it’s your turn.” Neji and Jano nodded before closing their eyes. For a few moments, nothing but the pouring rain and the crackling of the fire could be heard. Zai shifted in his position, drawing the attention of the two ninja who were still awake. Sasuke waited a full fifteen minutes before he turned his full attention to Zai. “Well, start talking… What do you know about Takeshi?” Green eyes stared into the fire. The man was purposely not answering the young Uchiha’s question.

“I… have a few questions of my own. That girl–I am curious about her. She is… strange,” Zai commented. Mayu scoffed and glared.

“You really don’t have the luxury to be asking about Yasmine,” she said. “And to even insinuate that you do could be… fatal to you.”

“Mayu,” Sasuke had noticed her reaching for her weapon’s pouch. His dark eyes turned back to Zai to see a small smile on the man’s face. He did not seem wary of his teammate’s movements or her tone of voice.

“Don’t you think it’s unfair that I am giving you information and showing you your destination, only to get merely one thing in return?” he asked. His eyes met Sasuke’s. Zai knew for a fact that the teen was the leader of the group. He seemed to be the more level-headed one. At a glance, one would think that the Hyuga would be in charge. His calm, calculating demeanor gave him an air of authority. But those eyes of his… They were filled with restrained emotion. Zai could only imagine the thoughts that swirled around in his head. Because of this–because of his attachment–he was not fit to be the leader, at least of this mission. For this reason, Zai assumed that the leader of the group was the youngest of the three males. “How about this…? I’ll answer a question about Takeshi, and you’ll answer a question about the girl. Do we have a deal?” Sasuke waited a moment before nodding his head. “Very well… Where did she come from? Although, she has a lighter complexion than Mayu-dono, between the two of them, I would still label her–not Mayu-dono–as the foreigner. My work takes me all over the world, and I have yet to come across someone that resembles her.”

“She’s not of this world.” Surprisingly, it was Mayu who answered.

“Ah… Care to elaborate?” Zai asked.

“No.”

“I see…”

“Just who was Takeshi before he became known as he is today?” Sasuke asked.

“Ah, Takeshi… He is an interesting subject to read about. Have either of you ever heard of the goddess, Inari?” Zai’s question was met with blank stares. “Inari is the goddess of fertility, agriculture, rice, worldly success, and industry. She is closely associated with foxes. They are her messengers. Her foxes are pure white when they officially become her messengers. Every so often, Inari replaces her messengers. It is said that she comes down from the heavens in search of foxes with more than one tail. Once the foxes are chosen, they go through a process to become her messengers. However, once–only once–she chose a fox with one tail. His name was Takeshi. Inari had become fond of the one-tailed fox while staying here. Naturally, the other foxes with more tails were jealous of Inari’s apparent favoring toward the normal fox. But they could do nothing about it.”

“Well, what happened next?” Mayu asked.

“I still have more questions of my own,” his response only received a glare in return. “When I first encountered the girl, she was kind and she said things in a polite manner. Even when she defended against me, it hurt, but she was still polite about it… But when she awoke, she seemed to turn into a completely different person. She cursed like a male, she was rude, and even her facial expressions seemed to change. So my question is… Is she somehow possessed?” Mayu fell out of place.

“You seriously read way too much! This isn’t a ghost story!” she said. “It’s a highly rare, but still a very real, psychological disorder. She’s got another personality in her head.”

“So then why did… Yasume refer to herself as her inner demon?”

“Continue with the story before you ask another question,” Sasuke ordered. Zai nodded at the command.

“Where was I…? Oh, yes… The process of becoming a full-fledge messenger to Inari.” Mayu rolled her eyes at the dramatic way he said it. “No one really knows what the process entails, but during this process, the foxes gain the nine tails that are needed and the white fur to become the messengers. Takeshi was below average when it came to this process. While the other foxes had become white and gained all nine of their tails, Takeshi still only had eight and his fur was still the normal color. Because of Inari’s fondness for the fox, she refused to allow any one of the foxes become her messenger until Takeshi had completed the process. She had also publically stated that Takeshi would become her personal assistant, even become her second in command. To say that this sent the other foxes into an outrage is an understatement. They began to hate Takeshi with passion, and so they plotted.”

“And…?”

“I still have more questions,” Zai was starting to get both teens mad. “The girl is not a ninja, and yet she knew how to defend against me–how is that so?”

“What do you expect? She hangs around ninja all day,” Sasuke stated.

“She’s like a sponge sometimes,” Mayu explained. “If she sees something she’s interested in, she absorbs it into her own style. Only an untrained fool would willingly go up against her. You got lucky, Kazuhiro. She probably didn’t get a chance to eat before you took her.” A glare sent his way made Zai chuckle uncomfortably.

“Ah, anyway… The angry foxes planned to kill Takeshi while he was still weaker. However, they only succeeded in wounding him. They tossed his body out of the heavens. Because he had eight tails, he was powerful enough to heal himself. But no matter how many times he tried, he could not return to Inari. Takeshi was consumed by hatred, rage, and jealousy. The information I read said that it was all that negative energy that gave him the last tail and turned him into a demon. Gaining the ninth tail did not grant him the white fur. Because it had not been Inari that blessed him, his fur turned the color that many know today. After that, he seemed to vanish into thin air. I doubt that any of you have ever heard of an event called The Death Era. During this period, many people–all over the world–died. No one–human, plant, insect or beast–gave birth, greatly reducing the population of the world. According to the information, this happened because of the sadness of Inari. She was said to be so overridden with guilt that she could not do the tasks that she was made to do, sending our world into utter chaos. Fortunately, Inari finally realized her responsibilities, and started doing her job again.”

“Let me guess…” Mayu’s eyes stared into the fire. “Takeshi never showed up in the history books again until he went to Konoha, right?”

“That’s exactly right. I’m actually surprised I got my hand on that information. By then he was known as Kyuubi…” Zai stated.

The two ninja were silent. They took in the new knowledge. Mayu brought her legs up to her chin. The information she just received had only caused her to feel sorry for Takeshi, the demon inside her blond friend. In some ways, he was just like Naruto–an outcast. Because he had been slightly different, he was hated. They both shared the same anger. They both had more in common than she ever could have guessed. “But that still doesn’t explain why he behaves differently to me and Hinata,” she narrowed her eyes. “That only makes me more suspicious of what he’s up to. It may be dangerous, but I need more information from the actual source.”

“Is that it?” Zai asked. “I still have one more question about the girl.”

“This information–where did you get it, and is it still there?” Sasuke asked. The man closed his eyes in thought.

“I got it when I was in the Wind Country, I believe. I doubt that it’s still there, though,” he answered. “The person holding this information is a traveling monk. That old man has an even bigger wanderlust than I do.” His grin wasn’t returned. He did not mind it, though. He could understand if neither of them trusted him. “As for my last question… Why would an organization such as Akatsuki want the girl enough to pay so much for her? Though, she has another personality, she isn’t remarkably powerful or valuable. So why is Akatsuki targeting her?”

Sasuke noted the way his teammate’s body tensed. He turned his eyes to Zai. His gaze was still focused on the fire. “That’s something… that we are also unaware of,” he told him. His dark eyes shifted over to Mayu again. She had not lifted her head. But he could clearly see the guilt coming off her in waves. “Mayu…”

Kazuhiro Zai watched in curiosity as Sasuke gestured for the teen when she lifted her head. She narrowed her eyes in suspicion, but scooted closer to the male. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. Despite the frown, Mayu did not struggle or make an attempt to get away. Sasuke turned his head and whispered into her ear. Zai couldn’t hear what was being said if he tried, but he did notice the smile that flashed on Mayu’s face before it disappeared. Their eyes met, and he was surprised when his own heart skipped a beat. Zai’s eyes grew wide with surprise when her body relaxed. Her head rested on Sasuke’s shoulder. Her blue eyes slowly closed. Zai watched them a moment longer. He was in awe. At first, he simply thought they were just friends. He thought Sasuke was just another teenage pervert, but that look they gave each other… “They’re in love,” he thought before looking away. “Must be nice.”

“Are you jealous…?” The sudden question from the Uchiha almost made Zai jump. He turned his green eyes back to the teen, surprised to see such an intense gaze. Since after the incident, he had only shown a blank expression. Now, though, he wore a face of a man–a face that made him seem far older than his actual age. Green eyes shifted to the kunoichi. He observed that Sasuke tightened his hold. “She’s a fast sleeper,” he supplied. Zai nodded. “Are you jealous?”

His repeated question made the man frown. He tore his eyes away from the young couple. It was as if the teen could see right through him. “… Perhaps,” he finally answered. A smirk played on the Uchiha’s lips. He turned his head again to stare down at the teen snuggle up against him. “So… you truly love her then?” A short nod was given. “Then… Why do you hold yourself back?” Dark eyes looked up at him, wanting him to explain. “I mean I noticed your eyes are always glued to her. Even though it’s a mission, it makes no sense that you control yourself from showing your love for her. In the stories I’ve read-”

“This isn’t a book. This isn’t a story,” Sasuke interrupted. “Reality is more complicated than fiction.”

“But fiction is based off reality,” Zai rejoined. The Uchiha teen scowled at the man’s quick rebuff. The older male smiled lightly. When Sasuke glowered, the kunoichi’s face scrunched up until he had settled down. It wasn’t until he relaxed again did she go back to peacefully sleeping. “She loves you, too.”

“What does an outsider like you know when I don’t even know that myself?”

“Outsiders usually see much clearer than the people involved.”

“Stop trying to sound wise–it’s annoying. You sound just like that damn Hyuga,” Sasuke retorted. Zai’s eyebrow twitched, yet he did not respond. Cheeky ass teenagers, he thought. “Why are you so curious about the foreigner, anyway?” Zai didn’t answer. “You… You didn’t fall in love with her, did you?” It was very hard to fight the blush. Sasuke’s eyes widen before he laughed lightly. “You did?! You must be one hell of a moron!”

“N-No…!” Zai indignantly replied. “You just didn’t give me enough time to reply!” Sasuke gave him a skeptical look. The man coughed lightly, ignoring it. “I just… I’m intrigued by her, that’s all. I’ve met all kinds of women, but none quite like her.”

“I think you’re a little too old for her.”

“I’m not interested in her in that way!”
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I wrung the water out of the cloth into the wooden bucket. I turned my body and gently placed the folded, damp cloth over his forehead. I stared at him for moment before sighing in disappointment. The man had not moved since I had started to take care of him. Yes, he was breathing, quite erratically, but other than that–nothing. I wiped the sweat from his face, and then stood. I had been stuck in the same room since Kisame pushed me in to take care of this man. “What a man, what a man, what a man, what a mighty good man! Yes, he is!” I couldn’t help but to sing. I paced around the room, entirely bored. No doubt someone was standing guard outside, so I couldn’t escape if I tried.

My stomach growled at me, causing me to rub it. I wearily looked at the door. Sure it was cool being in Akatsuki’s lair and all, but on top of being bored, I was miserable. The sweet snow I found was not enough to stifle the raging black hole inside. I glanced once more at the plant man on the floor before going over to the door. Apparently he was sick… Perhaps, I should explain further… You see, one of the halves is sick. Somehow Itachi found out about my other personality and automatically assumed that I knew how to ‘fix him’ as he so graciously put it. Don’t get me wrong, I still adore Akatsuki, but as individuals, they’re sadistic evil bastards! … Except Tobi… but then again, that could be exactly what he is.

I slid the door open–that is so cool, by the way! Sliding doors equals awesome–and I was greeted by Deidara turning his head. His one eye scrutinized me from where he sat. I noticed that it had stopped raining since I last opened the door. His legs were dangling over the… thing–I don’t know what it’s called. It was so similar to where Hinata lives. Now that I think about it, Sasuke’s old place looks like this too. Akatsuki must have gotten jealous and decided to move out of their cave.

Anyway, I should say something. Deidara is looking at me like I’m insane. That’s probably because I must be staring at him with a blank expression. See, when my thoughts drift, I tend to lack control of my facial features. Neji once said it was hard for him to decipher–his word, not mine–what I was thinking when I got too distracted. I had replied that I was just that awesome. His only response was telling me that he could read me like a book most of the time, especially when it came to food. Glory days, that had yet to start, were officially over.

I blinked, snapping back to reality when Deidara released an annoyed grunt. This was my cue to dramatically throw myself near his sitting form. “Deidara-sama…! Please, feed me! Feed me, Seymour!” I sang the last part out. Heh… That was such a weird little musical… The only one I ever liked, actually! Deidara only narrowed his visible eye at me. Yeah, that was real scary!

“Is Zetsu any better?” he asked. I shook my head and sighed.

“He’s the same way he was when I got here. Hasn’t moved an inch!”

“Then, I’m sorry, but you can’t do anything until he’s healed,” Deidara shrugged his shoulders. He stood, grabbed the back of my shirt and lifted me from the floor as if I were a docile kitten!

“You don’t sound very sorry!” I excused with a glare.

“Well, that’s because I’m not.”

Okay, this is where I draw the line. I can already tell that Deidara is going to see the other side of me. No, not Yasume. Mayu has so accurately dubbed it as ‘Crazy-Ass Hungry Mode.’ In this ‘mode,’ I’m going to get something to eat, whether an obstacle is in my way or not. I planted my feet firmly on the floor before Deidara had a chance to toss me back in the room. “I didn’t want to have to do this to a member of Akatsuki, but you leave me no choice, Deidara,” I told him, turning. In the process, I pushed him away. He glared angrily at me, but I didn’t care. The submissive act would have to fall for now.

I slid one foot back, and began bouncing on the soles of my feet. My hands were up and curled into fists. I probably look like a boxer chick. Ha! Kiss my ass, Million Dollar Baby! I float like a butterfly and sting like a bee! Deidara only chuckled at me, causing me to stop my bouncing around. When you’re pumping yourself up and someone just laughs at your antics, it definitely crushes you. Seriously, if I was normal, I would cry. “You think you’re going to knock me unconscious? I’m a ninja, un. I could kill you in a second,” Deidara, the crusher of dreams, said, still snickering.

“Kill me in a second… That’s kinda assholish of you,” I told him. He responded by shrugging and saying that that is how he rolled. Okay, so he didn’t really say anything but that shrug told me everything I needed to hear. “Oi…! Don’t be so full of it!” Deidara’s eye widened in shock as my knuckles made contact with his jaw. He staggered back, not being able to hide the surprise. I blinked. I, myself, am very shocked. I seriously didn’t think I would be able to hit him. “You ought to be ashamed of yourself! Letting someone who’s not even a ninja land a hit on you! For shame!!” Deidara did not like what I told him, and so he lunged at me like a wild amateur.

He swung a fist at me, hoping to knock me down like he was my pimp, or something. I ducked and quickly followed up with my counter attack. One after the other, my fists hit Deidara’s abdomen several times. While he was distracted by the pain, I moved behind him and struck him twice in the back, thus completing the attack. Deidara grunted, and then fell to the floor. “Wha… What the hell did you do, un?!” he yelled.

I whistled in awe before I stepped over his body. When he fell, he must have hit his chin hard because I actually heard the impact. “Well, since you want me to explain it, I will do so in detail!” Deidara groaned. “One day, I was watching this show called Avatar: The Last Airbender–really amazing for an American cartoon–and this character was introduced as Ty Lee. She’s awesome, and so is her fighting style! I watched her fight for hours after that. Eventually, my parental unit, Theresa-san, saw it and was also intrigued. She got me books on the human body so that I could learn the points to hit. Mayu and she called me a sponge, or something silly like that, and that’s why they were so persistent to make me learn it.” It was then I noticed that Deidara was crawling away, using his chin, so I dragged him back so he could hear the rest. “But I could not get the speed down, so I could only use it as a surprise attack. Then I met Neji again, and I realized that-” I had to drag Deidara back again. “-His attack is similar to mine, so I asked him to show me how he quickens his pace like that. Can you believe he just attacked me out of no where?! Sure, he didn’t put any chakra behind it, but it still scared the crap out of me–not literally, but still! He did it every day at random when he was not on missions, so I had no choice but to try to dodge. Fortunately, this allowed for my speed to increase. He didn’t tell me that until afterwards. You know he actually looked surprised when I tackled him. Silly Hyuga has got to learn that I’m unpredictable at times.”

“Please… Please spare me your mindless rambling!” Deidara wailed as if he were in pain. “You’re just as bad as Tobi!” I grinned sheepishly. This was exactly why I don’t let my thoughts come out of my mouth. I apologized, and then left him there. “Hey, wait a minute! Don’t leave me here!” I heard him calling. Unfortunately for him, my growling stomach was overpowering my will to be nice.

I quickly found my way to the kitchen again. Before going toward the refrigerator, I stealthily peered over the counter, looking into the living room. They were all there. Tobi was sprawled out on the floor. I couldn’t really tell what he was doing. Itachi was sitting in a chair. His dark eyes moved along the pages of the book he was reading. Kisame was sitting in another chair, watching television along with the Blue Lady. I grinned, realizing that they hadn’t sensed my presence yet… or had they? Either way, I went back to my mission. With the Mission Impossible theme in my head, I rolled over to the refrigerator. I hopped up, looking left and right, trying to see if I had been spotted. Nope, I was still good to go… even though I had slipped and bumped my head against the door of the refrigerator. Slowly and cautiously, I opened the freezer door. As luck would have it, the ice cream I didn’t finish was still there! “Boo ya…!” I thought, taking the carton out. I hugged the carton of ice cream to my chest as if was a teddy bear. I grinned as I closed the freezer.

Turning around happily, I didn’t notice the person standing behind me until I opened my eyes. “Ah…!” My back slammed against the refrigerator. “Blue Lady…!” The Blue Lady raised an eyebrow. What you want me to do? I didn’t know her name! She didn’t have one last time I checked. The fans referred to her as Blue, so I called her Blue Lady, the only female member of Akatsuki. It was then I got a good look at her. I blinked. “You’re pretty.” And up went the other eyebrow. “Seriously, that makes goes well with your hair. And that piercing is so cool.” The paper flower was a nice touch, too. She reached out, but a voice prevented her from touching. God, I hope she wasn’t planning on killing little old me. The Blue Lady turned her head toward the living room. My eyes followed suit. Everyone was still in their original position.

“Who is she?” she spoke. Oh, she had such a beautiful voice! I’m beginning to like her more and more! It wasn’t super high, or deep. It was all womanly like Master Junko’s voice, yet better!

“The one responsible for taking care of Zetsu,” Itachi had been the one who spoke before. Blue Lady looked back at me with an inexpressive expression. I saw that she shrugged. She moved away from me and went back to her spot in the living room. I sighed in relief before scurrying after her, but not before I got the spoon for the ice cream. “I did not think it would take so long for you to leave that room.” I tensed and slowly turned my head toward Itachi. I had almost been home free, but I just had to walk in front of him, didn’t I? “I didn’t think Deidara would hold you back for long since… close ranged is your specialty.” His dark eyes hadn’t left the book he was reading. I wonder why his Sharingan wasn’t activated. I mentally shrugged, knowing I didn’t really care.

“How… How much do you know about me, Itachi-sama?” I asked. He knew about my split personality–which is why I’m here, apparently–and he knows how I defend. I do not think that it’s a good idea to ask him if he was a stalker. I did not want to go through what Kakashi went through! He was silent as if he did not hear me. But I know he did, so I won’t bother to repeat myself. Neji, Sasuke, Itachi–they’re all the same, really. I know how to respond to people like them. Itachi is probably more… extreme than the other two, but I think I can manage and not die in the process. I still want that autographed shirt, damn it.

“Enough…” he finally answered. I knew it, just as vague as the other two. “How is Zetsu’s condition?”

“It’s the same as when I first saw him,” I answered. “Still has the high fever… I won’t know what to do with him until he wakes up… I think. But for now, I think it’s only the fever on the one side.” The only response I got was a nod. “… Itachi-sama, I am her precious friend. You do realize that she’s coming, right? Since you are-”

“I am aware,” his eyes finally met mine. “Sit. Eat.”

Slowly, I nodded my head. He went back to reading his book. I turned on my heel, stepped over Tobi–I could now see that he was making something; I could tell he was concentrating on it, too, so he probably didn’t notice me–and sat in the chair that was in between Kisame and Blue Lady. They both continued to stare at the TV, completely ignoring my presence. I opened the lid to the ice cream and silently began to eat. My eyes narrowed at the screen once I realized what was being watched. “Again with the yakuza movie?” I thought with a sigh.

Before I knew it, I had become bored again. Turning my head to the right, I got a good side view of Blue Lady. I stared at her until she noticed. She certainly took her time to notice though. Finally, she looked at me. “What is it?”

“What’s your name? I can’t keep calling you Blue Lady forever,” I said. She stared at me. I tilted my head in confusion because I couldn’t place the look she was giving me. The Blue Lady suddenly smiled at me. It was small, but it made me grin. It made her look like Blue Angel instead.

“Konan,” she answered. She reached up and touched my head. “You remind me of a kitten.” I could only blink as she continued to pet me. Oh right, I never changed out of my uniform. I get why Tobi had dubbed me as ‘Petto-chan’ now. I still had the ears and the tail on. Why, oh, why did I rush out of the parlor looking like this? Luckily, I had taken the paws off. I wish I could change, but my bag had mysteriously disappeared. Konan removed her hand, and then focused back on the television.

It was a short conversation, and I knew eventually I would get bored again. I ate more of the ice cream to pass the time, but it quickly disappeared. Once I finished, I set the carton on the floor near my chair; the spoon was still in the carton. I heard a chuckle, causing me to turn my head. Kisame was the one to laugh. “Deidara will not be happy to find out you ate his ice cream, foreigner,” he said. I ignored his comment and stared. He shifted uncomfortably under my ‘Neji stare’ before turning his head in my direction. “What do you want?”

“You’re kinda big, Kisame-sama. I admire that and your strength,” I said with a slight bow. He looked at me with this incredulous appearance. I blinked. He shifted awkwardly again.

“Er… yeah… sure…” he responded. When I didn’t look away, he seemed to glare at me. “Do you need something?”

“Can I…” I moved a bit as if to reach for him. “Can I ride you?” Kisame totally just gave me the WTF look, and I think Konan started choking on her own spit, but before I could explain my meaning–which is to get a piggyback ride–Tobi sprang to life.

“I’m finished…!” he exclaimed, leaping into the air. This action drew my attention away from the freaked out Kisame. Tobi turned and faced us. “Petto-chan…! You’re here!” I nodded my head. He walked over and petted my head. “Look what I made.” He held up a circular object. It was many colorful strings of yarn tied together to form a… necklace. “It’s a collar because you are my pet!” Tobi said cheerfully.

“… Uh… Let’s call it a necklace, ne? Something about me wearing a collar doesn’t feel right,” I said. “You don’t want my ancestors rolling around in their graves, do you?” Tobi rapidly shook his head. “Fine, I’ll wear it as a necklace. It’s surprisingly artistic.” Tobi gasped and asked if Deidara would like it. “… Don’t know, don’t care, it’s mine!” I took the necklace from him.

“Wah…! Petto-chan is a good girl!” Tobi exclaimed, ruffling my hair.

“T-Tobi-sama…!” I tried to get him to stop.

“Y-You conniving little water flea!”

I believe everyone turned to see who had spoken. It took a moment for me to find the owner of the voice because he was on the ground. Deidara had crawled his way into the room with his chin. It was now red from the strain. He glared at me maliciously. Kisame snickered, causing the glare to move over to him. “Deidara-sama… I’m usually called ‘deceptive little wench,’ so don’t call me that again. That sucks balls,” I murmured, surprised that he had come all the way across the place on his chin. His glare returned to me.

“A pleasure for you to join us,” Itachi’s voice was impassive just like his face. A person couldn’t tell if he was sincere or not. Even Neji or Sasuke cracked a smile when amused. Jeez, this guy is like a robot. It’s hard to believe that Mayu was supposedly his friend.

“Shut up…!”

“Sempai…!”

“Shu t up, Tobi, and don’t touch me!”

“Deidara-sama…” I repeated, gaining his attention again. “You do realize that… the paralyzing affect only lasts for about… five minutes, right? You could have moved around normally about thirty minutes ago...” It was quiet for moment. Only the turning of the page from Itachi’s book was heard. Kisame snickered again, snapping Deidara out of his daze.

“I’m gonna kill you, un!”

“You’ll only end up in the same predicament,” Itachi had to be enjoying this.

“You knew this was going to happen, didn’t you?!” Deidara accused, finally standing. He pointed angrily at Itachi.

“Hm… perhaps.” Another page was flipped.

“You son of a whore!”

“Hey, no need to bring his mom into this!” I commented. Deidara rounded on me.

“You shut up!”

“This will be an interesting time,” Kisame remarked.

“Indeed,” Konan agreed.
****************************

The team raced through the hideout–looking, searching. With sweat gliding down their faces, they followed after him. He was the one that would not waste time looking in empty rooms. He knew that their target wasn’t in any of the rooms that were passed. His heart pounded loudly. With each passing second, his panic rose, and so did his comrades. “Neji…!” The Hyuga nodded.

“She’s close. We have to keep moving–straight ahead,” he told his teammate. He swallowed hard. He did not tell them that their target’s signature was intermittently fading in and out. He quickened his pace, forcing them to do the same. After a few more minutes, Neji’s eyes widened. He came to a halt. The others did the same. Neji pointed to the metal door. “In there.”

“It looks like it’s locked,” Jano narrowed his eyes.

“Mayu…!” Sasuke turned his eyes to the kunoichi.

She stepped in front of Neji. She curled up her fist and glared at the last obstacle in the way. “Got it!” she nearly growled. Her dark hair suddenly turned blond. Her eyes turned a lighter shade of blue. The kunoichi pivoted on the ball of her foot. Raising her leg, she kicked the heavy door down as if it was only made of decaying wood. She moved into the room without a moment’s hesitation. Her comrades followed after her, only to have bumped into her unmoving form.

The Uchiha rubbed his head. “Mayu, what did you-” His eyes expanded at the sight in front them. The reason Mayu had stopped was obvious. She was in shock. Her body had shut down. His eyes moved from her to the target several times. Sasuke wrapped his arms around her, trying to get her to calm down. He turned to head to his other stunned comrades. “Hyuga, Jano-san…! Don’t just stand there! At least check before assuming!” His loud voice echoed throughout the room. It snapped the two older shinobi out of their daze.

The two rushed over to the wall, where the girl was chained up. She was sitting with her head bowed. Her ankles were chained. Her wrists were lifted away from her by the chains above. She looked as if she hadn’t eaten in days, yet it had only been one day since she disappeared. Neji stepped forward and knelt down. He swallowed again as he reached out. “Ya… Yasmine…?” The girl flinched away from his touch.

“Gaki… No…” Jano released a ragged breath.

“Arigatou…” she whispered. Her small voice drew in their attention. She did not lift her head, however. “You came… to save me… Demo… You have arrived too late. I have been torn apart.”

Neji placed his hand on her shoulder. “You’re okay now…” he said. “We’re here…” He was a bit surprised that he had received no reaction from her. Mayu shrugged Sasuke off her and moved toward the two. She dropped down to her knees. Tears ran down her face, but she did not sob. The kunoichi placed her hand on the foreigner’s knee. Yasmine instantly recoiled and pressed herself against the wall. Mayu grit her teeth, and then punched the wall. She held her bloody knuckles and finally choked out a sob. “What is it?” Neji asked.

“Turn off your damn eyes, and you’ll see!” Mayu shoved him away. The Hyuga glared at her, but blinked when she wrapped her arms around the foreigner. He narrowed his eyes before ‘turning them off,’ so he could see normally.

He ignored Mayu’s trembling form and focused solely on Yasmine. Apparently everyone else saw something he didn’t. Her hair was in disarray. His eyes widened. The liquid that ran down her chin wasn’t sweat or tears as he had first thought. It was blood… She had been hurt. Neji clenched his teeth as his eyes moved lower. Her clothes were torn, but what really caught his attention were her thighs and legs. She was badly bruised. There were many scratches, and… There was also… blood. “Ya… Yaya-chan… They didn’t…” The Hyuga was truly at a loss.

“Those bastards raped her!” Mayu shouted, holding onto her friend tighter. Sasuke quickly pulled the crying girl away. “No! Let me go!”

“Mayu, calm down. We have to get her out of here,” he told her. She only latched onto him instead. He struggled to calm her down. “Jano-san, hurry and cut her loose.”

“No… No! Don’t touch her!” Neji’s shout startled his comrades. He moved over to the foreign teen. “I’ve… I’ve failed you again, Yasmine! Gomen!” He broke through the chains, using his Gentle Fist. “Please forgive me!”

She fell limply into his arms. Yasmine couldn’t even feel his arms tighten around her. That’s how numb she was. She could hear his heart’s rapid pace. She wanted to cry so badly, but she didn’t–she couldn’t. There was no point. The teen slowly pushed Neji away; the feeling in her arms had returned. “I… won’t…” she murmured. “I won’t forgive you, Hyuga Neji–not this time.”

Her words were like a slap in the face.
******************

Neji’s eyes fluttered opened, surprised by the pain he felt. Focusing, he saw Mayu standing over him with a glare on her face. “What the hell, Neji…?! I never took you for a deep sleeper!” she shouted. The Hyuga sat up, momentarily confused. “I can’t believe I had to slap you!” The kunoichi folded her arms as she continued to glare at her Hyuga comrade. The two ninja stared at one another for a moment. “Well, come on, already! You’re holding up the process!” Mayu turned and moved out of the cave.

The Hyuga finally sat up. He looked around. His comrades had all exited the cave, leaving him alone. He narrowed his eyes and pressed his hand against his head. “A dream, then…?” he thought. It had felt so real. Even now, his hand trembled. “Yasmine… That won’t really… happen to her, will it?” The shinobi teen stood, and then headed to the entrance of the cave. Outside, the others were discussing something. “I have to get to you before anything happens.” Neji moved toward his temporary team, causing their heads to turn. “What’s the plan?” he asked.

“Like Kazuhiro said, the border is heavily guarded. Sasuke went to check this morning,” Mayu stated. “There are ten of them, right?” The Uchiha nodded his head. “It would be better for us if they don’t know we’re in their country, so we can move about freely without any peering eyes. But I don’t think that we’ll manage to sneak past because they have the advantage since there are more of them.” Her blue eyes turned to him. “Any ideas, Neji?”

“Live bait,” he answered as if it were obvious.

“You didn’t really have to say it like she’s an idiot, Neji-kun,” Jano chuckled nervously as he held back the kunoichi. “But that is a good one. One of us can stay behind, and while they’re chasing the one, we can move past without being detected.” His eyes looked for volunteers. He didn’t get any. “Someone is going to have to do it, you know…”

Mayu suddenly snapped her fingers. “I’ve got it! They won’t even think that it’s a setup with my plan,” she exclaimed.

“Setup…?” Sasuke repeated, raising a brow. Mayu waved off his comment. “How’s that going to work?”

“Like Neji said–live bait is what we’ll use!” The kunoichi bit down on her thumb using her incisor. Blood seeped through the wound she had created. Mayu began the hand signs. “Summoning Jutsu!” After the smoke cleared and revealed the giant leopard, Mayu explained what her feline partner was to do.

“What do you take me for?! I’m not a canine! I won’t do any tricks just cuz you said so!” Nana gave her partner an incredulous look. “What do you want me to do? Dress in drag, and do the hula?” The kunoichi gave a blank look. A thoughtful looked crossed her face.

“Well…” she trailed off.

“NO!”

“Nana-chan, please…!” Mayu exclaimed, begging on her knees.

“It’s amazing how alike you two can be…” Sasuke released of a sigh. “Nana,” he got the feline’s attention. “It might seem humiliating, but it will help us in the long run. Once you’ve gained their attention, lead them away from their post. When you get far enough, you must hide, and then disappear, got it?”

“Hm…” The black leopard circled the Uchiha. The inexpressive look remained on his face. Nana’s tail lightly touched Sasuke’s face as she circled him. Mayu’s eyes twitched at the display of affection. “Just because you happen to my partner’s teammate, doesn’t mean I’ll do anything for you. What’s in it for me, Sa-su-ke?” Mayu’s head practically exploded like a volcano.

“Nana…! What the hell are you purring for?!” she screamed in outrage.

“Eh… You’re not jealous, are you, Mayu-dono?” Zai asked. He smiled lightly. “Kawaii…”

“Shut the hell up, Kazuhiro!” Mayu shouted. Her face had gone completely red. “I’m not jealous!” She turned her angered gaze on her partner. “Nana, stop doing that and let’s get a move on!” She grabbed the tail and dragged Nana away from her teammate, causing roars to erupt. The kunoichi narrowly dodged a claw from tearing her apart. “Okay, I guess I deserved that, but-” She evaded another paw. “-We have no time to dilly dally! We’ve got to rescue Yasmine!”
**********************

The two stared at each other in silence. There were a few confused blinks exchanged, but other than that, nothing. The two had been in this position for nearly five minutes now. She was still lying on her back. He was sitting on his knees near her. In his hands, he held her leg up. He looked like he was in the process of biting. The teen’s mouth suddenly opened. “What… the fuck are you doing?” she finally asked, sitting up. He blinked, face half flushed.

“Eating… breakfast…” His voice sounded rough and deep. The way he had answered made it seem as if he was asking a question himself.

“Uh un…! Uh un…! This-” she gestured towards her own body. “-Ain’t breakfast!” The teen brought up her other foot and kicked the man in the chest, sending his body to the ground. “Do I fucking look dead to you?!” She pointed a finger.

The man gingerly rubbed his abused torso. He fixed his gaze on the teen, which only caused her to glare. “Dead or alive, you are quite tasty,” he remarked. She blinked, and then grinned cheekily.

“You know, that can be taken in the wrong way,” she said. The teen stood up, and placed her hands on her hips. “How do you feel, Zetsu?” The man looked genuinely confused. She suddenly flushed at his expression. “Oh… my… God… If you weren’t a plant, I would so-”

“Who are you?” Zetsu asked. This time his voice was much gentler and a little softer.

The teen coughed into her fist. “My name is Yasume. Itachi has brought me here. Apparently he believes that I can get you back to normal. It’s so weird that only your white side is sick,” she answered. Zetsu stood, causing Yasume to back up. “You and I are similar, Zetsu.” The alternate pressed herself against the Akatsuki member. “Something about you just… really turns me on. I wouldn’t mind having your kids.” Zetsu’s eyes grew wide. “I get that song 2 of You by Danity Kane now!” She winked.

And in a split second, Zetsu was at the far end of the room.

“Why are you in my room?” he asked. Yasume pouted at his actions, but then smirked. She explained to him why they were sharing rooms. “Just in case my condition worsens…? I might not be able to handle it.” The teen looked confused.

“Your taste is delicious–I might end up eating you.” Yasume licked her lips and grinned.

“Same here, Zetsu-sama… The temptation might be too great for me as well,” she replied. The Akatsuki member’s mouth dropped open, looking almost horrific. He quickly opened his door and left. Yasume chuckled evilly.

Yasmine: Why are you doing this to Zetsu-sama?

“Cuz its fun!” Yasume replied to her other half. She hurriedly followed after the man. Zetsu glanced back to see the grinning teen still following him. He released an inaudible sigh as he continued walk. They walked in silence, except the occasional coughing from the Akatsuki member. Yasume had no idea where he was leading her, but she couldn’t help but giggle. “Would his reaction be the same as Lee-kun’s if I pinched his ass?” she thought. Inside her mind, Yasmine only shook her head. Before the alternate could make a move, however, Zetsu suddenly stopped in front of a door.

He slid open the doors and walked in without announcing his presence. Yasume followed in after him, curious. In the room were two beds; each had someone sleeping in them. The room was quite different from Zetsu’s room. This room was more western than his. Zetsu narrowed his eyes. “Itachi…” A painful sounding cough followed. It took a moment, but one of the bumps moved. The cover was pulled back to reveal the youngest member of Akatsuki. “Itachi, what is the meaning of this?” Zetsu pointed to Yasume, who tried to look innocent.

Slowly, Itachi’s gaze moved over to the foreigner. “She is your healer,” he stated. Zetsu looked back at Yasume, scrutinizing her. She grinned wickedly and winked. The man turned back to Itachi for further explanation. “She is similar. I figured she would know more than others. She will not be so easily eaten by you… I suppose.”

“Similar…?” he coughed out. “What do you mean not so easily? Is she strong?”

“Perhaps… Perhaps not,” he answered.

Zetsu’s eyes suddenly grew wide. His body froze after feeling the pinch. He turned and stared incredulously at the teen, which blinked innocently. “She is perverse,” he stated, turning back to the Uchiha. “I find her presence repulsive.”

“That’s not what you were saying this morning!” Yasume happily chirped. Itachi raised a curious brow, yet did not question the statement.

“She will be eaten like the others.”

A sudden chuckle came from the other bed, drawing Zetsu’s and Yasume’s attention. The cover was removed, revealing Kisame. He had a smirk on his face. “I doubt that you’ll get the chance. After all, she managed to take down Deidara,” Kisame chuckled again. “All for some ice cream, I believe. Itachi-san just might have picked the perfect healer.” Zetsu only narrowed his eyes at his fellow members. He turned and left the room. Yasume only stared at Kisame, causing him to blink in confusion. “Shouldn’t you be off healing him?”

“You should keep a shirt off more often,” she said with a grin. Kisame’s mouth dropped open. He unconsciously covered himself. Yasume laughed, and then left, following after Zetsu.

“What the hell…?” Kisame muttered. He was unaware that his face had turned a shade of purple. “That was definitely the other one, right, Itachi-san?”

“Hn,” the Uchiha only lay back down on his bed. “Is that what makes her precious to you… Mayu-chan?” He closed his eyes.
******************************

Yasume swirled the water around with the cloth. She then proceeded to wring the water out and place it on Zetsu’s forehead. They had returned to his room. He had lay down again, allowing the foreign teen to get close. Yasume moved to sit on her bottom, legs folded. “So what are your problems?” Zetsu narrowed his eyes. He assumed she meant to ask what his sickness symptoms are. He voiced his thoughts, causing the teen to roll her eyes. “Well, duh that’s what I meant! Don’t be an idiot, Zetsu-sama!”

“…” He decided not to retort. “I have headaches, nausea, and a high fever. Sometimes, I cough badly.”

“What about chills?” she asked. Zetsu nodded and told her it happened occasionally. “Have you taken anything?” Again, he shook his head. “No wonder Itachi said it got worse. I didn’t take you for a fool, Zetsu-sama.”

Arguing with her would only give him a bigger headache, so he opted not to. Instead, he further explained his condition. “These things only affect half of my body. I am not sure why because this has never happened before,” Zetsu stated. Yasume nodded her head.

“I get it,” she said. “Yasmine got sick one time, but I didn’t. It was weird because it only happened that one time. The rest of the time, both of us were sniffling and coughing.” She closed her eyes and seemed to be contemplating this phenomenon. She opened her eyes with an intense gaze. “Take off your cloak.” Zetsu shot her a dirty look. She only sighed. “I’m not going to molest you-” she looked considerate. “-Not yet, at least.”

“Excuse me if my fears aren’t automatically quelled.”

“No big words, man. I’m not Yasmine. I don’t understand that shit.”

This girl was getting more annoying by the second. “Who is this Yasmine you keep referring to?” he asked. Yasume scoffed, but answered his question nonetheless. “Ah, so you are similar to me. That’s what you meant, isn’t it?” The teen nodded again. “I see…”

“Now can you take it off?” Yasume asked, crossing her arms. Zetsu begrudgingly did as he was told. He figured the sooner he was better, the sooner he could eat her. The teen stared at the man in front of her as he took of the cloak. She noticed it was moist when it was handed to her, probably from the sweating. “Huh… You really are split in half.” Her eyes moved over his figure several times. “Are those things movable? They’re in the way.” To answer her question, the Venus fly trap-like extensions were spread apart, revealing the top half of his body. Yasume reached out to touch his skin.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Zetsu’s softer voice stopped her.

“They snap shut from even the most sensitive touch.”

Yasume curled in her fingers. She lowered her hand to his waist–a place that couldn’t be trapped by the extensions–before touching the white half of his body. As she thought, it was sweaty. She touched the other half with her other hand. The dark side was had little to no sweat. “It’s like two different bodies…” she murmured. “Can you split apart?”

“Can you?”

“No…”

“ThatR 17;s my answer then, idiot.”

“Smartass…” Yasume sighed heavily. “I’m going to need some things if you’re going to get well.”

“There are many plants in my greenhouse. Plants for poisoning, healing, and many other things are there,” Zetsu stated.

“I don’t know shit about plants or herbs,” Yasume stood up. “I care even less about them. Yasmine doesn’t know much either. We’re in a village, right? I’m going to the store to get some medicine.”

“Idiot, it’s not that simple! Don’t you think we’ve already tried that, you simpleton?” Zetsu asked, irritated.

Yasume scrunched her face up as if she had smelled something foul. “Fuck you!” she retorted. She turned on her heel and moved toward the door. “You’ll obviously weaken as you are now. Honestly, being kicked so easily… You’re supposed to be a part of Akatsuki.” She walked out of the grumbling about how disappointed she was.

Zetsu watched her go, cursing her very existence. She was definitely an annoying hassle. He lay back down on his futon. His yellow eyes closed slowly. Though she hadn’t been lying, she was still bothersome. Because of this half sickness, his whole body was affected. The thing might as well have attacked his whole body, not just half of it. His hand came up and repositioned the damp cloth. “She is… a little interesting, ne?”

“… No, definitely not. She is only galling.”

“I can’t wait to consume her.”
***************************

Yasume stomped through the place, looking for any member of Akatsuki. She had already been to the room where Zetsu had taken her, but they were gone by the time she reached it. She grumbled angrily, complaining that ‘the fuckers were doing this on purpose.’ No one had been in any of the rooms she checked. “Ah, screw this! I’m going to the kitchen!” The teen turned and ran. She had already memorized where the kitchen was. As she got closer, she realized that the smell of breakfast was coming from the area. Hearts instantly appeared in the girl’s eyes.

“Food…!” she squealed, slowing her run down to a walk.

Yasume: God, I hate it when you do that!

“I can’t help it when food’s involved,” Yasmine exclaimed, speeding up her walk. “Please let there be some for me!” The foreign teen slid to a stop in front of the entrance of the kitchen. She stared into the kitchen, shock evident on her face. The Akatsuki gang was there–at least the ones who were still living. They looked back at her, curious as to why she was frozen. Tobi sat on top of the counter. His legs were in mid swing. Deidara, who had pulled a chair to the counter, had been in the process of eating. His eye was now on her. Konan was looking up from the refrigerator. Kisame had looked up from his position near the stove. He was cooking something in a skillet. Finally, Itachi–actually, he hadn’t bothered to look at all–was reaching for something in the cabinet.

There was one thing that was different about them that made Yasmine stare the way she did. Instead of their normal Akatsuki wear, they were all wearing pajamas. Each member wore silky black sleepwear. The Akatsuki emblem was on the pocket, which was on the left side of the night shirt. Kisame had opted not to wear the matching shirt. Deidara decided not to button up his shirt. Tobi’s pajamas seemed a little too big. Itachi, instead of the matching shirt, wore a black wife beater. Yasmine’s eyes grew wide, taking in the new looks of Akatsuki.

Once again, blood shot out of her nose like a geyser.

“Ah! Petto-chan…!” Tobi hopped off the counter to catch the limp teen. Konan slowly turned to Kisame, an inquiring expression on her face. The man only shook his head and sighed.

“Don’t ask…” he murmured, flipping the eggs again. Instantly, Yasmine stood by his side, slightly scaring the blue man. “What the hell…”

“You can cook, Kisame-sama?!” she asked, completely fascinated. Kisame pushed the teen away, telling her to go wipe her bloody nose. “Oh, oh… gomen, I got carried away.” Tobi slithered up and wrapped an arm around the girl’s shoulder. He patted a paper towel to her nose.

“Stop fussing over her already, un…” Deidara’s uncaring voice came.

Yasmine’s head snapped to him. Kisame grimaced because he actually heard something crack. The foreign teen moved over to Deidara. She forced herself to make big cute eyes. Deidara only stared at her before continuing to eat. “No, foreigner, this is my breakfast,” he told her. Yasmine only whimpered. “No, foreigner, this is-” The teen whimpered again. “No, foreigner! Bad foreigner!” Yasmine narrowed her eyes and lightly shoved his shoulder. “No, foreigner! This is my breakfast!” Yasmine, pissed, curled her fingers into fist. Deidara saw this action and had a flashback of what happened last night. “Itachi!! The foreigner’s being a dildo!”

“Well then, I know a certain Petto-chan that’s sleeping with Tobi tonight!” Tobi exclaimed, picking up the foreigner. The blond only stared at his partner in silence.

“… What?” Deidara scrunched up his face in confusion.

“Let’s go, Petto-chan! I’ll give you a bath now!” The masked ninja did not get very far. Konan took Yasmine from Tobi. “Aww…! But I wanted to bathe her!” he whined.

“That’s inappropriate,” Konan replied. “She and I will bathe together. I’m sure that you agree?” She looked down at the foreigner. Yasmine rapidly nodded her head.

“As long as you’re not touchy-feely like Ten-chan, I’m game!” she replied. Itachi turned to his partner, slightly confused. Kisame had wiped away a nose bleed. “Itachi-sama…!” The Uchiha’s gaze focused on the teen. “I’m going to need some things to get Zetsu-sama better. Will I be able to go get them?”

“You will write whatever you need down. Someone else will get it for you,” Itachi replied.

“Yeah but…” Yasmine chuckled nervously. “I don’t know… what the place might have. I should go myself and make judgment.” His famous blank glare was sent her way. “Seriously, Itachi-sama, why would I ever try to escape from Akatsuki? I still want that autographed shirt!”

“Autographed… shirt…?” Konan repeated.

“Don’t ask, un,” Deidara blew his hair out of his face.

“Very well,” Itachi finally said. “Someone will accompany you while you gather the necessary items for your extraction of the peculiar illness that is plaguing our comrade.” Yasmine nodded, while the rest looked confused.

“Friggin’ machine…” Deidara murmured.
***************************


A lot of Akatsuki in this chapter, huh? Hope to update soon!

QOU:

“Reality is more complicated than fiction.” –Uchiha Sasuke

Beta’s QOU: