Nue's POV

'I think I'm gonna be sick' I thought with a groan. "Hey, can you guys stop jumping for a second? I feel like I'm gonna vomit." I said to Itachi as he carried me over his shoulder. "Just hang in there a little bit longer, Nue." Itachi said.

He and Kisame jumped through the trees, going to who knows where. "Ugh... Kisame, say something to your partner." I whined. "I'm the one who's carrying your stuff, so quit complaining." He replied. It's just one bag! Stop complaining!

"If you don't let me go, I'm gonna puke all over your cloak." I warned Itachi. After I said that, he and Kisame jumped to the ground and Itachi set me down on my feet. "Thank you." I said as I dusted myself off.

"I'm surprised you didn't sleep the whole time Itachi carried you." Kisame commented as he set my stuff on the ground. "How could I sleep when he's moving around like that? It's uncomfortable." I said, in which he shrugged.

"That was some stunt you pulled back there." Kisme mentioned. "Stunt? I was only defending myself." I informed. "What were you doing, anyway?" Itachi asked me. "Just picking up a souvenir." I answered, casually.

"And that souvenir happened to be the Executioner's Blade that once belonged to Zabuza Momochi?" Kisame said. "Yep. He was actually my uncle, you know? I used to call him Uncle Moo Moo because of the pants he wore." I mentioned.

"Uncle Moo Moo?" Itachi repeated. "Give me a break, will ya? I was three years old at the time." I said before picking my stuff off the ground. "How'd you guys find me, anyway?" I asked Itachi. "We heard you close by." Itachi said.

"So, we just grabbed you and left, along with your stuff. Besides, it looked like you needed help, anyway. Also, Itachi didn't want you killing his kid brother." Kisame mentioned. "I could've handled it on my own." I argued.

"Right." Kisame said, sarcastically. "Anyway, that's not the only reason we picked you up. Leader assigned us to take you back to Akatsuki." Itachi said. "Did it really take the bastard this long to find out I was gone?" I asked with a deadpan expression.

"You should watch your tongue, Nue, before it gets ripped out." Kisame warned with a grin. "Yeah, yeah. I know. Let's just head back." I said. "Not gonna throw a fit?" Kisame asked, amused. "Nah. I've had my fun," I picked up my stuff and faced them.

"By the way, is Deidara at the base?" I asked. "No, he went on a mission with Tobi." Itachi said. "Hmm... Okay, then." I said. "Leader wants you to return to the base alone. He wants to speak with you while we still have a job to do." Kisame said. "Fair enough." I replied.

"Before you go, I'd like to talk to you in private, Nue." Itachi said. "Can it wait?" I whined. "I'm afraid it can't." He replied. I sighed. "Okay." I said. Itachi and I went to a private spot so he could speak to me alone.

"What did you need to talk to me about, Itachi?" I asked. "As you know, I'll be fighting Sasuke soon." Itachi mentioned. "Ah, yes... Your little bastard of a brother." I said, locking my fingers behind my head.

He sighed at my comment. "Nue, I know you hate Sasuke, but there's something I need you to do for me." He said. "And what would that be?"

"I want you to look after Sasuke after I die."

"Forget it. I'm not doing it. You're not going to die, Itachi. I know you won't."

"You're in denial."

"You bet your Sharingan I am."

"Nue, you are a strong ninja. You have surpassed most of us. You might have even surpassed the Leader. But I need someone who I can trust to watch over my little brother."

"Trust me, Itachi. If you let me watch over your brother, there's a possibility I could end up killing him."

"You won't."

"You think I'm bluffing?"

I frowned at him. "Nue, you won't kill Sasuke because you know how much he means to me." Itachi said with an emotionless gaze. Can he really see through my façade even without using his Sharingan?

"I've finally figured out why you've put up a fake smile whenever you wanted to. It's because you're scared. You're scared of what humans have to offer, and you're afraid of accepting them. Because you've dealt with pain and rejection your whole life, you have no choice but to act cold and heartless towards them. But now that Akatsuki has shown you kindness, you-"

"Shut up!" I slapped him so he would shut up. "You're wrong! That's not me! I'm not like that at all! You don't know anything about me!" I snapped with tears in my eyes. Itachi glanced at me with an emotionless gaze as there was a red mark on his cheek.

"See what I mean? You won't even accept your own feelings towards humans." He said. I growled slightly as I looked at the ground. "Why... Why don't you just tell him about why you did it? Sasuke will understand if you just tell him the truth." I said, forcing my tears not to escape my eyes.

"You know I can't do that, Nue. No one must know the truth." Itachi said. "But..." I looked at the ground, squeezed my eyes tightly as tears rolled down my cheeks. "You never wanted to kill them. You shouldn't die for a crime you didn't want to commit!" I said as my emotions were filled with anger and sadness.

Itachi placed his hand on my cheek, making me look at him as he wiped a tear away with his thumb. "Nue, I know you're scared. But you have to keep fighting, even for the people you love." He said. I hugged him tightly, my cheek resting on his chest as the tears ran down my face.

Itachi hugged me back while resting his chin on my head. "I'll do it. I'll protect Sasuke... when the time comes." I said, sniffling. I pulled away from Itachi and wiped my eyes with my sleeve. Itachi smiled softly at me. "Thank you, Nue." He thanked.

He lifted his hand and poked my forehead with two fingers. I looked at him and smiled a small smile back. "I'll see you around." I said before leaving to the hideout. Once I got there, I walked down the hallway, heading down to my room.

I put the briefcase of money under my bed and unpacked my stuff. After I was done with that, I went to Pein's office. I knocked on his door. "Enter." I heard him say on the other side of the door. I walked into his office and closed the door behind me.

I stood there as Pein's back was facing me. "Do you know how much trouble you're in?" He said in a cold tone. "Kind of." I answered.

"You abandoned your duties as a member of Akatsuki, left the organization without any notice, and you go missing for two months without telling anyone where you were. I should have you punished severely, Nue Houjuu." Pein said, facing me with a glare.

"I'm sorry." I apologized. "Honestly, did you think I wasn't gonna find out about your departure? Did you think you could actually get away with this and not suffer the consequences?" Pein said, frowning. "All right, I get it!" I snapped, slamming my fist down on his desk, nearly breaking it.

"Give me a fucking break, Pein! I killed my sister and left my comrades to die! I get it! You're fucking angry! You're not the only one who's pissed off here! For fuck's sake, at least give me time to grieve for losing a member of my family! Wouldn't you be devastated, too, if someone you loved got killed because of your actions?!" I yelled at him.

Pein stared at me and I glared at me. "I killed my sister... and failed to protect Hidan and Kakuzu... I get it. I'm a worthless excuse for a member of this organization. So, give me a fucking break!" I snapped while closing my eyes tightly, tears running down my face.

I wiped my eyes, angry at myself for not finding another way to save my sister or my comrades. "I understand your pain. I have gone through something like that before. I'm sorry..." Pein apologized.

I forced myself not to cry while wiping my eyes with both hands, but I failed miserably. Pein brought me to his chest as I cried into his chest. "You did everything you could to help your comrades and to save your sister. Do not blame yourself." He said, resting a hand on the back of my head.

"No... I could've done more... but I didn't. I'm sorry... I'm sorry for failing you and I'm sorry for snapping at you." I apologized, sniffling. "It's okay... You're okay." Pein said as he gently hugged me. I hugged him back, trying to calm myself down.

When I felt better, Pein and I went to the extraction room. I got to my spot as everyone else was there in their holographic form. I spotted Deidara in his holographic form as he stood across from me. "Deidara." I said, acknowledging his appearance.

He frowned at me, not saying a word. I gave him an emotionless gaze before spotting Roshi's body on the ground. "Forgive me, Roshi-sensei." I murmured. "I have urgent information that I need to relay to you." Pein mentioned.

"What kind of information?" I asked. "Orochimaru has been killed." He informed. I looked at him with slightly widened eyes. He's been killed? When? By who?

"Heh! It's been 10 years since he left the Akatsuki. At least we've been spared the task of killing him ourselves. Who cares if he's dead? I wanted him gone as much as I wanted the zombie pairing eliminated." Kisame chuckled.

"Shut your mouth, Kisame!" I snapped, angrily. "Hidan and Kakuzu were our comrades. Don't say such things." Pein said. "Sorry. So, who are the ones did them in, anyway?" Kisame asked. "Fucking Leaf Village ninja, that's who." I answered, coldly.

I regret leaving Kakuzu behind for him to face them. I should've stayed and fought by his side. But I didn't. Not only that, but I left Hidan to die as well. Dammit!

"Excuse me." I said, leaving the room here. "Hey, where are you going?" Kisame asked. "I'll just be a minute." I replied. "But-"

"Leave her be, Kisame." Pein said. I went to the training room and hit the crap out of the wall, making a hole through it.

Pein's POV

Just seconds after Nue left the room, we all heard a crash come from the training room. "Why is the kid so angry? Is she grumpy because she's tired?" Kisame chuckled. "Maybe it's because you insulted her fallen comrades. Don't say such things around her, Kisame." I warned.

"Nue-chan's just tired, that's all." Tobi said. "More like pissed off is how I'd like to put it." Kisame said. "With Nue having a short fuse like Deidara, they're practically like two peas in a pod." Tobi said. "Shut up, Tobi!" Deidara snapped.

"That's enough, Deidara. You're just proving that Tobi's right." I said. "Ha! You got in trouble with our Leader!" Tobi teased. "But Tobi... You do talk too much. Show some respect." I ordered. "Okay. Sorry!" He apologized.

I looked towards the entrance of the hallway as Nue walked back over to us. "Sorry for leaving so quickly. Just had to let off some steam." Nue apologized. I noticed her knuckles were bleeding as the skin was broken off.

It's just like when I first met her. When she gets angry, she doesn't care how much she gets hurt. She's just that persistent. Not to mention, determined and stubborn. "Hey," I looked at Nue as she spoke. "Who killed him? Who had the potential to kill Orochimaru?" She asked with a frown.

"Sasuke Uchiha." I answered. "All bets are off. His head is mine." Nue said. "Calm down, Nue." I ordered. "Tch." Nue frowned at the ground, his hand balling into a tight fist. "Let's just get this extraction over with." She said, impatiently. "Right." I agreed.

Nue's POV

After the extraction, Tobi started complaining about how much more work we had to do when he captured the other Jinchuriki. "Don't be such a whiner." I mumbled. "Nue, I want you to join up with Deidara and Tobi." Pein instructed.

"Yes, sir. I'll leave right away." I replied. "Yay! Nue-chan gets to travel with us!" Tobi cheered. "Tch." Deidara frowned as he looked off to the side. I sighed and flew out of the base, heading to Deidara and Tobi's destination.

Sensing their chakra, I was able to pinpoint their location. "Nue-chan! Down here!" I looked down as Tobi waved his arms around, jumping up and down. "It's hard to believe this guy's really a criminal." I mumbled to myself.

I flew down to them and landed on my feet. "Welcome aboard, Nue-chan!" Tobi said, saluting me. "Good to see you again, Tobi." I said with a nod. I looked at Deidara as his back faced me. "Good to see you, too, Deidara." I greeted. "Hmph." He replied.

At least he acknowledges me. "Deidara, could I talk to you for a moment?" I requested. "We have nothing to talk about, un." He said, coldly. "Yes, we do. Please, Deidara. It'll only take a few minutes." I told him. Deidara sighed in irritation before mumbling, "Fine."

I took him to the private spot so we could talk. "So... How have you been?" I asked. "Like you'd want to know." He said, rudely. I sighed. "Deidara, I know you're upset and I understand. But please hear me out. I left for a reason." I said.

"For a reason!? That's your excuse?! You left for a reason?!" Deidara snapped, turning around to face me. I stayed calm as anger was written all over his face. "Deidara, let me explain." I started. "No! Just shut up, Nue! If you didn't want to be with me, you should've just said so, un!" Deidara yelled.

"Deidara."

"If you're going through something rough right now, you could've told me! You promised me you would tell me everything from now on! But that was a lie, wasn't it?! Just something to say to mess with my feelings, when really you hate me! Go ahead, say it! Dammit! You piss me the hell off!"

"Deidara."

"You know what? Forget it! If you don't wanna be with me, then fine! Just go! Just-!"

I slapped him with the back of my hand so he could shut up. "Just shut up and listen to me." I said. I gently took the sides of his face in my hands and softly kissed him. Deidara's eyes widened slightly as I kissed him. I broke the kiss, then hugged him.

"I didn't mean to leave you. It was selfish of me, and I'm sorry. You have every right to be mad at me. I don't even blame you." I apologized. Deidara didn't say anything as I continued. "I don't expect you to forgive me right away. You have every right to me upset with me. But I just want to let you know that I still love you and I'm sorry for leaving you. I'll never stop loving you." I said.

Deidara lifted my chin so I was looking at him and placed his hand on my cheek. I placed my hand over his, gently closing my eyes. "I never meant to hurt you. I never meant to hurt your heart. I'm so sorry." I apologized before opening my eyes.

Deidara gently kissed me as his hand was on the back of my head. "I can't stay mad at you, Nue. I love you too much to do that. It would just be hurting me more," Deidara hugged me close to him as my chin rested on his shoulder.

"I forgive you, and I love you. Always have... and always will, un." Deidara said. My eyes widened slightly as they filled with tears. "Deidara." I whispered, hugging him back. "I'll never let you go." Deidara said. I smiled and buried my face in my shoulder, sniffling a little.

"Deidara... The reason why I left... is because I killed my sister." I confessed. "What?" He asked, a bit shock. "After Kakuzu told me to run away, I ran into a farmer who took me to the Hidden Sound Village. There, I found Orochimaru's hideout, but that wasn't the only thing I found. I... also found my sister. I had to fight her to the death." I explained.

"Why?" Deidara asked. "Because... that bastard, Orochimaru, made her drink my blood. Originally, Iri was looking for me and investigated Orochimaru's hideout to see if I was there. But she got captured and he... he..." I trailed off as I felt myself about to cry.

"He used her as a test subject. The only way to save my sister... was to kill her." I said. I hugged him tightly as I began to cry in his shoulder. Right now, all I could think about Iri and how she died in my arms, her gentle smile plastered on her face as she left this world.

"It wasn't you fault, Nue. You didn't have a choice, un." Deidara said, trying to comfort me. I broke the hug and wiped my eyes with the sleeve of my cloak. "Let's go." I said, looking at him. Deidara smiled and nodded in agreement.

"What was taking you guys so long?" Tobi whined. "We were having a private conversation, Tobi." I explained. "The sun is setting. We should camp here. We move out in the morning, yeah." Deidara said. "Right." Tobi and I said at the same time.

"I'll take first watch." I offered. "But won't Nue-chan get tired?" Tobi asked. "Not at all. I'm nocturnal." I said. "Noc-what?" He asked. "It means she's only active at night, un." Deidara explained. "Oh..." Tobi said, getting the idea.

When it was nightfall, Deidara and Tobi were fast asleep as I tried keeping the campfire lit. The cool night air felt soothing as a soft breeze blew gently. No rhyme intended. I walked away for a bit and climbed a very tall tree.

Once I was at the top, I turned around, spread my arms out, and fell back, falling off the tree. Just when I was about to hit the ground, I stopped myself just in time, floating in the air as I was just inches away from the ground.

"Why did I stop myself? Something like this wouldn't have killed me." I said before face palming. I sighed and gently lied myself on the ground. I gazed up at the stars as I pictured Iri and Asuma's faces, both of them smiling. "I ended your lives, yet you still smile,"

The stars twinkled in the night sky and tears swelled up in my eyes. "You're still smiling, after everything I've done?" I asked with a small smile. I lifted my arms and covered my eyes as tears escaped.

"Why? Why is it so hard... for you to hate? Iri? Asuma? Why won't you frown at me just once? Frown at me, yell at me, insult me. Please. I want you to be angry at me for all that I've done. Please... just one more time before I forget all the wrong that I've done. Please..." I whispered, starting to sob.

I sniffled and removed my arms from my eyes, looking at the stars again. I gasped when I saw a phantom of Iri. She smiled at me as I quickly sat up. "Iri..." I said in disbelief. Her kind smile stayed on her face as she floated towards until she was directly in front of me.

I smile of relief appeared on my face until it faded as tears swelled up in my eyes. I lowered my head as the tears ran down my face. "Gomenne... Gomenasai... I'm sorry for killing you, Iri. I didn't want to do it... I didn't want to do it..." I said, hugging my body as it began to shake.

I felt Iri's hand on my cheek, making me look at her. She smiled and wiped a stray tear away with her thumb. "I forgive you, Nue." She said, softly. Iri gently kissed my forehead before looking at me. "Happy Birthday."

I gasped as she began to float away. "No! Don't go! Please!" I begged, reaching out to her. Iri smiled as she waved at me. "Please... Don't go." I whispered, the tears rolling down my face. I lowered my head and closed my eyes tightly before yelling Iri's name to the sky.