Nue's POV

I can't forget. I have to stay conscious... just a little while longer. I can't allow myself to forget. I floated in complete darkness while I tried keeping myself conscious as much as I can. "Don't be ridiculous. We both know I'm going to die."

"Sasori?" I murmured. I lifted my head as I watched him die in my arms. "This is interesting. A semi-heartless girl... crying over a puppet. Sounds almost childish." Sasori said as he placed his hand over my cheek.

"You may have been just a puppet, but... you were still a friend. My friend." My past self told him. I closed my eyes while turning my head away as I didn't want to see him die again.

"You'll see! I'll get out of here!"

I opened my eyes and looked up, watching Hidan get buried alive. "Idiot. I should've been there with you and prevented that from happening. Maybe you'd still be alive if I had just been there sooner." I said.

"Nue... Get out of here while you can. Hurry."

"Kakuzu..." I whispered as I watched his death. My past self held his hand, begging him not to leave her. "Go, dammit! Now!" Kakuzu yelled. "Stop!" I screamed out, not wanting to see anymore. I grabbed my head with both hands while closing my eyes tightly.

"Stop showing me this! I don't want to see anymore!" I yelled. I turned away from the images, but that didn't help because I turned right into another memory of my fallen comrade and lover.

I watch Deidara blow himself up while another image showed Itachi poking Sasuke's forehead, apologizing to him before collapsing to the ground. Why am I seeing this? Why are they showing me the deaths of my fallen comrades? 

Because I made the mistakes of leaving them? "Stop... please stop..." I whispered. "Stop it!" I grabbed my head again as the tears spilled over my cheeks.

"Please, make it stop! Don't make me watch this! I'm sorry! I regret leaving them behind! I regret abandoning them when they needed my help! I'm sorry! Just please make it stop! I don't wanna see this anymore! Please!" I begged.

"Kitten..." I opened my eyes as Deidara stood in front of me with a warm smile. "Deidara... Deidara!" I quickly hugged him and cried into his shoulder. "It's okay. Kitten. It's gonna be okay, un." Deidara said as he gently hugged me back.

"No, it won't," I shook my head. "It's not going to be okay. It'll never be okay." I denied. "Don't say that. Everything will be okay. I know it will." He said. I opened my eyes and looked at him as he smiled. I gasped when he started to fade away.

"Deidara!" I went to hug him again, but he was gone. "Wake up. Wake up." I closed my eyes tightly while trying to force myself to wake up from this nightmare, but I couldn't. When I opened my eyes, I saw Konan fighting Madara. "What...? When was this?" I mumbled.

I gasped when Madara grabbed Konan's neck and began to choke her. "Konan!" I called to her, but I knew she couldn't hear me because it was only an image. Did this really happen? Is Konan really dead? No, she can't be...

"No, she's still alive. She has to be." I tried convincing myself. "I'm sorry, Nue. But that really did happen," I turned around as Konan stood behind me with sorrow on her face. "I really did die. I'm sorry." She said.

"No," I slowly shook my head in disbelief. "Please tell me you're lying. Tell me this is all some kind of bad joke." I said. Konan's eyes saddened as she shook her head, telling me this was reality. I hugged Konan as I began to cry into her chest.

"Why? Why did this have to happen? Why couldn't things be different?" I asked, sniffling. "I'm sorry, Nue. I wish things were different, too." Konan said as she hugged me. I looked up at her as she started to fade away just like Deidara.

"No! Don't leave me! Konan!" I said. Konan smiled a sad smile before gently kissing my forehead, giving me one last hug. "Konan!" Tears ran down my cheeks as she disappeared from my arms. "No... Please, don't leave... Don't leave me... Don't go... Please..." I whispered.

Wait, Kisame is okay, right? He has to be! He's still living, right? "Ne, Kisame," I looked at a memory when Kisame and I were training. "Did Samehada originally belong to you? Or did you steal him?" I asked as we were taking a break.

"Are you interested in swords all of a sudden?" Kisame asked with a grin. "Not really. I'm just interested in your sword." Past Nue said. She rolled on her stomach and looked at Kisame. "So, aren't you gonna tell me?" She asked.

"Maybe when you're older." Kisame said. "Oh, come on. I'm gonna be seventeen soon. Just tell me anyway." She said.

"You're not gonna get all whiny on me, are you? If so, just warn me so I can trap myself in a Water Prison Jutsu."

"Why you gotta go and say that? You're hurting my feelings."

"Eh? You had feelings? I didn't notice."

"Real funny, Fish Man."

Kisame chuckled and petted my past self's head. "Okay, I'll tell you. But maybe some other time." He said. "You promise?" Past Nue asked. "Huh?" Kisame looked at her with a raised brow. "Look me in the eye and promise me you'll me that story." Past Nue said in a serious tone.

"Yeah, I promise." Kisame promised. "Pinky promise." Past Nue said as she held out her pinkie.

"Seriously? Aren't you a little old for pinkie promises?"

"Just do it."

"And if I don't?"

"Then, I'll annoy you to the point where you wish it was Hidan annoying you right now."

"Actually, you two are neck and neck on that one."

"Ha-ha. Best joke of the day." Past Nue rolled her eyes, sarcastically. "Fine, I promise." Kisame chuckled, and entwined his pinkie with hers.

"Yeah... That was a good time." I said to myself. Another image appeared as I saw Kisame trapped in some kind of wood prison. Kisame was able to break out of it as he performed a few hand signs and trapped himself in a Water Prison Jutsu.

"Summoning Jutsu!" Sharks emerged out of nowhere as they swam around Kisame. "Kisame! What are you doing?" I called. But once again, he couldn't hear me because this was just an image.

"Nue... Looks like I won't be telling you that story, after all. Sorry, kid. This is one promise I couldn't keep. I hope you can forgive me." Kisame said, smirking a bit. I looked at the sharks that surrounded him, then at him.

No way... He doesn't plan on doing what I think he's doing, is he?

"Kisame!" I gasped as his summoning ate him. "No way... No! Kisame!" I sank to my knees as tears filled my eyes. "Why, Kisame? Why did you have to do this? Why..." I trailed off as covered my face with my hands.

"I just wanted all of us to live happily. I wanted all of you to live." I whispered. I removed my hands from my face and looked up as humans surrounded me, laughing and glaring at me. "Freak... Monster... Outsider... Ugly... Demon... Outcast..."

"Shut up!" I yelled as they laughed at me. They continued to glare and laugh at me as they insulted me.

"Get out of our village!"

"Just die already!"

"You'll never be one of us!"

"You traitor!"

"Freak!"

"Monster!"

"Ugly!"

"Die!"

"Filthy animal!"

I lowered my head and covered my ears, trying to block out their words as I closed my eyes tightly. "Why are you doing this to me? I didn't do anything wrong." I whispered. "Didn't do anything wrong?! Don't kid yourself!" They yelled.

"You murdered us!"

"You betrayed us!"

"You murderer!"

"Scum!"

"Animal!"

"Do us all a favor and die!"

"Get out of our village!"

"Never come back!"

"Disappear!"

"Die!"

I closed my eyes tighter, just wanting all of it to stop. "Please... Please, stop. What do you want from me? Please, make it stop. Please..." I begged. How much more must I endure until their satisfied with my pain?

Why must I go through this again? Why can't I just be happy just like them? Just give me a chance.

Please...

"Nue." I slowly lifted my head as I was no longer surrounded by the humans. Instead, I was surrounded by the deceased members of my fallen comrades from the Akatsuki; Pein, Konan, Sasori, Deidara, Hidan, Kakuzu, Itachi, and Kisame. 

"Everyone... How are you here?" I asked. "We've always been here, Nue. We've never left your side." Pein said. "But... I failed as an Akatsuki member. I meant to protect all of you... and I failed. I'm so sorry." I apologized.

"You didn't fail, Nue. You did your job well." Konan said. "Yep. Way to go, kid." Kisame said. "Really?" I asked, blinking my eyes. When I did, tears fell down my cheeks. "I'll say. You're one badass killer." Hidan grinned.

"If I had to bet on a fight between you and Hidan, you would definitely win." Kakuzu said. "Hey! Kakuzu! I thought you were on my side!" Hidan yelled, making me giggle. "I can't believe you're seventeen already. The time sure did fly by quickly." Sasori commented.

"You sure did grow a nice body, that's for sure." Hidan flirted, making Kakuzu punch him over the head. "She's only seventeen, you fool. Don't turn into that creep, Orochimaru. Besides, she's already dating Deidara." Kakuzu said. 

"Hey! Don't compare me to that snake!" Hidan yelled at him. Itachi sighed at their behavior, then looked at me. "How are you holding up, Nue?" He asked. "Not so well. Nothing's the same without you. Any of you." I said, looking at all of them.

I brought my hands to my face as I started to cry, trying to wipe my tears away. "Hey, why are you crying, kitten?" Deidara asked. "Because I finally remembered what I wanted for my birthday." I said, sniffling.

"And what's that?" Sasori asked. "I wanted to spend one last time with all of you. I wanted you all here... just like how you were always with me in the past." I said.

"We'll always be here with you, Nue. We'll always be by your side. Now... and forever..." Pein said. He placed his hand on my cheek, wiping away a tear with his thumb. I hugged him tightly as the Akatsuki members smiled.

"We'll always be together."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Outside Nue's mind, as she was still asleep in the water tank, Nue let a single tear escape her eye, letting it float with the water. Even though she had lost a lot, a majority of her family, the Akatsuki, will always be with her... in her heart.