this is the second bonus chapter~

It's still on the sad side, but we're working through the motions you'd feel if you were really there

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Sasori:
life without Sasori was hell. You took to sleeping on the couch for a good week or two before you gathered the courage to return to the room. You had grown more attached to Hidan in those weeks due to his words the day Sasori died. And thankfully he had been genuinely looking out for you. You didn't quite understand why...you assumed he had been in another situation like this where a woman he knew also lost someone and needed somewhere to turn to. But who knows.

Deidara had returned for a brief time before heading out with Tobi as his new partner. You were very against the idea and felt like Deidara was betraying your lover. The blonde also seemed less caring of the situation than you were expecting and wanting. Thus, an easy rift grew between you. Deidara didn't seem bothered by it at all, but seeing as you were once close with the bomber-it bothered you.

You spent a lot of time in Sasori's room, you didn't like calling it your room...since your room is where you and Sasori both belonged. But all that was left behind were memories. You eventually had some of the guys help you move the puppets and supplies out of the room...except for 2. One Sasori had recently started out of normal materials and a spare body puppet he had carved for himself. From your understanding he kept 3-4 at a time in case of a bad situation. But there was only one here, most likely the other 1-2 unaccounted were in his scroll with all those other puppets.

You used a little of the supplies and made it so that the body stunt double had eyes and didn't look empty and creepy. It now looked like a regular puppet that a puppet master would use...and while it wasn't your dead lover, it brought some comfort. You set it in the bed and curled up next to it and ended up crying yourself to sleep.

ALL MUCH TO HIDANS HORROR WHEN HE WENT TO CHECK ON YOU AND RAN OUT OF THE ROOM SCREAMING.

In the following events...you ended up losing Deidara, Hidan and Kakuzu. Distraught to have lost the person you clung to again, you were approached by Itachi one night. Supposedly Hidan had a chat with the Uchiha and had asked him to help you out should Hidan be stuck with missions. The Jashinist had planned on sneaking you out and sending you to 'that lady' you enjoyed. Itachi thankfully had enough sense to make this entire conversation happen in a genjutsu so that prying ears could not hinder your leaving.

After some effort and time, Itachi managed to set up a rendezvous with a few of Tsunade's most trusted ANBU. Itachi was not to be there but had made sure you had all your things and essentially did a parent drop off for you, then after wishing you luck, escaped into the night.

You waited for the ANBU to reveal themselves and instead were approached by two leaf ninja – out of ANBU garb. One with brown hair and guards that lined the sides of his face and another with white hair and his protector sideways and covering his left eye.

"(name), was it?" the white-haired male asked with a smiling expression. He held his hand up in greeting while the other remained in his pocket

"We're Kakashi and Yamato. We have been asked by lady Hokage to escort you to the village and straight to her." 'Yamato' explained also with a gentle look

your tears beaded in your eyes as you nodded holding onto a scroll tightly to your chest

"was...that all your brought with you?" Kakashi asked slowly

you squeezed the scroll tighter
"I don't have much...not anymore. I brought necessities...and..."you looked down "a-and"

"you don't need to explain to us, we realize you were being use-"

you snapped your gaze up at Yamato almost dangerously and quickly Kakashi held his hands up standing between you

"Yamato chose unkind words. we realize you were not a part of the inner workings of the group"

"..."

"you don't need to explain yourself unless you want to"

"...its all I have left of him" you managed through a soft sob looking sorrowfully at them "its all I have left of Sasori..."

nodding gently, the two safely escorted you to the Hokage's residence so that Tsunade could help you plot out the next stretch of your life.

Deidara:
It took days to calm yourself down enough to think. Thankfully you were the planner out of the two of you. Deidara rode off the seat of his pants while you tried to work things out. That lead to arguments but it also lead to outings where Deidara forgot something but you were able to produce it as you had thought a head of him. You knew you couldn't stay with the Akatsuki, there was no real help there nor was it safe. Sasori, Deidara, Hidan and Kakuzu. Itachi's brother had been on the loose for a while and it was only a matter of time before Sasuke found him. You didn't want to be stuck watching people you knew die, nor did you want to be associated with the organization and have no protection either.

You weren't sure how far you were considered a member and rather be safe than sorry, slowly began packing your stuff up in a storage scroll...you also packed some of Deidara's items.

Your plan was to either seek Tsunade's help or to try breaking out on your own. Depending on t conversation you had with Pein in the morning.

Thankfully, it seemed that by the conversation with Pein...that he would not attack you or hunt you if you decided to turn tail. But you would be a liability for the hideout location...so you needed one more person to make to work.

"so you see...I need you to take me out of here but in a way where I can't identify anything."

Zetsu listened to you entirely before deciding...

"there is a way to do this, but it isn't going to be easy" the lighter half spoke then the darker half

"I just...Deidara isn't here. Theres.no reason for me to be here"

Ultimately, he agreed and you were entirely free for a whole total of 1 week, before you ran into a leaf ninja that recognized you from when Ibiki took you...

"-to see you here again..." Tsunade sighed as she unlocked the cell

"I wasn't expecting it either..." you sighed as well, more annoyed than angry

"for the record, I'm sorry about your loss..." she said sadly, her arms scooping you into an embrace

"....m-me...me too..." you sniffled hiding your face into Tsunade's chest and allowed yourself to wallow in her comforting hug

Hidan:
was very hard getting used to Hidan being gone, but you were very thankful for Kisame. Since Hidan's death and your attempted fighting with the giant shark-man, he kept an eye on you. Checking in on you, making sure you had gotten something to eat, asking if you needed anything when he took to a mission. It was very endearing and sweet.

Konan had helped on anything you felt you couldn't ask Kisame which was also helpful. You spent a few weeks just trying to clean to focus yourself and distract from the awful event. You scrubbed and sorted the entirety of Hidan's and your room before moving onto all common rooms.

And that was good for a while...but then things picked back up. Itachi died, Pein died. Kisame and Konan both were in their own pain and while you were still drowning in sorrow...you tried to help them the way they had you. But Konan upped and disappeared one day - leading you to cling to the mist nin more than before. If Kisame had a problem with it, he never said so and denied it anytime you asked. The two of you grew very close and you easily saw him as a best friend.

With Hidan gone, you had asked Kisame on whatever time he was unoccupied or resting to help you learn to protect yourself. And now, after so many others leaving the Akatsuki -one way or another, you felt like you could hold your own against most genin and possibly a chuunin...depending on the situation of course. Kisame had assured you that you wouldn't need to fight but was very glad you weren't total dead weight.
And for the longest time you were quite glad to be attached to Kisame's hip (so to speak) until it came time to say goodbye to him as well.

You had been promptly caught and detained by the ninja involved and brought before the Hokage. Tsunade, knowing you, was surprised as to what you had to tell her...but was willing to help you.

Kakuzu:
To say the Akatsuki was put in a bind from your lover's death was an understatement. Konan attempted to take over the responsibility and ultimately kept having to ask you for help. Considering Kakuzu tended to force you to help him or you'd be nearby as he did his routine...you had picked it up unwillingly. So now the Akatsuki turned to you for their financial issues...and they didn't even ask if that was okay for you.

Which of course, it wasn't. You could go the rest of your life blissfully if you didn't have to look at another ryo ever again...yet here you were surrounded by it.

You were tormented with the constant 'Kakuzu used to...' 'usually, Kakuzu would...' and many more. All of which you knew were either slips or attempts to help you ease into the new role. But you couldn't.

you spent almost all your time alone and while doing so spent most of it crying and yelling angrily at the sky- at Kakuzu.

It wasn't until one night you decided to pull an all night-er and divided the money amongst the group. You took a very small portion and after making sure that the idea settled in...you left.

The very same day Itachi had fallen.

You had heard Pein and Konan talking about it as you snuck out of the establishment. Silently saying all your goodbyes and being on your way.

You weren't sure where to go...but you wanted to drop off the face of the earth. Somewhere nobody knew you, somewhere you could make a small spit outside for Kakuzu. Someplace...some place you would have loved for him to bring you.
Some place where he'll never be.

Itachi:
You had spent the whole night, when you were informed, sobbing into Konan. Thankfully she stayed with you the entire time, trying her best to comfort you the best she could. She had lost someone she loved once, she said, the pain would bass, she said, but the sorrow would remain. She told you how it was more important to stay alive for his sake rather than rush to join him - she herself had wanted to do the very same.

Konan tended to keep an eye on you from then on, feeling that string of fate entangling with her own over this kindred-ness. But she easily saw your downward spiral.
She saw how you shut yourself away, only letting her in and Kisame. She had tried speaking to the large man about helping you further. But she could recognize the grief in his eyes for the loss of his partner - despite his lack of alteration in his behaviour.

"(name)"

you whined out a response not bothering to move from the bed

"I'm coming in, make sure you have a shirt on. Not willing to have Itachi seeking revenge over an accidental peep"

you rolled your eyes in the pillow that was once Itachi's but made no indication of moving in the slightest

Kisame saw himself in and promptly was greeted with what could only be described as your nest. The room was a mess, mostly, Itachi's things were strewn about the room. He could easily see that you were frantic to cling to any piece of Itachi that lingered on anything.

"Listen...I'm not good with people. Much less women" he began sitting down beside you, mindful not to irk you in such an unpredictable state of mind "but Itachi didn't want this for you. I'm sure he was intent on coming back for you...I don't see why he'd not factor that into his plan."

"then why isn't he here?" you hiccupped

you could feel his large hand awkwardly patting your back. you were grateful for his attempts...really you were.

"Itachi seemed to really like you too, you know" you mumbled out peeking at the ex-mist swordsman

Kisame chuckled sadly

"not sure how that was managed...I'm not exactly the kind of partner he needed. Clearly"

"I think its...quite the opposite. You were loud so he d-didn't have to be. You saw what he couldn't and you were a big wall that he used as a guideline in all things. You were very important"

you could see he had been caught off guard for a moment by your words and his sadness of Itachi's passing wafted from his form. Although your words gave his lips a twitch up in a sorrow filled smile.

"I am quite large and loud..."

you nodded

"you're the dainty little thing Itachi could focus on. He didn't talk much outside what he had to...but he would say things about you during missions. "(name) would have liked this view", 'if this flower wouldn't wilt so quickly then I could've given it to her'...he was always saying something along those lines."

you nodded and turned to hug the monster of the mist. your face burying into his chest and your hands grasping his cloak

Kisame let you cry on him for a bit before he patted your head

"can you discretely pack your things?"

"huh...?" you blinked sniffling

"can you?" he asked again narrowing his gaze into the depths of your soul - or so it felt

"y-yeah..."

"good, I'll be back at 2 am. make sure you're ready." he gave you a strained hug and stood up

"what?"

"don't worry, just do it" he pressed

you agreed "oh and Kisame?"

he paused halfway out your bedroom room

"yeah"

"sorry...for snotting up your shirt"

Kisame looked down at his wet tear-soaked shirt and shrugged

"I've had worse fluids on me from missions. Tears can't hurt me" and after flashing you a grin, he was gone...

Until 2 am. Where he quietly gathered your bag and snuck you out of the compound. You were unsure of this plan...but Kisame asked you to trust him.
you had been walking for quite sometime before you finally couldn't take it anymore

"where are you taking me?"

"Itachi missed his village. And I think he would've wanted you there. Somewhere safer than the hideout. You're not really a ninja and you don't get involved in the details. Hopefully leader will turn the other way for you."

your heart soared at the idea and nodded

"thank you Kisame"

"don't think I'm being selfless...you're all I got left of him too. Can't let you go dying on me so easily now, can I?"

you hugged his arm as you walked to whatever drop off he had secured.

"Just remember, you're that for me too."

there was a long pause before he stopped

"thank you, for caring (name). Now, have a good life" he said giving you a bone crushing hug and then a head pat

"you come visit me"

"I'll send you letters" he said with a tease

"I mean it, I want to see you later. I'll get us Itachi's favourite dango"

"Itachi's favourite? I guess I'll have to make some time then"

and with that you parted ways. you continued down the path until you were greeted by leaf ninja who escorted you to the Hokage herself, so that you could settle the arrangements of your stay.

Kisame:
You travelled with Zetsu for quite a while before he had started asking you what kind of place you wanted to be. It was hard. Hard to explain half of a plan. You only knew your wants, how were you to know what Kisame wanted?

"I want to be near the water"

"are you sure?"

"I used to be scared of the water...But it was a part of Kisame..."you said numbly "I think he would've liked somewhere near a body of water"

Zetsu nodded as you continued travelling.

you weren't sure how long Zetsu had before he'd get caught...but you travelled together for quite a time.

eventually you had come across an area that just seemed like somewhere Kisame would have adored. You refused to budge after the second you made the connection.

"it's close to the mist...I could see why you'd want this place. It's a nice between of the nations" Zetsu complimented you with a pat on your back.

you noticed that Zetsu was very careful with his words, white Zetsu always tended to be much more caring than his other half right off the bat...but he seemed to be cautious on your behalf.

"but there's no home"

"I'll make one then" you replied quietly "but...I'm not sure what to make. Zetsu, would you help mw think of what would have been good?"

with a smile he nodded and the two of you set to work building and setting things up.

"I'll make this place Kisame's home. So he has me and this house to come back to...regardless of how late he is...or if he cant come get me for a very long time" you sniffled rubbing at your eyes.

"he'd have been proud" Zetsu nodded patting your shoulder

"you know...I think he would've too"

Zetsu again no real death

Tobi/Obito, also as said before I think it would clash too much with the canon

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XoxO