The Flower That Blooms in the Darkness

Mamoru-chan and I both spotted a comfy-looking couch, and sat on it at the same time, still clutching each other's hands.

"You two look like I ordered you here to kill you." Pein-sama's voice rang out, and suddenly, he was in front of us.

He chuckled. "I need to get some information on the boy, that's all, I swear."

"Pein-sama? His name, as of now, is Mamoru-chan. I chose it for him because he simply cannot talk." I volunteered.

"Emotional scars?" He asked me, and I nodded.

He sighed. "When he starts to talk, and believe me, he will -- especially with you around -- "

I scowled.

Was that an insult or a compliment?

" -- then come to me immediately. But there are also other matters to attend to...." he grabbed a stack of papers off of his desk, and began to rummage through them.

"You've broken things that aren't yours, you practically started up a war between several members -- "

"A war? What the hell are you talking about?"

~*~_Itachi_~*~

"So. We need to get something straight, here." I said, my voice velvety smooth.

The others, save for Kakuzu and Hidan, were sitting with me in the family room.

Which, by the way, we haven't found him yet. He's probably off dead in a ditch, somewhere in the forest.

"Natsumi is mine."

Deidara and Sasori looked over at me like I was crazy.

"Yours?! If she's anyone's, she's mine, dammit! Un!" Deidara proclaimed.

"Tobi thinks that Natsumi-chan is a person, and not a thing to be owned. Tobi is a good boy." Tobi announced, still staring at the T.V. screen.

Everyone stared at him for a moment.

"You don't fully appreciate her beauty. She needs someone who will take care of her, not blow her up!" Sasori fired off.

"Art is supposed to go out with a bang! And -- " Deidara retorted, but I interrupted.

"Enough. You guys have no hold on her, so your...opinions....do not matter."

Zetsu filed out of the room, leaving us three, Kisame and Tobi. He knew it was about to get ugly, and fast.

"No hold? No hold! She clearly hasn't told you about -- " Deidara started, but Sasori flicked his wrist, and he was out.

"See you tomorrow." Sasori said indifferently, hoisting Deidara over his shoulder.

I watched him drop Deidara off at his door, then go in his own room.

What was Deidara going to say?

I thought about this for a moment, then decided it didn't matter, and tossed the thought aside like a dirty rag.

I need to tell her my true feelings for her.

I walked down the hall, glancing in Deidara's unconscious direction.

Before one of these idiots get to her.

~*~_Natsumi_~*~

"Why won't you tell me what's going on!" I shouted, throwing my hands in the air.

I had tried, and sucessfully failed, at getting Pein-sama what he meant by a war.

He gave me a look. "Honestly, Natsumi, if you're that dense, then you really need to figure this out on your own."

I stamped my foot in frustration, decided that I wouldn't get anymore information out of this man, and sat back down on the couch with Mamoru-chan.

"Men...!" I grumbled.

He sighed. "Come back when you've figured out what I mean. Until then, I don't want to see your face in here, nor anything else in my house broken. Do you understand?"

I mumbled something about what and ass he was being, and he sighed again.

"I'll take that as a yes. You're free to go." He opened the door for us, and we exited, with me grumbling and Mamoru-chan shaking in fear.

He'd just gotten a taste of what my fury was like.