As Kakashi watched his little brother leave with an Akatsuki member, he couldn't move. He didn't know what to think of it... did his little brother leave because of him? Did he drive his brother to the dark? Kakashi was confused. Not too long ago, his little brother wanted to bring peace within the five nations. He had even thought that talk on the roof with him was enough to make his brother happy. Actually, that moment was pretty confusing to him as well.

I walked into my apartment to see if my brother was here. He seemed pretty unhappy lately. I'm not sure why, but I want to understand why he is. I look throughout the rooms and seen he was no where to be found. I then thought to think to go to the roof, he use to always go up there to be alone and recollect his thoughts. I leave the apartment and jumped up, and there he was just sitting on the roof. I felt a pang in my heart when I saw him stare blankly at the setting sky. Satoshi was hugging his knees as I took a seat beside him.

"What are you doing up here Satoshi?" I asked.

"To be quite honest... I don't know." he mumbled quietly.

A silent pause came in a few minutes. Satoshi then leaned his head on my shoulder as his hands supported his weight.

"Nii-san..." Satoshi mumbled.

"Yes?"

"I just want to let you know... no matter what happens, I will always love you. You're the best big brother, I could ever ask for." he said with a slight frown.

Kakashi chuckled. "And I will always love you too Satoshi. I promise no matter what, I will always protect you from harm." I said wrapping my arm around his neck.

"Yeah..." he said with a sad expression.

I still find it odd... but I don't know what he meant by that.

"Kakashi." Gai said, shaking me a bit.

"Huh? Yes?"

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yeah... I'm fine.

Gai's eyes softened at me knowing I was lying. "Well, the others were brought back safely. They're now in the hospital getting treated. Also, Lord Third has fallen..."

"I see..." I said, avoiding his gaze. "I'll go visit my students in the hospital."

He nodded his head as I made my way to the hospital. I then went to Sasuke's room to see he was bandaged a bit, but nothing too serious. I sighed as I ran my fingers through my head and sat down.

'How is he going to take the news that Satoshi is gone now?'

I heard a quiet groan and I looked up to see Sasuke was coming conscious. He rubbed his head and noticed he had a visitor. He looked my way and waited for what I was going to say.

"I'm glad you're okay Sasuke, as you were away... Lord Third has passed." I said.

He nodded his head still staying impassive.

"Also... Satoshi..."

This time Sasuke clenched his blankets a bit probably wondering what had happened to him.

"He defected from the village. He was last seen walking with a member of an Akatsuki." I said.

I watched as Sasuke clench his blankets tighter and gritted his teeth. He then breathed in and out to calm himself down.

"I want to be alone." he said.

I nodded my head and left to see the others.

'Satoshi... what were you thinking?'

"Where exactly are we going?" I asked.

"To get a secret scroll from Suna, there's some guys who work for Sasori. We're supposed to retrieve it." he replied.

I nodded my head in response. We were already making our way there while Konan looked for a partner for me. She told me she would have him by the time we came back from our mission. Well, if you can even it a mission. It's basically like an errand... whatever, as long as this guy doesn't talk to me, I could care less what kiddie mission we do.

We had retrieved the scroll and it contained various types of poison and antidotes. I'm starting to think this wasn't even a real mission. I think we just picked up an item from the damn redhead. Great, now I'm feeling irritated... if Sasori wasn't stronger than me right now, I'd give him a few bruises.

We make it back to the hideout after five days. We enter the cave and there was loud shouting being heard.

"I WON'T BE A PART OF YOUR ORGANIZATION!" a voice rang.

"You are and be a part of this organization, whether you like it or not." I heard Leader say.

"YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!"

"We'll break you, whether it be mentally or physically, you be one of us." he said before leaving a room.

I looked up at Leader with curiosity evidently written on my face.

He sighed. "That person you heard earlier is your partner. He's not cooperating with us so we'll just have to make him feel powerless."

"May I have a word with him?" I asked.

"Be our guest."

I walked in the dimly lighted room and there in the middle of the room was a boy about my age with blue hair and eyes. He looks up at me a bit surprised that I was probably his age but watched me cautiously.

"You, what is your name.." I asked bluntly.

"I don't have to tell you!" he said defensively.

"Then what should I call you? A madman? Because that's how you sound when you yell all the time. If you are to be my partner, I need a name, or else deal with a nickname I desire." I said.

He growled. "Maasaki Ito..."

"Good, was that so hard to do?" I mocked.

"You're on thin ice!"

"From your position, I don't think it's wise to try and threaten me. You're the one who is bound by rope here..." I said with a slight glare.

He growled a bit and avoided my gaze.

"Stop being stubborn, you've lost... just accept that you are working for us now."

"NO! I REFUSE TO WORK FOR THIS ORGANIZATION!" he shouted.

"You either join, or be killed where you are bound. You decide what you want your fate to be."

"I'D RATHER DIE THAN BE WITH YOU GUYS!"

"If that's how you want it to be." I said, grabbing a kunai from my pouch.

After I had the kunai in my hand, I slowly made my way over to him. My face was impassive as he eyed me trying to be strong, yet I can see the fear he held in his eyes. I stood in front of him and looked down at him. I crouched down to be leveled with him as he tried to read my expression. I saw him visibly gulp waiting for me to finally finish him. However, I didn't kill him at all, I had unbounded him by cutting the rope off. I then stood back up and turned around to leave.

"Hurry up and get up, you need the proper attire." I said.

"But I said-"

"Up. . I don't have time for your rebelling idiocy." I said getting impatient.

He silently complied as he walked behind me towards Leader-sama's office. I knocked on the door, and once I had the approval to walk in, I brought in the new guy making Pein look at me surprised.

"Are you finally going to accept you are one of us now?" he asked sternly.

"Hai..." Maasaki grumbled.

"Very well, but know that if you betray us in any way, you be punished.. not to mention you won't be able to escape Satoshi here. No matter how fast you think you are, he will find you in a flash and have you back here. Now, do I make myself clear?" he said.

"Hai.."

Pein then gave Maasaki the proper clothing, however, he wasn't given a ring. He wasn't going to get it until he was deemed trustworthy. So basically, if he wanted to leave, he had to have me by his side at all times.

"You're both dismissed."

We bowed before taking our leave. I also had to show Maasaki around the base which I didn't mind too much. Every room, I showed him, he would scowl. I was a bit irritated by it seeing that he should just accept being caught. I mean its not like everyone here, even enjoys doing this, maybe some, but we can't do anything about it. Even if I could escape from here, I'd end up dead by Madara.

After I was finished, I showed him the room, he would be sharing with me. He sat on his bed as I walked to the other side of the room where my bed was. I removed my cloak and shoes and sat on my bed. My back was against the wall as I pulled out my book. I looked at the cover as a lump in my throat formed. Even though this was my favorite book, I don't think reading it would ever be the same to me. It reminds me too much of my brother. I gripped the book a bit tighter with anger painted in my eyes.

I dislike that I had to be away from him. My eyes then softened when a thought occurred to me. Now that I'm in the Akatsuki, what if he looks at me differently? Will he still love me? Or will his eyes hold hatred towards me in the near future? No, he wouldn't ever think of me that way... right?

As I was in my thoughts, I felt like I was being watched. I snapped my head towards where I had felt eyes on me. It was Maasaki, he had been watching me with curiosity. Once he discovered he was caught, he immediately turned his head away to avoid my glaring eyes.

"Stare at me one more time and I won't hesitate to gouge out those eyes of yours." I spat.

"So violent..." he whispered to himself.

"I heard that." I said.

He stiffened seeing that I heard him. I was glad to see he was afraid of me. He should be, I shouldn't be messed with... not when I'm like this.

"..Satoshi was it?" he said, breaking the silence.

"What?" I said grumpily.

"How old are you?"

"12, what of it?"

"Nothing! Just.. wondering is all." he said.

I then slowly went back to my book until he spoke again making me groan mentally.

"How did you get in here?" he asked.

"Same as you, except I accepted it. There's no point in fighting back." I replied.

"But.. don't you care?"

"Care about what?" I hissed.

"About the people you left? Or leaving the village you were in?" he asked curiously.

"No." I said bluntly. "They hold no meaning to me."

He then looked at me like I was crazy. "No one at all?"

"No.."

"Friends?"

"Didn't care about them." I mumbled.

"Comrades?"

"They're dead to me."

"Family?"

I hesitated a bit before answering.

"Never cared."

"Geez, there should be at least one person you care about.." he said.

"Well, I don't, and why are you talking so casually, you were just acting like a spoiled brat earlier." I said.

"Whatever..." he mumbled. "I was just trying to make small talk.. like there is anything else we can do in this god forsaken place."

I stayed silent seeing that I didn't really care.

"You know who I cared about?" he said.

I face palmed. "I don't know, and I don't care."

"My little sister." he said, ignoring my little comment. "She was always ill... our parents were gone so I had to make sure she was okay everyday."

"You shouldn't talk about your personal life with a stranger you know." I said.

"Yeah, but it makes me feel better." he said. "Anyways, no matter how much I took care of her and made sure she took her medicine, her condition kept getting worse. One day when I went out to get her more medicine, I did the usual routine and tried to give her the medicine."

He paused a bit as if he was trying to prepare himself for what was coming up next.

"She wouldn't wake up. I shook her for about ten minutes, but still nothing. She was cold as ice but I still refused to believe she was dead. I remembered I cried for hours that day. I buried her the next day and visited her grave constantly." he said sadly.

I still stayed silent, I didn't know what to say. I mean I can't say some witty remark seeing that he's sad right now... that would be highly low of me.

"She was only five years old..." he said sniffling a bit. "Then that's when the Akatsuki came and took me away... that's why I'm acting like a brat. I don't want to be here when I could be there taking care of her grave."

I sighed. "I'm sorry about your sister, but you shouldn't sulk about her death like this. Keep up with all the moping and you'll end up dead yourself. Push her death aside, before this organization breaks you mentally and use it against you."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Weaknesses shouldn't be shown here, or else they'll know your secret and use it to break you." I replied.

"Is that what you're doing?"

I glared. "What do mean..."

"Well, I saw the way you looked at that book. I know there's someone important to you, you're just hiding it." he stated.

"...I told you I don't care for anyone. I just only remembered what happened in one of the chapters. It had many mixed emotions in it." I said.

"Whatever you say. ~" he said in a mocking tone.

"Keep it up Ito, and that tongue of yours will be mounted on this very wall." I threatened.

He raised his hands up defensively. "I'm sorry!"

I sent him one more glare before going back to my book.

'How did I end up with an idiot as my partner?!'