Koraru had barely had time to return to her bedroom before the metal door creaked open, the woman turning around and facing away from the blazing fire she was seated before and gazing towards the figure entering into the room. A blue haired female stood by the entrance way, shining amber eyes focused as she stared analytically to the woman set on the floor before her.

"Koraru-san I assume. I'm Konan. Follow me."

Koraru blinked for a few moments before rising to her feet, the hairs on her arms raising in protest as she walked towards the doorway, Konan already retreating down the hallway, forcing Koraru to walk briskly to catch up to her. She raked her gaze over the stranger carefully, from the piercing adorning her lower lip to the origami flower placed carefully into her short blue locks, only pulling her eyes away when Konan's glanced to her from the corner of her eye. They remained silent as they walked, the only audible sound that of their footsteps echoing through the empty halls, she got the feeling that Konan wasn't quite sure of her. They stopped at a door Koraru recognised, the first on she had entered through upon her arrival into the base, the entrance the their leaders office. The door was opened for her by Konan, who stopped as she entered past the threshold, and beckoned her to follow after, a request which she adhered to almost immediately. Within the room Pein sat where he previously had, his elbows rested on the cold steel table before him as Konan walked around behind him, crossing her arms and resting her back against the other other door within the room, the one directly behind the leaders desk.

"Kisame should have introduced you to the other members by now, and shown you to the medical bay and your own quarters. Has this been done?"

She followed the example of Kisame and Itachi, bowing her head respectfully before she responded.

"It has, Pein-sama."

He closed his eyes briefly as though in thought, before they snapped open, the shimmering metallic orbs focused on her intently.

"Very good. Familiarize yourself with the other members, I've had their medical records placed in your room. Keep them hidden, I don't want them in circulation. Any members which require further examination do so immediately. You will notice that while we have 10 members, you will only receive 8 files. Zetsu is an artificial being, and so does not require care, you will also not receive my file."

Koraru's eyes flashed in knowing. She had been watching him since she entered into the room, his sentence confirming her thoughts to her. His blink had been if anything, for dramatic effect, the angle as which he was seated would have been rather painful, yet he hadn't moved from it. His chest hadn't risen, nor had it fallen, and perhaps most peculiar of all, she couldn't sense his chakra flow. He wasn't creating any.

"Even though your body has long since drawn it's last breath Pein-sama, I can help you maintain it."

Pein's eyes narrowed on her as the words left her lips, Konan's following suit, and Koraru immediately realising that she should have kept her discovery to herself. A lump formed in the back of her throat, a shiver running through her, the hairs on the back of her neck raising up as they continued to glare to her maliciously. Pein rose slowly from his desk, his gaze still set on her as a predator would lock onto its prey as he walked towards her threateningly. Koraru backed away quickly as he drew closer, her heart beginning to thunder quickly in her chest. He was exerting a pressure like nothing she had ever felt before, her legs beginning to shake as he continued to close the gap between them. She gasped as her back hit against the closed door, the cold steel rattling loudly in protest. Pein now stood directly in front of her his arm snapping up quickly and his long digits wrapping tightly around her neck as he lifted her off of the ground sharply. A whimper slipped passed her lips as he squeezed tightly, closing off her windpipe and showing her that he could end her with very little effort.

"You will keep this information to yourself. You will not tell the others of what I am. Is that understood?"

He loosened his grasp slightly, Koraru gasping in a breath quickly while she could.

"Y-yes."

He released her, Koraru falling to the floor roughing as her fingers rose up to her aching neck, Pein took a step back from her, glaring down to the woman sat on the floor.

"You're much too weak to meet the Akatsuki's combat requirements, even as a medic, you need to be able to fight. You're training will begin first thing tomorrow. I want you up to par in no more than 3 months."

Koraru rose to her feet as he took another step back from her, quickly composing herself and dusting herself off. She already looked weak enough to him, she needed to try and show a confident demeanour; that she belonged there.

"Yes Sir, I won't let you down."

Her voice was a little strained from her throats constriction, but it sounded confident enough. Pein ran his eyes over her once more before beginning back towards his desk, resting his weight back into his seat before waving her off calmly, his face no longer contorted nor threatening.

"See that you don't. Dismissed."

She gave the man a deep bow, glancing to Konan out of the corner of her eye quickly before she opened the door, pulling it closed behind her quickly. Her hand rose to her throat, her confidence cracking as her knees began shaking once more, tears pricking at the edges of her eyes as her lip quivered. She hadn't been prepared for that at all. She had frozen in fear the moment he placed his hands around her neck, she was a shinobi, she should have been able to at least free herself...but she hadn't. Her tears spilled over her eyes and she closed them quickly, trying to conceal the others and deter them from falling. It was no secret why she was this way. In her younger days she utilised her song in every battle she fought in, it could be used to stun, to soothe, to seduce, or even to kill. Then when she had become Mangetsu's girlfriend he had been overly protective of her, no one got within 100 feet of her if he thought they meant her ill harm. He insisted on following her out on missions, regardless of how much everyone saw one of the seven swordsmen traipsing after her and her team on a C rank mission as ridiculous. Then when Mangetsu was gone, Oruka kept her close, taking her with them when they left the village. Koraru hadn't had to fight for herself since she was a young teenager. She lifted her hands, wiping the tears from her face and narrowing her brow before taking a deep breath. She would get stronger. She knew she could. She would would train with Kisame, and she would prove to Pein that she wasn't going to be a liability, she was going to be an asset. Her hands settled at her sides and balled into fists, her chin raising to hold her head high as she took a step forward. She wouldn't risk losing access to the Akatsuki's lab, nor could she risk Pein ending her life. She would prove what she could be.

After Koraru had entered back into her bedroom, she had noted the files now stacked neatly on her desk. She had read over each on carefully, each member of the Akatsuki's file seemed to be stranger than the last. Immortals, puppets, dead guys and...whatever the heck Orochimaru was, they were some of the most diverse creatures she had even seen. It caused a smile to pull at the edges of her coral lips, they would be most intriguing to study. Having set aside the files of those she wished to examine herself in person she once again found herself seated before the burning file, staring blankly into the flickering flames. It felt so different her than to her home. The safety she felt there hadn't followed her here, the illusion on it had, but that false reality had shattered when Pein had shown her how easily she could be harmed. Her lips fell into a longing frown, her eyes glossing over. She missed her cave. She missed her brother, Yuri and Zeri. It was all so far away. Everything she knew, she had left behind at the coast, and now, who knew how far away, hidden away underground, she found herself pulling her knees to her chest, her arms wrapping around them as she held them tightly, her eyes closing over slightly as her shoulders sunk. It was at times like this she missed Mangetsu most. His sweet handsome smile, his strong but loving embrace, his tender but lustful kisses...everything.

"Koraru-san."

The voice drew Koraru;s attention, her head snapping towards the door where Konan now stood. Her face was stoic as it had been before, and in her hands she carried a small pile of clothing. Koraru released her knees, standing up from her seated position as Konan walked towards the bed, placing the clothing atop it. The blue haired female turned to face her, her eyes cold and distant.

"This is your cloak, it should be worn at all time while carrying out official Akatsuki business outwith the base walls. I've also left you with suitable training clothes. Kakuza will begin training with you tomorrow morning, 0500hrs."

Koraru's face fell, her confusion clear to the woman stood before her.

"But I thought I would be training with Kisame."

"Everyone will participate in your training, to ensure it's moving at an acceptable pace. Don't be late."

Without so much as a goodbye, Koraru found herself devoid of Konan's company, the overwhelming silence of her bedroom settling once more. Even her safety net was gone. If she wasn't training with Kisame, then she could be in trouble. The other members has no reason to hold back as he did. It would be unlikely they would be gentle with her, nor could they care if they hurt her; as Kisame had said, they were dangerous criminals. She bit her lip as she glanced down to the red and black cloak folded carefully on her bed.

This wasn't going to be what she had thought it was.