Chapter 11

Eight… nine… ten.

Nozomi frowned as she sat on the floor in her father's empty house. In the end, she had found another briefcase buried under the one she had already dug up. Her father made it easy for her since both of the locks used the same passcode. It was all there; all of the money that she needed and then some set in neat little stacks. In the second briefcase, along with money was the deed to the house and a piece of paper with her father's messy handwriting scribbled on it.

To Hideki and Nozomi:

Depending on when you see this, or if you ever see it, I may have done more or less things that I'm not proud of. Regardless, just know that I did it all for you. Know that one day our family will be together again.

Hideki, thank you for taking care of our family. Perhaps you'll be better than me sooner or later.

Nozomi, thank you for being the glue that holds our family together.

~ Dad

The blond stared down at the note with a mix of emotions. Settling with anger and disappointment, she crumpled the paper in her hands and tossed it to the side. Even in death, her father would never apologize for his actions. The glue that holds our family together? What a joke. Unfortunately, it all quickly melted into sadness in the end.

What was this somber feeling she had? Finally, all of her problems had been fixed. She now had everything at her fingertips to start a new life. With her family matters, it felt like a boulder had been lifted off of her shoulders, however a familiar face kept appearing in her mind. Would she be able to pick and choose which parts of her life to reset?

"We need to get moving, shrimp."

Nozomi jumped at the sudden sound of Kisame's voice. Glancing over her shoulder, she noticed him standing in the back doorway. When she turned around, Itachi was standing in the front door frame. She wasn't sure how long she had been staring at the money, but she figured it had been long enough. Nodding in agreeance, the female divvied up the money between her two debts and left one briefcase unlocked with a note and the house deed in the center of the floor, figuring the Kirigakure Police Force would return sooner or later.

"I'm ready…" Clutching the second briefcase to her chest, Nozomi stood up and glanced back at Kisame. "Do I have to be knocked unconscious again or something? The first time was a bit scary, but I think I'm a little more mentally prepared this time."

Kisame chuckled at her hesitant expression. "Don't worry. We have explicit instructions to not injure you."

Nozomi didn't answer, but instead looked around at the room. This was most likely going to be the last time she would see this place again. Peering into the kitchen area, it was if she could visualize herself and Hideki eating their last meal together. The laughter, the lights, the warmth… The last moments of peace she had before her life changed. Closing her eyes, she took in a breath to calm her emotions and once she opened them again, there was a flash of red just like before, then darkness.

₪•₪•₪•₪•₪•₪

"It's been almost a day." Hidan laid on his back, staring up at the ceiling. He had just finished his meditation, but he couldn't focus because of his partner. The old bastard may be stoic on the outside, but he knew better than to leave it at that. "I'm sure the bitch will walk through the door any time now."

The only answer he received was silence. Ever since last night after Zetsu disappeared, Kakuzu hadn't spoken a word. They were given the details of their mission and they were supposed to leave tonight, however it didn't seem like they were going to be moving any time soon. The two were so used to working alone before, but now, for some odd reason, it didn't seem right to leave a member of their team behind. Even if that member was a puny female civilian.

Kakuzu was sitting in the corner of the room, a spot where he could easily see out the window without being seen and also have a clear view of the door. His head was filled with so many different questions and thoughts. Where was Nozomi? Why didn't she make some noise to show that she needed help? Was she defeated without a fight? What could their leader possibly want with her? It was true that he had never given him a reason to not trust his word before, however that didn't excuse the fact that he kidnapped her.

"I'm going to look around the area." Kakuzu stood up, feeling restless. Unlike his partner, he didn't sleep last night and frankly, he didn't feel as if any amount of him sitting in this room was going to get Nozomi back any time soon.

"You do that." Hidan turned on his side, feeling just as restless. At this point, the miserly fucker owed him a damn massacre for all the crap he made him do. "I'm fucking taking a nap. Wake me up when it's time to leave this shithole."

The sky beyond the trees was colored in orange, red, and purple as the sun started to disappear from view. Locals and visitors alike frequented the hot springs since now was a popular time to refresh. A little ways from the pathway between the hot springs and the inn, Nozomi was sitting propped up against the trunk of a tree with her briefcase lying in her lap.

On a tree branch not too far away from the girl, Itachi and Kisame sat and observed. Their mission technically ended once Nozomi was dropped off, however there was nothing wrong with being curious in their free time, according to Kisame. This little civilian was affiliated with one of their organization's more hostile members so it was only natural to want to know more about her.

"You think he's going to find her first or she'll wake up and find him?" Kisame asked as he crouched down on the limb. "I wonder what their dynamic is; she seems a bit…"

"Naive." His partner answered as he leaned against the trunk of the tree and closed his eyes. She's an ordinary civilian that's in over her head, but he's a mercenary criminal who's life span was limited to whomever he ran into next. There was no judgment he could place on them, however these were just the facts.

"This is actually an interesting subject." Kisame smirked and glanced over at the raven. "Have you had any female partners, Itachi?"

Itachi opened his eyes and stood up straight once he noticed a familiar chakra approaching. Looks like the first option was correct. "Hn. Let's go."

"So you have." Kisame laughed as he got up, ready to go as well. "You just can't withhold that type of information. Come on, tell me."

The two disappeared no sooner had a tall male approached the unconscious blond. He crouched down to her level and thoroughly examined her, making sure that she wasn't injured. She was still breathing, which was more than satisfactory. Not wanting to move her, Kakuzu settled with sitting next to her on the ground. With all the brush and greenery, they couldn't be seen by any stragglers. Gently, he picked up her head and placed it against his shoulder.

How many times was he going to continue to worry about her?

Kakuzu frowned as he thought about everything that had transpired. What would've happened if his curiosity hadn't taken over that day and he took Nozomi home when she asked him to? All of this was just going to be a never-ending loop of pain and misery, but she had such a strong effect on him. Look at how ready he was to refuse work from the very organization he was so dedicated to… all because of her.

"Kakuzu-san…"

The male pushed his thoughts aside and looked out of the corner of his eye at Nozomi. She had moved from her spot so she was sitting up straight, however there was a deep frown across her features. By

the time she had awoken, the sun had vanished and the moon was in clear view beyond the trees. Despite her sunken expression, the soft glow from the moonlight made her look angelic.

"What happened to you?"

Nozomi brushed her fingertips along the edge of the briefcase in her lap as she figured there was no reason to prolong this. After putting in the code, she handed it to him. "Nothing! I, uh, came into some money yesterday, so… I figured it was about time you received payment for the bounty. Everything's there but you can count it again if you want." She tried to smile, more to help her uneasiness than anything, however it didn't work in her favor.

"I'll count it later." Kakuzu eyed the contents of the briefcase before looking back at Nozomi's rather lackluster attempt at hiding her emotions. "You've never been good at lying, have you?"

Nozomi's smile faltered and she let out a deep sigh, pulling her knees to her chest. "Originally when I made the decision to leave home and go against my father, I saw this all playing out in my head and thought everything would end after the bounty. Unfortunately once I got to know you and Hidan better, it just got more and more difficult. I knew I was going to have to give you the money; I just hoped I wouldn't have to do it face-to-face."

"Why is that?"

"So I wouldn't have to face the inevitable."

Kakuzu closed the briefcase and placed it on the other side of him. "Yes, payment means that the bounty is now over. After I check the money, your debt will be reassessed."

Nozomi nodded silently and turned her head away from Kakuzu, resting her cheek against her knees. The last thing she wanted him to do was see her cry again, but she couldn't stop her eyes from watering. "Then you'll disappear and I'll never see you again."

The male eyed her for a moment before looking up at the moon. The only sound that broke the silence was the low whistle of the wind that rustled the leaves of the trees. If he wanted her to stay out of harm's way, this would be his chance. She would be free to live a normal life again and he would be able to focus on his duties.

"If that's what you want me to do, then I'll do it."

"I…" Nozomi dug her nails into her palms as she pondered his words. What was the right thing to do? Was this really a decision she would have to make all on her own? If that was the case… she would have to choose what's best for him, right? Unlike her, he had options, choices, things he needed to do. She couldn't force her way in and disrupt his work because of her silly little feelings.

As Nozomi was about to tell Kakuzu her answer, the male grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer to him so she would look him in the eye. The scene was reminiscent of when they were stuck together and memories of Kakuzu's past ultimatum flashed across her mind.

"If you're going to tell me what you want, then look me in the eye." He told her directly.

"...I don't want you to go."

The words were barely audible as Nozomi pulled her wrist out of his grip and wrapped her arms around him, burying her head into his chest. Sobs came out as she clutched the back of his robe with her fists. It wasn't like she couldn't go on and live without him. She now had a little money to live off of and she had the ability to protect herself from small things if she needed to. The only thing was she didn't want to live without him.

"I like you a lot, Kakuzu-san, and I want to stay by your side."

Kakuzu was taken aback by her sudden movement, but soon relaxed against her hold. Before he realized it, he found himself holding her closer to him. What a fool… confessing to a criminal like himself. He'd already assessed the pros and cons of this continuing, yet still, he accepted it. For this moment, he felt content and a little… jealous? If she was being honest with herself, he should be too.

"No one's making you go anywhere." He started. "I'd rather have you by my side."

Nozomi loosened her grip and looked up at Kakuzu with a tear-stained face. "Are you sure? I can't do a lot of the things that you can do, but I promise I won't get in your way. I'll work really hard and I'll do whatever you want me to-"

"Are you trying to sell yourself to me?"

"I- No! Well, maybe… Not in any weird way!"

Kakuzu wiped a loose tear from her cheek, amused by her antics. One thing he knew for sure, she was never going to change. "There's no reason to. I told you before that you're worth more to me than just your debt."

Nozomi frowned. "But now I don't owe you anymore, not money-wise that is..."

"That doesn't diminish your worth and, even then, I'm indebted to you."

Confused, the female tilted her head. "What do you mean? You don't owe me any money."

Kakuzu looked down into Nozomi's azure eyes. Ever since he started his new life, he'd been living with five hearts. They all worked exclusively for him, but now, they also beat for the little doe in his arms. "Don't worry about it. Let's go, we have a new assignment."

Ecstatic, she reached up and kissed his cheek with a warm smile.

"Thank you, Kakuzu-san. For everything."