No Room for Another Heart (Kakuzu fanfiction)

Art Gallery

Ikari's p.o.v.

With the meeting with Itachi taking place later in the day I decided to wait until the next day to talk to Deidara and Sasori. Now the question was should I try and convince one before the other in any sort of order and what exactly to say to each. I paced in my room discussing it bit by bit with Fukushu until evening came. It wasn't perfect by any means but what we came up with would have to do. Sleep found me once more and led to a calm night devoid of dreams. It actually felt refreshing not having any dreams, nothing that prodded guilt for the death of Han or Fuu and nothing that made me relive the horrible things that had taken place within recent memory. Things like my parents death, finding Kakuzu so broken, facing Jigoku or Akuno and the like didn't pry their way into my mind which allowed me to wake with a feeling of relief. I needed to be focused one-hundred percent for all of these talks.

I rose from bed and did my regular morning routine before heading out into the hall. The living area was empty upon my arrival but I caught a glimpse of a certain orange mask moving down the hall towards Pein's office. I wonder what that's about, maybe Tobi was asked to help Zetsu with Intel gathering. He did seem to do a lot of the work finding Han opposed to Zetsu who usually did it for us. The smell of toast and eggs filled the open room drawing my gaze to the cutout in the stone wall that led to the kitchen area. Much to my surprise, Itachi was cooking breakfast for what seemed to be the entire Akatsuki. I rounded the corner and proceeded in with a curious smile. "Whats all this?" Itachi didn't look over to me as he focused on cracking an egg with dedicated perfection. "I occasionally cook for the other members. Honestly some of them would forget to eat if it wouldn't kill them." His words sort of drew my mind to people like Kisame or Deidara who had a habit of being a little absent minded.

"Well thank you very much Itachi, can I help myself to a plate?" Itachi nodded and I grabbed one as Kisame came down the hall in his pajamas, which consisted of a white shirt and black pants, with drool flowing from his toothy maw. I chuckled and stepped aside to allow him access into the kitchen and stifled a chuckle as Itachi smacked him in the head. Kisame looked over while holding the back of his head gingerly. "What was that for Itachi? I'm just hungry is all," I continued to the couch as Itachi explained how he'd make Kisame's food last so that he wouldn't devour everyone else's helpings which caused Kisame to almost pout as he plopped in a kitchen chair with his arms crossed. Funnily enough, Kisame's height made it to where even though both of us were seated, I could still see his hair poking out over the cutout like a shark fin which seemed greatly fitting. I ate my food and waited until Deidara also grabbed food and ate it before going to make my move.

Sasori likely wasn't going to eat given well, he's a wooden puppet and doesn't need that to survive. With him being the older of the two and probably the harder to convince out of the two artists I figured I would try him first. I rose from the couch as Hidan and Kakuzu both passed by me on the way to get food for themselves. Kakuzu seemed to pause for a moment as I passed and gave him a gentle smile but I didn't take time to stop and chat. Sasori opened his door after the first set of knocks and allowed me inside. "Yes, Ikari? Come for more training with puppets?" I shook my head as I took my usual spot in the second chair placed in his room. "Sasori...I want to propose something to you and I need you to hear me out," Sasori looked at me slightly puzzled as he sat in his own chair and picked up an arm for a puppet he had been working on. "Alright, what is it?" I took a deep breath and gathered myself before looking over to him. "I want to change the Akatsuki." At first my words seemed to have no effect as he continued to tighten a bolt. After a moment to process, he laid the puppet's arm down and turned towards me fully puzzled.

"What do you mean, change the Akatsuki?" The statement had to be a confusing one and likely out of the complete blue but I proceeded to explain. "Look the Akatsuki wants peace right? You joined to see that happen?" Sasori placed the tools he had been using down and shook his head. "No I joined because Konan beat me in a fight and I was forced to join. Peace has never really been a thing I've been concerned with. Just the puppets." His answer made my heart sink a bit, if he didn't care about even achieving peace it might be a bit harder to convince him. "Well why don't you care about bringing peace to the world?" At my question Sasori motioned to himself in general. "I fought in the Third War, there were two before that and even now the villages squabble and fight over petty things. War is what took my parents and yours alike, peace isn't something that's realistic in the world and so why put energy into a hopeless cause. I want to show the world the beauty of my art, my puppets. They are eternal and perfect, that is a goal I can attain."