They had decided not to begin again and head off to the village until the next day, simply learning all the information that was already known about the mission in order to understand what would be going on. It would make things easier when they were exploring, as well, as they would be able to notice if there was something to do with this guy right away instead of having to check up on the information all the time. The atmosphere was a little unusual to start with, but no one was really sure how to react. Hanging out in the hideout together was one thing, but all for the same reason was another. Not that they really had a choice in the matter, however, and as such they concentrated on what they had in front of them and got on with it.
Most of them, anyway.
Just like always there was a bit of complaining from some—Hidan, mostly—but Kakuzu either threatened him into silence or Pein placated him with the idea that the fighting would come after. If he just put up with the boring bit to begin with, the rest would come soon enough, and he could let out his frustration then. He seemed to deal better with that, though he didn’t look completely ok with it the next morning as everyone got ready for the day. Most were alright with the mission; some even slightly looking forward to it, in Kisame and Deidara's case, wanting to see how all of this would turn out in the end. So once everyone was ready and they’d got all they needed, they headed off to the village to take a look around.
They were going to be keeping their presence to a minimum, so they weren’t just going to be marching in and doing whatever they liked. For the most part, they’d split up as much as they could and keep to the shadows, but for the time being, they could remain as one group—they were starting on the outskirts, and it was deserted. However, there were still buildings around there that had once been used as hideouts for other ninja groups when the village was bigger and more prosperous. They’d be a good space for this guy to use if he needed a little extra room to put something in. A cell to hold someone prisoner. An interrogation room to torture and question a suspect. And therefore it was the first place they headed.
It was a clear day, the skies blue with just a hint of a breeze; no one would be hanging around the places they would be going—fortunately enough for the Akatsuki. It wouldn’t take long to go back and forth between the hideout and the village, either; it was closer than the village Deidara and Sasori had just been at, and was ultimately where they would be staying for the mission. It kept them away from any of the villager’s gazes or suspicion, it gave them a safe distance between them and the village and there was no chance of anyone hearing anything they said or finding out what they were doing.
As such, the journey only continued for fifteen minutes longer before the gates of the village finally appeared ahead. From there, the path wound onwards, disappearing down the hill and into the actual village, surrounded by greenery and lush foliage. It was hidden away in the countryside; not many people knew of the village, and only came across it by chance—hence the reason it had remained so small over the years. It was most likely also the reason a lot of things went on behind the scenes in this area; missing nins, drug deals, etc. Ninjas from the ninja villages never came out there, and so they were able to operate without anyone getting in their way. The very village itself was spread out, such as the distance from the gates to the village. In that way, not even the villagers had a clue what was going on.
Pein led them all through the gates, turning instantly in the direction they needed to go and set off without hesitation. Evidently he knew the way better than they did, so for the moment they simply followed on after. They analysed the village from where they were as they went, making a few comments as they did so, but unable to figure much out without exploring a little more. But then a few minutes later and they disappeared under the cover of trees again, the village vanishing from view, and they pressed on through the woods. Though they weren’t exactly sprinting, Pein kept up a pace, not wanting to waste time—and no one was particularly protesting. Getting over the monotonous parts to this mission quickly was best.
Though it didn’t take much longer for the trees to part; revealing a set of buildings ahead and what the Akatsuki guessed they were here for. Where they had been expecting one single building, they found a whole selection grouped together in some form of compound, however a very small one. They were placed in a square, the gates forming the last line. It looked a lot more important than what anyone had been expecting, though as they got closer they saw it hadn’t been built well, even from the start, just the basics. And now with years of disuse, it was really falling apart. They’d have to be relatively careful in here when it came down to touching things; just in case the entire building didn’t collapse on top of them.
Sasori followed on behind as Pein led them towards the gates, narrowing his eyes as he scanned the buildings. He didn’t want to spend much time here. Though nothing about this place gave him chills, or made him nervous, just the look of them, the dilapidation and how bad they had been in the first place wasn’t something that Sasori wanted to hang around. The place was disgusting. All they had to do was take a quick look around, anyway—not that Sasori thought they’d find much. Of all places to go, why would this guy go here? Wouldn’t he have picked at least a more stable set of buildings to place anything in? And why leave it so out in the open, with nothing or no one to guard it?
Although that thought changed quickly.
A second later and all of them noted movement in the trees, reaching for their weapons in order to attack if needed. But as they watched, they simply saw a group of three people walking through the trees nearby, two chatting casually with each other. It was clear they had no business with the buildings; they were paying no attention to them at all, just walking on like they were headed elsewhere. Though they noted they were ninja, seeing shuriken holsters and a katana around one, they seriously doubted they were of any danger to them, and slowly releasing their weapons, they let them be, pausing only a few moments longer before they turned back to the gates of the buildings, heading inside.
The place was just as dilapidated on the inside as it was on the outside, dust covered and scattered with the remnants of what used to be. Glancing around at where they would go next, Pein only paused as he considered the people they’d just seen, and flicking his gaze to Kakuzu and Kisame, he stated simply to close the doors. Though he really doubted that their motivation for being there had anything to do with them, that they were of any danger at all and that once they had passed on by they would never see them again in their lives, it was better to be cautious. There were other people out there as well, and it covered their tracks.
Kakuzu and Kisame nodded bluntly in agreement, moving back to the gates and gripping onto them firmly, though making sure they didn’t simply break them in half in the process of closing them, they gradually began to close them. They attempted to hasten the procedure as the ninjas they had seen before passed into the open, though didn’t see them or even notice their presence—at least not the two men. The third—a young girl—had sensed them already, but had merely brushed it off, gathering they were another group of ninja with their own mission and agenda, like so many others. But as she glanced back at them, seeing the doors slowly close on their image, she spotted something; something that made her double take. At first she thought she was wrong, but there was no way it could be anything else. It was something she hadn’t in a long time; but a something that she would never forget. How could she, when it was one of the most familiar things imprinted in her mind?
“Sasori-sama?”
