Suteta - (Akatsuki fanfic)

Part 10

 Okay, so she didn’t have a short attention span like he thought. She just wanted to make sure he knew what she was talking about. Which was rather reasonable despite having to wait a minute to figure out where she was going with her thought process. To think it would lead to the garden in the back of the Akatsuki base.

                As soon as Zetsu opened the door to the greenhouse, he realized how long it had been since he’d set foot inside. Some, but not all, of the plants were beginning to wilt. Before he left for his previous mission, he laced the soil with his own chakra to keep them healthy and growing for the time being. He must have been gone longer than planned because otherwise the garden wouldn’t be in this condition. And from the tightness of the atmosphere, he could tell the plants were in pain from lack of care. Zetsu sighed, feeling terrible for not taking more precaution for his precious garden. The disappointment the flowers had in him was practically unbearable. I’ll be damned if we ever gain their trust again... his black half groaned. His white side didn’t even bother to respond. Both were thinking the same thing so there was no need.

                “Pretty!” The toddler rushed onto the stone path built between the flower beds and slowed to a stop when she spotted a nearly-dead flower a little ways away from the path. “Aw…” She set her toy against a flowerpot and tiptoed off the path, through and around other plants to get to it. Her socks pressed into the loose earth with each step until she crouched in front of the plant, her hands on her knees. Curious, Zetsu kept his eye on her as he picked up her bear and re-placed it on a short glass table near the door to keep it out of the way. What has her so intrigued? he thought seeing the girl tilt her head to the side, strands of her hair catching on one of the taller leaves. After a moment, she closed her eyes and grinned. “Feel better!” she chimed sweetly as she poked one of the lily’s petals with her finger. Then she straightened up and came back to the path in the same manner she left it: mindful of the other flowers’ space.

                Weirdo. Be nice. That’s more kindness than we have shown any of them in quite a while. At least a month, three weeks, and five hours. The garden was only set for a month if I remember correctly. The point is: it may be pointless but at least she cares. Hmph. I guess so…

                “Who are they?” the toddler asked as she stepped back onto the path, her socks tracking soil onto the stone in small flecks.

                “Excuse me?” Zetsu narrowed his eyes at her, not understanding the question.

                She pointed to the flower beds. “Them.”

                Hm. He took note she used ‘who’ instead of ‘what’ and wondered how she came to that analogy. It wasn’t the analogy itself that was odd, but someone other than him would refer to plants like they were, in a sense, equals. “They’re flowers.”

                Shaking her head, she responded, “Not it…”

                “Okay….do you mean ‘what are they called?’”

                She nodded. “Uh-huh.”

                Zetsu ran his fingers through his hair. “Well…there really isn’t enough time in the day to tell them all to you now.” Before she could protest he added, “However, I will say that flower,” he nodded toward the plant the girl just left. “Is a star lily. At least…it will have been.” He already knew she understood the plant wasn’t well so he didn’t need to explain further.

                The girl looked back at the lily with curiosity then reached for her bear on the table. “No. F’ower okay now.”

                Stubborn brat. Zetsu frowned, figuring she wasn’t willing to accept the plant would shortly be wilted entirely and die. But he wanted to know why that was. “How do you know?”

                Hugging her bear, she smiled. Her bright expression almost distracted from the bandaging on her head. “They tol’ me.”

                That made him pause. He decided not to clarify if he heard correctly, because he knew he did. The girl trotted along the path toward the back of the greenhouse, leaving Zetsu to sort out the many thoughts which suddenly became tangled in his mind. She can hear the plants’ voices too? How the hell is that possible? I’m not sure. But it could certainly be significant in finding out her history. True enough. Unfortunately, it also meant the garden was rather furious to not be talking to him. Zetsu knew from experience he couldn’t hear them if the plants didn’t want him to. Though….he had to say he deserved every ounce of anger they were throwing at him. After all, it was his fault the garden was in such bad shape.

                Hearing the toddler laugh pulled Zetsu out of the slight depression and he walked back to where she was. She sat against the wall with her knees pulled to her chest and a grin on her face. Her stuffed bear seemed to be getting the life squeezed out of it as she talked to the flowers in a gentle, playful voice like she was talking to friends. Zetsu could hardly imagine the whole of the conversation since he could only hear one side of it. Was there some kind of connection between them? The garden accepted her so easily. Which...doesn’t normally happen. If one of the other Akatsuki happened to wander in here without permission they were met with a massive energy drain. Even with permission they would be somewhat exhausted when they left. But from what Zetsu could tell, she was gaining energy instead until it became level with the garden’s. Not only does she look like a human flower, but it’s like she has the spirit of one as well.

                For a split moment he thought back to what the shark nin had said about finding a temporary name for the girl. Based on his previous thought, he had an idea now. When he said it under his breath, just to test it out loud for himself, he noticed the girl pause and lift her head as if in response. So…the name seems to fit. Peculiar that she practically answered to it already, but whatever works. Both sides in agreement, Zetsu tried the name for real this time. “Come on. You need to rest, Hanaki.”

                She whined disappointedly, but rose to her feet anyway. “Kay…” She stepped quickly to follow Zetsu out the door. “Bye-bye, f’owers!” she chimed. She continued chiming the last word as they walked back down the hall.

                Zetsu couldn’t help but smirk. Childish runt.