Hey guys! I updated~ I'll explain my being MIA later but for now, enjoy this chappy!
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The girls' chat was cut off by a monotone but demanding voice.
"Who drew this picture?" Konan bit her lip at the voice, eyes cascading downwards at the remembrance of earlier's events.
His tone of voice made it clear to her that he was still angry. Though he may sound indifferent to others, the paper angel has been by his side long enough to tell his moods.
And this...this was not an emotion she wants to be on the receiving end of.
Sighing at the inevitable meet they're bound to have, Konan placed her cooking utensil to the side and slid off her apron. With her back still turned, she addressed the little girl beside her.
"Alright, we'll talk later. Stay here while I go talk to him."
When she faced the stool the girl was standing on moments earlier, she expected to see a little girl nodding to her instructions. Instead, she was met with the sight of empty space, a fleeting view of the little girl running left behind where she stood.
All of a sudden, a loud yell of "Cookie!" sounded from the area just before the kitchen.
The same area where Pein's voice definitely came from. Konan groaned, slapping a palm to her face in despair.
Protecting the little girl may be more difficult than she had first thought.
"Shit, un." She heard the distinct speech impediment that could only belong to Deidara and turned to where he, Kisame, and Tobi stood, most likely watching her previous exchange with the small girl.
The blonde made eye contact with the bluenette before jerking his head toward where their leader's voice was definitely heard.
No doubt, he expected her to save the girl from Pein, seeing as she is the only one who is known to maintain conversations with him.
Konan bit her lip, a nervous habit she has been told to stop by the very same person she was scared to approach at the moment.
That fear seemed to lessen however as the face of the little girl edged into her mind, as well as the problems she must have if she's really the age she says she is.
These thoughts in mind led the paper angel to move forward with determination, though her steps still seemed a bit robotic. As her head poked into the living room area, however, she was met with a sight she didn't quite expect to see.
Her body froze in the door way, confusing the trio not too far away. Having a mutual, silent agreement to find out what was wrong, the three males stealthily walked up behind Konan and peeked over her shoulders. When they caught sight of the scene Konan was so intently staring at, they ended up in a state not much better than hers.
What was this shell shocking image that had four Akatsuki members as still as statues?
Oh, it was nothing too bad. Just their feared leader sitting on the worn couch, a little girl on his lap while talking animatedly about her painting in her cookie language, and an almost unnoticeable (if it weren't for the plain face he usually wears, it would've been unseen) lift of his lips.
A smile.
Their leader, the Almighty Pein, was smiling. Right there, in the open living room. Where he knew any member could easily walk in and see.
