The Secrets We Keep *COMPLETE* (Sasori x OC? / Itachi x OC?)

Coming Along

Maeme races across the rooftops of the sleeping village toward the gates. She has to reach him in time. The row of buildings ends so she jumps off the side and rolls into the sand to absorb the impact before rushing off again. Maeme passes through the village gates, her eyes surveying the landscape. The light of the moon shows a hint of red against the sand in the distance, setting her direction. Once she's close enough to confirm that it is Sasori, she lunges at him and they both tumble down into the sand.

"What are you doing?" Sasori asks with a sigh.

"Coming after you, what does it look like?" She wheezes as she settles onto his back.

"Go home."

"The only place I'm going is wherever you're going. I'm coming with you."

"You're ANBU, why would you want to defect?" She feels him try to knock her off so she elbows his head.

"ANBU life is boring," she answers, not fully lying. "Besides, who would keep you from dying?"

"Go home, Maeme."

"Listen Sasori, I am ANBU and haven't defected yet. I could still haul you in as a deserter and call it a day. I don't want to have to do that. Either let me come with you or you're going back to Suna as a traitor."

Sasori finds himself begrudgingly travelling alongside Maeme as the sun peeks over the horizon. Her threat to turn him in worked so he agreed to let her come along. If she is allowed when they get where he needs to go is beyond him. He glances over at her, watching as she shakes sand from her tangled blonde hair and out of the hood of her sleeveless jacket. Her expression is carefully blank but he can tell from the light dancing in her eyes that she's lost in thought. He looks away, thinking back to how he got stuck with her.

Maeme was introduced to Sasori four years ago when his grandmother brought her into his room. He remembered her tearstained face and puffy grey eyes, but he didn't quite care enough to ask. The elder explained that Maeme was going to be staying with them for a while and wanted him to take care of her. He barely glanced up from his desk and simply expected them to just leave. Maeme's sniffle half an hour later startled him as he realized that Chiyo had left her there. She had eventually sat down in front of the door with her knees to her chest. He didn't know what to say to her, but offered a book to her. He did eventually recognize her from the academy though they'd never spoken. In the Academy she was a very energetic and happy girl, a smile constantly on her face which was a drastic change from the girl before him.

The years passed along with his hopes that she would leave him alone and started to slowly accept her presence. She never spoke about what happened to her and she never seemed to fully recover from it. Every so often he still sees rare glimpses of her previous sunny disposition but they quickly fade away.

"So, what's the plan? Are you going out on your own or are you joining someone?" She asks, pulling him from his reverie.

He doesn't answer so she begins to name off all of the rogues and organizations she can think of in hopes of eliciting a reaction from him.

"-the Akatsuki?" She notices his eyebrow twitch slightly and smirks. "Why would a loner like you, no offense, want to join the Akatsuki? The power? The glory? Did you find yourself a lady? A man? Wait, did you lose a fight to a lady? Sounds about right."

Maeme's laugh draws his attention back to her. He watches as the ghost of a smile crosses her face before like a twig snapping, the smile disappears and her gaze drops back to the ground.

The following evening the pair stops in a clearing deep within the forest. Maeme tenses as two men appear across from them. She studies them carefully as they talk to Sasori, her eyes hidden under her hood. Both are men around their age wearing black cloaks adorned with red clouds. The one to her left has blue tinted skin and a large sword strapped to his back. The other looks rather normal until she spots the Sharingan active in his eyes.

'An Uchiha, how interesting.' She thinks to herself before focusing on the owl perched on a limb above her.

"She wasn't part of this, she isn't coming with us."

"Then you can tell her that she's not coming." Sasori mutters, wondering why she chose this moment to talk to an owl like a child.

"Hey brat! Get lost unless you feel like dying today." The swordsman calls out. "Go home before you get hurt."

Maeme appears before the man and offers a sickly sweet grin.

"Ah geez Mister, I'm so scared." She drawls, sarcasm dripping heavily from her tone. "I'm not leaving him behind so either start walking or kill me."

Maeme leans backward to avoid the massive sword slicing through the air above her and smirks. As she straightens, her hands start to fly through a series of handsigns, but her attack is interrupted by Sasori's voice.

"She is my subordinate, I still require her services. If her presence is an issue, that matter will be discussed by your leader."

Silence falls over the group until the blue haired man lifts his sword again.

"I could always just kill her now and save the trouble."

His partner holds up a hand to halt the attack.

"We will let Pein decide."

Maeme raises her middle finger to the swordsman before thanking the Sharingan user.

As the group continues onward to the base, Maeme finds herself walking at the front next to the man who basically saved her. Sasori's lie surprised her, figuring he would've enjoyed finding a way to free himself from her. She would have to thank him later, if it works on their leader of course. She starts to fidget with the hem of her jacket as she realizes who he is. His information is in her Bingo Book.

"You're Itachi Uchiha, aren't you?"