Recruitment: Satsugai Senju [Act 5]

Hikato grinned, "Oh well you don't need to rule it but." She shrugged her shoulders, peering toward the sky now her green eyes held complicated looks to them. "The devil or I? There are people far worse." She chuckled, and then smiled, "As long as it does not matter to you then I do not care. You will go on with your work and that's all I'll ask of you." She said brightly.

Listening to him speak more, she narrowed her eyes. This brought up memories of her past when he spoke of life being fragile, the girl blinked back the slight fear that showed in her eyes. Backing up slightly, she stopped when she bumped into a tree. "Ah my name. That shall remain unknown till I know you're loyal." She murmured.

Satsugai noticed the girls eyes they had changed, only slightly but enough. That was fear in her eyes, Satsugai had only known the girl for a few minutes but knew that a moment like this was very rare. "Um hey you ok?" Satsugai asked reaching out feeling almost bad for her. He was in an awkward position here. This girl had just tried to kill him and now he felt bad for her and trying to help her.

Hikato focused on Satsugai, there was no need for the past. Staring at him for a moment, she flinched when she heard his voice, but then nodded her head. "Yeah, fine." She said now, her voice was light, then she glanced away toward the sky. If she had wanted to kill him he would of been dead, but she hadn't. "You." She paused looking at Satsugai, "Remind me of someone..." She said with a thoughtful look.

"Oh?" Satsugai said with a questioning tone. This was it if he was ever going to learn about this girl it was now. He almost felt bad for taking advantage of her this way but it was a fleeting thought, after going years without caring for anyone but himself, he couldn't just start up again.

Satsugai sat down and patted the ground next to him. "Take a seat, I think we have some time before your little friend finds us." Satsugai smiled remembering the stout, loud ninja.

Watching Satsugai, she watched him sit down. Following what he asked of her, she moved to his side, and down, folding her legs beneath her. "Rokku will find us in due time, he's not as fast as I am." She mused, before staring at Satsugai, her green eyes searching his face then she looked away. He did remind her of someone, her reminded her of the man that had saved her from death among the clan she had protected.

"There was a man, that had saved me when I was sure I'd be dead. I was lucky he knew how to heal, he fixed me up as best as he could. I was still hurt bad but.." She cocked her head to the side, before sighing. "He warned me not to go out into the main house again, but I did. I lost my sanity, I had been disgraced of my rank, and tortured while they told me my clan was being destroyed." Hikato looked at the ground now, looking lost in thought.

Satsugai watched in silence, listening to the girl's every word. When she finished he spoke, "Sounds like you've had a tough life..." He trailed off. A question had formed in his mind, he figured that since he was now a part of Akatsuki he had ever right to ask it.

Satsugai took a breath and asked, "So, why form Akatsuki? What in heaven or hell would ever drive a pretty, young thing like you to create a group of some of the deadliest ninja in the world?" Satsugai stared into the girl's eyes looking for any trace of, well, anything. Anything that would give him an idea to her past.

Hikato smiled, her eyes held no sign of anger or regret. "The world needs to know that there are people out there who are unhappy with how things are run, and these people are willing to give their lives to cause a little hell. I myself would enjoy being rid of all liars, thieves, those who will go out of their way to cause harm to others. I will become the bad person that people fear if it will allow change." Hikato said smiling.

Shifting her attention to the sky, a smile showed on her face,"Any more questions?" She asked him with a grin on her face.

Satsugai couldn't help but to smile back. "Life is full of questions, you just have to be able to ask and answer the right questions." Satsugai looked to the sky. "So basically you want to wipe the planet clean of anyone you don't like? You want to eradicate all those who go out of their way to harm others yet that's exactly what you're doing."

Satsugai never once took his eyes off the clouds. "Just remember kid, you only get to live life once, make sure you live it the right way." With that Satsugai fell silent once again letting his words seep into the girl.

Hikato's eyes shifted to Satsugai, "I only live once." She echoed before tilting her head, "Before my clan was assassinated I wanted nothing more than to achieve my fathers standards for me, and become the head of the clan. Our clan was the best healers in the country of the mist." Hikato smiled slightly, "After getting head of the clan I wanted to be able to settle down and have a happy family. But those dreams were shattered." She said softly, then looked toward the canopy of the trees.

"And I'm not that much younger than you so don't please call me kid." She said softly, with a grin on her face. "Hm, was there anything you ever wanted so bad Satsugai? Or as you as plain as you look?" She asked teasingly.

"You might not be that much younger than me but you still are younger. I have names for everyone helps me remember them better, though something tells me you'll be hard to forget." Satsugai extended his hand reaching for a pebble. Throwing it up in the air and catching it repeatedly he said, "Have I ever wanted something so bad? How bad, bad enough to kill for? Yes, yes I have but that was long ago and a memory best not to dwell on."

Satsugai sighed blocking out the thoughts of the past. "There's no point in dwelling on the past because those are things that you can't change. If you only worry about the things you can change you'll be a happier person. You spoke of wanting a family, have you ever loved someone? I mean true love. Have you ever had someone that you would die to protect. Or are you just as heartless as you pretend to be?"

"As I pretend to be." Hikato laughed he had called her heartless, the guy had nerve. Shifting her gaze to the ground she exhaled lightly, 'Have I ever loved?" She said now then tilted her head, "Well you said we should not dwell on the past so that will be my secret." She said winking, but then sited her attention, "I had loved someone, and he died. I died with him that day." She said softly, with a sad smile on her face. "I know love, and I know indifference. I rather never get close to another person again because I know it will bring nothing but pain." She mused.

Shifting around she opened the palm of her hand, watching as a small bird landed on the palm of her hand. "Life is fragile." She agreed.

"Will it though? I guess one can never be sure, but hey if that's what you want to believe it's your life. I believe you asked me if I feared death. I'm not going to try and act all cool but honestly I don't, death is a part of life. You and I will die someday as will everyone else we know, death is apart of us, it's apart of every living thing." Satsugai sighed remembering this talk with his old students, those genin how he missed them so.

"So tell me, little miss mysterious red head do you fear death?" Satsugai looked at the girl and then got up. "Think about that then answer me." He said starting to walk back towards the battleground.

"I do fear it, which is why I fight it." Hikato murmured as she stared at the little bird on her palm. Her eyes locked on it, someone cold would of crushed the thing in their grasp. But no, not Hikato, she cherished life like this free little bird. Lightly parting her lips, she threw her hand upward and the bird took flight toward the sky. Watching the bird fly through the sky, a light curious look filled her eyes. She smiled slightly, "I wonder how the other half of the family is doing, like Uncle Tatsuhiro." she mused slightly.

Turning toward where the battle had taken place, she followed after Satugai. She grinned, she felt better now, she would not drop into such low spirits again.

Rokku grunted as Hikato made quick work of the stupid shrubs that attacked her, then disappeared in pursuit of that other guy. Stomping on a surviving plant, he dropped his earth gauntlets, and slowly trekked the distance to where the two were at.

Coming upon them, his general scowl in place, he yelled, "What the hell? Why the fuck didn't you kill him, Hikato? Didn't have the stomach to do the dirty work?", he sneered.

"Damn right Rokku!" Hikato grinned brightly, her eyes locking on the mans eyes. She shifted her stance slightly to eye the stout man. She stared at the two for a moment, before shifting her attention to the sky. "I've been thinking for a good whole ten minutes you two will be a team together, protecting each other, and working on killing targets together.." She said warmly, knowing Rokku would curse at her.

Satsugai just stood there listening as the two conversed. Rokku as stubborn and loud as usual with his cursing and the girl, who he had just figured out went by the name of Hikato, talking with that split personality of hers. That's when he heard Hikato speak.

Satsugai jumped in, "Whoa when I signed up for this I never agreed to work with him." Satsugai said pointing a finger at the short man. "We'll tear each other apart before we even get our first mission. Then again he's so stubborn I'm not surprised that he hasn't been paired yet." Satsugai smirked knowing Rokku would explode at any moment.

Rokku simply stared at Hikato, then at Satsugai. "F-F-F-FUCK NO!", he stuttered in bewilderment and rage. No way was he working with this asshole. The fact that Hikato had the nerve to even suggest such a thing...ohhhhh he was pissed.

He then heard Satsugai's comment, and grinned wolfishly. "Oh? Scared to be my partner, string bean? Don't think you can handle it? And if you think that we'd tear each other apart, you're dead wrong. You would be six feet under before you could even come close to 'swatting' me with your little plants. Just leave now. If you do, I won't even kill you", he finished, arms crossed over his massive chest, glaring at the man.

"Rokku, shut the fuck up for once." Hikato grumbled, her green eyes flashed with annoyance as she stepped in between the two. "You two are partners, and I don't care what the hell you say about it, whine all you like, this is the choice that has been made. So shut up your traps. If one of you hurt the other, I will fucking stab you in the eyes." Hikato said with a care free tone to her voice and smiled, she threatened them so easily.

Shifting her stance now, she nodded to herself. "Ah, this will be a good pairing, I have a good feeling about this." She said brightly, before starting to walk off, "You too will be nice to each other won't you?" She asked stopping in her steps.

"Like hell we will." Satsugai muttered under his breath as the girl walked off. Turning to Rokku he gave his cheasiest smile and said, "Well short stuff looks like we're stuck together. Truce? For now anyway?" Satsugai put out his hand waiting for his new partner. He was too tired to argue about such petty things, the boss had spoken and that was that.

Still glaring at the man in front of him, Rokku grunted at Satsugai's request. He hated this guy...but he didn't feel like dying today. And not by that bitch's hand. No, when he went out it would be a bloody and spectacular mess, bodies all around him, rock and rubble clearing out everything that isn't brown, nothing living for a mile around. But he had plenty of carnage to cause before that came about. Grinning darkly, a smile that didn't even come close to touching his eyes, he spat in his palm, and grasped Satsugai's hand. "Alright then, if you want a truce, I'll give you a truce. But remember that you're the one who asked for it, not me." He dropped his hand, and started to walk away.

"You're a funny man, Mr. Rokku, a funny man indeed." Satsugai said wiping his hand on his shirt. Gathering himself up he said goodbye to the forest that had given him shelter for many months and followed after his new partner. He was leaving not as a rogue ninja who steals from peasants but as the newest member of the blood hungry group of Akatsuki. All Satsugai could think was, This is going to be fun.