How Taki joined the Akatsuki(Tobi love story)

Chapter 21: Goodbye (part 1)

"Shut up, brat." Kakuzu cleared his throat. "I was forced to reveal my shoulders to him. I didn't want anyone to see what I had done to myself a while back, as my punishment."

"What? That was.. you.. who made those scars on your shoulders?" Sasori sadly exclaimed, rubbing his head from a previous hit from Konan.

"I always have loved nature. Going into the forest always calms me down when I feel sad. However, I don't think it will calm me enough this time.." 

We all knew what to do. We ran outside, to look for her in the forest. We split off into pairs to look for her. Tobi kept calling her name, sounding like he would cry at any moment.

"Taki-chan! Taki-chan! Please, Taki-chan! Don't leave me!" I put a hand on Tobi's shoulder. "We'll find her, Tobi. I promise, un." We continued to look for her. An hour passed, and we still couldn't find her.

Just when Tobi and I were about to give up, we heard something. We stopped, and listened. It was the sound of crying. We knew it was Taki, because she had cried so many times before.

By now, her cry would be recognized in an instant. We followed her voice, and hid behind some trees. We saw her, with a kunai aimed at her own throat. She was kneeling down, and crying hard.

We silently panicked. Tobi ran forward. I tried to stop him, but something inside of me told me not to. "Taki!" Taki's head snapped up to look at Tobi. She jumped up, away from him, keeping the kunai at her neck.

"Taki, please don't do this." Taki backed away, still crying. "I'm sorry.." She cried. She lifted the kunai with both hands, a tear slipped from my eye.

Tobi took a step towards her. "I.. have something to tell you." Her hands trembled, but still gripped the kunai. She closed her eyes, and pushed the knife towards her throat.

"I-I love you!" Taki's hands swerved. The kunai did not land on her throat, but was pushed into her stomach. She screamed.

I ran out of my hiding place to her. Gravity pulled Taki to the ground. Tobi and I fell to our knees beside her. She turned her head to Tobi.

Tears trickled down the sides of her cheeks. "Y-you do?" Her breathing was uneven, her voice raspy. She coughed up blood. Tobi nodded, I knew he was crying. I was, too. "I.." Taki started.

"... I do, too." She passed out. I looked at the kunai lodged in her stomach, and panicked. There was an increasing amount of blood on her shirt. Soon, all of the Akatsuki arrived. 

"I heard screaming!" Konan yelled. They all looked down at Taki. "Did she.." Hidan asked, his voice wavering. I shook my head, tears welling up in my eyes.

"She attempted to, but missed her throat, and hit her stomach." Tears fell from my eyes. 

"I never knew.. that she was in so much pain." Sasori sounded like he would cry at any moment. But puppets don't cry. 

Tobi tipped his head back, and bawled. "How.. could I let this happen?" He whispered, and I thought I heard his voice get lower.

He rested his head on Taki's. Everyone looked at the sad sight before us, and started to weep. Only love could save her.

A minute later, Taki woke up, and saw us crying. "Please, don't cry. My absence would have been better for all of us, anyway." Tobi shook his head.

"No, I would have missed you." His voice got deep and husky. We all looked at him. What...? He clutched his mask, his hand shaking a little.

My eyes widened. Would he..? 

Tobi slid his mask from his face, and tossed it to the side. Time seemed to slow down as the mask hit the soft ground with a thump, the noise it made echoing in my head.