For Nobara

Chapter 1: Green Eyes, Dark Eyes

"Mommy, over there. Red—"

The boy points mindlessly, but the woman with him hushes him quickly. "Don't look."

Without another word, she drags him away, holding his hand tightly and avoiding their gazes just as the others avoid looking at them—like they have learned to. Even though the visitors are the ones who don't properly blend in this forgotten village. Even though Kakuzu is covered in this much blood. But it's no rare sight.

The child with him is also no less strange, barely wearing anything but white rags in the harsh cold when she should've been dressed warmly, but she hardly even shivers. Perhaps because she's already far colder than the turn of winter season.

"Kigura."

At his call, the child looks up at the green-eyed man because it's that name again she barely recognizes. But Kakuzu has called her Kigura enough times that she has grown used to it. Now, he's looking at her impatiently because she stopped walking to follow after the woman's hand.

To her, it seems so fascinating intertwined like that.

"Hurry up or I'll leave you behind."

She doesn't know if Kakuzu means it, but she hurries behind him anyway, glancing one last time as the woman and the boy disappear in some alley. She feels strange about it that she looks down at her boney hand, and then at her looming companion's.

Clenched hand. Anger.

Kakuzu is always angry. And when he's angry, he hits things—but he never really hits her. He only ever hits other people just like the client they had before. No... "He isn't a client," Kakuzu told her, but she couldn't really tell much from all that blood. All she knows is that many people want Kakuzu dead and it didn't end well. Not with the green-eyed man's temper like that anyway.

The innkeeper knows it too. The child can see from the other side of the counter too tall for her when they visit their usual inn again, how the stubby man can barely even lift his gaze. And even though he doesn't look like he trusts them, he doesn't do anything else but quickly hand over the keys to their room.

Kakuzu then goes then without another word, and the child watches as the innkeeper releases a heavy breath before she finally follows after her companion, struggling to keep up behind him as usual.

She has already memorized the inn's nooks and crannies because of all the times when Kakuzu would leave her here alone. After all, he doesn't tell her much as he prefers that she stay out of his way. So, she's always left much time to herself exploring this place they frequent whenever he has business down south that the inn has become a too-familiar place. And just like its secret rooms, how its guests look at them remain just the same.

They're terrified of them. Or at least, of Kakuzu anyway.

As a mercenary group of S-rank criminals, Akatsuki has made quite the name for themselves over the years. They have increasingly become sought out because of their many services due to their competitive market price with shinobi missions, and yet its members still remain relatively unknown to many despite their infamy.

Even the slightest mention of Akatsuki brings fear to anyone who knows what they are capable of. But even without it, Kakuzu already triggers just as much fear from anyone. His eyes alone are enough to frighten the guests as his hand unconsciously pushes his little partner, who has been distracted by their stares, back on her feet.