Akatsuki Babysitters? Rewrite.

Tobi

  A child. In the Akatsuki.

Who would think of such an absurd idea?

Sakura watched TV in the living room while Tobi sat in one of the stools in the kitchen, one eye narrowed and his elbows resting on the counter as he observed her. She might be Nagato's daughter and have some of his resilience flowing in her veins, but he was still surprised that she'd been able to survive for this long. Granted, she had yet to be exposed to the other elements of the organization.

He slid off his seat and took a new one beside her on the couch. She turned her head and smiled. "Hi, Tobi-san!"

"Sakura."

She blinked, her eyes awash with wonder. "Wow! Your voice is super deep! How'd you do that?"

They sat silently for a while, the noise of a cartoon program the only sound in the background. Her quiet waiting lasted a whole two minutes before she smiled again. "It's okay, you don't haf'ta tell me. Papa said everyone's got big, big secrets they don't wanna tell no one."

She turned her head back to the TV and waited another five minutes until Tobi spoke up again.

"Anyone," he corrected.

"Eh?"

"Big secrets they don't want to tell anyone. Use proper grammar, Sakura."

Her smile turned to a grin. She hopped off the couch and grabbed hold of Tobi's hand—either not noticing or ignoring his flinch—and he let himself get dragged out of the house. They walked to the nearest hillside and sat down on the soft green grass.

"Why are we here?" asked Tobi a few minutes after looking up at the sunset.

"'Cause it's real pretty. Don't you think it's pretty, Tobi-san?"

"... Hm."

As he stared up at the sky in all its whites and blues, he sighed and slipped off his mask. He placed the orange monstrosity on the ground and met her eyes, her stare returning his in childish delight.

"Tobi-san! Tobi-san! Your eyes are sooo red!" she exclaimed. "It's like—It's like the same red that comes outta people's owies!"

He didn't know if that was something a four year old should say, but it didn't stop his amusement. "Keep this a secret, would you? Don't tell anyone, especially your Papa. Do you understand, Sakura?"

She nodded, still staring into his eyes. He stood and extended a hand to help her to her feet, his other looped around the eye-hole of his mask. The sky brightened above them.

"What do you want to do now?" he questioned. She puffed out her cheeks and stared down at her feet as she walked hand in hand with her babysitter for the day. An idea suddenly struck as she looked up at him with a toothy grin.

"Dei'dra-san's clay! It's in his room and he likes to make 'em go boom! Let's go in 'is room and make his clay go boom!"

::

EDITED 1/30/18