Happy Birthday, Kakuzu! This is a special edition for our special old man. We love you!
(15th of August)
He's here again. You can hear the back door creak, so you quickly sit up from the desk and start sprinting towards the office. Your guess might be wrong, but you take your notebook just in case.
Your father is a bounty collector. It's a well paid job, but you don't particularly enjoy spending most of your day in a poorly lit chamber hidden behind urinals. He's not exactly forcing you to stay there, as you can leave whenever you please. If you do leave, however, you might miss your favorite client, so your breaks are short. Sometimes you read old books. It's his favorite hobby, so naturally you must do your best to keep up.
You first met Kakuzu a little more than a year ago. Your father warned you to avoid being in his presence, as he can be rather dangerous when angered. Well, most of the people who frequented your bounty station were ruthless criminals, but your father seemed to regard Kakuzu with the utmost respect and fearful admiration. Unusual, so it intrigued you.
On his first visit, he cautiously looked around before dropping the body on the table. Your father checked the face to confirm the identity and nodded before going to the next room to bring the money.
"Quite the big fish you caught there", you observed with a bored look, resting your head in your palms. "You must be pretty strong, some of our regulars died while going for his head."
Kakuzu threw you a quick glance. "Are you also working here?"
What a strange eye color, you thought.
"Nah. I'm (Y/N), his daughter. I might take over the business one day. The smell can be annoying, but it's decent money."
He let out a faint, amused huff. You had the feeling that he was smiling underneath his mask and couldn't help but grin yourself. He definitely intrigued you. Your father returned with a suitcase, and you switched your gaze to a random wall while planning what archives to check in order to find more about this man.
Your curiosity slowly turned into a crush. The more you learned about Kakuzu, the more you fell in love with him. You checked libraries, asked around. You started cropping his photo out of bingo books, just so you could remember his face. There wasn't much information available about him, but you wanted to make sure that you wouldn't forget important details, so you started keeping a notebook. Whenever Kakuzu visited to drop another body, you carefully wrote down anything new that you'd notice: he always wears dark colors, he counts money with his left hand, but he seems to be right-handed, he cuts his bangs every three weeks, he briefly closes his eyes whenever something irritates him. You were quite disappointed when you found out he joined the Akatsuki; your detailed agenda of his outfits turned into repetitive, identical columns of "organization cloak".
So here you are now. Peeking inside the office room, you spot Kakuzu sitting on a sofa, complaining to your father about the latest partner. You take your pen out and quietly scribble.
"What are you doing there?" his deep voice startles you. You look up and subtly inhale to keep your composure, before narrowing your eyes in a smile.
"I'm doing a budget sheet for this month, but it seems that I lost sight of my surroundings. I apologize."
Your father laughs heartily upon hearing this.
"That's my daughter, always working hard. I couldn't leave my business in more capable hands, Kakuzu-san."
"I don't doubt it", he agrees. You look down in embarrassment, trying to hide the blush that's now spreading across your face. Did Kakuzu just praise you?
Kakuzu gestures for you to sit down and join their little chat. Finally. He was getting tired of entertaining this buffoon. The only reason he puts up with the dullard is because he gets to see you.
Indeed, he is shocked at his own willingness to go to such lengths for a girl, but he quickly reassures himself that (Y/N) is not just any girl. He initially found it odd to see a young, cute looking female in such a dirty place, so the circumstances made him curious.
Each time he took a detour to cash in a new bounty, he'd find you waiting there with an indifferent expression. Sometimes you exchanged a few words with him. You'd talk about the latest prices on the market, the new arrivals in the bingo book or even literature. After a while he learned that you're also sharing his interest in books and authors. He found himself eager to be in your presence, as you were the only one he didn't find irritating at all.
The more he thought about it, the clearer it seemed. It was almost as if you were molded for him. Just him. Soon enough, he was looking at you with the same pride in his eyes as a hunter that gazes over his mounted trophies. He was going to make you his asset, no doubt about it.
"By the way, (Y/N). You don't go out often, do you? Me and my partner are going to a nearby village for an investigation. Nothing too dangerous, so you could join us if you wanted."
"Ah... Y-you think she'd be safe, Kakuzu-san?" your father tenses up at the invitation. "It's a generous offer, but my daughter doesn't really-"
"Hmmmm..." you hum, pondering. There isn't really anything to be pondered. You're just trying to hide your excitement, scraping the side surface of the sofa and biting the insides of your cheeks. "Sure, I guess. I don't have anything better to do right now..."
Kakuzu stands up, grabbing his suitcase. You slowly walk towards the exit, clutching your notebook in anticipation. What a fantastic opportunity. You could interrogate Kakuzu's new partner if you get some time alone with them. You haven't seen this one yet. The previous ones looked rather bland, so you weren't surprised when you heard they'd been killed. You recall each of them, but most of your memories mainly consist of their backs. Out of politeness, you always make sure that Kakuzu leaves the area safely, so you walk him and his partner to the nearest crossroad. They're not aware of it at all, but it doesn't matter. In the Bible, it says that good deeds aren't to be shown off, or you won't get a reward from your Father. Aren't you just being considerate? Kakuzu doesn't need to know everything that you do for him.
"So, what are you investigating?" you ask, trying to break the silence. It's been several minutes of walking with no sight of his partner anywhere nearby.
"Nothing." he plainly states. "Just wanted to talk to you in private."
You stop in your tracks, looking up at him with a confused look. He examines your expression before continuing:
"It might be sudden, but I was thinking of having you join Akatsuki. What, do you still want to spend your days shoving dead bodies in drawers? You're going to get paid just as much, if not better."
You are shocked, almost out of breath. You place your trembling hands on your knees, feeling them weaken with each passing moment. Is this really happening? Did you finally lose your mind?
Kakuzu observes your reaction. He did expect the chance of refusal. First, he has to calm you down. He can always knock you out otherwise, if this takes too long.
"If this is about your father, you don't have to wor-"
"Can I, really?"
"Huh?" he's a little taken aback. Your face is flushed and you're panting.
"I mean..." you hug your notebook tightly and search for the words. It's useless, you can't calm down. "I-I... If you're really okay with it...I'd love to. I promise I won't be a burden."
Well, this went smoother than I expected, he thinks as he scratches the back of his head in delight. Truly the perfect match for him, this little, obedient (Y/N). He affectionately strokes your cheek, a satisfied smile plastered on his face.
After taking care of everything, you walk out with your luggage. Kakuzu is waiting outside, this time with his partner next to him.
"Oi, Kakuzu, is that the new member? Damn, she's fucking cute." he smirks and is about to approach you, but Kakuzu grabs his collar and quietly growls only for them to hear.
"She is, but she's mine. Touch her and I'll make you swallow your own genitals."
You cheerfully run to them, dangling a box in your hand.
"When you guys are hungry, let me know. I made lunch, liver sashimi."
"Oh, that's my favorite." Kakuzu casually says as he pushes Hidan ahead of him, heading for the main road.
"I know", you mumble to yourself. You observe the two men in front of you before shoving the lunch box in your bag and quickly pulling out your notebook.