Living a Lie

Chapter Sixteen - Christmas, Akatsuki Style

So I guess just because the Akatsuki is a bunch of murderous villains, doesn't mean that they don't celebrate Christmas.

I woke early Christmas morning (and when I say early, I mean exactly 2:43 in the AM) to a bright orange mask in my face, thanks to the number one hyperactive and surprisingly elusive Akatsuki member, Tobi.

I didn't scream or cry out in surprise; I mean, come on, I've lived with the Akatsuki for, what? At least three months now.

No, I took my pillow, chucked it at Tobi, and proceeded to burrow under my blankets in search of some more shuteye. But no, Tobi wouldn't have any of that. I could practically feel his determination coming off him in tangible, happy waves.

I tensed up, now horribly awake and aware, and prepared to do a quick transportation jutsu to some undisclosed and (hopefully) not Tobi-infested location in the compound in the hopeless hunt for more sleep.

Then I heard tired footsteps approaching. And then I heard the tired voice of Deidara saying, "Tobi, just go to sleep, un. It's way too early for even Itachi to be awake. No one wants to open presents this early, un…"

He trailed off as he staggered sleepily away. Tobi sniffled.

I rolled my eyes. Itachi normally woke up at about 4:00, maybe 4:30 every morning; no sleeping in on weekends, folks. Itachi's just an early bird.

But everyone else (normally) slept until maybe 6:30 to 7:00 every morning.

Then again, this is Christmas, and normally people want to wake up early to stare at the presents in excitement and anticipation of what wondrous things could possibly be contained beneath the red and green wrapping paper…

Nah, it was still too early, and I drifted off again as I heard Tobi leave the room…

Only to be woken up again not even an hour later by the whole crew.

"Does anyone understand the importance of at least six hours of sleep?" I asked, rather Grinch-like this morning.

If I could've seen Tobi's face, I would have said that he was grinning maliciously from ear to ear.

I began to wonder again whether or not he really was an evil mastermind…

Kisame chuckled and said, "It's Christmas, Sakura. There's no such thing as sleeping in on Christmas."

Tobi nodded enthusiastically.

Hidan mumbled grouchily, "At least not when you've got a friggen ninja with mind of a friggen four year old…"

I snickered, having heard him quite clearly since he was sitting next to me on the couch.

We had a small, neatly trimmed fir tree set up in the middle of the living area (Tobi had spent hours making it look just right) with a good amount of presents wrapped in varying degrees of neatness sitting beneath it.

I looked up at the slight sound of footsteps, eyes widening in slight surprise as Pain and Konan stepped into the room, each holding a steaming mug of coffee. Inner laughed as I suppressed a smile at the sight of the entire Akatsuki in one room: we looked like a demented family sitting around our too-small Christmas tree while sipping from mugs of coffee and hot cocoa.

Pain went into the kitchen and came back with two chairs, setting one down for Konan and sitting in the other. "Shall we begin?" he asked, sleep just barely evident in his deep voice.

Tobi jumped up and ran to the tree, grabbing a present marked "To Tobi, From Sakura ".

Everyone else soon followed suit, grabbing one present (following Tobi's lead and grabbing their presents from me), while I grabbed the first one that was for me, marked "To Sakura, From Leader".