Stars After Sunset

[1]

Day 1

Pein stared at the 5-year-old child in his office. His office in the Akatsuki. Electrifying blue eyes stared back at him seemingly calm even in the presence of such an imposing, authoritative figure.

She glanced back up to her left where her brother stood, the latter having insisted that she join the Akatsuki along with him.

"Deidara-nii, why does leader-sama have eyes that look like onions?"

Pein sighed, as the other members of the Akatsuki tried to hide smiles or smother laughter.

He tried to convince himself that having a shinobi well versed in the medical field was going to be useful but to no avail.

This child is going to cause far too many headaches...

°°°

Day 4

"Uchiha-san, do you have a moment?"

The said person turned around, finding that it was the young child who had recently been recruited who had called him. He turned around and continued to walk down the dark hall, nodding as he did. She fell into step with him, walking by his side.

"Why did you do it?"

Itachi tensed, knowing what she was referring too, but continued walking.

"It's none of your concern."

Paying no heed to the warning in his voice, the child continued to speak.

"You were loyal to both your village and your clan, and yet you chose the village over your own blood. Why?"

Itachi, feeling slightly uneasy, unconsciously edged away from her. Slowly, but surely, she was piecing together a puzzle almost the entire world didn't even have the pieces for.

"Why the sudden interest in such a thing?"

He cautiously asked, scanning the surrounding vicinity for anyone who could be listening. There wasn't anyone, but he couldn't be completely sure.

"Curiosity, I suppose."

She nonchalantly said. Itachi was silent. The child sighed and walked off.

"Remember, everyone deserves a second chance, even you. Live for the sake of your brother, if not for yourself."

The underlying message was clear to him.

So don't try to die.

Unfortunately, he wasn't planning on following through with that.

°°°

Day 6

"Sasori-san, what do you think eternity is?"

He didn't have an answer in particular.

"...Everlasting art and beauty, that is eternity."

He finally answered. The child he had been speaking to tilted her head.

"Is that so? Is that what you plan to achieve with eternity?"

She asked.

"Yes."

Blue eyes glanced up from a scroll they were scanning.

"Anything can be destroyed. Nothing will ever last forever. If you'd simply open your eyes to the world around you, you'd see that there's much more to life than eternity."

°°°

Day 7

"Kisame-san, if you were given the option to start over with a clean slate, would you take it?"