Heading down an eerie path dimly lit by candles, Tobi reached a gigantic room where there was a massive statue with a bandage and a plethora of eyes. Tobi called that statue the 'Gedo Mazo'.
Rin followed closely behind, wearing an Akatsuki cloak. She was a beauty with short auburn hair and two purple retangular marks on her cheek... little did Tobi / Obito know that what he was seeing was really not what there was.
In reality, two unprecedented monsters walked behind him, staring at his every move and pulling the strings like he was a helpless puppet. Not because of necessity, not with great ambitions.
"Popopo~".
"Fufufu~".
They were just having fun, they were just playing with their prey a little before inevitably sinking the fang. The statue was hideous, perhaps the most terrifying thing he had seen in his life, even though he had already gotten used to it. But that statue was small and feeble compared to the true form of the tall woman standing just behind him within the realm of Limbo.
Soon, holographic figures began to appear sitting on top of the statue's fingers. Albedo and Haku managed to see for the first time how many members there actually were in this organisation.
'One... two... six. One missing, three dead, so they were originally ten members' Haku mumbled in Albedo's mind.
'That is not correct, I killed more of them while rescuing Azrael-san... three of them had orange hair' The succubus corrected.
...
"You look like you haven't completely recovered" The silhouette of Pain spoke first, still with a haggard voice.
"We have some missing members" Another one of them spoke, he looked like the youngest member, "Four of us are missing, how can we have a meeting like this?"
"They're all dead", Tobi said nonchalantly.
!!!
It was not uncommon for members to perish; it happened all the time, even. What usually didn't happen was for all of them to die at the same time.
'Where is the music coming from...?' Albedo and Haku looked around; they could swear they heard an old organ playing and some mysterious soprano singing eerily.
Tension broke in the assembly with one of the hollow silhouettes laughing his arse off.
"Hahahaha! I guess they were a lot weaker than they looked" He had a long ponytail and a covered eye; his name was Deidara.
"Explain" The only lady in the room spoke; she had short hair and a quiet disposition. She went by Konan.
"I will report everything that happened, perk up your ears, we have a major shift of focus and objectives because of new variables. There are two new monsters... and they're as strong as Bijus if not stronger".
Tobi proceeded to explain what he knew. How Itachi and Kisame had met Azrael and fought against her, eventually asking for backup, to which Pain and Tobi appeared to assist. Haku and Albedo, who were standing behind, listening to everything, wondered why the other two orange-haired members hadn't been mentioned at all, like they didn't exist.
Later, he mentioned how Albedo arrived to rescue Azrael, and how their conversation suggested that both monsters were actually working under someone else, a mysterious 'master'.
Albedo confessed rather amusingly that she had slaughtered both Hidan and Kakuzu and that they were 'easy'. Lastly, how Itachi was forced to stay behind and was more than likely already dead. They all listened silently, and much to the two women's surprise, didn't look like they were ready to mourn the loss of their members.
There was no camaraderie in here, just an objective in common.
At the end of it, there was a bit of tension in the room still. It didn't matter how much Deidara joked... those members of Akatsuki acknowledged each other's strength. Kizame Hoshigaki, in particular, was very infamous. To hear he was beheaded with a single strike was not very comforting.
"Whoever these individuals are, they seem to be exerting focus on Konohagakure and Kumogakure. In a few weeks, there will be a kage summit. The Kyuubi, the Hachibi and the Ichibi are likely to be in the same place, but their capture is almost impossible. We have only captured the Yonbi so far, thanks to Kisame. Infiltrating the villages has been successful, but our true objective has grown stale" Pain spoke this time, "With the kages out of the villages, it is our perfect opportunity to strike. We have information on the three tails, the five tails and the two tails. Our efforts should focus on weakened targets".
Albedo and Haku analysed the conversation. So far, it has been difficult to tell who the real leader of this organisation is. It seemed as if Tobi and Pain had a similar amount of influence.
Pain then looked to his right, where Konan was, "We are going to need new members to replenish our numbers, the faster the better".
"About that, I already have a candidate", Tobi spoke next, and Albedo smirked, seeing her time. She extended her hand and produced a mask. It was a pitch black mask with two horns. Seeing her, Tobi squinted his brows; it was as if some thought flashed in his mind, but that thought was ridden off the moment his eyes met Rin's slit ones that looked way too normal, even when they were not.
"Is something wrong, Obito?~" That sweet voice asked once again.
"No, come forward, Rin".
Tobi slid a ring on her finger, Albedo suppressed the disgust with the most kindred of smiles, and next, she was presented as a hologram for the rest of the members. Her eyes met everyone's eyes, and she felt immediately interested, working her magic.
'The eyes are the keys of the soul... it matters very little that you are not all here. If you stare at the abyss, the abyss stares back at you. Lust is everywhere, and it is a lot more complicated than just sexual desire~'.
And that's how it was. They all looked at her in the eyes, and they all felt something wasn't right, but they couldn't explain it. Haku watched everything, seeing her play her magic and watching the energy fluctuations... although she struggled. Albedo's energy couldn't be read.
"This is our new member from Konohagakure", Tobi introduced her, a shallow introduction indeed, but that's how it was. They assumed anyone who was introduced was a capable individual, and the less information they had about the other members, the better.
All she needed to know was what her objective was and who she was going to be paired up with.
"Another one from Konoha, huh...? Don't die too quickly," Deidara hissed. Every time a new member from Konoha joined, there was always some sort of drama surrounding them. Orochimaru, then Itachi Uchiha... and now this young woman wearing a mask.
"Your name?" Pain asked her.
Albedo smirked, "Tabula (タブラ)".
"Very well, Tabula. You will be paired up with Konan. For now, your objectives are simple: recruit more members. Remain stand-by and keep your sphere of action within the Land of Fire. If any unexpected opportunities surge during the Kage Summit, I want you both to be ready".
"As you wish, boss~".
Pain squinted his brows but didn't pay any more attention to the matter. Rather, Konan stared at Tabula in the eyes, trying to look for flaws... only exposing her own. When her eyes met with Tabula, she could see, just very briefly, the shadow of a young man with orange hair, staring at her kindly.
!!!
"Y-Yahiko?".
But that silhouette disappeared before she could even inspect it, once again replaced by Tabula, who was smiling at her. What she didn't know was that behind that smile was concealed the most evil and insidious of intentions.
'Found master a new fucktoy~'
"I will count on you, partner~" She said to Konan, who shook her head repeatedly, trying to get it back together, eventually just nodding when she realised what she had seen wasn't really there. Konan's hologram disappeared, and Tabula also stepped back with expectations, already knowing where her conquest was going to start.
'That depraved, desperate and lust-filled expression that I made when master corrupted me and stripped me away, I never got to see it. Konan, I wonder if you will show me exactly how I looked like~'.
**
**
'I don't know when she returned, but I feel like she never left. She's always been with me, guiding me. I thought I had lost her. Back then, in the past, when Kakashi's Chidori went through her, I thought I lost everything'.
When the meeting finished, Tobi walked back with Tabula standing closely behind him. Konan was located in Kirigakure, and she would be travelling to the region to meet her to start their mission. And although she hadn't yet started, she had an idea of who she was going to 'recruit' for the organisation.
"Rin", Tobi, no Obito Uchiha mumbled.
"Hmn?~".
Her warm smile flashed to him once again, like years ago when he knew what happiness was. He tried to grasp her wrist to reassure himself it wasn't a dream, but she dashed away with a giggle, "Not yet, Obito~"
Initially fueled by the desire for vengeance, Tobi saw his momentum lose strength. That was until he stared at her eyes the first time, eyes filled with hatred.
"Not until we do them worse than they did to me", She mumbled, although the real meaning behind her words flew past him. Now it was not just his vengeance, it was also 'Rin's vengeance that fueled him.
"Be careful out there, Rin. Focus on your mission, and we will meet again soon," Tobi said with caution. He felt her hug him from behind, wrapping her arms around him tightly.
"Don't worry, Obito... I am not going to go anywhere, not again".
He felt the warmth of her embrace and smiled briefly behind the mask, ignoring the hideous expression of a monster that stared down at him as if he was less than shit, awaiting the moment he had no use just so she could discard him and snatch his soul.
They separated soon after, and she watched his disappearance in that whirlpool of space that he uses. Once Albedo was back in the forest, Haku materialised from the shadows.
"I saw it all", She said even before Haku opened her mouth.
"Huh?".
"I am connected to master, I can see what he sees... I saw his conversation with that woman, Aether. Which is why I am doing what I am doing... don't ask questions, Haku" Albedo said without even looking at her in the eye.
"..." Haku sighed, circling her on top of a tree branch. She stepped out of the branch, revealing that she was, in truth, walking on the nothingness of space.
"I can't help but think your motivations are in the wrong place, Albedo"
Tabula danced a little, turning around to talk face-to-face with the entity that Tobi couldn't even see.
"Master needs all the strength he can get. So we shouldn't beat around the bush, if we conquer this world, we can use all these resources to get more therapies and get stronger~".
Haku pulled her into an embrace, effectively locking her in place, staring down with those cold eyes.
"Is that the reason why you are doing this?"
"... of course, I do everything for Ray-sama~".
Both monsters stared at one another in silence. Sharing the same intoxicating love for the same man, and yet having completely different trains of thought. Haku thought it was somewhat amusing how every single one of her master's women had a mind of their own. Among them, she found Albedo to be the most interesting.
She was the only one among them who hated him first... then loved, but never stopped hating.
Her mind was by far the most twisted, and although she didn't want to, she felt there would come a time when they would have disagreements.
The yokai released her and sighed, "Do whatever you want, just don't go overboard..." She then sent a glare her way, "And don't touch Konoha, don't get in trouble with Tsunade... she's already at odds with Grayfia and master doesn't want any more infighting".
Tabula sweat a droplet and laughed lowly, "H-Hehe, I wasn't planning to..."
"..." Haku looked at her suspiciously.
"I plan to support Tsunade from the shadows. Don't you think it would be a waste to destroy this organisation that has deep roots in the rest of the villages? Wouldn't it be better to use them?" Tabula tapped her finger on her pretty lips.
"And how exactly are you going to do that? Besides, master ordered you to get information, not to become a spy".
"I think he will appreciate it if I become more useful. As for your first question, I don't know~ I don't know how we are going to use them yet, I will leave that to Tsunade to decipher".
Haku frowned once more, "Are you saying... you're willing to work for Tsunade?".
"Why wouldn't I? Master approves of her... she has a strategic mind and is capable of easily taking over this world if she wanted to. I am just lending her a hand. Tsunade will know how to use Akatsuki for her benefits. Once I get control over the organisation, she will know how to use the pieces, that's all".
The old Yokai heard her, smelled her... she felt her kindred intentions, but still couldn't help but think something wasn't right. She sounded very submissive, willing to help Tsunade and, by proxy, her master.
But she wouldn't be Albedo if she weren't plotting something.
"My master loves you a lot", She said, breaking Albedo's laugh, "So don't disappoint him... us".
"Do you love me too?~" Tabula giggled, "Is that why you came all the way here? to make sure I was okay?".
'I came to make sure you weren't causing trouble,' Haku thought inwardly, 'I don't want master to be stressed'.
"Maybe... your pussy is sweet, that much I know~"
"You're such a big slut~".
"And you're a little slut~"
Somehow, they felt they could understand one another. Tabula went her way, and Haku too disappeared from the world, until the next time they met one another... more than likely on their master's bed.
Such was the life of the pets.