Note: Dark Zetsu's dialogue looks like this; Light Zetsu's dialogue looks like this.

Well, winter was back- with a vengeance! And to Yoko, as she sat freezing in the small, dilapidated house next to the little fireplace, it seemed that all it's vengeance was centered on her. She seemed to be in situations like this all the time these days; ever since the Akatsuki had made her a full-time member. They had liked her and Tobi's performance on the test so much that they had decided they could both join. Yoko wasn't entirely sure how leader-sama had found room, but she suspected it had something to do with Orochimaru's head turning up on a pike next to the entrance to their Headquarters.

She reached into her jacket, fishing in the pocket for a minute, and finally got her numb, shaking hands to grasp the pocket watch. She pressed the button and it clicked open. Hmm? He's late?

It wasn't like Zetsu to be late. He was a perfectionist when it came to this sort of thing. Something bad must have happened to him if he was late. Reluctantly, she rose from her spot next the small fire, which had finally begun to warm her, and peeked out of a hole in the boards that covered the window.

The frozen earth outside was as white and bleak and silent as it had been when she had reached this abandoned house- their meeting place. Her part of their mission was long since finished. She had been immensely surprised when she showed up to the place to find it empty; she hadn't even expected to beat him by a second, much less an hour. She was beginning to feel rather anxious. She wasn't sure how much danger he could be in- he and leader-sama hadn't told her much about the mission, only what her part was. But she knew it had something to do with the assassination of a member of a rather powerful family in this region.

Maybe I should go look for him.

Just as the idea was forming in her head, she heard a strange noise behind her. She spun around so fast that she almost fell over. Zetsu had emerged out of the floorboards. At first Yoko was purely relieved to see him, but then she saw the look on his face and the blood on his clothing.

"Zetsu-senpai!" She rushed to his side and grabbed his arm to keep him from falling over.

"Yoko-chan," He gasped, "We have to leave- they're coming. They know where we are,"

"Zetsu-senpai, you're not well enough even to walk!" She reminded him, "I'll have to send a signal for the others to come, maybe Deidara-senpai could-,"

"No," He insisted, "Deidara's on a mission,"

"Then let me heal you and then we can-,"

"There's not enough time!"

"Well I guess I could carry you then . . ." She said doubtfully.

When he didn't protest, she balanced him on her back and took off in the direction of home. Huh? That's funny- when did she start thinking of it as home? She wondered silently to herself.

Well, it turned out that Zetsu was just as heavy as he looked, so she quickly had to stop and rest. Soon she found a small patch of dirt that wasn't covered in snow and so she slid him off her back carefully and placed him on the ground next to her.

"Geez, Zetsu-senpai, no offense but you seriously need to think about your diet. Maybe you should go for the skinnier ones, ya know?"

He didn't answer

"Eh- Zetsu-senpai?"

Silence.

"Oh, come on! I was only joking! You can eat as many fat people as you want," When he didn't answer that she finally looked over at him.

Well no wonder he wasn't answering. He seemed to have fallen asleep. Curiously she crept up next to him. Yoko had never seen him asleep before; he looked a lot more innocent like this- almost cute. She smiled at him fondly.

Oh wait; I should be healing him now, shouldn't I?

She leaned in to get a better look at the wounds; being careful not to touch the leaves- she had a feeling that they weren't only for show. As she went about examining the wound and healing it, she had a feeling that she was being watched.

Maybe if I can just finish healing Zetsu-senpai we can fight together. That plan was immediately ruined when a noise behind her caused her to jump and brush one of Zetsu's leaves. Instinctively, she jumped back, landing in a crouch a few feet away. The leaves snapped shut.

Whew! That was close!

Then she remembered the sound she had heard and whipped around, but it was too late. She managed to glimpse a figure a few meters away from her before she was promptly slammed, face first, into the ground.

"So you are the ones who assassinated our lord!" Someone was sitting on her back, "Well what do you have to say for yourself?"

"I -I don't know what you're talking about!" She attempted lamely.

"Liar!" A sharp pain ran across her cheek. A cut. She felt a liquid drip from it.

"Yo," The other ninja called, "This is the one who did it, not the woman,"

"Yeah," A third voice chuckled, "Looks like he's already dead, though,"

There was a thud. Yoko gasped. They had kicked him. Rage welled up inside her chest, "Leave him alone!"

The one that was on top of her leaned in until he was speaking into her ear. She shuddered as his sticky, foul breath clung to her skin, "You're not in any position to be making demands. I'd watch my mouth if I were you,"

"What organization are you and your friend here with?" One of them walked up to stand in front of her. She only lay there, very still. There was no way she would betray her friends. Besides, she didn't feel like talking. Her back was beginning to ache from the weight of the icky-breathed man on top of her.

"Oi- I'm talking to you, woman!"

Yoko screamed as his foot struck her in the face. They took turns beating her until they realized that she wasn't going to talk.

"Hey, where did the other one go?" One of the others asked in surprise, indicating Zetsu.

"What? I don't know- I would have noticed if he had gotten up and ran away,"

"You!" One of them grabbed her by her hair and lifted her up until she was nose to nose with him, "Where did he go?"

"How am I supposed to know?" She shot back, earning herself a fist to the stomach. He dropped her to the ground again. They didn't bother restraining her now- they knew she was stunned. She knew it, too, though it infuriated her. She watched helplessly as they left to scout the area.

She wondered where Zetsu-senpai had gone. He wouldn't abandon me, would he? She felt sad at this thought and hoped it wasn't the case. She had grown to like him. True, he was rather distant and quiet, and anything nice his light personality said was countered by something mean from his dark personality, but he was rather charming in his own way. If he was planning to rescue her, she hoped it would be soon; her vision was blurring in and out. And the snow was beginning to melt and creep into her jacket.

Suddenly, she heard a scream followed by cries of anger, agony, fear and a number of other disconcerting sounds. This made Yoko feel rather sick. She closed her eyes trying to block out the disturbing racket. Instead she concentrated on the numbness that had consumed her face and was now working through her jacket to the rest of her body.

The next thing she remembered was a voice. It was a very pretty voice, she thought, but it sounded so sad. No- wait, there were two voices.

"Yoko-chan, Wake up!"

"Damn it, girl, answer me!"

I'm trying! She wanted to shout. She wanted to, but she couldn't move her body. Or speak at all. However, she slowly began to regain feeling. She realized that someone was holding her. She could feel hands on her face, her arms and her hands. Eventually she managed to open her eyes.

The sky overhead was dark and filled with stars. Though it was beautiful, the trees towering above her were just creepy. A man was hanging over her. At first it seemed to her like he was an angel. Then she realized it was Zetsu. When he realized she had woken up, there was an instant when his face lit up with pure joy and relief.

Then it was gone and he was glaring at her, "Stupid girl, you almost got yourself killed!"

"But I-!" She started to protest, then thought better of it, "Sorry. . . " Yoko wouldn't make excuses for herself. Zetsu-senpai was really upset, she thought, remembering the sorrowful voices.

He made an effort to keep glaring at her, but his gaze softened anyway.

He sighed, "Alright, but-," He paused and turned away from her; then said, almost inaudibly, "Be more careful next time,"

She smiled at him sheepishly and busied herself with healing the cuts and bruises all over her body. It didn't work very well because her chakra was pretty depleted she managed to get the most vital things healed up. Now the only thing to worry about was whether or not they would freeze to death.