Ichiko grabbed the Akatsuki-designed bandana and tied it firmly around his forehead. "There, now I'm part of the pack, better?"

Kakuzu snorted, but said nothing as he waved him off. The seven year old grabbed a chunk of his ankle length red hair and stroke it gently as he left the room. He didn't fail to hear the 'transgender screw-up' before exiting. It didn't both him none, because not a minute after he left, there was an explosion.

"ICHIKO!"

Ichiko whistled an innocent tone as he rounded the corner. 'Now, time to find something to eat!' Patting his bare stomach, he frowned. 'What to eat though...'

Stupid Konan had thrown away the buck he had spent all sundown tracking and whacked him over the head! 'Master would've been pleased...' He thought sourly, cautiously heading down the stairs.

"Hey, Ichiko!" Turning his head, he frowned even further.

"What Fishy?"

Fishy, aka Kisame, narrowed his eyes slightly. "Leader-sama says your presence is needed on the top floor in the office."

"...What?"

He facepalmed, "Just follow me baka."

Ichiko turned his back to the shark. "I'm going to eat, I'll talk to Alpha afterwards." He said simply. Kisame shook his head, knowing if that happened, Leader-sama would go on a spree. And it wasn't a shopping spree. He would have to resort to physical support and drag Ichiko to Leader-sama's office.

He grabbed Ichiko by the wrist, and ignoring his startled yelp, threw him over his shoulder. "Let go of me fish dung!" The boy shouted.

Kisame used the body flicker technique and appeared infront of the office, approximately four levels higher. Ichiko gawked.

"How'd you do that?!" He demanded the moment he was put down. "Only Master knows that!"

Kisame opened the door and ushered him in. "Later."

The boy stumbled slightly, but gained his footing and stood upright. There across the desk was the leader of the Akatsuki, he just called him Mr. Alpha.

"Hiya Mr. Alpha!"

The Alpha male rolled his eyes at the name(he didn't get how it was rude) and shifted a few white squares on his desk. "You have been brought here to be told of your new partner." He informed deadpinned. "You have met Zetsu am I correct?"

Ichiko's face twisted into sheer horror. "That ugly plant man?!" He said in disbelief. "I ain't gonna be his partner! I'll be Itachi's partner instead!"

"Kisame's Itachi's partner."

The boy shivered, then glared. "You're fighting on slick ground Mr. Alpha." He growled, sounding like a growling wolf.

"That is exactly why you've been made Zetsu's partner. You have excellent mimicking abilites and you know the wilderness like the back of your hand. You'll make a perfect spy."

"A what?"

Leader-sama hissed in irritation. "A spy is someone who sneaks around and secretly gathers information. Get it?"

Ichiko nodded slowly, not getting it at all. "Yes...?"

"A room has been prepared, now go there and make it as comfortable as you want. There will be now missions for you until you are trained properly. If you have any questions, ask Zetsu."

"I don't know where the room is..."

"Down the hall, take a right, another right, then a left." He answered pointing to the door. "Now leave!"

He pulled open the door and stepped halfway out before turning his head. "Which is my right again?"

xXx

Ichiko sat on the porch of the house or whatever it's called as he tied another knot. Konan had been nice enough to get him a ton of something called jute twine. It was a lot more sturdy than the other rope he'd use for the hammak in the forest.

Using his teeth to bite through, he tied up another knot.

"You know you'll ruin your teeth like that."

Ichiko glanced over his shoulders. "Hi Mr. Snake man." He said, turning back to what he was doing. "What you doing here?"

Orochimaru took a seat on the wooden flooring. "I've been sent to make sure you aren't getting into any mischief."

"Mistif?"

"Mischief: It means to get into trouble."

He snorted. "I don't get into no trouble!" He tightened the knot on his Akatsuki cloth that was wrapped around his forehead. "Everyone here's just to mean!"

"Or maybe you're just to wild." Orochimaru mused. Ichiko's hair bristled, very much similar to a cat. "That better be nice." He threatened.

The snake raised an eyebrow. "Nevermind, just ignore me and continue on with what you're doing."

Ichiko stared at him long and hard before shrugging and going back to work. And within a half and hour, he had woven himself a large net. Raising to his feet, he glanced over at Orochimaru who was surpringly still there.

Only difference was, he was sleeping.

'Who sleeps sitting up?' He wondered, stepping past him and heading on back into the house.

"Great, you're here." Zetsu growled as Ichiko stepped inside the room.

"Yes, I am here, and now shut up." He replied cooley, strapping the net up. Afterwards he climbed on and grinned. "Now it feels like the forest!"

"Yes, putting dirt all over the floor and covering it with leaves and grass is sooo smart." Black Zetsu said sarcastically. "Now all you gotta do is plants some trees and you'll feel at home in no time!"

"Fox dung." The seven year old muttered, "You can't plant trees inside. At least in my home I could! I planted yummy berries and and berries that made those darn intruders go to sleep!"

"As in died?"

"NO! Master says you only kill for food and to protect yourself!" Ichiko roared, flipping off his hammock and landing on the 'foresty' ground.

"Hate to break it to you kid, but you're gonna have to kill people."

"Especially when spying." White Zetsu added. "'If you're caught, you have to kill that person in order to stay hidden."

"Well then, I just won't get caught." Ichiko answered, stretching out like a star. "Why can't I live outside?"

"Stop asking stupid questions."

"Then stop being stupid!" He snapped, throwing a clod of dirt at him.

"Why you little!"

A clock clonked him on the head. "HEY!" He held up the device.

Click click click

His eyes widened, all thoughts of throwing it back, gone.

"What is...what is it?!"

"A clock."

"What the hell else would it be?"

"What does it do?" He asked, shaking it.

"Tells time."

"Time...?" He remembered Konan and a few others mentioning something about this 'time', but he never saw it up until now. "What are those little things on it?"

"Numbers, kami kid you really were raised in the forest!"

"And the ironey is HE'S in the Akatsuki." White Zetsu added.

"Numbers..." Ichiko rolled over and pushed himself up. "What is the snake looking one called?"

Zetsu snorted. "Go ask Konan!"

"And get outta my hair!"

"And I thought badgers were rude." The red head muttered, racing out of the room, clock still in hand. He wanted to know what those 'numbers' were.

"Alphena!" He called running through the gloomy halls. "Where are youuuuuu?!"

Skidding to a halt, he sniffed the air. "There she is!" He said, running down the hall and into her room. "In that bathroom thing again..."

He frowned.

Then ran towards the door.

He kicked the door of it's hinges and held up the clock. "Alphena teach me how numbers!" He hollored. Alphena, aka Konan, who was currently sitting in the bathtub, let out a startled shriek and made an attempt to cover up.

"Get out Ichiko!"

He tilted his head. "Why?"

"Get out!"

"Teach me numbers!"

"OUT!" A bar of pink smacked him in the face, followed by various other objects.

"GYAAAAH!" He screamed, dodging as he ran. "Evil Alphena!"

Slamming open the window, he rolled out and ran across the roof. Rain pounded down on him and he couldn't hear the ticking noises anymore.

"Clock?" He pressed it firmly against against his ear.

Nothing.

"It's dead!" He gasped, jumping off the roof and landing...on someone...

"THE HELL?!"

"Woody!" Ichiko bolted to his feet and held the clock out. "It's not breathing!" He said in a panicky voice.

Woody, aka Sasori, shook his head. "It isn't alive you twit, it never was."

"OH NO I KILLED A SPIRIT!" The seven year old pressed the clocked against his chest and bolted into the forest, crying out for forgiviness or something along the lines.

Sasori shook his head once more before entering the base. He passed a sleeping Orochimaru and cocked an eyebrow. 'This day keeps getting weirder and weirder.'

xXx

"Where the hell is my clock?!"

Ichiko sniffled, wiping his misty eyes with a muddy hand. "In a better place."

"Don't tell me you put it outside?!"

The red head was drenched and from the elbow to fingertips were covered in mud. His legs weren't much better.

"I killed spirit..."

"A what?"

"I didn't mean to..."

"Are you talking about the clock?"

He hugged himself. "Yeah. But I burried it. The spirit will not follow me."

"There was no spirit to begin with you dumbass! It's like electricity, moves and glows, but isn't alive!"

Ichiko blinked. "Really? So I didn't kill a spirit?"

"I can't do this, I don't care if I have to beg on my hands and knees-I can't have this...this thing as my partner."

As Zetsu sunk into the ground, Ichiko dropped to the dirt/leaved floor and started to roll around. "What in the seven hells are you doing?!" He glanced up to find Konan storming over towards him.

"Drying off, what's it to you?"

Konan grabbed him by his long hair and dragged him into the bedroom's bathroom. "We are humans, not animals." She scolded, filling the tub up. "Now you use this pink bar to wash your body and this bottle for your hair, got it?"

Ichiko glared as she set a towel and some clothes down. "And when you're done, dry off with this and put these on!"

Then with a scowl, the Alphena closed the door behind her. Ichiko undid the headband and glared at the door as he undressed and got in.

The water was warm and he sat there, wondering vaguely what he was suppose to do. He grabbed the bottle of shampoo and stared, thinking back to when Konan had given him a bath.

He popped it and took a whiff.

"It smells like the rosemary Master use to coat our net with!" He exclaimed to himself, "And mint leaves too!"

Holding the bottle over his head, he squirted. He then commenced and scrubbed his head violently.

xXx

Konan stood outside of the bathroom. She took a deep breath and entered, preparing to see the worse.

Surprising there was a fully(he was shirtless) dressed Ichiko. He was crouched on the counter, glaring at himself in the mirror.

"Ichiko, what are you-"

"Shh! He'll hear you!" The seven year old snapped. He turned back to the mirror and glared once more.

Konan facepalmed. "It's called a mirror, it reflects your image." To show her point, she stepped out infront of it. The boy fell off the counter and scooted against the wall.

"THERE'S ANOTHER ONE!"

"No you idiot!" The kunoichi snapped, heaving him up back on the counter. She pointed to the mirror. "It copies your movement...sorta..."

There wasn't any other way to explain it to him.

"Why would you have somethin' like that?" He asked, waving to himself. "Seems useless."

"It's so you know what you look like."

"That's stupid."

"I don't care know common, it's dinner time." She grabbed his wrist and dragged him out.

"Are we having that curry stuff again?" He asked, stopping, which have her stumble backwards.

"Yes," She lied, "Now hurry up or-"

"CURRYYYYYY!" Ichiko was out the door before she could even finish.

Alphena=the alpha male's mate. :D

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