Uh hi.

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Awkward. *winces* ah yeah, that whole going on two months without updating thing... I'M SORRY!

For some reason this chapter did not want to be written. It makes me feel even worse when I get e-mails saying there are people following this as well as other stories and all I do is stare pitifully at the screen thinking 'I'm sorry I'm such a lazy-ass!" DX

Granted that the sophomore workload was a lot more than what I was expecting but I probably had plenty of time to write this. And this is one of the shorter chapters too, gosh guys I'm so sorry! I swear it felt longer when I was writing it!

Anyways, what's done is done. Hopefully I'll be able to write these chapters more quickly now that this turd is out of the way. With all of that said, I hope you enjoy the chapter and please forgive my lateness!

Disclaimer: I'll give Kishimoto one thing, he sure is a hell of a lot better at getting chapters out than I am.

The time she spent confined to the bed in medical room four staring at sterile white walls seemed like an eternity. Hours passed and seemingly had no end. There was nothing to do. No games-not that she would remember how to play any-, no books-could she even read?-, nothing. It was agitating to say the least, being left alone to her thoughts was not something she enjoyed. It left her confused.

There were no fond memories to reflect on. No mistakes she could recall that made her ears burn in shame. There wasn't even a hint of a school-girl crush that would make her heart flutter oddly. These were things she knew of instinctively, but knew nothing about in actuality.

She knew that she was eleven. She knew that she had pink hair. She knew that she had green eyes.

All this had been gathered from Kakuzu when he had been in a particularly good mood. Reclined in a rather comfterable looking chair, taking slow relaxed drags from an expensive cigar and reading the day's news, he had willingly disclosed the information after she had tentatively asked. He had become tight-lipped about anything else but she hadn't minded, she had been happy to enjoy a relatively normal evening with her father-like figure.

Knowing almost nothing about herself though was frightening. Privately, she grieved over the fact that she had no parents, no one to latch onto and call mom and dad.

Sure she had her two adopted relatives but neither had displayed any interest in fulfilling her desires for affection that she desperately craved. Many nights were spent restlessly tossing and turning while silently mourning the loss of a family she had never known.

Did she have brothers or sisters? A younger sibling would have been nice, someone to protect and watch over.

Were there older cousins she could play hide-and-seek with?

An aunt or an uncle who would spoil her?

Grandparents who would give her sweets?

Did she even have friends?

She couldn't remember but an instinctual response deep in her bones told her no and it nearly broke her heart.

Saya was too afraid to ask her father and grandfather these questions that weighed heavily on her mind, for fear they would feel like she didn't love them anymore. So she kept silent, and tried to push the questions coated in despair to the back of her mind.

She received no visitors except for Kakuzu and Hidan and though Saya was extremely fond of the pair, their company was less than pleasent and often left her with the impression that she was one word away from being eaten or worse. They had tolerated the first day of her excited chatter and affectionate endearments but she had been told swiftly after that her bubbly persona was not acceptable in the world they lived in. After hearing of this she had quickly apologized for her lack of manners. The customs she grew up using must have been lost with her memory, she reasoned. Thankfully her apology had been received with a slight pat on the head.

While not knowing the full gist of what being a powerful drug-lord entailed, she had been able to gather that it wasn't a job one would flaunt about in a regular situation. When one of them did visit, she made sure to be on her best behavior. She was quiet and only spoke when spoken to. She was respectful, calling them Otou-sama and Ojii-sama; although, Hidan had strongly protested against his title of grandpa.

Kakuzu had told her it would be at least two more months before she would be able to move around as long as she didn't do anything to strenuous. Which in actuality was a miracle he had said, considering the trauma dealt out to her young body.

Third degree burns covering almost the entirety of her flesh, half of her ribs cracked, the other half nearly crushed into pieces, one broken arm, seven broken fingers, a somewhat severe spinal injury (she had been lucky there, she had almost lost the capability to walk), a shattered femur and grotesquely twisted ankle, and of course: massive head trauma. Oddly enough, her body was healing these wounds at a rapid pace compared to any normal person. However this meant almost nothing to her short attention span. All it meant was she was confined to a bed for two months. An appropriate place to be confined to though, as she was constantly tired.

"It's only been two weeks." She murmured despondently. Emerald eyes slid up and glanced at the dotted ceiling. She puzzled over whether or not her precious Hidan-jii-sama would be visiting her tonight. Last night it had been Kakuzu-otou-sama to visit so that meant it was the silver haired grandpa's turn, but he hardly was one for punctuality and keeping promises to visit.

Just as she was about to start another game of count the speckles on the ceiling, the door slid open. Delight spread across her delicate features and she called out happily.

"Hidan-ojii-sama!"

But it was not Hidan's mocking magenta eyes that stared at her as if her soul was being combed through.

Dark blue eyes widened then narrowed suspiciously as they took in the small person laying on the hospital bed. Saya cocked her head to the side.

"You're not Hidan-ojii-sama." The man swallowed slightly, realizing the grave mistake he had made by entering the off-limits medical room.

"No, I'm not." Silence ensued momentarily. Saya scanned the figure before her intently, the action almost instinctive.

"Then who are you?"

"..."

"..."

"Jun."

Kotomaru Jun had led a happy life once upon a time.

An attractive male in his early twenties and possessing fighting skills nearly unparalleled by any other in the neighboring cities and towns, Jun had been successful and content with his life.

His wife had been a foreigner from a distant European land. Italy, is what she used to call it. She was beautiful: long coffee colored hair, a natural tan to her blemish-free skin, and large expressive dark eyes. She had a perfect body too, one that would make Aphrodite weep with jealously. Giulietta was her name, a name truly fit for a goddess such as herself if you ask him.

Jun had always felt like he used up all his good karma in the world when he meet her. She had been struggling to find something on the menu at a resteraunt nearby the train station, her japanese had been hard to understand with her thick accent and she was constantly switching between italian and japanese.

In a terribly clichéd scenario, he had become her temporary knight-in-shining armor, helping her order off the menu and then giving her directions to the nearest hotel-she had been visiting the country for a modeling opportunity. Needless to say the rest was history.

They had begun dating after he had tentatively asked her out for coffee before he left the resteraunt. Their relationship had progressed quickly, the two being madly in love with each other.

In a matter of months he had popped the question and she joyously accepted. Their wedding had been grand and easily one of the happiest days of Jun's life.

Two years later they had been blessed with a beautiful baby girl who was a perfect mix between her parents, they had named her Alianna

It was during these years that Jun had made the worst mistake of his life.

Fighting was in his blood. Ingrained into his bones. He could never stop, not even if he wanted to. He supported his wife and daughter by fighting in the underground tournaments. A huge mass of illegal activities went hand in hand with the brutal matches. This was a world he tried to keep his precious family from.

Something he failed in doing.

Four years after his daughter was born, Jun was approached by two men who called themselves Kakuzu and Hidan.

Jun was no fool, he may not have been directly involved with the drug and prostitution rings but Kakuzu and Hidan were a terrifying, well-known duo. The drug-lords ruled over almost everything in the underground world. No transaction was made without their approval.

They found him after he had wiped the floor with the reigning champ and asked him to join the ranks as one of the personal guard.

Jun had stupidly mistaken he had a choice in the matter.

He had said no for obvious reasons, these were dangerous people and he didn't want his new family in trouble. Kakuzu had stepped forward and asked him to reconsider with an interesting gleam in his eye.

Once again he refused and the two mysterious men had taken their leave. Hopefully that would be the last time he had to encounter the terrible duo.

A month later, he returned home late in the evening.

"Ah, Kotomaru-san. What a pleasant surprise."

Jun felt his heart stop beating as Kakuzu lounged almost lethargically on his couch and Hidan stood sneering off to the side, pointing a gun at a sobbing Giulietta and trembling Alianna.

Kakuzu gave a tsk of disapproval.

"I thought that you would understand the position I was offering you Kotomaru-san. It would seem that you need a lesson though." The bastard seemed so nonchalant about everything, as if he did this everyday.

Was this such a regular occurrence?

Was he destroying families like it was his own sick hobby?

Every. Damn. Day?

Before he could wonder if it could get any worse, Kakuzu tossed him a gun. Cold steel met sweaty, shaking hands in a dizzying sensation. The weapon shook in his unsteady apendages and he swore that he felt it tremble in excitement within the cradle of his hands as if sensing new blood was going to be spilt.

"Kill them."

Ice. Unwavering. Power. That was Kakuzu's voice. A voice that expected you to obey.

As Jun's frightened mind finally registered the words, he nearly dropped the gun. Hidan cackled with glee at the prospect.

"Best fucking idea I've heard all day!"

"No! Oh Kami, please no!"

Hidan continued his hysterical laughter and Jun felt like he was about to lose his dinner. Kakuzu just continued on in his calm bass as if making a mockery of him.

"If you don't kill them Kotomaru-san, then Hidan will. Let me tell you that suffering will not even be able to begin to describe what they will experience." A broken sob escaped Guilietta's mouth as Jun looked on helplessly.

A revered fighter and he could do nothing? Was this how the mighty fell?

No, he was never mighty to begin with. This was how the damned were punished.

"Papa?" The uncertain voice of Alianna spoke up. Dark, almond-slanted eyes were fixed upon his figure unflinchingly, looking for reassurance from the figure who was supposed to be an unwavering pillow of faith.

Guilietta pulled the girl closer to her lithe form and tucked the small head into her neck.

"Ti amo." She whispered.

Jun's heart shattered and he raised the gun with trembling hands.

The loud bangs seemed to shake the house, the earth, and the very heavens. He felt the bullets ricochet into his heart. He knew that those shots would continue to ring in his head for the rest of his life.

"Excellent choice Jun-san."

Jun came out of his reverie with a start and noticed that the pink haired girl was staring at him curiously.

"Who are you?" She gave him a polite smile and slight bow of the head.

"I am Saya." Saya eyed him suspiciously.

"What should I call you?" Jun's heart clenched, for just a moment he saw chocolate brown instead of pink and inquisitive midnight blue instead of suspicious emerald.

"Just Jun is fine." The girl paused to consider that.

"Jun-nii-sama." She concluded.

It had been just a moment but that was all he needed.

"Ah." He agreed softly.

I hope you enjoyed this tragically short chapter. Bad Kyuu-chan, putting out such short chapters out after such a long period. Honestly.

Questions to answer before you ask:

So google translate tells me that the way to say Juliet in Italian is Guilietta. If this is wrong I apologize but either way Guilietta's intended name it Juliet.

Google translate also tells me that Ti amo means I love you in Italian. If this is wrong, sorry again.

Although this chapter doesn't really involve Saya, we do get some info about her accident and maybe all isn't as it seems, as well as a glimpse of her extreme devotion to Hidan and Kakuzu. Jun is going to become a fairly important character during Saya's time with the terrible duo so it was essential to establish his background. Briefly though much to my disappointment.

I think that's all I have to say.

Please review and encourage me to write longer chapters!