Pein, Konan, and Zetsu were gathered in the living. Zetsu and Konan were lounging on the couch, staring at the auburn-haired man before them, eye sometimes traveling to the books lying on the coffee table between him and them. "Pein, what are we doing here?" Konan asked, folding a sheet of bright green paper into a small dog.

"This had better be good. We're ready to listen. As long as you keep it short."

"Alright, I'll explain," Pein said, clearing his throat. "Now, as you two know, I've wanted to build an organization for a while (twin groans were heard from the two teens, only to be quickly silenced by a glare from Pein) and I've had trouble figuring out how to do it."

"Ain't that the truth," Konan muttered, making Zetsu smirk.

"ANYWAY," Pein went on, "it finally hit me what we have to do. In two days, school will start. We're all going to be sophomores; and, by default, the closest to the incoming freshmen. That's where we'll get our members."

Konan raised her hand, frowning. "Yes dear?" The man asked.

"Pein, exactly how do you plan on convincing a bunch of cocky punks to join this organization you're wanting to make?"

The standing man smiled. "Konan, I'll answer that question with a question. What is the one thing that every teenager, no matter their upbringing, intelligence, size, or anything else, wants from their peers?"

Konan furrowed her brow, stopping her origami as she thought. Finally, she finished folding the dog, and set it on the coffee table. "Acceptance," she stated as she grabbed a red piece of paper.

"Correct! Now, besides that, kids have grown up hearing that high school is the best time of their life, right?"

Konan smirked and Zetsu snorted, making Pein smile and nod. "We know that's a load of bull. High school's just fine, if you can make good grades, join a lot of clubs, become super popular, and be Mr. Wonderful who dates Mary Sue and is going to get a full ride to college. To the rest of us, it's a living hell."

"Get to the point!"

"I was!" Pein snapped. "The people who are trapped in the hell of high school are outcasts. Those few students who think differently, look different, aren't what the rest of the world wants. They're better, yet stepped on as if they were common dirt. These teens are unwanted, loathed, and alone." A sadistic grin crossed Pein's face. "That's where we come in.

We provide the teens with acceptance, as long as they join our organization. They're surrounded by people who are just like them, which provides security. Finally, their unique 'talents', will help us to gain control of what we want. If we play our cards right, we'll have the whole school by the throat at the end of the year."

Konan and Zetsu could only stare in silence at their leader. "You know, I think it might work," Konan began.

"It's crazy. Then again, whoever said crazy was bad…I like it."

"Good," Pein continued, picking up two books and tossing one to each of his friends. "Then start combing through those."

"Pein, are these yearbooks?" Konan asked, setting aside her origami to flip through the pages.

"Yup, and don't ask how I got them," the leader answered, handing her and Zetsu pens. "The high school gets all the students coming in from the three local junior high schools around here. That means we're looking at about 450 kids to go through. You both can pick two that you want to draft."

"Pein, that's take all night!" Zetsu cried.

"Not really. All you have to do is focus on the eighth grade pages. Cross out any pictures of students who appear in any sports or club pictures. In fact, cross out any kids that appear in those cheesy 'standing-in-the-hall-talking-with-my-friends' photos. Remember, we want kids that come to us because they have nothing else." Zetsu and Konan nodded, and Pein grabbed the third yearbook. The search began.

Things remained relatively quiet in the house, save for the occasions sounds of pages being turned, and the soft sound of pen on paper, mostly crossing out photos instead of circling them. Finally, after a good 2 hours of work, the three were done.

"Alright," Pein said, "let's see what we've got. Konan, you can start."

"Alright," she answered, opening her yearbook. "The first one I picked is a kid named Sasori. Sasori Akasuna, to be more exact."

Pein eyed the student's photo and raised a brow. "Why him?"

"Well, I wasn't sure at first what to look for, so I saw his picture and just started looking through the snapshots in the back of the yearbook. I saw one picture with him-"

"That automatically disqualifies him," Zetsu pointed out.

"NO! See, that picture. Look," Konan demanded, finger pointing to a small picture.

The photo itself was normal enough; a group of preppy girls outside the school, smiling and posing for the camera. Sasori was sitting in the background, leaned against a tree with a stern look on his face. Pein stared at it for a few moments, then noticed something in the redhead's hands. "Is that…?"

"Yes, it is," Konan answered softly.

Sasori was carving a block of wood.

"That's interesting," Pein murmured, thinking. "I doubt many other kids around here have that kind of interest. Are you sure he's not in any clubs?"

"Yup. His yearbook picture and that photo are the only time he shows up in here."

"I'll accept that. Zetsu?" the schizo nodded, and Pein turned back to Konan. "You're other choice?"

"This guy. He's name Kakuzu Bernat." Pein looked at the photo.

The kid looked normal enough; minus a pair of creepy green eyes. "He looks like he wants to kill me."

"That's why I think he won't have a lot of friends," Konan explained. "Furthermore, no club or sports shots, even though he looks like he could take out a whole football team on his own."

"I see. Ok, those two are yours. Zetsu?"

The schizo held up his yearbook, and Pein saw that his choices were side by side. "Itachi and Madara 'Tobi' Uchiha. Care to explain?"

"Tobi is a common name. But have you ever heard someone called Madara? It's weird. He has a nickname to blend in with people. Apparently it doesn't work very well, because the little brat's got a mask on too!"

"And the other?"

"Look at the lines under his eyes. Too perfect to be birthmarks, or scars put there by someone else. Self-inflicted wounds could mean he's alone and depressed. Perfect for us to use."

"Ok, add two Uchihas to the list. Now, for my picks." Pein spun his yearbook around for the others to see. "The first one is Deidara Iwa."

"Pretty girl," Konan remarked.

"Look closer. That's a boy."

The origami creator's eyes went wide. "Oh my god, you're right!"

"You want a cross-dresser here?"

"No, I want outcasts. And I'm guessing this kid fits the bill. My other choice is Kisame Hoshigaki." Konan and Zetsu looked over the blue-skinned kid, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that he probably wasn't too popular.

"Is that it?" Konan asked.

"Not quite," Pein replied. "I want an even ten people in this organization. Everyone'll have a…partner, I guess. Someone to second guess their stupid choices, stay with them when the rest of us can't, keep them in check, be a near opposite of them in fact…"

"A ying for their yang?" Konan asked, smirking.

"Yes. We can work out who will have whom later-"

"AHEM!"

"Konan, sweetie, you know you'll be with me."

"I'd better," Konan growled darkly.

"Anyhow," Pein said hurriedly, "I pulled a list of all the kids who have to transfer in from other schools. Once again, don't ask where I got the list. There are a total of 22 students who aren't from the surrounding schools that will start at Konoha High School. 10 are from out of town and just moved here, 7 moved across town and into the zone for KHS, and 4 transferred in due to bullying issues from other schools."

"That still leaves one," Zetsu pointed out.

"And that one has a very interesting reason for starting here," Pein replied, smiling. He held up a small piece of paper, with a list of names written on it. One was circled. "Hidan Neco."

"What's so special about this kid?"

"For one thing, He's a Jashinist. Ever heard of them?" Zetsu and Konan shook their heads. "Neither have I. They're a small religious sect, bent on destruction and pain. A teacher that made the mistake of calling his religion a 'freakish cult' nearly had his eyes gouged out with a mechanical pencil."

"Ouch," Konan said, wincing.

"My sentiments exactly. He's had several messy run-ins with the students in his grade, most of which have ended in trips to the nurses office on both sides. He's coming here for the sake of preserving the lives of those children. They're hoping a new school, where he starts out at the bottom of the food chain, will help mellow him out."

"That's where we come in, right?" Zetsu asked.

"Exactly." Pein tore out the photos in the yearbook and quickly scrawled the names beneath the pictures. "You each are responsible for the kids you picked. Don't tell them anything about our organization; just mingle and try to draw them in. We can worry about bringing them here later."

"Hey, Pein?" Konan asked, raising her hand again.

"Yes?"

"What are we even going to call this group?"

Pein paused, thinking, before snapping his fingers. "Akatsuki. From this moment on, we are Akatsuki."

"Works for me," Konan stated. Zetsu merely shrugged, indicating that he'd accepted the name.

"Good. In that case, we attack at dawn!"

"But school doesn't open until 7," Konan pointed out.

"And it doesn't even start for two more days," Zetsu added.

"…I knew that."