• Shikamaru stood in front of the three criminals, his legs spread apart and his arms crossed in front of his chest. His eyes showed deep thinking, as if he was looking for the words to say to them. Mitsuko trembled and almost collapsed at Hidan's feet as he nudged her in front of him to face her father.

    Her father sighed and lit a cigarette to relieve his stress. Mitsuko now wondered for the first time in her life how many cigarettes he had smoked.

    "Do you know what you just did, Mitsuko?" Shikamaru started, a hint of anger and disappointment in his voice. Mitsuko flinched, he had never talked to her that way before. "Do you know the amount of trouble you are in?"

    "No, papa," Mitsuko replied, letting go of Hidan's clothes. There was no need to lean on him.

    "First off, you have proven the Black Ops suspicions that you were somehow behind the last two murders. Secondly, you performed the forbidden jutsu of necromancy! Mitsuko, what have I told you over and over again about forbidden jutsus?! Third, you revived a criminal and aided two of them in crime. Do you see now, the amount of trouble you are in?" Shikamaru stood in front of her now within arm's reach.

    She nodded, not wanting to say a word or else, she thought she would cry.

    "Maybe I was not hard enough on you," Shikamaru sat down on the coffee table. "Maybe because your mother died, I felt that sometimes, I had to play that role of security and comfort instead of strict rules all of the time. Maybe that's why you aren't as disciplined as your brother?" He seemed to be talking outloud but Mitsuko held it all back by biting her tongue.

    "Now that you guys are wanted criminals, you need to flee from here. Hidan, I want you to take care of Mitsuko. I'll pack some supplies but you have to go quickly."

    "Well, it'll be slower travelling with these two kids so I'm heading out now," Kakuzu said, heading for the back door, still in a white bed sheet.

    "Kakuzu, wait!" Hidan shouted after him, "You have to come with us, you can make the money."

    "I thought you hated money," Kakuzu sneered.

    "Yeah but, it's inevitable. You need money to get by anymore. I just hate having to kill for that reason," Hidan explained.

    Mitsuko fell face first in the couch, wishing she was somewhere else at the moment as someone else and not a criminal. It had all happened so fast, she didn't think once about what she was doing.

    "Please, Kakuzu," Hidan begged.

    Shikamaru came back with a pack and shoved it towards Hidan.

    "Come on, Mitsuko. You guys are leaving out the back," Shikamaru said almost emotionless. Her brother stood beside him.

    "I don't want to leave," Mitsuko whimpered as she followed the group out the door. She wanted to stay home with her family and forget about everything.

    Shikamaru handed something to Kakuzu. "Some clothes," he grunted and Kakuzu snatched them from him. While Hidan and Mitsuko were facing Shikamaru and Haru, Kakuzu quickly put the clothes on.

    "I'll try to convince the Hokage that you aren't a criminal, Mitsuko, and that you were kidnapped but you have to flee from the Fire Country. There will be wanted signs and bounties on your heads. It's best if you go to another country. I'll try to keep in contact with you," When Kakuzu stood up and faced him, totally clothed and not nude, Shikamaru smirked, "And if you return my daughter to me when it's safe, I'll give you some money."

    Kakuzu grinned. He'd be willing to do almost anything for money.

    "What's in it for me?" Hidan asked, putting his hands on his hips.

    "Nothing 'cause you were the cause of my daughter's troubles!" Shikamaru pointed in his face.

    "Damn it," Hidan sighed and adjusted the pack on his shoulder.

    "Okay, enough said. You all better get going," Shikamaru said when he heard running and shouting.

    "Papa..." Mitsuko cried and hugged him.

    "Don't worry, Mitsuko. We'll be right there with you the whole time," Shikamaru whispered as he brushed her long black hair with his hand. She pulled away and hugged Haru.

    "Make dad proud," he whispered to her, patting her back.

    Mitsuko sniffed and walked back beside Hidan.

    "Can you run fast?" Kakuzu asked her. She shook her head. She was the slowest in her class. Kakuzu sighed and squatted down, putting his hands at his sides. "Get on," he mumbled.

    Mitsuko reluctantly crawled onto his back and held on to his shoulders. He held her up by her legs and stood straight. He was so creepy and Mitsuko could feel large bumps coming out of his back.

    "Ready?" Kakuzu asked Hidan.

    "I've been ready," Hidan smirked. Really, he had, he had just been waiting for the perfect time to ditch this place.

    Mitsuko glanced back at her father and brother. Haru waved with a supporting smile as her father stood there, smug. She knew he wanted to smoke a cigarette so bad, but this wasn't a good time. He probably didn't want her to remember her last moments of him smoking a cigarette but she did. That's how she'll always remember him.

    Suddenly, Kakuzu and Hidan leaped into the trees and she couldn't see her family anymore. Jumping from tree branch to tree branch, Mitsuko had to wrap her arms around Kakuzu's chest so she wouldn't fall off. She could smell the ebalming fluid they had put in him to preserve his body. It made her sick, combined with the random leaping and landing heavily on branches that vibrated when you stood on them.