What it Takes to Love Someone

  Tobi struggled weakly in Zetsu’s hold as he was carried into a mansion.  Zetsu only tightened his grip, sobbing into the boy’s hair.

  “I’m so sorry, Tobi…” Zetsu whispered.  “So sorry…”

  “Tobi thought that we were friends…”

  Zetsu choked on his sobs, crying harder.  “I…  I thought so, too…”

  Madara chuckled and leant down to whisper in Tobi’s ear.  “You don’t want to be Zetsu’s friend because he’s such a freak.  And he always cries.  Weak people like him don’t deserve anyone.”

  Tobi whimpered.  “He does, too!  Everyone deserves friends!”

  Madara slapped Tobi across the face, hard enough to leave a large red mark and reduce the boy to tears. 

  “I don’t know what kind of discipline Itachi gives you,” Madara said, deadly quiet, “but I do not tolerate people who raise their voices at me.  Do you know the secret, yet?”

  Tobi nodded reluctantly.  “Yes…”

  “Good.  You’ll begin addressing me as Madara-sama.  Zetsu will bring you your food and take care of you.  We’ll all have so much fun together, Tobi – you’ll love it here.”

  Tobi whimpered again.  “Tobi wants to go home…”

  “This is home now, Tobi.  Zetsu, take him into his new room and help him settle in.  Once he’s settled we’ll begin our… games.”

  “Yes, Madara…” Zetsu whispered.  He took Tobi further into the mansion and up the huge staircase.  On what was the third floor, they arrived before two huge double doors.

  Tobi had sobbed the entire way, clutching Zetsu tightly.  Zetsu himself was upset – he knew why Madara wanted Tobi, and he also knew how much Tobi loved his cousins.  The boy could never settle in here – especially with what Madara wanted.

  Zetsu wiped his tears away before opening one door and entering the room.  If Tobi hadn’t been so heartbroken at his abduction, he would have gasped in awe – the room was larger than Itachi’s entire house!

  “Do you want to lie down?” Zetsu whispered. 

  Tobi nodded.  He thanks Zetsu once he was on the most comfortable mattress he had ever laid on.  The elder pulled the black silk covers over him.

  Zetsu pointed to another door.  “That’s your bathroom, Tobi.  And see this?” He pointed to a baby monitor on the bedside table.  “That’s so we can hear if you’re okay.  If you need anything, just call and I’ll come up right away.  …That’s about it, I guess…  You’ve got your own TV…  Just give me a call.”

 Tobi nodded, sniffling.  He reached out to Zetsu, wanting a hug.  The green-haired male smiled sadly before leaning down to hug him.

  “I’m so sorry, Tobi…” Zetsu whispered.  “I swear that I didn’t want this…  If I didn’t do it, Madara would have killed us all…”

  Tobi sniffled, wiping tears away.  “Is Zetsu-san and Tobi still friends…?”

  Zetsu smiled at Tobi.  “Only if you still want to be…”

  “Tobi does…”

  “Then I do, too.” Zetsu kissed Tobi’s forehead.  “I know that I could never match up to Itachi or Deidara – or even Sasuke and Kisame – but I do care about you, Tobi, and I’ll try my best to look after you here.  Just…  Madara has planned some terrible stuff for both of us, so no matter what he makes us do together, just now that I don’t want to do it.”

  Tobi nodded.  “Tobi can tell that Zetsu-san is a nice, gentle person.  Tobi won’t take anything he does to Tobi personally.”

  “Thank you, Tobi…  I had better go now and make dinner for us…  Is there anything you want to eat?”

  Tobi shook his head.  “Tobi isn’t hungry…  Tobi’s heart hurts too much to be hungry…”

  Zetsu lowered his head.  “I see…  Well, I’ll come back after dinner and see how you’re doing…”

  “Okay, Zetsu-san.”

  -XX-

  Fugaku sat in the living room chair, waiting for Itachi and Kisame to return.  They were due in about a half-hour.  He had a bone to pick with his eldest son.

  Sasuke and Deidara hadn’t stopped crying for all of the hours that the police had investigated.  Sasuke had eventually brought himself out of his locked room and left to go to Naruto’s but Deidara couldn’t do such a thing – he had to stay and talk to the police as well as wait for Kisame and Itachi.

  Finally, Kisame’s car pulled up in the driveway.  Itachi and Kisame entered the house only moments later.  Itachi had obviously been bawling his eyes out and Kisame appeared to have been crying as well – his face was red.

  “Itachi, Kisame…” Fugaku got to his feet.  “…I’m sorry that it has come to this, but I warned you that no good would come out of keeping Tobi.  We warned you that the second he turned thirteen he was to go to Madara, but you didn’t listen.  If you had done as told, this wouldn’t have happened.  You can only blame yourselves, Itachi.”

  Itachi gripped Kisame’s hand tightly.  “Unlike you, father,” Itachi hissed the title, “I love my family and want to protect them.  You’re the chief of police and yet you’re willing to hand Tobi over to a monster!  You know what Madara’s like!  You’ve seen what he’s done to others!  And yet, you’re the one to cover his ass every time!”

  “Associating yourself with freaks will only get you alienated, Itachi!” Fugaku yelled.  Itachi knew that he was referring to Zetsu.  “We have no leads on who kidnapped Tobi, but I assure you that I really do not care!”

  “That’s your nephew!” Itachi yelled back.  “And my cousin!  If I have to find Tobi myself, I will!  All you care about is how well we uphold the Uchiha name!  Well, guess what?!  I’m done with the Uchiha!  And Sasuke will be once he hears about this!  The Uchiha are nothing but slimy, egotistical, power-hungry bastards!  We three are the only decent Uchiha out there!”

  Fugaku punched his son in the face.  Kisame snarled.  He would have loved nothing more than to rip apart whoever dared harm his lover, but he knew that it was best to let these two sort it out – if he did anything, Fugaku would take the opportunity to throw him behind bars.

  Fugaku’s eyes watched as Itachi raised a hand to his bloodied face.  He only just noticed the ring.

  “The fuck, Itachi?!” Fugaku screamed in disgust.  “I can’t stand the thought of you being with Kisame – and the thought of you marrying him repulses me!  We raised you to be straight, and this is how you repay us?!  You’re no longer my son, Itachi!  From now on, we have nothing to do with each other!  Forget Tobi – he’s dead to us, and so are you and Sasuke!  I am no father or uncle anymore!”

  With that, Fugaku stormed into the house.  The two watched as he got into the cruiser and sped away.

  Kisame turned back to his fiancé.  He pulled Itachi’s hand from his face, leaning down to get a closer look.  “Oh, Angel…  He broke your nose…”

  “I don’t care about that, Kisame.” Itachi took Kisame’s hand.  “I care about Tobi.  Kisame, please don’t take what he said personally…  I don’t care what he thinks – I love you so much, Kisame, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you…”

  Kisame pulled Itachi close to him, kissing the younger man on the neck.  “I know, Itachi.  Same here.  He can say what he wants, but he won’t ever make me change my mind about you.  Let’s go look for your cousin.”

  Itachi smiled.  “Thank you, Kisame.”

  “Not a problem, Angel.  Will we get to have amazing cheer-up-Itachi sex tonight?”

  Itachi blushed and playfully slapped Kisame’s cheek.  “Perhaps.”

  “Love you, Angel.” Kisame whispered as the two left the house once more.

  -XX-

  Tobi hid under the blankets as Zetsu’s screams echoed around the mansion.  It seemed – from what he could gather from words – Zetsu had burnt dinner so Madara was punishing him with the belt.

  “Itachi!” Tobi whimpered as he heard something break downstairs.  Zetsu’s pained screams and cries started over again.

  Zetsu’s cried died down a while after the crash.  Tobi had assumed that Madara stopped beating him, but it didn’t mean that Tobi was okay – Tobi was still terrified!

  Tobi sobbed into his pillow as he shook.  He tried to lock himself in his own mind.  He had been successful until someone grabbed his shoulder.  Tobi screamed and looked up at Madara.

  Madara laughed.  “Could hear you crying over the monitor.  Is something the matter, son?”

  Tobi shook his head.  “N-no, M-madara-sama – e-everyt-thing’s fine!”

  “It doesn’t sound that way to me.  Come and have a look around my home – you might feel better settled once you get to know the whole place.  I’m going to help you recover, and once you do, you’ll have to know your way around, right?  After all – I’m never letting you go back to Itachi ever again.”

  Tobi whimpered when Madara picked him up.  He didn’t want to be near Madara at all – he only wanted to go home!  Why did Madara do this to him?!  Why?!  What did he do to suffer so much in life?!  All he had ever done was try to be a good boy!  He was still kind to everyone – even those that had picked on him – and how is he repaid?  By being hit by a fucking truck!

  Madara laughed.  “You’re awfully tense, tonight, Tobi-kun.  Maybe I should help you relax?”

  Tobi didn’t like the sly tone of the elder’s voice – it frightened him terribly.  Burying his face into his father’s shoulder, he tried to ignore everything that Madara said.  One thing had caught his attention, though; get up from the fucking floor, you disgraceful excuse of a human!

  Tobi looked up just in time to see Madara kick Zetsu harshly in the ribs.  Zetsu cried out.  Tobi whimpered – the elder was covered in blood.

  “Don’t you like blood, Tobi?” Madara taunted, noticing the way Tobi paled at the sight.

  “No!” Tobi wailed.

  Madara smirked.  He leant down and covered his hand in Zetsu’s blood.  He raised it to Tobi’s lips, leaving bloody trails across his face.

  “Lick it all up, Tobi.” Madara sneered, forcing his fingers inside the uncooperative Tobi’s mouth.

  Tobi choked and gagged at the taste, crying.  He tried to get Madara’s fingers out of his mouth by thrashing his head – he was too scared to bite Madara.

  Madara chuckled before pulling his digits out and sitting Tobi on the floor.

  “Alright then, guys…” Madara began, clasping his hands together cheerfully.  “…I think that we should just get on with our games – I’m so excited, I can’t wait!”

  Zetsu cried out loudly at the news.  “Please!  No, Madara!”

  Madara grabbed Zetsu and threw him into the wall before pouncing on him and strangling him.

  “What did you say, Zetsu?” Madara hissed.  Zetsu shook his head so Madara squeezed tighter.  “I said; what did you say?!”

  “I-I’m sorry, Madara!  Please, let me go!” Zetsu howled.

  Madara dropped him to the ground.

  “Because of your obedience, Zetsu…” Madara fingered his belt suggestively.  “…I think that I’ll have the first turn of our… game.”