------
Zetsu and TenTen: Forbidden Delicacy
Part 1 - "Fascination"
------
Fresh blood. Zetsu knew that scent anywhere, it was a scent that always made him drool with expectation. For some reason, live prey disgusted him, and he really hoped it was dead this time. He preferred his meals stationary and easy. His enormous plant covered head emerged slowly from the foliage, creeping up on his prey warily. If it was still alive, he would just leave it alone. Keeping to the shadows, he neared the scent, glimpsing a still form near a waterfall. A young female. Was she dead? He approached her unconscious form carefully, checking for a pulse. No, she was still alive.
He mumbled to himself with internal conflict. "What should we do? LET'S KILL HER AND EAT HER. We should help her. I'M HUNGRY. We can eat later. I'M HUNGRY NOW! She's still alive, let's just leave her alone." The girl stirred as he was distracted by his argument, and she looked up at him, squinting and then eyes widening with shock.
"W-what the heck are you supposed to be?" Her eyes drifted down to his black cloak with red clouds. "Akatsuki!" She tried to get up and run, but fell back down. Her training had taken too much out of her.
Zetsu finally slipped out of his conflict, his white side gaining control. He held out his pale hand kindly. "Here, let me help you up. HURRY UP BEFORE I DECIDE TO EAT YOU."
She looked from one side to the other, not sure if she was hallucinating. Were his two sides actually differing in opinion? But with a gulp, she hesitantly took hold of his hand and let herself be helped to her feet. In this strange moment, she looked up at the large plant jaws enclosing his head, and she tentatively reached out to touch the sides. For a moment she couldn't say anything, and he was too startled by her forward nature to protest. As soon as her hand paused on the edge of the jaw, she finally spoke. "Beautiful..."
He was taken aback by this unexpected admiration. Most called him hideous, a freak of nature, a cursed, demon-possessed monster. Yet this girl, this enemy... What could she possibly find beautiful about him? He backed up suddenly, causing her to jump back with apprehension as he tried to comprehend what was going on. Better to do that later in safety. For now he needed to get out of here. He backed up further, but for some reason the girl had forgotten who she was facing, this S-rank criminal and cannibal. When he backed up, she stepped forward, peering closely at his face.
She put out a finger experimentally, brushing down the line that divided the two halves, curious about what he was. He hadn't tried to attack her, but suddenly she remembered that he was still an Akatsuki member, and therefore dangerous. She snatched back her hand with a touch of fear, but he didn't budge. He seemed so intrigued, and to her he looked so mysterious. Her strange curiosity overcame her again and she put her whole hand on the white side of his face, touching his skin, marveling at how smooth it was.
the girl didn't even scream, he thought to himself. Why wasn't he running away? Why didn't he just kill her? Something about her entranced gaze and her curious touch kept him there with rapt attention, gazing down at her with the same inquisitive intensity. For some reason his own pale hand reached out to touch her hand on his face, just keeping it there while he stared. Neither moved for a long, drawn-out moment, too inspired and frozen in the moment by their curiosity. It was a strange, silent pact of coexistence.
------
A/N: Just a little prologue to see if people like this idea. If you do, tell me what you'd like to see next! If not, I'll leave it as one chapter and be done. Your reviews will determine what happens to this piece!