Puppets As Partners

"You did it again?" Pain rubbed his temples. "Why?"

No answer.

"Why, Sasori? It's your third one this month. You're almost as bad as Kakuzu."

The redhead stared defiantly at a stretch of wall slightly to the right of Pain's head.

"He was annoying."

"So what? Finding new members is not easy, Sasori, you can't dispose of them just because they're irritating."

"I don't dispose of them," Sasori defended himself, "I still have them."

"Puppets do not count as partners."

"Tch."

"Okay," sighed Pain, "here's what we'll do. I'm going to give you a new partner, but so you appreciate how difficult they are to come by, you're going to go and fetch him yourself. And I'm sending Kisame and Itachi with you. They're an example of good partnership, maybe you'll learn something from them."

Sasori snorted scornfully.

"This is the one," Pain continued, ignoring the reaction and handing Sasori a file. "And it's a good one, so if you kill him, you can consider yourself banished."

"Hn." Sasori glanced at the file, his eyes widening in surprise. "I'm getting a little girl as partner?!"

"It's not a girl," said Pain wearily. "Now get going."