I really wanted to get out a bunch of chapters over summer break, but no ideas were coming. I guess I get my inspiration from the randomness of my friends, and I didn't see them over the break. So there'll probably be more updates now that school's back in.

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In hindsight, the Akatsuki realized, maybe pitting Deidara against Itachi in Wii Sports wasn't the greatest idea ever. They of course knew about his competitive streak towards the raven, but everyone had forgotten just how competitive Deidara could get. After Tobi had nearly been punched out during the boxing round, though it was entirely his fault for getting too close, the others decided to intervene. Naming Deidara the unofficial winner of their 'tournament' in order to keep him satisfied (Itachi could've cared less over the outcome), the two were quickly relieved of their Wiimotes and instructed to sit quietly on the sidelines and let someone else have a turn.

The blond, while following the sidelines part of the bargain, didn't embrace the quiet clause. Itachi, who had quiet down pact, proceeded to kick Hidan out of the couch's rightmost seat, which was the Uchiha's official 'spot' (He had documented proof to back it up, signed and dated). They were then able to continue along peacefully.

Peacefully, by Akatsuki standards, involved yelling, arguing, and minor bodily harm.

When it was clear the game had long since been forgotten amongst the chaos that was their club, Pain stepped in. Assembling the nine teens in a circle on the floor, first making sure they were going to stay put, he excused himself to prepare the next 'disguise' he was working on. However, before the leader made his exit, he left them with three parting words:

"Truth or dare."

"Anyone want to go first?" Konan asked once the room had calmed down, a common scene whenever Pain sprung a new idea or plan onto the group.

"I do!" Hidan replied with a manic grin. The white-haired teen had plans for the most embarrassing things he could make his fellow Akatsuki members do if they, hopefully, picked dare. And even if they went the safe route, there were a few questions he'd been dying to ask, ones that, under normal circumstances, they'd never answer.

Violet eyes scanned the room to search for his first target, deranged snickers slipping out of his throat. Tobi, who had the misfortune of being right next to the senior, adopted a distressed expression and slowly shied away from Hidan in an attempt to go unnoticed by him. His plan failed and Hidan's gaze locked right onto the newbie.

His grin widened. Perfect.

"Truth or dare Tobi?"

"T-truth," he muttered out, fearing the kinds of horrors that Hidan's dares would bring.

Hidan frowned. "You're no fucking fun." He sighed. "Fine. What do you keep hidden under those damn bandages?"

"My left eye," he replied.

"Damnit I know that! That's not what I meant!"

"He already answered your question, Hidan," Kakuzu calmly stated from his other side.

"But that wasn't the answer I wanted!"

Deidara laughed. "Outsmarted by the n00b, un."

"Fuck you, blondie."

"Is it my turn now?" Tobi asked, looking at Hidan. He scowled at the younger male and tossed him a gesture that said 'whatever'. Tobi smiled brightly. "Now, let's see…"

Don't pick me. Don't pick me. Don't pick me. Don't pick me. Deidara chanted repeatedly in his head.

"Zetsu."

Yes! He mentally cheered.

The green haired boy suddenly snapped to attention after spacing out during the first few minutes of the game.

"Truth or dare?"

He contemplated for a moment. "Truth. No wait, dare. No, Truth!" Zetsu fought with himself over the decision. "Truth," he finally picked.

"You people are boring!" Hidan yelled.

"Um, okay. Are you half plant?"

Zetsu blinked, surprised. "What?"

"In the car Hidan said 'Zetsu must be part plant because he doesn't do a thing and his hair's green' and I wanna know if it's true."

"No, I said 'he doesn't do a damn thing and his hair's fucking green'," Hidan corrected. "Don't paraphrase me."

"But I don't swear…"

"I'm not a plant," Zetsu replied in response to Tobi's question, glaring at the white-haired upperclassman.

Hidan averted his eyes. "Uh, can we just get on with the fucking game?"

He frowned. "Fine. I pick Kisame."

The shark-like junior grinned. "Dare."

"Finally!" Hidan interjected.

Zetsu sat there, thinking of a good dare to give Kisame. His yellow eyes analyzed the room carefully before falling on the door that Pain had disappeared behind.

He smiled. "I dare you to barge in on Leader."

The room let out a series of hushed whispers, but Kisame was undaunted by the issued challenge.

"Easy," he replied with confidence and stood, preparing to enter dangerous waters. He boldly stepped up to the door and flung it open, shutting it behind him as he stepped through. Everyone was dead quiet as they tried to listen in.

"Out!" came a loud bark and a few seconds later Kisame was flying back into the den, the door slamming shut with his exit. With a hardy chuckle he took his seat between Itachi and Kakuzu.

"So, what's he doing?" Kakuzu asked.

Kisame shrugged. "I don't know. He kicked me out before I could get a good look. Anyway, it's my turn now. Truth or dare, Deidara?"

"Truth, un," he mumbled. Ever since they'd forced him into a dress and paraded him through the mall, he didn't do dares anymore. Not that Itachi would have a dress in his house or Konan would have a spare one on hand, but it was better not to take any chances.

"How many times a day do you get mistaken for a woman?"

The blond turned red. "Nevermind!"

"Just answer the question, Deidara," Sasori told him.

Scowling at the floor, he grumbled "Two… or three," in response. Kisame and Hidan broke out in howling laughter. "It's not funny, un!"

Sasori patted his back. "There, there. It's not that bad."

Deidara stuck his tongue out at the redhead. "Just for that, I'm calling you next." Sasori shrugged. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare. And you can't dare me to agree with you about art," he finished.

The blond frowned. "You know me too well. Hidan, you're good at dares. Come up with one for him, un."

Sasori turned his attention from blond hair to white. Cocking an eyebrow, he gave Hidan a smug smirk.

The senior seethed at the unspoken challenge. "Oh, I've got one you bastard. I dare you to kiss Deidara!"

If anyone had been drinking something at the time, there would've been a spit-take.

"Wait what?!" Deidara exclaimed, eyes wide.

"You heard me." He folded his arms, smirked. "And it has to be on the lips, no fucking cop-outs."

Sasori rolled his muddy eyes and pulled the startled blond towards him, placing a quick, almost non-existent peck on his lips before returning to his original position.

"Konan, truth or dare?" the redhead asked blandly while a now flustered blond tried to make sense of what just happened.

"Dare," the blue-haired female replied, giggling at Deidara's facial expression.

"I dare you to lock Leader's keys inside his car."

"Oooo," the Akatsuki chorused, surprised at the boldness of Sasori's request. Touching Pain's keys and/or car, unless given permission, was a major offense.

"Is that all?" she questioned, rolling her eyes at the dramatics of her club mates.

"Scared?" Sasori taunted. Konan smirked at him and went over to Pain's black trench coat, which was hung up on the coat rack by the door. She reached into the pocket and pulled out a set of keys hanging off a cloud-shaped keychain. She disappeared out the front door.

"Are you sure about this, Sasori?' Kakuzu asked. "You know how he is about his car."

"I wanna see how he reacts. Besides, Leader's not going to do a thing to Konan," he assured the dark-skinned teen.

The eight males were silent after that, listening for the definite 'click' of a locking car door. It was faint, but they did hear it, flowed shortly by Konan's reappearance. She held up open palms, showing that she hadn't brought the keys with her, and reclaimed her seat.

"Happy now?" she asked of the boys, not waiting for a response. "Alright Itachi, tr-"

The blue-haired girl had just started to continue with the game when Pain burst through the door with distressed eyes.

"Did I hear a car door lock?!"

Silence.

Pain truly looked like a madman at the moment. The long orange hair of his next 'disguise', as he was calling it, was disheveled and the wig seemed to be gradually sliding off his normally spiked hair. The piercings on the left side of his face were the same as before, but had been rearranged on the right, giving him an asymmetrical appearance.

Aware of the blank and, in some cases, disturbed, looks he was receiving, Pain coughed into his hand, trying to restore his collected image.

"I'll just go now," he announced and slipped into the back, slamming the door behind him.

"That… was weird."

"Actually that's pretty common behavior for him," Konan replied. "Now, truth or dare, Itachi?"

"Truth," the brunet answered in a bland tone that rivaled Sasori's.

"Where was your little brother at our last OOS meeting?" Itachi visibly tensed at the question.

Usually when the Akatsuki met at Itachi's house his younger brother, Sasuke, would be in his room pretending the high schoolers didn't exist or 'skulking about the neighborhood' as Itachi put it. Last time, however, Sasuke was nowhere to be found. When questioned about the whereabouts of the younger Uchiha, Itachi answered with a suspicious 'around' and remained silent about the matter. He also refused to answer any calls directed to either the house phone or his cell that day.

"Well?" the girl pressed, curious as to what the raven was hiding.

"I… tipped off a few of his fangirls that'd he'd be at the mall and let them chase him around for a few hours…" Itachi murmured, a little red in the face (though not as red as Deidara, who was still recovering from his earlier shock). Itachi shifted awkwardly, realizing that all eyes were on him now. "It was his punishment for neglecting his chores," the raven explained.

"Sorry I asked," Konan muttered, glad that Sasuke was absent that night, for legitimate reasons this time around.

"Truth or dare Kakuzu," Itachi asked, eager to turn attention away from himself.

"Dare," the taller male chose.

Without skipping a beat, Itachi voiced his dare. "I dare you to give me twenty dollars."

"Hell no!" Kakuzu snapped, also without skipping a beat.

"Too late, I already dared you." Grumbling Kakuzu reached into his pocket and pulled out the value Itachi requested, glaring viciously at the raven as he handed it over.

Seeking an outlet for his frustration, the senior turned to the only one who hadn't gone yet.

"Hidan, I dare you to-"

"The hell?! Don't I get to choose?" he snapped.

"No," Kakuzu told him.

"Bastard."

"I dare you to go the rest of the night without swearing and, if you fail, you owe me forty bucks."

"What the fuck?!" Hidan barked and pointed an accusing finger at Itachi. "He only took twenty from you!"

"You lose, fork it over."

The zealot tensed, realizing his costly blunder. "W-wait! I didn't agree to any of this." Kakuzu wordlessly put out an outstretched palm in front of Hidan, who smacked it away. "Like I'd even bring my wallet with you around you fucking pick-pocket."

Tobi felt a sudden urge to verify if the extra money he kept hidden in his hat was still there.

Kakuzu leaned towards Hidan and gave him the stare that could make a plain out of a mountain.

"You'll get your money, alright!" the paler of the two snapped, forcing the other away from him. "Just not now."

The Akatsuki sat in silence after that, all turns now taken.

"So… now what?"

Hidan spoke. "We could start o-" Kakuzu gave him a silencing nudge to the ribs.

Thankfully they didn't need to suffer the quiet for very long as Pain sauntered in. He'd obviously put himself together since his last, brief appearance. The longhaired wig he was sporting was properly fitted, reaching down to the middle of his back. Stud-like piercings framed his jawline with a diagonal bar running through the nose.

Already bored after the first change of appearance their president did, the Akatsuki paid little attention to him this time around. Pain circled around oval they'd formed in the den and forced himself between Konan and Itachi, as if he disapproved of their close proximity. He said nothing, but sat and folded his hands in his lap, staring at the person opposite to him (who happened to be Tobi).

"Hey leader, play Truth or Dare with us!" the aforementioned Tobi requested.

Pain snorted. "Why would I partake in such a silly party game?"

"It was your idea," Konan pointed out, giving him the 'I-will-tell-them-all-the-embarrassing-things-that-you wish-to-keep-secret-because-they-would-undermine-your-authority-unless-you-agree-to-play' look.

He sighed. "Truth."

Tobi grinned widely at the prospect of continuing the game, blissfully unaware of Konan's silent manipulation of their leader. "Um…"

"Wait Tobi," the bluenette interrupted. "I have one. What is with all of these costume changes you keep going through?"

"Maybe he's auditioning for a Vegas show," Kisame offered.

Pain coughed into his hand, but not before glaring at the bad joke. "I was hoping to save that detail for later, but you leave me no choice. It's our new message system."

"Message system?"

"Yes. Instead of sending a chain message between members that could be intercepted or overheard anytime we have plans, I'll simply appear before you all with these different looks. A certain one will signify an OOS meeting, another to meet afterschool, or carry out a plan, lay low, et cetera."

Admittedly, the Akatsuki realized to themselves, it was a good concept, albeit an odd execution. Many of the members learned that they were meeting after school not from each other, but from chatty females that stalked certain members of the secret club, usually keeping tabs on the locations of their respective crushes every moment they were at school. With Pain's unorthodox strategy in place, their whereabouts would remain secret (and, if nothing else, it would cut back on the stalking).

Konan smiled appreciatively at him. "Your plans really are brilliant Pain, if one can ignore how insane they usually are."

"Thank you," he beamed, and then faltered. "Wait…"

A phone rang and Itachi stood to answer it, first checking the caller ID.

"Hello Sasuke," he said in an exasperated tone upon lifting the device from the receiver. "No, I can't come get you, you have a project to finish."

A pause followed. "Its not my fault that you picked a friend who irritates you. If you know he gets hyper easily, you shouldn't have let him eat sugar. No, you can't kill him." Another long pause came and Itachi removed the phone from his ear for a few seconds. "Bye little brother," he grumbled into the speaker and hung up.

Pain suddenly stood and clapped his hands together. "Well, now seems like a good time retire downstairs. Itachi, if you would kindly lead the way."

The raven, who was currently glaring at the phone, blandly stared up at Pain before beckoning everyone towards the stairway, opening a door that revealed the hidden entrance to the basement.

The group gathered their things and traversed down the upholstered steps into Itachi's basement, which had long since been modified to serve as a secondary living room. The Akatsuki usually held their longer OOS meeting in this spare room because it was roomier than the den and better suited for entertaining nine teenagers for long periods of time.

Itachi busied himself turning on the lights downstairs and making sure the ones upstairs were now off as Pain checked the general set up of the room, a little put out at how the leader was taking over his household. He walked over to the pierced man who was now pushing several boxes into the corner to make more room. A small box stacked on top of the pile suddenly teetered and fell to the floor. Pain froze as its contents revealed themselves.

Itachi leaned forward to investigate. He'd completely forgotten that they'd stored Sasuke's old electromagnet project down there. The leader obviously still had bad memories of his encounter with said project so Itachi repacked it and hid the box away in a closet. Pain muttered embarrassed thanks and decided to go back to something he was good at: ordering people around.

After instructing everyone to find a way to occupy themselves without destroying the house (Because Itachi would not appreciate that and he'd probably kill them all slowly and painfully if they did) Pain went back upstairs to prepare another look for the new message system, but not without tripping while going up the unlighted steps. They heard the unmistakable thud when he fell, but resisted the strong urge to break out laughing. Doing so would probably cause him to come back and find some way to punish them for laughing, so they stayed silent until they were sure he was gone.

Hidan suddenly spoke, a vicious grin on his face. "So, who wants to pull a prank on Leader?"

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My biggest issue with this chapter was coming up with dares/truths for everyone. Some might not be the most original (ie Deidara, Kakuzu, Hidan, and, to an extent, Sasori), but they're things they'd ask each other (also, Kisame's dare was originally going to be Konan's, but as Sasori said, Pain won't do anything to her, so it wouldn't have gone anywhere from there).

For the record, this is how they're sitting, going clockwise: Hidan-Kakuzu-Kisame-Itachi-(Pain, when he comes in)-Konan-Sasori-Deidara-Zetsu-Tobi