Taki's POV:
From that day on, Dei and Sasori have respected me more than ever, especially my definition of art.

The only ones in the house at the time besides me were Hidan and Kakuzu. I saw them sitting on the couch, just staring at the wall.

I sat right between them. "So... what's up, guys?" I asked, hoping to start a conversation.

Hidan scoffed. "About time you started talking to us. We thought.. that you hated us, or something."

I gasped. "O-of course not! I don't hate you. I'm sorry if you felt that way.. I was just afraid that I would anger you if I bothered you."

Kakuzu turned his head away from me. "We would never get mad at you." Hidan joined in.

"Aw, yeah! Everyone likes you, Taki! Everything was so boring before you came along!"

"Aw, thanks, Hidan, Kakuzu. You're the best." I snuck my arms around their shoulders. Hidan laughed loudly.

We continued to talk, and laugh for a few hours. I decided to make lunch for us.

Hidan and Kakuzu thanked me and we ate. When we finished, I went to my room. I took a shower, and went to go water Zetsu's garden.

I spotted Hidan, and Kakuzu sitting in the bench. Hidan got up, and ran towards me. Kakuzu stayed where he was.

"Hey, Taki!" I smiled. "Hi, Hidan. I was just watering Zetsu's garden, so-"

"Yeah, about that. We wanted to prank Zetsu, and pull up his plants from the ground! Will you help us?" I heard Kakuzu sigh.

"You mean that you wanted to prank Zetsu. I have no part in this, Hidan."

"Shut up, Kakuzu. Anyways," Hidan's face brightened up. "Will you help?"

I frowned. "Actually, I don't think that Zetsu would be very happy.. also, that would be a little mean. He worked hard on his garden, don't you think?"

I didn't want to anger Hidan, so I started stepping away, backwards. Hidan looked disappointed. "What? But it would be so funny! Cmon, Taki."

He took a step towards me. I took a step back. "U-uh, n-no thanks, sorry Hidan." Hidan started to get angry.

"Just do it." "I don't want to anger you, Hidan! I'm sorry!" I was near the door that led inside of the hideout.

"If you don't want me angry, than just do as I say!" He growled. Kakuzu got up from where he sat, and came towards us.

"P-please, Hidan. I.. can't do this." I felt the handle of the door, and opened it. I began to walk inside, when I heard Hidan yelling at me.

"You're such a b****!" I stopped. Once he had realized what he said, Hidan slapped his hand over his mouth.

"Taki.. I'm.. sorry." I turned back, and fake smiled. "Even if you hadn't said it, I would have forgiven you." I looked down.

"But, y'know, you don't have to feel bad. I kinda think that of myself, too."

I went inside. I was going to go into the kitchen and make dinner for everyone. I got in the kitchen, and started cooking.

3rd POV:
Hidan and Kakuzu ran in after Taki after about a minute of letting her words sink in.

"Baka, look what you've done." Kakuzu smacked Hidan upside the head. "Shut up. Let's just go."

They found Taki in the kitchen twenty minutes after looking for her. "Oh, hi, guys. I have dinner made for you."

She gave them two plates of food. They all began to eat. "Um, Taki.. about earlier.. I'm sorry. It's not true, you know. You're an amazing person, and I don't think that you should think that of yourself, either."

"All is forgiven." Taki replied. Kakuzu noticed two things at that moment. One, Taki was starting to eat smaller portion sizes when eating.

Two, her arm was bleeding everywhere.
~•~
Kakuzu stood up. "Y-your arm, Taki. It's bleeding!" Taki casually looked down at the large cut on her arm. "So it is."

Hidan stood up, too. "You need to go to the medical room. Right now." "But-" Hidan grabbed her by the wrist, and pulled her to the medical room, Kakuzu following.

Once Kakuzu had stitched up the gash in Taki's arm, they all sat down in her room on her bed. "How did this happen, Taki?" Kakuzu asked.

Taki took a moment to answer. She then chuckled nervously. "It actually was an accident with the knife I was using during dinner. Sorry."

Hidan side-hugged her. "Don't be sorry. We want you to be safe, so be careful next time." "Hai."

They walked out. Kakuzu left the door slightly cracked, and pretended to leave. He peeked inside her room, to see what she was doing.

Taki grabbed a small book from her night dresser, grabbed a writing utensil, and began to write. She sat cross-legged on her bed.

As she wrote, Kakuzu could hear a faint noise. He squinted his eyes. Taki was crying. "Why. Do I have. To be. So useless!"

She kept whispering this to herself. Kakuzu left. What.. in the world is going on with Taki?

Later, the rest of the Akatsuki came home. Taki was still in her room. It was very late at night.

Taki was still crying her eyes out, when Deidara and Tobi came in. She turned away from them, so they couldn't see her face.

From their viewpoint, they couldn't tell that she was crying. "Hey, Taki, un." Tobi gave her a hug from behind. (Still on her bed) "Taki-chaan! We missed you!"

Taki made sure that her back was turned from them. "Hey guys." She replied in a shaky voice.

Tobi cocked his head to the side. "Taki-chan? Are you ok?" Deidara put a hand on her shoulder. She slowly turned to face them.

Tears were streaming down her cheeks like a waterfall. It was a silent cry. Her eyes were rimmed with red, so they knew she had been crying for a very long time.

They pulled her into a three-way hug. Taki's breathing pace was quickened. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. In, out. In, out. In out. In out. In out in out in out in out. In... out.

Her body went limp in their arms. The lack of sleep, and mental health had finally gotten to her. Panicked, they brought Taki over to the living room, where everyone else was.

They laid her on the couch, while everyone else crowded around her. Konan folded her arms across her chest. "Care to explain what happened here?"

Deidara shook his head. "I don't know, un. We came in, and she was crying hard. Then she passed out."

Hidan scratched the back of his neck, and laughed nervously. "I.. might have something to do with that."

All of their heads turned to Hidan. "What. Did you do." Sasori asked angrily. "Hehe.. I may or may not have accidentally called her a b****."

"WHAT?!" Everyone yelled.

Hidan looked panicked. "W-wait! I apologized, and she accepted it! She was perfectly fine after that."

"Except for the moment where she accidentally cut her arm with a knife." Kakuzu said, pointing to the stitches on her arm.

"What in the world is going on with Taki, hm?" Deidara asked sadly. Kakuzu looked down.

"Actually, her self esteem has dropped to a dangerously low level. She was talking to herself, saying horrible things about herself."

Everyone gasped.  "Oh, Taki. What's happening to you?" Zetsu whispered.

"Taki-chan" Tobi whimpered. "Hey." Deidara looked over at the calendar. "Taki never told us that her birthday was tomorrow, un. Maybe we can cheer her up by throwing her a party."

"December 3rd? I think we have a day off." Pein said. Everyone cheered.

Don't worry, Taki. We'll raise your spirits.