Puppet Without Strings
There sat a room underground, that only a few knew about and even less went inside of it. The room was part of a hidden base of a feared but hunted group. The group was strong, stronger than most people in their field. Its members were few but came fro all over the country. The best of the best, some would say. But being the best doesn't mean you're for the weak. Some people who are the best were evil and this was a group of said best. They killed because they wanted too not because they had too. They left their homes, killed old friends – if they had any – and family members who had loved them couldn't stop them and found themselves on those few blades.
So they were feared by all. But given the chance, one would kill them.
If only.
Now this group had many hidden bases all over with rooms just like this one. Just as dark and gloomy as the rest, so perhaps it's the red mark on its door or the many tables lining the walls with their many human shaped parts waiting for use or failed and on going projects. Tools hung neatly on the walls between the tables or tucked away for later use in drawers of the cupboards between the tables. There were few wall lights and even those just gave off enough light to see some things there, like the big freezer door that lead to where the owner kept his more… signature soon to be works of art.
But they were left untouched and have been for the past few weeks. To the members of this group it was almost unheard of for this man not to be making something of them.
The owner sat in the middle of the room at the only table that wasn't against a wall. Its light was the only light that was bright enough to show everything on the table and space around it. A pencil moved across a poster size of paper by itself followed slowly by a fine point black marker. In front of the poster sat a large notebook with a pen moving across its paper once in awhile as to the right of all this sat the man who was hunched over some small pieces of wood, metal gears small enough to sit inside of a thumb nail and still have room for others but the man had no problem picking these small things up and putting them together, while handling the small tools, nuts, and bolts that sat to his right in a fold-out box with side pockets for the smallest pieces.
"your late." The man said without looking up at the young blonde man who had walked in. The other man rolled his eyes as he moved towards the table and the red head.
"Only you would think that seeing how you don't have to do anything anymore here but poor me, I still have too."
"You have never been poor, Deidara." The other spoke as if this was an agreement that has been done before and had no end. "So once again, I, myself, never left this base since you meet me when you frist was brought here for this group."
Deidara shook his head as he moved around the middle table, taking notice of the little wooden thing his ex-partner was working on. So it was true he never did work with this man-puppet other than helping Deidara fix his scope but he did work his exact double he made of himself, even the annoying parts of his personality.
He pointed that out, again too.
Sasori lifted his eyes with a smirk. "Should I go into the story about a young foolish boy who would follow his hero and teacher anywhere and do anything his teacher would ask of him?"
Deidara knelt down in front of a small box and opened it up showing it was a compacted refrigerator. "You were the boy, right?" he asked before frowning and looked over his shoulder at Sasori. "Got any food in this thing?"
"Behind the heart box there's some turkey." Sasori answered with a wave of his hand for one of the spare chairs to slide to the table before moving his fingers to have a drawer open and a plate, salt shaker, and a cup to fly out and land softly on the table in front of the new chair at his table.
"And no, the boy was the puppet you were partnered with. He thought himself immoral though."
Deidara came back over with a large chuck of turkey and sat down before working the turkey into smaller pieces on to the plate before salting them. Sasori, using his charka strings again, got some water and poured it into the cup before going back to work on his small project again.
"Where did you get the turkey?" Deidara asked after gulping down the water and refilling his cup.
"Tobis' companion he thought I needed." Sasori said easily to Deidara's amusement.
"Ahhh. You killed Mr. Smores J. Peacock?" Deidara laughed before popping another piece of turkey in his mouth. "At least he tastes good."
They shared a smile before Sasori looked back down at his work and Deidara ate in silence while watching the other work. It took Deidara some time – half the plate – to figure out what Sasori was making and started to girn as a small, thin jointed wooden tail was put on.
"Sasori?" Deidara couldn't and wouldn't hide his amusement. "Are you making a puppet mouse?"
Sasori placed his finished mouse down with a sigh before making it run around the table. After making sure the elgs worked and everything like a normal mouse would move was great – like any other puppet he made – he looked to the blonde.
"I have artist block." Sasori whispered through another sigh.
Deidara looked down and picked up the life- size mouse by the tail feeling the charka stop flowing through it as Sasori gave the mouse up to him.
"Well you've had this block for a month now." Deidara removed his scope and put his hand out to catch the special glasses for looking at detail works like this one and slipped them on to look over the puppet.
Sasori moved the notebook over and already knowing everything he did for the mouse would be there with nothing would be missing but wanted to check anyways.
"But even with this block you still can make some meat things. What's this guy going to do?" Deidara asked putting the puppet down and remembering his lessons when he too was stuck in this base; made charka strings and walked the mouse around the table, granted not as good as Sasori but enough to fool people who just glanced at it.
"Silence poisoning. The real ones will and can sneak into a building and slip posion into a drink, food, or ear, and mouth if the target is sleeping."
"So this guy is a prototype?"
"Yes." Deidara snapped his fingers than pointed at the other man while making the puppet sit down and move like it was cleaning its face.
"Well than it isn't an artist block." Deidara stated sagely, mockingly so. The puppet master shook his head as he closed the notebook and picked up the poster paper and looked over the art and design of the little mouse four times its real size.
"Deidara what are you getting at this time." Sasori asked pulling out a stamp and red ink pad as he placed the poster back down after making sure, once again, everything was in order. Deidara stopped and let go of the mouse to watch Sasori place his mark on yet another design and was caught off guard by a long yawn that left his eyes watering.
He shook it off mumbling about being more tired than he thought before speaking as Sasori rolled the poster up and tied it.
"Your puppet wasn't the only one who thought he was immoral and grew cocky." Deidara stated pulling out a folder he had hidden in the clock all members had to wear when traveling. After tossing the folder to Sasori he took off the cloak and let it fall to the ground before kicking it away from him.
Sasori caught the folder and opened it, only to stare at the pictures inside of it.
"This block is because you, never in your wildness dreams could you believe a young girl and an old woman could destroy all your puppets and yourself."
"It wasn't me who died by their hands." Sasori reminded the man as he pushed through the pictures of his dead grandmother.
"So? That guy was shaped and made to act just like you. He knew what you knew. Did what you would do." Deidara said taking some more salt to the turkey before eating some more. "Which is still messed up. The point still stands that you, after having been alive without aging and no one could take on your puppets with you leading them. Than Bam!" Deidara slapped his hands together. "These two come along and you were dead and your great art is gone." Deidara said leading back covering his mouth to hide another yawn.
Sasori slowed his movements once he got to the girls pictures. He knew these pictures were taken from the battle they had with his puppets by the background of the cave and the puppets he made. He knew Deidaras words were true.
Sasori had, after years of being undefeatable and never aging, thought him self as immoral and untouchable. But Deidara didn't know was that he was getting bored and even tired of it. Sasori knew his puppet-self that traveled with Deidara was having the same thoughts. So this fight, even though he wasn't part of it, had opened his eyes and was thinking clearly once more. This made it hard for him to make more battle puppets when all he wanted to do was leave.
Which put him in today with Deidara he only Akatsuki member in this base and it was only a matter of time before the sleeping power that was mixed with the salt started to work. He did feel bad about doing this to Deidara; the boy had been stuck in this base with him for almost a year before he became a real member. Of course before that he tired escaping and had when he first woke up, Sasori his jailor. The boy soon realized that the man who never left was also not allowed to leave and soon had followed Sasori into this room and learned puppets from him.
As for Sasori, he grew a bit fond of the boy's energy and quick mind.
Sasori also knew the boy now man trusted him which is the reason he's going to pass out soon. Hopefully after Deidara rages for awhile he would see Sasori had no choice in this matter.
If he had Deidara help him leave, Deidara would be punished. If he stayed – even though he doesn't want or need too anymore – The Akatsuki leader was mad at him for not taking the ring that the other Sasori wore. Plus that man has been waiting for the chance to get rid of him and Sasori knew his time in this base was almost up. Sasori knew this unlike Deidara why the young man was sent here before his partner. Tobi was leading Hidan and his partner here to kill Sasori tomorrow and Deidara unknowingly was to keep Sasori busy till then.
If Deidara knew what was about to happen to his friend, he would do everything in his power to stop it. But if that happen both would be hunted down by the Akatsuki for knowing too much and just because. So Sasori would leave without Deidara and go to a place where Sasori the puppet master was unheard of even though in the ninja world he was dead.
It would be safer that way.
"Hey!" Deidara yelled snapping his fingers and Sasori out of his thoughts. "What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing, just thinking you are eating more salt than turkey."
"Shut up." Deidara growled and because he thought it would bug the red head, he poured more salt on. Sasori, playing his part, shook his head but left it alone.
An old routine between the two.
"You can keep the turkey for the road. Just offer some to Tobi for me." Sasori said with a smile as he stood up and started to pick up tools he used and pieces he didn't.
"Don't you want to see his face when he finds out?" Deidara asked after chuckling.
Even I get sick of hearing him." Sasori answered with a frown as he moved around the room listening to another loud yawn that stopped the laughter.
So to pass the time Sasori spoke of many things and Deidara finished his water and stayed silence as he listened to him. Though it was becoming harder to for some reason his body was getting heavier which was odd. The trip here had been easy; he didn't even use half his charka. And it wasn't like he was getting to old for this life, between Itachi and him they were the youngest of the group, though he wondered about Tobi. If they were looking at them trying to decide who should retire, Deidara would pick Kisame, he was the oldest one who could die. The two true oldest ones were immoral or at least one of them, the other just was really messed up and super hard to kill.
Well that was a random thought.
"You never answered me." Deidara told Sasori as he lifted his head up to stare at the red head. How his head get on the table he didn't know and it made him frown.
"Answer what?" Sasori asked watching Deidara fight to keep his head up. "You never asked a question."
"No?" Sasori nodded. "Oh well about what I said about you thinking you were immortal."
"Ah." Sasori walked over to the table with a bag and some tools he wanted to keep.
"Well." He started as he placed things inside of the bag. "I didn't think I was immortal, I knew I could die, just did not have any one try and finish me. This fight opened my eyes and I believe it's time to move on with my life." Sasori told the almost asleep boy. Deidara eyes opened again but slowly shut as he mumbled.
"Am leaving tonight and your sleep is because I put a sleeping power in the salt you used, tasteless and powerful. You'll understand soon enough why this is happening." Sasori told Deidara watching as life, for the night, left his body. Slowly Sasori pushed the hair from Deidara's face to watch it relax.
"You'll see I had no choice soon." Sasori said picking up the mouse and placed it next to Deidara before grabbing the bag and his old jacket off the table. He was about to leave when his eyes saw the pictures Deidara brought, more as a joke than anything. But Sasori stared at them for a few minutes before taking one of each and stuffing them into the bag.
He slipped the jacket on as he went to the door only to stop as he put the bag on. He turned just once with his hand on the light switch and stared at everything with a frown before shrugging, turning the light off.
Sasori was no longer an unused puppet locked away for the Akatsuki. He was a free man thanks to two people he would never believe could do it.
Deidara woke to Tobi yelling / crying and with a huge headache to stare blinkingly at the wooden mouse. As Hidan swore in the background, Deidara could do nothing but smile which turned into a girn.
"This means war, old man." He whispered to the mouse before sitting up as he out the mouse away into his pocket while throwing the salt shaker at Tobi with his other hand hoping he breathe the sleeping power in, telling Hidan to shut up.