This is my first fanfic. Be nice.


Aiko listened carefully to the soft tread of footsteps on the forest floor. She knew they were coming but she stayed where she was. They had finally come, after years waiting for this day they had finally come. The countless ninja that had been killed by her hand were all leading up to this day. The visitors stopped though, a mere hundred meters away.

"Show yourselves!" She called to them. "I know you're there!"

A voice replied to her outburst. "Hey look Deidara-sempai, she's smart!"

"Tobi shut up! We're supposed to be hidden!" Another voice answered the first.

Aiko laughed at that. "Yes because yelling at each other keeps you hidden so well. Just come out already."

The two men came out from the depths of the trees. Aiko stood in silence for a moment scrutinizing the two men that were before her. One – when looked at fleetingly – had many features of a girl and Aiko would have been surprised if he was not often mistaken for one, but underneath it all he was distinctively male. The other one gave off a very hyperactive air and the first word that came to mind was defiantly orange. This was probably due to the fact that he wore a bright orange mask that only allowed for only one eye to see out of it.

She noticed that while she had been assessing them they were also assessing her.

Deidara noticed her face the most. It was a happy face. The dimples at her mouth gave the impression that she spent a lot of time laughing. He would have believed this too was it not for her eyes. They were dead and emotionless. Deidara was reminded of Itachi's eyes and he hated it.

She wore tight black shorts and bandages on her torso over a mesh shirt. Her shoes were modeled on standard issue ninja sandals but were instead boots. Over all of this she wore a midnight black trench coat but with a red border at the hemline. Coupled with her empty black eyes she made for an intimidating sight.

"Come with us," Deidara commanded.

Not even the slightest hint of surprise crossed her face. She nodded and lifted her pack onto her shoulders.

Aiko inwardly laughed at their shocked expressions. They were surprised at her compliance. They did not expect her to come so easily, but she had been planning this for a long time. By joining Akatsuki she would finally earn the respect she deserved.

"Let's go then," said the feminine one said.

"Aww, Deidara-sempai. Let's stay here tonight."

"Yeah Deidara-sempai. Please?" Aiko mimicked the whiny voice of the orange one.

"No! We can wait an hour but Leader-sama wants her back immediately and it's still morning!"

Aiko ignored the rest of the rant and settled back against a tree. She retrieved her kunai from her pouch and entertained herself by throwing them at Tobis head and watching him run.

"Hey, un. You haven't told us your name." Deidara said after a few minutes of silence.

"You were sent to find me and you don't even know my name?" Aiko replied with her voice drenched in sarcasm.

"Of course we know your name! I was only trying to be polite!"

"Yelling isn't very polite." said Aiko. She had a thoroughly nonchalant appearance about her but on the inside she was in turmoil. Nobody knew her true name, only the name she had chosen to give. If they had somehow got her true name then there was massive leak in her barrier. Only one other had her name and if they had given it away then they would have to die.

"…but it's still rude." Deidara was saying. "Will you just say your name?"

"I am Aiko."

Tobi stopped running then and got hit in the shoulder with a kunai.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Why only Aiko?"

"It doesn't concern you. I am no one."

"No one?" Deidara asked. "You also have no hitae-ate. Which village are you from?"

"No village."

"If you have no village then where did you train to become a ninja?"

"Everywhere. He took me everywhere."

"He? You're very vague, un."

Aiko nodded. "Hey Tobi! Dodge this!" she called, quickly changing the topic by adding shuriken to her previous kunai.

Talking to Aiko had presented more questions than it had answers. Deidara watched Tobi running from the approaching kunai. He glanced over at Aiko. Despite her laughing face she seemed wary of the orange idiot. Deidara had also noticed this behavior from other Akatsuki members when Tobi had first appeared. Perhaps Tobi noticed Aikos guardedness of him because he suddenly stopped running – catching a shuriken to his other arm – and asked her. "Ow! Aiko-chan what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she replied with an almost unnoticeable strain to her voice. "And who said you could call me that!"

Deidara decided then that it was a good time to leave. He quickly jumped between them – as they were squaring off for a fight – and told them they had a deadline to meet and needed to go. They both agreed. Deidara was again shocked at how easily Aiko was to command at this point.

The first hour of their trip started fine. Deidara had created two clay birds to carry them to their destination. Aiko had hoped to share with Deidara but as was her luck she was paired with Tobi, the energized idiot. His energetic behavior soon disappeared though and was replaced with a more serious nature.

"I want to see them." He said suddenly.

"See what?' replied Aiko.

"Your true emotions. You could be great if you could be trusted. Perhaps even greater than Itachi."

Aiko kept her calm exterior and said nothing. Tobi only nodded causing Aikos reluctance for him to grow.

Deidara had heard this exchange and was confused by it but didn't mention it once they had landed. The mood of the conversation was definitely not a Tobi one and it didn't seem to fit the kunoichi either. He thought over this for a moment but decided not to broach the subject. He then turned to Aiko as she unpacked the food - the reason for their stop. "You can fly with me for the rest of the way, un." It was meant to be a question but his curiosity of the kunoichi made it come out as more of a command.

"Ok." She agreed a bit too cheerfully.

They sat in silence munching on their food before climbing onto some newly made birds. Newly created because Deidara had wanted to experiment with his art and their previous birds were now dust in two new craters on the landscape.

"So Aiko," Deidara began after they had flown some distance. "Do you know why we captured you?"

"Well first I wouldn't call it a 'capture' since I came willingly and secondly I think you will have to, enlighten me as to why you 'invited me."

"Yes I suppose you did come on your own," Deidara muttered. "Not even a guess, un?" He asked her loud enough so she could hear.

"I don't guess."

Deidara heard the serious tone in her voice and was puzzled. 'Who doesn't guess?' He thought to himself. 'This conversation is getting very odd.'

"I already know why you came to me." She continued, pulling Deidara from his thoughts.

"Then what was the point in asking me to explain?"

"It's only polite."

"Yes it is." He let out an exasperated sigh. "I suppose I'll tell you anyway. Leader-sama has decided to take you because of your rare jutsus and the length of your missing-nin status. But you have to pass first!" He said the last part laughing.

"I will pass any test that is given to me. Even if I fail at first I will keep trying."

"Why, un?"

"It has been my dream to join Akatsuki. Ever since I first heard of it. I want acknowledgment as a ninja. I want to be recognized and I want respect even if they do fear me."

"That's quite a statement, un." Deidara was at awe of her dedication to being recognized. "Not many of us have noble cause. I don't know any except Leader-sama."

"Why are you in Akatsuki?"

"We are the rejects of society. You'll see when you get there that most of us are… different to other people. For us Akatsuki provides food, shelter and an unique situation where can kill without being punished. Unless we're caught."

Deidara was astonished at all he was telling this girl. She was just so easy to talk to.

Aiko thought over what Deidara had said. Something was bothering her. She had gathered that the other members of Akatsuki wanted bloodshed, so why was Tobi there. He didn't seem one for bloodshed. He just seemed like an idiot.

"Why did Tobi join?" she asked Deidara and felt him jump be3hind her at the sudden question.

"I don't think anyone knows. Except maybe Zetsu."

"Zetsu? Who's that? Why him?"

"No reason really. But he found Tobi. He brought him to us," Deidara tensed up at this point. Aiko noticed he had certain contempt for the boy behind the mask. "Tobis not a real member of Akatsuki.

This new information created theories to Tobis identity but she quickly dismissed them to the back of her mind. Now was no time to think about that. The birds were slowing so they must be nearing their destination. She looked down and saw a large rocky mound protruding from the trees. Jagged boulders had been placed on the smooth surface of the rock in a way that showed clearly how manmade it was.

"Do you know how obvious that is?"

Deidara chuckled.

"Only from the air. Wait until you see it from the ground. When I first arrived it was a miracle I ever found my way back in."

Before Aiko could answer a hole appeared in the rocks surface.

"I assume that means they know we're here?"

"You assume right."

The two birds swerved into the entrance and as the last of the clay tail disappeared with them the hole snapped shut, leaving them in darkness. The three ninja dismounted their now dissolving steeds and stood silently in the black cavern. Or what Aiko thought was a cavern. The space felt empty and any sound echoed roughly across the air.

"What happens now?"

She had expected an answer from Deidara but it was Tobi that answered.

"We wait for Leader-sama."

"How long is that going to take?"

"Not long." An unfamiliar voice answered from the darkness.

"Uchiha." Deidara spat the name with a ferocity Aiko hadn't thought was capable from his feminine body. Aiko was anxious of this reaction and became instantly curious of the 'Uchiha' as Deidara had put it.

Flames suddenly appeared around them alighting the cavern. Which Aiko noticed was indeed a cavern. She glanced at the stranger and saw him returning his hands to his sides after performing a jutsu. He indicated for Aiko to follow him. Tobi and Deidara began to follow but he motioned for Tobi to leave. "Leader-samas orders." He said.


Thank you so much for reading this. More chapters are on the way. I know it's short but hopefully my chapters will get longer as I write. Please review. I want plenty of constructive criticism but please don't just tell me how much you hate it.