The Devil's Den

by BuckWylde

-AU SasoDei- Orochimaru wants the Akatsuki destroyed; Deidara wants the freedom to perfect his art without being caught up in another bloody turf war. Together they plot to tear the city's most infamous gang apart from the inside. Things get messy when Sasori unintentionally throws a wrench into the whole plan by falling in love, and they get disastrous when Deidara feels the same.

Hey, I'm here with a new fanfic (Don't ask why because it's a really long story. Rest assured, I have not abandoned Study Buddy, it's just being rewritten a bit)! Really, I just feel like we need more SasoDei on the website, especially since most of the fics have either been finished or discontinued NOT that there aren't any good SasoDeis out there anymore or anything, I'm just talking about all my favorites). So I present you with this sad excuse for a fanfiction.

At this point, I don't think they'll be any lemons (at least not until way further on) but the rating/genre is susceptible to change. Also, I'd like to warn you that as of now this chapter is UNBETA'D! As soon as I get the edited (and improved) version back, I'll update this with the second (and better) version of the chapter. So just keep that in mind if you're goinng to criticize.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, and if, by some miracle of god I ever got the rights to it, you'd better all fear for your lives, sanity and health.

xxxxxxxxxx

You know those days when the whole world just seems to be against you, when everything that can go wrong will go wrong? Right now, Aoki Deidara, 17 years old, was having one of those days. The blonde teenager slipped down an alley, shivering even though he was wearing a heavy black sweatshirt.

At this time of the year, the city (or more specifically, the run-down part of the city where Deidara worked) was especially dreadful to be in. The district was a nightmare for people visiting from the more upscale side of town, with its seedy-looking bars and clubs, abandoned and dilapidated buildings, and course, a network of rayless alleys that played host to all kinds of despicable people who had fallen from all walks of life. These conditions made the unholy domicile the perfect spot for any and all major gang activity in the city.

It was currently mid December, and the winter air was the kind of chilly that sunk into your skin and stayed there, no matter what kind of clothing you were wearing. It made Deidara want to curl up in an armchair beside a roaring fireplace and sip hot chocolate all day instead of run errands for his boss. Of course, he couldn't do that; members of the Oto Gang were supposed to be above such inane wants and desires.

Shoving his hands deeper into his jeans pockets, Deidara cursed quietly as he tripped over something on the alleyway's dark ground. He really didn't have time to deal with this; he had to report back to his boss as quickly as possible. Reaching the end of the alley, he turned sharply to the left, aimlessly striding right by some poor soul who was being mugged. Yes, nearly there now.

A right, a left, another right, and the teenager found himself in front of a dilapidated apartment building. The streets were nearly silent, save for the grunt of Jirobo, the heavyset bodyguard, giving him affirmation to enter the building.

The inside was dark, but even so it was easy to tell that it was just as quiet and run down as it outwardly appeared, and Deidara didn't dare turn on the hall lights. Instead, he tried to slip quietly up the stairs. His actions proved futile though, as the ancient steps creaked in protest every time he put his foot down.

Deciding to screw it and not caring if the other gang members who took up residence in the base woke up, Deidara simply ran up the stairs and continued forward, ignoring Tayuya's advice for him to "stop making so much fucking noise."

At the top of the stairs, on the second floor landing, was a door. The blonde knocked once on it, and then stopped, waiting for a response. He pushed the door open after he heard his boss' lackey, Kabuto, tell him to enter. Sure enough, when he got in, Kabuto was standing in the middle of the room, beside a leather armchair. Though the chair must have been a grand thing in a past life, it was now worn and battered. Sitting in the chair, flanked by Kabuto, was his boss, his master, leader of the Oto Gang, Orochimaru. Even in his weather-beaten and bedraggled state, Deidara remembered to show the man respect, bowing slightly before coming forward, traipsing across the dusty floor.

"Ah, Deidara-kun," purred the pale man, eyes glinting, "you're back. Do you have it?"

At this, Deidara remembered why he'd been in a bad mood the entire way home and felt rage sweep through him. Narrowing his eyes, he reached into the front pocket of his sweatshirt, pulling out the desired object and tossing-no, hurling it at the man.

"Here's the damn box, un," he spat, taking an unconscious step closer to the other two. At this, Orochimaru smirked, and then chuckled lightly as Kabuto caught the package.

"Why so upset?" His boss asked in a mocking tone. God, how Deidara hated that voice, that stupid voice that was so mockingly sweet, like poisoned honey, and slick like oil. The voice that always had an underlying current of menace to it, like a snake poised to strike. It never failed to set him off.

"You know damn well why I'm so upset, un! I was misinformed about my assignment," he hissed, his fists clenching. His fury only increased as Orochimaru laughed again, this time openly mocking him.

"Now, now, Dei-kun, you were not badly misinformed," he admonished, pallid eyes gleaming in the shadowy light as Deidara seethed.

"There were four men involved in the transaction, and they demanded allowance for their troubles," the blonde snarled, "You told me I'd only be meeting one guy in that alley, and you mentioned nothing about payment, un!"

"So rash and quick to anger, Dei-kun," said the snake man patronizingly, toying with the oddly shaped pendant attached to the necklace that hung around his neck as he leered at the teen, "I'm sure I trained you better than that."

"I don't care!" Deidara exploded, forgetting his place momentarily. As he was about to open his mouth again, Orochimaru put up a sallow finger to silence him, smirk turning into a full-on maniacal grin as he stood up, walking towards his subordinate.

The blonde's sapphire eyes widened a bit when he saw his leader rise; he usually only stood up when addressing his minions if he was very, very angry. He was slightly relieved when Orochimaru made no hostile movements, then stiffened however when he felt the man place a spindly hand on his shoulder.

As said hand began to roam down his back and around his waist, Deidara resisted the urge to shudder while Orochimaru continued to talk.

"From what I can feel, you don't seem to be injured, Dei-kun," he muttered in his ear as a second hand joined the first in the groping of his body, "Besides, don't you think there was a reason I sent you on that mission?"

Deidara turned slightly to stare questioningly at his master. Reason? It hadn't even occurred to him that there would be a reason.

"Well, Dei-kun, I wanted to test you," began Orochimaru, mouth still uncomfortably close to his ear, "I have a special job that requires one of my most special Oto members to accomplish, and I had to make sure that you were up to the task."

The blonde gritted his teeth; of course, Orochimaru loved to tease his subordinates and treat them like his personal playthings. He thought that he could hold everyone else's lives in his hands, and then crush them on a whim, like a god. Oh yes, the dyspeptic man loved his toys all right, which is why Deidara did everything in his power to not become that to the man; a possession, something to fool around with until it ceased to amuse you. The blonde refused to be treated like that, which was why he frequently denied the man.

Even so, the blonde couldn't help going slightly rigid when the other man's body pressed into his back, willing himself to stay completely still and silent. For such a bastard, his master was uncannily good at reading people's body language and emotions, and Deidara wouldn't give the man even a glimmer of opportunity to take advantage of him or trick him into doing something he might regret. For a few moments, everything was silent, and the tension filling the room seemed almost tangible. Deidara bit his lip and closed his eyes tightly as Orochimaru pressed his body onto his more forcefully. A few seconds passed, then…

Relief.

The extra weight vanished from his back and the hands detached themselves from his slender waist as Orochimaru pulled back, a ridiculing pout on his lips, the expression a token of his disappointment of the blonde's unresponsive behavior. The man then proceeded to nod to Kabuto, who'd silently surveyed the scene before him, not speaking a word, just as a good servant was expected to do.

Walking forward towards the other two, the silver-haired teen wordlessly pulled a slightly bent manila folder from the briefcase that he always seemed to have somewhere on his person. Orochimaru smiled wickedly as the still silent teen handed the item to him, and Deidara knew immediately that something reprobate was in store for him.

"Deidara-kun," the man began again, eyes glinting, "How long has it been…since you killed?"

The words confirmed all thought the blonde had concerning said topic, and for a moment, he felt a fatigued, dizzy feeling, as though his heart had stopped beating. Killing; ending someone's life, and, in a ripple effect, ruining and devastating several others, including yourself if you were caught for committing such a damnable act. To fulfill the action was to go over the edge, beyond the point of no return or whatever other phrase you wanted to use to symbolize the losing of yourself.

He hadn't killed in a long time, and he'd never done it directly, like shooting someone or slitting their throat; he didn't revel in seeing the crimson blood of his enemies dripping off a knife, or enjoy pumping the trigger of a gun to hear his victim's agonized scream as bullets ripped through their body. No, he wasn't evil like that, as some of his adversaries and even comrades were.

Even if he didn't necessarily enjoy killing, that didn't mean that he'd never done it before. A few years ago, in fact, Deidara had been quite a frequent killer, even if he technically hadn't laid his hands on any of his victims. Most of the killings he'd done, he hadn't even meant to do. It wasn't like it was an accident though; he knew that they'd die, even if he hadn't done what he'd done to end their lives. Deidara knew that when you detonated a building filled with people using one of your bombs, a majority of them were going to perish.

At first, death and destruction hadn't bothered him. For some strange reason, Deidara had found that he was unaffected by the fact that he was murdering and maiming his fellow man. Eventually, the truth about it had hit him full on, but slowly; a poison that had cleverly snuck into his system and ripped him apart from the inside, causing unbearable turmoil and agony within the blonde.

Any sensible person would quit if they were under so much strain and mental affliction, but not Deidara. No matter how much wretchedness and tribulation were thrust upon him, the blonde refused to give up for the understandable fear of Orochimaru's legendary wrath should he oppose his master. No, Deidara was obedient to his boss, just like the way he'd been raised to be; like his parents, who he'd never met, had been.

Even if he had desperately not wanted to upset Orochimaru, there was only so much he'd been able to take. About a year ago, he'd crawled from the wreckage site of his latest explosion to this same room, covered in dirt and what might've been blood, shaken and spent. What had once been gleeful, harmless (for him), fun had now become a nightmare for his mentality.

Deidara, as much as he'd wanted to, would never forget what happened next. How could he, seeing as both he and Orochimaru considered that moment to his greatest failure of the Oto Gang, and of course, Orochimaru himself?

Deidara and Orochimaru's eyes had then met; malicious amber boring into pained azure. The contact only lasted a fleeting moment, but during that time much had been conversed, uncovered. Orochimaru's light frown had then changed, the corners of his lips turning upwards into an unmistakably sadistic smile.

"You don't like killing, do you?" The man had simpered, mock concern and disappointment oozing smoothly into his voice with a practiced ease only someone as vile as him could pull off, "You want to stop, don't you?"

The blonde found himself unable to meet his Master's gaze at these words as he slowly sunk to the dusty ground, his skin burning with the shame of his failure. An instant later, as he stared forlornly at the moth-eaten rug that his hands were gripping tightly, an unfamiliar feeling began to prick the corners of his eyes. Deidara's vision blurred, and he then let out an involuntary noise, somewhere between a gasp and a shudder as twin trails of water began to slowly roll down his cheeks. No…it wasn't possible. Not since he'd been young had he…

"Deidara, are you crying?" Orochimaru then had questioned, tone full of barely suppressed laughter, "Oh, honestly! Members of the Oto Gang do not cry, children do! You are not a child, Deidara," he continued spitefully, stepping forward, "Or are you? I never would have penned you as the weakling of the group."

That had hurt, it really had. The tears had begun to fall faster as Deidara's misery increased, brought on by both his guilt and the pain of Orochimaru's taunts. Deidara never cried; in fact, he couldn't even remember the last time he'd shed tears over anything. As he was growing up it'd been trained into him by his part-time caretaker, Kimimaro that crying or showing any strong emotion was a weakness and a completely unacceptable and unbecoming way to act.

Well, fuck that, he was sick of it. Sick of the killing and screaming and pain, of the sleepless nights where he'd toss and turn in bed, unable to get the horrific images of annihilation and demise out of his head. Even now, though, tried not to show weakness, but some despair had come slipping through the cracks, and now his wretchedness was on display for all to see.

He heard Orochimaru take a step towards him, his foot hitting the floor with an ominous thump. Cowering backwards as the older man advanced, Deidara finally turned his face upward to look at Orochimaru as the tears began to lessen, willing and trying with all his power to keep them from reappearing.

Unfortunately, they returned quite quickly, accompanied by a cry of pain as the gang leader grabbed his subordinate by the hair and forcibly hauled him to his feet. The patronizing and fake expression on the pale man's face had disappeared to be replaced with an almost tangible fury that seemed to suffocate the air in the room.

The blonde's back hit something solid and cold, and he knew immediately what it was. The Wall. Fuck. He'd backed straight into the wall, and now he was trapped. Orochimaru advanced, fury still present on his face but with an evil glint in his eyes now as he reached forward, spindly fingers entangling themselves in the boy's blonde tresses.

Deidara, against his better judgment, struggled for an instant before the older man used his ensnared fingers as a way to yank him around, slamming his head harshly into the unforgiving wall and ignoring the whimpers of pain that escaped the golden-haired boy's mouth.

Yanking back Deidara's head again, Orochimaru hissed ferociously in his ear, "You will not defy me or show weakness again, is that clear?" At the blonde's pained nod he retracted his fingers and threw the teen on the ground, mercilessly snapping, "Act pathetic like that again and you'll get the worst beating of your life. If you're going to act so contemptible, then I guess you shouldn't use those little explosions anymore. I'm sure Zaku or Kin could take your place."

Deidara was still a bit stunned from the rough treatment, but even through his daze he could register what his boss was saying and felt embarrassment course through him. Zaku and Kin? They were the lowest of the pecking order, the weakest! To be shown up by such anemic people was beyond humiliating, it was too awful to put into words. Was not having to kill anymore really worth this? Deidara knew the answer even before he asked himself the question: yes. If he allowed this, he'd be free from the torment he'd been suffering. To Orochimaru's incredulity, Deidara nodded, even managing a small smile while he was at it.

"Sure thing Orochimaru-sama, un, I'll be glad to get reassigned," he chirped in the falsely happy voice he'd spent years cultivating, swiping his hand behind his head nonchalantly to assess the damage, wincing when his hand came back sticky and crimson. Shit, he more injured than he'd thought; he'd probably have to go see Kabuto and have the other teen evaluate the offending affliction.

Even though Orochimaru's anger seemed spent, Deidara couldn't help tensing when he heard the older man give out a sigh, then speaking again in a calmer voice, "If that is what you truly want…I can give you another job then, can't have you lazing about the base with nothing to do. I suppose you can be my new Retrieval Man. I'm sure you know what those do, don't you?"

Deidara nodded in a slightly addled manner, confused about the turn of events. Even though he was supposedly in trouble, Orochimaru was giving him a much higher ranking job than a Demolition Specialist. So, he was being promoted, was he? But why, hadn't he failed his Master?

The snake-like man's fluid voice broke through his thoughts, "Good then, you'll receive your first assignment within the next few days, but I'll warn you right now," his eyes narrowed into slits, a clear warning to heed his words, "Though I am a generous man, I do have my limits. Know that next time you screw up, there will be recompense. Do not fail me again."

Thinking back on that day, it was hard to tell if getting promoted had been a good thing or not; everyone knew that being a Retrieval Man for Orochimaru wasn't exactly the safest job around, seeing as the whole point of it was to go around, doing odd jobs for him, which were mostly collecting illegal contraband, and to get these items at any cost. Those who were pinned with the job showed physical evidence of their profession, and Deidara was no exception, the proof of his plight displayed by his severely damaged right eye and the nasty-looking scar on his chest, a result of a deal gone wrong with the Suna Gang and their infamous leader, Gaara.

Note to self: Next time you go to meet with a homicidal maniac, refrain from making panda jokes about him.

Injuries aside, being a Retrieval Man hadn't been as bad as rumor suggested; it had been entertaining, to say the least, and even though there had been some messy and dangerous battles, he hadn't needed to kill anyone. Until now, of course.

Why did Orochimaru take so much pleasure in screwing with his head and making him miserable? Didn't he understand how hard he tried?

Realizing that his boss must still be waiting for his response, the blonde responded in the most expressionless tone that he could manage, "I haven't killed since…you know…" He let the words trail off, knowing that Orochimaru would make the desired connection. His train of thought was confirmed as a shadow briefly flitted across his Master's face as the pale man recollected the events of the previous year.

"Ah, yes. Well, Deidara-kun, I have quite the assignment for you do accomplish for me," the words were spoken with a wicked smile that conveyed to the blonde that he wouldn't like his so called assignment one bit. Cerulean eyes followed the other man's hand as it reached inside the folder to pull out a few pieces of paper, then widened in a questioning manner as the white sheets were thrust in his direction.

"You know of a gang by the name of Akatsuki." It wasn't a question; Akatsuki was, according to Orochimaru, a great threat and annoyance to the existence of Oto. It was common knowledge that Orochimaru hated the organization with great passion, and, consequently, everyone else did too. Countless times Deidara had heard his master ranting and raving about the group's mysterious members doing this or that, and he'd come to resent the group and everyone in it. After all, there had to be some reason Orochimaru hated them so much, right?

Deidara personally didn't know much more about Akatsuki; just that they were a rival gang from another part of town, and apparently, if rumor was true, were mostly teenagers. The only thing he really knew for sure was that they were enemies, pure and simple.

Looking through the pages he'd been handed, the blonde frowned as he leafed absentmindedly through the stack while Orochimaru continued to talk.

"Well, as you know, there are several operating members in Akatsuki, all of which are core strengths for the organization in their own ways. Take one member out and the foundation of the group will crumble. That's where you come in."

The older man reached over, took the papers from Deidara's loose hold, thumbed through them and pulled out a specific page the blonde hadn't noticed before. As the page was handed to him, Deidara took the time to examine the image printed on it; a headshot of a boy, looking around his age, maybe older, with messy red hair and half-lidded sepia eyes that held an almost dazed look in them. Deidara briefly wondered if he was on drugs or something.

Orochimaru once again broke through his thoughts, speaking in a low tone, "Senior member of Akatsuki, Akasuna no Sasori. One of the founding members; taking him down will be an enormous blow to those bastards."

Taking him out will be an enormous blow for those bastards.

Taking him out…

In that instant, Deidara finally realized what Orochimaru had been implying for him to do all along.

"You…you want me to kill him?" He had hoped that his voice would come out calm and level, but to his disappointment and slight horror, an unmistakable tremor accompanied his words.

Unfortunately, his question was met with a sarcastic reply on the behalf of his Master.

"No, I want you to bake him cookies; of course I want you to eliminate him!" The statement was met with a rather uncharacteristic roll of the eyes from Orochimaru as he poked fun at his subordinate's question,

"Do it any way you want," he continued, answering the silent inquisition in Deidara's eyes, "Just be sure that the murder cannot be traced back to you or the Oto Gang."

The flaxen-haired teen inwardly flinched at the brusque usage of the phrase "murder"; it made it all too clear to him that he'd be eliminating someone. Orochimaru couldn't let him down easier, be a bit gentler with his terms?

He sighed quietly; apparently not. Every twist and turn of his life since that day he'd broke down seemed to be designed to fuck his mental health up even more and antagonize him. He was merely a marionette whose movements were being controlled by older and more powerful people for their own personal gain and entertainment. As much as he liked to believe that Orochimaru actually cared for him and valued him, Deidara knew that in reality he meant nothing to him except for a quick screw, and that distressed him.

For once in his life, he wanted to mean something to someone, to be important in someone's life. Even if that person was Orochimaru, and even if he had to kill to earn his approval. It wasn't like he had much choice in the matter anyway; but if he did it without much complaint then maybe he'd gain at least a glimmer more respect from the man he craved attention from.

"So," the despicable man asked, cocking his head to the side expectantly, "what do you say? Will you dispose of Sasori?"

Knowing he'd hate himself for it later, Deidara nodded, slowly but resolutely. An odd feeling, possibly dread, filled the bottom of his stomach, and he inwardly sighed in displeasure when Orochimaru began to smile disarmingly, knowing well what would happen next. It was a routine of theirs; one in which neither were truly serious about yet preformed all the same.

"Well then," the colorless lips kept the smirk as their owner took an inconsequential step forward, his footfall making a near-inaudible sound as it was laid down, kicking some dust into the air. Deidara focused on watching the dust settle and blend back into the floor as the man drew even closer, still walking in his infamous predatory prowl.

"How about then, Dei-kun," he asked, mouth now dangerously close to the blonde's ear, "We seal the deal?"

Repressing the tremor that threatened to travel through his body at the invasive feeling of the man's hot breath dancing across the delicate skin of his neck, Deidara turned laggardly to face his master, their closeness causing the other man's lips to lightly graze across his jaw as he rotated to meet him.

What happened next was a little ritual of theirs; something that'd been going on for so long that neither remembered nor cared when it had started, and the thought to end the little act didn't occur to either of them as Orochimaru's hungry lips descended on Deidara's mouth.

The contact was short-lived, and after an abrupt interval the two pulled away as if on cue, Orochimaru's face holding a self-satisfied smirk while the younger blonde's face was blank, almost bored. Deidara had been through this so many times that at this point he really didn't feel anything for this routine of theirs, and was pretty sure that Orochimaru, though rather forward with his lustful feelings, didn't regard their odd kisses as anything on a romantic level as well. Deidara had said it before and he'd say it again; Orochimaru liked his toys.

Either way, that little gesture of theirs was his cue to go; stay any longer and Orochimaru would most definitely become irritated with him; the man had a ridiculously quick temper. A quick spin of the heel, a few steps forward, and he was free, standing once again on the silent landing, letting out a sigh of relief that he hadn't even realized he'd been holding in. Why did that man always make him so…nervous?

The question would have to remain unanswered for now, seeing as he now had an important mission to get ready for. With another irritating creak of the stairs as they protested against his weight, he made his way as inconspicuously as he could to the fourth floor, where his room was located.

There was nothing particularly special about his room; it was as dusty as Orochimaru's place, and smaller, the cramped feeling intensified by the cot and mini fridge taking up most of the space.

Speaking of the mini fridge…

It was wide open and almost empty, clearly raided in his absence, the blonde noted; sighing as he realized that he'd left his door unlocked when he'd gone out. Around here the basic rule was survival, and people stealing from others was common; it didn't matter that you were in the same gang, duration was key. Deidara allowed a moan of irritation to escape him as he inspected the fridge, realizing that everything save a half-drunk can of flat soda had been taken. Great, now he had to buy food on top of everything else that was happening in his fucked-up life. Hell, it was a miracle that the culprit hadn't made off with something worse, like his bed!

His mood brightened slightly as a light knock sounded at his door, signaling a visitor. Deidara already knew who it was though; only one person in the entire base was polite enough to knock, instead of barging it unannounced.

"Come in, Kimimaro," he sighed, flopping sloppily down onto his bed as the door opened slowly to reveal his ex-guardian. Kimimaro stepped in, only giving a nod of greeting before jumping straight to business,

"Tayuya is angry with you," to which Deidara couldn't suppress a snort and a roll of the eyes, "Is she never not pissed? I swear, that bitch is on permanent PMS."

He chuckled lightly when the white-haired man frowned at his language; it was fun to push Kimimaro's buttons. Besides, Tayuya was a bitch, the only person who could even remotely stand her was Sakon, and he certainly couldn't.

In fact, the two were both the same age and had been raised along side each other, but ever since they'd met they had bickered and detested one another with passion, and it hadn't changed all the years they'd known each other. Just the mere mention of the girl was restoring him to his previous horrible mood. Kimimaro seemed to sense this, changing the subject abruptly.

"So," he murmured, "You've gotten the mission?"

Deidara nodded, shaking his golden-blonde tresses out of his eyes before reaching into his jeans, pulling out his favorite pocket knife and holding it up to the light, examining it from every angle.

"So you have no problem with it?" Kimimaro questioned while Deidara flipped out the longest blade. Yes, this one would do well. He'd just have to sneak up behind Akasuna, slit his throat. He'd never even see it coming…

Nodding again, Deidara stood up, stowing the knife back into his front pocket for easy access later.

"I appreciate your concern, un," he said, giving a tiny smile to Kimimaro as he paced towards the door, "But I'll be fine...Really, I will," Deidara snapped at the other man's skeptical face. His guardian merely shrugged and walked slowly out of the door, sparing one more glance back at him before disappearing from sight.

The blonde rubbed his temples, trying to calm himself down. Why had he barked at Kimimaro like that? Sure, sometimes he could be an ass to some people, but never to Kimimaro, who'd been nothing but kind to him since they'd first met. This damn mission was starting to get to him, badly; he had to kill that damn Sasori before he went completely psycho.

Leafing through the papers containing said boy's profile, Deidara quickly scanned the page that held Sasori's personal information and notes on his and the Akatsuki's movements, including places the redhead was most likely to be at any given time. Jeeze, his boss was well-informed. Well then, might as well get the job done early, seeing as, according to the information he'd been given, his target would be in the nearby Red Light District around this time.

He didn't need much, just the long, dark wool trench coat that he only wore when it was especially cold, and of course, his weapon; the pocket knife.

Trudging down out into the hall and stepping down the stairs, who once again squeaked obnoxiously, signaling everyone of his movements, he reached the first floor with no trouble, smirking as a familiar figure came into view.

"Hey Sasu-chan," he greeted mockingly, giving a little offhand wave to accompany his words. The raven-haired teen frowned at the nickname the older teen had given him,

"Hey Deidara; going out I see. Where?"

The blonde resisted the urge to roll his eyes; even if they were pretty good friends, the kid took everything way too seriously for someone his age. Deidara thought that he seriously needed to get laid, or at least loosen up a bit.

"Assassination, un," he responded, "An Akatsuki member, actually."

There were few things in the world that could make Uchiha Sasuke show real, raw emotion, and a mention of the notorious gang was one of them. As soon as the word 'Akatsuki' came out of Deidara's mouth, the other boy's eyes took on an insane glint, shining wildly, and his mouth twisted into a maniacal grin. Leaning forward slightly, he let out an uncharacteristic giggle and asked excitedly, "Oh, who?" While Deidara stared, confused by this foreign personality of his fellow Oto member before responding, "Some kid called Akasuna no Sasori. Why, un?"

"Well," the Uchiha began, "You may not have known this, but my aniki is a member."

Deidara's eyes widened: he certainly hadn't been expecting that. Deidara had heard Sasuke rant about his madman of a brother as often as he heard Orochimaru bitch about Akatsuki; no wonder the kid was so worked up, his family's killer was one of the people Deidara was targeting. Well, this was getting interesting…

"Anyways, Deidara," Sasuke continued, "If you come across Itachi, don't kill him-I want to be the one that does it!"

The blonde sighed, "Okay, Sasuke, I won't. Now, if you'll excuse me," he slid past the younger male, opening the door as he spoke, "I have business in the Red Light District."

Stepping outside once again, Deidara was not too pleased to see that the weather was still as bitingly cold as it had been when he'd previously been out. Pulling the thick wool coat tighter to his slender frame and repressing a shudder, the teen stalked down the street.

Some time later he found himself in front of a rather large and new-looking club, crushed in the middle of a dense crowd. Shit, how was he ever going to find Sasori in this mess? Well, a good first place to start would be the club, he mused, as he began to shove people out of the way, trudging forward towards the building's entrance. Deidara was so fixated on the lavish double doors that led to the inside of the structure, in fact, that he completely ignored the indignant cry coming from one of the people he's pushed out of the way.

"Hey, what the fuck! Watch it-hey, wait a minute, I know you! You're Orochimaru's bitch! Hey, Baki, get over here; you'll never guess who I found!"

Crap. Deidara felt panic take over as he looked to his right to come nearly face-to-face with Kankuro and Baki, two powerful members of the Suna Gang, one of Oto's current enemies. Deidara backed up a bit, inwardly cursing when the two stepped forward in unison, malicious intent rolling off them in waves. The blonde felt like crying out in frustration; how did he always get himself into such trouble?

"So, blondie," snickered Kankuro, "Did you enjoy the little parting gift we gave you last time we met?" The brunette laughed when Deidara's fingers flitted briefly to his hidden right eye, "It appears you do. I still didn't take kindly to the jokes you made about my brother and I, I think it's time I paid you back a bit."

Deidara had never been a coward on any level before, and liked to think himself brave a majority of the time. There were, however, times like this where he was being faced with two powerful opponents he couldn't possibly tackle on his own and felt that it'd be in his best interest to run. Counting slowly to three, Deidara pushed his way violently in-between the advancing teens and bolted through the crowd, not knowing or caring where he was running. He could hear the startled cries of the bystanders all around him and the pounding footfalls of his pursuers behind him as he ran, and it only compelled him to sprint even faster.

Panting hard, he finally made it out of the crowd and bolted into a shady looking alley. Ugh, he had to find someone to help him, quick…there was someone exiting a door on the alley's far end, undoubtedly someone who, seeing as they were coming out of a popular hangout for drug dealers, was a strong gang member. Maybe he could get this situation to turn in his favor; all it took was a little act he liked to call "Damsel in Distress."

He made sure to morph the look on his face into an expression of terror before running up to the undoubtedly male figure and clutching onto the front of his sweatshirt.

"Please, un," he begged, looking into what he hoped to be the man's eyes (for his face was mostly covered by the hood attached to the garment that covered his torso) and widening his own cerulean orbs, "There's some people after me, and I don't know why, but I think they're trying to hurt me. Will you help, un?" The question was accompanied with a pout and another terrified squeak when Kankuro and Baki finally caught up, bursting into the alley with triumphant smirks, then quickly paling as they noticed Deidara wasn't alone.

"So," asked the man standing next to Deidara, putting an arm around the blonde's shoulders protectively, "You're the ones who're trying to harm him?"

Both Suna members flinched at those words, and Deidara could see why; the man's voice was smooth and icy, much like Orochimaru's, with a hint of veiled ferocity behind the words the man spoke, causing even Deidara to shiver a bit at his tone.

Even so, the blonde couldn't help smirking and sticking out his tongue slightly at the two while the man protecting him coolly stared them down. Baki looked ready to lunge at Deidara, but Kankuro grabbed his shoulder roughly before turning around and muttering in his fellow Suna's ear. In the tense silence of the alley, Deidara could just make out what they were saying;

"Just give it up, Baki, it's not worth it. Not against one of them, anyways," he muttered, turning around to fix Deidara with an angry stare, though there was an unmistakable trace of fear in his gaze as his eyes flickered towards the man holding the blonde protectively, "Don't think this is over yet, bitch; I'll get you one of these days. I swear it."

With that, both boys hurried out of the narrow alley, the mysterious man obviously frightening them. After a few seconds, Deidara stepped out of the taller man's resistant hold, preparing to run off and find his target, when a hand gripped his arm tightly and spun him around to once again face his "savior." Letting out am indignant little cry, Deidara opened up his mouth to give the man a piece of his mind, when his arm was released.

The blonde found his eyes widening once again that day when the hand that had been previously holding him captive reached upward to slide the hood off the other male's head, revealing his face. Deidara, who'd been formulating a plan to make a second run for it in his head, was reduced to gaping when he recognized the features of the ma-no, the boy.

Red hair. Brown eyes. He clearly recognized the teen from the photo. Oh, no…

Akasuna no Sasori.

"So," asked the redhead, smirking good-naturedly, "You were going to run off without even properly thanking the person who saved you?"

Deidara could only stare.

Oh, shit.

He knew it for sure now; the world was definitely against him today. Just how in the fucking hell did he get himself into these messes?

xxxxxxxxxx

(shoots self) by no means did I plan for the first chapter to be so long and dull, nor did I want to many sucky paragraphs and run-on sentences. . .The OroDei part nearly killed my brain. It definitely killed my soul. Fortunately, though, there won't be anymore Orochimaru/Deidara interactions like that for a while, they're essential for the plot about, I dunno, 60,000 words later? So a situation like that will show up again. xD

I blame my English teacher, Duffy! Well, uh, feel free to drop a review and what not; it'd be nice to know what you thought of my crappy vomit of a story.