First time doing a story of a different fandom. O.o Might be my last too. XD

Ack, I know some people are looking forward to "Kings and Beacons," but…I decided to quit on that one shot. After looking though it, I just don't like it at all. I think the characters are OOC and it went kinda out of control. Also, I want to focus on my Pokemon fic, "Nothing, Everything," school, and work. So instead, I did another Naruto one shot, this time much shorter. Wanna give thanks to katiekitten for betaing (there's one scene I changed according to what you said, so hope I did it right).

WARNING: Ending seems like a bit too much like "The Dark Knight." -_-

Clay Puppet

Art is anyone's perspective, anyone's guess.

This I gotta see.

Deidara smirked while walking back to the cave where he left his partner not long ago. When he heard Sasori's death and saw Tobi and Zetsu found that puppet master's ring, he was both amused and in utter disbelief—more amused, though. However, he wanted to see that for himself. The man could not help himself but remember once again the argument they had over the nature of art.

Art is—

— eternal, forever lasting.

Sasori thought art should last forever for people to see and appreciate. That was why he created puppets, even ones from humans while they were still alive (a delicate process in which blood, organs, then bones would be taken out). They could be played from one generation to the next and be loved.

The blonde haired man snorted. Those puppets would be rusty and soon be thrown away.

— a blast, short lived and destroyed.

Deidara thought art should leave a big finale, so there must be explosions. Now that would leave an everlasting impression on people. The clays, which he used to make his bombs, could be anything he wanted his palm to spit out like spiders, grasshoppers, or birds. He was glad he could be able to make his clays explode. Never a dull moment. The man got distracted though when he made it to his destination.

His eyes went wide and he felt his heart squeezed, could not believe the destruction.

The cave was blown up, boulders everywhere and the skies and sun could be seen. Over a hundred broken puppets were spread out, like a mass grave. Deidara walked slowly to the obstruction, glancing left and right every couple of seconds.

So that pink haired girl and the old lady did this? he wondered with a grunt. How can that be? He's the stronger one! Speaking of which, where is he?

Not long after, he took a quick step back when he saw Sasori's body stuck on the wall by a sealing orb.

What the hell? That's Sasori?

His face looked smooth and his red hair was short and clean. Deidara always thought he looked much other than that. So the dead man must be a very impatient young person that could have a heart attack any day now and needed anger management. Sasori's body was actually made of wood, like a puppet. Okay, a very impatient young and obsessive person. That was the least of Deidara's worries, though.

And what's with that hole left on his chest?

Confusion swarm aggressively against the waves inside Deidara's head for some time, he could not comprehend what happened. Too frightened by what he saw, he tripped and fell on the ground. There, his eyes fell on another redhead puppet, this time wearing a torn cloak. Besides him were two older looking and larger puppets—a male and female, both too in cloaks. On the ground Deidara saw some purple liquid and he blinked.

Huh? Blood? Again, what's all this?

After getting up and dusting himself, Deidara picked up the puppet and saw a chest container pierced by two swords, which were attached to the other puppets. At first he looked at it in bewilderment for some time, puzzled how could there be two Sasori in the cave. It took a while though for him to realize what had happened. He glanced at the chest container again and gritted his teeth.

Sasori's fault, Deidara thought while sighing in disbelief and rolling his eyes. He could not believe even when Sasori switched bodies, those two ladies beat him. Defeating those two should be easy, but he failed at that.

Sasori's useless after all. Too focused on art being eternal instead of the battle.

His grin got wider when another thought came to mind.

Guess we're not so different after all.

He realized that after seeing Sasori's wooden body and thinking back to his clay explosions. Those two did use their "art" for one thing—to kill.

— a murderer.

Never thought there was something we could agree on in terms of art.

Deidara chuckled and dropped Sasori down, who crashed on the ground with a loud thump. His foot then stomped on the puppet, leaving many holes on him.

This shows how wrong you are about art, Sasori of the Red Sands. Let me show you what true art is, my clay puppet.

There was a sinister grin on Deidara's face. The man grabbed some clay from his pouch and had his palm ate it. Seconds later, it spit out and two birds flew on Sasori's head. Deidara chuckled again before walking away and whistling.

And in three, two—

He closed his eyes and snapped his fingers.

— one—

BOOM!

Flames burst up, yelling and moving all over. Smoke began forming and it just kept getting bigger and bigger. All the puppets were consumed, including Sasori. Deidara turned around and bowed. Inside his head, the audience roared in excitement and gave a standing ovation.

My greatest work of art yet, even more so than when I fooled Kakashi and the others.

Deidara continued walking while the fire was still scorching the puppets. Sasori soon was nothing but ashes. Indeed, art was a blast and could kill.

Art is anyone's perspective, anyone's guess.
But a wrong guess, and you could be dead just like that.

END