Chapter 1

Many wonder if the fate of shinobi can be predicted. The short answer is 'no'. The life of the shinobi, just like any life, is filled with inevitable twists and unexpected turns.

So, a better question is, 'What does a shinobi do when the unexpected occurs?'

An answer shall be given to some by observing this rather unexpected, considerably insane, and untold chapter in the life of Sasuke Uchiha.

…

"Senpai, this is crazy! I can't believe you actually managed to pull this off." The cry, though not as audible due to the harsh winds, was still shrill enough to make one's ears voice suddenly squeaked due to something he couldn't see. He couldn't see anything.

"I'm insulted that you're so in shock. I told you to shut up. I know what I'm doing. Hm!"

That voice. That familiar voice, filled with sharp fire that flared with every word he spoke. It sent a ripple of ice through his entire being.

Underestimation had always been a weakness of his. Now that weaknesses had snatched him by the throat after years of neglecting to correct it. So, the flaw had finally vied to catch his attention the hard way.

He had a big mouth, but refused to give anything of use away. His seemingly impetuous fighting style was deceiving because he was calculating beyond his years. He had an insufferable arrogance about him to top it off, but even so, letting his own guard down had been the most arrogant move of all.

He'd only done so because he'd thought he won.

Now, he cursed himself as his head began viciously throbbing. With each violent pulse, memories pumped back to the surface like the blood in his veins. He'd retracted his Sharingan only minutes after watching his opponent lie motionless several yards away from him. The Akatsuki member had previously failed to ensnare him with a rather pitiful frontal attack. Sasuke was sure at that point he had the upper hand. Even then, he shouldn't have been so quick to begin powering down.

Because if he hadn't, he would've noticed sooner the deformed 'masterpiece' that crept in on him from behind. Instead, with his chakra low and his kekkei genkai deactivated, he proceeded to interrogate the enemy about his brother's whereabouts. He'd sat up in the dirt, threateningly, exerting his supposedly greater stamina over the enemy. But said foe remained with his back to the ground, which only holstered his own confidence.

If he hadn't underestimated him, he would've had more time to react to the explosion. Instead he realized a split second too late and was able to dodge partially but a single shock wave snagged him from unscathed escape. He soared over 90 feet back and took the impact of several smoldering and splintered trees in the process.

If he hadn't underestimated him, even with his ringing eardrums, fresh gashes and simmering burns mared onto his skin, maybe he would've had enough strength to stand and use the little available chakra he had left. He would have been fast enough. He would've been able to catch his breath and fight the unconsciousness that closed in on him.

But he'd let his guard down.

The relentless pounding in his skull was what slowly tugged him down to earth. Or back down to a cool and sticky substance, for that matter.

The two voices he'd heard continued. So close to him, yet miles away, trapped behind several doors. Although the truth of his situation was beginning to latch itself tightly around his brain, his eyes remained closed, as if doing so would make the ludicrous reality any less real than it was.

He forced as much fresh air into his lungs as he could and then immediately regretted it. Not broken, but a fractured rib. The breeze held a hint of smoke, along with the smell of sweat and blood. He couldn't move much. Aside from his head, his entire body was encased in all too familiar white clay. The clay that held him was part of the large clay bird he was currently flying on. The tight space had caused waves of heat to spread over him, making his clothes stick to him like a second skin. He was still too weakened to summon his chakra, and attempting to do so would just lead to further depletion of the little he'd managed to regain during his unconscious state.

Pain racked his body when he tried to move once more, and he wondered if it was due to the explosion or something else; he couldn't recall just how much damage he sustained. Time slowed to a crawl as he peeled his eyelids back, in search of something nearby that could possibly aid him. He was instead attacked with blinding light and blue sky with blurred clouds. When his vision settled and his gaze swept his surroundings, he found nothing. Until they landed on them.

Two cloaked figures sat ahead of him on the shoulders of the bird, backs turned to him. The idiot named Tobi swung his arms about as he harped on and on. The other Akatsuki seemed to be attempting to ignore his existence.

How much time had passed? Had his team realized something was off?

Moments passed. Each fraction of every passing moment was spent mulling over every plausible way of escape. Each second one idea was shot down after the next. If he were to get free, the most doable departure in his state would be jumping off the creation.

"But Senpai, what are you gonna do? This is Itachi's little brother you're talking about! He's gonna kill us!" The man's voice couldn't possibly get any more hysterical.

In the midst of their battle, Sasuke hadn't failed to notice how much Deidara seemed to despise him, how greatly he longed to kill him. So the fact that his heart was still pounding in is chest only made it beat faster. He was still alive. What could possibly be better than seeing the person you hate dead at your feet? Other than-

"Hey, hey, hey! I think he's awake, Senpai!" Tobi's voice suddenly crashed through Sasuke's thoughts again. Black eyes remained on the sky, as if it would keep him rooted within an alternate universe.

"Thanks for the notice, captain obvious, hm."

Despite his efforts to ignore it, Sasuke could sense the man approaching. The sound of scuffling clothes grew closer. A frantic shriek came and out of the corner of his eye, he saw two feet catch themselves. A millisecond later, an orange mask popped into center view. Tobi leaned over his clay-engulfed form.

With the feeling of bubbling fire burning in his stomach, the Uchiha felt bile in his throat threatening to rise. The man let out a squeal without warning.

"I'm sorry Senpai, I just can't take it! This is so much to handle for a newbie like me!" With eyes narrowed, Sasuke finally stared into the orange, swirly mask of Tobi who seemed to be staring back at him through his ridiculous eye hole. "And besides- aww, look at him- he's so adorable… He kinda looks just like Itachi, but cuter!" the man went on like a woman at a baby shower.

Sasuke's jaw clenched. "What did you say?"

Tobi sprung back, gripping Deidara's arm for dear life, causing the two to stumble. "Eeeeeek, so scary!"

"Get the hell offa me, you idiot!" Deidara screeched, shoving his partner away as he regained control of the bird. After a while, the idiot was tiptoeing back over to Sasuke.

"…Wow, even in this state, the Uchiha are terrifying… This seems like a bad idea..." Tobi turned to look back at his partner. "Whadaya say, why don't we just drop Sasuke off somewhere, and…"

"Tobi, if you suggest that one more time, I swear I'll shove my remaining clay through your mask hole. I already told you I made up my mind. So if you think you're gonna die, you can be on your merry way, yeah."

"Are you crazy?! On my own- y-you mean back to the others? If I even step toe in that organization, and Itachi finds out we stole his brother- and he will- he'll obliterate me! Or worse, torture me with his eyes!" Tobi gasped "Oh my gosh, Senpai, I can't ever go back there again, never! Not as long as Itachi's alive!"

Rage continued to mount within him. How dare they talk amongst themselves as if he weren't even there. It was him they should be afraid of.

"Don't be ridiculous. Itachi couldn't care less about what happens to his nuisance of a brother, not that it matters to me. But if you're so scared of him, then perhaps I should take the liberty of killing you myself, hm," Deidara's voice gave the notion that he was only partially joking. "Better that than you annoying me to death before I'm able to fulfill my mission. Besides, if I were to do so, you wouldn't have to worry about him skinning you alive."

"Senpai, how could you be so heartless? I'm just trying to tell you, whatever you're planning won't work! O-our prolonged absence will have our leader after us eventually," he reasoned frantically. "Besides, It's Itachi you have beef with, not this guy, right?"

"How stupid could you possibly be? I'm aware It's only a matter of time before that happens, hm!" Deidara turned to look at Tobi, a preoccupied look, as if deep in thought, was on his face. "But by then, it will have already been too late."

A change in the atmosphere. "What are you talking about, Senpai?" Tobi asked after a long pause.

Sasuke couldn't see his face from where the clay trapped him, but something told him that apparently, his capture was just one step of many within a larger scheme of things. The enemy was rebelling. For some reason, he was cutting ties with his organization in exchange for something, he thought, was bigger. Much better.

"I've got something to tell you, Tobi." Deidara's voice could barely be heard. "I'm giving you a choice. One last chance to leave. You can turn your back on me as if this never happened, hm. You can go back to the Akatsuki and tell them of my abandonment, or wait for them to realize themselves, and, no doubt get killed in the process for your betrayal."

"Uhuh…"

"Or you can join me and never turn back." Deidara's narrowed eyes became mere blue slits, boring into the single eye hole of his partner. "But I promise you, idiot. If you try to stop me- if you even begin to think about trying to stop me from doing anything that I'm trying to do. If I suspect for even a second that you're plotting against me-" Deidara cut himself off before continuing. "I'll be forced to face you. You will become nothing but a flash of my instantaneous art, and then a fading distant memory."

As Sasuke heard his words he wondered what kind of dynamic the two had in which Deidara was able to talk to his partner in such a way. He was was just as dramatic as he was serious. All of it disgusted him.

"Your decision, hm."

"Well…" Tobi trailed off. Seconds ticked by. "Can't let you go on this adventure all by yourself without seeing what you plan to do, am I right?" He threw himself backwards, landing on his back with his hands behind his head. "But don't blame me when Leader sends the entire organization after us." Deidara ignored this, giving only a small grunt in return before turning back to face the skies.

"Soo, where are we going anyway?"

Enough was enough. "Listen. I don't know where you think you're taking me, but-" He had every intention for his voice to come out low and lethal, but his words flew out thick and raspy at first and he mentally cursed as he held back a cough, the smoke in the air shook up his lungs. Self-loathing crept upon him. He was not thinking straight.

Tobi looked to Sasuke, and Deidara laughed. "Oh brother. When are you gonna realize there's no hope for you? You missed your chance, hm."

Sasuke's anger surged hotter than hell itself. "No one decides how many chances I have, you insane bastard," he growled.

Deidara didn't turn around. "You Uchiha couldn't see art if it slapped you in the face. Your ignorance has made me sick, and now my chance has finally come. Think of this as a debt I'm repaying you for thinking so little of an artist, hm." Despite the situation, he sounded calm, a major contrast to how every word the Uchiha said to him previously had set him off.

The Uchiha's frame quaked beneath the clay. He had his own goal. One single, solitary goal, and he had every intention to obtain it. Most believed that a ninja's fate could never be predicted, but he refused to believe such nonsense, because in this case, he knew exactly what was going to happen.

He would be the one to wield the sword. He would be the reason Itachi would soon lie lifeless at his feet. He remembered the vow he'd made to himself all those years ago. He'd never let anyone stop him from reaching the reason in which he solely existed. Acquaintance, foe, best friend or most hated enemy. He would crush them all if he had to.

Sasuke didn't know this guy, and yet, he'd seen an underlying hate within his eyes the very first moment he'd laid his own on him. The way the artist had looked at him the second they met- it was as if he'd known him for years. He'd known him, and as surely as the sun rose, he'd never been a friend. Never had they crossed paths, and yet, this was personal.

Sasuke wanted to know...

'You Uchiha couldn't see art if it slapped you in the face. Your ignorance has made me sick, and now my chance has finally come.'

He wanted to know. No, he needed to know why…

'Those eyes sicken me. You have absolutely no respect for my art. I will never forgive those eyes that simply ignore it!'

Sasuke's brow shook as his mouth tightened. "I've already told you. I have my own endeavors. Nothing else interests me, including your 'art' or whatever it is," he spoke coldly, but inside, confusion was still heavily perched at the back of his mind. What made him - out of everyone else he was sure the enemy had fought - so special? Why was he so obsessed? What did he truly want?

A distant murmur reached his ears; someone responding, but the words were submerged under water. Had anyone truly spoken? Illusion and reality were now thinly divided and the world began spinning. Still his body ached, his eyes were on fire, his usable chakra remained far gone, and little to nothing had changed. Sasuke was fading.

"I...will..." He strained to force the words out, but even he couldn't hear them.

He told himself that this entire situation was inconsequential, that he'd be out of this as soon as his strength returned. Just the tiniest bit was all he'd need. But strange thoughts of doubt that he'd never dare think in his fully alert mind weaved through his darkening conscience until all he saw was black.