'Katsu!' The word echoed through the darkened forest and swept across the hills of Konoha. The explosion erupted through the forest, And stopped outside the border of a large city, just beyond a few hills. Sitting on one of those hills was a girl named Yuki. Her short auburn hair blew in the air behind her, as she knew the fate of her best friend had come.

Yuki had grown up with little knowing of her mother and father, but after a few years, she found Deidara.

Yuki hung her head. The cry of her best friend made her heart sink. She knew he had sacrificed himself for another. To save or to kill. She watched the cloud of dust and dirt as it spread in several different ways. Looking at the dust, she knew who he had fought. Sasuke. Yuki braced herself, and stood up slowly.

As the dust cleared up, she saw That a load of trees had been scattered across the forest. Yuki walked cautiously into the ragged mess, and looked around, her eyes widening.

Sprawled out in front of her was a person, most likely a man, Who had an Akatsuki kimono on. She got down onto her knees and pushed him onto his back and let out a gasp.

'Tobi…' She looked up and around to see if anyone was there to help, before a hand grabbed her elbow. Yuki's eyes flickered back to Tobi, and she could she his breathing was jagged, but he was okay.

'Dei…dara… Sempai… Gone… Used….. C…0.…' Then his image fizzled and vanished.

'Deidara used C0?' She looked up and saw a crater in the distance. 'C0. He must have gone that way. Hmm.'

Yuki stepped carefully around the mess of fallen trees, and ragged rocks. She neared the edge of the crater, and saw absolutely nothing. She arched an eyebrow and headed back to the Akatsuki.'Deidara's gone?' Pain asked. 'What do you mean by gone?'

'I mean he's gone. He's dead.' Yuki looked down. The whole of the Akatsuki fell silent. Yuki looked over to the silhouette of Tobi.

At least someone survived…

'Akatsuki… You may depart. Mourn for Deidara in silence. If you wish.' Pain murmured. Yuki was the first to phase out.

'Well. With Deidara gone. What do we do? We need someone to take over his leadership to tame Tobi.'

'Tobi is in intensive care. We shan't need to worry about him yet.'

'I guess, but what if we get attacked? Deidara would have been able to stop them with his clay bombs.'

'Aye, yes, but remember Yuki can use her Sharingan.' A silence fell between the two.

'Maybe…'

'You're not thinking of putting Yuki in Deidara's position?'

'It may be the only option we have.'

'Hmm…' Another silence. 'Maybe you're right.'

Tobi was laid in the same room as the two talking, but he couldn't locate their names. Instead, he pretended he was still in unconsciousness.

'I agree. We should put Yuki in Deidara's position.'

'Now if only Pain would…' But then Tobi fell asleep.

'Yuki. We understand that Deidara's death pains you greatly, but we are going to move you up into his place. Therefore, Tobi,' Tobi looked up at Pain. 'Yuki is now your Sempai.' Tobi nodded solemnly. Yuki nodded as well.

'I'll do my best.'

Pain looked to Itachi, who grunted and turned away. Yuki smiled Faintly and looked to Tobi, who was looking at the floor and shuffling anxiously.

'We'll give you both time to recover. You have two weeks.' Itachi murmured. 'You are free to leave.' Without hesitating, Tobi turned and ran.

'Tobi?' Yuki called after him. Itachi sighed and walked off.

Tobi ran towards the edge of the Akatsuki balcony and leapt off of it, landing with a thud on one of the roof tops, and launching from that one to the next and the next and the next.

Yuki saw him, and jumped off the balcony to the roof tops as well.

'Tobi! Wait!' She called to him. He skidded to a halt. When she caught up with him, Tobi looked to her, and noticed the anger he would have seen in Deidara's eyes weren't in Yuki's. Her fringe was on the completely other side, too. Tobi sighed and walked away. Yuki looked down and walked after him. When she was next to him, their strides matched. Tobi still looked down.

'He was a good Sempai.' He murmured. 'And… Tobi knows he was short-tempered, But Tobi learnt a lot from him.' Yuki nodded, only just realising it was raining.

'He'd be happy to hear you say that' She said. And they both jumped off of the last roof top to land on a patch of grass leading to a hill. They walked along it and Yuki wound her hand around Tobi's. She half expected him to pull away, but he didn't. It was comfort, so he took it in as much as he could. They neared the top of the hill and the rain slowed to a stop. Tobi sighed again and Yuki squeezed his hand. They both sat on the hill watching the clouds fade away.

'Hey. It'll be fine. If you know Deidara as well as I do, he'll be back.' Tobi Looked at her then at the sky as the sun had started to set.

'Y'know…' He paused. 'Tobi hopes you're right.' Yuki watched the sun set in the distance, just beyond Deidara's deathbed.

'Hmm. So do I…'

The rubble shifted and an arm emerged out of it, gripping onto a nearby log.

'Ugh… I'm Never…' The person grunted as he lifted himself up onto the bank of the forest. 'I'm never Doing- OUCH! … That… Again…..' He fell silent for a few moments, grabbing hold of his waist in agonising pain. 'Never again… Un…'

Tobi leapt to his feet.

'Tobi could swear… He felt something.' He said looking down at Yuki who slowly made her way to his eye level.

'What do you mean?'

'Tobi felt something, that wasn't his.' He looked around. 'And Tobi can only feel that when…' He trailed off. Yuki looked at him.

'What?' She asked.

'Tobi can only feel these things when Sempai's alive…' Yuki's eyes widened.

'You're sure?' She asked hesitantly. Tobi nodded.

'Tobi's Positive.'

'Then… Then let's find him!' Yuki grinned.

'Only…' Tobi make a grunting noise. '…Tobi thinks It's not that easy.' He looked at Yuki unsure. Yuki blinked.

'Wait a second.' She said. 'I have an idea.' Tobi stared at her blankly.

'What is it..?' He asked.

'Me and Deidara made a pact, right? Remember that?'

'… Tobi doesn't remember…' Tobi rubbed the back of his head. Yuki sighed.

'I'm going to see if I can contact him. He may know where he is to make our lives a lot easier.' She winked at Tobi and put her hands together in the symbol of "Tiger". She sucked in a lot of air, then closed her eyes an concentrated hard. Whether this works or not… She thought to herself. I will find you Deidara-Sama.

The pain shot through the boy's head like a bullet from a gun. He screamed in agony, and fell to his hands and knees, his head hitting a pointed rock. He squinted his eyes from the pain, and looked at the dusty, murky floor. Crimson liquid was falling from his head to the floor, and he let out a gasp that sounded like a cry.

'Yuki…San… please… find me… I… need you…' He lifted his head up, his beautiful blonde hair ragged, and covered in blood. He had known pain, but not as bad as this. This was worse that the Sharingan. His fingernails were painted a dark black, but the tips were wearing off as he was gripping the floor with all of his strength to try and relieve the agony. He felt his chest burning, and he sat back onto his legs and lifted his hands so he could view his palms. They were bleeding knew he needed help. Usually he was independent, but this time he felt like he needed someone by his side. Tobi… He thought just one simple name. Tobi, tell Yuki- but then He screamed, like he had never screamed before, His lungs throbbed against his chest, and his neck felt like it was about to burst.

'Breathe, Deidara, I'm here…' His screaming stopped and his breathing went back to normal, but the pain and the blood didn't stop.

'Wh- Who…?' He whispered. No reply. He suddenly thought about what was going on. He put his hands together in the tiger "symbol" and thought deeply, fighting the screaming in his head.

'Yuki… Is it you?'

'Yes.' The voice replied. 'Me and Tobi are coming, can you say where you are…?' Yuki asked in his head. Without losing concentration Deidara looked up and around. Nothing but darkness.

'N- No! Yuki… Yuki! I can't see! I've gone blind!' Yuki sucked in air and Tobi looked at her anxiously.

'Y- Yuki! What do I do, Yuki? Yuki! Help me please! Yu-'

'Deidara, calm down, Me and Tobi will be there soon. Very soon. Just try and hold on, okay?'

Deidara knew she couldn't see him but he nodded anyway. 'Yes…'

'Good, we'll be there soon.' Yuki replied, and phased out of his mind. Deidara blinked, trying to make the darkness go away, but then it swallowed him, and he fell to the floor again, gasping for air. He only had little time left, but he was too weak to care.