It Will Get Better
Naruto FF one-shot
A.N. So this is just a quick little one shot that I came up with the other day when I was bored. For those of you following me; I am quite aware that I have other stories in need of updates and I'm sorry. I promise I'll get it done. Anyway Ari is just a random OC that I came up with. She's a little girl that lives with the Akatsuki.
Hope you enjoy~
I sat at the table in the dining room which was conjoined with the kitchen. The chair I'd settled on was much too large for my six year old self and so to make up for being too short to place my feet on the floor, I swung them back and forth. Hidan sat next to me as I was snacking on a rice ball and telling him all about butterflies. They're so pretty.
That was when Zetsu walked in followed closely behind by an interesting stranger. I had never seen him before. He wore the same Akatsuki cloak as the rest of us and wore a funny looking mask that covered his whole face. It reminded me of an orange lollipop. I decided immediately that I didn't like this guy.
After my initial scan of the party that had entered the room I realized that if Zetsu was home then Sasori and Deidara niichan would be home too. I jumped up excitedly from my seat, my afternoon snack of a rice ball almost immediately forgotten as I went. I ignored the shout behind me to wait.
I ran out the front doors of our base hideout. I was met with bright sunshine as it poured through a gap in the canopy of trees above and assaulted my eyes with a shock of minute pain. I squinted past the harsh rays to look down the dirt path that was hardly there.
Of course there wouldn't be a distinct path leading right to the Akatsuki hideout.
I could make out a person walking in the direction I stood waiting. He was a tall, (well tall compared to me), young man with long blonde hair. He had a long portion of it covering the right side of his face and only one of his ice-blue orbs, called eyes, was visible. Once he was within the atmosphere of bright warm sunshine just before the entrance of the base I ran up to greet him excitedly.
I grinned up at him enthusiastically. "Dei! Dei! Dei! Deidara niichan! Welcome home! Eh..?"
He gave me an obviously forced smile and though he was trying to mask it, there was an obvious sorrow within his expression. I took a step back from him to look him up and down obviously. I noted a slump in his stance, and then the most obvious injury he'd sustained, he had no arms! Where were his arms! Right at this moment Kakuzu san walked up from the base followed closely by Hidan and Konan.
I looked up and around at the faces of the adults around me and noticed Hidan wore a grim expression. A realization, more a fear than anything, hit me and my throat grew tight as my eyesight got blurry.
"Niichan," I heard my own voice squeak, "Oniichan, where is Sasori?"
Deidara looked down at me gravely, "Ari chan," he began while shaking his head no.
I gave him a look of utter horror as though he had been the one to end Sasori's life himself. The look I gave him was so heartbroken and incriminating, I seemed to ask him why he didn't allow my Oniisan to come home to me.
"Oh Ari chan, it wi-", he took a step forward in an attempt to comfort me but I refused him.
"No!" I screamed before shoving him weakly and turning, with tears streaming down my cheeks, back towards our home.
As I began to run away I was caught by a strong arm around my middle. I looked up to see that Hidan had leaned over and stopped me from trying to run away. Kakuzu was leading Deidara into the building whose grievous look had melted away into impassiveness.
My bottom lip trembled as I watched the two men walk past me and into the hideout. "Le-lemme go..!" I shrieked and thrashed as I was heading on a one way path toward having a fit.
Hidan didn't answer but simply looked down at me sternly before saying, "Ari chan. Shut up."
My tear filled eyes widened and my mouth opened as well. Hidan yanked me up to sit on his hip and then followed Konan inside. I was at this point, very upset. Hidan niisan was being mean to me, no one else would speak to me because they were all busy with Deidara who had no arms!, and Sasori oniisan was gone.
Hidan didn't say much as he walked with me into our home, but I was doing my best to be quiet like he told me to. At this point I was only hiccupping with the occasional whimper. He walked me to my room however on the way there we had to pass the infirmary and being that the door was slightly open I got a pretty good view of Kakuzu stitching Deidara's arms back onto his body. I hiccupped and whimpered a bit louder before turning my tearstained face to Hidan's shoulder.
Once in my room he grabbed me, sitting me on my bed. I scrubbed at my face then looked up at Hidan as he stood over me with an unusually solemn face. His arms were crossed over his chest and he spoke, "Ari chan." I recognized that tone of voice; Hidan niisan was upset with me but I didn't think I had done anything the realization that Hidan was mad at me I broke into renewed sobs and lowered my head not wanting to look at him.
"No. No, Ari chan. Look at me." His voice was calm.
I sobbed louder and shook my head no. "B-but I I I'm so sad," I wailed.
I heard a pop which was the sound of Hidan's knees as he knelt in front of me. He grabbed my chin in his hand and pulled my hands away from my face gently with a crooked finger.
"Ari chan." He began again. I whimpered and sniffled pitifully while looking at him.
"Ari chan I know it hurts. I'm not gonna sugar coat a damn thing and say it will get better either. Because it will and it won't. He's gone yes, but Sasori wouldn't want you wasting your time crying over him. How do you think Deidara feels?"
I was at this point back to hiccupping and trying to breathe normal again. I thought about what Hidan niisan said. Deidara niichan! He probably is so so sad too!
"Niisan! I gave Dei an angry look! I-I didn't mean it! He is probably so so sad too." At my confession I felt myself beginning to cry again at how sorry I was.
In the infirmary, Deidara sat completely still. Konan stood by as Kakuzu worked on him.
"Ari chan should be fine Deidara. She's got Hidan with her. It wasn't your fault…" Konan tried at consolation.
Kakuzu interjected, "Don't tell him that. Hearing Hidan's with her will only make him feel worse."
The two looked at the blonde bomber's face and his impassive expression had become marred by a furrowed brow and a melancholy grimace. The moment when she'd shoved him away with that horrified and heartbroken look on her face kept replaying in his mind.
"Did you…see the way she looked at me?" He muttered the question brokenly but the room was so quiet they all heard it.
The door to the room, which was slightly ajar, was pushed open all the way to reveal Hidan standing there looking over his shoulder expectantly, "well fuck, you got this far; go on then."
As he said this, Ari appeared from behind him and she stepped forward tentatively. She cast Hidan a look of uncertainty before fixing her eyes straight on Deidara. With a whimper she hurtled herself into the room and at his waist. She latched onto him there and sobbed out, "Deidara! Deidara niichan! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"
Deidara's visible blue orb flew wide open in surprise and then he hunched over so he could rest his face on the shoulder of the child who hugged him sobbing her apologies.
"I miss him too! It's okay to cry."
At these words from the little girl he grinned bitterly and let out a short laugh that immediately became choked in his throat. His pride forced him to keep his head down but the shaking of his shoulders was undeniable.
Konan smiled at the endearing display and Kakuzu grunted before saying, "Could you perhaps try to keep a little more still?"
Hidan who'd been standing in the doorway with a satisfied smirk on his face, laughed out right before saying, "what the fuck? Kakuzu you heartless bastard!"