Man of the world.

Chapter one: Liability

A/N I've been mulling over sasoxdei for quite some time and now is the time to finally put it down into word form!

Consider this chapter more like a teaser to break the ice and get me inspired. I want great things from this story, so enjoy and expect more work to follow.

I have noticed a terrible shortage of writing for this pairing, so I intend to focus quite heavily on these two as a pairing and hopefully add more to a rather quiet fandom (:

xXx

Sasori was validated in his belief that he worked better on his own upon the introduction of the Akatsuki's latest pet project; Deidara. It was no secret that Sasori was glad to be rid of Orochimaru, pompous he'd called his partner, and he did very little to conceal his contempt towards everyone really.
Distrusting, self-serving, manipulative and immoral were not traits specific to him alone, however, there was little interest collectively in new recruits, he just happened to be the least interested.

"Welcome. I recognize you've been introduced some of our more prominent members; here we are in full."
He gestured towards Itachi, Kisame and to Sasori with a small nod.
"I trust you'll do well in serving our desires."

For Deidara, the sight was surreal; including himself there were nine members all standing in their pairs; Itachi and Kisame, Kakazu and Hidan, and finally himself and Sasori.
Sasori had been there, watching, when he was selected for the organization. His attention was now completely diverted from Deidara, who was very intrigued by his new partner. The feeling was certainly not mutual.
Their leader was at the head of the room, which was nothing more than the empty remains of one of Orochimaru's former hideouts, gutted by Leaf ninja authorities long ago. He stood no taller than his subordinates, he was relatively small in height and frame, and aside from the irrational number of piercings cluttering his face, he didn't look domineering at all. His voice however, was a low boom that shook Deidara's blood and made the hairs on the back of his neck stand tall.

All of the ninja before him waited attentively for some kind of instruction. It was one of the very few moments Deidara would ever experience, where all of the members stood together in the flesh. He knew of some of the members before he joined; he'd heard of both Itachi and Kisame before, and he noted how powerful a force they must be as a team.

But Sasori was a new face. He looked much younger than the other members and if Deidara had only looked once, he would have thought him calm and gentle.

It was his eyes that gave it away; still on the surface, but underneath lay a swirling current that threatened to drown anyone naïve enough to wander into his hazy brown depths carelessly.
"To the rest of you, this is Deidara. Try not to kill him if you can muster the self-control."
There had been rumors of the organizations formation, whispers had circulated throughout the chief villages but none had supposedly amounted to anything of great interest. The Akatsuki and the alignment of S rank criminals had for the meantime remained idle chit-chat among Chunnin and Jounin that for the meantime did not hold enough certainty to reach the ears of the elite.

The meeting was quite brief, there were no further instructions which rattled Deidara slightly. He barely understood why he'd been chosen specifically to work alongside Sasori and what their end goal was, and no-one else spoke up, they all seemed to understand what their role was and where to go next.
In their pairs they all left, disappearing into puffs of unnaturally white smoke, leaving behind only Deidara and his unreadable partner.

"So, where to next boss?"
Deidara was one for pet names, evidently, Sasori was not.
"Next step is for me to refrain from killing you. For you, try not to get in my way."
"Hn. I suppose I could do with a challenge."

xXx

Initially the rising disdain between the two partners was one sided – Sasori's side, but as time wore on and the reward of separation seemed less and less likely, Deidara too began to resent the amount of time they had to spend together.

Mostly the missions had been simple and covert after their first assassination attempt had been inconclusive to say the least.
'Inconclusive isn't exactly a failure!'
But Sasori had thought that it very much had settled as one, among a long line of previous successes, and it left a big red mark that burned in his mind whenever the two of them were set with a task.

The small jobs irritated Deidara, who was used to the thrill and excitement of a mercenary lifestyle. Until the Akatsuki caught wind of his activities he had lived a life of subjective leisure. He had the freedom to accept or pass a mission, he did not need to divide his profit; anything he made then was his alone, now, Sasori had conceived the notion, and insisted, they pool their excess funds together collectively.
And there was no schedule. No time frame. No ultimate goal. Just sheer independence and creativity.

Neither of them spoke often, and through the endless downpour that plagued Amegakure, they spent their days fulfilling minor requests to relay information from Konan; the closest link to Pein they'd been allowed since Deidara's arrival.
"Thanks, Tenshi, you're a real angel."
Konan was very resigned, not dissimilar to Pein though she was far more endearing, but she was a favorite among the Akatsuki members, and Deidara was her biggest fan.

Sasori made a face every time he called her that. He seemed more uncomfortable with his partners' informality than she did.
"When the two of you reach point A you are to remain there until given you've been given word to move forward. That's all until I contact you again."
She then sent them off with detailed instructions on where to wait, and more questions than answers.

"Can't you ever just keep your mouth shut?"
They had been there to collect their portion of payment for an escort mission that had been more trouble than it was worth, and to receive the details about their next venture.
For once there was no sarcasm that followed. Just silence. For Deidara had to agree just this one time; perhaps the dead end they had reached was his own fault.
Sasori was also feeling the pressure of being stagnant for too long and it was a bitter pill for him to swallow; to think that the two of them were no longer more than just numbers to fill the required ten spaces and to collect dividends.
He wondered if he were alone in his thought that the nature of their latest orders was unreadable.

Point A was a grotto formed at the mouth of the ravine separating Amegakure from the land of Fire, just as the foliage began to shift under the influence of the sun, becoming greener and far thicker in density. There was to be a supply drop and a mission brief, only then would they know more.
Konan had suggested it may take several days for their courier to meet them, and so it was best to prepare in advance for a long stay. Deidara had let Sasori take the reins in planning what they would need and how they would ration their portions. Generally, he was the one to do so too for he was far better suited for a tactical role than Deidara, who was more than happy to act as a yes-man if it meant more time in battle for him.

The rainfall was tenacious as they made their way through the village, resolved to immerse them in all of the sorrows of Amegakure, the disregarded center for conflict.
It was the only place that Pein could truly mark as a safe zone for the Akatsuki members who were beginning to attract unwanted attention, for he kept his people in a constant dazed and agreeable state.
'Has the organization become so exposed they've resorted to finally utilizing us?'
It was a thought Sasori would have shared, willingly, if he thought there was anything of substance for Deidara to suggest. It had played on his mind more than he would ever admit.

"Did you notice it?" He was reluctant, but finally uneasy enough to speak up and create a discussion.
"Hn?"

The question, of course, threw Deidara very far from his train of thought. Earlier that day he had decided to absolve himself of any desire to get to know Sasori, should the opportunity arise, but the attention he was getting caught him by surprise, and he wanted to know more about what Sasori had to say.

"It's nothing. Don't bother trying to think, reserve your energy."
Of course it was an insult, but Deidara was interested and he wanted to know what had unsettled someone usually so composed.
"Suit yourself, asshole."

Part of him was genuinely annoyed, the other part knew that if he pushed Sasori for information he'd never receive it. As expected Sasori eventually divulged his concerns, for his troubles never seemed to leave him be.

"What do you think comes next?"
He was a man of planning, of detail, and it never slipped his mind that since their collision with Orochimaru even his keen eye was no longer seeing the full picture.
He had willingly promised his services to the Akatsuki, but he was not one to take orders blindly. Not because he had a sense of morality, but because it served him well to be a part of a powerful group as opposed to against it and his cunning instincts allowed him to be ahead of any situation.
"Are you still brooding about him?" Deidara treaded carefully, sure to stop himself before Sasori's temperament reverted. All looked well though, his question was surprisingly well received.

Sasori seemed to ponder this, and thought it still worth discussing with his air-headed companion.
"It's more than that Baka, we need to prove our worth. We're still dispensable. I just wonder if this is finally an opportunity to solidify our status in the Akatsuki."
Surely Deidara was punishment for Orochimaru's betrayal, he should have seen it coming and yet he didn't.
Not only did he fail then, he failed to recover a body after he was presented with an opportunity to correct his mistakes, and now he was being punished.

"Who asked if I wanted to be a part of this? It didn't seem like much of a choice when the three of you hunted me down."

The conversation ended there. Neither of them made to continue speaking, and the rain bleeding down on them was loud enough to break the silence that followed.

xXx

It was Sasori, wide eyed and attentive, who truly appreciated the emergence of lush forestry and the cool smell of running water that cut across their direct path. It was here they strayed from the road that would have led them to Konohagakure and instead made their own way up the side of the narrow gorge, as instructed.
It was new and unmarked territory, just on the very cusp of the Land of Fire, and as the area surrounding Amegakure was considered unclaimed, they would be pioneers in a beautiful and uncharted land.

The sun was out, the rain had stopped, and the air felt light and crisp. Deidara in particular, was in high spirits, and Sasori found he was more inclined to tolerate the company.

"It's not a bad place to be. At least it's isolated."
A very small smile graced Sasori's lips.
"I wonder."
"You wonder too much, Danna." Deidara was not wrong. He did not fail to see the momentary glimmer of emotion that Sasori thought he hid so well.

xXx