Okay, this is not my first story (one of many hundred actually), but it's my first story on FF so yeah, I'm not used to critique from strangers ^^; It's a TobiDei one, as told in the description, and I'm warning folks now already that I'm a HORRIBLE updater. So like it or leave it, if someone will even read :3
Anyways, enjoy chapter one!
Chapter One - We Meet
It might as well could've been by chance, or just a destined encounter they had; there, at the riverbank where he was collecting clay for his beautiful artwork. Deidara, the artist, and he, the complete idiot whom had yet to realize the blonde was the one Leader had sent him out to get.
The rain was pouring mercilessly from the dark grey clouds, and nothing could tell whether it was day or night, if the sun was about to go up or down behind those thick clouds. It had been like this for almost one week. Everyone had complained about it, claiming it was a pain in the ass to get soaked in less than a second as soon as they went out for missions. The blonde enjoyed the rain though. He liked to sit at the windowsill in his bedroom, watching the beads of water splash against the glass in a small explosion in turn to transform into a minimal river to sail down the window. Like small explosions all the time, and he loved it.
But being in the rain was something completely different. He had declared that in the moment he stepped outside. However, the thought of waiting for the rain to stop – whenever that could be, he didn't know – in order to get clay made him walk the one mile to the river, where he was now engrossed with the mud up to his ankles, filling the waterproof pouch he had taken with him. Later, when most of the water was gone, he'd add C4 to make the clay explosive, just like he wanted it to. Only this time was the first time he did this alone.
Deidara scooped up one last handful of mud and laid it in the pouch before rising from his bent down position. His back creaked demonstrably at being put into such bent torture for so long, and he stretched slowly with his arms and shoulders to get rid of the pain. The black cloak was rid of any mud thanks to the rain, but it clung to his petite figure like a mosquito to blood. And the blond, seemingly vibrant hair on top of his head hugged his face and back tightly with wet strands of yellow, making him frown and brush some out of his tanned face. A lightly black-rimmed, icy blue eye surveyed his surroundings quickly, and he almost fell backwards at the sight of the bright orange dot further up towards the forest.
"Wh-who's there, un…?" he had no idea he was freezing until he spoke, hearing his voice trembling from the wet coldness drowning his skin. He took the pouch from the ground and placed it on his back, gaze never leaving the slowly growing orange dot.
He heard the sound of someone running, and it came up to him the orange dot was in fact a human. "Deidara-senpai~!" Deidara flinched at the cheery voice weaving through the raindrops and to his ears, and how his name was a long out-dragged tune a child might as well could sing.
The orange dot slowly got a body accompanied to its oval shape. Arms, legs, and the brilliant red of the Akatsuki clouds printed on black textile turned visible through the masses of water, and Deidara realized the orange dot was in fact a mask, covering the sides of the face but failing to tame spiky midnight black hair.
Mr. Orange waved hysterically to Deidar as soon as he arrived a few feet from the blonde. "Deidara-sempai! There you are!" he chirped happily, and Deidara shrugged backwards at the masked man's antics. How did he know who Deidara was?
"Who the hell are you, un?" Deidara demanded coolly, slowly taking a step towards the man. "And how do you know my name?"
The man laughed. Albeit he sounded innocent and genuine, the blonde couldn't shake off the thought that he may be laughing like Deidara said something stupid. Like the answer was completely obvious.
"Leader-sama sent me," he sing-sang as he trotted unconcernedly towards the soaked blonde. "And I'm Tobi!"
At the introduction of his name, Deidara froze. Had he heard wrong, or was that actually…?
He had known for quite some time he'd get a new teammate as soon as time allowed it, and that his name was Tobi. The bitter memory of when Pein called him to meet him personally to discuss his death still burned deep within his heart like a new flesh wound. The cold, unfaithful words thrown at her old teammate's pride by Leader's mouth angered Deidara to the point where he actually wanted to kill Pein. It was a constant pain, even though Deidara never showed much of it unless he was alone.
So the news about another teammate didn't make it any better. In fact, it made it all worse. No one would replace him, and Deidara doubted Tobi would be even half as good as the redhead. He was totally against the idea.
The blonde's face was void of any emotion as Tobi stopped in front of him, and the bright orange mask with a black spiral whose middle was Tobi's right eye glared him right in the face, scorning him for not being able to tell which expression the man had on his face right now.
Tobi's voice turned upwards a few octaves, making him sound like a chastising mother as he raised his index finger towards the shorter male. "Deidara-senpai. You shouldn't be outside when it's raining outside! You could get sick!"
Deidara's face was indifferent. "Why did Leader send you to get me, un?" hhe asked as hhe started a steady pace back to the base again, Mr. Orange hot on his heels. He refused to be polite to this new dude. Tobi was wicked, and utterly moronic in a way that was even worse than that Nine-Tails jinchūriki Deidara fought before. In his ass he'd treat Tobi like he treated him.
Tobi hummed lightly while he skipped beside the musing blonde, seemingly oblivious to the bitter undertone to Deidara's voice. "He thought it would be good that I'd meet you of course, senpai!" he explained, running before the bomber to turn backwards and walk while facing him. Deidara frowned.
"I'm not your senpai, un," he muttered, on pure reflex ignoring the mindless chattering that left Mr. Orange's mouth on the entire way back to the base.
Like hell he'd let things flow with this freak to new teammate.
Hidan – the absolutely last person Deidara wanted to meet at that moment – was the one who passed him and Tobi in the corridors to the meeting room. And the Jashinist's lips split up in a malicious grin as soon as his brain caught up on what his vision presented to him. If Deidara hadn't been used to it, his blood probably would've frozen by the sight of the Jashinist only. He noticed Tobi taking refuge from Hidan's face by crouching behind him. 'Of course he has to shrink, un… Curse being short…' the blonde thought bitterly, the fact not helping his already pissed mood at all.
Hidan studied the duo for a short moment. That mask-dude's voice had been echoing throughout the whole base the moment he entered the building, but the Jashinist didn't think that was even twice as hilarious as a certain blonde.
His mid-long hair was falling flatly against his back, the always so cheery ponytail on top of his head drooping depressingly. The blue eye that was still visible was narrowed tiredly, promising a headache once he would be able to relax, and his clothes were drenched to the point it was like a second skin on his lithe body. He looked like a wreck, more or less.
"Dammit Deidei… See you've met your new teammate there," Hidan teased.
"Shut up, idiot… un," Deidara muttered, taking off once again and taking purchase from the ground to shoulder the much taller man. Tobi followed, whimpering like a frightened little puppy and keeping a good distance between him and the sacrificing maniac. The fragments of his laugh would haunt the raven's mind for weeks after that.
As they closed in on the main meeting room, Deidara couldn't help but wonder. This idiot who was his new teammate had proven himself to be the biggest idiot walking on earth, alright. Deidara knew that already. But despite that, he must've been able to enter the Akatsuki through battle skills somehow. He didn't look like much, and his foolish attitude made it hard for Deidara to think he was that special. The Akatsuki was for the most hunted nins in the entire Shinobi world; the ones who had killed countless of people, mercilessly and sadistically. Happiness and cheeriness didn't fit into this organization, yet Pein had taken Mr. Orange on, and given him to Deidara. He'd undoubtedly have a talk with the Leader, even if he scared the shit out of the blonde sometimes.
Deidara sighed, shaking his head depressingly. 'I get the feeling that anything I say will be ignored, un... I hate this. Sasori, will you send something to kill me, like, right now...?'
So... First chapter... Review if you want, or somethin' like that... Depending on how many who'll read this, I'll continue or not ^^;
Kay, buh-bye, or whatever ^w^