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- Morbidness, Angst, and death.

Thank you and Enjoy; You have been warned!

OC (Chibi) x Canon (Sasori)
Naruto: Shippuden
Fluff / Angst

The day started as any other, dull without a hint of absolute enjoyment ahead – though, Chibi liked to think on the positive side. At least she had the day off (until the leader beckoned her forth to a duty she did not wish to participate in), and she was spending it with the tedious puppet master that seemed to be busier the more they got close together.

It was beginning to draw near to a darker set tone in the Akatsuki – many of the members were being picked off and they were easily avoiding the Village's outwards attacks, but moments like these were precious to Chibi, no matter how distant Sasori became.

She brought him a tawny owl one night, it was sick and injured – on the brink of death and cooing in a soft voice. Its mother seemed long gone and it appeared to be mauled by nature and a merciless animal. "Sasori, what do we do?" She pondered; stroking the feathers lightly with her pointer finger, the soft breathing beneath her finger tips was fading lightly with each forward motion. She'd only just found it on her nightly rounds, but she'd become so attached in such a short amount of time.

Sasori did not answer – he did not have an answer; he was a master of artistic puppetry, not a veterinarian. Chibi sighed and sat down on his bed, pulling her legs to her chest and staring at the innocent baby in her palm. It was an ugly kind of cute; the appeal of a child without a mother always was saddening. But, the etched despair that shown in Chibi's eyes when the tiny fowl stopped moving was evident and emotion filled – she'd never seen a child die before her, animal or otherwise.

"S-Sasori, it stopped, it stopped!" She whimpered, salty droplets pricked at the corner of her eyes and rolled down her cheeks, "Make it come back, make it come back!" She pleaded, offering the bird to him and nearly shoving it in his face. Sasori looked at it with expressionless eyes, "It is dead Chibi. Go bury it, there's nothing I can – What are you crying about?" He didn't understand her sadness – he'd lost his parents and grandmother, and she merely just lost an animal that she picked up in the woods.

"You're able to make puppets have life, make him have life too!" She begged, offering the tiny breathless owl to him once more. Sasori let a small breath escape his lips, taking the bird in his jointed fingers and staring down at it.

He looked over at Chibi – she looked vulnerable, pathetic even. She was an assassin – a demon – and here she stood, acting like a child with a broken toy. Emotions were puzzles that Sasori could not figure out; they were an enigma, and no matter how much he studied, he could never retrieve those lost sentiments he gave up.

Long after Chibi dozed off on his sheets, Sasori sat quietly at his desk – plucking each tiny feather from the bird's carcass. Upon removing them, he preserved the skeleton, and disposed of the meat and innards. Laid before him was a perfect starting point to a new display.

He worked through most of the night; playing with clay and making it look as realistic as his body would let him. His fingers delicately adding each feather into a place of its own and making the tiny owlet come to life once more – this time, however, it was motionless unless tugged on by strings. It didn't breath, it didn't make a noise, but this was Sasori's own way of making it live once more. Sasori made it come to life again. Just like Chibi had begged of him.

He carefully sat the bird next to his bed on his night stand for her to find when she woke. He wouldn't come back this mission – there was no doubt in his mind that he would not return. Perhaps, this final tedious gesture would symbolize his love. This tiny little creature would watch over her while this war went on.

If only for a little while – their love was eternal, and his gifts were priceless.