Our Artistic Ways
Theme 5: Absences during a Mission

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For a person like Deidara, the concept of parenthood was a bit... strange.

Having a little girl like Kaya had certainly filled a part of his heart that he never thought he had. And having a woman like Sakura by his side, the mother of his child, was something he'd never thought of ever doing.

He simply wasn't cut for parenthood, as simple as that.

However, seeing Sakura's body changing to accommodate the new life they had created, among mood swings and everything that came with the stage of life called pregnancy, gave him the time to accustom to the idea.

He was a father. And his child was something else, he noted with a smug, proud smirk when he saw the baby girl for the first time. Deep green eyes like her beautiful mother, but a tuft of blond hair, just like his.

Certainly, Kaya took the best of both of them... including the bad temper.

That was why he had to summon all his reserves of patience when he came to pick Kaya up from the Academy and found her wearing the most endearing frown-pout. At least, it was kind of endearing for him.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly, knowing how his daughter was when she was in a bad mood. She was too feisty for her own good, and Kazuki and Toshio could perfectly attest to that statement.

Large green eyes peered up at him. "Mama hasn't come back yet?"

Deidara had to take a deep breath, already dreading the explosion it was surely going to ensue.

"I told you, Kaya. She went on a mission with the Hokage's wife," he explained, kneeling next to the bench where the little blonde was sitting. "They needed to go to Wind Country to check up on some things."

Kaya nodded thoughtfully. He waited for a moment, knowing that this wasn't the end of the entire matter.

"Aunt Temari told me she's from Wind Country," he heard her musing softly, almost to herself. Deidara only could stare in surprise at his offspring when she started counting facts with her fingers. "And Sunagakure was in Wind Country. Since Shika-sama said in class that Suna was not there anymore, then mama and aunt Temari are doing a reconnaissance mission... right, daddy?"

Deidara had to let out an incredulous chuckle. "Yeah, they're doing one of those. Want to go home now? I bet you have some homework to do, yeah."

"I already did it, see?" she opened a scroll with a questionnaire completely filled. "Today's class was about the types of chakra, and you've already taught me those, daddy."

"Hmmm, yes I did, didn't I?" he mused as he straightened to his full height. "I think it was your mother who told you about that. But it's time to go home, Kaya. Mama won't be happy if she finds out we're out so late, yeah."

"But the sun hasn't even set!" the little girl protested as she felt herself heaved up by her father. "And I wanted to go to Ichiraku for dinner!"

Deidara's pale blue eyes stared at his little girl's unabashed and eager green orbs.

"Is that so? What would your mother say if we have ramen for dinner? You know it's not really a proper meal, yeah."

This is how the mighty fall, he thought. He remembered Kisame laughing his ass off when he caught him bouncing his child up and down in the middle of the night, on the special occasion of Kaya having refluxes due to a change in her diet. Sakura had gone to bed already, tired and almost falling from exhaustion, mumbling to herself how incredibly tiring was to take care of a little one, even more so than a A-Class mission.

And now his lovely offspring was pouting, pulling a gesture she had surely seen her mother doing when she wanted something from her awesome and sexy blond partner.

"But mama is not here! How could she know about us having ramen for dinner if she's away?"

"Trust me, Kaya. She'll know. Your mama knows pretty much everything that happens when she's not around."

"Then don't tell her!" his daughter said with the smugness of a six-year-old little genius. "It would be our little secret!"

As much as he wanted to laugh at her sudden mischievous tone, remembering how Sakura herself sounded when she was up to do some silly prank on Kisame or even Shikamaru, the sternness of his woman's threat when she was preparing to go was still fresh in his mind.

More specifically, her threat regarding Kaya's newfound obsession with the salty noodles and broth.

Deidara sighed again, knowing that Kaya was going to pitch a fit if he didn't humor her at least once during her mother's absence. "Alright," he finally said, a vein jumping in his temple when she suddenly cheered loudly too close to his ear.

"Yay! Ramen!"

He would think of something to placate the hellcat of a lover he had when she came back from her mission. But for now, he had a duty to humor his other girl, who was currently hugging his neck under the premise of choking.

"Daddy, you're the bestest ever!" she said with a large smile.

This is how the mighty S-Class nin falls, under the charm of a little girl's smile, he thought with a pleased smirk to correspond his daughter's grin.

"You have to promise you won't tell your mom," he continued. She nodded enthusiastically as he made his way through the streets towards their destination. "And you have to promise me you'll be good and eat everything."

"Hai, daddy!"

"That's my girl, yeah," he said with a tone not devoid of pride. "So, the types of chakra," he continued, as he placed her on a stool inside the ramen bar and nodded in greeting to the woman behind the counter. After placing their orders, he turned to his daughter, as she was currently balancing her chopsticks on the tip of her index finger.

"Yeah, the chakra-types are five, Fire, Earth, Lightning, Water and Wind, and most shinobi have more than one element – daddy, you can use Doton jutsu, right? What's mama's type?"

"She can use three elements, yeah," he said matter-of-factly. "Plus, there's something she has that I don't. Perfect chakra control."

"Yeah..." Kaya trailed off, her mind already in the bowl of ramen that the lady behind the counter had placed in front of her.

Thinking the topic closed, Deidara also dug in, realizing that after a day of solo training he was indeed famished.

"I miss mama," he heard his daughter whispering. Turning to see her, he noticed her green eyes a little dull with sudden sadness and longing. "It's been five days already. I want her back."

Deidara only could lift the little one onto his lap and allow her to hide her face in his chest. "Me too, baby. I miss her too. But she's doing something she needed to do, do you understand? A mission is not exactly a vacation. It's a job, yeah."

"I know," came the answer from below his chin. "I just... miss her, so much."

"Yeah, I know."

Maybe Sakura would forget the ramen and start focusing on the two who needed her as much as this village needed her. Maybe more, Deidara thought randomly as he stroked his daughter's beautiful blond hair.

"Want to finish your ramen now, hm? We have to get home at some point, yeah. We can practice those clay moldings you wanted tomorrow."

Kaya smiled. "I think I'd like that, daddy."

A sharp pang ran across Deidara's senses when he saw that tender smile he remembered seeing on Sakura's face when he confessed to her on Kisame's pier. Kaya had Sakura's smile, which made her even more beautiful.

He almost couldn't wait for Sakura to get home to tell her.

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- Tenna' ento lye omenta -

-XxX-

AN: Oh come on, we know Deidara would spoil his daughter rotten! XD Thanks to Cyn for the beta and thank you guys for reading! 8D