As you may already have known, I don't own anything Naruto related.

So I'm told the beginning is a little slow, but...it needs to be there. Enjoy.

Revenge

Deidara and Sasori had long since set out on their latest mission, a simple assassination, which should have taken at the most a week, including traveling time; but they were going on their third week. With weather, enemy ninjas, and each other working against them, they were both at wit's end.

Deidara had not spoken a single word since Sasori had yelled at him. It was beginning to unnerve the puppeteer; who in attempt to counter the silence was mentally driving himself insane.

"He had no right to do that, and no reason at all. He jeopardized the mission with that foolish, human act. I was right in yelling at him." Sasori thought furiously, but ended up giving the blond walking beside him a sidelong glance which made him want to smack himself.

Deidara had his hat pulled down, low over his face and was looking determinedly at the ground. This made Sasori's heart sputter and jolt, it was something he had never felt before. He'd have to ask someone what it meant when they got back to head-quarters.

He glanced at the blond again and growled, "Hurry up, brat. We can make it before noon if you hurry your useless ass up." Deidara's shoulders stiffened, but he quickened his pace.

They arrived at headquarters just after one, and headed to their leader's office to report in, and transfer the pay. When the two reached the door, Sasori huffed and grumbled to Deidara, "Just go clean up, I can handle it myself."

The clay artist looked at his partner for the first time in three days. "I had better come, it's my fault we're late, yeah." He replied stiffly.

Sasori glared at the boy, "I'll handle it, just get out of my sight."

Deidara's face tensed as he bit back the retort that was almost bursting from his lips, but did as his partner said and headed back to their shared quarters.

Sasori turned to the door that lead to their leader's office, and let himself in quietly. He found his superior pouring over paperwork and waited to be addressed.

"Yes, Sasori?" The leader of the Akatsuki looked up.

"I am reporting back, and here is the pay for a mission completed." Sasori replied as he dropped the money on his boss' desk.

"You are two weeks later than I expected you." It was a statement, but Sasori knew there was a question behind it.

"It was my fault, sir—there was poor weather, my puppets are not fully operative in the rain, and when we were in battle, the second section of Hiruko's tail was damaged—I refused to move on until I had it in working order, in case of an attack by enemy forces." Sasori said carefully.

"Very well, you may go, but I expect you to be more timely with the next mission."

"Yes, sir." Sasori bid his boss good day and left the office quickly. He hated being in that room, it unnerved him, but he didn't know why.

The next thing on his list was to find someone who could explain the dull ache in his chest whenever he looked at Deidara's miserable expression. There had to be a reason, but he couldn't begin to imagine what it would be.

The first two he came upon were Itachi and Kisame, "Itachi-san, I have a—what am I asking you for? Kisame-san, could I ask you a question?"

The ex-mist ninja raised an eyebrow, and said "Sure," while his companion simply looked at the puppeteer blankly.

"I, on our mission, I mean, that idiot Deidara did something stupid and I yelled at him." Sasori began, but didn't know how to finish.

Kisame scrutinized him and said, "Yeah, so? What's the issue?"

"He's been in a foul mood ever since, and I can't stand to look at him like that…" The red head stated finally.

Kisame just looked at him, but to both their surprise, Itachi spoke, "What you are feeling is guilt."

Kisame openly gawked at his partner, and Sasori waited for him to continue.

"You feel bad about yelling at him—"

"No I don't." Sasori cut him off.

Itachi just looked at him and continued, "Yes you do. That's why you're upset about him being upset about what you said."

The red head looked at the former Konaha ninja and growled, "I don't have those kind of…problems."

"Say what you want, but that's what it is." Itachi retorted and walked away leaving Kisame and Sasori standing by themselves.

"Uh not to pry, but what did he do?" Kisame grunted finally.

"…He…saved my life."

The shark-like ninja looked at him blankly, "I thought you were bent on living forever, puppet-man."

"I will."

"Then why did you yell at him for something that benefited you?" Kisame replied slyly.

"He jeopardized the mission." The puppet master ground his teeth together.

"And why did you lie for him in the boss' office?" Kisame's sharp teeth glinted in the light flickering in the hall.

Sasori didn't know how to reply, he just looked at the other ninja; how could he have known?

Kisame shouldered his giant sword, Samehada, clapped a hand on Sasori's shoulder and smirked, "Guilt."

He left Sasori to ponder this new feeling, guilt…

"I couldn't thank him…so I yelled at him…and now I am feeling—…I'm feeling." The puppeteer tried to make sense of everything that he had just learned. "…And what I'm feeling, is…guilt. Which means I feel bad about yelling at him…which means that…I should…apologize?

With this realization, Sasori found himself hurrying to his room which he shared with the blond. He slid the door open, and called, "Br—Deidara?"

The clay artist looked up from his place on the floor, organizing his scrolls.

"I-I- Er, What I mean to say is, I'm…I'm sorry—that I yelled at you, for, what you…did." Sasori berated himself as he fumbled over the words.

Deidara held back the smile that threatened to spread across his features, "Thank you, danna, but are you really sorry, yeah, or are you just saying that because someone told you to?"

"Of course I mean it! I've never apologized in my life, and I'm not going to start just because some idiot tells me to!" Sasori growled, heatedly.

Deidara looked at his partner thoughtfully before smirking, "So I'm your first, danna, yeah?"

"Yes." Sasori growled.

Deidara cackled in delight, and stood up. "Well I'll just have to go tell everyone then." Deidara's amber eyes glinted mischievously.

The puppeteer looked at his partner uncomprehendingly, "Wha—" But Deidara had already moved past him and shouted down the hall, "I'M SASORI'S FIRST, YEAH!"

Sasori stiffened as he realized what Deidara had been insinuating. "YOU LITTLE BRAT, I'LL KILL YOU!"

Deidara just laughed and danced out of the puppet master's reach, taunting him. Kisame, Itachi, and Hidan had left their rooms to see what was going on. Kakuzu hadn't bothered, he couldn't care less.

Sasori finally grabbed a hold of the blond's wrist and forced him up against the nearby wall. "Take it back," he threatened.

"No." Deidara raised his visible eyebrow, challenging Sasori.

Sasori moved his face closer to Deidara's and whispered, "Do it."

"Do what, Sasori-danna, yeah?"

"You know what." Sasori's voice had dropped to a growl.

Their faces were inches apart, and Kisame thought it the opportune time to throw in his two cents, "GO FOR IT SASORI-SAN!" He catcalled, and nudged Itachi who rolled his eyes but appeased his partner.

"Yeah. Do it. Woo." Itachi mumbled in a monotone.

For the first time, Sasori looked at his position, and immediately released Deidara and backed away. "I-I-I hate all of you." He snarled viciously as he stalked away.

Kisame came to stand next to a snickering Deidara, "That was fun."

"And now he knows how much of an idiot I felt like when he yelled at me." Deidara replied an evil smirk on his face. "I feel a whole lot better now." Kisame sighed as Deidara skipped back to his room thinking happy thoughts about revenge.

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