Yo, what's up, my diggie dawgs?! 8D

Sasori: …What are you doing…?

Me: Speaking…homie?

Sasori: …I don't think anyone cares…just write.

Me: T3T You're so mean, Sasori-Danna…


Chapter 3: The Puppet

She was allowed to wander around the lair…but she really didn't want to do it. At the same time, she did not want to stay in the room with Deidara. There was no doubt he'd probably try to touch her with those perverted hands of his. This thought made her shiver. She definitely didn't want to be here.

Now that she'd finished bullshitting with the Leader, she had to look around and make sure she had all rooms and exits memorized. It would probably help her a lot more later. What really frustrated her about being here was the fact that the Leader didn't seem to overjoyed that she was with them, even if he knew about her apparently 'strong' power.

It was almost like a really big prison cell. She was just there with nowhere to go, no reason for really being there. If he'd cared about her arrival at all, he would have probably thrown her ass into a training room right in the beginning.

As she pondered these thoughts, she knew Deidara still had his eyes on her. He hadn't stopped staring at the back of her head since she left the main room. He was pretty much following her around, even when the Leader said she was free around the lair. After a few minutes, she finally gave a frustrated sigh.

"Why are you following me?" She asked, turning her head to look back at the blonde standing with his arms crossed not 10 feet away. His one blue eye narrowed at her.

"I don't trust you, stupid girl, hm. That little innocent girl act you were pulling in there was pretty damned sad, yeah." She rolled her eyes.

"Look, Leader-Sama said I could wander the house, but I don't think I really need you to follow me everywhere. I'm smart enough to know that I won't get anywhere by running off." She told him. He wagged a finger at her.

"Remember, you aren't allowed to talk back to anyone here, hm…" He grinned at her, which made her face fall in complete anger. No doubt this guy was the youngest of the whole group. He acted like it as well. Spoiled, Rotten, Smart-ass.

"Alright, fine…" She mumbled. Her stomach growled and she blushed, putting her hand against it. "…Where's the kitchen?" She asked, receiving a scoff from him.

"There's no point in going in there. There's barely any food and none of us can cook anyway, hm…" He replied, pointing to a door on the far left. She ignored his warning, walking into the old-looking kitchen with a raised eyebrow. It hadn't been used in forever, which was really easy to tell.

"Wow, I guess you weren't lying…" She said, waltzing over to the cabinets, searching everything until she found what was lying around. Rice, bread, a big lot of vegetables that were about to go bad, but were still good. She shrugged as she put these contents on the counter.

"What are you doing, yeah?" Deidara asked, raising an eyebrow. She sighed in response as she grabbed a dusty knife and began to clean it off on her shirt.

"What's it look like? I'm making food…" She replied, slicing up the vegetables as she grabbed a pot from the corner. She quickly cleaned it off under the sink before filling it with water and sitting it on top of the firewood stove. She made a few hand signs. "Fire style…" She blew a small puff of fire from her palm, setting the wood under the stove to blaze.

Deidara continued to watch on, almost amazed that she was actually cooking. He'd never seen anyone make food, seeing as the Akatsuki sucked at it. "Do you do that stuff all the time?" He asked her.

"Yeah, pretty much…" She replied, pouring the rice into the slow boiling water. She grabbed another pot and filled it with water as well, tossing the veggies in and setting it beside the cooking rice. "I was in charge of making all the food back at home…" She didn't want to think about her Uncle. He was the one who'd given her away to these brutes. She didn't want to be here with them, but she had no choice. Why had he given her to the Akatsuki of all people?

"Not even Konan knows how to cook, un…" Deidara muttered, watching the pots as if they would come alive at any moment. Anata chuckled softly.

"Not all girls know how to cook, Deidara-San…" She told him, watching the rice and veggies cook. Deidara stood in silence as Anata cleaned some of the dusty bowls. Minutes went by when she finally pulled the pots off the stove and waved out the fire. She poured the mixture of potatoes, corn, carrots, and peas in the pot of rice.

"So what is that supposed to be, hm?" Deidara asked, walking over to look into the pot, which she was now mixing the rice and veggies together. She rose an eyebrow.

"Just call it Pilaf…" She answered. "Rice Pilaf…" She reached out to grab two of the clean bowls, filling them with some of the cooked rice. "You can make some good stuff even with the simplest of ingredients." She passed him a bowl and smiled a bit, opening the fridge to pull out a bottle of liquid seasoning. "Use this if it tastes too plain. I'm sure the others are hungry too."

As if on cue, Kisame entered the kitchen. "I smell food…" He looked at the pot sitting on the counter and the bowls in both Deidara and Anata's hands. "You cook?" She quietly nodded.

"I was going to come see if you wanted any…" She whispered, going back to that soft innocent girl act. Deidara made a face at her and she secretly glared at him.

"Wow, you are certainly trying to get on good sides, aren't you?" He chuckled, walking over to the pot as the others began to enter. The Leader blinked in Anata's direction.

"You made food?" He found this quite surprising seeing as she'd just arrived and she was already trying to be good. She nodded again, this time saying nothing. Instead of making small talk, everyone followed Kisame to the food.

Anata looked around, noticing that Sasori wasn't in the room and also noticing that Hidan was giving her that look again. A chill ran up her spine. Trying to ignore it, she turned to Deidara. "Isn't Sasori-Danna hungry?" She asked. He shook his head.

"I doubt he is." He almost chuckled aloud, wondering if she even knew he was what he was. She stuck out her lower lip.

"Nonsense, he needs to eat too." Why was she caring about their health now?! She was supposed to hate them and want them to die, yet her motherly instincts she had with Kyon was affecting her in this environment that was very unfit.

Before he could reply, she left his side to make an extra bowl, sitting it aside as she ate her own food. "Not bad, girl…" Konan mumbled, eating another bite of her food. Anata could tell she was angry that she couldn't cook.

"Thank you, Ms. Konan…" She bowed her head slightly. Leader leaned back in the chair he was sitting in.

"I'm just surprised you made something like this for everyone with the little food we had here." He looked at her, his eyes showing his impression in her. She smiled weakly.

"I don't think there's enough food to do it again though…" She replied, spooning another mouthful of rice into her mouth. He made a face, as if thinking of what to do but said nothing. The silence went on the rest of the time. She finally finished her food, glad to get out of the kitchen as she grabbed up the other bowl. "I'll be right back…"

She received no reply from anyone as she left the kitchen in search of Sasori's room. Not too much longer did she find it, seeing as he was inside and she could feel the chakra that was barely emitting from his body. She gave a soft knock to the door.

"…What…?" His voice asked from the other side. She slowly pulled it open, walking in a few steps before his cold brown eyes turned on her from across the room. She expected that to mean 'don't come closer' and stopped in her tracks.

"I…uhm…I brought you some food…I mean, I thought you'd want to eat and everyone was digging into it…so…" This wasn't an innocent act. She actually couldn't help but talk like this in front of the redhead. He intimidated her. His brown eyes confused her in such a way she could not understand.

He didn't reply to her, but slowly reached a hand up and gestured her forward. She gulped, stepping into the slightly dark room. "Close the door…I don't like it open…" He ordered. She slowly closed it, her eyes adjusting to the darkness. Around her, she could see the figures, the silhouettes. But she didn't know what they were. "Don't be an idiot…come here…"

His voice was so scary…but yet, she was drawn to it. He had some enchanting feeling to him. But she could tell he was very impatient. So she paced herself, walking up to his side as he sat at the worktable in front of him. Stopping, she eyed the wooden pieces that were scattered over the table, different gadgets and strings. Was he making…a doll? A puppet?

In the midst of these thoughts, Sasori reached up and grabbed her shoulder, pulling her down so she was at eye level with his sitting position. The deep chocolate of his eyes burned hers and she immediately lost herself in them. Why was this man so intimidating…but at the same time, hypnotizing?

"…I'm not hungry…I don't eat…" He said in a low voice. She blinked. Her mouth opened as she dared to ask.

"Why…don't you eat? It doesn't make sense…" She whispered. He reached down to take the bowl from her, sitting it on the table before grabbing her wrist. Her eyes widened. He was ice cold…colder than the look in his eyes.

"Because I made myself a part of eternal art…I do not need to eat." He answered. She lowered her eyes from his face, trying to comprehend what he was saying. It slowly came to her. The figures, the wooden pieces on the table, the strings…

"You are…a puppet…?" She asked, clenching her hand at her side. Not living as a real human being…she didn't know how he was doing it. He'd made himself into something that lived forever? He watched her with that expressionless face.

"I am…Sasori of the Red Sand…" He murmured. He was a puppet master…she'd remembered the name now. The figures around her were puppets created by Sasori, who was a puppet himself.

"…I'm…sorry. I didn't know…I mean…" She didn't want to upset him. But it seemed her stuttering was what was actually ticking him off. He gave an aggravated sigh.

"Don't worry about it. Just leave now…" He told her, releasing her wrist. She nodded, her eyes looking to the bowl on the table. Instead of reaching out to take it, she left it there. For some reason, she didn't want to believe Sasori didn't eat.

"Yes, Sasori-Danna…" She croaked, turning and slowly walking from the room. A form of eternal art…a puppet. She closed the door behind her.

"Eternal art…that which lasts forever…continues to live over time…" She whispered to herself as she leaned against the wall. Sasori's art…himself.

Anata rubbed the side of her head in a little paranoia. A small hesitant mumbled slipped from her lips. "What's really going on here…? What's wrong with me…?"


Me: Hmm…awesomeness. I love Sasori…8D

Sasori: …This chapter had a lot of me in it…

Me: And there will be even more of you, Puppet boy!

Sasori: …Whatever…

Me: I love you, Saso-Danna~! *purrs*

Sasori: Right…the reviewers…

XSweetXSourXSoulX

Shadows4Twilight

Me: Lol, 2 reviewers! W00t! Alright, Saso-Danna, time for bed! *drags him off*

Sasori: Don't pull me, woman.