Clay and Puppets
Summery: In which, Sasori gains, through a string of seemingly unfortunate incidents, a new partner named Deidara. Reluctant to form any kind of friendship with the young Iwa missing-nin, Deidara seeks to get to know Sasori, while adjusting to his new life in the evil organisation of the Akatsuki.
Disclaimer: This product is meant for entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Some assembly required. Batteries not included. Use only as directed. Flammable.
A/N: I like this chap, lol. Deidara is starting to become more comfortable in the Akatsuki, and so he is more confident. Unfortunatly, except for the scene at the start of this chap, Sasori does not feature prominantly. Most of this chap is actually interaction between Deidara and Kisame, as they are becomeing friends.
I hope you all enjoy.
Chapter 7: Rules of the House
"Sasori, un!" Deidara whined, "I thought we were going to train today!"
Sasori sighed and turned calmly to Deidara, his eyes meeting with large blue orbs.
"Brat, I know we were supposed to train today. However, Sir Leader requires my presence, so we will have to train tomorrow." Sasori told him calmly.
Deidara pouted, "But the mission is in a few days, un!" He cried, flinging his arms about dramatically, "We've only been training for four days, Sasori, un!"
Sasori rubbed his temple, this brat was starting to get on his nerves. Didn't he understand that when Sir Leader called you, you do not hesitate to answer his beckoning?
"Understand that I have no choice in this," Sasori told Deidara, "Otherwise I would be training you. After all, it's me that will have to rely on you in battle if it comes to it."
Deidara felt deflated by Sasori's attitude. He had been doing well, hadn't he? He had trained hard every day for the past four days, and he felt he had improved.
Putting these thoughts out of his mind, Deidara asked instead, "Then what should I do today, Sasori, un?"
Sasori felt himself becoming agitated, something about the brat saying his name like that, he felt his blood boil, like he just wanted to grab something and throw it. 'I must have low blood sugar lately,' Sasori thought, rubbing his temples to ease his quickly developing headache.
"Get to know the other members. Prepare for the upcoming mission. Buy a kitten. I don't care, I've got to go." Sasori grumbled, walking quickly towards the door and leaving to answer Sir Leader's call.
Deidara winced slightly as Sasori slammed the door forcefully shut.
"Sasori is so rude, un." Deidara mumbled to himself. It seemed as though anything the blonde did would set the red-head off; talking to him, walking next to him, breathing anywhere in his general vicinity.
Deidara merely put it up to Sasori not liking him, and the puppeteer's antisocial personality.
Shrugging, Deidara put those thoughts out of his mind. Sasori wasn't going to train him today, so they would simply work harder tomorrow. He would use Sasori's advice though, he decided, as he pulled on his black singlet over his mesh shirt, and made his way also out of their room.
Closing the door softly behind himself, Deidara suddenly filled with apprehension. He had not strayed from Sasori's side the entire time he had been at the Akatsuki, and now he found himself suddenly alone. As it turned out, the red-head was, for all his gruffness and distinct dislike of him, the only one the blonde really felt safe with.
Standing now outside the familiarity of their room, Deidara wondered how he would handle the other members. He knew he wasn't entirely welcomed by them all. He hadn't seen Itachi since the night he left his own village, about a week ago, and thought maybe the red-eyed man was avoiding him. The grey-haired one, Hidan, also wasn't very kind to him. Although they didn't speak much, the one time Deidara had been greeted by his partner Kakuzu (albeit a bland greeting), Hidan had scowled at him, running after his partner, and a few minutes later the hideout could hear them screaming at each other again. It had almost been like Deidara had, quite unwillingly, started a fight.
Sighing, Deidara walked along the hall towards the main room, steering his thoughts more towards what he would like to have for breakfast. Walking through to the kitchen, Deidara saw that a few people were up. Kisame was sitting at the table already, as he often was by the time Deidara got there, while Zetsu and Tobi were in the kitchen cooking. Making his way to the fridge, Deidara took out some orange juice, while deciding he would make himself some eggs.
When he came to sit at the table, Deidara took note of the missing members that were usually here by now.
"Hey there," Kisame greeted him friendly, grinning his shark-like smile at the small blonde.
Deidara smiled back, "Hey, Kisame, un." He replied warmly. Of all the other members of the Akatsuki, Deidara felt he liked Kisame the most. He was unusually friendly, Deidara thought, in comparison to the rest of the members. Bar only Tobi.
"Deidara-sempai!" Tobi exclaimed, coming to sit on Deidara's other side enthusiastically, "How are you today?"
Deidara sighed, "Tobi, I thought I asked you not to call me sempai, un." The blonde told him for the hundredth time that week. For some reason, the masked man had taken to talking to Deidara every chance he got, and hanging around the blonde at meal times.
"Don't worry about it," Kisame laughed, "Tobi calls everyone sempai."
Tobi just smiled behind his mask.
Zetsu nodded, then added as an apparent afterthought; "Tobi is a good boy."
Tobi simply beamed at Zetsu, "Hai, Zetsu-sempai!" He answered with admiration laced in his voice.
Deidara raised an eyebrow at the two, looking to Kisame for an explanation. Kisame just shook his head.
Deidara shrugged, before he asked, "So where is everyone today, un? They're usually here by now."
Kisame grunted, "Hidan and Kakuzu are away on a mission, left last night, won't be back for a week, maybe more." He explained.
Deidara looked up in slight surprise, "Really, un? Just like that?"
Kisame smiled at Deidara, and nodded, "Yeah, that's how it is, sometimes missions are just sprung on us by Sir Leader and we have to take off. Sometimes for weeks at a time."
"Wow, un," Deidara frowned, "That's kind of frustrating, un."
Kisame chuckled, while Zetsu commented, "You get used to it."
Deidara nodded. Then he turned to Kisame again, thinking about whether or not he should even ask. As per usual with the blonde though, his curiosity got the better of him.
"Where is Itachi-san, Kisame, un? I haven't seen him for a while now, un."
Kisame looked to him a little sharply then, and Deidara momentarily wondered if he had said something wrong. Kisame relaxed quickly though, and smiled understandingly.
"He's around." The blue man told him, shrugging, "He ain't the social type. Plus he's still healing from that mission when we retrieved the scroll from Iwa, and you came along."
"Oh," Deidara replied, "I didn't know he was hurt, un."
Kisame did become a little guarded then, "Its... well, it was his eyes that needed healing, not his body." Kisame explained, then ran a hand through his hair as he sighed and thought about how to explain this, "Ya see, he's got this thing..."
Looking around the room in a shifty fashion, Kisame then leaned closer to the blonde, and told him in a hushed voice, "Ok, if I tell you this you gotta promise not to let Itachi know."
Deidara nodded, leaning closer also, feeling as though he were being let in on a secret.
"That goes for you two as well!" Kisame told Zetsu and Tobi.
Zetsu nodded, showing he had no interest in doing so, and Tobi saluted the blue man, showing his loyalty by exclaiming, "Tobi is a good boy!"
Kisame turned back to Deidara, "Now, don't get the wrong idea. It's not that this is something Itachi wouldn't want you to know, more like something that we just don't talk about." Kisame explained.
Deidara nodded, "Is it about his past, un?"
Kisame grinned, "You're sharp, kid. Yeah, its more about his family though."
Deidara's attention was peaked, and he listened intently as Kisame spoke.
"Itachi was a member of a real high-class clan when he was younger," Kisame went on, then asked the blonde pointedly; "You know the Uchiha clan?"
Deidara's eyes went wide, "No way, un! I heard they were all murdered!"
"They were." Kisame nodded, "Itachi was one of the only survivors, he and his little brother were the only two." He explained.
"Un? Itachi has a little brother?" Deidara asked with wonder. He didn't know why, but the idea of any of these men having families, parents or siblings, aunts or uncles, was just beyond comprehension.
"Yeah," Kisame answered, a sad edge to his voice that Deidara didn't dare question.
"So his eyes, un?" Deidara prompted instead.
Kisame smiled then, "Right, the eyes. Well, you heard about the Sharingan?"
Deidara nodded hesitantly, he had heard vaguely of them, mostly childhood stories of men who where invincible, with red glowing eyes, who moved like shadows and knew every jutsu in the world. He didn't really believe such men existed.
"Well, that's the trademark of the Uchiha," Kisame told Deidara, who was taken aback, "The red-eyes of the Uchiha clan, which enable them to have godlike eyesight. That's what Itachi has, except his is the step up from that."
Deidara was enthralled, "Step up, un?" He asked with slight confusion.
Kisame grinned then, in an almost proud way, "Yeah, he has what's known as the Mangekyou Sharingan. A jutsu unique only to him." Rubbing his head of blue hair, Kisame seemed to become thoughtful.
Deidara was wide-eyed, "Wow, un," he muttered.
"They're pretty awesome," Kisame agreed, but then he frowned, "But they have a major downside."
Deidara's attention snapped back to the shark-man, "A downside, un?" He couldn't imagine anything being wrong with eyes like that.
"Yeah," Kisame told him, "Itachi uses his too much. In fact, you'd be hard pressed to see him without it on a mission, and he gets pissed off too often and activates it here too."
"So, un?" Deidara asked, "What's wrong with that?"
Kisame sighed, "He's going blind because of it."
Deidara became still, suddenly incredibly stiff. Neither Zetsu nor Tobi commented, knowing this to be a sensitive subject with the shark-man.
Deidara looked to Kisame in shock, "B-blind, un?"
Kisame nodded, "His eyesight is deteriorating. Everyone here knows. Eventually he'll only be able to see when the Sharingan is activated, rendering him blind whenever he runs low on Chakra and can't use it anymore."
Deidara looked away, "That's sad, un." He replied softly, as he self-consciously smoothed down the locks of hair covering the left side of his face.
Kisame smiled then though, reassuringly, "It's ok, that won't happen for a long time yet, and when it does... Well, I'm his partner, I'll be here to protect him."
Deidara smiled back. Knowing Kisame, that's just the kind of partner he would be. Itachi was lucky. The blonde then felt a little resentment towards his own partner, who was no where near as caring.
"Anyway," Kisame continued lightly, "Just don't tell him I told you, even though he might figure out I did." He grinned, showing his sharp teeth to the ex Iwa-nin, "He knows me too well."
Deidara couldn't help but grin back, as though he had been let in on a private joke. He appreciated Kisame greatly in that moment.
"So, Deidara," The shark-man then continued conversationally, "What are you doing today?"
Deidara sighed dramatically, "Sasori was supposed to train me today, un! But Leader called him and he ditched me."
Kisame nodded, chuckling. "Yeah, that happens."
Deidara grumbled something under his breath. Kisame rose an eyebrow at him.
"Don't worry about it, Dei." Kisame put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze, "Sasori'll be happy ta train ya when he gets back."
Deidara blushed a little at the nickname Kisame had just referred to him by, only his grandmother had ever called him that, but nodded in agreement.
"Oh, I know!" Tobi declared then, "No ones shown you the board yet, have they, Deidara-sempai?"
Deidara raised an eyebrow at the masked man, "Board, un?" He asked.
"Yeah!" Tobi exclaimed, "About the rules of the house!"
Deidara was quiet for a minute, "Rules, un?" 'The organisation of the Akatsuki... has house rules, un?' He thought.
Standing up from the table then, Tobi bounded towards the kitchen. Zetsu too, stood, and commented;
"You should learn the rules of the Akatsuki," Before he followed after his smaller partner.
Kisame shrugged, "Come take a look, Dei," He said.
Deidara rose and walked into the kitchen again, looking over to the far wall, the one separating the kitchen from the room next to it, opposite the halls, the one he hadn't been in as of yet.
There on the wall, was a board the blonde hadn't noticed. It was a small whiteboard, on which was written in clear marker; 'Rules of the House'.
Deidara raised an eyebrow at the board, before he coughed and read out loud; "'Rule No.1: Akatsuki members clean up after themselves in the kitchen', un."
Kisame nodded, "That one was written by 'Tachi." He commented, then grinned sheepishly, "'Cause he was always stuck cleaning up after me."
Deidara smiled, then went on; "'Rule No.2: No midnight cooking in the kitchen', un."
Kisame laughed guiltily, "Me again..."
"We wrote that one." Zetsu commented.
Deidara almost shivered, with Zetsu's double-toned voice so close behind him, "'Rule No.3: No buying food products without the Akatsuki treasurer present', un."
"Kakuzu!" Tobi and Kisame exclaimed together then, and laughed.
Deidara laughed lightly, these were actually rather humorous. "Treasurer, un?" he asked, grinning.
Kisame nodded, "What he likes to consider himself," he laughed, "Because he's in charge of all the money Akatsuki earns, except our own cut."
Deidara continued on, "'Rule No.4: All members are permitted to use the lounge room', un." He peered closer, under that was a side note, "'But when Zetsu is in there,' un, 'it is advised to leave him alone'."
Zetsu laughed heartily, "We eat one member, and suddenly we shouldn't be approached." he shook his head as though this were ridiculous. Tobi laughed with him.
"It was Kakuzu's old partner," Kisame told Deidara, "So Hidan wrote that one." The blonde nodded, making a mental note to watch out for the plant-man.
"Last rule, un," Deidara then said brightly, it was written in a rather pretty script hand, "'Rule No.5: All members must be aware of the location of their partner at all times', un."
"Sasori wrote that one," Kisame commented, his voice quieter for some reason.
Tobi shifted closer to Zetsu then, as though affected by the words.
Deidara frowned slightly, there was something sad about the words that he couldn't place. Like they had been written for a reason, as though someone had learned what happened when you didn't adhere to the rule.
They all let the moment pass, before Zetsu suddenly intoned, in his softer voice; "It's for you're own good that you follow these rules, kid."
Deidara didn't answer, but nodded for good measure.
"Come on, Tobi," The green plant-nin then took a hold of Tobi's arm and led him away from the kitchen, "We will go train."
"Sure thing, Zetsu-sempai!" Tobi's cheerful voice agreed.
"Anyway," Kisame grinned, "Wonna see the lounge? I know you haven't been in there yet."
Deidara smiled and nodded, "You sure it's safe, un?" He asked jokingly.
Kisame chuckled.
Walking over to a sliding door which separated the rooms, Kisame slid it open, revealing a square room not large in size, but which Deidara thought could comfortably house the eight members of the Akatsuki that lived in these quarters.
With a sofa and arm chair in the middle of the room, all decorated with the same pattern repeated through out the house; that of the Akatsuki cloud on a black background, the room's central attraction was the television. Deidara's eyes lite up at the sight of it. Back in Iwa, the townspeople lived mostly simple lives, and Deidara himself have never had a television in his home.
"Wow," Deidara praised, walking over to get a closer look at the large black screen.
"Yeah," Kisame chuckled, "We all had to beg Kakuzu for a month to get him to allow us to buy that, and by buy I mean steal and then pay to get good TV on it." He laughed heartily.
Deidara grinned, turning and coming to join Kisame where he sat on the couch.
"Can we turn it on, un?" He asked the large blue man eagerly.
Kisame shrugged again, "Sure." he told him, and handed the blonde the remote control.
Deidara looked at it questioningly, turning it over in his hands. "Un?" He asked, eyes wide in confusion.
Kisame laughed, taking the remote back and pressing the large red button on the top. The screen immediately jumped to life, revealing a spectacle of moving pictures that Deidara had only seen a few times before in his entire life.
Kisame continued to laugh when he saw the expression on Deidara's face, it was comical how intrigued the blonde was.
"So," He started conversationally, "I have to ask..."
Deidara turned his attention to Kisame, "Un?"
Kisame grinned, "How's your trainin' goin'? Met Furugane?" He asked.
The Iwa-nin smiled, and rubbed his head sheepishly, "Un, its going alright, Furugane is..."
"Scary?" Kisame asked, then laughed when the blonde nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah, we all have fond memories of training with that wooden monster."
Deidara smiled then, glad he wasn't the only one who had been, shall we say, out-shined by the wooden figure. Then he remembered a comment of Sasori's; 'You can ask Itachi about that.'
Deidara decided then and there that, no, he most definitely would not ask the frightening Uchiha about it, and so decided to put it to Kisame.
"Kisame-san," Deidara began respectfully, hoping to get an answer, "Sasori was telling me about how members use Furugane to train after missions when they get hurt, un, and then he told me I should ask Itachi about it, un."
Kisame roared with laughter, immediately recalling the conversation he and Itachi had had a few days before. "Yeah," Kisame said, nodding and grinning, "I get what he means. Ya see, a few years ago, 'Tachi got really badly hurt for the first time on a mission. Spear through the leg, real messy stuff."
Deidara winced, and Kisame nodded at his reaction. "Yeah, it wasn't pretty. He healed up fast though and all," Kisame then grinned again, "But there were a few weeks there when he couldn't fight up to his usual standard, so Leader ordered Sasori to test out the new puppet he had made for the purposes of training, and get 'Tachi back to his usual dangerous self."
Deidara smiled while he listened to Kisame, and it occurred to him that Kisame liked talking about Itachi. Although the blonde didn't know the Uchiha very well on a personal level, his opinion was somewhat lifted by Kisame's obvious fondness of him.
Kisame coughed then, and continued, "Well," He laughed, "'Tachi didn't really think much of a puppet, and he and Sasori weren't real friendly back then, you might say, so he had every intention of destoryin' it. But when he started fighting, he found he couldn't compare to it."
Kisame shook his head, remembering how he had watched the fighting progress. "After about a week of fighting it, Itachi was back to his usual fighting standard, and was sure he would beat the puppet this time. Still though, he couldn't!" Kisame laughed, "I'd never seen the Uchiha prodigy so frustrated in my entire life! And so, as he was fighting Sasori's puppet, he yelled, 'You ugly, monstrous wooden contraption, you should be called Furugane!'" Kisame broke out chuckling again.
Deidara laughed too, "So Itachi named Furugane, un?"
Kisame nodded, "Yeah. Furugane means, literally, 'scrap metal'. So, after that day, everyone who had their own personal vendetta against the puppet, called him Furugane."
Laughing, Deidara thought of Sasori's pride when he had told Deidara about asking Itachi. No wonder, Sasori probably considered it the biggest triumph of Furugane, beating the Uchiha clan's holder of the infamous Sharingan.
Kisame grinned shaking his head at the memory, "He hates that puppet," He laughed, "Hates talking about it too."
"Un, I can understand that," Deidara agreed, then asked with a smirk on his face, "Ne, Kisame-san, have you had a training session with Furugane, un?"
Kisame's smile dropped, he gave the blonde an apprehensive look, to which Deidara just smiled innocently.
"Oh, quiet you," Kisame scoffed, and when Deidara started laughing he commented, "You're as bad as 'Tachi."
A/N: There we go. So thats how Furugane was named, lol. :)
Next chap, I promise Sasori will feature prominantly. It will all be about the Sasori/Deidara developing relationship, and Sasori's visiting Sir Leader will also be discussed. I hope you guys enjoyed this chap, and if you are nice and review, I shall update soon!
-Emerald-
