Tobi left some more of his friends, so where did he go? How much time had passed?
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or any of the characters in it. But if I did...Sakura would melt, but then be all non-melty in Shippuuden. Tsunade would have to teach a pink blob...hehehe...
R&R!
It had been 4 months since Tobi had ran away from his friends, both the Akatsuki and Naruto and Sakura. Having been without direct human contact for four long months, Tobi's spark had completely died out. He was a shell of the person he once was, bearing similarities only with his orange mask. Although no one could see, he had no emotion on his face.
At the start of his trek, he promised himself that no matter what, he wouldn't kill anyone. Not to soon after that, he was ambushed by rouge ninja, merely thugs looking for an easy putz to get money from.
The first one came at Tobi from nowhere. He had blocked himself from his attack, but the second one was behind him, and soon held his hands behind his back and a kunai to his throat. Out of fear, out of anger, he reared around and stuck his hands in his kunai pouch, quickly pulling one out and wielding it. Quick, angry slashes followed, and soon the small clearing was blood splattered, and two bodies were laying on the ground, various deep cuts scattered among their dead bodies.
Tobi breathed heavily, scared of what he had done. But after minutes of pacing around the bloodied field, panicking and hyperventilating, he realized...
Killing felt good. Now he saw why Itachi always got a kick out of it. Tobi left the lifeless bodies laying in the grass, and continued walking. He was in the original clothes he wore before he joined the Akatsuki, his cloak long gone.
For days he walked on, pausing only at small town to steal food and other supplies. As he walked on, the lonliness made him harden. His inner and outer shell grew strong as stone, and his kills grew more vicious.
One day, he looked around his surroundings. They looked familiar, ever so familiar...But he couldn't place a name on the location. He looked around slowly, and kept walking.
Naruto never stopped looking for Tobi. Ever since he got back to Konoha, he used the free time in between missions to hunt down Tobi, in addition to Sasuke. Sakura and everyone else told him to give up and only focus on Sasuke, at least they knew he was alive. But Naruto had said,
"I never go back on my word, dattebayo!"
So for 4 months solid, Naruto looked and looked for Tobi, only returning to Konoha emptyhanded.
Deidara and Zetsu never gave up either. They thought they were on the right track, and ended up where Naruto and Sakura had spent the night, but all clues were swept away by then. But they just continued on to Sunagakure...
1 1/2 Months Ago
"Zetsu, why the hell are we here, un?" Deidara asked his partner as they drew nearer and nearer to the large village gates of Sunagakure.
"This is the closest village in the desert. We can get supplies and maybe find some information about Tobi, if he's been through here." Zetsu said in his monotone voice, staring straight ahead. He didn't want to be bothered by Deidara at all, after being stuck with him for the last 2 months.
Deidara merely nodded, and they came closer to the gates, heavily guarded as they have been ever since he had taken the Kazekage all those months ago. Of course, there was always the back way...
"Are you serious." Zetsu said, staring blankly at the largesewer grate against the far Northeast part of the gates.
"Yes, we can't afford to be seen." Deidara said exasperatly, running his hands through his blonde hair.
"Fuck no." Zetsu growled. "No way in hell am I traveling through shit covered sewers."
"Pussy." Deidara snorted, and he pushed the grate aside leavingĀ” space large enough for him to squeeze into. Screw Zetsu, if he was too chicken about getting some sewer junk on his cloak, then so be it. "I guess you don't care about Tobi, then." he called out, not turning to look behind him. He knew Zetsu would come.
Sure enough, Zetsu violently twitched, and with a great deal of struggle, he was right behind Deidara, pondering with himself on whether he should push Deidara down or not. However, as he agreed to shove Deidara into a very large pool of shit, Deidara noticed a ball of light and suddenly shot off towards it, thankful to find a way out of the stanky sewers.
Zetsu was not so lucky, as he had lunged forward right when Deidara shot off. Needless to say, it was not pretty.
Deidara was already outside, in some of the rare shade in the village. He quickly performed hand signs, forming The Art of Transformation. He poofed into a young man, brown haired and tall. There was some blonde visible in his hair, and for some reason he was wearinga tropical button-up that wasn't buttoned up, with a orange undershirt under it. Zetsu, cursing under his breath and screaming obscenities. He came out, and saw the transformed Deidara. He realized who it was because of the ring of the Akatsuki, and nodded.
"Henge...!" he whispered, forming the hand sign. He turned into a small female with dark brown hair and baggy jeans. He raised his eyebrow, looking down at himself. So odd. Deidara took his hand and walked out into the busy town. They smiled at the villagers, and made their way to the Kazekage's building.
At the door, Kankuro was waiting. "Halt." he said boredly, not paying attention to them in the slightest. His attention was more focused on the Icha Icha Paradise book held in his right hand. His blush was visible even under his makeup, and he merely glanced at the two 'tourists'. "No tourists are allowed to see the Kazekage, he has much more important buisness to take care of..."
Deidara glared at him. What a dick, he should have been dead from when Sasori-dana poisoned him. He was about to snap back when cool, calm, collected Zetsu answered.
"We are no tourists. We're representatives from..." he glanced around, settling on Deidara. "Iwakagure."
Kankuro eyed him, but then shrugged. "Whatever, go in." With those final words, he looked down at his book and chuckled slightly.
"Arigatou." Zetsu said simply, bowing slightly and walking in. Deidara didn't bother with formalities and walked in after his partner. They passed by an office emitting angry cries from a female, and bored sayings from a male.
"DAMMIT, SHIKAMARU, WHAT THE HELL TOOK YOU SO LONG!"
"Sheesh, woman...You're so troublesome..."
"Don't MAKE me bring out the fan again, Shikamaru!!"
"You'd like that, wouldn't you, Tema-kun? Just like last time..."
"...HENTAI!!"
Deidara and Zetsu walked faster, somewhat scared.
They came to the door of the Kazekage, and knocked on it.
"Intrude..." came a drawling voice that sounded irritated. Deidara smirked, knowing that voice all too well.
Zetsu looked up at him, glaring. "Don't even think about it, baka."
"Whatever, un..." Deidara muttered, turning the handle of the door.
The red haired leader looked up briefly to see who had come in. "Hello...?" he asked, raising a nonexsistant eyebrow.
"We're looking for someone, un."
Gaara felt a sense of familiarity, but asked, "Who?"
"A guy named Tobi. He wears an orange mask, and is kinda tall, un." Deidara explained.
Gaara raised his nonexsistant eyebrow once more. "Yes, I have seen him, actually. He came here with Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura of Konohagakure a few days ago. They left, I don't know if they're ba - What the hell?"
In the middle of his sentence, Gaara stopped. He had been looking at his paperwork as he had explained, but when he looked up again, Akatsuki members were in the spot the 'tourists' once were. He immediatly recognized the blonde one. His brows furrowed angrily.
"What the hell are you staring at, un??" Deidara said impatiently. He hadn't noticed the Transformation Jutsu had worn off. Zetsu rolled his eyes, and pointed down. Deidara's eyes followed, and he looked back at Gaara, who had gotten up from his desk.
"...Well, fuck." Deidara said. He turned to run, as did Zetsu, but sand curled around their ankles, keeping them in place. Deidara immediatly rummaged around for clay, but none was to be found.
"What the hell! I thought I stocked up!!"
"You left our supplies at the sewers," Zetsu began, "You FUCKING cunt."
Deidara winced. This was bad.
"I'd ask you what the fuck you were doing here, but you already answered that by asking me something, didn't you?" Gaara said solemnly. "If Akatsuki members are looking for someone, that means they're either pretty desperate to kill someone, or they've lost a member. I doubt it's the first option, so that Tobi fellow is part of your orginization."
Zetsu grumbled, giving up trying to wiggle his feet free. The sand gauntlets just became tighter with each jerk of his foot. Deidara panicked. How the fuck were they going to get Tobi now?!
Tobi paused. The name of this place suddenly came to him. Mainly because he was standing right outside it.
"The fucking Akatsuki lair." he said, staring at it. He chuckled slightly, allowing himself a faint smile. "Now, the question is, should I go in, or keep walking?"
"Oh my god."
Too late. Tobi thought, grimacing at the all-too familiar voice.
"Are you motherfucking serious?!" Another voice bellowed obnoxiously. Tobi sighed. Foul-mouthed fool.
"Tobi!!" Kakuzu cried, rushing over to his, dare he say, friend. Hidan followed, the malicious smirk off his face, replaced with a smile. In a fit of emotion, they got on either side of Tobi and hugged him.
"Where the fuck have ya been?!" Hidan demanded angrily, yet happily at the same time.
"Get the hell offa me." Tobi replied, his voice a deep monotone.
"He- ..what?" Kakuzu asked, confusion settling in.
"Get. the hell. Offa me." Tobi said again, his voice now a growl. He shoved his 'friends' off of him, Kakuzu and Hidan too surprised to stay up. They fell on the dirt, staring at Tobi. They slowly picked themselves up, both thinking the same thing.
This isn't Tobi.
"Hey, stop right there!" Hidan commanded. "Who the hell are ya??"
"Why, I'm Tobi!" Tobi said in a mock cute voice, almost making himself sick. He didn't look behind him, only staring at the door, debating whether or not he should go in.
"Bull-fucking-shit." Hidan snarled.
"If you're Tobi, then..." Kakuzu paused, struggling for a question to ask. "...Why did you run away?"
"Deidara-sempai rejected me." Tobi said simply.
"What -"
"Pink."
"Who -"
"Zetsu-sempai."
Hidan and Kakuzu looked at each other, stunned. This couldn't be Tobi. Sure, he got all the questions right, but they hadn't even asked them. He was tall, as Tobi was, but he didn't act small, like Tobi once had.
Had Deidara really changed him that much?
Does Tobi go in to face his once-teammates? What will happen to Deidara and Zetsu? What's Naruto doing to look for Tobi?
Who enters in Naruto's life once more?
Is Gaara still as bloodthirsty as he once was?
Just what the hell are they gonna do?!
Stay Tuned, faithful reader!
