This chapter was... interesting to write to say the least.
I just want to make something clear about this fic, this is NOT a Sasuke bash story. He is my least favorite character, but I am going to try my hardest to put my personal bias to just Deidara's thought processes and keep Sasuke as in character as possible while developing him. (This is why I have a beta to keep things in check X.X) That being said, I will never call him emo or anything like that, I mostly use "brooding" as a form of description as that is what he does most of the show... he just stares off and broods. Also Duck butt, but who doesn't call him that?
Thank you again for the favorites, follows and reviews, I really appreciate them! :D
MeiaAdey12: Glad that I got you off guard with Obito, I know Deidara didn't expect it. I have plans for Hidan/Kakuzu to show up in a later chapter ,but Itachi/Kisame are two that I'm not sure about. Also regarding Obito's knowledge about Dei... you'll have to see later on. :P
DarkDust27: I know! She is so adorable! Every time I write her, I just die on the inside. Also yeah... No hope for Danzo, other villains? Maybe. That old bastard? Hell no.
"Blah" - Talking
'Blah' - Thinking
"Blah" - Talking outside a dream (No English this chapter)
Blah - Passage of time
"Blah" - Black Zetsu
Warning: Swearing, violence, psychological damage from Deidara, cute fluff. The usual. Oh! And sexy jutsu!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, if I did, there would be an Uchiha disctionary. Seriously, how do you speak in "hn"s? I need to learn this!
It's dark. I can't tell if I'm going forward, or even in a straight line. I'm just… walking in an endless corridor of darkness.
I can see a figure in the distance. Black and red, at first I couldn't make out who it was. But as I got closer the figure became more clear.
Itachi was standing with his back facing me.
"Itachi?" I called out in confusion, was this a genjutsu? It can't be, I haven't seen Itachi since the first day I came to this world. Must be a dream… I kinda like this. "Hey Itachi! How's it- AHHHHHH!" I screamed when he turned to face me. How is this possible?!
Itachi was smiling at me, but he didn't have eyes. Instead where two empty black holes void of any blood or life in general.
My breath got caught in my throat as logic and reasoning begin to leave my mind. Why is he missing his eyes?! If this is a dream… why would my mind cook up something like this?!
Itachi tilts his head and spoke, "Thank you for taking care of Sasuke." Before turning into a murder of eyeless crows, flying off into the darkness.
'Taking care of Sasuke? I haven't even met him yet!' Was my only thought process when a ray of light shone down on a spot. Another figure stepped into it.
It was Naruto, older and in his black and orange Shippuden jacket… Only he wasn't greeting me with a smile. His eyes were thick with tears as his face read betrayal. He was battered and bruised, like he was just through a rough fight, and lost.
"Deidara-nii… why, dattebayo?"
"What are you talking about, un?" My legs begin walking towards Naruto, but something stops me. A set of muscular arms hook under my arms, lifting me off the ground like a doll, the person's fingers locking together in my hair, effectively preventing me from turning my head on my own. Said hands add pressure to my head, forcing me to look down at myself, 'no… no no no NO!'
I'm in the Akatsuki coat. Ring, nail polish, the whole combo.
The hands make me look back at Naruto and the scene had transformed. No longer was it the dark corridor, but a cave. A cave with the gedo statue in the back, figures standing on its fingers. Naruto was unconscious as he begins to float. This was too familiar, it was too similar to when Gaara lost Shukaku.
"I must thank you Deidara." The person holding me whispers into my ear… it was Obito…
'No…'
"You wanted to change the timeline and you did."
'No…'
"We were able to capture the Kyuubi this time. All because you agreed to join us."
'Why would I..?'
"I should also thank you for Shisui's eye. It was so easy to make you think it was Itachi you were giving it to."
'Shisui's eye… when did..?'
"You succeeded in changing the timeline, but failed to protect those that you wanted to save."
"No… no this is just-"
"A bad dream, Deidara? Then why can I do this?" A sickening snap was heard from my body and I let out a painful wail. My shoulders were dislocated. My arms feel as though they are on fire yet they dangled uselessly in Obito's grip. Why was the pain so familiar?
Obito vanishes and I collapsed onto the ground, but all I see is Naruto floating in that ball of chakra as Kuruma is extracted from his body.
"NARUTO!" I forced myself up, I'm running. Running, trying to get to him, but everything seemed to be in slow motion. Before I could reach him, two white arms wrap around me and silver hair blew past me as the person stops.
Otsutsuki Kaguya is in my head.
"It's alright child…" Kaguya pulls me in... what I guess is suppose to be a loving embrace? "You did your best… but the outcome will always be the same… everyone will return to the great tree…"
"Wake up…" Whose voice was that?
"You provided great entertainment for me… and now you deserve your reward… perhaps a happy world free from pain..." The chakra ball vanishes and Naruto's body collapses to the ground. The gedo statue begins to move.
"NARUTO! LET ME GO YOU FUCKING BITCH!" My body won't move. I can't get away.
Black Zetsu appears before me and forces me to look up. The moon of the Infinite Tsukuyomi entered my line of vision.
"Please wake up!"
"Just relax my dear…"
"You're having a nightmare! Wake up!"
Kaguya and Zetsu spoke at once "And sleep…"
"DEIDARA-NII!"
My vision goes white.
Naruto's POV
"NARUTO!" My eyes snap open at the sound of Nii-san screaming my name, well he's just screaming in general. Thinking I'm late for school I scramble out of bed, only to realize that it's still dark.
"Why is Deidara-nii screaming then, dattebayo…?" I tiptoe out of my room. Nii-san is a light sleeper and wakes up the moment I get out of bed. But poking my head out of my room, I look down at his bed.
He's flailing in his sleep, whimpering out "no" over and over. His bandages came loose and I see his arms, burnt and damaged behind the white cloth. The thrashing seems to be causing him pain...
'What happened to Nii-san on his mission?'
I try to shake him awake, "Wake up."
Instead of waking up, Deidara-nii screams "NARUTO! LET ME GO YOU FUCKING BITCH!" I'm scared. Nii-san doesn't talk in his sleep, he doesn't move in his sleep, he sleeps like a log!
"Please wake up!"
Nii-san goes still as tears rolled down his face, he seemed to be looking up at something. His neck was curved.
"You're having a nightmare! Wake up!"
Nii-san just lets out a choked sob. I get close to his ear and yell.
"DEIDARA-NII!"
He wakes up, shooting up in a sitting position, I watch him look at his hands, breathing heavily. I've never seen him so afraid.
"J-just a dream… just a dream, un…"
"Deidara-nii?"
Nii-san snaps his head towards me, tears well up in his eyes as I am yanked into his lap and he wraps his arms around me in a hug. His hands clutch onto my pajamas as his face buries itself into my hair. He began rocking back and forth while crying.
He began muttering but I didn't understand what Nii-san was saying, he was speaking his weird code. Until he began repeating it in my language. Nii-san dreamt about me?
"Deidara-nii-?"
"I won't let anything happen to you… I promise, un. I won't…" I had to pat his cheek gently to prevent him from chanting.
I give him a cheeky grin and a thumbs up, "Don't worry about me! I'll be come strong and be Hokage, dattebayo! So you don't have to have bad dreams about me!" Nii-san gave me a dumb look but after sniffing a few times and wiping his face, he returns a tired smile.
I feel my mouth frown, "Deidara-nii, go back to sleep! I'll stay with you and chase the nightmares away!" All he did was nod, and lay back down holding me closely. It must have been a pretty scary dream then.
I stared at him for a while, before I notice some weird markings on his chest, and stitches…? He has another mouth? 'I guess he didn't want me to see that. So I won't talk about it.'
I get comfortable and fall asleep in my nii-san's arms.
The following morning
Deidara's POV
I'm mentally and physically exhausted. Once I woke up I had to rebandage myself, turns out the pain I felt was just me rubbing my burns raw. I'm going to have to see an actual medical shinobi to heal them.
But that dream… it was so vivid, not to mention frightening. I'm not afraid of dying, or the plot staying the same.
I'm afraid of what would happen if I failed.
I sigh as I flip some pancakes, oh yeah! I found someplace that sold regular flour! So WOOPIE! Pancakes!
Pancakes aside… It's going to take more than a nightmare to stop me from fucking with the plot. I just wish it wasn't so realistic...
"Deidara-nii, what did you dream about, dattebayo?"
Looking over to the focal point of said nightmare, I fake a sheepish grin, "I don't remember, un. But I'm glad you were there to wake me up, Naruto." I lied, it's best I don't worry him about it yet.
Thinking of a distraction, "Hey, Naruto it's saturday. How about we train this afternoon, un?" I need something to keep me from thinking about that dream.
The response was instant. "REALLY?!" One nod from me later, "YESSSSSSSSSS!" He proceeds to fist pump the air.
Damnit chibi, stop being so cute. "We'll start with taijutsu, and once I talk with Iruka we'll have you learn other kinds of jutsu... provided you finally do well on a test." Naruto's grades are still terrible, but they are getting better. I just wished he would study more...
"I know a jutsu, dattebayo! Made it myself!" He looks so proud of himself… oh dear.
"Oh? What is it, un?" Here it comes…
Naruto does a handsign, "TRANSFORM!" a loud poof and… oh god, I hear the background music and giggles, "Sexy jutsu~"
I don't even react. I don't understand how Naruko even makes these guys nosebleed so much. What I'm looking at right now, once the clouds faded, is no different from what I grew up seeing when I took a shower. It's not that impressive of a sight either.
Naruko giggled, "Will you teach me some jutsu, nii-san?" NOPE! I draw the line at him using sexy jutsu on me to get what he wants! ABORT ABORT ABORT!
"No, un." Why does he think watery eyes will work? And dammit kid, put on some clothes, please!
"Why not nii-san?"
"One: I am your brother so don't use this jutsu on me. And two: you still haven't gotten an 80 on your tests yet." 'And three: I'm attracted to men.'
Oops, I must have said that out loud. Naruto transformed back to normal with a "WHAT?!"
"I haven't found any nice girls that I like yet, only guys, un." I shrug.
Naruto smirks mischievously, "Oh, is that why you look like a girl-"
WHAM!
Naruto is now eating his breakfast with a comical bump on his head.
Later
I went to the hospital to get my burns healed because I was tired of the bandages. Why I didn't do this sooner, I will never know. But at least I don't look like I'm trying to cosplay as the second Tsuchikage anymore!
Taking Naruto to my usual training grounds after making sure his weapons were all set. Reaching the area, I had to yank him backwards to avoid getting skewered by a flying kunai.
"What where you're going, dobe."
Oh hell no.
"Teme! What are YOU doing here?!"
Kami strike me down, please!
"Idiot, I train here too. And who's the guy behind you?"
I'm not mentally prepared to meet this character! Give me Kabuto, Pein, a filler character!
"My nii-san!"
"...Hn."
Fucking hell, I get to meet Uchiha Sasuke. And he's staring right at me.
Clearing my throat I give Sasuke a slight nod of the head, "I'm Naruto's adoptive brother. My name is Deidara, un."
He snorts, "Deidaraun?"
'You little shit… No wonders the fangirls like your brother more than you.' "I have a speech impediment, un. You start making fun of it and I'll start making fun of your hair."
Naruto looks at me confused, "What's wrong with Sasuke's hair?" Seriously? No one notices?
"It looks like the ass of a duck, un."
Total silence, Sasuke begins to subconsciously touching the back of his head and Naruto's brain going into overdrive to picture this.
Finally, Naruto falls backwards, dying of laughter as he points at Sasuke wildly.
Sasuke only glares at Naruto before starting to walk away, hands in his pocket. Nope! I just met you and I have decided that I want to make you friends with Naruto ASAP!
"Duck-kun! Where are you going?" I think I'm killing my brother.
"Away from you losers. I can't train when people weaker than me are nearb-" He didn't get to finish that statement because I knocked him off his feet and held a kunai to his throat.
"Weaker? Honey, I'm jonin rank, and I just knocked you off your feet, un. Instead of training by yourself, why not join Naruto and I on our taijutsu training? I don't think a wooden post will give you feedback."
Not sure if it's my logical reasoning or the kunai to his throat, but Sasuke agreed to the offer. I made the boys spar each other so I can see their weak points.
"Naruto you can't just charge headfirst to the enemy. And Duck-kun your posture is too stiff, un." The fact that Sasuke responds to "Duck-kun" is highly amusing to me and I don't know why.
Naruto flails his arms, "Well teme here," he points at Sasuke, "Keeps calling me names!"
I fold my arms with a raised eyebrow, "And what did you just call him right now?" Naruto shuts up. "I'm not taking sides, you both are seven, and thus still children. You have room to grow, un. Now, try sparing again. Naruto, this time look for an opening, and Duck-kun relax your shoulders."
The match lasted an extra minute, but Naruto still became reckless and charged headfirst into the fight. I pinch the bridge of my nose in exasperation. "Duck-kun, take a break. Naruto, run some laps, after five laps find some leaves and balance them on your fingers. You need patience and control." Naruto tries to protest, but a single crack of my knuckles sends the boy running.
Watching my brother run, I feel eyes glaring daggers into my back. Turning to look I find Sasuke, staring up at me.
"Your face is going to freeze like that Duck-kun."
"Hn."
Sighing, I pull out a lump of clay and hand it to Sasuke. "You lack the ability to relax. Make something out of this, un."
He doesn't take it at first, "Why should I?"
'Why do children insist on arguing with me?' "Because…" I pull a smirk, "Is the famous Uchiha clan afraid to try a little art?" He snatches the clay from my hand and begins messing with it, sitting down. Poking at a clan's pride always works.
I squat down to his level to watch, he has the hands to sculpt… but I was right.
He sucks at art.
However, his failure to make even a basic shape seemed to not only frustrate him, but make him stubbornly continue with the task. He actually begins sticking his tongue out in concentration. 'Haha! Not so easy now huh?'
Without even thinking I pull out some more clay from my pouch and let my palm mouths consume it. Sasuke sees this and his eyes nearly popped out of their socket, not expecting mouths on my hands.
"Don't ask, un." After the hand spits out the clay I clench it a few times and when I open my hand, sitting in my palm is a butterfly. "This, is my jutsu."
Letting the butterfly fly up a few feet in the air, Sasuke watches with that same dumbfounded expression. Reminds me a little of when he would watch Itachi train. Sasuke is still just a little kid, and if I can keep him from Orochimaru, so much hell can be avoided.
With an almost bored, "Katsu" the butterfly explodes. "This is also my art."
I could feel Sasuke swallowing his pride, it was like a kid trying to swallow a jawbreaker, it just doesn't work.
"... Can you teach me how to work with this clay?"
Now, mentally I'm doing a victory dance... But on the outside I simply smile and begin helping Sasuke move his fingers with the clay.
However Naruto, didn't seem to appreciate the art lesson, "Deidara-nii! Why haven't you taught me your art, dattebayo?!"
Without missing a beat, "Because you have the hands of a chef. Sasuke has sculpting hands."
Naruto gives me his closed eye confused face, "Really? Chef's hands?" He looks at his hands.
"Yep, whenever you help me cook, you do everything flawlessly. You have a natural talent in the kitchen Naruto." Giving him my trademark smile, all of his jealously melts away. At least he knows that I acknowledge his talents when it's there. I stand up and dust myself off. "Now Naruto, you spar with me."
The hyper blond fist pumps, "HELL YEAH, DATTEBAYO!"
He lost. Obviously.
One week later
This ends up becoming a routine. The boys would go to the academy and I would either perform D and C ranked missions, or I would go work on my own taijutsu and chakra control.
After school ends I take them to the training grounds and have them spar, followed by one-on-one matches with me. Each time I would make them do exercises based on what flaws they showed during the matches. Naruto would often find himself balancing on various objects while holding things, and Sasuke would be forced to do yoga or work on some clay.
I had to write a letter to Iwagakure, it was very brief, just saying that I am alive and that I will visit soon. I was unsure who to write it to, so until then, I just kept it short, sweet and simple.
One day while taking a break, I give them some news. "Boys, I'm gonna be gone all day tomorrow and possibly the next day."
"Ehhh?! Why Deidara-nii, dattebayo!?" Guess who.
"There is someone I'm looking for if I succeed I'm taking them to Konoha. I also need to visit Iwagakure." I pause. "With your permission Naruto, I'd like to add them to our family. They... I heard they've lost... a lot in their life and I don't think anyone should be alone, un."
Naruto sits still, unsure of what to think of this request. I don't blame him. It's always just been him and me so far, so a third person seems daunting.
But, he eventually gets a goofy grin on his face, "SURE!" Ahhhhh, right in my ear!
Wincing at the volume I rub my ear to lessen the pain, "...Thank you, Naruto." I relax with a sigh of relief, that at least drops the drama for later on.
Earlier this week I had heard some interesting news, and decided that… If I'm gonna fuck up this plot. I need to stick my nose in affairs outside of Konoha.
And the news?
The Kaguya clan is on the move.
Side story #2: Hinata and Neji (During the week timeskip)
I managed to squeeze in some time to work on Hinata's confidence. Working with this girl is going to be hard because I never hanged out with super shy people. All of my friends were social with each other. But I'll do what I can.
I stand in front of my student in a room inside the estate, smirking, "Ready to begin your training, Hinata-chan?"
She nods, "Y-yes!" She instantly gets into a gentle fist stance with her byakugan activated… oh sweetheart, we're not doing that kind of training.
"Good, now what I want you to do is look at me dead in the eyes…" She charges at me.
"And talk about yourself." I dodge her attack as she gives me a baffled expression. "Yeah… I'm not allowed to train you in taijutsu, un."
"T...talk about myself..?" Aww she pointed to herself! She's so shy.
"Yes, say the first thing you can think of about yourself. Now."
Hinata looks as if her stress level went from 0 to 100 in half a second as she tries to form a sentence.
"I…I'm t-timid-"
I then tapped her head. Just hard enough for her to feel it.
"Try again, un."
She gulps, "I… I uh…" Tap. "W...why are y-you t-tapping my head, D-Deidara-san?" Tap. "U-um…" Tap.
"Say something good about yourself. Something you LIKE about yourself, un."
She freezes, as if the world just shattered before her. I reach to tap her head when she spoke.
"I… I'm t-told I l-look like m-my mom…" She flinches expecting a tap. But when no tapping came, she looks up at me.
I have the dorkiest grin on the planet as I am internally having the biggest fangirl moment ever.
'She said she looks like her mom! HOW CAN YOU BE SO CUTE HINATA?! My heart can't take it! Eeeeeeeee!'
Biting my lip, I pull out a mirror from a sealing scroll and hold it out to her. "Everyday in the morning, and then right before bed, compliment or praise yourself once. It can be as small as you having a good day in class, un." She takes the small thing and looks at herself.
Eventually, Hiashi enters the room to inform Hinata that it was time for her gentle fist training. Hinata, being formal around her father, bows to me and runs off to the Hyuuga training area.
A small nod from her father indicated that I'm free to leave. Turning to exit the gate I catch a glimpse of long brown hair in a low ponytail, hiding behind a tree.
… Well a quick visit won't hurt anything!
Speedingly, I make a beeline to the ponytail. Eventually, finding myself face-to-face with the one character the universe shits on as much as me.
Hyuuga Neji, and all his chibi adorable glory.
I would have fangirled, but… his depressed expression put any positive emotions to a halt. I kneel in front of him tilting my head, "What's wrong…?" I keep my tone soft. I'm guessing Hiashi kept his end of the deal.
"Nothing you need to worry about, miss…"
I smile and ruffle his hair, "I'm a boy, squirt." Almost instantly he tries to bow in apology but a hand to his forehead stops him. "No bowing please, un. It's weird."
After staring at me for a moment, his lips begin to twist into a frown. "You're Hinata-sama's friend. Why is someone like you talking to me?"
I scrunch up my nose, "Sooooo, you don't want someone to talk to, un? Okay, if you say so." I stand straight. "Just thought you heard something upsetting, and would let to get it off your chest, un." I begin to walk away, but Neji tries to grab me in order to stop me… sadly, he grabbed my hair, so now my body is bending backwards like a slinky. "Yes, un?" I'm basically the girl from the Exorcist when she is going down the stairs.
With look of horror, Neji tries to fix me, "I'll talk, but please stop bending like that!" Kids really are open to stuff, huh? Or maybe it's because I'm close to their age.
Sitting down with Neji on the porch, I let him talk freely to me. Eventually, after talking about his father he just talks about the main family. Wow, he had a lot on his chest.
"Do you blame Hinata and Hanabi?"
He pause, lowering his head in shame, "Yes…"
"Have you ever talked to either of them?"
"No…"
"Do you have friends, un?"
"..."
"I see... I think you should talk to your cousins." I should have expected him to look at me like a gaping fish, but I didn't. "Hinata is timid, but growing stronger. Hanabi is young and impressionable, I think you should train and talk with at least Hinata and grow a bond, un."
He glares, "Why should I?" Good question Neji, but thankfully an easy one to answer.
"Well, they're family, right?" The glare drops, "Just talk to them. You can change fate just by growing bonds and becoming stronger together." I raise from my spot, and gave him a wink. "Trust me, they're not like the other main branch members, un." With that I left.
I never even had to give him my name.
Yay! Neji got introduced! In my head, Deidara is easy to talk to because he is not an adult yet. So instead of giving of an imposing aura, to these chibis, it's like talking to an older brother. That, or it's due to the maternal aura he gives off making everyone spill their guts out.
But, holy shit! I said this chapter was interesting to write... I lied, it was the hardest chapter for me to do. I lost my muse so fast in the original draft that I'm 99% complete with the NEXT chapter! Minus the nightmare and waking up, everything else about this chapter was rewritten to be more organic. How Deidara and Sasuke met originally was so painful to write that the only way to enjoy what I was doing, I had to change it up. Hope you guys liked this version more than what I was going to write, I know I did!
I added the sexy jutsu because Naruto uses that jutsu on EVERYONE and I randomly thought, "What would happen if he used the jutsu on SI!Deidara?" Because... let's be honest here, if I was in that situation, I wouldn't even blink. I'm immune to that kind of thing. Plus, it gave me an excuse to make Naruto extremely confused due to Deidara's slip up. I have no interest in pairings yet, so until then I'm just going to have him give off mixed signals because it's fun! XD
Next chapter is almost finished, and well... let's just say it's going to mess with some of Orochimaru's plans. Also some more development on Deidara's views on certain situations.Until then, reviews are loved and I'll see you guys very soon.
Bye!
