Itachi shut his eyes, blinking twice a little forcefully. It was hard to see as it was-but even harder to see because of the rain. The ground was getting muddy. And it was cold.
"Itachi-san, you're going to overused those one day…" Kisame said casually-but the warning was sincere.
Itachi didn't say anything.
"Doesn't matter to him, as long as he has enough when Sasu-chan comes for him." Seishiro grinned.
Itachi stopped walking.
"Umph-!" Seishiro walked right into the back that had been just a couple of steps ahead.
Kisame snickered. "You shouldn't talk so careless to Itachi-san, kid."
Itachi stood still, unmoving. "Kisame. I want to talk to Seishiro alone."
Kisame grinned, lifting their captured prey a little higher on his shoulder-Son Goku's jinchuuriki. "Of course, Itachi-san."
He left them, turning and heading a little further into the woods, spotting a nice great boulder to sit on. He set the jinchuuriki down-since he was already at death's door, waiting for that one last little push, Kisame had to be careful. He then situated himself atop the boulder.
"Demon." Itachi said. "Since you don't really have a name."
Seishiro frowned. "Now that's rude. Eh. What?"
Itachi turned to face the other, glaring down. "That cut is healing slowly. Once it's gone, and the agreement is over…what happens then?"
"Hm?" he quirked an eyebrow and grinned. "Well, I go. I didn't really want to stay at first-but then again….it's actually turned out to be quite fun. I might linger a little before going home."
"Home?"
"Konoha." Seishiro grinned. "Hehehe…it's quite comfortable there. And I have people waiting for me to come back."
Itachi caught a glimpse of something in the other's eyes as they said that; a soft playfulness-not the usual, sadistic look of mischief.
"Friends waiting for you, you mean." Itachi said.
"Well. I suppose." he shrugged. "I'm one of those faceless people in this Kishimoto-tale, you know? I was quite surprised Pein found out about me. Not to mention all the trouble I'll be in with the boss for getting caught. But that's already too much information. It won't matter-you won't remember by the time I'm gone that I was ever here."
Itachi ignored the nonsensical facts, "How did Pein manage to harm you if you heal?"
The look on Seishiro's face at once turned sour. "Why do you wanna know that?"
"I have the approval of the authority-transfer, signed by both Konan-san and Pein-sama. I order you to tell me." Itachi said.
"Hmph." Seishiro frowned, growling. "There's a special weapon. A knife. It's made from the feather of a seraphim. A high-ranking angel. They found it and cut me with it. That's how. Only when a human is successful in a bet against me can the contract between us be valid. That of course, if they don't want to trade their soul or something else, which unlike a contract is valid only for a single request."
"Can you made a contract with another human while under contract?" Itachi asked.
"No." Seishiro shook his head. "But I can grant requests. But if you wanna make a contract with me, you have to wait until my wound heals and I'm free."
"I see." Itachi nodded. "Kisame, we're going."
"Hah?" Seishiro blinked. "Is that it? Really?"
Itachi walked on, Kisame grunting lightly as he got up, hoisting the jinchuuriki over his shoulder again and following.
"Hmphhu…what a boring guy. Didn't even let me do anything on this mission…" Seishiro grumbled.
They lair was already in sight, but Itachi and Kisame had a different destination; taking the body to the cave where the statue was waiting to extract it's bijou.
"Hm?" Seishiro blinked as they turned off the road. "Where are you going?"
Kisame looked at Itachi knowingly-they were given instructions on not to let the kid near the statue due to their…repelling properties.
"Go back." Itachi said, walking away already. "We're heading elsewhere. Pein-sama said you didn't have to come. So get back to the transit lair."
Seishiro frowned. "I already know about that stupid statue." but he continued on anyway, "Stupid Uchi-bfuu-!"
Deidara toppled over Seishiro, and in the muddy soil, footing was made absolutely impossible, causing both of them to topple over into the mud. Deidara yelped as mud splashed into his face, going not only into his mouth but his eyes as well. He coughed, turning over, sloshing in the mud and trying to get it out of his eyes.
Seishiro likewise was blowing hard out of his nose, trying to get the mud out, eyes watering from the liquid that stung the insides of his nostrils. He coughed, trying to relieve the strange feeling.
"Deidei-kun!" he coughed, sniffing and finally managing to sit up.
Deidara half-yelled-half-groaned, "It's Deidara, hm!"
Seishiro sighed, getting up-in doing so almost slipping again-and yanking the blonde onto his feet. "What're you doing out here in the rain?" he yelled above the pounding of the droplets colliding with the earth.
Deidara strained to hear the other above the deafening sound, which had suddenly grown to such a peak between just before their collision until now. The rain pounded harder still.
"What?" Deidara shouted back.
Seishiro grunted and marched over to the cave entrance to the lair, pulling Deidara in. "Jeez…"
They were a complete mess, covered in mud and dripping, soaking wet. Deidara shivered, having just done out without his cloak, which would have made the cold more bearable.
"What were you doing out there?" Seishiro asked.
Deidara frowned, ringing his long blonde strands, which, even in a ponytail, slacked and fell flat instead of up as it always did. "I was looking for someone, hm."
"Someone? Who?" Seishiro asked.
"Some girl, from the nearby village maybe" Deidara replied. "Name kinda like yours-…."
"….what?" Seishiro blinked.
Deidara looked at the other intently, considering the possibility. "…hey, move your hair, hm."
"…my hair?"
"Yeah, hm." he replied.
"…..Uh…" Seishiro frowned a little.
"Come on, hm!" Deidara demanded, stepping forward. "Just do it, hm!"
"And what are you two brats doing here?" Kakuzu's deep, frighteningly nonchalant voice emerged from the ark corner down the hall.
"Gh-!" Deidara froze in surprise.
"Kaku-kun!" Seishiro grinned. "Tadaima!"
"Kakuzu." Kakuzu replied with a low growl. "I see that. How did it go?"
"Tachi-kun didn't let me do anything in capturing the jinchuuriki." Seishiro replied, in a reflexive irritation-response; puffing up his left cheek.
Deidara snorted, getting irritated and cold, he turned to head to the bathroom wordlessly-Kakuzu wasn't exactly someone he could hold a conversation with. Kakuzu eyed the other as he go, almost sighing in relief.
"That's too bad." Kakuzu said. "Go clean up. You'll get a cold."
Seishiro blinked but grinned at the uncharacteristically kind gesture.. "Okay." With that, he turned to go off down the same hallway Deidara had just walked.
"Don't cause trouble." Kakuzu said, watching the two brats leave; with a bit of thought he added. "If you're going to bathe, do it together, at least you'll save water."
Madara frowned from behind his mask, 'I should say the same to you' he thought secretly from a dark corner of the cave. He slipped out of sight with a wave of his arm.
"Save water?" Deidara barked, "Can you believe that guy? Jeez…" But the blonde also had a thought-maybe he could find out if they did go in there together if we was right.
"Erh…I really think you should go in first. I can dry off." Seishiro smiled.
Deidara hurriedly pushed at that response. "You want us to get in trouble? He's in charge of the money you know, and when he says something about saving anything he means it. I don't want to lose the arm he just reattached over something stupid like this, hm."
"You go on ahead then." Seishiro said, veering off in direction. "I'll go back to my room for a towel or something."
Deidara sighed-it would be strange to persist any more. "You go on, hm. You're more of a mess than I am, hm."
"Huh? Really?"
"Yeah, yeah, go on, hm." Deidara said, nudging the other towards the bathroom.
Seishiro smiled. "Alright. Thanks."
Hidan grunted, snorting and huffing, scowling as he made his way down the hall, passing Deidara by. He ran a hand through his hair, almost completely ignoring the blonde, save for the fact he didn't run into him directly as he walked; muttering small curses in his jashinist language. Kakuzu had been on his nerves again about his rituals.
"Jashin-sama will pass judgement on you, you bastard." Hidan muttered indirectly to kakuzu aloud, more to himself, perhaps trying to make a wish come true.
Hidan even bothered to ask nicely to perform a very important ritual too-it was a little over-the-top, including the dismemberment of organs and joints, ect of not only himself but a victim; but it was important!
"Jeez…lately Kakuzu's been such a bitch!" Hidan complained aloud to himself in his usual whiny tone. "Seriously, what the fuck is with him?"
"Uh-" Deidara frowned, moving o to the side to pass Hidan by.
"Yooo, Deidara-chan~!" Hidan grinned. "Man, you're a fucking mess, I didn't know wusses liked to play in the rain!"
Deidara scowled. "Uruse!" He then eyed the faint stitch marks on the other's neck with a mocking smirk, "Looks like you lost your head in another mission, hm. And you call me a wuss."
Hidan twitched, "OI! Watch it you little squirt! I might just make you my sacrifice for my latest ritual!"
Deidara rolled his eyes, about to walk on before he stopped and turned to watch Hidan go. "Oi, where're you going?"
"To shower, Jashin-damnit." Hidan replied. "What? You wanna make something out of that too?"
Deidara blinked before standing there, waiting, watching as Hidan headed down the hall and towards the bathroom. He suddenly was very aware of his intense heart rate and heavy breathing at the anticipation. He could find out. He needed to know if he was right or not. Maybe Hidan knew too?
Hidan turned the knob on the door. And it was then, Deidara held his breath, heading back towards the man.
"Wait Seishiro's-" he began to say as the door was swung open.
