"Mr. Uchiha?"
"Hn." Itachi looks up. He's just finished laying out pieces of drawing paper.
Though his hair has grown out and grown a few inches, the blond bangs which sweep and cover one eye, Deidara is recognizable.
"Deidara."
Itachi's on edge though he fights not to show it. It's not Deidara who's making him uneasy, it's who and what he represents. Deidara used to tag along with Orochimaru.
"Itachi." Deidara sits on a stool.
"What are you doing here?" Itachi is usually unerringly polite. But he decides he'll make an exception.
"I'm your TA." He grins, teeth showing. "So, Itachi, how are you?"
"Set some markers on those tables." Itachi gestures at the three tables.
Thankfully, Deidra does as he's told. He seems quite content to let Itachi boss him around. Itachi is thankful for small things.
The students file in and Itachi waits for the talking to stop. When that doesn't work, he glares at them until all talking ceases. Itachi explains quietly that their first assignment is to draw their favorite memory. He lists some examples: childhood, your first kiss (the girls giggle and stare hungrily at Itachi), anything at all.
Itachi does role call and decides to memorize their names out of sheer boredom. He also supposes not knowing might cause some future embarrassment and as an Uchiha, Itachi does not do embarrassment.
The girls get to work quickly, marking up their paper so they'll have something to show Itachi as he circles the room. The boys are less enthusiastic. They grumble and are more interested in talking to their friends.
The girls flip their hair and ask Itachi to help them with their technique. Itachi sends Deidara over to them. However, Deidara often ends up arguing with the girls and Itachi must settle the argument.
"But Itachi, what they're doing – it's not art! This is art class!"
Itachi glances down at the paper to see what's got Deidara so upset. The girl drew something that resembled a..horse? Person? Thing?
"What is your subject matter?" he asks the dark haired girl. Her eyes are wide and remind him of Sasuke. He blinks. The girl twists her hands in her lap.
"It's a centaur," she mumbles. She titters nervously.
"Of course it is." And Itachi can see it now. Well, sort of. He supposes, if you turn it upside down…Fed up, Itachi nods to the girl who promptly blushes fuchsia. Itachi then proceeds to spend the rest of the class avoiding Deidara. Of course, he tells himself he's not
Deidara shoots him smiles across the room which Itachi ignores. Itachi tells himself he's not being avoidant.
The bell rings and Itachi is grateful. He dismisses the class and hurriedly packs up his things. Deidara catches him by the arm before he can escape.
"Itachi." Deidara is trying very hard to look Itachi in the eye.
"What?" Itachi looks through him to the door.
"Orochimaru's still around. Don't worry," Deidara adds quickly, seeing the wary expression in Itachi's eyes intensify. "I'm not with him anymore. Orochimaru hangs with a different crowd these days."
Itachi's eyebrows rise at that information. It makes sense. He crosses his arms. "So he created his own gang. Orochimaru never was a follower."
Deidara nods.
"Who leads Akutsuki then?"
"I don't know. They just call him, 'Leader'".
Itachi smirks. "Who are you with? This 'Leader' or Orochimaru?"
Deidara shakes his head. "I'm done with gangs."
That makes Itachi almost smile. That's what he'd thought. But now…
"Does Kisame go to school here?"
Deidara shakes his head. "No. He's with Orochimaru at the public school."
"Kisame joined him?"
"No. He doesn't even go to school here."
That doesn't make any sense, Itachi thinks to himself. Why would Kisame approach Sasuke? Why ask Sasuke to deliver a kiss? And why, Itachi wonders angrily, can't the fucking past stay in the past?