A/N: Second part and far shorter :P

Warning: Language, slight violence, definite OOC...

^v^

When they entered through the doors, the first and only thing they saw was Ibiki standing in the center of the small enclosed space, hands behind his back in a very professional manner. He bore holes into their heads as they walked and gathered around him in a semi-circle, not really sure what else they were supposed to be doing. Then they noticed Anko and the other proctors standing nearby; Kakashi's team and Shisui off to the other side.

Itachi felt his fist clench at the sight of his cousin. That baka…running off like that! He waved at Ibiki. "Hey- could we get some stretchers or something for my foolish little brother and Naruto-no-baka?"

Ibiki turned to him with a fist raised. "Where are your manners?"

Those who had just entered raised their guard up to another level. After all, they could be attacked right here and now. This test was truly unpredictable.

What they didn't expect was a balloon to pop overhead, and a mass amount of confetti to rain down from above, followed by streamers and pop music.

Sasori's eye twitched. "What…the hell is this?"

"What does it look like? It's a party!" Shisui hoorayed, popping out of nowhere with several sticks of explosive pocky in his hand.

Ibiki noticed almost immediately and spazzed, trying to catch the Uchiha in a flying tackle. "Give that back right now!"

Obito and Rin were trying to contain their rabid friend from going stir-fry crazy.

"What's gotten into you Kakashi?" Obito asked in an annoyed tone as they tried to get him off the ceiling.

"I did it! I've become a Chuunin!" Kakashi cried.

Rin rolled her eyes. "You were already an Anbu-"

"Lies! All lies!"

Itachi and Deidara watched the chaos commence with their brows quirking.

Deidara grabbed Ibiki by the back of his cloak sleeve before he could zoom by, dryly raising a brow. "Aren't you going to give a speech or something un? You know, before things get even more out of hand hmm."

Ibiki released Shisui's collar, contemplating the suggestion. "I guess you're right." He stepped back and clapped his hands together. "SONIC CLAP NO JUTSU!"

Immediately all noise ceased, partially because half of them went deaf.

"Was that necessary you old man?" Deidara shouted at the head proctor.

"What?" Ibiki shouted back at him.

"What kind of idiot are you! You made yourself deaf too!" Deidara yelled with his hands over his ears.

Itachi brought his eyes to the ceiling before smacking the blonde across the back of the head. "Let it go."

"WHAT?" Deidara screamed in his face.

Itachi drop-kicked him with a popped vein. "I said to let it go you moron!"

The effects of the jutsu wore off several minutes later, and by then Ibiki had the full attention of everyone in the entire room. They didn't want to have to go through such an ear-popping jutsu again.

"Um…isn't the Hokage supposed to be here or something?" Itachi asked, looking around after the silence had stretched for too long.

Ibiki turned his head away with a dark cloud of gloom hanging overhead. "He…had other matters to attend to."

-With the Hokage-

"Scrub-a-dub-dub- me in my tub," Hiruzen sang in his tiny bathtub, using his giant rubber duck to torpedo a battleship. "Die! Yeah that's right! Fear the duck!"

-Back to Ibiki-

Ibiki scratched the side of his cheek. "Yeah, something like that."

Itachi deadpanned, his face dropping. "I'm sorry I even asked."

Ibiki coughed into his closed hand. "Anyway. Back to the matter at hand. You've all braved against the odds and have successfully destroyed- I mean, prevented the other shinobi teams from beating you to this spot. A spot where only four teams can pass." Ibiki looked down with a deep hum coming from the back of his throat. "Hmm… so I guess the only thing left to say now…is CONGRATULATIONS! You have earned the right to be called Chuunin- take pride in this rank, it's no laughing matter."

The group of teens stared back at him very seriously.

"And with that- I now announce the official close of the Chuunin Exams!" Ibiki declared, sweeping an arm over the tiny room.

A small round of cheers erupted from the more excitable of the misfit group.

"Wow! We really passed un!" Deidara cheered.

Nevermind the fact that every single person that had passed was already of a rank of Chuunin and above.

Itachi ignored Deidara who went to talk to Anko and her gnome hunting crew, instead turning to stare at his older cousin who grinned down at him. "Shisui," he greeted.

Shisui munched on the only thing Ibiki would give him. A piece of bark. "Favorite cousin. How's it going?"

Itachi ducked his head. "Oh everything's swell…" He kicked the Uchiha in the face with his foot. "YOU BAKA! YOU ABANDON US IN THE MIDDLE OF THE EXAM AND HAVE THE NERVE TO ASK THAT!"

Shisui cried out from where he was being beat up. "But my favorite cousin! It was all out of love!"

"Outta love my ass!"

Meanwhile, Deidara had walked over to where Sasori and Kakuzu stood, a bouncing Pein and grinning Kisame by their side. The Iwa nin looked the group up and down before offering a hand and a genuine smile. "I had a lot of fun during this test, and you guys were a part of that un. Thanks for everything, even if you are an old man in disguise who likes poking people with needles."

Sasori took the hand with his own pale one, smirking at the blonde. "I could say the same for you and your group of misfits. I think I'll definitely not miss you and your rambunctious screeches of pain and bratty attitude. Who knows- maybe we'll meet again sometime."

Deidara beamed and tilted his head as Itachi joined on the other side of him.

Itachi slung an arm around Deidara's shoulder, not being able to help the contagious grins being spread in the small area. And the extra beating of his cousin was a great bonus! He gazed at Kakuzu and the others. "Thank you for being the ones to find my foolish little brother and Naruto-no-baka. I am glad we met."

Deidara blinked in surprise and playfully pushed at the raven. "Since when are you so nice?"

Itachi rolled his dark eyes, nudging him back. "I've always been like this. Deep, deep down inside."

"Oh Kami un. Did you just make a joke?"

"Maybe, maybe not," Itachi smirked.

Sasori looked at the two teammates joking around with one another before smugly smiling. Looks like this experience wasn't only a test of skill… "So," he spoke up. "What are you going to do about your siblings?"

Itachi paused, looking at Naruto and Sasuke peacefully resting on the stretchers Ibiki had reluctantly supplied. His gaze went from their innocent faces, to the once-in-a-lifetime honest expression of Deidara. Itachi brought his gaze to the cracked ceiling and sighed heavily. "I guess…" he glanced at the expectant faces of those around him. "I'll just have to take my stupid brothers home and make sure we don't ever do something as idiotic as this again."

Deidara broke out into a shit-eating grin, tackling the oldest Uchiha in a giant hug. "I knew you cared!" he cried out.

Itachi punched him in the face. "Don't get carried away!" he roared at the now glaring blonde.

"Yeah well- you're still a fat ole' ogre!"

"Nani?"

Deidara pulled down the eyelid of his visible eye and blew a raspberry. "Bleh!"

Itachi lunged forward, crushing him into the floor by jumping on the blonde's gut before proceeding to tug at the corners of Deidara's mouth with his fingers. "Come again? I dare you to say that to my face you fat little monster-"

"Hands off Itachi-"

"I don't think so Dei-da-ra-"

Pein hummed thoughtfully at the scene and then turned away, motioning for Kakuzu, Kisame, and Sasori to follow him as he walked towards the door that would lead them to the exit of the Exam, and in turn, the exit to Konohagakure. "Come along," he said. "Our job here is done. I've already got the signed papers saying that they are going to join in several years time. Besides, we have to find a new tree house to make our hideout. We forgot to pay the bills before we left so the local neighbors chopped it down."

"Oh so now he chooses to act mature," Kakuzu grumbled under his breath.

"A few years time?" Sasori questioned. "Did the brat even know what he was signing?"

"Of course not!" Pein chirped. "I made sure of that. Oh well. I'm sure they'll both come to love our small but growing family. Club Akatsuki!" He brightly grinned, temporarily blinding all those in his path.

Once again.

"Dammit Pein!" Sasori screamed, punting the teen through several trees. "How many times have I told you not to do that!"

And so the group of four already belonging to the Akatsuki headed off and out the village, back to their own paths away from Itachi and Deidara's until they were to meet again. Which wouldn't be any time soon.

Or maybe it would be sooner than either of them thought.

"…Itachi?"

"What is it?"

"What do you think will happen now un?"

"Now?" Itachi cast the blonde a glance and then turned his attention back to the familiar dirt roads of Konoha they were walking through. He carried a softly breathing Sasuke on his back while Deidara had slung Naruto over his. The village was filled with the remaining foreign shinobi packing up to leave to go back to their own villages now that the Exam was over; the regular villagers of Konoha merrily tending to their shops or children. In the background the sun was setting, casting a heavenly hue of orange and red across the cloud-splattered sky. Itachi appreciatively stared up into the air with a strange sense of peace echoing through him. Was that it? Had he found a sense of peace he had been missing within himself during the time his parents were gone? Oh my Kami-sama. It's turned me into a pile of sentimental mush.

Deidara inquisitively cocked his head, peering at Itachi for some semblance of an answer. "Itachi un?"

"Hm? What?" Itachi broke out of his trance, not having realized he stopped walking. He looked at the baffled Iwa nin by his side, eyes suddenly narrowing. "Deidara. How long do you plan on staying here?"

Deidara blinked as if the thought had never occurred to him. "How long…?" His gaze swept over the expanse of the Konohagakure village. He sadly smiled. "I'd like to stay forever…"

Itachi stared at him and then looked away with a smirk, stifling a snicker.

Deidara shook his head wildly before flushing in embarrassment and anger and attempting to kick the raven in his shin. "What's so funny? I was just answering your question!" he furiously said.

"Nothing, it's just-" Itachi cut himself off again to laugh.

"Itachi! You bastard hmm!" Deidara raged, turning on his heel to stomp off. Preferably back to the Uchiha's room where he could blow it into smithereens.

Itachi quickly pulled him back by his elbow before the blonde could go psycho. "Take it easy. I was just wondering…that if you want to stay here so badly…" At this, Itachi began to turn red, just because something like this was so un-proportional. And especially because his parents would have no say in it… And he would most likely regret it after a day or two. The raven coughed to clear his thoughts. "If you want to stay here so badly," he said to Deidara who was gazing at him with something akin to suspicion. "Then you can stay here with Sasuke and I."

Deidara's eye grew very large. "What?"

"Of course Naruto will have no choice but to stay as well," Itachi muttered more to himself. "Since he's an orphan…and I've grown hopelessly and disgustingly attached to the blonde moron during these past few weeks…" He trailed off at a frantic tug at his arm, startled as he looked at the desperate expression on Deidara's face. "What…what is it?"

"Please tell me you aren't lying un," Deidara asked with wide begging eyes, clasping on his arm like a lifeline.

Itachi pulled his arm away and scoffed. "Why would I lie about something like that? Do you think I actually don't own a heart?"

Deidara opened his mouth. "Well-"

"Nevermind," Itachi cut him off. "Don't answer that. Come on," he said, beginning to walk away. "Let's head home.

Deidara remained still, watching the Uchiha's retreating back. "W-Wait!"

Itachi stopped, his back facing the Iwa nin and eyes shadowed under the heavy glow of sunset.

Deidara turned to face him fully, throwing his arms out to the side in bafflement, nearly dropping Naruto in the process. "You can't just say something like that and expect me to go along! Damn it Itachi un! Why would you even offer a thing like that? You don't even have approval of your parents or anyone else in the Clan and yet you're going to go around and act as if you're the head boss hmm? That's ridiculous! Joking about something like that! After all the trouble I've caused you- even if it was fun- you shouldn't want to house a person like me-!"

Itachi turned his head over his shoulder, eyes flashing. "Are you done?" he interrupted.

Deidara looked taken aback and lowered his arms, still in slight shock. "I…" he put a palm to his forehead. "I suddenly feel tired," he grumbled.

Itachi shifted to stare at the blonde completely, his eyes still narrowed. "If you continue to work yourself up over nothing, of course you're going to feel worn out."

Deidara looked at him from under his tanned fingers. "Itachi?"

"Look. It isn't as if you haven't caused me needless grief and pain," Itachi told him, planting a hand on his hip. "But I can't lie and say that I didn't have fun too. All the Uchihas like you a lot, and so does the Hokage- although that's mostly due to your goddamn manipulative manner. And I'm sure they would all blame me for your sudden disappearance. No one's going to care if you want to become a part of the family. I think everyone would just like it anyway." The thirteen year old raven walked forward as he spoke, approaching the blonde who was slowly taking steps backwards. "The one thing I've noticed about you is that you're always running. Always, always running away from anything that'll cause you or anyone else future problems. I noticed that with all that time I was stuck spending with you."

The Iwa nin stiffened and stopped moving back, feeling slightly challenged not to stray away. "I do not."

Itachi felt a wry smile spread across his face as he stood in front of the somehow smaller-looking bomber. "You were planning on leaving after the Chuunin Exams, weren't you? That's why you wanted us to participate. You thought it'd be the last time you got to hang out with Shisui and I. With Naruto, Sasuke, and everyone else. You didn't go to the Exams looking for fun and just new people. You were looking for others to latch onto- to go travel around with after you left Konohagakure. Am I right?"

Deidara had stopped moving altogether. In fact, Itachi wasn't actually sure if he was breathing. "You…You're wrong," Deidara quietly said. "I was just going to leave…so that I wouldn't be that big of a burden." He looked up and tried to smile. "What can I say? I'm the kind of guy who likes to travel!"

Itachi took one look at the false bravado and promptly smacked it off.

"Ah-!" Deidara held his throbbing cheek with a hand.

Itachi eyed him. "You're always acting Deidara. You don't need to anymore." He placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder who jumped in surprise. "My parents don't care about another few persons in the house. They've always wanted more kids- but never had the time…"

"Whoa- too much information," Deidara said with a slight smile, eye brimming with unshed tears because dammit! Itachi's slap hurt like a bitch! That bastard un! Daring to hit me! …But… He gazed at the Uchiha in front of him with just a tad bit of awe and gratitude. "I've never had a place to stay. But…Konohagakure feels more like home than anything else un."

"And that's all I needed to hear," Itachi confirmed with a grin, drawing back. "So it's decided. You'll stay here until I see it fit to kick you out."

Deidara's jaw dropped. "Wha- hey! You can't do that hmm!"

"Yes. Yes I can." Itachi pivoted on his heel. "We'll have to get confirmation papers from the Hokage, inducing you into our clan. But it shouldn't be a problem, seeing as he likes you so much." The last part may have come out just a bit jealous.

Deidara noticed and smirked. "Don't worry Uchiha-kun. I'll make sure you get back into Hiruzen's good graces again."

"Really now?" Itachi sarcastically eyed him.

"Nope! There's something you'll have to do on your own un," Deidara laughed.

Itachi stared at the mirthfully chuckling blonde with the hint of a smile. The ride up to this point had been wild- almost broke him to the point of insanity. But he couldn't have found his inner psychotic self without the help of those around him. No matter how deranged they were. Perhaps he'd learn to look at things differently around him a little bit more. "If everything could stay just like this, even if for a bit longer," Itachi murmured up at the sky once more. "Then I don't think I'd mind at all."

Deidara gave an unseen smile before harrumphing and whacking the raven over the back of his head. "Ba-ka~ Could you be anymore grossly sentimental?" he teased.

Itachi felt his eyes turn red into Sharingan. "Deidara…" he growled.

Deidara laughed loudly before booking it down the road, Itachi tightening his hold on Sasuke's short legs and then giving chase to the cackling Iwa nin.

With the knowledge of having two more members added to the Uchiha Clan.

Iwa Deidara and Uzumaki Naruto.

Somehow, things in the near-future didn't look to be so bad.

Itachi tripped over a loose pebble in the road, crashing into a stand full of fresh vegetables and causing Sasuke to tumble down with him.

Or not.

Deidara snickered, coming back just to pay the distressed woman over her lost food.

Itachi stood to his feet, huffily checking over Sasuke for any injuries. He eyed Deidara with grudging respect. "I guess you're not so bad after all. At least you paid."

Deidara cockily smirked, shifting Naruto on his back. "Of course I did hmm. It was your wallet."

Itachi paused, a vein bursting. "NANI!"

Some things, would never change.

And Itachi gave chase once again.

A/N: Too much corn... Oh well :D I liked cooking it anyway!

I really do have to thank all of you guys for reviewing/ reading. While it was fun typing it up and having wild fantasies (adventure ones people), it was even funner knowing other people enjoyed it too :D

I don't know if this is the end of the story- there's a good chance it is. Buuutttt, I am writing oneshots with these guys already. If you want a Sequel let me know- otherwise drop a hint if I should just continue the story from here.

Thanks for everything. It was one wiiilllllld ride ;D