Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Naruto characters, unless otherwise stated. In this case, I only own Kimi and her village.

Author's Note: Again, I'm so sorry that this took so long to get out. I hit a bit of a bump near the beginning and couldn't get it going. Then, I had to work out the new character I've introduced in here. Yep, there's a new guy on the block, kids. Sorry, Hidan won't be making an appearance any time soon. Instead, you get to meet one of Kakuzu's intermediate partners, so to speak. I'm wondering if I should make any hinting toward an inner-Akatsuki betting pool going on as to how long Kakuzu's next partner will last. Of course, they wouldn't be able to let Kakuzu know about it (the money-monger) otherwise he'd probably cheat. Hmmm. Anyway, this one's a bit longer than my last ones have been, so hopefully that'll make up for the wait. Well, here you go. Enjoy!

XXV

Itachi and Kisame's presence in the Akatsuki base did not last very long. Before a week could pass, they returned to the road, casting off on their way to execute yet another assignment in a distant land and thus leaving behind the comfort of a readily-accessible bath and three warm meals a day. As Itachi moved through the rain, he realized a drastic change in his mindset – a change manifested in the tightness gripping his chest. For once, he was reluctant to leave Amegakure behind – to be out on the road. Usually, he would be glad to escape from the gloom of Pein's domain, but now he felt a sensation sweeping through him akin to homesickness – and he knew the precise reason why.

The reason was a certain person, and that person remained behind in Amegakure, diligently going about cooking, cleaning, and generally keeping the base in good condition. Kimi was slowly but steadily changing the Akatsuki base, transforming it from a mere hideout to something more akin to a home. It was something of a relief to know that no matter how far and long he travelled, there was somewhere warm, safe, and stable for Itachi to return to. The fact that Kimi was waiting there for him only made the sensation better.

Still, it worried him to leave her alone at Pein's non-existent mercy – not that she was ever truly alone. When the team was gone, Tobi reattached himself to Kimi, cheerily shadowing her wherever she went and keeping her company while she cleaned. However, within a day or two of Itachi and Kisame's departure, the base was once more spotless. Now that the living areas were in top shape, they were fairly easy to maintain, leaving Kimi – and thus Tobi – with a generous amount of free time.

In a stroke of luck favoring Kimi's sanity – there was only so much even she could take of Tobi's antics – Deidara and Sasori returned from their reconnaissance mission to report and equip themselves for their next assignment – whatever that might be.

Kimi greeted them at the door, all smiles. "Welcome back!" she said brightly.

After a brief moment of semi-awkward silence, Deidara returned her smile – though not as enthusiastically. "Thanks, Kimi, yeah."

Sasori merely grunted and lumbered down the hall in his hunched puppet-body. Kimi turned and watched him go, her expression a strange cross between disappointment and amusement. Deidara studied her face in that short time, trying to figure out how that combination actually worked. Before he could come to a conclusion, though – and after Sasori had thoroughly vanished into the sanctuary of his room – Kimi turned back to him, smirking. "He's not very social, is he?" she asked.

Deidara blinked a few times before chuckling. "You could say that, yeah."

Kimi giggled and trailed behind the younger boy as he moved to his own room, inquiring lightly, "So, how'd your mission go?"

The blonde artist shrugged his shoulders. "Eh, it was alright – kind of dull, really. On the plus side, though, Sasori managed to go the whole time without making some comment about my age and so-called 'inexperience', yeah." The boy paused for a moment outside his room before frowning and adding. "He couldn't refrain from insulting my art, though, yeah."

Kimi leaned in his doorway as he unloaded his gear, dumping most of it on the clean-for-once surface of his work bench. "Sasori doesn't like your – er – art?"

Deidara snorted, rolling his eyes. "The old man thinks art should be everlasting. Ha! Art is brilliant and fleeting, and that's what makes it beautiful. It's a bang. Am I right, yeah?" He looked at her expectantly.

Fighting down a smile, Kimi replied. "I think I'll stay neutral on this one, but I do think your art's wonderful, Deidara. It's totally unique and every piece is different. That's what makes it wonderfully beautiful to me."

After a fleeting moment of disappointment when she did not outright agree with him, Deidara nodded and grinned. "Thanks, Kimi. I'm glad you think so, yeah."

"Not at all," Kimi replied before motioning a hand to the room. "So, what do you think of my art, Deidara?"

The boy glanced around before blinking in surprise. "Oh, right. You painted." He examined the room. "It looks good, yeah."

"Thank you. A bit of disaster struck part-way through, but it wasn't too bad. It cleaned up really well, and you can't even tell a thing went wrong."

Looking back at her, Deidara cocked an eyebrow. "Disaster, yeah?" Kimi gave him a meaningful look. and the answer dawned suddenly on the young man's face, bringing a half-laugh half-groan from his lips "Tobi, yeah?"

Kimi nodded, smirking. "Tobi."

"Yes?" The man in question poked his head into the room, making Kimi jerk in surprise. "Someone called Tobi?"

An almost pained expression crossed Kimi's face before she turned and smiled at the masked man. "No, nobody called you, Tobi. Deidara and I were just talking." Catching that brief wince of pain, Deidara sniggered softly.

"About Tobi?"

Kimi nodded, still smiling sweetly. "Yes. I was just telling him how helpful you were while I painted his room."

The energetic shinobi brightened. "Oh, yes! Tobi helped Miss Kimi! Tobi is a good boy!"

Deidara chuckled and shook his head. Giggling, Kimi looked back at him. "So, what are you doing now, Deidara? Do you have to go talk to Leader about your mission results or what?"

The blonde artist shrugged. "Not right now, I don't think. He has to call us, yeah."

"If you have time, then, do you want to play a game of shogi?"

--

Kimi's wooden tile clicked down onto the board, and she sat back once more, studying the game with a pleased expression. Behind her, Tobi was bouncing with barely-contained excitement. "That was a great move, Miss Kimi!" he exclaimed. "Deidara-sempai's gonna have a hard time countering that one, aren't you, Deidara-sempai?"

The young man in question narrowed his eyes. "Shut up, Tobi," he snapped. "I can't hear myself think, yeah." Deidara reached for a tile, stopped, and then pulled his hand back again, gaze continuing to scan the pattern of pieces laid out before him.

"Aw, be nice, Deidara," Kimi chided gently, a slightly mischievous smirk on her face. "He's just excited over the game is all."

Glancing up from the board at her, Deidara could almost see the unspoken addition in her eyes. "But it's nice to see him tormenting someone else for once." He chuckled. Perhaps Kimi did not have perfect patience after all. "He can be excited all he wants," Deidara countered, forcing the return smile from his face, "as long as he stays quiet, yeah."

"Tobi can be quiet," the masked shinobi piped up. "Tobi is a good boy!"

Kimi giggled as Deidara's scowl deepened. "Why do I get the feeling," the artist inquired wearily, "that no matter where I move you've got me cornered, yeah?"

The blonde girl shrugged and opened her mouth to answer. Before any words came forth, though, a loud snort sounded from one of the common room doors, followed by a condescending voice, "Playing shogi? How lame is that?"

All three heads in the room snapped around to stare at the figure in the doorway. Bronze hair just long enough to be pulled back a short horse-tail – those bits that could not be messily framing his face – the man peered back at them with hazel eyes and a cocky smirk. "A couple of girls and an idiot in a mask? Yeah, definitely lame."

Deidara was immediately on his feet, hands balled into fists. "I'm not a girl, yeah!" he yelled hotly back.

Tobi seemed to shrink down beside Kimi. "Tobi's not an idiot," he whimpered sadly. "Tobi's a good boy."

Patting Tobi on the arm, Kimi gently shushed him. "Don't mind him Tobi. He's just a rude jerk." Her eyes slid back to the man in the doorway, her face hardening. "Who are you anyway?"

"The name's Taro, formerly from the Village Hidden in the Mountains," the man sneered, throwing a thumb at his slashed forehead protector, "and you are?"

"I'm Kimi, that's Tobi, and the man about to kill you is Deidara." The ice in her voice startled Deidara from his death-glare at the newcomer, making him glance down at her with slight concern. Her face was passive, eyes glaring daggers at Taro. Gone was the ever-present smile. Gone was the bubbly laugh hidden beneath her every word. She almost seemed like an entirely different person.

Taro studied her with arched eyebrows, arms crossed over his chest. "Do I know you?" he inquired.

"I highly doubt it," Kimi countered. "I've travelled a lot, though, so it's likely that we've met." Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "I don't make it a habit of associating with people like you."

That statement made Taro laugh. "People like me? That's interesting, considering where you are, unless I've somehow mistaken this dump for the Akatsuki headquarters. If that's the case, then I'll gladly remove myself from your presence, Kimi. Besides, I don't make it a habit of associating with people like you."

Kimi's jaw tightened, but she said nothing in return. After a moment, Deidara cleared his voice. "No, you're not mistaken, but trespassing here without permission is punishable by death, yeah." One of his hands moves to fiddle with the zipper to one of his clay pouches.

Taro laughed harshly. "Oh, don't worry, miss. I have permission." He lifted his left hand, fingers spread, to reveal the ring resting on his index finger, the red jewel wrapped in silver flashing in the light.

Deidara cursed under his breath. "You're Kakuzu's new partner, yeah?"

The bronze-haired man smirked. "Yeah."

"Good luck with that," Kimi scoffed, turning pointedly back to the shogi board. "Kakuzu's killed all of his past partners himself. He's got a nasty temper, and with that attitude of yours, you won't last long around him." She studied the board for a moment before adding, "Which would honestly be no real loss."

"What's that supposed to mean, bi--"

"Taro!"

The man stiffened as Kakuzu emerged from the doorway behind him. "Yes, sir?"

Kakuzu's eyes scanned the room, resting momentarily on Kimi before focusing again on Taro. "What the hell are you doing in here? We have a mission. You're wasting time, and time is money. Now, get your ass in gear and get moving!"

Taro scrambled out of the room, quickly stammering, "Y-yes, sir! It won't happen again!" Grunting and growling in frustration, Kakuzu followed.

Once they were gone, Deidara returned to his seat, sniggering. "You're right, Kimi. He's doomed, yeah."

"Hn," Kimi grunted, her eyes not leaving the board.

Deidara glanced at her before moving one of his tiles. "Are you alright, yeah?"

"Miss Kimi looks really angry. Is there anything Tobi can do to help?" Tobi wrapped his arms around Kimi, leaning over her shoulder to look at her through the eye hole in his mask.

Kimi smiled at him, all traces of her previous mood vanishing. "Thanks, Tobi. That's really sweet of you." Her eyes moved to Deidara. "Really, though, I'll be fine. I've just known one too many people like that, and I'd prefer not to have another one in my life."

Deidara nodded in understanding. "If we're lucky, he'll die before they have to come back here, yeah."

"Yeah . . ." Kimi reached forward to make her move.

The trio fell into silence – Tobi rather surprising the other two with how obediently quiet he was being. He shifted so that he sat between them, watching the board from the sidelines. A couple rounds of turns later, a smooth voice spoke very close to Kimi's ear. "Impressive strategy."

Jerking slightly, Kimi looked up to see an almost bored-looking red-head leaning over her shoulder to study the board with wine-colored eyes. His attention switched from the pieces to her. "I was unaware that you played shogi," the man commented.

"U-um, yes, I do." Kimi gave a slight laugh, motioning to the board. "Apparently."

After nodding to her, the man turned his eyes to Deidara. "You're losing, brat."

Deidara growled back, "I'm well aware of that, Danna. You don't have to point it out to me, yeah."

Kimi's eyes widened. "Wait. Danna? You're Sasori?"

The man straightened his back, returning his gaze to Kimi. "I am."

"But – you –" she sputtered.

"Hiruko," Sasori interrupted, receiving a confused sound from Kimi. "What you normally see is one of my puppets, Hiruko," he explained, his voice remaining ever monotonous.

"Oh."

Once again, Sasori's eyes moved to Deidara. "Leader wants to speak with us, brat."

Siging, Deidara rose to his feet. "All right, I'm coming." He smiled down at Kimi. "See you around, yeah."

Kimi lifted a hand in farewell. "See ya, Deidara." As the shinobi team reached the door, she called after them. "Oh, and Deidara? Checkmate."