A/N: Wow what a wait guys. Sorry... But school's started up again so I can't really type until the weekends D:
But I am very grateful for you guys who read this story! Thank you!
Okay, so this chapter could be confusing, just like the last. I hope things make a bit more sense, and if they don't- well feel free to let me know. Thing just kind of went... Kudos to those who can point out the moments of symbolism in here :D
And JSYK, Zetsu is a great character XP
Warning: Language, slight violence, slight OOC, and fast-changing scenerios.
"I don't know what's wrong with him," Kakuzu muttered, bent over a cart he had wheeled in from his lab.
Lying in the bed next to him was the Akatsuki's puppet master, his normally impassive face twisted with the signs of a fever and brows furrowed lightly in pain. Konan and Pein were waiting for news of his report a few feet behind him and standing near the doorway was Tobi- although Kakuzu had no idea why.
"What do you mean?" Pein asked, holding his chin in one hand while staring intently at the unconscious redhead in the bed before him.
Kakuzu sighed heavily, turning around to face his leader and co-leader. "He shows signs of the common flu, but he neither reacts to sound, touch, or light from out here. But the normal medication I've tried to inject him with is being rejected by his body. It's not accepting anything. Almost like his body is being shielded from outside influence," he said. "I…can't get through to him."
Konan felt the corner of her lips tilt down. Although she disputed with Sasori whenever possible, it was always in good-humor. Or…I'd like to think that it is, she absently thought, looking at her orange-haired partner out the corner of her eye. "If it's not an illness that's suddenly caused him to fall ill, then what could it possibly be?" she asked.
Pein was quiet for a while longer. "…Kakuzu," he said.
Kakuzu looked at him.
"I would like you to keep silent on the matter of Sasori to the others," Pein sternly said. "If they ask, simply tell them he fell quite sick and will be taken off the mission roster for the time being. Especially reassure Itachi this, understood?"
Not one to question most things his leader said and knowing when it was his cue to leave, Kakuzu merely nodded and shuffled towards the door, bringing his medical cart with him. He gave Tobi an uninterested look as he passed and then disappeared from sight.
The room was silent until all three were positive that Kakuzu had moved out of hearing range.
Then Konan released a quiet sigh. "This can't just be a sudden illness. It's too soon," she said.
"It's not an illness," Madara said before either of the two younger adults in the room could jump to any conclusions. "It's a genjutsu cast by the one currently ruling Shin Village from behind the scenes. "Tch. That damn witch," he muttered to himself as he walked towards the bed Sasori lay on.
"A genjutsu?" Pein raised a brow in his direction. "But-"
"It's not a normal one," Madara harrumphed lightly, idly reaching out to open one of Sasori's eyelids. The eye inside had rolled all the way back, showing a pupil-less white orb. "The genjutsu of the Mamoru Clan is not one like the ones Itachi or my Sharingan can cast. They date back to several hundred years, and I've had the unpleasant fate to run into one of their members. A genjutsu that throws the victim into an endless dream while slowly killing off the body on the outside. Once the jutsu is cast, not even the user can control what happens inside the dream and they have no knowledge of what goes on." He stepped back, allowing Sasori's eyelid to slowly shut. "They can only choose what the basis of the dream is. Such as pleasant or fearful."
Pein stood, taking the information in stride. "If this is true…and I mean you no disrespect Madara-sama….but how did you get out of the jutsu? Wouldn't your body have deteriorated?" he questioned.
"A person can easily break out of the Mamoru genjutsu by using an equally strong genjutsu of their own," Madara explained. "But most shinobi clans don't measure up to the multi-level powers of the Sharingan or Mamoru- which is why most will fall victim to the clan's jutsu. My Sharingan released me almost immediately after I realized what was going on."
"So then…" Konan brought her gaze to Sasori. "There's nothing we can do about him?"
Madara gave her a cold look. "I never said that. Do not estimate my power," he said.
Konan looked at him.
"I'll use my Sharingan to get inside his mind," Madara quietly said, suddenly taking on a firm demeanor. "The mind is a fascinating place- once there, doors will open. It's the pathway to others. I intend on connecting with Sasori and hopefully Deidara through this- thus releasing them both from the genjutsu that village witch has no doubt cast."
Pein made no noise of disagreement, although he did have a questioning look on his face. "I still don't understand how Sasori got dragged into this entire ordeal," he said. "Last night he spoke to me about a premonition, but how did this village leader even reach him in the first place?"
Madara actually looked as if he was thinking about this himself, the cold aura around him dropping slightly. "I can only assume through Deidara. That boy is very connected to Sasori. It only makes sense Sasori would appear in a dream forced upon him."
Pein found himself frowning. Sasori was trying to tell me last night, but I blatantly ignored him. Is the suffering of my members my fault once again…? "Madara-sama…"
"Hm?"
"How long does Sasori have?" Pein asked, flicking his eyes up to meet those of Akatsuki's true leader.
Madara looked at him. "Twenty-four hours."
"One day?" Konan murmured.
"And counting down," Madara said, placing a hand on Sasori's forehead "I don't want to waste anymore time. I will delve into Sasori's mind and pull him out of this genjutsu. In the meantime, I want us to split into two squads. The first will consist of Kisame, Hidan, Itachi, and you Pein; the second, myself, Konan, and Kakuzu. You guys will head out within the next hour for Shin Village and rendezvous with Zetsu. Attack only if you're being pursued. Any other fighting will be done once we meet up with him. He should be near Deidara, so make sure the child stays safe when you find him. The second squad will head out tomorrow. I will not tell you my reasons, but know that if you want the Akatsuki to succeed, my methods will not be questioned."
Pein nodded. "I understand."
Madara slowly bobbed his head. "Good. Leave me so I may get to work."
Konan and Pein both politely inclined their heads in answer before vanishing from sight.
Madara sighed heavily as they left and then faced Sasori with a somewhat grim expression. "I don't know how far in you are…but I will pull you out by the hair if necessary," he muttered in a low voice.
Deidara's brows twitched lightly in his slumber, lips forming a small, but not unpleasant frown. His head hung in his deep sleep with his hands limpy dangling from where his arms were chained above his head.
He sat in the darkest crevice of the Tower he was trapped in, bathed in the flickering light of a candle. It was the only thing keeping him from the darkness. That- and the cracked mirror. The mirror which cast his dirty and exhausted face back at him. A face with sharper cheekbones and a more defined jaw; a bright blue eye curved higher up and long blonde hair flowing well past his shoulder and mid-back.
The face stared emotionlessly at him. "What are you doing un?" a deep voice asked, sounding tired and hassled.
Deidara looked into the mirror with wide blue eyes, his tiny hands reaching out to touch the reflection. "Who are you?"
"What are you doing?" the reflection repeated. "You're strong enough to break out of this un. So hurry up and do so."
The tiny blonde slowly closed and opened his eyes, finding it just a bit odd that the person in the mirror didn't move as he did. "I'm not strong enough yet. Don't you know that's why I came here?"
The reflection gave him a hard look. "You're making us look bad. Allowing yourself to be put in a genjutsu like this. What have you been training your eye for then hmm?"
Deidara's face was baffled. "How do you know about my-?"
"I know everything about you," the voice idly interrupted.
"W-Who are you?" Deidara dared to ask again, not making any sort of comment on what his reflection said.
The blonde raised a brow. "Your subconscious mind, buried deep within the recesses of your mind," he said. "I am the part of you that has been locked away. But within your dreams I am free to come and go as I please un. Your ego commands it of me yeah."
"...What?"
The reflection impassively stared at him, shifting slightly. "I am your thoughts."
Deidara felt his nose scrunch up in confusion, leaning closer to the shattered mirror as if trying to grab the reflection for himself. "I want to know your name," he resolutely said. "You're familiar to me..."
The reflection gave an amused smirk. "My name un? My name is-"
The image of the older blonde suddenly vanished in a swirl of color, another picture appearing in its place. Warm brown eyes stared back at him.
"Danna...?" Deidara curiously tilted his head to the side, a silly and happy smile at the friendly face taking over his previous expression of confusion. "Danna- where did you come from?"
"That's not important you little brat."
Deidara's grin was wiped off his face. "Eh?"
"You make me sick Deidara. You've made me sick," Sasori said, not a hint of light in his eyes. "It's all your fault. Why didn't you stay home with us? You left us all behind him. You left me behind."
Deidara's tiny mouth flapped open and shut in a struck manner. "W-What? But danna you-"
The redhead in the mirror sneered at him. "You think that since you're suddenly a child everyone will come to your rescue? Is that the strong shinobi you want?"
"I-"
"Now we're suffering the consequences- again." Sasori scoffed a bit at him. "You're all talk. Talk it up if you want. But you can't even save your precious danna. You can't save your friends or family."
Deidara was suddenly very frightened and hurt. He withdrew away from the mirror several feet, eyeing the dirty glass in front of him in surprise. Something's not right... he thought to himself with a suspicious gaze. "You..." His left eye pulsated.
"You are not Sasori-no-danna un."
Both Deidara and Sasori looked in surprise to see who had spoken, a transparent and white glowing figure of a familiar blonde appearing beside the much younger blonde.
Sasori furrowed his brows. "And just who are you?" he asked.
"I am his conscious," the older blonde said, placing a hand on top of the child's head. His dark blue eyes glared fiercely at the redhead in the mirror. "You are not my danna so-" his fingers formed a one-handed seal as a heavy frown marred his features. "Katsu!"
Sasori's eyes widened before the mirror exploded into thousands of tiny shards, small pieces of glass shooting out around the small darkened room those opposite of him stood. And he vanished from sight- nothing more than the jagged remains of a reflection.
Deidara stood for several moments and then turned his chin to look up at the older man with a surprised expression. "That's-! How did you-?"
The blonde gave him a wry smirk. "You'll learn later on un," he said.
Deidara remained blinking at him. "Who are you?" he asked, repeating a question he had already asked twice before. It was only now that he seemed to realize that this man was familiar to him. Very familiar in a way that let him know he knew the blonde for a long time. But he couldn't place the name. Only that they were connected. And connected deeply. I know him.
"I already told you," the blonde said, taking a few steps back to analyze the tiny form across from him. He snorted under his breath and placed his hands on his hips, shaking his head side-to-side. "I'm your conscious hmm. Give or take a few years," he muttered. "As much as I'd like to stick around and teach you a few explosive jutsus so you can kick this witch's ass whose got you under her genjutsu..." He grinned, squinting his visible eye at Deidara. "It'd be much better for you to leave this place on your own and make that eye of yours stronger."
"Oh yeah..." Deidara brought his fingers to the bang covering his eye. "I can break myself out now that the mirror's not talking to me," he naively said. "My eye is going to be able to get out of genjutus like this after I work hard with Itachi-nii and on my own!"
The blonde slowly blinked at him. "Itachi...nii?"
Deidara owlishly blinked back. "Hai."
"..."
"..."
"Good grief," the older man put a hand to his head and sighed heavily.
"What's wrong?" Deidara questioned.
"Nothing yeah." The blonde glanced furtively around the darkened area as if his second were numbered. "I can't hang around un- and neither can you. Time for me to go."
"But-!" Deidara held out a stubby hand, face suddenly desperate. "What's your name?"
The older blonde laughed loudly as he started to disappear. "Deidara. My name is Deidara un."
Deidara was left alone in a stunned silence.
The candle behind him violently swayed before crashing to the ground.
And he was thrown into complete and utter darkness.
The sun was hidden in a thick mass of dark clouds, a light mist falling over the broken parts of Shin Village along with the constant rain that came with being in the center of Amegakure. Trails of mud showed the heavy tracks made by the tired villagers as they sloshed through the once dirt roads that made up their home, frail arms wrapped around their bodies and faces forlorn in their tattered clothing.
The shinobi standing on guard at every corner were emotionless, a hand poised near their swords at their waists and gaze straight ahead. Although they should have been on alert for any possible threats, the people were too weak to resist any longer, and the last fights of rebellion had been quelled more than ten years ago.
No one had dared go against the witch of the Mamoru Clan since the bloody day.
Zetsu stood from where he had crouched in the middle of a dark alley, rain pattering against the flytrap around his head and onto the swampy ground beneath him. It seemed as if the back streets and hidden passageways of the village were the only safe-spots to move somewhat freely without being too supervised. His brows were furrowed in thought, having already checked the main premises of Shin Village for any sign of Deidara.
"He's not here," White Zetsu worriedly said.
"And those kids are nowhere to be seen either," Black Zetsu murmured, rubbing his chin while looking around.
"See? Sasori was right!" White Zetsu gave his counterpart a dark look. "And you were wrong! Now Deidara-chan could be in serious trouble!"
Black Zetsu rolled his eye. "Calm down. We still don't know what happened to him." He hummed in the back of his throat. "Okay. So we know that Deidara's not in the village. Nor is he on the outskirts of the village."
White Zetsu blinked. "How would you know? We never checked," he said with a brow skeptically raised.
Black Zetsu stared at him. "Do you honestly expect Deidara to walk out of this village without waiting to tell one of us?"
"Well no but-"
"Use your head," Black Zetsu sighed. "He wouldn't want to make us worry. And if he's not inside or around the village then he must be-"
White Zetsu's eye widened. "He's underground…" But it didn't make any sense. How could the child have been brought underneath the village? And for what reason? Last time we saw Deidara-chan...he seemed to be perfectly alright. So how...?
"Well what are we waiting for then?" Black Zetsu said to break his other half out of his stupor. "Let's go get him."
"Hai."
Zetsu withdrew the chakra he had released back into his body, the scenery immediately changing into one of sunshine and laughing kids who chased each other through the streets. The people were smiling and chatting amongst themselves, windows of their perfectly groomed houses thrown open to allow the fresh breeze to drift in to their homes.
"This is so wrong," White Zetsu couldn't help but mutter as they looked around the Shin Village every foreigner and tourist saw.
"It's cunning and smart," Black Zetsu easily countered. "It may be wrong, but it takes a considerable amount of manipulation and power. Having no heart makes up for it too but still..." He shrugged and forced a fake smile across their face as they stepped out of the alleyway and into the streets to blend with the eccentric and bustling crowd of people moving throughout the village. "Change is coming..."
White Zetsu gave a resigned sigh and pitched their body straight under the ground.
The people above walked as if the man had not just vanished beneath their feet, grinning and talking with one another as if there was no care in the world but themselves and those around them.
They wouldn't know if a single change happened in the village or if any disturbances were stirred up.
Not unless it hit them in the face.
Sitting in a swivel chair beneath her perfectly controlled village, sat the lone member of the Mamoru Clan, lounging back in the seat with her long hair falling over her shoulders and just barely brushing the clean wooden floors. Her tanned fingers danced up and down in a bored manner, gaze half-lidded as she watched a couple of rats squeak and make jerky movements on her desktop.
"These creatures don't amuse me..." she murmured, dropping her hand. The rats violently fell to their sides before twitching sporadically. "Hmm..." the dark-skinned woman looked at their heaving forms and then looked away with an exasperated sigh. "I've gotten this entire village under my rule. But there's no one to destroy from the inside-out anymore. Not since the battle a decade ago...mmm...now that was a fight," she said with a sickly smile.
But that time had passed, and now her days were spent under Shin, making sure no one destroyed what she worked so hard to create. There was nothing to do except wait for a moment of excitement. Her abilities were at their peak- she could take over the entire nation of Amegakure at this rate! And she would soon do that. But not right now. Now she needed to build up the reputation of Shin Village. The most prosperous in the world. The best place to live! The more under her rule! The sheer amount of power in her hands!
Having the satisfaction of knowing she had created a whole new world on her own.
It wasn't enough though. She needed something more. Something like...
The woman raised both brows, a sadistically amused smile spreading across her face. Her eyes turned black in excitement. "Intruders...?" she licked her bottom lip, revealing razor sharp teeth growing in the corner of her mouth. "Perfect," she hissed, cackling under her breath. "I was getting hungry anyway..."
She stood from her seat with a sway of her dangerously curved hips, waltzing towards the chamber doorway. There were several odd chakra presences within her walls. And even though they were masked, her labyrinth was one with her. Like the body of a human, she knew when a pest had invaded past her safety system.
And it was because of this unity that she could not be destroyed.
She had perfected her defense to the highest level.
No one would stop her ambition.
Twisted or not.
Sasori didn't know where he was.
All he knew was that one moment he was falling, and the next he was standing. Standing as if he had never moved from this empty spot in the middle of the short-cut field of flowers and grass. The sky was white and hollow; silence hanging overhead. Maybe if he tried to pay more attention to the silence he would have slowly gone mad from the lack of sound. But he didn't. He merely glanced around, unsure as to what he was doing or why he even existed.
A flashing image of a grinning blonde appeared in his mind's eye. "Danna~!" he giggled, the noise echoing across the expanse of the field and hazy sky.
He slowly turned his body and saw another one lying no more than ten feet away from him. One that hadn't been there before. Tiny arms and legs were splayed out in a position of ease, the small face morphed into an expression of peace that the puppet master could see even from where he stood.
"I'm lonely..." The child's voice said, even though his lips hadn't moved.
Sasori walked over to the unmoving form of the child, staring down with an impassive gaze as he tried to figure out what the nostalgia in him belonged to.
There was something about this blonde. A reminder of a past event maybe? No. Something that happened only moments before? He couldn't remember. He couldn't seem to remember anything in this white oblivion. There was nothing to go off of. No substance to hold on and nothing to tug at his memory.
Nothing but the blonde child lying so serenly before him.
Sasori felt his lips turn into a frown.
"Who is he...?"
"I can answer that for you," a deep voice intoned.
Sasori lifted his head to stare up into the white sky where he was greeted with the sight of a large, spinning red eye.
Pein stood in the passageway near the exit of the Akatsuki base, waiting for the last summoned member to make an appearance.
Itachi and Kisame were already there and standing near him, but they didn't bother asking questions they knew would be answered in a moment anyway. They appeared as if they had nothing more than their cloaks on, but the articles of clothing actually hid a lot more underneath than most people assumed. Kisame, though, was always accompanied by Sameheda, and this time was no different as the sharkskin sword was slung across his back.
About a minute later, a frazzled and grumpy-looking Hidan came stomping down the hall.
"Snap out of your bad mood Hidan," Pein said as soon as he saw the Jashinist. "We're going on a joint mission to Shin Village with the rest of the organization and you'll need to be at your best."
Hidan scowled, looking around and messing with the collar of his opened cloak. "Where the fuck is everyone else? Don't tell me it's just us..." he grumbled.
"There are other matters they need to attend to first," Pein said without hesitation. "Thus they will create a second squad that will meet up with us tomorrow in the village. Our mission is to find Deidara and Zetsu. We are going to destroy the genjutsu Shin Village is under, and then with everyone else, we will put an end to the mastermind behind it."
"Shin Village?" Itachi looked at him in mild surprise, although it was hard to notice on his features. "We're going to attack them?"
Pein inclined his head slightly. "I believe that if left alone, the matter will come back to us and create problems. It's better to cut it off here rather than let it grow into something uncontrollable. And since the village is also harboring one of our members- who is currently the age of a child with mildly basic fighting skills- we should see to it that he doesn't get caught up in this mess."
Kisame hummed. "I see..." then a thought occured to him. "What about Sasori?"
Pein turned his attention to Kisame. "Sasori is still recovering and thus won't be able to come with us. He will join us with the other squad tomorrow." Hopefully... he added in his mind. With a silent sigh, he overlooked the three members of his squad and asked, "Are you all ready?"
Kisame was the only one to respond with a toothy grin and nod, Hidan just grunted and Itachi merely blinked.
Well- Pein wasn't expecting much anyway.
"Good." He faced the base's exit. "Then we will leave now. I'll fill you in on the way there, so pay attention."
"Hai."
A bewildered six year old child sat ontop a grassy slope, overlooking a small meadow and pond. The sky above him was a startling blue; not a single cloud in the air. He had tried countless times to escape from the endless dream he knew he was in, but the chakra in his eye was easily overpowered by the chakra of the caster. He couldn't break out as easily as he thought he'd be able to.
"I don't want to be stuck in here forever," he mumbled, pulling his knees to his chest.
Something flew by his cheek, tickling the skin gently.
Deidara raised his head to the sky and immediately released a tiny gasp, though it was barely audible.
A large bird fluttered in the air, spreading its wide and transculent wings as it turned in mid-flight. Its narrow body shone like the light reflecting off the surface of placid waters beneath a burning sun, fiery trails of red and orange overtaking its lower belly. With a silent cry, the bird whooshed past Deidara's ear and exploded. Tiny blue droplets of water rained down lightly on the blonde child.
His mouth opened and shut several times before he blinked and turned around to where he could sense a pair of eyes on him. His own eyes widened once he saw who stood behind him.
An older and pale-featured blonde was smiling softly at him, a hand held out with a familiar blue bird perched on her knuckles. Her eyes shone mysteriously as she looked at her son from under her lashes, keeping her chin tilted to the side as if she were whispering to the glistening creature on the back of her hand.
Deidara gaped, his body twisted awkwardly from where he sat on the ground. "K-Kaa-san...?"
The woman graced him with a soothing look. "It's alright Deidara-chan."
The bird dipped its head down before gracefully spreading its transparent wings and taking off into the sky. Deidara watched it only for a moment before turning his gaze back onto his mother. "Kaa-san?" His face twisted in confusion. "What are you doing here?"
She laughed a bit, walking the few feet over to sit beside the blonde child. "I thought you could use the company," she said, drawing her knees to her chest.
Deidara looked at her. "How did you get here?" he asked. "What's going on? I can't seem to get out no matter how hard I try."
"My, my," his mother looked at him with a slightly exasperated expression, although she was grinning. "Suddenly you've got so many questions to ask, Deidara-chan. Are you really growing up that quickly? Soon I'll have to call you Deidara-kun," she quietly laughed.
Her son puffed out his cheeks and found himself crossing his arms. "You don't have to call me that," he said. "I'm not that old yet."
"No...you're not..." The blonde woman seemed to sober at this, turning her wise gaze onto the expanse of the meadow below them.
Deidara noticed the change in mood almost immediately, as he had always been able to do with his mother. "What's wrong kaa-san?"
She glanced at him through the corner of her eyes, her lips tilting up. "You are still a child, yet you will have to make many important decisions. Do you truly wish to fight? Are you ready to take down the oppressor of a suffering village?" She turned her son's chin to face her direction, staring directly into his shocked orbs. "Deidara-chan... What is your reason for fighting?"
Deidara stared, his thoughts muddled with the questions. His eyebrows furrowed in concentration as he tried to find the answer. The answer which he knew should be so very obvious to him. But for some reason, the words refused to come out of his mouth. "I..."
His mother brushed her hands over his tense brow and through the short fringe covering his left eye. "You must be tired. I think it's time you got some rest Deidara-chan."
Deidara frowned and pulled back a little. "But I'm not-"
She brought a finger to his lips, a kind smile on her face. "Sleep."
His eyes shut on their own accord, a heavy sensation coming over him and pressing his weight to the ground below. He felt himself fall unwillingly asleep, a pair of what felt like firm and oddly cold arms pulling him into their lap.
Deidara's last thought was a bewildered one.
Sasori-no-danna?
Zetsu wandered down the dark passageways that made up the underground labyrinth of Shin Village, becoming more and more baffled with each and every step he took. "So this is the extension beneath the village...? I would've never thought."
He could briefly detect Deidara's chakra signature, but it felt off for a reason he couldn't identify at that time.
"His chakra is somewhere nearby," Black Zetsu thought to comment. It wasn't necessary, seeing as they could both feel the blonde's presence lurking about. But the strange silence that the labyrinth created was unnerving to them both.
"I know," White Zetsu needlessly replied. He was nervous. Incredibly nervous to a point that made him start to wonder when he began to care for another person's well-being so much. And it wasn't just Deidara that bothered him. It was the rest of Akatsuki as well. Sasori mainly, but the others were on his mind too. "Do you think Sasori's doing alright?"
"I'm sure Madara would have figured something out. He's not leading us for nothing and I'd doubt he'd let one of his 'necessary pawns' slip away," Black Zetsu said in a bored tone.
White Zetsu gave him a scathing glare. "We are not pawns," he said.
Black Zetsu sighed. "Please don't start this again..."
"I'm not starting anything!"
"At least lower your voice. I don't want to be discovered by anything unpleasant."
They were walking, simply because no threat had been directed their way as of yet. They found this suspicious as well, but spoke nothing of it. It wasn't exactly of a concern. As they rounded the corner, they were met with the sight of another passageway full of rooms they assumed to be abandoned. After all, the first forty-eight rooms were. Granted- there were worriesome patches of dried and rusted blood on the stone floors, but there were no bodies.
Zetsu only hoped that Deidara had not been in one of those rooms earlier.
"This is beginning to look hopeless," Black Zetsu muttered as he glanced from one side of the hall to the other. "The kid's chakra is so close but it doesn't feel right-"
"There!" White Zetsu narrowed his eye, swiveling their head sharply to the side. "Deidara's in there!" he exclaimed, motioning to one of the rooms on his side.
Black Zetsu raised a brow at his abnormally sharp counterpart and allowed himself to be rushed through the broken down and moldy doorway that separated them from their missing Iwa nin.
There- chained to the wall- was a peacefully dozing blonde, head drooping down to his chin.
White Zetsu released a haggard sigh, carelessly walking forward. "Thank goodness..."
"Careful," Black Zetsu warned. He kept up his sense of awareness unlike his other side which had dropped his momentarily. There was something not right about this room... No. There was something not right with this whole hidden area beneath the village. The walls didn't seem to be just walls. It was as if the room, and every hallway they had passed through, were alive.
Alive with what was something he'd rather not know.
Madara took a slow step towards the redhead he had been watching for what seemed to be an eternity.
Sasori looked at him with a blank face. "Who are you?"
Madara stared at the redhead with an equally impassive expression. "It's not important."
"…" Sasori turned his attention back to the child in his lap.
"Why don't you come with me?" Madara asked, walking closer to the unusual pair.
"I do not know you," Sasori calmly said. "Therefore I have no need to go with you." He began to run his fingers through the unconscious blonde's hair, gaze half-lidded and face set in minor concentration.
Madara felt his brows turn slightly down in annoyance. The puppet was being stubborn and unmoving, not responding to anything just like in reality. If this continued, time would run out, and the redhead would be lost in this void of white forever. Guess I'll have to use that card, he thought to himself. "You're going to let Deidara slip away just like that?"
Sasori looked up at him. "Deidara? Who is that?" he questioned, tone emotionless as ever.
Madara grew frustrated. "The boy in your lap. He is in trouble and you're just sitting here. Come with me and we can save him."
"…No." Sasori absently twirled a strand of blonde hair around his finger. "The boy in my lap is under my care now. I won't let him die."
"He will die if you don't snap out of it," Madara sternly told him.
Sasori said nothing, merely staring down at the child before him.
"Sasori!" Madara snapped, his patience at its end.
The puppet master looked up at the sound of the name, his eyes flickering briefly with recognition. "Who…is that?"
Madara felt a part of him cheer in triumph although he made sure his face was void of any emotion as it always was. "That is who you are. The boy you hold is named Deidara."
"Deidara…." Sasori looked at the child once more, seeming to look confused. "What…is he to me?"
Madara stared at him. "…Precious."
Sasori's eyes widened.
Madara stepped back as Sasori began to stir, casually placing his mask back over his face. With this, not only Sasori, but Deidara as well, should be taken out of this genjutsu. Although how it'll affect Deidara...I don't know...
Sasori slowly cracked open his eyes, waking to the sound of someone obnoxiously breathing beside him in his dimly lit bedroom. He didn't know why, but he felt as if a part of his memory were missing. What had he dreamed about...? He didn't know. It was nothing more than an endless loop of darkness now. How he really wanted to fall into a peaceful nap at the moment! But...someone was watching him. And it was quite unnerving.
Who...is it...? he slowly inquired inside his mind.
Tobi released a surprised gasp. "Sasori-san!" he cried.
Sasori glanced at him through the corner of his eyes, not bothering to move his head. "T...obi...? What are you doing here?" He hated how hoarse his voice sounded. But even more than that, he hated how heavy his limbs felt and how weak he was at the moment. Because at that time, his body wanted nothing more than to stop moving and shut down.
"Tobi was watching over you like a good boy because he was ordered to," Tobi said in a cheerful voice, rocking back on his heels.
"How long was I...?" Sasori didn't seem to be able to finish his question, but it looked like Tobi understood anyway.
"Almost all day!" Tobi threw his arms up into the air in exasperation. "It's nearly night time now Sasori-san, and the others have gone on a mission with Leader-san to Shin Village. Leader-san says when you feel better you can meet up with them tomorrow with the rest of us."
Sasori merely stared at him with half-lidded eyes. He could hear the joyful tone the masked man spoke with, but none of the words were registering clearly.
"Hmm...you don't look so good," Tobi said. "Tobi will get Kakuzu-san to come take a look at you. Is that okay with Sasori-san?"
Sasori's answer was to breath out heavily.
Tobi turned and headed for the doorway, voice taking on a slightly deeper tone as he said, "Tobi thinks you should rest for now."
Sasori did exactly that.
And this time, he dreamt of blossoming flowers and meadows.
Zetsu knelt in front of the unconscious child, tilting his head to the side in question. "Deidara? Hey buddy, are you even alive in there?"
White Zetsu smacked his other side. "Don't joke about something liket that!"
Black Zetsu scowled and resisted the urge to punch the easily shaken up counterpart that belonged to him. "Can't take a joke much?"
White Zetsu ignored him in favor of worriedly touched the side of the blonde's face. "Oi…Deidara?"
The child remained unmoving.
White Zetsu felt his eyebrow furrow. "Why isn't he answering? He's still alive so…"
"I think he's under a genjutsu," Black Zetsu musingly said, stroking his chin. "Shall we break him out of it?" He brought a hand to the blonde's forehead, sending a pulsation of chakra through to the child.
Nothing happened.
"Hm? That didn't seem to work..." Black Zetsu murmured with the hint of a frown. He suddenly felt a chilling presence behind him and whirled around, standing to his feet in a defensive stance. He was greeted with the sight of a mischevious looking woman with canine teeth protruding from under her lips and narrowed eyes gleaming red. His eyes widened before he thought something to his other side and dipped into the ground, leaving his counterpart with the woman.
The woman leeringly leaned to the side, placing a hand on a hip she jutted out. "Oh dear...so you're the intruder..."
White Zetsu glowered, unfazed by the abrupt disappearance of Black Zetsu. "And you're the one behind all of this. You don't look like much."
"You think you can stop me? Where'd your other half go, plant?"
"None of your business. I think I can handle you just fine, bitch," White Zetsu snapped. "What did you do to Deidara-chan?"
The woman seemed genuinely surprised, blinking before glancing past the plant man to check up on the blonde behind him. "He's still under my genjutsu?" A smirk spread on her face. "Oh now that's interesting. Usually they'd have awoken by this time." She thoughtfully paused. "And his body hasn't even started to rot yet. Very interesting..."
"I'll show you interesting," White Zetsu growled. My task is to keep this kunoichi occupied... Hurry and get Deidara-chan out of here, he silently urged his other side.
I got it, just shut up and focus on the witch before you moron, Black Zetsu gruffly thought as he poked his head and arms around from the wall behind Deidara. The child's body shielded him from sight along with his counterpart's towering form. Careful not to make any quick movement, he slowly snaked his arms around the small body before him and forcibly formed a layer of chakra over his system.
Deidara's eyes suddenly snapped open as he was forced into awareness, soundlessly gasping for air and stunned by the sudden change of scenery. He was no longer with his mother. He was lying in a dark cell, grimy stone under his body and vision slightly clouded. The voice he heard was not one of his mother, but of another woman- darker with sadistic amusement seeping through.
"I usually would enjoy torturing my opponents... but plants just really aren't my type," the woman chuckled.
"Neither are conniving witches who cast genjutsus over villages to fake their lack of power," White Zetsu muttered.
Deidara's eyes widened briefly in recognition. Is that…Zetsu-san? His other half?
Black Zetsu started to pull the blonde into the wall with him, telling the child with his stern gaze to remain quiet.
"Oh? You amuse me…but I don't think I can allow you to leave now that you've seen who I am."
"You underestimate me."
It is Zetsu-san! Something in Deidara's mind clicked and it occurred to him to not make a sound as instructed, even if he was worried about White Zetsu who was facing off with the woman. But then dawned on him. Zetsu-san doesn't know about her chakra strings. I have to-
The woman suddenly released a sharp laugh. "No you underestimate me!" she whipped out an arm, cackling madly as an explosive kunai went sailing past White Zetsu and towards the two trapped in the wall.
Black Zetsu's eyes widened before he yanked both himself and Deidara through to the opposite room. He tumbled over the child and covered him with his body as chunks of hard rock exploded around them. He sharply raised his head to look through the gaping hole in the wall, just barely making out the form of the woman who had attacked.
Deidara was pale and shaking beneath him, if only because the abrupt change of events had made him go into shock. "Z-Zetsu-san," he stuttered out, voice weak from lack of use.
"Don't speak," Black Zetsu growled, though his anger was not directed at the child. He was watching the odd movements of his counterpart, trying to figure out the sudden detachment he felt from him. The words the woman spoke were easily heard.
"As if I wouldn't know what you were up to," she snickered. "This is my labyrinth. The walls speak for me. A pitiful effort."
"L-Let go of me," White Zetsu hissed as his body was forced to stand straight.
"No can do. I'll use you to finish off all three of you pests here and now." The woman paused as if sensing something else. "Or rather...I'll get rid of everyone who dares to try and oppose me."
Black Zetsu narrowed his eye as he felt several chakra presences quickly approaching the area. What? Why now? I don't think I can handle all this at once- He cut his thoughts off as he scanned the different chakra more carefully.
They didn't belong to an enemy.
Black Zetsu rolled to his feet and brought Deidara to a standing position, shooing him out the open doorway of the room they were in. "Get out of here now. It doesn't matter where you run to, just leave this area."
Deidara stumbled towards the door, looking back at both the dark half of Zetsu and the shaking form of his paler side on the other side of the wall. "But I can't just leave you here-"
"What else are you going to do?" Black Zetsu snapped, keeping his gaze steady on the woman who watched him with amused eyes. "Leave now."
Deidara looked taken aback, but didn't hesitate any longer. He turned on his heel and blindly staggered out of sight, his body needing to get used to the sudden movements he was making after being stuck in a sitting position for so long.
"I suppose I can let him escape," the woman said with a crazed smile. "After all, he won't be getting out alive!" She pulled her index finger back with a short laugh, causing White Zetsu to take up an offensive stance. "And neither will you!"
White Zetsu grit his teeth in pain. "Tch."
Black Zetsu half-smirked and stepped through the hole in the wall to face the two who would now be his opponent. "Is that so? You damn witch."
Deidara quickly ran out into the hall, skidding to a halt at the end of the passageway and pressing himself up against the wall. He peeked around the corner, scanning the dark path ahead. There was no one there that he could sense, even with his left eye's chakra. But something still feels off…what is it? A pair of arms wrapped around him from behind.
A strange sense of deja vu from his experience with Zetsu only seconds before made him want to scream, but he never got the chance to as he found himself staring into two pairs of familiar eyes.
"S-Saiyo-chan? Tayaki-kun?" Deidara's mouth looked eerily similar to that of a dying fish. "What are you doing here?" First Zetsu showed up. Then he was suddenly brought out of the dreams he had been placed into. And now the two people he least expected showed up! My brain really hurts. I can't comprehend this at once...
Saiyo let out a noise of relief, burying her nose into the blonde child's hair. "You're okay!" she cried.
Deidara squirmed uncomfortably. "I...I can't breath Saiyo-chan..."
Saiyo quickly drew back, fidgeting anxiously with the brace on her arm. She had her crossbow latched onto her wrist and seemed to be partially armed. In truth, she had lost half of her arrows and kunai getting past the thick vines that appeared out of the wall to attack them. "S-Sorry. It's just that you were gone for so long and we couldn't find you at first and Tayaki-kun refused to go after you immediately and-"
The aforementioned redhead cut her off with an irritable sigh, glancing around the hallway they so casually stood in. "It's good to see you haven't died," he said.
Saiyo popped a vein and clouted him over the head. "That's not the thing to say!" she shouted.
Tayaki rubbed the growing welt with a sour expression. "You don't have to hit your ally," he muttered.
"Then act like you care," Saiyo snapped. "I still can't believe you left Sora-"
"I didn't leave him," Tayaki snapped back, glaring at her from under his messy red bangs.
"My..." Deidara looked at the ground in thought, effectively cutting off the two's argument. "My friend is still back there and he's in trouble." He fiercely looked back up at the two teens. "We have to help him!"
Saiyo gave her teammate a helpless look, already forgetting their argument. "Deidara-chan..."
Tayaki resolutely shook his head. "No way."
"What? But why!" Deidara exclaimed, starting to become frustrated.
Tayaki noticed and rolled his eyes, pushing the blonde back by his forehead. "Because we'd be no match for her. Wouldn't you rather get out of here and get reinforcements rather than fight a futile battle and die before getting help you knew could raise your chance of success?"
"..." Deidara blinked. "What?"
"Nevermind," Tayaki deadpanned. He quickly pulled out several kunai from his waistband, throwing them with great speed at the twisting vine creeping up behind the blonde child. The weed twitched and jerked on the ground before going limp.
Deidara's breath hitched in the back of his throat.
Tayaki sighed and then pointedly looked at Deidara. "The longer we stand here, the worse the situation will get. We will explain everything to you on our way out. But right now that's what we need to be doing. Finding our way out."
Saiyo nodded, raising her arm with the crossbow attached. "Let's go Deidara-chan. Your friend will be alright."
Deidara frowned. "How do you know that?"
Saiyo smiled at this. "He's strong, isn't he? You shouldn't underestimate your friends."
Deidara felt his cheeks flame in embarrassment. She was right. Zetsu was strong and wouldn't fall so easily. He was sure of it! He gave a hesitant nod of his head and allowed himself to follow in between the teens who had started to run down the passageway.
"Although it's guarunteed she knows exactly where we are," Tayaki said as they progressed down the hall. He easily struck down anything that came slithering their way from behind as he spoke. "This is her Tower. Everything runs her way in the village. And now that we've slipped from her hands, she'll do anything to keep us quiet."
"Is nowhere safe?" Deidara asked with wide eyes, careful to step over several fallen earthworms the size of a lampost.
Saiyo looked over her shoulder at him with a small smile. "There is one place."
"What's the matter?" The woman laughed once again as she directed the half plant under her control to attack his other side again. She went into a fit of mad giggles as Black Zetsu dodged and made no move to strike. "Don't want to hurt your precious body?"
Black Zetsu inwardly rolled his eyes. "I have no qualms when it comes to getting business done." He avoided a particularly wild swing from his counterpart, noticing that the woman was just messing around now. Waiting to see how long she could make her charade last.
"Well hurry up and get it done," White Zetsu said from in between clenched teeth. He now knew how the village elder under this demonic woman's rule must feel. This isn't exactly pain-free you know.
I'm working on it. Let her lower her guard, Black Zetsu subconsciously thought back.
"Whatever you're planning, it won't work," the woman said as if reading their minds. "You're under my control now."
Black Zetsu humorlessly chuckled. "Oh really?" He moved towards White Zetsu with dangerous conviction, a kunai sliding out of his cloak and into his hand.
The woman didn't even bother to try moving her dancing puppet out of the way. She was curious and wanted to see what would happen. Simple as that.
White Zetsu tried to step out of the way but was unable to move as there was a pressure on his neck and back that prevented him from moving as he wanted to. His eye widened as the blade went straight beneath his ribcage, a thin trail of blood spilling out the corner of his mouth. He blinked in surprise. "Ah-"
The woman amusedly grinned. "Oho?"
"Oho yourself." Black Zetsu narrowed his eye, bringing White Zetsu up against him with an arm around his neck. Without wasting a second, he brought up his free arm and cut the strings attaching his other half to the devious woman with a chakra-coated kunai. He then flicked the weapon with his fingers towards her with the intent to kill.
The woman easily moved her head to the side. "Ha! As if that would-" Her eyes popped out as her arm went numb and fell off at the shoulder, the limb flopping to the ground and leaking a oddly disconcerting purple liquid that clearly wasn't the blood of a human. The fingers on the fallen appendage twitched uselessly before lying flat.
Black Zetsu smirked. "Whoops." He pulled his counterpart closer to his chest, swinging a spare kunai on his free hand. "You might want to get that checked out."
The woman made an ugly scowl, clutching the wound in fury. "You think you've outsmarted me! But you haven't!" She let out an angry howl and then stepped several steps back, her eyes flashing a dangerous red. "I will be back to destroy you," she hissed.
Black Zetsu lifted his brow. "Let me know how that works out for you. Meanwhile, I'll be planning your otherwise inevitable end," he said.
"You mock me like all the others," the woman snarled, beginning to vanish from sight in a thick mist. "And so you will pay like them. With your life."
She puffed away in a dark cloud, leaving nothing but her vile words behind.
Zetsu was left standing in the destroyed chambers, split in two with one half of him injured and the other still running on a hint of adrenaline. He only became aware that a part of him was bleeding surprisingly heavily once his feet started to become drenched in the crimson fluid.
"Hey...are you okay?" Black Zetsu quietly asked, leaning back a bit to look at White Zetsu who had grown even paler.
White Zetsu gave a slow nod, having opted to rest his head on his other half's shoulder for the time being. "Give me a few minutes and a band-aid and I'll be good to go..."
"..." Black Zetsu occupied himself with looked around the room they were in and using his chakra to sense if Deidara had left with the others. It seemed as if they had managed to get out. Those kids he's with must not be all-too-average then...
"What do you mean?" White Zetsu inquired, his breathing somewhat labored.
"Don't talk so much," his darker half scolded. "As in those kids we noticed earlier. They've gotten Deidara and left without too much trouble it looks like."
"Hmm..." There was a thoughtful silence. "We can move now. I'm okay," White Zetsu mumbled.
Black Zetsu eyed his counterpart skeptically. "Can you walk?"
White Zetsu pulled away as if affronted. "Of course I can!" he exclaimed, though it wasn't without a cringe.
"..."
"..."
"..." Black Zetsu raised his brow.
"Er- maybe help wouldn't be so bad though?"
"That's what I thought." Black Zetsu absently molded himself into his other side so that it would be easier on his counterpart to walk. He winced only once as they melded into one form, not having realized how hard he stabbed himself until now. "Don't worry," he muttered. "We can get this taken care of once we get out of here. That witch won't bother trying to stop us now. Her precious arm has been damaged."
White Zetsu weakly laughed. "Well that's a relief. I suppose our counterattack can begin now...?"
Black Zetsu gave his paler half a rare smile. "Yeah. Her advantage stops here."
White Zetsu smiled back.
And then passed out into a dead faint.
The sun was beginning to set over the prospering village of Shin, the streets still filled to the brim with happy villagers exchanging small talk and laughter. It looked as if they weren't even aware of the change in temperature or the change in the color of the sky. In the forest just on the outskirts of the village, and out of range of any sensor shinobi, were four similarly dressed men standing on a large branch.
"This place is as fuckin' cheery as ever," Hidan idly commented.
Itachi gave the Jashinist a somewhat annoyed glance, having remembered their last travel to the village and what it resulted in.
Hidan felt the Uchiha's glare on him and popped a vein. "Well what the fuck are you looking at?"
Itachi's glare deepened. "I don't know Hidan. See any carriages around?"
Hidan glowered. "OH SERIOUSLY?"
Kisame peacefully raised his hands. "Oh come on guys. Why don't we all just relax?"
Hidan turned on him in an instant. "Stay out of this bitch!"
Kisame's brow quirked, a pleasant smile on his face. "Come again...?"
"This is no time for bickering," Pein said before things could get out of hand. He turned his gaze to the village. "Our first task it to take out the shinobi posted around the village who are upholding the genjutsu around it. Then we will dispell the illusion with our chakra. Its foreign presence should easily take care of this jutsu."
Itachi looked at their leader with a very blank expression in an attempt to not strike down the jeering immortal beside him. "Will we take care of this now?" he asked.
Pein hummed, looking at the heavily setting sun. "Iie. We will attack during the night. For now let's settle here and keep a watch out for any sign of Zetsu or Deidara. I'll take the first watch," he added after a moment.
There were three collective nods as the other members jumped down from the trees they had been standing in to the small clearing down below.
Pein watched his members for a second and then brought his gaze back to the village which he had been so stupidly fooled by. There will be no more mistakes. I refuse to let there be.
A/N: Well Zetsu's dying and the first squad of the Akatsuki has shown up.
Pleasant ^-^u
I know this might have been really confusing and fast-paced/slow. But did you get how both Deidara and Sasori's 'dreams' ended up molding into one eventually?
I have a lot of exciting things to put in the next chapter so look out for it :D
A plan to take down the no-name woman is put into place, and the Akatsuki meet up with Deidara?
Next update will be soon enough!