Clay and Puppets


Summery: In which, Sasori gains, through a string of seemingly unfortunate incidents, a new partner named Deidara. Reluctant to form any kind of friendship with the young Iwa missing-nin, Deidara seeks to get to know Sasori, while adjusting to his new life in the evil organisation of the Akatsuki.

Disclaimer: This product is meant for entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Some assembly required. Batteries not included. Use only as directed. Flammable.

A/N: Yayness and gayness, an update. This chapter is a bit different I think you'll find, in that it encompasses the events of one night, and other things... All the same, I rather like it! XD And I hope you all enjoy, of course.

This chap is dedicated to Nate-Michael, who gave me the idea of the last scene. Thanks to you!


Dreams are the seedlings of realities. The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream.


Chapter 29: Unexpected

- A Night of Change -


A mist... colours and shapes, so familiar...

A face?

"Sasori..." The soft voice called, the ghost of a smile on gentle feminine lips, the expression so terribly caring, it frightened him a bit. "Sasori..."

He turned towards it, running to catch up, wanting to see more of it again. That voice... wait, now two faces - smiling so warmly at him, filling his being with a heat, so comforting.

"Sasori..." A deeper voice, protective, coming from something long denied, a strength which he knew somehow that he must once have admired. "...Aren't you coming, Sasori?" The male voice called, quietly.

He ran to catch up, never gaining any measure of distance, as he fought to maintain the dwindling picture of the gentle faces, the warm voices.

"Mother..." He called to the images, his voice far away, and so much smaller than it should be. "Father..."

He felt no pain as he ran, and yet his energy failed, and a moment later he stopped his running, legs unable to go on. The scenery around him changed then, the images of his parents fading away - the voices dying into nothing - and he felt his heart give a horrible lurch at their absence.

Nothingness surrounded him for a moment, before it changed again, darker this time. A nightmarish grey mist seemed to brush against his body, pervading his vision, until he saw yet another figure, no where near as comforting as that of his parents, yet equally as nostalgic.

"Sasori." This voice seemed to echo in the vastness of the grey mist, sharp and harsh as it was, and inducing no familiar feeling of warmth as the other voices had. "What are you doing, child?" It asked of him, and at once he felt panic.

This person... they didn't want to protect him. No... hurt him! Must get away!

His heart beating fiercely in fear, and tried to run away - but then the image of the person was in front of him again, a mere silhouette against the light that seemed to be streaming through an open door.

The cellar... he was in their cellar again. And grandmother, yes... she was not letting him leave...

No! He thought through his panic, though unlike before, he was unable to speak, his words drying in his throat beyond his control. Don't lock me in again, Chiyo-baasan!

He felt a deep despair fill his being, and somewhere inside, he knew he was only little again. A small boy, unable to defy his grandmother, to fight against her. He was at her mercy again, and he knew this time, he would be punished worse than ever he had before.

"You've been a bad little boy, Sasori..."

Maybe this time she would leave him. Maybe this time, she would forget to come back. He had always feared she couldn't hear his screaming, that she would never let him out ever again, that he would die there in the darkness, on the cold concrete, with the rats trying to nip at his fingertips.

He cried, though the tears he felt where thicker and fuller than they had ever been before.

Suddenly then, he turned, and the scene changed again.

The grey mist cleared, and he could see with a sudden clarity, all sadness within him was banished and he felt immediately more free than ever before.

Green... there was so much green around him... like the most lush and fruitful forest in the world. And just like that, he knew he was home, not in Sunagakure locked in his old cellar, but in the Akatsuki forest.

Smiling to himself, he felt his heart fill with wondrous relief, to be finally free.

"My dear, Sasori..."

That voice...

No...

No, it couldn't be.

Looking beside himself, he almost cried out for the truth of it.

The sight induced a great ache in his heart, worse than any he had ever felt before. So painful was what he saw, that tears of uncontrollable longing spilled down his cheeks, unbidden.

There, kneeling on the ground of the forest, it was him - and so young he was, that Sasori smiled woefully through his tears.

The boy was picking flowers. Oh, that's right... he had always done that when they came here... this was their spot, after all, wasn't it?

He was looking up at him, the boy... face unguarded and familiar, smiling teasingly at him.

"I'm glad you came to meet me, Sasori..." He said, the boy's voice chiming like a long-untouched bell, and it pained him to hear it after so long.

He nodded, unsure whether or not the boy had even seen, before the smaller one came to stand in front of him. When he looked down, he saw that the boy was presenting the flowers to him.

"For you, of course..." The boy told him, smiling mischievously, "... I know how you like the yellow ones, even if you'll never admit it."

Shocked and in a daze of unsurety, he hesitantly, as though any small movement would scare away the boy in front of him, brought his hand up to wrap around the other's holding the bouquet.

He gasped, giving a moan of happiness, as he felt the skin of the boy's hand warm under his own - and all of a sudden, he found his voice, as though it were all abruptly very real.

His voice was broken, the smile on his face causing the name that slipped from his lips to be spoken softly, with such tenderness as he had forgotten he could feel;

"Inari..."

The boy smiled all the wider at him, as though pleased he had remembered his name, had recognised him, in the end.

"Yes, Sasori." Inari answered him, moving closer as every feature of his face came into such clear focus. "I came to see you... we said we would meet... remember?"

Meet... at their spot... of course he remembered! He had waited all week, desperate to see his partner.

That's right! Inari, his partner, always... how could he have forgotten? He had told Kisame to keep Zetsu at the hideout... but the Shark-nin had just been given some new partner he had to take care of, didn't he? Yes, an Uchiha... But of course, he was there to meet Inari, as they always did.

He smiled suddenly, as the recollection of why he was there registered in his mind. "Yes..." He answered, nodding with sudden surety as he remembered, then added with sincerity; "I missed you this week."

Inari smiled in return, though there was a slight sadness to it that he couldn't understand, as though the boy's words held a deeper meaning when he replied; "I missed you this week too, 'Sori."

He could hear it... something in the boy's voice... regret? But that didn't make sense, they were in their spot... everything was always all right at their spot, and he was back from that mission... everything was wonderful.

Slowly then, he pulled Inari into his arms. Feeling the soft warmth of the boy's skin, he might have cried out with the pleasure of it, as though he hadn't touched his partner for years...

"Sasori, you must listen to me..." Inari spoke, trying to gain his attention. "Listen..."

"But you are home..." He replied, his hand coming up to run fingers through the boy's chin-length, dark hair, to hold his angular face and marvel at how the boy leaned into his touch. "... you came back from that mission to Suna," He smiled ruefully at Inari, "You always were the best spy we had, could get in and out without a scratch..."

"Sasori," Inari interrupted his dialogue, seeming to be desperately trying to concentrate his attention now, the boy's voice filled with worry. "Sasori, you must concentrate on what I say..."

"But... hold on..."

Now that he thought about it, isn't this wrong? Something about it seems... incorrect.

"That's not right, is it?..." He asked Inari, "You... you didn't come back... something... happened?"

"Sasori," Inari's voice was stern now, his expression serious, "You must listen to what I tell you. This is very important."

What... was going on? He remembered something. A sadness, yes, something bad had happened... but what? When did Inari come home?

He remembered his partner leaving, going to Suna... and remembered being worried about his partner, his lover, so beautiful... but he was a good spy, wasn't he? He would be fine. Just like he always was. And they had said, when he got home... they said they would meet at their spot.

And here they were.

But... this wasn't the same. Something...

"Do you hear me, Sasori?" Inari asked, and he knew his face must be contorted and confused, for the boy was now obviously trying to distract him from it. But what was it? What was going on?

And then it hit him.

Inari never came home. The sadness, the shock... the voice of Sir Leader in his head, telling him that their spy would never come back... something happened... an attack.

Inari hadn't made it.

"You..." His voice was low and hollow, and he felt his lips quivering, a bone-deep sorrow filling him that was all-too familiar. Suddenly all hopefulness seemed foolish, and he felt he had been tricked by this vision in front of him, to think that he was with Inari again. "You..."

"Sasori," Inari's voice was demanding, and though he felt it was only an imitation of his once-lover, he could not help but respond to it. "He will need you, you must listen..."

Suddenly then, words that had lain dormant in his throat erupted. "You died!" He cried, full of anguish and regret, "I should have gone with you! I should have protected you!"

Inari's face was filled with deep sympathy and understanding, "Oh, Sasori..." The boy lamented, thought he didn't say anymore.

He gave a great sob, "Why did you have to die?" He demanded of the boy, though he felt no anger, only desperation. "Why couldn't you stay with me?"

Inari merely smiled, "But you are not alone." He answered simply, "And we have waited so long to say goodbye."

He felt a panic run through him then, and though it seemed to dawn on him that none of this could be real, he didn't want to leave the strange forest so like their home, where there was nothing but the green and the peace and Inari and him. "... I don't want to say goodbye."

Inari gave a short, chiming laugh then, so like the way he had once laughed. "But you do!" The boy replied, cheerfully, as though this were wonderful after all. "You have another! And you must do this for him."

Another? He couldn't remember... but he knew, Inari spoke the truth. And now that he thought about it... it was a good thing, glorious in fact. Why, he must say goodbye... he must...

"Come see me." Inari told him, smiling widely, "It will be sooner than you think, Sasori." The boy continued to smile, adding almost casually then; "Three steps to the left, punch hard."

"Inari..." A drowsiness filling him now, as he watched the clarity of the surroundings beginning to dim, becoming unfocused, Inari's face drawing away - and it was all of it all right.

Colours, shapes, all of them something and nothing, as he drew away - floating away from it all, whatever it had been.

And then, just as he felt at the edge of something, he saw him...

A boy, with blonde hair, and the brightest blue eyes he had ever seen.


Sasori woke with a start, flinging himself up into a sitting position in his makeshift bed, drawing the kunai from under his travelling back as he tensed to fight off whatever was attacking him.

But all that the puppeteer could see was darkness, and he was alone. The coldness of the night around him was piercing and relentless - yet he was covered in a sheen of sweat, his face flushed, heart pounding against his chest fiercely. He gasped, his breath coming short as he slowly adjusted to the fact that he was now awake, and with awe he reflected on the strangeness of his dream.

What was it he had dreamed about? It all seemed so far away now. 'My mother and father,' Sasori thought, as recollection slowly registered in his mind, 'And Chiyo.' He thought more on it, and with a shock, he realised there had been someone else, someone completely unexpected. 'Inari...'

But, why would be dream of him? He hadn't thought about Inari for some time, it occurred to him then. Not since Deidara had entered the Akatsuki, in fact.

And what was it that Inari had said to him? Something in amongst the now-forgotten dialogue, something he had said was important - and it startled him to know how very real the dream had felt, how very much that voice had been like Inari's. But what did he mean, saying those things to him? Was it all just ramblings, drawn from the depths of his mind?

Sasori sighed. Whatever the dream-Inari had meant, the puppet master failed to understand him. And yet, in a slightly alarmed and deeply confused way, he cherished the fact that at least in some way... he had seen his old love. The pain in his heart at what felt like such a close encounter with Inari still throbbed in his chest.

The puppeteer turned onto his side, and looking out over the sand-dune that he slept in, he saw some distance away; the entrance to the village of Sunagakure.

Suna; the place of his birth, and site of so many tragedies for him. He both feared and revelled in the feeling of nostalgia that the mere proximity of the village brought to the surface in him.

But the hour was late, and he would have many things to do tomorrow. He would see all that he needed to see, and finally lay to rest the burden that this village had over his heart and mind. When he returned home, he would look Deidara in the eye, knowing that there was nothing else to be ashamed of. He would say goodbye to his woeful past, and to the sorrow of Inari's death. He would walk from this village a free man.

It was time.

And with this in mind, Sasori lay down once again, filled with the haze of exhaustion and relief - falling asleep once again, with the dwindling words of Inari echoing in his mind.

Three steps to the left...

Punch hard.


The coolness of the night around him was calming, and it was strange and wondrous that he should feel so drawn to nature, to have felt the need to take a walk in the forest surrounding the Akatsuki hideout at so late an hour. Surely, it was the middle of the night - and though some of the members were still awake, Deidara was not sure what they would think of his walking alone through the dark wilderness.

Some time ago, the familiarity of those parts of the forest that he had already travelled to had given way to the foreign depths of the woods, and the blonde boy found himself travelling further and further into the seemingly endless expanse of trees, much farther than he had ever gone before, until he felt sure that he must be approaching the forest's end.

He could see where he was going, of course, if you had wondered. With his mechanic eye-scope in place, he saw fantastic details of the night life of the forest that he knew must be lost on those who could not see in the dark, taking photos as he went, so as to retrace his steps and find his way home.

Before long though, the blonde boy felt something else in the broad vastness of the woods, another living thing that felt so much larger than he, somewhere nearby. The feeling of its power and size alarmed him slightly, and he yet he did not feel threatened by it - no, more like it was something he should remember, a familiar kind of alerting feeling, though he felt sure it would cause him no harm.

Without consciously making any decision to do so, Deidara found himself making his way through the forest towards the presence, and as he drew nearer, he realised with a shock that he felt a very distinct chakra signature. That meant, that not only was it a person he could feel somewhere through the trees, but a ninja.

He was surprised by this fact, and proceeded with great caution towards the area he felt the presence must be in, though still he felt no great fear, thinking only mildly of the strangeness that such a ninja should be so close to their hideout.

The boy walked stealthily, taking extra care in the darkness around him to make his footsteps light, to leave branches and upturned rocks undisturbed - as the night had a way of making the smallest of sounds seem a great deal louder than they actually were.

After only a moment of silent searching, Deidara found who he was looking for, the presence emanating the same immeasurable yet strangely familiar power just ahead of him.

There, in a small clearing of the thick forest, a man sat on a slightly charred log - this area of the forest still holding the scars of the Hirohito battle from months before, where the last licks of the great fire had burned some of the greenery. The log itself that the man sat on had obviously been burnt to the point where it had fallen from it's stump, leaving it dormant and dead on the regenerating forest floor.

Deidara was enchanted by the sight for no reason that he could discern, watching as the man seemed to be doing nothing at all, simply sitting as he was, looking up to the night sky with a serenity that the blonde greatly appreciated. He entirely forgot the foreboding amount of power that ebbed and flowed from the man on the log, as the ex-Iwa nin made his way slowly through the edge of the bushes around the clearing, and walked towards the strange figure.

With the light of the moon overhead shining down on him, Deidara could see very distinct features of the man on the log even from his considerable distance. Red hair, as he had never seen it before, shined from atop the man's head - shorter, and a different shade than Sasori's, somehow more imposing. Piercings all down the man's ears, and the glint of them also present at the man's eyebrows, as far as Deidara could see. The man's mere posture demanded respect, and yet still the blonde found the man familiar in a way he could not place.

Suddenly then, perhaps with a change of the power in the air, the blonde knew his presence was known. The man turned his head sharply, and Deidara felt instantly like a child caught in the act of stealing a cookie before dinner, as he stopped still where he stood.

The redheaded man stared at him in surprise, though he did not appear to be angry. With the light now shining fully over his face, Deidara could see that the many piercings on his ears and eyebrows that he had seen before, were a theme that seemed to cover every facet of the man's face - all down the column of his nose, and the bottom of his lip. His face was handsome, but not at all gentle, though he seemed deceivingly docile for his power, and his expression was endlessly harsh. The most startling feature of the man, the blonde found though, was the red glow of his eyes. He had never seen this man before, he felt sure - and yet something about him reminded the blonde of home.

He must be a traveller, an outcast, Deidara thought, as he inspected the very plain black shinobi outfit that the man wore, bearing no sign of any organisation (and therefore comforting the blonde that he was not a stray member of the Hirohito) or any village of origin at all.

Before long, and without realising they had been staring at each other for quite some time now, the redheaded man's face cleared - and for one quick second, Deidara saw the cruelty it could express, before it softened into a harsh but welcoming smile, and to the boy's surprise; he gestured for Deidara to come closer.

The blonde hesitated, though suddenly he felt a calmness ripple through him, and knew it was coming from the strange redheaded man in front of him. Feeling the man's own serenity flow into him, Deidara began to walk towards him trustingly, allowing for the minute control the other had over him, as made his way over to the man's side, and without a word of beckoning, sat down beside him on the charred log.

Without any preamble, the blonde boy found himself asking quite unnecessarily to the stoic man; "Do you mind if I sit with you, un?"

The other seemed to consider these words with some level of pleasantry, and decided in the end to nod, a slightly mocking smile fitting itself on the taller man's face, before he looked up and ahead of himself again.

Following the redheaded man's gaze, Deidara found himself gazing up at the stars overhead with wonder. There was silence that passed over them for a long moment then, as they each simply fell back into their own thoughts, before the redheaded man spoke, his voice deliberately more gentle than Deidara imagined it must usually be.

"Where are you from, young man?" Deidara turned to the man beside him in surprise, in a way not having expected to be talked to, though he found that the man was not paying him too close attention - as his gaze had not strayed from the stars above them, and he continued in a voice that sounded almost teasing; "Are you a shinobi, by any chance? I see no forehead protector that you might carry."

The blonde spluttered, caught off-guard by this observant questioning, and the strange man beside him smiled wider, as though enjoying the boy's confusion.

It took only a moment to reply, though, as Deidara stumbled over an explanation; "I, er, live with my family, un," The boy informed his companion unconvincingly, "We live on the other side of this forest, un." He concluded with feigned casualty, ignoring entirely the enquiries about his being a shinobi.

"Is that so?" The man asked, obvious amusement colouring his tone, and even though Deidara found it strange that he should be embarrassed, he fought not to blush at the man's soft chuckling.

"Un." Deidara answered discontentedly.

A silence passed over them again then, and soon the redheaded man's humor seemed to end, before he finally turned to look at the boy sitting beside him on the log, and when he spoke this time it was with a great deal of seriousness.

"What brings you to the forest in the middle of the night, boy?" He asked, though it was more of a demand.

The blonde hesitated at this, wondering how much he should say to this unpredictable stranger, though queerly enough he felt a certain level of curiosity emanating from the man.

With a sigh, Deidara relented to the serenity he felt there on the log, with the redheaded man at his side, and when he spoke it was with sorrow he didn't bother to hide.

"I have been feeling... troubled, lately, un." The boy admitted, "A member of my family, un... one of my... brothers," He told the man slowly, "He has gone away for a while, and we had a fight before he left, un."

The man beside him was eerily attentive, listening to every word he said as though he knew intimately what the boy spoke of, and Deidara felt unease as he concentrated on his problem and not mentioning any give-away names such as 'organisation' or 'Sasori'.

With a voice that was carefully tactful then, the redhead beside Deidara asked; "You care for this brother of yours that has left?"

Deidara's blue eyes met the other's startling red as he replied sincerely, "Very much, un." The blonde frowned, "That is why I am so worried, un. Not only could he be in trouble, travelling alone, un... but he was acting so strangely before he left. I worry for him, un."

The man nodded, accepting the blonde's words. "That is understandable." He told the boy placatingly, "Though if your brother is travelling somewhere of importance to him, then it would not be so strange for him to act coldly."

Deidara's eye widened at that, "Un, he was going somewhere important!" The boy replied as though the man had read his mind, "And he was cold to me, un. I had thought he... cared for me too, but now I don't know, un."

The man eyes were trained on Deidara's expression as he watched the blonde frown, and after a moment, he told the boy sternly; "You must not underestimate the bond of brothers. If you care for him as you say, then I have no doubt that he cares for you also. This is a time when you must be understanding and forgiving, and await his return. Be loyal to him, for after all, he is your brother."

The clarity and simplness of these words rung through Deidara's mind, and with a confidence he had scarcely ever felt in relation to Sasori, the blonde felt sure that what this man said was true - how he should proceed seemed suddenly clear; he would give Sasori the benefit of the doubt, and wait for him to come home.

"You're right, un," Deidara replied with utmost wonder, "After all, he is my partner, un!"

A silence stretched out after these words, and the blonde boy's heart stopped at his slip up. Looking with alarm to he man sitting next to him, Deidara didn't even register the humorous raised eyebrow of the redhead, as he stuttered an explanation; "I-I mean, un, we're so close, you could call us partners! But we're brothers, un, really-"

"Yes, yes." The man waved away the boy's excuses, withholding the amusement he felt as he nodded obligingly and let the obvious mistake pass without comment.

Silence drifted between them then, and once again they took to gazing up at the stars - the little that the man beside him had said staying with Deidara as he thought over the wise words; the serenity and comfortability staying with them as they simple sat together on the log for an indistinguishable amount of time.

After what seemed a small eternity had passed, though, Deidara heard the voice of the man beside him again.

"Perhaps that you had better head home." He told the boy, his voice seeming slightly weary, and the blonde felt his presence was no longer appreciated, though the man smirked at him as he continued; "Your family might be missing you. And who knows, perhaps that 'brother' of yours will return home soon."

Deidara smiled appreciatively, and stood up compliantly, his legs now stiff from sitting on their log. "Hai, I will leave now, un." Bowing lowly and respectfully to the redheaded man, he was prepared to walk away, before he added as a last-minute thought, his voice immediately cheerful; "My name is Deidara, un! What is yours?"

The man blinked up at him - startled, it seemed, by this sudden questioning and the fluctuating attitude of the blonde that stood beside him. After only a moment of wondering on why the boy would want such useless information, though, the redheaded man answered the boy confidently;

"My name is Pein."

Deidara smiled widely at this, and bowed once again, before turning to leave. He was no further than the edge of the clearing, though, before he heard Pein's voice reach him, the power of the man emanating from him once again as they gained distance.

"I would prefer if you did not speak to your family of our meeting, Deidara." He told the boy, and when Deidara turned to look at him, the fierceness of the man's eyes would have ensured he never speak of it even if he hadn't felt the respect he did for the powerful man, and he nodded.

"I promise, un." He vowed, "Maybe we will meet again, Pein-sama, un?"

The harshness of Pein's expression seemed to dwindle, as he heard the honorific that the boy placed with his name, and he nodded hesitantly, the light of the moon glinting off of his facial piercings menacingly. "Perhaps, one day." Was all he answered, as he then turned to face the forest once again.

Deidara felt immediately that he had been dismissed, and with one more thankful smile that Pein couldn't see, he turned around, walking right out of the clearing, and back in the direction he had come; filled now with a new acceptance of Sasori, as he took care to follow the same trail home - and wasn't the grass so much greener than it had been when he had walked here a few hours before?

Pein's expression became light as he was left alone once again, and he concentrated his chakra as he had before, setting about the tedious work he had been focused on before the blonde's stumbling into his clearing. He had not expected the youngest member of his organisation to chance by him in the middle of night, and so far into the forest. Indeed, he had not even felt the boy's presence as he snuck up on him, focused as he had been on the task he had been undertaking every night for months now, every time at a different part of the woods.

The greenery of the Akatsuki forest was nearly completely restored to it's previous spender by now, thanks to he and Zetsu's healing powers, and Pein wondered on the unlikelyness of Deidara finding his way to this particular part of the forest on this particular night. None of the members, bar only Sasori and Zetsu, and of course Konan, had ever seen Pein up close and knew what he looked like - and Deidara would never know that he had as well.

Obviously, Pein had figured out that Deidara had been talking about Sasori. The leader of Akatsuki smirked to himself as he thought on the blonde words, and all he had learned about two of his members.

And what would Deidara's reaction be, he thought, if the boy knew that the man he had just had this conversation with was the all-powerful Sir Leader of Akatsuki?

Pein laughed heartily, sending a rumble of power throughout the forest as greenery sprouted anew all around him, and his mirth rung out into the night.


A/N: Yay, Pein! First scene we've really had with him, ya know, not strictly as Sir Leader. My sister will surely appreciate that.

So, what did you all think of the dream scene? First one I've done for this fic - and don't worry, all will have relevance later in the story. And hey! Inari sort-of-kind-of made an appearance! I'll be damned.

If you liked this chapter even a little bit, please be sure to review for me. I needs your love! Deidara and Sasori need you love!

Yaoi god, hear my plea!

-Emerald-