As White as Blood
Chapter Thirty-Six
Carrion Birds
Kabuto gave a small questioning noise, frowning at Sasori and repositioning his circular glasses slightly, "A top secret mission that lasts for five years?"
"Yes, you heard me. I just learnt some vital information on the whereabouts of one of my old Akatsuki partners. Your skills will make you a valuable asset to my old partner, and I'm sure that you can learn some useful medical ninjutsu from him as well in an added bonus. You will find Orochimaru is highly similar to my self." Sasori gave a slight snicker and curled Hiruko's tail slightly, "Get it?"
Kabuto gave a frown and a slow nod, "Yes, I understand Lord Sasori, but what is it that you want me to do exactly?"
"I want you to become my spy." He moved Hiruko's tail back inside of the puppet and gave a slight thoughtful noise, "You see, Orochimaru stole something from me when he left the Akatsuki…A technique known as Edo Tensei – or Impure World Resurrection - and I want it back. I need you to go undercover for five years in order to examine this technique. If Orochimaru uses any technique that goes by this name or something similar, then you are to analyse the cellular structure of his specimens and report your findings to me. If he uses a Protection Jutsu on these, you are to use that Jutsu that I taught you to dispel it. It should work, even for a Jutsu by Orochimaru, though I'm going to have to place a Jutsu on you that will erase your memory of our time together. You will still remember the techniques that I have taught and you will still follow my directions concerning the Reanimation Jutsu but you shall merely believe this to be your own curiosity acting - rather than my will - once I initiate my Sleeper Jutsu. After this, you are to give me all the information that you gain after the five year period. In exchange, I'll give you a scroll which contains my ultimate healing Jutsu, the 'Tender Touch Technique'. I haven't taught you everything, and I am the only one who knows how to use this medical ninjutsu. So, do we have a deal?"
Kabuto gave a quick nod, straightening up somewhat in eagerness to learn the technique, "Yes, I'll do it Lord Sasori."
The red head nodded Hiruko's head, and gave a snicker. "Good, I shall turn you into one of my Sleeper Agents for the duration of the time which you are undercover. You shall forget everything about tonight and about me, but you shall remember the techniques that I have taught, and as I said, you will merely believe my orders to be of your own curiosity. But no matter what, I will not accept failure! Either you succeed in gaining this information, or you die trying."
The eighteen year old gave a nod and crouched down onto one knee. He had seen Sasori perform the Sleeper Jutsu before, and Kabuto knew what to expect. The red head moved Hiruko forward, in front of the male, and opened his real eyes. Sasori fished around in his medical pouch, until he found a small needle. He attached chakra strings to it, and sent the object out of Hiruko's mouth. He made the puppet take the needle in hand, and Kabuto took his glasses off in preparation.
Without further to do, Sasori moved the small needle up to the male's eye and sent it inside. Kabuto's face twitched slightly with pain, but he didn't show any other signs of being disgruntled. The red head attached chakra strings to the needle and eventually inserted it into Kabuto's brain. With that accomplished, he made Hiruko put his hand over the male's face, in the usual fashion. Thumb on Kabuto's right cheek, pinkie on left, and middle three digits on his forehead.
"When you wake up you will go to the Land of Sound, where you will find Orochimaru at the village of Fudemou in two days time. You shall meet me here exactly five years from this date on this same bridge…At noon. When you tell me the information you have gathered, then I shall give you the scroll in return." Inside of Hiruko, the puppet made a half ram hand sign, activating the seal. His eyes slightly widened and Kabuto abruptly lost consciousness. He fell forward and Sasori barely got out of the way before the male hit the ground. The red head gave a sigh and turned Hiruko around, looking at Deidara. "Come on Brat; our work here is done."
The blonde finished nursing his sore head and blinked at Sasori, getting to his feet. "Finally, un!" Deidara couldn't seem to resist the urge to stick his tongue out at Kabuto's unconscious self in a last act of stupid superiority.
"Stop being so childish and hurry up, Brat." Sasori had already started moving and Deidara soon was following next to him. When Kabuto finally woke up he would no longer remember Sasori, at least, not until five years later…Well, that had been the plan…
-o-
Just for the record, I hated Deidara when I first met him…In fact, I think I do still hate him…It's a difficult topic to explain; but honestly, I am aware that I was admittedly hard on him, but that isn't exactly my fault. Deidara wasn't really that dreadful a partner, and I didn't hate him because I hated him…I hated him because I made myself hate him…I think I hated him, and yet at the same time, I loved him…
Well, not really the latter for the time being, I mean, I didn't love him when I first met him…Hell, even I don't really know when it was that I fell for the kid, just that it was at some point after we started having sex…I didn't even realise that I was head over heels until just before my second death – when I lost my mind.
He actually wasn't half as bad as I make him out to be, just for the record. In fact, he is pretty similar to Karura, and I certainly hadn't hated her.
But enough of this useless chatter; Deidara was my third - and last - partner in the criminal organisation known as the Akatsuki…It was actually far too similar to how it ended with Orochimaru. After five years of being partners, it was over…Except I was the one who left the organisation…Or perhaps I never left the Akatsuki, I just left him.
Even after we die and our bodies are burnt to ash; even after we are cursed to hell and our ideals are spat upon; even when nobody cries due to our departure and after we and whatever good deeds we may have accomplished have long since been forgot…Even then we are still Akatsuki members. Even then we are still monster…
Gawd; stop acting like we're friggen subhuman, Danna! We weren't monsters; we were just people who had been pushed too far, un.
Shut up, Brat! I'm the one who is telling my story; I have been letting you cut in with your damn ballad about that murderer, but that is all! Stop interrupting me!
But the people like hearing future-me. You're such a bias narrator; if I told them the story from my point of view, then it would be completely different! You leave out too much information, un, like how you haven't even told them about the sealing of the Five and-
Stop it! If I want to tell them, then I will eventually tell them. This is my story, and I will tell it how I want too.
Fine, I'll stop talking. Gawd, you're such a tight ass; I guess even after death, some things just never change.
Agreed; you're just as childish and annoying as you were then…Oh great, you've made me go off topic. See? This is why I don't like you narrating; I try to have a serious, philosophical moment, and then you go and ruin it.
Whatever; fine, I'll stop narrating, but I will still quote 'Ballad of Reading Gaol' when I feel it is appropriate…I'm going for a swim.
Don't nearly drown on me again.
I can't drown anymore, un. I'm already dead…
-o-
Thirty One Years Old
"Sasori," Zetsu appeared out of the ground of the inn, looking around. The red head was - as always - inside of Hiruko while Deidara was currently sitting on the single bed, moulding clay creatures. He was experimenting with what kinds of other sculptures he could create easily, no longer satisfied with just bugs and doves. "You and Deidara have a new mission. You are to go to the Land of Snow to capture a man by the name of Yukisuna and to bring him to Doto Kazahana alive; apparently he wants to kill the traitor himself." The other side of Zetsu's personalty gave a sigh, "What a sweet old man~"
"The Land of Snow, un?" The blonde blinked at the plant-man, raising an eyebrow, "I haven't heard of that place before…"
"Sasori has been there on a previous mission, so he can tell you about it." Zetsu's other personality gave a laugh of amusement, "Just don't question him too much; he has a bad temper~" With one last chortle of amusement, Zetsu disappeared below the floorboards.
Deidara looked over at Sasori, raising an eyebrow at him, "The Land of Snow, un? What the fuck is that?"
"Language, Brat." The red head rolled Hiruko's eyes and gave a sigh. "It is a single continent that is to the north of the main land; we can catch a ship to the location in the Waterfall Country. It is a land that experiences a never ending winter, and there is only snow there."
Deidara gave a nod, returning to moulding his precious clay sculptures, "When were you there last, un?"
"I went there with Kakuzu about eight years ago, but I haven't been back since. We were there to burn down a castle for the same man who is hiring us to capture this 'Yukisuna' person. His name is Doto and he is the Daimyo of the Land of Snow."
"Did you ever go there with Orochimaru, un?" The blonde looked up at Sasori, now curious as he – somewhat anxiously - waited for an answer.
"No, he would have been physically useless due to the cold weather, and I only ever went there once." Deidara gave a nod - physically relaxing for no apparent reason - and returned to his clay for a few seconds before once again looking up with another questioning expression.
"Did you have any other partners aside from Orochimaru? You never really talk about your past…" Deidara frowned and decided to put his explosive clay away into his pouches, having lost his desire to mess around with it.
"The reason I don't tell you about my past is because there is nothing to tell and because it is strictly personal…I did have one other partner called Kurow, but she died a year after she joined the Akatsuki. She accidentally got hit by one of my attacks and she was poisoned…Of course, that was before I invented my concoction that kills after three days. I used to have one that was able to kill those who were poisoned by it almost instantly, but then Leader forbade me from using it after Kurow's death. So I've only had three partners - including you - aside from Kabuto who wasn't really my official cohort."
"What about other partners? You're from Sunagakure, right? What was it like there, un?" Deidara grinned at Sasori, "We almost wiped out that fucking shit-hole during the war after the Third Kazekage was fucking kidnapped by some fuck-tard. My mum went off to fight but she got killed, so the Third Tsuchikage raised me from then on."
Sasori resisted the urge to snap at the boy for unknowingly calling him a 'fuck-tard' – as he so eloquently put it. "My parents both died during the First Shinobi World War when I was only five years old, so my Granny Chiyo raised me. Now enough Brat; we should move out now if we are to reach the Land of Waterfalls before sunset."
Deidara nodded and got to his feet, smiling at Sasori with an air of innocence…And that was all he did. The blonde just stood there and smiled until the red head got disturbed by it.
-x-
They stood on the bow of the small boat, looking up towards the shining stars and the moon - that was two-thirds full. The constellations and the moon were reflected abstractly on the surface of the ocean water, but unfortunately, Sasori and Deidara were too busy locked in their usual argument to admire the beauty around them. "Art is fleeting, un; why the fuck don't you get that?"
"Art is Eternal, Brat. What is the use of creating something which doesn't last? It will just be forgotten and all of your efforts go to waste. Now something that lasts for an Eternity; you can put as much time into it as possible, as then it will be there long after the artist has met their final demise."
"But the purpose of art being fleeting is in the purpose that you forget it. If art were to last forever then one would easily grow bored of it. But it is practically impossible for someone to consider an explosion - say a firework - as being boring as it does not last long enough for one to get the idea of it being tiresome. I'll give you an example…" He thought for a few irenic seconds, before irritatingly continuing. "Food, un!" Deidara grinned at Sasori, who simply made Hiruko give the blonde an uninterested look. "…" His grin fell, and he gave a slight frown at the puppet. "Okay, bad example in your case Mr Anorexia…Well…Oh, I know a better one! Sex!" Deidara's grin reformed and Sasori almost began to beat his head against the inside of Hiruko. "Sex is fleeting! I mean, just imagine if it lasted forever, un. You would get sick of it!"
"…I'm embarrassed to be around you, Brat." Sasori made a move to leave, but Deidara stopped him.
"Huh? What? Sex is a perfectly normal topic, un!" The blonde abruptly fell silent in thought.
"The way you talk about it, I'm guessing you're no stranger to intercourse, Brat. What kind of fifteen year old are you?" Sasori scoffed and rolled Hiruko's eyes.
"Hey! Of course I ain't no fucking virgin, you ass!" Deidara glared at Sasori, crossing his arms pridefully. "I've slept with women before, un." The red head was about to make a comment, but the blonde cut him off. "And yes, prostitutes so totally do count!"
"Whatever; at least that saves me the hassle of having to go through the entire 'The Shuriken and the Kunai Knives' speech." He said it in a monotone, completely uninterested. "But why the hell did we get onto such a stupid topic anyway? Can we please go back to debating about Art?"
He'd actually rather the blonde badmouthing his own views than talking about such a stupid subject.
"Hey, I've just realised…" Deidara smirked down at Sasori with a knowing look and a half sinister gleam in his eyes. "You've never actually told me your sexuality, you horny-old-bastard, un. So, what is it? Straight, gay, or bisexual?"
Sasori gave a heavy sigh, completely frustrated by the blonde. "If you must know, I'm asexual; it means that I don't get sexually excited by anyone or anything. I have been asexual ever since I was a child, so stop bothering me about it."
"Asexual wasn't an option." Deidara raised an eyebrow at the puppet, smirking even wider. "I bet you're secretly gay, un~"
Sasori just snapped at that. "SHUT THE FUCK UP! I'VE ALREADY TOLD YOU THAT I'M NOT FUCKING GAY, KARURA!" He was about to push Deidara off the side of the boat, when he abruptly froze.
The blonde also stilled his movements, staring at Sasori like a deer in headlights. "…Karura?"
The red head was silent for a few moments of intense anger, before he turned and stormed off. Deidara didn't follow behind him, actually being smart enough to give Sasori some time to cool down.
-x-
They walked down the plank to the dock in silence, Sasori's eyes immediately falling onto the figure who he remembered from the last time he was there. The brunette man no longer wore the white cloak that he had worn last time, but was dressed up in royal clothing. It seemed that he no longer had the need to hide his appearance.
Doto recognised Sasori instantly and smiled widely at him. "Ah, you again!" The duo walked over to the man, stopping once they reached him. Doto Kazahana was now the Daimyo of the Snow Country, so he had enough power to do practically anything he wanted to. The brunette smiled down at Sasori, clearly happy to see the same member who had succeeded in the last mission he had given. His eyes then turned to Deidara, his expression fading into a more cynical look. "But what's a kid like you doing here? I hired professionals, not children."
The blonde was obviously about to go off at the guy, but Sasori stepped in just in time. "I assure you that my own skills will be enough of a compensation for what this kid lacks." Deidara shot the puppet an enraged look, but bit back his temper, instead looking away from him.
"Very well; I need you to capture this man for me. He was working for me, but he ran off before finishing his task, even though I tried to warn him that there would be consequences if he did so." Doto gave a sigh of fake remorse, shaking his head slightly. "Here is a photo of him." Sasori reached up and took the picture, looking at it through Hiruko's eyes. It was of a man with long white hair tied up in a ponytail and a grey lab-coat. "Find this man and drop him off at my fortress alive. Understood?" It seemed that, unlike last time, he had no trouble with ordering them around.
Sasori couldn't bring himself to care, and it seemed that neither could Deidara. "Got it; we shall give him to you as soon as possible." Doto nodded and the duo moved out.
-x-
They had been searching for several hours already without any luck. The moon shone high in the sky and Deidara was already complaining. "Danna, it's freezing, un! Let's find some shelter and call it a day! We'll find him tomorrow!" Sasori simply ignored the blonde, continuing to walk forward. "C'MON! I'M GOING TO FUCKING FREEZE TO DEATH! I KNOW THAT YOU DON'T GET FUCKING COLD, OR EAT, OR DO ANYTHING CONSIDERED FUCKING NORMAL, BUT I DO! YOU DON'T WANT ME TO FUCKING DIE, REMEMBER?"
Sasori gave an irritated sigh and stopped walking, turning to the blonde. "Shut the hell up already!" He swiped Hiruko's tail at him, but Deidara managed to duck underneath it, familiar with Sasori's random attempts of trying to murder him. "Fine, we'll find a nice nearby cave to sleep in! Just shut the hell up!"
Deidara smiled at Sasori, as if he had done absolutely nothing wrong. "Thank you, Danna~!"
-x-
They entered one of the nearby caves that had been carved into the cliff face. The first thing they did was check through out the tunnel to make sure that there weren't any enemies or animals residing inside. Once the place was secure, they finally settled down. Deidara sat down two metres away from the entrance of the cave, and Sasori rolled his eyes. "You're not very insulated there, Brat. You'll probably still end up freezing to death." The red head moved Hiruko to the back of the cave, settling down inside of the puppet.
"Whatever, un; I'll light a fire." Deidara went outside and came back a few minutes later with a few branches of a nearby tree. Sasori watched as the blonde began to set up a fire, but after a while the red head grew bored and dazed off into his mind. "Hey Danna, how come earlier you called me 'Katura'?...Or was it 'Kannara'… 'Katara'…'Karis'?"
Sasori rolled his eyes in annoyance, "Karura. It was an accident, Brat. She was a girl I grew up with who died a few years after I left Sunagakure. She would often go on about how she would marry me if I ever became the Kazekage, and then when I denied, she often called me a homosexual."
"Ouch, un. No wonder you left the village!" Deidara gave a sigh and lay down on the cave floor, "I had a friend called Kurotsuchi, and everyone always had such high hopes for me. They thought that I might grow up to become the next Tsuchikage after old man Onoki, but they were terribly mistaken, un. I was a part of the Explosion Corps, never even became a Genin though. My mother had been strongly against sending me to the Iwagakure Shinobi Academy, so she taught me herself as I inherited her Explosion Release Kekkei Genkai. But she died when I was like four so she only managed to train me for under a year before Onoki took me under his withered old wing."
"Oh," Sasori let go of Hiruko's consciousness, sitting back inside of the puppet dully; "I once fought a girl who had the Explosion Release Kekkei Genkai. She tried to kill me with a bunch of flowers…I can't remember anything else about her though, except that I gave her my bracelet…And she was really blonde…Blonder than you, even…"
Deidara gave a yawn and curled up in a ball on the ground, "That's nice, un. Well, it's a good thing that you didn't become the Kazekage, un; or else that person who kidnapped the Third may have kidnapped you as well."
"I was the one who kidnapped the Third Kazekage, you dense idiot. I kidnapped him, killed him, and then converted him into a puppet." Sasori snickered lightly and shook his head, "The bastard deserved to die; he fucking said that I couldn't become an ANBU Black Ops…"
"Language, un~…You killed him? So it's because of you that my mother went off to fight against Sunagakure?" Sasori couldn't really predict the blonde's feelings from his tone, but he found that he couldn't care and he gave a sound of agreement, "M'kay; goodnight Danna."
"Whatever Brat; prepare to catch a cold from sitting that close to the entrance." Sasori listened to the crackle of the fire that the blonde had made, giving a few seconds of thought. He shrugged slightly and closed his eyes, entering his state of unconsciousness.
-x-
Sasori was awoken rather abruptly, feeling the strange urge that something was wrong. He frowned and took control of Hiruko, looking around. It was still night time, but snow had begun to fall outside, also drifting inside the mouth of the cave. The fire had gone out and Deidara was curled up amongst a wad of snow. His face was almost as white as the pure powder, with tinges of a sickly blue. Oh great, the blonde had gone and got himself frozen to death! Well Sasori had warned him!
The red head noticed a few carrion birds hanging around Deidara's body, but they weren't making any moves to start gorging themselves on him. Sasori frowned and also took note that one of said crows was currently situated next to Hiruko, looking up at the puppet…Huh? A bird had woken him up? But he was only awoken from his unconscious state when something with powerful chakra moved into or within his range…
Revelation struck Sasori, and without much of a second thought he opened up Hiruko's hatch. The crow quietly fluttered into the air and landed on his lap, gazing up at him with an ominous 'caw'. Sasori blinked down at the bird and purposely looked into the crow's eyes, letting himself become swallowed up by the genjutsu of Itachi Uchiha…