Deidara rose from where he had fallen into a peaceful slumber after Baelerion had stopped his chirps and clicks that had awoken him a few times throughout the night. He stretched, then wrapped his green jacket around his torso once again. The morning brought a fog that lingered above the pond which decorated the outside of the temple. Once Deidara had slipped on his sandals, he took it upon himself to gather some logs of wood for a fire to make breakfast; as far as he could tell his day would be filled with rest and tranquility - a welcome change from the past two months.
All was well. The birds that nested in the trees chirped and fluttered about the forest behind the building, and their sounds echoed throughout the crisp late spring air. His beasts stirred not long after, as hungry and ravenous as they had ever been. Deidara managed to only give Eros a quick stroke on the head before his children had left him in search of their own meal. He did not fret, however, for he knew they would be back before nightfall. They would always come back to their parent eventually, something he felt was true to his very marrow.
The grass was soft and lush beneath his sandals as Deidara browsed the temple and its surroundings for any spare wood or loose stones. It seemed that the area had been abandoned long ago, or at least it had been thoroughly looted prior to his arrival.
He saw his winged children circling not too far off in the distance; perhaps it was safer to stay close to his darlings for the day, until he knew that he was entirely safe to trek to the next town. He could have crafted a bird to fly himself from place to place, but that would risk him being seen. With the knowledge that his pursuers assumed he was dead, Deidara had small desire to risk yet another unfortunate encounter.
From the top of the rolling hill the temple was built upon he could see a small village on the horizon. Smokestacks rose from chimneys on shanty roofs, and a little river crept by the tiny settlement and glistened in the sunrise like a million little diamonds. Deidara fancied a short trip to the village, if only to ask the residents if they had seen his family. He would likely need some food for the journey as well, but that wouldn't be quite as simple to obtain without money.
He looked at the little ball of clay in his hand, while the mouth on his palm licked the mound in an aimless lashing. I could do it, he thought, and anything that dared to chase him would have to fly to even try to drag him back home. Home - that was something he hadn't thought of the Earth Country as in forever. His home seemed like a fuzzy picture in his mind nowadays, a distant memory or a tale from his childhood that he felt slip away from him with each passing day.
He heard one of his beasts screech in the distance. Birds flew from their trees in droves as Eros ascended with his great white wings, and gracelessly carried himself to where Deidara stood. His little beauty spared no time in tackling his parent, which sent him to the ground with his mouth and hair full of soft feathers. Deidara chuckled; if it were any other one of his children it would have nearly killed him, but Eros had the most gentle little soul. He couldn't kill a single creature even if he tried, a trait Deidara wished had been prominent in more than just one of his children.
"Sweet one, stop, you're a bit too big for that now," Deidara said as he ruffled Eros's head feathers. His little beauty chirped and clicked in a manner not unlike his brothers, but much more soft and calm.
Eros cuddled against Deidara's side as he laid there, pinned in-place by his gentle giant as he prepared for an after meal nap. His other children would likely be back soon, and Deidara knew he should be looking for his own breakfast, but nothing felt better than the brief moments of peace he had with his little beasts.
Deidara gave up his feeble attempt to free himself from his beast's fluffy grasp, all while his other beloved children swooped and loped to where he lay. It wasn't long before they all had curled up around him and Eros, who had taken the prime spot next to their parent. Red kept a single eye open and fixated on Deidara with a firey glare, quite possibly waiting for an opportunity to steal his brother's spot.
Onyx stalked about for a while before he laid down with the rest, however. He gave an occasional snarl or snap at nothing, and each time the ferocious sound sent Deidara's heart racing. He grew every day, and nothing Deidara ever did was enough to placate him for very long. He wondered if a day would come when Onyx forgot he was his parent, to which he curled up in Eros's soft feathers and squeezed his eyes shut.
A small amount of time passed before Deidara heard a noise from the pond, almost like a fish that had jumped out of the water and onto the land. Fish did sound quite tasty for his breakfast, so Deidara attempted to gently move Eros once more. Much to his surprise, his little beauty pinned him down with even more force than before as he emanated little clicks and coos while he gazed off into the distance.
Deidara couldn't see very much beyond a sea of white and blue from the sky above, for Eros had practically sat on him now. He heard his little beasts all click and growl in a cacophony of grumbles and chirps at an unknown source. He wished he could see what had caused so much fuss amongst his children, but he supposed it would have been a damper on his otherwise lovely morning he was having.
As quickly as the threat had appeared, it had disappeared to somewhere Deidara could not see from where his now-calmed beasts rested among him. It was a good while before Eros shuffled off to the side ever-so-slightly, but just enough for Deidara to roll out from under him and set out to make use of the abundant hours of sunlight he still had.
After he had maneuvered himself away from his furious children, Deidara made his way to the pond to check for the source of the noise from earlier. Nothing lined the banks of the pond at all, much to his dismay, but he resolved to search for a different game for his meal. There were plenty of birds in the trees in the nearby forest; maybe one of them was nice and fat.
The soft crunch of foliage and grass beneath his sandals that accompanied the soft breeze and gentle sounds of the woods put Deidara at ease; he was in his element here. It was in his nature to hunt and gather in the woods of his own land. His right hand remained propped on his clay pack, while his left hand he used to grip branches and bend them to create a trail back to the temple once he had caught his breakfast.
Deidara whirled around as he heard the sound of a small tree branch break. Before him stood a prize, timid and deft. She'd be tough to catch if she ran, so Deidara took it upon himself to start the prepwork for the eventual cooking a little early by creating a little clay bird to gently fly towards the doe.
He remained as still as could be, for the two had locked eyes and one wrong step would send her galloping through the forest to safety. He slowly reached his left hand into his clay pack, letting the orifice on his palm chew a bit of clay to mould into a delicate dove with fire in her wings. Deidara saw the fear in her eyes, yet the poor thing lingered.
As the little white dove fluttered up from behind his back where he had kept his hand out of the view of his lunch, an audible crunch that accompanied cracks and careless shuffling through the forest floor was heard by the doe and Deidara. The former of which bolted off with abandon, and the latter of which let his dove burst to quell his frustration over the meal that had slipped through his fingers.
Fuming, Deidara whirled around to see what it was that had ruined his opportunity for a decent breakfast. As quickly as his hands dove into his clay pack, he withdrew them without a single mound of clay. His arms trembled and butterflies flew about in his belly, for His Prince appeared before him. Clad in black, and his eyes and hair as dark as his smile, he filled Deidara with excitement that he had assumed wasn't possible anymore.
"Hey there, Sunshine, it's been a while. You look great," His Prince said, as he looked him up and down.
The flattery worked on the boy that wore dirt and grime like a second skin, and his giddiness was on full display within moments of seeing His Prince's face.
He approached him and fell into his arms, and felt as if he were melting as he was hugged by the older man. If it were a dream, and a dream it may have been - he didn't want to wake from it.
"I knew you'd come back for me, I've missed you," Deidara said, and nuzzled his face into his chest.
His Prince stroked his long blond locks as they embraced. "You've grown, Sunshine. You look a few years older now, just about an adult now."
"Yes, yes I have, hm," Deidara said, nodding in agreement while still pressed against his chest.
It was hard to believe it had only been six months since this had started, from the day he was married off to Han. His first husband had died now, as did his second. Perhaps if he were to take a third, he could ask His Prince to live with him once he took back his home.
"You're quiet today, Sunshine. Is something on your mind?" His Prince asked, pulling himself away from Deidara's embrace.
Deidara heard the cries of his children off in the distance, only he didn't want to return to them just yet. He saw them all the time, and he feared His Prince would soon vanish once more.
"Why did you visit me now, hm? I'm just curious," Deidara said as he looked away from the older man's gaze. He was still held by his shoulders by the man, so there was no way to put any more distance between them as he felt his body grow embarrassingly hot.
"I came to propose to you, of course!" he said with a toothy grin, and a chuckle that rang in Deidara's ears as he blushed.
Silence followed the failed jape, with only the echo of birds and cicadas that chirped through the forest as Deidara remained awkwardly in His Prince's grip.
"I was only kidding, Sunshine," His Prince said after he cleared his throat, removing one hand from Deidara's svelte shoulder. His grip was so tight that he may have a bruise on the morrow with His Prince's fingerprint within it.
"I...wouldn't mind being your husband, hm," Deidara said as he squirmed, squeezing his legs together as he fought to look away from His Prince until he settled on staring at the forest floor.
"Then I'll make you a proposal," His Prince said shortly after Deidara's words left his lips.
His blue eyes widened, in a state of disbelief that this was happening to him. "Really?"
"You'll be my bride, but only once you've fulfilled three tasks for me. With me so far?" His Prince asked, to which Deidara nodded.
"Fantastic. First, you need to prove to me that you're strong enough to stand beside me. Next, you can't ever love anyone more than you love me. I'll be who you worship, adore, all that good stuff. Still sounds good?"
"Yes, I'll do it!" Deidara said, without a single thought or care.
"Third, you need to do everything I command, no matter what it is. Wear my ring for me, and no matter what, you must always submit to me."
Deidara paused. He didn't understand why His Prince had such demands of him, but his heart ached for the touch of one he loved. I will be strong, he thought, I will be the next Tsuchikage, and my prince will fall head over heels at my might.
"Yes or no, Sunshine?" His Prince asked, placing a hand on his cheek.
"Yes. I'll do it, one day, I'll be worthy of you, hm," Deidara said, his voice softening as he finally looked upon His Prince's face. The scars weren't too bad, really.
"Good, good. Here, give me your right hand," His Prince grabbed his right wrist regardless and slipped a ring onto his index finger. Deidara silently examined it, the white metal went nicely with the blue top, which displayed a kanji he could not read on it.
"It's beautiful...my..." Deidara paused as he looked back up at His Prince. "I'm sorry, what's your real name. Now that we're engaged, we should formally introduce ourselves."
"My name is Obito. It's nice that you finally asked, Deidara."
Deidara's heart skipped a beat. He had known this entire time what his name was? He felt foolish, like a child being kept from the knowledge adults had as his parents did with him when they discussed serious matters. Yet this felt far more humiliating.
"I didn't know that you already knew my name, hm," Deidara muttered as Obito pulled him back into his grip.
"You'll have plenty of time to learn to be less selfish, my sunshine. Until then, I must go. Take care to remember your tasks," Obito said.
Before Deidara could say another word, Obito had vanished into thin air once more. He stood there for a time, his shoulders slumped after being held so long. As he looked around the empty forest clearing, he heard the chirps of his little flyer, Zephyr, from where the temple was. With only butterflies instead of breakfast to fill his stomach, he made his way back to his beasts in defeat.
As he passed the pond once more he heard the same sound from before, though this time it was a far more audible plunk. A crow flew about in circles above the temple as well, which his children seemed greatly upsetted by. Eros's feathers were ruffled to the point that he looked like a giant snowball, and Zephyr flapped his wings about, kicking up dirt and dust. Deidara noted he would need a bath later because of that.
While Onyx continued to sleep and ignore his brothers in bliss, Red and Baelerion both had taken to the roof to snap at the crow every time it got too close. My children, so furious and territorial. They're my ticket back home, I know it. Deidara mused to himself as he proudly watched his beasts fend off any perceived threat from their parents' abode.
After a quick jaunt around the temple, Deidara had come to the decision that there was no immediate danger that he could see. His beasts likely just didn't care for the crow that continued to circle above the tile-roofed place of worship. With nary a warning sign in sight, Deidara stepped back into the temple to check once more for any firewood or scraps of food he might have missed on the first two searches.
"You'd think they'd have a vegetable garden, or bread, or something, hm," Deidara muttered to himself as he began to sift through the pots and pans in the storage cabinet with little regard for the noise the clangs of the pots made against each other as he moved them around.
Deidara paused as he felt the cold metal of the ring press against his finger when he gripped an old piece of cloth in his hand. After all this time, he knew who I was, and I never asked for his name, Deidara thought as he admired the aqua adornment upon his finger. If only he could read what it said, then maybe he could figure out what Obito's surname was. That would require a proper teacher, however, but it was something he could sort out once he found his family.
He wondered what his mother and Nendou would think of Obito, his prince who had saved him from the tower where the evil king had held him prisoner. Perhaps Nendou had also found a bride, or maybe his mother had remarried. Though the latter was as likely as late summer rain in Wind Country; even Deidara could feel the love his mother and father had for each other radiating off of them when they were together.
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the door open in the front. He had to hold himself back from making a sound, but once he had steadied his shaking appendages Deidara quietly put down the tin he held in his hands and tucked himself into a nook on the side of the pantry.
The footsteps were quiet, graceful, and deft. He could barely hear who had entered the temple at all. He peeked out one of the slats on the pantry door to try and see who had entered, but the shadows of the temple kept the dark figure that skulked about unidentifiable from where Deidara currently hid.
After a few minutes of the intruder skulking around the temple, the soft footsteps grew quieter yet. Deidara let another moment pass before he gently opened the pantry door, and tiptoed over to the entrance while his back firmly pressed against the wall.
Deidara sighed; he was safe again, but he knew it was best to move onward in his journey. He liked the idea of being pursued down the road not one little bit, so he reached into his clay pack to begin moulding an eagle to fly away on. The only part that would delay his cause, however, was coaxing his children to follow him.
His flyers did not trouble him, but Onyx was another story. Even as he peered outside from the temple's shadows, he could see his ferocious wolf snarling at him even as he lay to rest. Deidara toyed with the idea of leaving him behind, but he was likely to become a menace to the village nearby and many others if he set him free. He couldn't let innocent people die because of his own creation.
"Excuse me," he heard a voice that belonged to a man from behind him, one that dripped with honey and vinegar. He dared not turn around; maybe he had mistaken him, but his legs trembled all the same.
"Excuse me, Deidara, is it?" he asked.
Deidara felt his heart skip a beat; this man was here for him. Damned was his luck, could he not have a single day free of trial? He whirled around to look at this newest hitman, but the sight of the dark haired man that stood before him calmed the young blond man.
His coat was one of red clouds on black, and a headband of another nation adorned his head, but a gash ran through the crest as Roshi's had. Obito had told him of this group - his group. He had nothing to fear from this man, not truly. The fiancée of the leader would never be harmed by their own, would he?
"What is it I can help you with?" Deidara asked as he slowly edged to the very front of the temple.
"We've been sent here by our leader with explicit instructions to bring you back with us, are you going to come quietly?" The dark haired man asked.
Deidara raised an eyebrow. "Why would your boss ask you guys to bring me to wherever? He can just do that himself."
"Insolent," he heard a deep growl from across the main room. A large, hunched figure emerged from the shadows, and shuffled until he was a few meters behind the first man.
"What was that?" Deidara snapped. That hunched beast reminded him of Sasori.
"He looks like he's got a bit of fight in him, I don't think he'll come so quietly, Itachi," another man said with a chuckle as he appeared beside the others.
This one was even more monstrous, with blue skin and a height longer than his old home's ceiling. Together, the three men before him made Deidara feel sick in his belly. He wanted to run, but it seemed that his beasts were already aware of the intruders before him, and had begun to creep up behind their parent with their teeth bared.
The dark haired man sighed. "We'll never have a productive conversation like this. Tell your pets to back down, we're not looking to cause harm to you."
"Like I haven't heard that a thousand times by now, hmph! So what'll it be? Chains, or maybe you've brought a cage to carry me off in?" Deidara snapped at the man, who in turn looked down at him with contempt that glistened in the cold steel pools of his eyes.
"Don't know where you got that idea, kid. We're here to offer you protection from the kinds of people who'd put you in chains, cages, even the guillotine," the large blue man said with an ominous chuckle that followed.
"It's true that we offer it, but it seems like the boy can protect himself already. Not many would get too close to someone guarded by five beasts over half his size," the stout one said. Deidara liked this one the best so far.
"It doesn't matter what may or may not be, our leader asked us to recruit him into our group. We have only one goal, and that's what matters - no matter what is snarling behind him."
The raven haired man stared down at Deidara's hand, the one that bore his ring. Eyes of black looked over the honey haired boy, with a gaze as cold and indifferent as the black frost that reeked of death. Deidara found himself at a loss for words, even as his hand was taken by the man's own and a look of amusement gleamed in his eyes for a mere moment.
"Deidara..." he began, then his eyes shot up to Deidara's own azure ones, bright and fearful as they were. "Please tell your beasts to back down. We have explicit orders to not harm you, but you have to hear us out."
Deidara nodded his head, slowly, as if he were contemplating his decision. As cold and dark as his eyes were, they felt familiar to him in a way that a hearth or a down quilt would. Something cold, yet warm. Something deep inside him fluttered about as their eyes locked.
Deidara waved his hand gently about behind his back, then turned around and gave a calm smile to his children. It worked, at least for now. He couldn't make a guarantee that they would not attack them regardless of their intent, a fact that he saw best to conceal for now.
"That's not good enough, have him watch them. I don't like the look that red dragon is giving me," the stubby one said with a throaty growl.
And just when I was starting to like you, Deidara thought. He heaved a sigh, and turned to face his children as their eyes followed their parent while he sat down on the floor of the entrance. He took a ball of clay into his hands as he made sure to not let his beloved little darlings out of his sight - at least for now.
"Good, now that everyone looks all settled in - Itachi, why not give out that formal invitation. That way no one can say we didn't try every route of peace with this boy," the blue man said, then he heaved his sword upon his shoulder to rest. It seemed to Deidara that they were not entirely honest about their intent, if not for the sword then surely the stout one's metal tail that flicked about in a menacing way.
"Very well," the man called Itachi said. "Deidara, you're being recruited into our organization, the Akatsuki. We would appreciate your cooperation in our future endeavors."
Deidara scoffed as he watched his children fly off into the forest for their lunch. "The Akatsuki? Don't know of them, and I don't care. Now that I've given you my answer, get lost! You're keeping me from my art application time."
Deidara began to mould the mound of clay into an eagle, as he sensed these men were not apt to leave at his command. His eyes darted around the horizon for a sight of his children, but he saw no sign of them yet. He'd have to buy himself a little time. He got up from where he sat, and turned to face the three men in dark coats.
"And I'm to take this brat on as my partner. Sure, he's full of energy, but what teenager isn't? Seems like the 'early death' type if you ask me," the stout one said.
Deidara began to mould his clay once more, this time into a spider. Early death? Never. There was far too much he had to do before he could find himself a nice plot of land to lie in.
Itachi's eyes kept focused on Deidara without falter. "It's our leader's orders. His talent will be very useful."
Deidara felt his breathing grow erratic. Stay calm, don't let them trick you. They might want you to admit it, don't choke, stay calm, don't start running.
The young blond swallowed the lump in his throat. "You know about my talent? But how? Who are you? Talk."
"We know you're aiding anti government factions with terrorist bombings, and we are also aware that you're a rogue ninja. So what exactly is your purpose?" The blue man said. Deidara liked this one the best by now, as he had done nothing to upset him just yet.
"Purpose?" Deidara tried to hide his enthusiasm at their incredibly inaccurate intel on him, but the lie was convenient, and the truth could stay well-hidden under it.
"I...don't need a purpose. I take commissions to make explosions, using my art!" And that's the truth, as far as they need to know.
"Art?" The stout man said, as his eyes briefly lit up at Deidara's mention of art.
"Yeah. . . ." Deidara affirmed, slightly put off by all three men focused on him at once. How long had they been looking at him like that, with such intensity?
"Look," Deidara began, holding out his clay spider. "Well? Such refined lines, and a form that pursues the two-dimensional deforme! This is true art!" He would have to thank Nendou when he saw him again for what he taught him about art. "But! My art goes far beyond this as well. My pieces are versatile. While they hold shape, they're merely objects. But they can explode, and when it does explode it makes its existence more sublime. Then it finally comes fully into its own!"
Deidara could tell they were all looking at him still, but with concern that flickered about their faces as they tried to remain stoic. There was no choice but to continue; he might as well cement himself as a loon to these strange men, maybe they'd leave him alone for it.
"I feel that true art lives only in that flash of sublimation! True art is an explosion!"
An awkward silence permeated the air of the temple. Deidara could tell they were tired of the pleasantries, so he prepared another mound of clay into an eagle behind his back, and a centipede to go along with his escape.
"Disgusting," the stout man growled. Deidara was sure he misliked this one above the other two by far now.
"Is he finished?" The blue man asked, his face the only one that wore true concern. He liked none of these men, he decided.
"Who knows. Who cares. I'll handle this, and we'll be on our way," Itachi said.
A peculiar sight graced Deidara's eyes. Itachi's eyes had gone from cold steel to red, a bloody crimson that peered into Deidara's mind and ripped through his eyes, ears and chest. He paused; perhaps that was a mistake.
What's with his eyes? Deidara thought to himself. He knew he needed to go on the defensive, and soon.
"You wanna fight?" Deidara asked, trying his damndest to emulate Kurotsuchi when she had stood up to others for him. It was only him now, he and his children. Now he was the protector, and he needed to flee somewhere safe with his darlings.
"If I win, you'll become a member of the Akatsuki," Itachi said, his voice as cold and deep as the trenches of the storming seas.
"That's fine, just don't knock my art! That's what my Ninjutsu is, a noble and refined art, hmph!" Keep them off balance, don't let them know. Don't give anything away. No more chains, no more cages. He repeated that to himself over and over again, as if throwing out a wish into the stars.
He let the centipede crawl down his leg and on to the wooden floor, while he threw the spider directly at Itachi. "Now, feel my art!"
And the explosion was lovely, as sublime as he had spoken of. Had it gotten bigger? Maybe he had used too much chakra, or maybe he was simply growing in prowess.
Itachi sidestepped the blast with the grace of a dancer, though he was far from safe. The same moment his right leg touched the floorboard, his centipede burst from the woodwork and wrapped itself around the raven-haired man. Adieu to cold steel and crimson, all his future showed him were gold and blue skies.
Deidara couldn't even repress his chuckle. "You talk big, but it looks like that's all you've got. You're done."
As he lifted his left index and middle finger to turn steel to flaming roses, Itachi interrupted his performance.
"Am I?" He said with the faintest hint of a mocking tone. "You should take a good look at yourself."
Azure eyes gazed into lifeless pools of crimson, and in an instant Deidara felt something tight constrict around his body. He looked down, and fought the urge to yell. His own centipede was wrapped around him as a child clinged to its mother's breast.
"W-what? But how?" Deidara asked.
The blue haired man smirked. "That was close, a little later and you'd have blown yourself up."
"I told you he was the type who's going to die an early death," the stout man said.
Deidara hated these three men more than anyone else in the world at the moment.
"Gen...jutsu…" Deidara began once he jogged his memory of Han's teachings. "Since when?"
"Right from the beginning of the day. When you saw the crow flying above this little shack, you were already under his spell."
Deidara gazed down at his hand in horror. No ring. None of it had been real, none of it. It was always him. He invaded his mind, his dreams. This disgusting, vile man who bathed in dreams and blood in a tub of iron.
As Itachi gazed down at him from his high perch, the light from the bright afternoon sky poured into the room where a hole now decorated the wall behind him. Crimson and azure locked on each other, in a never ending silent argument of "how could you" and "because I could".
He hated it, this feeling inside his chest. The pit of his stomach was no longer butterflies, but vermin that feasted upon the decay he harbored inside. He felt dirty, and Itachi looked so clean as he stood upon his pedestal. He suspected he had been standing there for a while, and that he was not the only one who felt so disgusting.
"You lost," Itachi said, monotonous and unfeeling. As if Deidara didn't already see what was right in front of him. He would need to flee at a later time, as right now an escape was futile.
So he stood there, furious and filthy inside. He heard Red cry in the distance; it seemed their lunch was over, as was his brief taste of freedom.
"Excellent work securing the target, Itachi," an unfamiliar voice said. Deidara whirled around to face the man who had said that, a taller man with orange hair and metal piercings in almost every part of his face that mattered. He looked Deidara up and down, with eyes even more sinister than Itachi's own. Deidara misliked all of these men, and Itachi the most of them all.
"Deidara, from now on you'll be a part of our organization. You'll be tasked with hunting and capturing the tailed beasts that plague the world. In return we offer the safety to do whatever it is you want in the meantime, provided you capture your assigned beast." The orange-haired man said.
Anything? Hope that includes leave, Deidara thought to himself. "And you are? Are you the one in charge of everything here?"
"By 'everything', if you mean the Akatsuki, then yes. You will address me as Pain, and this man here will be your partner. Sasori, please take it from here. Itachi and Kisame, thank you for helping correct this ridiculous mistake."
"Be seeing you two," Kisame said in a friendly enough voice, and even spared a wave goodbye before he walked off.
Itachi eyed Deidara one last time, who only glared back in return. He'll pay for what he did, and I'll find out what makes me feel so ill about that man. It was a promise forged in crimson blood and azure fire, and one that would end in ashes of cold, dark grey.
It was only he and Sasori now. Funny, this hulking figure had the same name as the beastly young man he had endured in Sundance. This one may have been on the more rugged side of the genepool, but he knew that looks meant little in terms of character. Itachi alone attested to that truth.
"I know you're about as thrilled with this arrangement as I am, Deidara. Back at Sundance, I had intended to leave you be," Sasori said. Deidara looked on at him, stunned at what he was hearing. This man was nothing like that awful redhead! What was he witnessing unfold before his very eyes.
"H-how?" Deidara asked, forcing the question from his throat.
"My shell, quite a form of protection, isn't it? I can't say I agree with your stance on art, but we'll fix that soon enough. We'll fix everything."
Deidara remained silent and let Sasori continue to speak, for his answers right now were more interesting than any apologies he had to give for being forced to join an organization that offered him some vague form of protection.
"I suppose before we get ourselves settled into our new home we'll be sharing, I should take you on a proper mission. No more practice runs. Starting today, our mission is an independent assignment I've given to our team."
"And what might that be, hm?" Deidara asked, his head cocked.
"We'll be killing my old partner, one who's defected our little group. You see, there's only one way out of the Akatsuki, and it's through a bodybag," Sasori said, his metal tail hovering around Deidara.
"I may or may not sympathize how happy you must be with your predicament here, and I may be willing to lend a little of my aid to you - but not right now. Now, you're going to be my partner that will help me kill that slithering bastard, Orochimaru."