How Art Came to Be
In the High and Far off times, my Best Beloved, there was a little bird with sunlight hair and sky-blue eyes who longed for freedom. This is the tale of how the little bird met a caterpillar who could remember a life before and how he came to spread his art for all to enjoy.
"You can't run forever demon!"
Well duh. He didn't need to be reminded of that when every breath sent a stabbing pain into his side.
He took a sharp left into an alleyway, jumping over the garbage bags spilling in front of its entrance. A right then another left. He didn't usually have to run this far into the backalleys. Most of the time they gave up following him after a couple alleyways or so then he could make his way back to his territory in an abandoned pottery store. So why were they so persistent today? Its not like he stole anything more valuable than usual. The bread was stale anyway!
He ducked into another alleyway pulling his long hair under his hood to hide it. It felt greasy and disgusting and ugh what was that cold slimy stuff? He was going to have to find some somewhat clean water to wash it but that was a worry for after he managed to hide from these brutes.
The thundering steps came to a halt a short way from where he was crouching. Dammit he hoped that they would just keep running. He tried to keep his breaths steady and quiet. In two three four out two three four. Please walk past. Please walk past.
"Hey brat! Come on out! We just want to have a little fun … we need to pay you back for all the things you gave us after all."
There's no one here. Please walk past.
"Is this gold hair I see…"
Then he was hanging by his rope of hair in front of two blood shot eyes staring into his.
The man grinned showing his yellow gravestone teeth.
"Hey guys I found it!"
"What do you want, un"
He knew better than to struggle. It only made it worse. Instead he clenched his hands into fists so they didn't spot his mouth hands. He glanced at the man's friends circled around them careful not to stare in case the twitchy bastards took it the wrong way.
"As I said. We just want a little fun…" their smiles made him feel uncomfortable and he wished that he could shrink away into nothing.
"Fun I'm sure you could have without the kid and not in front of my house."
The man holding him snapped his head towards the voice a snarl upon his lips "Fu-"
"My face is up here you alcohol pickled midget."
Midget is not a word Deidara would use to describe the man holding him up like a carrot, but compared to the really intimidating figure looming over his captor …
"Now let the kid go."
"You mean this one?" the man said jerking Deidara between the giant and himself.
The giant nods a frown spread across their face as Deidara yelped at the motion.
"This aint no kid," the man takes a confrontational step closer to the giant and Deidara reevaluates his intelligence to be in the negative levels because the smart thing would be to run for their lives. "This" he gestures at Deidara again in a sloppy motion "is a demon." Deidara can feel the smug pride in the man's tone emanating in waves and wonders what he did wrong for people to hate him as they did. To his surprise the giant starts laughing. It is low and rumbling and maybe in different circuimstances it would sound warm and comforting but there is no pleasure in this laugh. As it echoes through the alleyway all he wants to do is run. His day had started off horribly and whatever god was in charge of his luck must be either high off his rocker or have started a roulette on how to make his life hell.
"Oh my little man … your brain has clearly not just been pickled, but smaller that a rice grain to begin with." The giant drawls. Deidara really wants to nod his head in agreement but someone is holding him up by his hair and his scalp is screaming in agony. "The demon is right in front of you. NOT in your hand."
The giant smiles. And it is not nice at all.
"Now drop the kid and maybe I won't cull you and your friends as a service to intelligent society."
The man drops Deidara onto the ground. Deidara takes the time to rub his scalp because ow hair is not meant to be used as a hand hold.
"Now run." They do and as Deidara watches them stumble down the alleyway they don't seem so scary anymore.
Unlike the giant who has walked up and crouched next to him without him noticing and he's not quite sure how. For some reason the guy literally towering over him despite crouching and sneaky did not gel together very well in his head.
"So kid not to be creepy or anything but its late out and my home is just behind this doorway so if you'd like to stay just nod or something." He grins. Its one of the ones that makes the corners of the eyes to crinkle, the kind he sees on parents when their kids do something stupid like show them a weirdly shaped rock. Deidara ignores the image of his own rock collection next to his bed. That's different. "After all, demon's have to stick together."
Deidara's face feels hot and he really wishes the red haired guy with the stupid grey stripe in the middle of his face would just stop rolling around on the floor like an idiot.
"Stop laughing, un!"
"You thought our" he bursts into another round of laughs sending him rolling into the wall "Haia was a guy!"
"Shut up!"
Deidara glances up at the man, no woman in question who looks down at the laughing idiot with a stern face.
"You've got no room to talk Roshi, it took you a year living with Han and I before you figured it out."
"It's just the kid's face! Oh tell me you got a picture of it. It wouldn't be fair if our hall of fame only has my face in it."
"Well maybe when you've quit your job dusting the floor you can go get said camera." She crouches down so that they are around the same height "Now how about we get you off the couch and into bed cos I'm not waiting around for this guy to grow some brain cells." Up close he can tell that her stern face isn't serious by the way her mouth is twitching 's been living with them and Haia's twin for about a week now and he still doesn't know why she called herself and the others demons. Maybe it was something like what the pretty onee-sans said about men passing by the shops although he didn't quite understand why someone would be called 'a demon in bed'. If you were a demon wouldn't you be a demon everywhere. Or maybe it was some kind of disguise jutsu. If it was it had to be a good jutsu. Only a good jutsu would make the onee-sans with painted faces so happy they didn't even notice him and boast about not being able to walk. If he knew a jutsu like that then nobody would try to hurt him anymore. Hey Haia was a shinobi, maybe she would know.
She reaches slowly to pick him up and he does not resist.
"Haia-san, un."
"Nee-san is fine if you want."
He can feel the vibrations of her chest as she speaks and its comfortable and warm.
"Can you teach me how to be 'a demon in bed'?"
The howls of laughter that had just quieted behind them in the living room quickly cresendo back into a roar.
He feels her chakra flicker in surprise and suddenly he is afraid that he said the wrong thing and that she'd hate him and throw him out and he wouldn't even be allowed to take back his rock collection because she would hate him.
"I think it's a bit early to be asking that one." There is a laughing lilt in her tone and he knows she doesn't hate him. He slumps back into her chest. "You better tell me where you heard it though 'cos if its who I think it is I'm going to go fetch the soap, the stuff in the kitchen is clearly not enough."
There's a cry of "It wasn't me!" from behind them followed by a "blame …" and then muffled shouting. Deidara thinks he hears a snarled "Get off me bastard" and a call for more soap along with some spluttering sounds.
"The pretty onee-sans said it … is it a very hard jutsu, un?"
"That's up to interpretation," She opens his bedroom door. "maybe ask again when your older."
She places him down on the bed and tucks him in before pulling up a chair to sit beside him.
"Can you do that jutsu, un?"
"Again that's up to interpretation, but no I don't think I've ever really tried."
"So why did you say that you guys were demons then?"
"Ah that's something else we should probably leave till your older."
"How old, un?"
"Hmmm well technically it's a village secret so how about when you graduate from the academy. Do you want a story tonight?"
"Yeah."
He like's Haia-nee's stories. He remembers her panicking when he started crying after she offered the first night. Her face had looked so funny halfway stuck between fear and horror that he stopped crying.
"Can you continue the story about the pretty lady with white hair, un?"
"Sure, my Best Beloved. I will tell you the story of how the moon came to be."
Deidara giggled at the funny name she called him in her stories.
"In the High and Far off times the very pretty lady continued her mission of consuming all the chakra she could find taking on the form of a beast with ten tails (you must not forget the number of tails my Best Beloved) …"
"It's not fair!"
"What's not fair my Best Beloved?"
Haia had grown accustomed to little outbursts during her nightly storytelling sessions, but this was the loudest yet.
"Why did all the tailed beasts have to be sealed? None of them actively sought to kill humans besides Shukaku and he was crazy, un!"
"They might not have meant to but they still killed so many. Is it wrong that humans sought a way for them to stop doing so for their own survival."
"They deserve to be free, un. Nobody should be trapped and forced to be a tool."
"So you blame the jinchuriki? Do you fault the people for their fear that caused them to seal the tailed beasts? Do you hate them for depriving the tailed beasts of their freedom?"
"Yes I do! The red haired lady should have just said no to being a container and all the other humans should have staged a boycott so that none of the beasts were sealed, un. How can they enjoy the ephemeral nature of art if they are enslaved to human whims. I hate it! I hate them."
The sound of Deidara's huffing fills the room. He stands in front of Haia, anger radiating through his chakra in explosive bursts that left black soot on the sky-blue walls. She almost wanted to laugh that the anger that polluted his eyes would be reflected in the state of his room.
"I see … so that's how it is."
Haia rises from her chair. A slow movement to ease her aching heart and bring up the shields around it. Maybe it was a mistake to leave herself so vulnerable during their times together. It certainly felt like one now.
"That will be the end of the story for tonight. And might I remind you that not everyone has a choice and not all choices are easy."
She turns and leaves Deidara standing there, walks past her brothers and walks out into the alley outside their house.
Mechanically she makes her way to the training grounds reserved for her family, blood and adopted, outside the the village.
By the time she is there her skin is releasing steam shrouding her form like a cloak till all an outsider would see was a shade in the mist. She slides her feet into a fighting stance and begins the kata of another lifetime, punching boulder's until they were red with her blood and still she continued, eyes glazed and unfocused.
"Kokuo." She ran up to the dolphin-horse, hugging their leg.
"Haia, its been a while since you came here."
She winced "Sorry, I've been busy."
"Yes you have been. The boy was quite a surprise." The tailed beast paused. "You love him don't you."
"As I do Han and Roshi."
"And Nathan. The boy resembles him strongly."
"He does." She lets loose a wet laugh. "I miss him. I miss him so much it aches right here Kokuo." She pats her heart "I miss him and I can't even remember the colour of his eyes or what his hair felt like or even how he his laugh sounded when he teased me." They've rearranged themselves such that Haia is nestled against Kokuo's neck. She's sobbing and Kokuo drops their head to nuzzle her hair.
"Even if you forget all that he is you will never forget how he loved you. That is enough."
"He never said that Kokuo." Somewhere in her mind she knows she is being hysterical, but its true. "I always asked and he would always laugh and say no! He hates me Kokuo, hates me like Deidara does."
Kokuo lets her sobs join the sounds of the crashing waves. Waits until her breathing steadies a little before saying."They are both a lot like Kurama that way aren't they, never telling you what they truly feel. I believe the term to describe them is tsundere? They would not have left such a mark on your heart if they didn't love you as you did them."
There are still little hitches in her breathing but she is calmer now and the storm clouds that have been gathering since Deidara came home from the academy and jerked his hand out from hers when she walked with him to the Academy as she always did when not on a mission are slowly disapearing as if a sheepdog had rounded them all up and driven them off to somewhere else.
"Thanks Kokuo. I really needed that. You know we could try holding another of your family gatherings again since all of us have a mission break."
"That would be nice. I'll try to contact my siblings about it and see if their jinchuriki end up coming along on awake this time."
"Yeah it was pretty funny how all of them were asleep besides Roshi,, Hans and I. They were all so young though. Shukaku's, Chomei's and Kurama's hosts were all babies and the others didn't look all that much older. Killer B was the only one close to our age and he was drunk rapping the entire time."
"Didn't he hit on Roshi?" The dolphin horse lets out a neighing-squeak of a laugh.
"Yeah. That was pretty funny."
"We were all quite surprised. Gyuki said he was into older women."
Haia gasped exxageratedly "Kokuo how could you! Have you been gossiping about us?"
"Yes" they drawled "We've been arranging marriages between all of our jinchuriki. You are to be paired with Yagura. You know, the short one with the pretty green hair that looks like peppermint milk."
"You don't have to remind me B wasn't the only one drunk that night. It's a pity I can't remember Han and Roshi's confused faces."
"Yes and if you don't want to see their and Deidara's worried ones you should leav now."
"Do I have to?" Its comfortable here. There are no secrets between them and its nice not to have to worry about letting something slip.
"You already know the answer to that one."
"Yeah I do. Love you Kokuo" She disapeared from the mindscape with a wave and Kokuo is left alone on the beach that their jinchuriki had constructed from their memories.
"Love you too Haia."
Deidara didn't bother to search the crowd for Haia.
It wasn't necessary when his family was so easy to spot. That there was no other figure towering over the crowds besides Han-niisan and the red spot of hair that was Roshi-niisan meant there was no point searching. She just wasn't there.
Just like she hadn't come home last night. If she had then he wouldn't have woken up on the couch while waiting for her. Sure his brothers would make sure there was a blancket on top of him or a pillow under his head, but Haia would always carry him back into his bed and tuck him in despite his entreaties to just leave him be. She must still be mad about the argument they had last night, but still she promised she would be there for his graduation ceremony.
He knew better than to hold people to their promises.
It was one of the shinobi rules after all.
But it still hurt that she would break her promise to him. Maybe it was because it was the first time? She had broken her promise and the world felt wrong because today should have been the best day in his life.
He focused back on the Tsuchikage's speech about village loyalty and other stuff that he is sure will be important someday, but the old man just kept on going and he found his mind wandering away again. That little green caterpillar crawling up the curtain next to the Tsuchikage was much more interesting.
Highlighter green on dark brown. Not the best colour combination, but meh he could deal with it. What was interesting though was how it kept crawling up the curtain, inching its way towards the top. Even when it fell all the way to the bottom again he would wait a minute or so and the caterpillar would be back to making its way up the curtain. Climb. Fall. Wait. Climb. Fall. Wait. It reminded him of his family, always doing the same cycle of missions, reports, rest and repeat, striving towards something, he's not quite sure what that something is though. Maybe he'd ask Haia over dinner, she'd like to know about the caterpillar, but no he's still angry with her. She would have been watching the caterpillar too if she was here. He focuses back on the caterpillar because its nearly at the top of the curtain and then it falls and he sees the blur of blue that he knows is a Splendid Fairy-Wren because no other bird is that shade of blue snatch it from the air with its beak.
And before he's even fully conscious of what's happening there is a shout (Definitely not a girlish scream) of "No!" and his chakra explodes outwards bcause the caterpillar! And now he wishes he was the one eaten by the bird because the Tsuchikage has stopped his speech and is now staring at him along with the rest of the audience. In the silence he hears Roshi-niisan's howls of laughter and that is not making him feel any better although the Tsuchikage is now glaring at his niisan.
The speech continues and when it (finally) ends and its his turn to accept his forehead protector he also recieves a note written with dust on the cloth telling him to stay afterwards.
So Deidara spends the rest of the time in which his classmates are collecting their headbands to fret about how the Tsuchikage is going to punish him. He comes up with a lot of ways he could be punished for his disrespect and he knows that when he has stopped being angry at nee-san for missing the ceremony even though she promised he's going to inform her that being imaginative is a curse and that she was wrong.
The ceremony is over, the Tsuchikage is making his way over and Deidara knows his imagination is a terrible thing because his lips keep trying to twitch upwards at the mental image of the tiny old man spanking him. And if he laughs now when the Tsuchikage is about to scold him that's just going to make this horrible day even worse. So maybe he won't wait until he has stopped being angry at nee-san to tell her that she was wrong about imagination because this is a very grave mistake that she needs to correct immediately.
"So, your name is Deidara."
"Yes, Tsuchikage-sama."
"Hmmm it was you who interrupted my speech?"
Deidara cringed internally but fought to keep a straight face "This servant apologises for his mistake, Tsuchikage-sama"
"Hmph. At least you know how to apologise even if you can't concentrate on my speech." Was it that obvious he wasn't listening? "I noticed your chakra flare out when you interrupted me and wish to take you on as an apprentice."
"This one is honoured by your interest Tsuchikage-sama, but would like to seek permission from his guardians first." Deidara had never thought Han-niisan's lessons on 'polite speech' were actually useful and not just a punishment for damaging the house.
"Have they started training you on how to best utilise your kekkai genkai?"
"This one was not aware that he had one Tsuchikage-sama."
There is a lull in the conversation and Deidara wonders if he had said something wrong.
"Hmph. What are your guardian's names that I might have an appointment arranged for them."
"This one's guardians are Han-san, Roshi-san and Haia-san, Tsuchikage-sama."
There is another pause and Deidara steels himself against a shiver as the old man's eyes take on a cold, flinty quality that makes him feel like a piece of meat being quietly assessed by those little old ladies who are feared as the most terrifying hagglers in Iwagakure.
He can hear Roshi-niisan's shouts at the door but the distance is too far for Deidara to figure out what he is saying, but from the way the old man's nose wrinkles, setting his face into a sneer it is not something nice.
"I will have to find you better accomodations. Arrive at my office along with your so-called guardians in a week's time at 1 pm." The short man sweeps from the room, green robes swirling like one of the gypsy dancers nee-san and showed him in a genjutsu and dammit there goes his imagination again. He did not want the mental image of the old man in one of those skimpy blouses.
Deidara walks out of the hall to find Roshi-niisan slumped against the wall coughing. Han-niisan who had been crouched worriedly over Roshi immediately steps over towards him hands clamping over his shoulders and doing a visual scan of his front before turning him around to scan over his back.
"You ok, kid?" croaks Roshi-niisan before coughing and spitting out what looks like watered down mud onto the floor.
"Yeah, un. What about you?" Roshi-niisan isn't looking all that good and he knows he must have looked worse before because even now the red marks around his wrists are fading.
"You don't need to worry about me, kid, 'though is appreciated. We should go back home and see if your nee-san is awake yet. Han?"
"Yeah, soon. They said she needed to let off some steam." Han held out a hand to Roshi, who shook his head and stumbled to his feet.
"Neesan slept through my entire ceremony?" Deidara's heart hurt again. Was he that unimportant to her?
"Not by choice, kid. Not by choice."
They find her leaning heavily against a wall, moving step by slow step towards them, a trail of blood along the wall.
"Sorry about missing your graduation Best Beloved. Woke up and you guys were already gone, guess I took too long trying to getting prettied up. Forgive me?" She grins. There are dark shadows under her eyes. She didn't come to his graduation but at least she tried.
"You're a liar, un."
"What are you talking about beloved? Don't you know how long it takes a lady to pretty up?" She's playing with him yet he still lets out a snort, making his way to her side.
He remembers the time the academy had a session on infiltration in which everyone had to cross-dress. He had asked her for help. The results still haunt his worst nightmares. It is for the good of humanity that she never wears makeup.
"You shouldn't have come out."
"I promised otouto." Han nods acknowledging her reasoning. He knows what broken promises do to her.
"Yeah, yeah, you and your promises, doll. Lets get back home. We have a lot to talk about."
"Oi that was a twin moment you just ruined!"
Deidara laughs. The weight of the meeting with his kage seems lighter now. He loves his family. You just can't stay angry with them.
"Your all jinchuriki, un?" Something aches inside him. He feels betrayed that his siblings keep something so important a secret from him for so long … did he really know them? Everything makes sense now the faster healing factor, huge chakra stores even why nobody stands around them in a crowd if they can help it. Haia's reaction last night makes so much sense.
"Sorry kid, we couldn't tell you until you entered the ranks. It's a village secret and all that rubbish." Roshi has already cleansed the wounds on his wrist and is now helping Haia wrap bandages around her ribs.
"Its ok if you hate us beloved." Haia smiles at him and he can tell how fake it is. "You'd still be welcome here even if you did and if you want I'm sure Tsuchikage-sama would help find you a safe space of your own. If you never want to meet us again, if you never want to see us again or tallk to us just tell us your boundaries and we will do our best to respect them." Her smile looks so painful that Deidara isn't even sure it could be classified as a smile. Smiles were supposed to be happy weren't they?
"Be careful of Tsuchikage-sama though. For everything he gives he will take a thousand-fold in blood." Han warns. Eyes sad and knowing as he pours tea into four well-worn cups.
Deidara remembers Haia's parting words from last night and they echo in his mind. Did his siblings (can he even call them that anymore?) have a choice?
"Why did you become jinchuriki?"
They all still in their movements.
"Elders first?" asks Haia
"I'm pretty sure the saying was ladies first." Roshi argues.
They both turn to Han who points at Roshi who gives him a look of betrayal.
Han shrugs "I like living."
Deidara wants to laugh because this is so typical of them.
"Fine. Its not a great story like the ones Haia tells you at night its not even all that appropriate. So basically the Tsuchikage had a brother, guy was a bastard, raped an Uzumaki refugee. Said refugee got pregnant and didn't have the guts to end the kid even when she didn't want him. Brings kid to Tsuchikage. They do an exchange, housing for the refugee and the kid for the Tsuchikage. Kid was perfect material for a jinchuriki so when I was around three they sealed Son into me. It's the typical story for most jinchuriki."
"So you didn't have a choice."
"I'm legally the property of the Tsuchikage so no I didn't kid."
"Haia-nee?"
"Was never meant to be a jinchuriki." Finishes Han. Deidara watches him make eye contact with Haia, who nods once. Han continues. "You might have noticed in school that Iwa has only ever had male jinchuriki. Males are typically thought to be better jinchurkis than females because they are commonly thought to be less emotionally impacted by becoming jinchuriki" Haia snorts "and their seals don't weaken at childbirth. I was the only male of a Tsuchikage lineage of the correct age group and able to fully comprehend what being a jinchuriki meant. If I had refused they would have chosen someone less suitable."
"And noble idiot that he was decided to agree."
"Lass you've no room to talk when you went to get surgery to make yourself eligible as a candidate so Han wouldn't have to."
"When I got Kokuo sealed within me we found that they had also flowed into Haia. It is likely that this is because we are twins but there might have been other factors."
"Further experimentation found that since I had no seal the amount of Kokuo within me is fluid but usually stable around half, with the rest in Han."
Deidara had a headache. This was just too much. He hated jinchuriki for trapping the bijuu. He loved his family. He loved his village and so he loved his Tsuchikage, yet he hated the one that trapped his family. Too much emotions twisting his heart into ever more complicated knots. He just needed to get away from it all. Without making eye contact he goes to his room.
He leaves to meet the Tsuchikage the next day.
He doesn't come back.
The old man had no appreciation for true art.
All the old man cared about was quantity. He did not understand that you could not rush the artistic process his siblings would he silences the thought with expert care.
He stops at a pottery store and pinches the clay like he remembers Haia-neesan teaching him to. Feeling the grain of the clay, its malleability and texture. He can do more than that now. His hand mouths lick the clay and he tastes the tang of the different trace metals, the soil is sweet, rich and moist. Perfect. He collects enough to fill his pouches twice-over placing the excess in the high-grade storage seal the old man had given him as a birthday gift (the same birthday he had found the pouch on his doorstep) he probably wouldn't be able to buy more clay for a while. He makes his purchase and walks to his last stop.
He walked down the alleyway that felt so much smaller than he remembered. The key that hangs around his neck still fits in the lock and something inside him twinges when he goes through the familiar motions of the slight twist to the left before a forceful jerk to the right to release a quiet click.
Everything is the same except Haia-neesan is passed out on the table in a fort of used tissues with an empty bottle of sake next to her. Han is lying on the couch. At least most of him is. The couch is small and Han-niisan is the tallest shinobi Deidara's seen.
"You broke their hearts kid." And there's Roshi-nii. There are fine lines on his face and Deidara can't figure out if they are stress or age lines, but Roshi-nii looks old.
He is suddenly reminded that yesterday was the day the old man gave him a break to speak to the graduating academy students.
"I'm sorry." Deidara swallows the lump in his throat. He didn't realise they would take his actions so harshly. That they cared this much for a random kid they just picked up from the streets. It had been years and he thought that they had forgotten. Hell, he'd stopped staying in his room thinking what might have happened if he had stayed on this day.
"They'd be happy to hear that kid." Roshi tossed a ration bar towards him before getting one for himself. "Now what do you want or did you just come here to visit before you left."
Deidara freezes an inch from taking a bite from the offered bar. "How did you know?"
"Seen that look in the mirror enough times to tell." Roshi crunches on the bar. "Whatever you end up doing I advise going to the old temple. There's enough good clay around there to replenish your stocks and most shinobi here are superstitious enough to avoid that place if possible."
"What happened there?"
"They say demons possess the statues there. One of your ancestors probably made that place given the chakra in the statues there is very similar to yours. You'll be fine."
Deidara nods.
"Stay away from the Tsuchikage's tower today, un. I'll be doing an art exhibition."
"Got it, kid. I'll tell the others."
Roshi ruffles his hair and Deidara yelps because he'd spent effort making sure it was perfect today.
"Your siblings would kill me if I didn't do it." Rohsi mutters before pulling Deidara into a hug. "Take care of yourself kid."
His body relaxes into his nii-san's hold despite the voice inside his head (that sounds a lot like the old man) telling him that showing weakness in front of others will only get him hurt.
"I will, un."
Joining the Akatsuki was not something he planned on, but it wasn't too bad. Sure there was a certain red-haired Danna who was gravely mistaken on the nature of true art and the bastard weasel but otherwise he got the freedom to show the world his art.
He soared on the back of his clay bird watching the little caterpillars move below him.
Today was a good day.
Kakuzu arrives back from his mission and hands Deidara a sealing scroll.
"What's this, un?"
"Was paid to give this to you by page 152 of the Konoha bingo book."
That's a bounty hunter for you. He goes to find his copy of the Konoha bingo book and flips to page 152 to see Haia-neesan's brown eyes staring back at him.
He inspects the scroll more carefully. Its blood-locked. He bites his thumb, swiping it across the black ink.
Its his rock collection. Each rock laid out neatly on the chart that his niisan's had made and there is a box next to it filled with rocks for the spots he hadn't been able to fill and a letter. He's about to open the letter when his Danna walks into their room.
"So I see you've been converted, brat."
The next few hours are spent filling the rocks with his explosive chakra and throwing them at the puppet.
He keeps some of the shards in his pouch.
And no Danna it's not because of sentimental value, it's just very useful.
His Danna's just bitter that some of the stone shards had chipped the 'eternal' lacquer of his puppets.
Haia lifted her arm for the hawk to land on. The claws pinch at her skin, leaving bloody scratches on her forearm as she unwraps the messge on its leg.
"What is it?"
She looks at Han who lies sweaty and pale on his bed.
He hates it when she lies to him, but that doesn't get rid of the urge to do so. "It's a mission for you."
He makes to get up from the bed. She can see his arms trembling and pushes him down before changing the wet cloth on his forehead.
"I'll go for you." Not giving him a choice to protest before continuing "I'll be borrowing your armour and clothes for the mission. When Roshi-niisan gets home tell him to fetch you some of the chicken soup in the slowcooker. And if you protest I'll be tying you to your bed."
Han nods and closes his eyes. In his weakened state there was no chance of winning against his sister's when she was determined to do something.
"Love you neesan." he says, voice hoarse. Han hates being sick.
She smiles from where she is putting on his armour.
"Love you too." She puts on the face plate so that all he can see is her eyes. He remembers how Roshi-nii said they looked creepily similar in armour and he finds himself agreeing. His custom-made armour should not fit her so well. "I'll see you around dinner tomorrow if we factor in the lecture Tsuchikage-sama will give me."
A tall figure garbed in red armour approaches the gate guard and presents the mission notice. There is a preliminary check to confirm identity and validity of the mission before the shinobi is running in the direction of the specified location.
Haia registers the red clouds on black from the corner of her eye. The mission had been exhausting enough she does not want to spend an hour playing overt power games with the mercenary group. Something in her mind whispers for her to run but she ignores it. She is not a coward.
Following Tsuchikage-sama's orders in regards for them she bows in greeting and does not engage in conflict with the rogue-nins she recognises as Uchiha Itachi and Juzo Biwa.
Except the swordsman grins, red tattoo stretching like that of the cheshire cat, and makes to cut her in half. She jumps over the blade and punches towards his head.
Tsuchikage-sama will understand this is a case of self defense.
She mentally apoligises to her siblings. The lecture will probably stretch on till midnight and she hopes they don't wait for her to eat dinner.
Then she makes the mistake of looking into the Uchiha's eyes.
Her screams ring out into the surrounding area before they manage to gag her and the pair move towards the base.
It's Deidara's first time doing a bijuu extraction and there are little fireworks going off within his stomache that do not cease when he is pulled by Leader-sama's jutsu onto his finger of the creepy statue.
The statue reminds him eerily of the husk of the ten-tailed beast from nee-san's stories, but he's older now and its silly to be afraid of the monsters in children's stories.
His fear is not sated when he sees the crumpled mass of red armour in front of him.
He reminds himself that his actions will free Han-niisan and Haia-neesan from the burden of being jinchuriki. Freeing their descendants from becoming jinchuriki and freeing Kokuo from their captivity.
Yet it feels disconcerting to see the strong man that he always looked up to so helpless.
They begin the extraction.
She comes to her senses on a cold stone floor and she remembers her past life in a clarity she hasn't had since she was a toddler.
Making no external movement she journeys quickly into her mindscape.
"Kokuo! You need to leave now. Tell my siblings and the Tsuchikage to beware the Akatsuki group. They have betrayed our trust and are exracting the bijuu."
"What do you mean?"
"No time to explain." Haia says. "Tell them I love them and go!"
Kokuo sees the tears in her eyes and knows she is completely serious.
"Don't be late to your date with Yagura."
Haia laughs. "I love you Kokuo."
"Love you too." And the dolphin horse is gone. She feels so empty without them there, so hollow that she almost wishes she was dead. How she survived before Kokuo was a mystery to her now.
The extraction fails.
Itachi is commanded by Leader-sama to analyse why it did.
He strips the limp armoured figure looking for a seal on their body.
Deidara is barely conscious of Itachi's apologies for getting the wrong person because he sees bandages around the figure's chest and knows its Haia-nee.
Leader asks if anyone knows who the fake was.
Deidara nods eyes still fixed on the slumped form as Kakuzu responds with "Konoha page 152. Twin to Han of the steam armour and adopted sister of Roshi."
"Move her to the interrogation cell." Leader-sama intones.
He ignores his Danna's reprimand to the pair who made the mistake. He doesn't even feel joy at the proof that the Uchiha's eyes are not all powerful.
Deidara just feels cold because he is trapped in the memory of two teary brown eyes as his nee-san lets him leave.
Leader-sama lets Deidara into her cell on the third day. Responses sharp and short. Deidara would say he was angry but it was hard to tell when Leader-sama's face had the rigidity of granite.
He opens the door and is greeted by a wall of scent that is nigh tangible with the scent of blood, sweat and other bodily fluids that should not be outside the body.
"Whoever's there fuck off. I'll die before I spill a thing about my family."
She looks towards the doorway with empty sockets that send his skin crawling. Naked and pinned to the wall not just by the manacles but by the chakra recievers he's seen Leader-sama use when fighting he wonders whether he shouldn't have shouted down Danna's offer to torture her. That might have been kinder.
"It's me, un."
"How do I" she coughs and blood starts dripping from where the recievers have been implanted "know that this is not a genjutsu?" her voice is rough, jerking itself over peeling lips.
His lips feel dry from looking at hers. He licks them.
"You never taught me the 'demon in bed' jutsu, nee-san."
Her laugh at his response is cut off by a coughing fit that sends blood dribbling from her mouth over the curves of her body.
"When I'm dead, Best Beloved, will you send me off with your art?"
There is something beautiful in the frailty of her smile.
"Of course, nee-san, what kind of artist would I be if I didn't."
They have played their roles well, and both know that their story is reaching an end. This time it won't be Deidara falling asleep.
"Love you Deidara."
He leaves the room and closing the door he whispers back "I know. I love you too."
Deidara does not see how a stupid grin spreads across her face.
She is dead the next morning when Sasori gets permission to try his own interrogation techniques.
Danna walks out of the room and asks Deidara whether Haia was a masochist because she is still smiling in death.
He reaches into his pouches to fulfil her last request, damn whatever Leader-sama said about no explosions inside the base.
After all true art was about going beyond the rules.
"Katsu!"