The palpability of stars and the materialisation of a haunting moon suspends their journey.
Though it is an unusually cold night for Spring, Deidara suggests they steer clear of the riverside.
"Don't be ridiculous. Just in case one of us gets hurt we need to be near the river so that any wounds can be washed immediately. It's important we have access to water," Rin says.
"We've got water!" Deidara retorts.
"They're for emergencies. We can't use up our water supplies when there's water! Are you stupid?"
The obstinate look on Deidara's face does not fade. Instead, his right eye twitches in displeasure, as if he is forcing self-control.
In an attempt to prove his point, he turns to face Tobi, who is eagerly poking a suspiciously large termite mound with a twig.
"Oi, Tobi! Tell me, is it better to freeze to death by the riverside or risk getting hurt in the forest where the chances are small-"
"Senpai, look out!"
A mass tidal wave of harassed termites have scuttled from their mound and are now dispersing in multiple directions.
In one swift motion, Tobi takes an audacious leap onto Deidara's back.
"What the...get off me!" Deidara yells.
In that same moment, Tobi releases the stick in his hand and sends it flying about twenty metres. It spins haphazardly in midair, then descends onto Rin's face.
"Ouch!"
The wooden piece, on impact, cracks into multiple fragments and unleashes a sticky substance that permeates the air with a sickening sweet smell.
"Whoops…sorry," Tobi says.
Meanwhile, Deidara takes the advantage to knock him to the ground.
"I'm going to fucking kill you!" he shouts.
x
She is not emotionally weak, but the incident has taken a tremendous toll on her self-esteem. And it was not an accident, but a deliberate attempt to mentally sabotage her.
As she sits alone by the riverside, she cannot for the life of her comprehend the meaning behind Tobi's hostility, nor can she ever recall an event that made him hate her so bad.
Oh! And you're also never sorry for what you did.
"Why are you so mean?" she utters angrily.
x
"Touch that one more time and I'll shove it down your throat, hm," Deidara snaps.
Amidst a pile of newly made artwork, Tobi had surreptitiously attempted to poke the sculptures out of pure amusement.
But they explode and he disappears behind a haze of dark smoke.
When the fumes dissipate, an enormous sinkhole materialises.
"What happened?" Rin's approaching voice says.
Deidara stands and fixates his gaze into the blackness.
"In case you are wondering, I am down here senpai," Tobi's disembodied voice calls.
"Idiot," Deidara says. Then he turns to Rin, "Are you going to help?"
"No" she states bluntly.
He scowls.
"At least help me help him then."
Rin averts to the black pitch. Her expression is glazed, yet an unfathomable brigade of emotions flicker her watch.
Reluctantly, she stretches out an arm. There is a soft faint blue colour that illuminates her entire hand, followed by the materialisation of very small chakra strings. They latch atop each other, and gradually thickens until she is holding onto a glowing white-blue rope.
"Tobi, hold onto this okay?" she says softly.
There is a moment's silence as Tobi contemplates her help.
"Just take the damn thing," Deidara calls.
Then a tug and Rin manipulates the strings with incredible precision. She entwines them around Tobi's arm and lifts him easily from the pit.
"What was that?" Deidara asks.
"They are just chakra strings," she answers simply, "I use them to operate on internal wounds."
"Thanks senpai, you saved-"
But there is a shaking from below ground that cut Tobi's sentence short.
Their instinct, sharp and swift, takes them a good distance away from the threat with less than two heartbeats.
"What the hell?" Deidara says loudly.
The rocks merge with the sounds of falling sand, and when the pit swallows the surrounding landscape, there is a giant black space in its centre.
Without warning, the stench appears. And it is so potent, they all shuffle back to breathe untainted air.
"That's not some random hole," Deidara says.
"You are right," Rin takes a few unsteady steps to better peruse, "it is a sacrificial pit."
"What the hell is it doing in the middle of this forest?" he says.
When the moon's ray seeps from blackened clouds, they all see it. Millions upon millions of termites that crawl and prowl amongst countless human bones.
"Termites, I wonder why," Rin says blankly.
"Senpai, I think we should leave now," Tobi suddenly says.
"Tche, just my night, now we have to go scouting for another place, hm."