It was late in the afternoon when Hinata and Gaara returned from their venture into the leaf village. Luckily, no one had seen them slip in or out of the Hyuuga compound. Though, that was most likely due to the fact they had only needed to sneak into a family house, close to the gates. With no one purposely searching the house, it had been easy to steal the practice material. It looked like the little family had a few children, based on the many rooms filled with toys and training material for different ages. The teens would feel guilty, if not for the fact it was obvious that the family was well-endowed. They could easily afford a new one, that much was clear, based on the extensive hallways they had so easily slipped through.
The young Hyuuga shook these thoughts from her mind, heading into the Akatsuki base with Gaara slowly trailing behind her. She was greeted by light nods from Sasori and Itachi, the two settled beside each other as they played a game of Shoji, which they easily responded to with light smiles. Sasori quirked a brow and he moved his piece, inquiring, "Did you two have a successful day out?" having obviously heard about their little venture from Itachi. Neither of the kids were surprised-- it wasn't like they could just go off into enemy territory without their caregivers knowing.
"Mhm." Gaara hummed out lightly, moving to sit on the couch beside them as the two elder ninja played. The redhead relaxed lightly, leaning forward to watch them. "We ran into some leaf ninja, though." he made sure to bring it up now, not wanting to seem like they were hiding it. It was important information, after all. A pair of curious dark eyes briefly landed on them before returning to the game, the two Akatsuki members never being the type to jump to conclusions.
None the less, they of course still needed answers. Itachi's calm voice soothed the worries of the two, the elder shinobi questioning, "Oh? This encounter wasn't hostile, I hope?" after all, the last thing Itachi wanted was for the tensions to increase any further. Both Sasori and he glanced the teens over briefly, checking for any clear signs of injury. When they found none, the Uchiha let out a small breath of relief, moving his piece.
"No," Hinata piped in, using the connected kitchen to make her and Gaara a quick snack. They had been so preoccupied with the leaf ninja and getting the practice equipment that they had neglected to eat all day. They were more than ready for a mid-afternoon snack. "It was tense, but I won't say hostile. They were out looking for Kakashi. Just a jonin and a few genin." lightly tapping her lips in thought. "They attacked us at first, but stopped when we took one of the genin hostage. We talked for a bit after that and got some new information on their point of view."
Her contemplating look changed to a light glare as Gaara smirked with amusement from the couch, "Hinata made friends with the leaf ninja, she means."
A curious look crossed Itachi and Sasori's face as they listened to the two, Hinata flustering, "I did not! I was just trying to stop the tension!" she shot back, crossing her arms with annoyance as she waited on the bread that was cooking on the stovetop.
Gaara lightly played with his hair, looking down at his lap as he hummed, "You seemed to be getting along rather well with the Jonin and his protégé. You were so loud." he snorted softly. He was glad his sister was able to get along with them, but it was rare to see her raise her tone as she had. It had seemed like she was rather enjoying mimicking their attitude.
"So what if I was." the Hyuuga pouted, placing some cheese and ham on the bread to melt. "They looked like they were having fun." that, and the amount of confidence they had spoken with was astonishing. She had long since gotten over her stuttering problem, but she was far from prideful. To see them so excited and determined was amazing. She supposed she had let herself get carried away, now that she thought about it. She ducked her head lightly in shame as she made the sandwiches, blinking lightly as she heard her brother from across the room.
Her brother had leaned forward in his spot, leaning his head onto his hands. He tilted his head, musing with a thin smile, "I never said it was bad. You looked really happy. If we do end up on peaceful terms with the leaf, you should try to find them again. Maybe you could be friends." he suggested.
The two were unaware of the eyes on them. Itachi side-eyed Sasori, the Uchiha shrugging lightly. If they were able to ally themselves with some leaf ninja, it could lead to a much easier agreement between the villages. Seeing Hinata's shy nod as she handed Gaara his sandwich, neither of the elder ninja were surprised by her hesitance. After all, the majority of the kids would probably have that reaction. It wasn't as though they had been around many others their age, let alone people from outside of the village. It was understandable that it'd been strange to get along with a leaf ninja after so long.
"Though we specifically warned them against searching for Kakashi," Sasori sighed in mild annoyance as he played the game, "At least this means he's still valuable to them. It will help mend relationships between the villages if they see that he has been left unharmed."
A light nod came from Gaara, the boy lightly playing with his shirt sleeves as he spoke, "Yeah, about that." clearing his throat awkwardly. How to say this? "We ended up talking about the possibility of the leaf and Akatsuki getting along. Apparently, none of them had heard anything about it."
Itachi quirked a brow, moving his piece. "That's quite odd. We were told that Nagato had already contacted them and had received words of compliance." his brows furrowed, "I suppose this means that the council is keeping the offering quiet. I don't think they've voted on the new Hokage yet-- so it must be them shushing the situation."
Not that he was particularly surprised-- after all, it wasn't uncommon for the leaf to sweep this kind of thing under the rug. That much was known by anyone who had ever stepped foot in the ANBU.
Sasori easily understood what Itachi was saying, the redheaded man nodding lightly as he made his move. "I suppose we'll have to let Nagato know. This is important intel. Now we can be prepared for a sabotaged meeting, if they supposedly agree to one. It makes sense for them to keep it hushed up if their true intent was to end us. They couldn't have their village knowing what they had done. It would ruin their reputation and cause chaos."
While Hinata understood that it was important to be prepared for a faulty meeting, she also knew it was important to point out one important factor. "Even if the leaf officials try to ruin us with this meeting, we still have some of the Jonin on our side. The one we met today said that he would spread the proposal as quickly as he could to the other Jonin. He also said he was open to peace treaties if we wanted to meet him and the others. We said that we'd try to ask you about it. That, and he wanted Kakashi to attend and speak at the meeting. As a show of good faith." she suggested.
Nods bound from both the elder shinobi, much to her relief. Itachi agreed, "We'll talk to Nagato and Konan to ask what we can do." lightly reaching over to ruffle Gaara's hair as he ate. "Leave it to us." he smiled thinly, suggesting, "Until them, how about you two go check on Neji and Sasuke. They've been training since dawn. Would you two mind asking them to come home for the day?" seeming mildly amused at the idea. Those boys really didn't know when to stop. They would need to learn not to push themselves so hard one day.
To be fair, though, the Akatsuki were sure they had stayed so late today specifically to catch a break from the bickering. So they had allowed them to stay out there for a while, assuming that they would return when they were ready. So late in the afternoon was pushing it, though. They needed to take breaks, even if they were just burning off steam.
"Sure." Hinata easily agreed, standing up as she finished off the last bit of her sandwich. "They're in the normal spot, right?" not wanting to go to the wrong area if they had for some reason chosen to train somewhere other than their usual spot. Gaara said nothing, but stood to join his sister while still nibbling on his sandwich.
A light nod eased them, Sasori musing, "Same spot as always. Or they were last time we checked on them." he smiled thinly in amusement. Itachi made no comment, simply nodding as he continued on playing. Sasuke and Neji did have their strange little spot that they seemed intent on training at. Honestly, it was a bit of a walk to get there, but he supposed he couldn't blame them. After all, it was a beautiful spot.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Sasori and Itachi shared a brief glance as the two left to go find their siblings. No words were spoken regarding the new information, though Sasori gave a brief nod to the younger shinobi. He wordlessly stood to make his way upstairs in search of Nagato, knowing this wasn't something they could just set to the side. It was important to keep their leader notified, especially with something this big.
Itachi didn't stop him, moving to head for the kitchen with a light sigh. It seemed that little had changed over the course of the last few years-- the leaf was just as eager to play difficult as always. He went to work with dinner since it would take a while to get it fully prepared. He started preparing some oyakodon, hands moving without much thought as he did so. He could vaguely hear the noise of the front door opening, though he paid it no mind. That was, until he heard the familiar huff of Deidara in his ears.
He glanced up momentarily to see the blond leaning on the kitchen counter, seeming to glance over the ingredients Itachi had pulled out of the fridge. Itachi quirked a brow as he worked, asking idly as he sliced the meat, "Can I help you with something?" returning his gaze to his hands as he spoke. He would rather avoid cutting himself by accident, even if he highly doubted he was clumsy enough to do such a thing.
Itachi didn't have to look up to know Deidara was shaking his head back and forth, the blond speaking easily, "No." not seeming interested in giving any more of an answer than that. Itachi would brush it off, if not for how tired the explosion master looked.
Perhaps he wouldn't have noticed it if he was someone else, but his eyes weren't exactly adapt to forgetting what he'd seen. It was in his nature to scan over every detail- hence why it was so easy to see the difference in Deidara's demeanor. Itachi hadn't noticed anything before now, though he supposed that might have been due to the fact he wasn't normally alone with Deidara. It was painfully obvious to him now, however.
Deidara's shoulders were lowered slightly from their normal tense and focused posture. His hair flowered less than before, as though he hadn't been washing or brushing it as much. Itachi could see the way his skin was slightly reddened, most likely some sort of stress rash ready to come out at any moment. The slightly chipped nail polish spoke wonders, as did the small lining on his lips where Deidara had bitten and nibbled at them, possibly without even thinking about it.
Itachi almost considered ignoring the small details, since Deidara had so far done a pretty good job of acting like his normal self. Perhaps it would be intruding, a small voice in the back of Itachi's mind called. He continued chopping the meat, pausing briefly as he considered it. The biggest issue was that he simply wasn't sure what could have him so upset, not to mention so willing to hide it.
Normally, Deidara would make his feelings of disdain known to everyone, whether they wanted to know or not. He would end up blowing up a wall or snap at Tobi ten times more than usual, letting his anger be- ah. Itachi mentally grimaced at the idea. Tobi.
He sent brief glances up at Deidara occasionally, the blond settled on watching Itachi's hands move without much attention for anything else. Itachi considered it briefly. Well, Tobi had been Deidara's partner. Even if he had yelled at him a lot, that didn't really mean anything. Kakuzu and Hidan fought like cats and dogs, but even Itachi knew they cared about each other in their own odd way.
It wasn't as though the zombie duo had made an announcement or anything, but...well, it was fairly obvious to anyone with more than five brain cells that they were involved in a not-so-platonic way. He doubted that was the case with Deidara and Tobi since, well, Tobi wasn't exactly the romantic type from what he could tell. That, and Sasori would probably have a thing or two to say about it if they had been dating.
Even if Sasori and Deidara hadn't officially laid claim to each other, only an idiot would try to flirt with one of them. Said idiot would probably end up either a puppet or a pile of exploded guts if they for some reason tried. Itachi mentally sighed at the idea. Just because Deidara and Tobi weren't romantically involved, that didn't mean they weren't somewhat close, he supposed.
It didn't seem like they had been, but Itachi's moral compass wouldn't allow him to ignore the possibility. "Deidara." his calm words sliced through the empty air, the blond looking up from his hands and towards his dark eyes. The explosion master only quirked a brow, unaware of Itachi's thoughts and mildly annoyed by his sudden words. "I'm...sorry about Tobi. I realize he was your partner, even if you two weren't known to get along very well." his words a bit weary as he began. It wasn't as though he talked to the blond all that much, though he supposed that was his own fault. Itachi wasn't exactly known to be the most social of the Akatsuki.
The awkwardness seemed to be double-sided, Deidara freezing momentarily as he heard the Uchiha's words. Blue eyes stared blankly at Itachi, his lips tugging into a tight frown. He didn't say anything for a long minute, his shoulders locking into a stiff position when he finally dragged his eyes away from Itachi. His voice was gruff as he reflexively clenched his hands into fists, nails clawing into the skin lightly. "...It doesn't matter," he spoke bluntly, refusing to loosen his tight gaze on the Uchiha. "Tobi got what was coming to him. We have more important things to worry about."
"I am aware." Itachi quirked a brow at his stubbornness, "That doesn't change the fact that you two spent a lot of time together. I'm only saying that it would be understandable if it was weighing on you." his tone was composed as ever despite his words.
Much to his surprise, Deidara didn't react with the disdain or annoyance he would have expected from the blonde. Rather, the blue eyes on him only continued to stare, leaving Itachi at ever more of a loss. How was he supposed to know what Deidara was thinking? The man had declared his hate for Itachi more times than he could count. Honestly, the only reason Deidara didn't hate Uchiha in general was probably due to Sasuke. Itachi didn't have a clue what was going on in his mind.
"...Stop that." Deidara's words sliced through his thoughts, the glare that was aimed at Itachi not doing much to numb the edge on the blonde's words. "I know you're pissed off as me, I'm not a fucking idiot. So stop with your patronizing glares." the annoyance clear in his voice. Almost as clear as the guilt.
Deidara only seemed further pissed off at the blank stare Itachi sent him, the Uchiha having paused in his cooking. "I haven't been glaring at you, Deidara." pausing briefly as he considered something, "I've been preoccupied with helping Nagato and Konan with the details of the Akatsuki reform. Perhaps it merely seemed like I was dismissing you?" he inquired, resuming his cooking as he spoke, leading the now cut ingredients to be cooked. "It was not my intention to seem annoyed."
Itachi's apologetic words didn't seem to cool Deidara off much, the man only seeming more displeased. The blond clenched his teeth, gripping the clay in his pockets despite the lack of intent to throw them. "Don't play dumb, Uchiha! You and I both know you can come up with a better excuse than that! At least admit to it! Or are you going to lie about it just like everything else?" his words heated despite the pain laced in his words.
"I presume you're referring to my status as a former spy?" Itachi spoke, his words even despite his now narrowing eyes. "It was necessary."
A wind of rage swept through Deidara, the blonde moving in closer to the Uchiha until he was mere inches away, bright blue eyes glaring in Itachi's face. "It might have seemed necessary to you, but it doesn't make it any less of a lie!" he barked, pointing an accusing hand towards him as his voice shook with something between anger and hurt. "You chose to do it. You lied to us! We've all...we shared things with you! Things that were important to us!" his eyes heavy as he gritted, "We trusted you with all our personal shit, but you kept all that to yourself."
Itachi paused as he finished preparing the meal, turning fully to Deidara as he heard his words. "Deidara, listen," he spoke firmly, eyes zoning in on the other in warning. "I realize that what I did was wrong. It felt necessary at the time." drumming his fingers lightly on the counter, his eyes lowering slightly as he forced out the words. It felt wrong to go back on what he had decided all those years ago, but he also had to admit that what Konan and Nagato had told him the other day had stuck with him. As hard as it was to admit it, he really had been too young to be making those choices. "I apologize if my reasons hurt you, but you should know that it was not my intention to fool you. I enjoy being your...ally, as well as our time together." not sure if the blond quite considered him a friend.
The brief moment of silence had him wondering if his words had been too weak of an excuse, but the thought was quickly put aside as he heard Deidara's scoff, the missing-nin crossing his arms and looking away. "That's all you had to say, Uchiha." his face reddening as he spoke, head turned to glare away from Itachi. "You're part of the Akatsuki, un. You're part of our family, whether you like it or not. It'd be a pain to have you backing out on us. So you better stop lying to us all."
"Fine by me," Itachi spoke after taking a deep breath, "But I expect the sentiment to be returned. Don't think I didn't notice you changing the topic." Itachi warned, dark eyes narrowing despite the warmth that filled his stomach at Deidara's words. "I was telling the truth when I said I haven't been glaring at you. You never clarified. Why in the world would I be?"
Itachi's warning gaze softened slightly as he saw Deidara's bitter look, the blonde clenching his teeth and looking down. It took a long moment of silence before Deidara finally huffed out, "I was Tobi's partner. I should have realized sooner that he...wasn't really as idiotic as he was leading us to believe." his shoulder lowering in what Itachi presumed was guilt. "You have every reason to be pissed at me, un." he sighed out, a noise of annoyance leaving him as Itachi awkwardly reached over to pat his shoulder. Neither of them were really touchy people, but...the sentiment was there.
"No one could have seen it coming, Deidara." Itachi gave his best try at comfort, hands returning to his sides as he heard the annoyed noise. "We all lived with him for years. We let him trick us all. You're not the only one to blame. I'm just as at fault as you are in this situation."
Deidara didn't seem too convinced by this, so Itachi continued on, "Look, we've all been through a lot in the last few weeks. It'll take some time for all to...cope. I get why you'd feel guilty, but for now, all we can do is focus on keeping the kids safe and try to keep ourselves functioning. We'll make sure it never happens again, right?"
Finally, after a long moment, a huffy nod came from Deidara. The blonde kept his eyes parked at his feet as he admitted, "Yeah, I guess, un. One step at a time."