From out of the corner of his eye, Deidara almost saw a glimpse of bright, familiar red.
So very familiar.
Though he knew it was impossible, he found himself gravitating toward it. Like the fool he always had been, and always would be.
It was a long night, to say the least. Deidara could not help himself when it came time to rest. The fear lingered that someone, somewhere chased him still. It urged him on even after a night of thunder, floods, and lightning that struck trees off in the wilderness. It kept him moving even after an entire day's worth of distance put between him and any man smarter than he when it came to the weather; Deidara was too afraid to stay put for long.
He sat in a mossy cave for the time being; he was quickly running out of energy again despite how much adrenaline pumped through his body. His eyes were dry and stinging, and they were heavy with exhaustion - just like his legs. He pulled out the food Kabuto had prepared for him, and opened the package to grab a small chunk of meat; he didn't know when he would have access to food again, so he needed to ration his food carefully. It was a pity that the food Kabuto made was so good - unlike the pungent root vegetable stews Han used to make for him, he actually wanted to scarf down every morsel of this meal. He vowed that once he knew for certain that he was out of Earth Country he would fall where he stood, and sleep for an entire week as a reward for a job well done. That time, however, had yet to come to pass.
He kept examining the little mouths on his hands; the more he looked at them, the cuter they became. In a morbid way they were almost endearing. The way they smiled, and their little tongues and teeth. They were like two miniature pets all for Deidara to enjoy. He grinned back at his right hand's mouth as it gave a little smile; he quite enjoyed the mostly-quiet company they provided.
Deidara crammed a chunk of beef into his mouth, with his hand mouths nipping at the foreign object placed near them. It was a rather tedious process, Deidara realized, to even eat with his hands any longer. He supposed it didn't matter at the moment; all of Deidara's small grievances about his new body parts were not able to be fixed in a cave somewhere in a seemingly endless forest. It was all the more motivation for him to push onward in his trek to the Wind Country.
I need to keep going he thought as he willed his weary legs to move the moment he was done eating. He didn't know how much longer it would take him to get to the border of Earth Country, but there was no use in stopping for even one unnecessary second. He hoped there was a checkpoint soon, though; he didn't know how much longer he could keep this up.
His legs were like lead weights that drudged through the verdant forest; he stumbled over roots of trees that towered far above him while the foliage crunched beneath his ponderous footsteps. Deidara swayed off to the side from time to time, nearly running into low branches or tripping over bushes. His face was hot with exhaustion, and his eyelids felt as heavy as his legs.
Yet he knew that if he stopped for too long the only thing that would find him would be death. Though he didn't let himself admit it, he wished more than ever that his family were still here with him. He longed to simply breathe in the scent of his mother's perfumes, or his father's cologne, or even the smell of smoke and pine that his brother would often don. He wished for it all back, even Han would do. Just someone, anyone, that he could fall into the arms of to rest.
I'm so tired Deidara thought, so damn tired. His scrawny legs could barely carry him a few yards before he slumped down by a tree trunk; it was thick, pleasantly cool, and covered in soft moss like most of this forest, so it didn't take much to lull the young man into a slumber the moment he touched the ground.
-and-and-and-and-and-
In his dream, he was on fire.
Deidara stood in the middle of a room he did not recognize, accompanied by ghosts. Han, his father and mother, and his brother; they surrounded Deidara from all sides, so he could not escape. It was so hot in this damp, stuffy room that he wanted to ask his mother to get him some water. The way she glared at him, though - the way all of them glared at him - was not a way he could recall his mother ever looking at him, or any of them.
Each one of them gazed upon Deidara in contempt, a burning rage visible in their eyes. Why do you look so angry? He wanted to ask, but the words were caught in his throat. He felt a swift, sharp pain on his face, and heard the crack of a whip. Deidara stammered, then fell onto his backside from the shock of it. He gazed up to his father in horror, his always-gentle hand raised. Never before had he struck him, so why now?
What did I do, hm? he choked out as tears welled in his eyes. These were not his parents, this was not his brother, and he was almost certain Han would not stand by idly while Deidara was struck.
"When it came down to it, he only cared about his own wishes."
His Prince's words echoed throughout the murky room. Liar! Deidara thought, Han cared, he cared, he really, really did care!
Deidara felt a white-hot heat in his belly; he doubled over and curled into a ball on the ground, the pain overtaking him. A moan of agony escaped his lips as he felt his belly swell, the heat coursing through his entire body. Soon enough, the fire was the blood in his veins, the beat of his heart, and every breath he took - he was the fire.
Something clawed his innards as if a monster threatened to cut its way out of him with claws as sharp as blades. He tried to plead for help, but could no longer speak; the swell of his belly kept him on the ground in pain, and helpless to do anything while his loved ones closed in around him.
"Whore!"
"Rat!"
"You filthy beast!"
Deidara heard a soft clicking noise - the tapping of light, graceful footsteps approached him where he lay. The sound of joints and bone grating against each other echoed in his ears, which caused his flame-enveloped body to go cold within an instant. He looked up, and the ones he loved had left him once more. Before him stood that damned red-haired man, his brown eyes looking down on him with indifference.
" It's not as if child whores have much of a place in this world, anyway."
Deidara squeezed his eyes shut; he knew what was about to happen next. His burning, helpless little body would be no match for the immense blaze that was to come. He would just become part of the fire, with no identity of his own left in the world. He waited, his muscles tensed, and laid still for an unusually long amount of time. Yet the fire never came, and when he gathered the courage to open his eyes and see what was going on, the red-haired man remained before him - his hand held out to Deidara.
"This world, anyway."
Deidara shakily lifted his slobbering hand to take the red-haired man's own, but before he could grasp it, he heard a loud cry not too far in the distance. Everything became fuzzy; the image of the man slowly distorted until it faded away completely. A white flash of light blinded Deidara for a brief moment, then all he could see was the bright blue sky and the tops of deep green trees.
Instinctively, Deidara felt around his belly - it was as flat as it had always been. His body was warm, but nowhere near as hot as he had been. It was just a dream, hm Deidara thought as he gave a heavy sigh of relief. He smiled to himself; in the end, the dream was rather nice. He could have done without the beginning of it, though.
Perhaps it was the dream getting to him, but he had the sudden desire to see that red-haired man once again. To burn alongside him in a blaze strong enough to melt mountains, and to wrap his hands around his pale throat as the mouths on his palms bit at his jugular. He tried to kill you Deidara reminded himself, you can't think of him this way - you mustn't!
It was of little use, however; Deidara had a passion for art, things of beauty, and the fire that could bring about a quick end to life. Ephemeral beauty he thought, and he did so for a rather long time. When the time came that Deidara felt ready to continue on his trek to the Wind Country, he had decided that a special death was in order for the first man he had ever felt the absolute need to kill.
Et Godt Farvel, a name for a murder of one you kept close to you. Deidara knew it would be perfect; one day, when he finally found that red-haired man.
-and-and-and-and-and-
Click.
Sasori had just finished talking with his group's leader's second-in-command, Konan, about the new prospect for a partner he had recently "discovered". She was skeptical at first, but Sasori was rarely this adamant about anything; she felt it was best to concede and allow Sasori a small time of leave to go collect this young man he had raved about.
He laid back in the mahogany chair at his desk, his feet balancing him as the chair remained in suspension. The dusty hardwood floors beneath him creaked with each little rocking motion he made, though Sasori did not care. Not even a smile could be manufactured upon his lips, despite the excellent news he had received about a prospective partner that seemed to match all of his requested criteria.
In truth, he couldn't have been more ambivalent.
"What are his accomplishments?" he had asked Kabuto.
"Well, not much yet, but trust me, he's-"
"I want you to tell me why he's so noteworthy," Sasori said before Kabuto could finish; he began to repeatedly tap on the mahogany desk he had seated himself at.
"He has a very interesting Kinjutsu," Kabuto answered.
"Need I remind you who exactly you're saying this to?" Sasori snapped back, and glanced at a pale hand he had yet to finish painting on the far side of the room. He could have been stringing the joints for later use if it weren't for Kabuto's call.
"Well, you're not quite the same, Master," Kabuto said, much more softly than before. Sasori could almost see the beads of sweat as they ran down Kabuto's forehead.
With his head held in his free hand Sasori sighed. "Fine. I'll go take a look at him. Just tell me where he is, or wherever you expect him to be, so I can decide for myself."
" He should be making his way to Wind Country, and I think he said he wanted to make a home in River Country. This should be quite easy for you, given both of them are your homes as well," Kabuto said.
Sasori snorted. "No. Only River Country. But I do thank you for your service. I'm sure you've picked out someone worth betting your life on."
With that, Sasori hung up. He didn't care to hear what Kabuto had to say afterward.
Sasori hastily packed the bare essentials: a few scrolls that housed some of his puppets that could prove useful on the trip, a few vials of his own poison in case of an emergency, and most importantly - certainly without question - was a little piece of paper he kept in his pocket. It just wouldn't feel right to leave home without it.
His home in River Country - where he currently resided - was his own personal base of operations. As he made his way downstairs he heard the wooden steps creak under his feet. He wondered if the home as it was would put off another person. Sure, it was spacious - and it should be so, considering the amount of work Sasori tasked himself with in his basement alone - but it did not exactly exude a welcoming aura.
As he shut the old wooden door he made a mental note to fix up the house a bit. He couldn't imagine allowing anyone he was partnered with to stay anywhere else, so he might as well make the home a tad more comfortable to those still bound to their human flesh.
The old cobblestone walkway to the home could do with a little sprucing up, as well. The plants around the home were dead, and the trees were overgrown in a less-than-charming way. Even the picket fence was little more than a line of decayed wooden stubs in the ground. No, none of this would do. It was a slow year anyway; he might as well busy himself with a hefty amount of repair work in his downtime.
I am no longer a part of the mortal coil Sasori reminded himself, I need to get it through my head: there's going to be a lot of downtime.
He pulled a scroll from his cloak sleeve; it contained a puppet he used frequently to ensure safe travel. Cute redheaded boys tended to not fair too well out on their own, as he knew from his own past experiences. Sasori preferred to travel around in his puppet, Hiruko, which was an ugly creature to be sure. It helped remedy that little problem quite easily; no one wanted ugly old men for their forced beddings.
Sasori spent so much time in it, most of the Akatsuki didn't even realize that Hiruko wasn't his real form. Evidently, this caused most to refrain from interacting with him, which suited Sasori just fine. He wasn't one for conversation or social interactions, and the less people approached him in his shell, the more he would use it.
As he stepped into the hollowed-out middle of Hiruko and closed the shell around himself, he wondered for a brief moment what his new partner would be like. He was from the Stone Village, which made Sasori quite pleased - young men from the Stone Village were raised under a strict militant ruler, and never made much of a fuss. An obedient, well-mannered, strong, and quiet young man he could mould into whatever he desired. How lovely.
He supposed if something went horribly awry, and this boy needed to be disposed of, Sasori could always find a spot for him in his personal collection.
-and-and-and-and-and-
There was a dirt road enshrouded by the lush green trees of the forest; Deidara knew from the marks of a wagon wheel that trailed across the path that he was almost there.
He knew he shouldn't tread on the main road, but he couldn't help himself when curiosity got the better of him; it tempted him to observe the road that led to his freedom. It even looked as though the storm had stopped altogether while he slept. Small wonder that he had begun to feel a little under the weather in the past few hours.
He took notice that Kabuto, as kind as he had been, had forgotten to pack him a map. This made his journey through the forest all-the-more difficult, to which Deidara cursed the smarmy silver-haired prick. The road beckoned him, promising to take the burden off his shoulders. Deidara knew, however, that if he really wanted to be safe he could just fly above the checkpoint. No need to tempt fate in such a way, not so close to the final gauntlet.
Deidara scouted a way to take flight in the forest, but there didn't seem to be a big enough opening. He figured he could just climb up one of the trees, so it wasn't that big of a deal. If it meant getting to safety undetected it was worth a perilous climb up a tree that towered over a hundred feet above him.
As Deidara gripped a low branch on a nearby tree that seemed thin enough to climb, he noticed a short figure off on the main road. He looked familiar to Deidara, but he didn't know if that was a good or bad thing for him. He recklessly kept peering at the man, and as he walked further down the road, Deidara recognized him as Roshi.
What is he doing here, hm? Deidara thought. He was very far from home, and he had figured Onoki would want his son to stay close by him when one of his sons had recently disappeared - as far as they knew - and a servant they had graciously taken in had attempted to murder the entire royal family while they slept.
Roshi stopped in his tracks, which caused Deidara to freeze up. Had he seen him? Deidara couldn't be sure, but foolishly, he dove into the bushes nearby to hide. It was too late, however, as Roshi already had made his way to just a few feet of where Deidara had ducked.
Deidara looked up, and was faced with Roshi looking back down at him. It took everything he had not to yelp from the fear that currently shook him to his very core, and caused the large tongue in his chest to wiggle along with his tremors.
"Blood of the Stones, Sundrop, you're alive!" Roshi said; he sounded rather surprised, not that Deidara blamed him.
"Are you going to take me back to the Stone Village, hm?" Deidara asked, his hand hovering over his clay pouch.
Roshi scoffed, then shook his head, and said, "Take you back? When the mountains crumble in the wind, that's when I'm setting foot back there. Seeing you here, though... no, it's not impossible, just unlikely. Han would want you unharmed, I know. The Mother was good to us, it seems."
See? Liar! Deidara thought as he recollected His Prince's words. Outwardly, though, he only smiled to Roshi, and said, "I don't have anywhere to go. I don't know what to do."
Without hesitation, Roshi said, "Come with me, then. Han would want you protected by someone he trusted, and, well... there aren't a lot of those people around. We'll be in Wind Country before the Moon is out, alright?"
Deidara cocked his head. "Won't Onoki ever wonder where you've gone, hm?"
"If he does, the word should've gotten back to him by then. I've defected, see?" Roshi said, then tapped his forehead protector. Where the crest of the Stone Village was once proudly displayed, a blank steel plate sat in its stead.
"Isn't that dangerous, hm?" Deidara had heard of missing ninja before, but always as a cautionary tale. He wasn't a real Shinobi, and that meant he could never be a real missing ninja. Thankfully, he didn't have to trouble himself with the worry over becoming an international criminal.
"Only if you go into a leading Village, Sundrop. I'm no fool, I know the only place worth visiting in Wind Country is the town off to the far west, Hestia," Roshi said, confidence in his words.
West Deidara thought for a moment, that's the opposite direction of where I want to go. Before Deidara could speak, however, Roshi had grabbed ahold of his right hand and began to drag him from the bush. Roshi stopped, however, when he felt the slimy tongue on Deidara's palm lick his own.
With a furrowed brow, Roshi examined Deidara's right hand, then his left. Deidara willingly let him; he knew he could trust Roshi, and possibly Roshi alone. The old, bearded man looked at Deidara with weary eyes.
"My, my, you're growing up so fast. I suppose some flowers bloom a little earlier than others, right?" Roshi said as he let Deidara's hands go.
"Roshi, you're not mad at me, are you, hm?" Deidara asked.
Roshi turned away from Deidara. "I have no idea why you'd think that. Now let's get a move on, Sundrop. By the way, what's your name day? I don't think Han ever told me."
Deidara began to walk along with Roshi, and said, "Han never asked for it, actually. It's May Fifth, hm."
"It's coming right up then," he said as his feet made a soft crunching noise in the grass. "How old are you gonna be?"
"Sixteen, hm," Deidara said with a sniffle. His cold seemed to be getting to him a bit.
"Aww, don't cry now, Sundrop. We'll be safe in bed soon," Roshi said; his voice had regained its cheeriness.
"It's not that, hm! I've got a cold from staying out in the rain," Deidara said with yet another sniff.
Roshi laughed, but didn't reply to Deidara's protest. The two kept walking for a little bit; partially through the forest, and towards midday they shifted to the road. Deidara grew restless from the anticipation of crossing the border, though Roshi seemed as cool as the moss he had slept on. When Deidara finally saw the large stone gate just meters away from him, he felt as if he would explode from the fear right there.
Roshi took notice of Deidara's terrified gaze, and placed a strong hand on his shoulder. "Easy now, Sundrop. It'll be alright, no one here will know who you are just yet," Roshi said in a low voice.
Slowly and steadily, Roshi guided Deidara down the last of the road to the gate ahead of them. The guards examined Deidara's headband, and saw Roshi alongside him. They seemed to know who Roshi was, so they nonchalantly waved them both along. Deidara's heart was beating so quickly that he felt the entire seal of the mouth on his chest would come undone, and he would fall apart where he stood. He huddled closer to Roshi as the two walked further, until Deidara's long blond hair blew in both of their faces from the strong gust of wind, forcing him to break away.
"Heh, welcome to Wind Country. Better put that hood up," Roshi said with a chuckle.
Deidara's face grew hot - either from fever or embarrassment - and he hastily covered his head with the deep green hood of his cloak. "How far away is Hestia, hm?" he asked.
"Ah, we won't be reachin' Hestia for a few weeks, so we'll probably stick around a jovial little merchant's town not too far from here. Sundance, I think," Roshi said with a heave of his shoulders.
"A few weeks!" Deidara exclaimed.
Roshi gestured to the endless desert in the distance, and said, "Travel isn't easy for sandal-wearing mountaineers like us. Now give me a corner of that cloak of your's."
Roshi grabbed an edge of Deidara's cloak and wrapped it around his own head, binding the two close together. They walked shoulder-to-shoulder until the strong winds picked up as they reached the real start of the desert.
Dust and sand kicked up in the gale-force wind that stirred around them as they treaded further into the country, and before long even the simple act of walking was hard to do. Between the growing sand dunes and the forceful wind, Deidara nearly fell every five minutes. Thankfully Roshi was around to steady him.
"Look alive, Sundrop. Don't want you becoming a snack for the vultures!" Roshi called out so Deidara could hear him over the current.
Deidara moaned in protest; he was too tired to give a proper response, and too focused on what lied ahead of him to dwell on it too long. His feet tripped over themselves as Roshi guided the tired boy through the desert for what felt like hours, until at last the sky began to darken and the air became cooler. The Moon playfully peeked out from a massive rock formation, highlighting the night sky that was now filled with stars. At the very least, the sky itself would always be the same no matter where he went.
Deidara grew impatient to reach Sundance after another hour of quietly walking. He looked around for a sign of a town anywhere in the distance, but had no such luck. His lips formed a pout, but kept his silence to maintain peaceful relations with the one man he trusted.
Roshi seemed to have taken notice of Deidara's continued silence during their journey, and softly said, "I know we've been at it all day, kiddo. Don't worry, we'll be at Sundance within the hour. It's not a very big town, just a very busy one."
Deidara nodded along, too far gone to do much else aside from continuing to put one foot in front of the other, occasionally stretching out to use Roshi as support. His eyes opened and closed slowly as he faded in and out of consciousness. It took him by surprise when in between his dozing he saw the flicker of a dim golden light only a few hundred feet in the distance.
His body nearly slumped from relief, but Roshi kept him steady. "Best keep close to me, Sundrop. This town's merchants export very special types of goods, depending on who you go to," Roshi whispered into Deidara's ear. "I personally prefer some over others, though."
"Like what, hm?" Deidara asked, letting out a loud yawn.
"Booze, spices, exotic goods, animals, and sometimes even a whore or two," Roshi listed off, "But most importantly, booze."
Whore. Deidara shuddered at the word, as it had slowly become a term he despised. He loathed to be called it as he loathed to be called ordinary or talentless. To him it was slander; it stung his ears to hear it, and filled him with an intense rage that burned as hot as the sun itself. Deidara knew that Roshi did not think of him that way, but he would vanish into the winds the moment he saw Roshi bring home a whore to exploit if such a thing ever happened.
It wasn't long before Deidara and Roshi stepped onto the old brick pavement of Sunshade. Even though it was late Deidara could still hear bars full of rowdy patrons, as well as the giggles of men and women alike from ornate buildings that were illuminated by red lanterns. The whole town was soaked in golden and red hues, as if to further instate that this was a town of vice. Even the clear white lights that hung from the banners above glowed as softly as a pale-skinned maiden, kind, warm, and inviting.
The two reached an inn before long, a building of dark cherry wood adorned with amber lights and tapestries. The inside displayed jade sculptures, twin jasper lion statues, and porcelain eggs kept on gold trays. Even the teacups that hung behind the counter were fully embellished, and were the finest china Deidara had ever seen.
From the masterfully upholstered seats with dragons and tigers embroidered on their backs, to the silken cushions with delicate tassels and flowers intricately sewn into them, and fine paintings of old kings and rugs woven from rich red yarn that decorated the walls and floor, Deidara could only stare in awe at what had been the most beautiful place he had ever been inside. Here Deidara had thought that nothing could beat the majesty of Onoki's homestead, yet he was happily proven wrong. He could not imagine anything more elegant than where he stood right in this moment.
Roshi rang a golden bell left near the guest list, and a man in an emerald green robe emerged from a door off to the side. He raised his arms when he saw Roshi, and a gap-toothed smile broke out in his face when he spoke, "Ah, Roshi of the Stones! So very good see you again!"
Roshi smiled warmly with his arms outstretched as well, and said, "Iyaya of Sundance, it's been too long! You look like you've lost fifty pounds since I've seen you last!"
Iyaya sighed, "Ahh, without Master Argento to shower us with coin, food is much more scarce than before."
Looks like he did them all a favor Deidara thought, as the man he saw looked to be a perfectly normal weight. Roshi however looked deeply sympathetic to this man's plight. But he seemed to be fine with Deidara going hungry up in the mountains for months on end? The revelation caused the mouths on Deidara's hands twitch for a brief moment, their tongues smacking against the teeth that lined the orifices.
Roshi placed a decently-sized bag of coins onto the counter, and said, "Well then, allow me and my nephew to alleviate your hunger for a while. Will this be enough to cover a couple of weeks?"
Iyaya's eyes lit up as he examined the bag, and nodded his head furiously, "Yes, yes, that is perfect! Perfectly acceptable! You and the, erm... boy... may stay here for half of a moon, yes!"
Roshi then slid a slightly smaller bag of coins over to Iyaya, and whispered, "I'd like to buy my nephew's safety too, if that's alright. To make sure no one tries to grab him."
Iyaya nodded much more subtly this time, and said, "Yes, yes. The boy shall be unharmed. I will see to it myself that the boy is escorted by bodyguards on his outings."
Deidara couldn't quite tell if it was his exhaustion or the dim lighting playing tricks on him, but he could almost make out Iyaya giving him a grin that did not seem normal. The man gave Deidara a bad vibe, but if Roshi knew him then he must have been trustworthy, right?
As Roshi led Deidara up the ornate staircase to the room they would be staying in, the queasy feeling Iyaya's grin gave him did not disperse. Even as Deidara lay down in the feather down bed he kept a kunai knife clutched in his hands, and his little orifices dutifully clamped onto the handle as well.
Within seconds, Deidara gave in to his long-awaited rest.
-and-and-and-and-and-
For Sasori, a trek through Wind Country was as simple as breathing - if he still had to do that.
The sun rose over the wasteland's horizon, but inside Hiruko, Sasori was shielded from the blindingly bright sand that reflected the sun's harsh rays. Within his shell, Sasori was able to glide above the sand to easily traverse the rough terrain.
It wouldn't be too long before he reached the checkpoint to Earth Country, and he knew that the boy couldn't have made it very far from there. The sandstorms were rather unforgiving in the North, which made it the perfect hideout for rapists and thieves. It was no place a young person would want to be for too long.
There was one stop he intended to make, however. It was customary for him to do so every time he happened to cross the site, as this particular route happened to do. Marked by a worn signpost that led to nowhere, and a tiny pile of rocks decorated with a handful of sticks, the grave of Sasori's first was kept. He needed to leave another rose; the last one should have wilted or been blown away by now.
Sasori also wanted to tell him of the boy to get a bit of closure. He remembered how badly he had wanted children; if only a rose had rested between Sasori's legs rather than the grave marker, then maybe things would have ended differently.
That was not his concern any longer, though. As he approached the marker for his dearest departed, he climbed out of Hiruko to pay his respects - it wouldn't do to not visit him as someone he did not remember.
"Komushi," he began, kneeling down to the tiny pile of stones, "it's Sasori. I wanted to see you before I brought home a child to care for. I can't say for sure if he's got dark skin, brown eyes...red hair... but I'll be raising him until he's older. I don't believe I'm cut out for it personally, but everyone else seems to think I'll do just fine."
"I'll try to not lose my temper, but I... well, you already know what can happen if one becomes too lenient, don't you?" Sasori gazed up at the spot where he would place a new rose, and wondered when it would blow away in the wind to live with all the others he placed here over the years.
"Love brings the death of duty, as you know..." Sasori muttered as he gently placed a single red rose upon the pile of stone. A few more moments passed before he collected himself off the ground and climbed back into Hiruko to continue with the end of his journey.
"As I know."
He found himself surrounded by the sounds of winds bellowing outside of his shell; a familiar noise, and one that meant he was home. Yet he did not belong here anymore. His home was in the River Country, living amongst decaying plants in a house fit for kindling. The moment he could return to his solitude - regardless of if he chose to bring home this boy or not - could not come soon enough for the petite homebody.
Sasori trudged through the desert for some time, until suddenly there was the hard thud of a foot on Hiruko's shell just above Sasori's head. He stopped, uttering curses of a deprave origin, and flung open the latch of Hiruko with a scroll in-hand. The shadowy figure that had stupidly bumped into him flailed about in fear before the tiny man's rage.
Sasori lowered his scroll after he got a good look at the attacker. Perplexed, he asked the fool, "Tobi? What brings you all the way out here?"
"Master Sasori! Please forgive me! I was trying to get your attention, but-but-but-" Tobi stammered.
Ever the grand buffoon, Tobi wailed in his usual frantic fashion. Sasori wondered if their leader had kept him around out of pity, or simply to provide free entertainment. Though sometimes Sasori questioned if this was all just a farce, he had proven nothing but his lack of intelligence.
"What is it you want? I'm kind of running on a schedule here," Sasori said, gesturing to the North.
"Uh, oh yeah, I remembered! Our leader has spotted the kid you were gonna go recruit with one of our targets, they were heading to some place called Sundance," Tobi said, his voice filled with pep and enthusiasm.
Sasori groaned. "Gods in the damn almighty heavens, why!? Not the damned brothel town!"
"It looks like they also sell spices," Tobi chimed in. Sasori threw his head back in maddened exasperation at that stupid response.
His lip tightened, but he responded coolly, "I really do have to go now. Tell the leader if he wants to be helpful, send some real backup. Not some lollipop-faced moron who can't finish his sentences."
With that, Sasori closed the shell of Hiruko once more, and shuffled away with great haste. This boy better have been worth the trouble, because now Kabuto wasn't the only one betting his life on him - he now was betting his own to save a boy he had never met from Argento's vile town of lust.
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"Good morning, My Sunshine. Your Prince is visiting you in your chamber. Maybe if I plant a kiss upon your lips then My Sunshine will awake?"
Deidara's eyes shot open, frantically darting around the room to search for His Prince who he heard call out to him. When he found nothing, he sunk back into the plush bed to rest even longer. It was so very warm that it was almost as if he were being held in the arms of someone while he laid, and he never wanted to get up again.
Though when Deidara groped around for the sheets below to pull over himself, he touched an arm that definitely wasn't there when he fell asleep last night. He turned around, and though he was greeted with the grinning face of His Prince, Deidara couldn't help but yell in fright at the man that had held him while he slept.
Deidara kicked his feet about until His Prince finally relented and released him from the embrace, causing Deidara to roll off the bed and onto a cushion below. Deidara glared up at His Prince with angry eyes and a mouthful of feathers.
His Prince chuckled, "My sweet little Sunshine arises."
"Don't ever do that again, hm! You scared me half to death!" Deidara yelled as he furiously spat out the feathers from his tumble.
His Prince seemed unfazed by Deidara's anger entirely, and calmly said, "My apologies, Sunshine. I only followed you to this shady little town to make sure you weren't in any danger. And much to no one's surprise, you've befriended yet another Jinchuriki! How do you do it? Must be exhausting."
Deidara worriedly looked around for Roshi, though he couldn't find him in the room. He turned to His Prince, and asked, "Did you kill him too, hm?"
"Nah, if I work too quickly people will know something's up. But how have you been? It must be nice to be the most popular person in town right now," His Prince said with a smirk.
"What do you mean, hm?" Deidara asked.
"Ah, that's right. My Sleeping Beauty has been in bed for two whole days! That explains the rumors going around about the fairy tale coming to life in this hotel," His Prince said as he sat up in the bed, fully donned in silks of the Wind Country that made him look like a real prince.
"Two whole-" Deidara shook his head, then started again, "Where is Roshi right now, hm?"
His Prince shrugged, "Out shopping, last time I checked. Every time he goes out that slimy innkeeper holds a tiny auction for you, and tries to have your Jinchuriki pal outbid. I guess blonds go for a fair amount of coin around here."
"Well, I hope they like being disappointed - and blown up, hm. This isn't like before, I'm not helpless. I'll be on a bird out of here before the hour's up!" Deidara said proudly as he rose to his feet, hands placed firmly on his hips.
His Prince looked away suddenly, and said, "Be that as it may, you reek, your hair's a mess, and you're stark naked. Can My Sunshine please put on some clothes after he bathes?"
Deidara's face grew hot with embarrassment, and his eyes widened and his nostrils flared when he looked down at himself. It took all he had to refrain from squealing from the realization of what had just transpired. Without another word Deidara collected what little dignity he could, and closed the door to the gilded washroom to draw a scalding-hot bath for himself in the marble tub. Maybe if he was lucky he could cleanse his mind along with as his body.
Deidara scrubbed himself down with soaps that smelled of lavender, and shampoo with fragrances of vanilla and orange blossom. Though he took notice of a small vial of oil that smelled like cinnamon and spices, he did not quite know what it was for. He doused himself in a milky substance that smelled so strongly of honey that it erased all odor from him at last, and when the dirt and grime had been excavated from his body he saw it fit to leave the tub to dry himself.
As Deidara combed through his long hair while wrapped in soft towels from a nearby rack, His Prince knocked on the door. Deidara sighed, he couldn't stay upset at him any longer, so he called out, "Come in, I'm decent."
The door opened slightly, and His Prince stuck his head in. He smiled to Deidara, and said, "Someone cleans up nicely."
"Uh, thanks, I guess. Can you help me find my ribbon, hm? I need to keep it around me, I think it's cursed," Deidara said as he focused on detangling his locks.
"I'll try, Sunshine. Hey, why don't I pick out something for you to wear? I want My Sunshine to look pretty when he's out on the town with me," His Prince said, examining the vial of oil by the tub.
Deidara's eyes lit up at his words, and he turned around to thank His Prince, though he was not there any longer. Before Deidara could go to the bedroom to find him, he was grabbed gently by his waist and held in place. Large hands dabbed the vial of oil twice on his collar bone, then lowered the towel to touch the vial once to his navel, and then once just above his manhood. His Prince lifted Deidara's face, and looked down at him with his dark eyes. Then without a word between them, he dabbed the vial a final time just under his bottom lip.
His Prince pulled away before Deidara could speak and began rummaging through the basket of clothes by the carved door. He came back holding a golden garb with no sleeves to speak of - befitting of the hot climate of this land - as well as a deep blue sash that was embroidered with white blossoms to tie around his waist. The garb cut off at his calves, so His Prince decided to simply go full force with the Wind Country style and fashioned him with sandals that were a better fit for travel in the desert.
After Deidara had dressed himself in the outfit selected for him, he looked himself over in the mirror. New country, new me he thought, and when he saw the makeup on the blue tile counter he smirked to himself as he lined his eyes with black ink - then pocketed the pen in his sash. Some things would change, but others would always stay the same.
His Prince came up to him and ran a comb through his hair, greatly parting it off to the left side of his head so his bangs hung over the left side of his face. Deidara examined his work for a moment, then smiled and gave his nod of approval. He tied the seafoam ribbon around his wrist to keep his hair loose, as he felt no need to tie his hair back. No restrictions, no limits, and even the skies themselves were his.
Deidara descended the staircase with His Prince's arm around his shoulder, passing by a stunned Iyaya on the way out. He sheepishly waved to them, as did several old men gathered around the counter. Deidara flashed a toothy grin; what fools they were to assume that they could treat him like property!
"Stay close to me, My Sunshine. You seem to be a magnet for eyes," His Prince whispered in his ear as they left the inn. Deidara could scantly help the smile that broke across his face at those words.
Upon setting foot onto the main street of Sundance, Deidara caught the scent of cloves, cumin, honey and nutmeg that wafted through the air. The marketplace was bustling with activity; livestock were traded from person to person, while liquor and mead were passed around booths of merchants who spoke the language in a distinct dialect. It was so different from the Stone Village that Deidara couldn't imagine that he had gone his entire life without a place such as this.
From out of the corner of his eye, Deidara caught a glimpse of a soft, familiar hue. Paintings! He thought as his heart went aflutter. He turned around to show His Prince the bright canvases that painted women, lions and snakes covered within their golden frames. He tugged on his sleeve, trying to coax him to turn around and look at the works of art that hung above them. His Prince turned when Deidara finally came to a full halt to look around the gallery.
"Look, look, isn't it beautiful, hm?" Deidara exclaimed, gesturing to the paintings and sculptures along the walls.
His Prince snorted. "Looks nice, I guess. I'd rather be buying My Sunshine some jewelry instead of ogling at a painting of some dead woman, though."
Just then a merchant pushed His Prince aside to wedge between him and Deidara. His Prince grunted and stepped out of the way for the portly man to pass through, and let him get up close to Deidara's face. Deidara shot a look of concern to him, but he seemed nonplussed by the whole ordeal. Deidara supposed a simple art dealer wasn't too much of a threat.
He smiled with a painted clay bowl in his hands, and said, "Excuse me, little golden one! You seem to have quite an eye for art, and such fine taste you have to instinctively stop at my booth! Can I interest you in one of my cookware sets? You may cook for your betrothal in elegance and style, and such good quality shall spark awe in your future in-laws as well."
Deidara backed away, shaking his head, "I'm sorry, no thank you. I can make my own bowls myself."
The portly man spat, then shuffled back to his booth. His Prince quickly regrouped with Deidara, and placed an arm tightly around his shoulder as he led him further down the street.
After a short silence, His Prince spoke up. "You make clay pots?"
"Yeah, I do. Among...other things..." Deidara said softly, thinking back to the birds that were born and flew from his own hands.
"Is that why you asked me for clay?" His Prince said with a chuckle.
Deidara gave a light sneeze, still somewhat under the weather. It wasn't every day someone asked about his art and how he loved it so. This Prince of his truly was special; to care about Deidara in a way that only his brother had what felt like an eternity ago.
The two walked until they reached the fountain square in the center of the town. Deidara sat on the edge of the fountain while His Prince gazed out to the open desert far off into the distance. He sighed, completely at peace with the moment he was in. Deidara wondered if it would be too late to beg the earth Mother to let him stay in Sundance with His Prince forever.
As if he could read his thoughts, His Prince spoke. "You'll need to leave here soon. You can't keep traveling with the Jinchuriki - take it from the guy who wants to kill him - he might not be a good choice for a companion."
Deidara scoffed. "I'm happy here, hmph! Besides, I don't have any money even if I wanted to leave."
"You said you're an artist, right? How about taking on some commissions?" he suggested, gesturing back to the art galleries.
"My art is far too noble to sell among these filthy streets!" Deidara haughtily said, his posture defiant.
His Prince laughed. "I never said the commissions had to be selling pottery, you silly goose."
Flustered, Deidara looked to His Prince to understand what he thought was so funny. The dark-haired man of his heart gazed onward to a large sign that was glued to a nearby wall. Deidara didn't know what the thing said, only that a picture of a rotund older man with oiled black hair and golden adornments was featured with what appeared to be a large sum of numbers under him.
"Is he a fugitive, hm?" Deidara quietly asked His Prince.
His Prince smirked. "His name is Argento, and it looks like there's a two-hundred-million Ryo bounty on his head. This was likely put up by a rival slaver of course, so you might want to be wary about accepting it."
"Two-hundred-million Ryo to kill this man, hm?" he muttered.
"Yes, My Sunshine," His Prince reaffirmed.
Deidara, too focused on the picture of Argento ahead of him, didn't notice the hooded figure behind him and His Prince. The latter did, however. Once he saw the sparkle of large brown eyes, the dark-haired man lowered his head with a deferring smile and stepped away from the distracted teen as quietly as possible.
Deidara rose from his seat, only to find that His Prince had once again vanished. Panicked, he looked around for any sign of him at all, but it was to no avail. His Prince had vanished once again, leaving Deidara alone in a city full of people he did not know and one man he could not stay with.
It wasn't long before he felt the light touch of a remarkably cold, hard hand on his own. With a gasp he turned his head to face the stranger who's chocolate eyes and bright-red hair caused Deidara's heartbeat to slow from dread.
"Then that's two-hundred-million reasons to try, isn't it?" the red-haired man said with a bemused smile.
For once, Deidara could not find it in him to respond. He had begun to regret going out with His Prince today.
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