Prologue
A/N: This starts around the same time as the Tenchi Bridge Arc. I figured this would be obvious but my beta reader suggested I tell you this so, yeah now you know.
Deidara adjusted the cloak draped over his shoulders and cleared his throat, prompting Sasori to step back from picking a huge mechanical seal holding a puppet to the far wall of the cavern, and nodded towards the dark sky outside.
"We don't have time for that," Deidara pointed out. "Did you find it?"
"No," Sasori answered. "Already taken, just like Zetsu said."
Deidara rolled his eyes and nodded. That made sense.
"Did you find anything, Deidara?" Sasori asked.
Deidara used his foot to toss a headband into his own hand. The headband's metal plate was stitched to a short piece of black fabric. The icon of Sunagakure was etched into the metal, but someone had struck it out like it was an error on a calligraphy sheet.
"Isn't this a little useless?" Deidara asked, holding it up for Sasori to see. Sasori shrugged and started picking his way around the crumbled rocks that separated them.
"It has...sentimental value," Sasori answered. Gingerly, the puppet master lifted one end of the headband and slipped a small thin vial out of a concealed pocket in the headband. Deidara gave Sasori a look.
"Sentimental value?" Deidara scoffed. "You sound like my dad."
"I have a great deal of respect for your father," Sasori rebuffed. "He was patient enough to raise you."
"Charming."
"Yes, I thought so too. Where did you find this?"
Deidara looked over the three puppets behind them, fallen in a perfect line. Sasori regarded them quietly, trying very hard to hide how he felt about looking at them.
"Do you wanna take those with?" Deidara asked. "We can repair them on the way."
"No," Sasori sighed. "That would take too long."
"I just figured -" Deidara began.
"They're old, Deidara," Sasori interrupted. "Old and useless."
Deidara set his mouth, a little miffed at the dismissal. When Sasori turned to salvaging the demolished puppets that filled the cavern, Deidara made sure he wasn't watching and turned over one of the puppets. Deidara was no puppet master like Sasori, but he knew how to make chakra strings, to some small degree. Sasori had taught him how once, a long time ago. Deidara used them carefully now, making sure the joints on the hand were working.
"Deidara, that will set off a trap if you aren't careful," Sasori said, not looking away from what he was doing. Deidara dropped the puppet on the ground while looking directly at Sasori. The loud clatter made Sasori flinch and glare and Deidara, who responded with a look and a smirk.
"Oops."
"I'm sorry I stopped you from getting poisoned by accident, happy?"
"Extremely."
Sasori shook his head and continued salvaging whatever he could. Deidara watched his partner skitter around like a frantic spider trying desperately to repair her web. It wasn't like intact needle traps and undetonated smoke bombs soaked in poison were going to do much for them. Deidara adjusted his cloak again and started running his thumb over the edges of his fingernails.
"When we're done with this, we're headed to the bridge, right?" Deidara guessed.
"We have time, but yes," Sasori confirmed. "Are you sure you want to go?"
"Originally? No, but that kunoichi knows about the meeting now." Deidara reasoned. "If she relays it back to Konohagakure, we'll probably have a squad heading towards the bridge."
"I'm aware," Sasori answered. "Considering my state, and your track record, I'd gladly accept help from a squad of hapless idiots who had less than ten days to prepare. We'll be more use to them alive."
"And you think if things go south, they'll die first?" Deidara guessed, feeling a pit drop in his stomach.
"I know I can escape," Sasori said, rather matter-of-factly. "And Orochimaru finds more value in you alive. The fate of four, maybe five, shinobi from a village I don't care about is the least of my worries."
Deidara let his shoulders drop and he shot a look Sasori's way.
"That's so nice," Deidara said snidely. "Thank you for the full admittance you'll leave me with that creep if it comes down to it."
Sasori looked up at Deidara with a slightly amused smile. "You're so dramatic. You won't be there long if Orochimaru pokes where he doesn't belong. You know that."
Deidara felt a shudder run down his spine and he kept fidgeting. Echoes were running around his mind no matter how much he tried to banish them, and breathing deeply wasn't helping much either.
"For the love of - Deidara."
Deidara looked up at Sasori, who was watching him. Deidara heaved a few shallow breaths and Sasori sighed heavily in response.
"Stop standing around stewing in your own anxiety. You're making me nervous."
"I don't want to be his new experiment!"
Sasori looked at Deidara and tossed a scroll to himself. He walked over to Deidara and adjusted the cloak on his shoulders.
"That's not what's bothering you. I know this is hard, but you need to relax. Breathe."
"I am breathing!"
"Breathe, not hyperventilate, breathe. Two in, two out, like Konan always says."
Deidara nodded and inhaled for two seconds, exhaled for two, then repeated until the fog was clear from his mind. It helped, a little, that Sasori was holding Deidara's arms the whole time.
"You're thinking about Han, right?" Sasori guessed.
Deidara nodded, looking out at the river outside. Just talking about Orochimaru brought his cold, yellow eyes to the forefront of Deidara's thoughts. Deidara suppressed another shudder and breathed. Two in, two out, two in, two out, like Konan said.
"I - I don't know if I can do this."
"You don't have a choice. Right now, as much as I hate to give you credit for anything, I need you. You can't let this get in the way."
Deidara smiled a little at Sasori's snark, and Sasori returned the gesture.
"That's harder than you make it sound," Deidara pointed out.
"I know it is, everything sounds easier when someone else says it."
"What if I can't do this?"
"You need to."
"But what if I can't?" Deidara raised his voice, and the tempo of his breath followed suit.
"Hold on, hold on," Sasori spoke firmly, wiping away tears as they started to fall. "Come on, Deidara, not here. You're okay. Nothing's going to hurt you. He won't hurt you. I won't let him."
Deidara took a few deep breaths and relaxed a little. Sasori waited patiently, brushing away tears and gently brushing aside Deidara's blond hair. The cavern went quiet, save for the deep howl of the night wind.
"Are you ready?" Sasori asked after a long spell.
"As I'll ever be," Deidara answered. "Let's go."
A/N: Do I know what I'm doing? No. Has it been 5 years since I wrote a Naruto fanfiction? Yes. Am I going to read Boruto? Ha, no.
Thanks for reading, will be back with a new chapter...whenever I get chapter 2 edited and chapter 3 finished, at least.