Chapter 11—Akatsuki
The little spider leapt from the cliff edge and landed with a springy bounce on the riverbank outside the cave. It skittered up to the entrance as laughter echoed from within.
Inside the cave, Deidara was standing very still and trying very hard not to lose patience with Kakuzu's partner, Hidan, as Kakuzu reattached Deidara's arms.
"Do you see this pussy, Kakuzu?" Hidan said gleefully. "He looks petrified!" He threw his head back and laughed. "Not such a hotshot now that that fuckin' kid got your arms, huh? Huh?"
"Hey, Kakuzu, how do you get this guy to shut up?" Deidara grumbled, glaring at Hidan.
"Don't be so impatient; you'll end up just like him," Kakuzu said as he finished Deidara's right arm and moved to start on the left. "And Hidan, you should realize that Deidara is just a kid himself – his battle experience can't compare to old immortals like us."
Deidara's distain and annoyance at Kakuzu's first comment compounded with this additional insult but he held his tongue, extremely conscious of the living threads wriggling in the skin of his left arm.
"Besides," Kakuzu continued. "The Kazekage only took one of his arms. The other was lost to the copy ninja, Kakashi."
Deidara felt a final tug as the threads tightened into place and Kakuzu stepped away. He raised his hands, flexing his fingers and testing the joints of the arms, and the tongues in his palms lolled lazily, not quite recovered yet from having been separated from his body. When Deidara stooped to pick up his cloak, he saw the spider skittering up to him.
"Well, what do we have here?" He held out his hand and the spider crawled onto his fingers. He lifted it to eye level. "It seems we have visitors. Hm." He pushed the spider into one of the pouches at his side and pulled on the cloak, already heading for the cave entrance. "Let's see who it is."
He stayed just inside the cave, peering around the wall to check the top of the cliff across the river. Slipping a hand under his hair, he adjusted the scope over his left eye to focus in on a particular tree near the ledge. At first, it seemed there was no one around, but soon Tsunade returned to the spot to wait for Orochimaru.
"Well, well. This is unexpected. What's the Hokage doing out here I wonder. Hm." He continued to watch but she only stood there, though as the minutes passed she seemed to get increasingly anxious. Then Orochimaru appeared and Deidara saw him fall, saw Tsunade catch him, read her lips as she told him, "We've got more information now. Let's get some distance and come up with a plan." They headed away from the cliff edge, Orochimaru relying heavily on Tsunade for support, and Deidara moved back into the cave.
"It seems two of the Legendary Sannin have found their way here. Hm. What do you think, Kakuzu? Want to help me take them out?"
"We're supposed to be hunting Jinchūriki," Kakuzu said.
"But I need to test these arms out before then, don't I?" Deidara said eagerly, flexing his fingers again.
"I've said it before. You're too impatient. Why should I help you?"
"Well, it looks like they're going to come back and attack us anyway." Deidara shrugged. "You might as well help me out. Hm."
Hidan came over to them. "What about me?" he demanded. "If there's some atheist shitheads out there, let me take care of 'em. I can tell them about Jashinism."
Deidara grimaced. "No, that's all right. I'm sure Kakuzu and I can handle it, right Kakuzu? Hm." He nodded confidently but Kakuzu did not seem receptive to the idea.
"Look," Deidara tried again. "It'll be worth your while. I'm sure the Sannin have some very nice bounties on their heads. Hm."
"Hmm," Kakuzu was quiet for a minute, thinking over his answer. When he had decided, he said, "It would be troublesome to have them attack us. Go set up some traps around the cave. If they get past those, I'll fight with you. But if I help you, you have to agree to keep the bodies recognizable for the bounty."
"It's a deal," Deidara said. "Now, let me see about those traps…"