Deidara opened his mouth to speak when, with a forceful bang, another door was shut in his face. He blinked. Well, that was anticlimactic. This one didn't even bother to hear him out. How was he supposed to obtain something to eat when every goddamned villager vehemently refused to interact?
He had been wandering around the small settlement for what he felt like ages, in hope that someone would feel charitable enough to spare him some food. He failed to comprehend what had determined them to act so hostile. Apart from blasting off one of the lion statues guarding the village, he had been perfectly well-mannered. That couldn't be it, though. He was just showing some kids what real art was. Nothing harmful in teaching the younger generation.
The idea of just stealing something became more appealing as time passed. The ex-Iwagakure frowned at the thought of pilfering from civilians. His chest grumbled in protest at his badly timed sense of honor. He was an S-rank criminal, for crying out load.
It was either that or going back to the hideout and ask Sore to go fetch provisions. After all, the white-haired shinobi was freakishly talented at making people do their bidding and well-aware of it. Asking for help meant admitting his inferiority. Hmm… what was he to do?
Half an hour later, Deidara was triumphantly strutting towards their temporary shelter, a sizable plastic bag clutched in his left hand.
Ha, this would show both Sasori and Sore that he was just as capable as they were at manipulating people. The fact that he had not actually manipulated anyone and resorted to stealing was irrelevant. He would just omit that insignificant detail. They couldn't accuse him of anything as they weren't there. Yes, that'd work.
Deidara halted abruptly at the sight of a very peculiar-shaped shadow. The hideout was located deep in the Yanagi Forest in the Land of Rivers and its surroundings consisted mostly of, unsurprisingly enough, willows. And the dark patch that caught his attention did not match the pattern. Trees just didn't have outlines that matched humans, did they?
The Iwa-nin inclined his head to follow the origin of the shadow. His eyebrows shot upwards at the vision. Was that... a floating ghost? That couldn't be it. Light shouldn't be affected by spectral beings.
He narrowed his eyes and Sore's distinctive features – or lack of, actually – came into focus. Of course. The standing in the air kind of made sense now. Kind of being the keywords here.
"Oy!"
A surprised yelp resounded from behind Sore's mask as they seemingly lost their balance in midair. Down they went.
Landing in a perfectly poised crouch was not what the blond expected. He huffed. They had just dropped from more than ten meters. Could've had the decency to be less graceful about it. He thought morosely.
"Good afternoon to you too, Deidara." Sore chirped. Tone intentionally pitched to feign cheerfulness, they lifted their hand. With a blank look, the blond extended his arm and helped the other shinobi up.
"What were you even doing up there?" He questioned exasperatedly. "You shouldn't leave your guard down so easily, un."
Sore took their time brushing off the imaginary dust from their black Akatsuki cloak before meeting his gaze. The mischievous glint in their dark orbs was hard to miss. "Aw, you do care, Deidara-kun." They teased.
The ex-Iwa pressed his lips into a thin line. It was hard to believe that this was the same masked ninja that had joined their organization months ago. The dictionary picture of aloofness, in the beginning, rivaling even the stoic Uchiha Itachi, they had opened up greatly to some of the members.
The unemotional façade proved to be just a defense mechanism developed in the harsh conditions of a missing nin's life. Instead, Sore was bright and spirited, a beacon of light that contradicted the heartless killer reputation they possessed. Their occasional playful attitude stood as proof of their platonic affection and Deidara cherished it, no matter how much it irked him.
The blond rubbed the nape of his neck as a resigned chuckle escaped his lips. "Well, somebody has to."
His partner promptly looked away briefly. The flash of grief in Sore's eyes did not escape his notice. It was gone as quick as it came, though, and they lifted their head to face him once more. They spoke suddenly, never giving him the chance to ask.
"You know how my kekkei genkai basically gives me perfect chakra control? I was trying to see if I could manipulate the air particles the same way we do with the water molecules. As you could see earlier, I did manage to get to a certain height." They explained matter of factly, shrugging their shoulders for effect.
Deidara rose a skeptical eyebrow at Sore's serene expression. Whilst he did understand the principle behind their technique, viably using it should be impossible. After all, water molecules may be linked together, but air particles were spread out.
"Did you consider, even for a moment, the uselessness of this technique in combat? Practically, gathering enough atoms to support you would take time." He frowned. "Your fighting style relies heavily on your speed and quick reactions. Is it worth changing it entirely to accommodate air-walking?"
"That is… true." They sulked. "Oh well, it was merely an exercise to pass the time. At least now we know it's possible, right?" They offered hopefully, hands clasped together in front of their chest.
Deidara sighed heavily. Sore's fanatic interest in research was… tiresome, honestly. Their apparent endless reserves gave them the chance to experiment freely, without the fear of chakra exhaustion.
Most of the masked ninja's free moments were spent either scrutinizing scrolls or trying out techniques. Not to mention that they did have a tendency to rope others into being their test subjects. Thank Kami they were absolutely horrid at genjutsu. Who knew what illusions they would have come up with then? He shuddered at the thought.
Sore coughed to attract his attention. Deidara shifted awkwardly. "Uh… I brought food." He said lamely, dangling the bag in question.
"How even –" they sounded positively baffled. "I did not actually expect you to convince anyone to talk to you, let alone give you food." They admitted sheepishly.
The blond crossed his arms. Nothing better to boost an ego than the encouragements of a friend. "Now I regret getting you tea, un."
"My bad?"
A.N. This one took a long time to finish. I do have the next short planned out, I just need to find the time to write it. The next one will also be the last before the actual story begins.
Like always, reviews are love. Share your thoughts, your critiques, and your tips. I can't wait to read them all.
Good day xo