[A/N: This chapter is a little short because I had a great break for it. Besides, I prefer to update with shorter chapters more often than longer ones with super long breaks inbetween.]
Chapter 2:
It took Deidara a few seconds to remember that the doll's eyes hadn't been open before. Once this fact sank in, he reacted in what he thought was very reasonable manner by screaming like a little girl and slamming the trunk's lid down. He could still hear movement from inside the trunk and jumped back, almost falling off the bird in his haste.
A few seconds later the trunk's lid was slowly pushed open just a crack, and Deidara grabbed for the kunai in his belt, although he wasn't sure what good it would do against an inhuman foe. However, the doll made no sign that it wanted to attack him and merely peeked out, small fingers curling around the edge of the trunk in a surprisingly childlike gesture.
Deidara and the doll stared at each other. At this point, Deidara had no clue what he was supposed to do—he had been paid to deliver the trunk intact and unopened, and he was pretty sure that when his contractors saw the doll awake they would know he'd broken the terms. And this wasn't even considering the fact that he had just unleashed what he had been told was one of Suna's most powerful weapons on himself. It probably wouldn't be too pleased about being stolen, either.
"Can I come out now?"
Deidara had been so busy worrying that it took him several seconds to realize that he had been spoken to. "What?"
"Can I come out now?" the doll repeated, pushing the trunk open a little further. "It's dark in here."
The doll sounded as childlike as it looked, and it certainly seemed to be docile and non-threatening at the moment. Even so, Deidara had a feeling it would be bad idea to make it upset. "Uh…sure. Go ahead, un."
Deciding it would be best to give the doll some space in case it suddenly went berserk and attacked him, Deidara jumped down off the bird's back as the doll pushed the trunk the rest of the way open and climbed out.
What am I supposed to do now? he thought. I can't hand it over like this. I need to get it back in the box, but it sure doesn't look like it would be very happy if I tried to put it in there now.
"Hello!"
Deidara looked up as he heard the doll calling down at him. It was currently perched on the edge of the bird's wing, swinging its bare feet back and forth cheerfully—Deidara was getting more and more confused by how humanlike its mannerisms were. "Hi there, un," Deidara replied, curious as to what it would say next.
"Why do you talk like that?"
And of course it would ask that sort of thing right off, Deidara sighed inwardly. "I'm from the north. Lots of people talk that way up there."
"Oh," the doll said, looking at him thoughtfully (or rather, what Deidara guessed was thoughtfully as its face was somewhat unexpressive). "Is north very far away?"
"Kind of, I guess."
"I've never been far away. Does this thing fly? Can we fly there?"
"Whoa, whoa, hold it!" Deidara said, cutting off the doll's stream of questions. "First things first, let's have some introductions, un." So it's basically acting like a little kid. Weird, but I can work with this. "Jump down here, un," he continued, beckoning for the doll to get off the bird. "Shouting back and forth isn't working so well."
The doll looked down at the ground, then back to Deidara. "It's too far," it said, its face shifting slightly to form a pout.
"I dropped your box almost that far twice earlier," Deidara pointed out. "I'm pretty sure you'll be fine, un."
"But I don't want to," the doll complained, its tone becoming wavery as the pout intensified.
From his experience with younger siblings, Deidara knew well what that sort of voice meant. He really didn't want to experience a tantrum from something so potentially dangerous, so he concluded that appeasement would be the best course. "Okay, okay. Look, I'll catch you," he said, trying to sound reassuring as he moved under where the doll was sitting and held out his arms. "See? Nothing to worry about, un." Well, for it anyway. I really shouldn't be letting something that heavy jump on me…
"Okay," the doll conceded, and Deidara braced himself as it jumped.
While he did manage to actually catch it in his arms, he was knocked to the ground by its weight and ended up flat on his back in the grass. It was a little creepy to feel the doll moving of its own volition as it shifted in his grip, and Deidara quickly let go as it pushed away from him. Although it had been cold to the touch before, it was softly warm now, and Deidara could sense chakra flowing through its body. That must be how it's moving, he realized. Although that still doesn't explain the whole sentience thing.
"Are you okay?" the doll said, poking at Deidara's cheek.
Deidara batted its hand away as he sat up a little stiffly. "Sure, I'm fine," he said, although the truth of it was that he was still regaining his breath after having the doll's full weight land on top of him. "Now, let's start with the important things. Have you got a name, un?"
The doll nodded.
"Well, what is it?" Deidara prompted.
"I'm Sasori," the doll replied, smiling slightly. "Nobody wanted to know my name before."
Deidara found himself beginning to feel sympathetic towards the thing, a little to his own surprise. Clearly the keepers of Suna's armory hadn't put any thought towards how to properly care for a sentient weapon, or their idea of proper care hadn't included any interest in its emotional well-being.
And now for the really awkward question, since I can't keep using 'it' all the time. "And are you a boy or a girl, or, you know…not…un?"
"Boy," Sasori replied immediately. He looked a little amused by the question. "What's your name?"
"My name's Deidara, un."
"Why did you take me out?"
Deidara gulped. He couldn't let Sasori find out that he had been stolen, so he had to come up with some sort of story. But without knowing any of Suna's protocols surrounding their armory or any of Sasori's history, he would have trouble making it convincing.
Sasori began to frown as Deidara's silence continued. "You don't look like my handlers," he said.
"Um…no, I guess I don't," Deidara said quickly, hoping the pile of lies he was about to tell wouldn't fall over on top of him. "You were needed for something in another part of the country so I'm taking you there, un. Your, uh, handlers are waiting for you. I opened the box because I flew through a sandstorm and I wanted to make sure nothing inside the trunk was damaged. I didn't know you'd wake up, though." The last sentence was the only part that was true.
Deidara took a deep breath as he waited for Sasori's reaction to his tale. The doll child blinked slowly, almost mechanically, and tilted his head slightly to the side, studying Deidara's face. "Why would the Kazekage hire an Iwa missing-nin?" he asked finally, pointing at Deidara's forehead, where his slashed headband was resting.
"Well, that's…it's because…" Deidara began to bluster, then gave up. "You've got me there, un."