Author's Note: I'm sorry for the sudden disappearance then reappearance of this chapter. I posted it earlier but then found there was still a lot I wanted to change. So sorry about that.

Chapter 4

Maybe he wasn't such a bother after all. Maybe. He was easy to control at least. A swift kick to the shin solved most problems of disobedience. And he always tried to please him. Whatever he barked out ("Get me that!" "Don't touch!" "Hurry up, un!") was quickly obeyed and completed. And did he complain? A little, but only when the task seemed outrageous, like hanging his own ass off a tree.

It was…empowering having someone follow every order, correcting every complaint, running about like an idiot solely for the purpose of amusing his needs. Tobi was a loyal partner who would do anything to help his handicapped sempai survive. Maybe that's why Sasori no Danna had ordered Deidara around before: it gave him a sense of power, ownership, control.

The morning after Tobi's third violation of Deidara's personal space was when it started. Brushing his own hair, teeth, and pulling on a shirt turned out too great a task for him alone. Of course, with a little more time he could have figured it out no problem. But they were in a hurry. And Tobi, being the sole person nearby with the necessary appendages available, was the only one who could help.

At first Deidara would have rather eaten the stumps of his own arms than dare ask Tobi for help, thereby admitting a weakness—something he dare never confess. But again, they were in a hurry and needed to set out. The blond had stood over by the sink, staring down upon the pair of toothbrushes and hairbrush Tobi had bought, (much of Deidara's own supplies were lost or destroyed in the fight against the Konoha nin and Gaara) waiting for some magic to move them. When a warm body pressed its heat against his bare back, Deidara murmured, "I need to brush my teeth, un," in as low a voice possible.

Throughout the rest of the morning, the blond found more uses for the masked shinobi. Brushing golden and tangled (and still fluffy with static) hair, and pulling on Deidara's new shirt, for example. Eventually Deidara even permitted Tobi to feed him. This only came to pass after the second day of travel, when, at the end of the day, the front of the brand new shirt was left dirtied by scraps of food from breakfast and dinner. Every morning Tobi changed the bandages on Dei's arms, and healed any cuts or scars left behind. "To keep them from infecting," he explained, voice softer than usual.

All this, and more, Tobi did without the least bit of thanks from the artist. But Deidara needn't have offered; Tobi was just glad his sempai was starting to get used to the idea of them as partners (at least, he hoped). Acceptance was all the masked shinobi craved.

They traveled together always in the same formation: Deidara sprinting ahead a few meters before Tobi, and Tobi giving small objections to Deidara's speed, which increased steadily. Without arms, there wasn't much elsewhere for his chakra to flow. Usually his arms were filled with chakra ready to inject into chewed up clay. But without arms to occupy, the extra chakra needed another outlet and found one through Deidara's feet.

Every night they rested in a small village apart from major towns or highways. No one paid them heed; they were just travelers. It came as no surprise, however, that every time they entered a town, the two received curious and sorry stares. They must have thought, Deidara concluded, the two were from the same region—the Land of Stone.

Ninja wars rampaged the lands years ago, so of course there had to be survivors carrying battle wounds. That must have been what the citizens thought. Deidara, with his armless state and damaged hitai-ate, was an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire of war. And Tobi was his companion. Only in some minds did the swirly orange mask make sense. A mask to hide from the world a scarred and distorted face.

The two Akatsuki did not see many happy and cheerful faces on their way across the country. Though many shop owners did give a wave of gratitude to Tobi as he exited their stores, having purchased rare ornaments and trinkets with the money he and Deidara shared. All these purchases he made behind Deidara's back. A rough pounding was sure to come should the numerous souvenirs be discovered. The trinkets were kept hidden in a backpack, traded for at one of the villages the two entered.

Tobi was thoughtful enough to buy a bag for Deidara as well, which he, Tobi, later thanked heaven for doing. As soon as he came through the door to their hotel room, the blond hopped up and asked (rather demanded) to see what weighed down the pack. Tobi answered by showing Deidara the one reserved for him, complete with buckles and straps to tie around his chest and waist. The artist forced down a smile and kicked Tobi for mocking his position. Next day found the blond sporting the backpack.

They seemed to be making good time. They were out of Fire Country within four days—perfect, the blond thought proudly—and heading towards the Land of Lightning at record pace. But they had to be careful.

The Akatsuki, being a most secretive and surreptitious group, kept many hidden bases. Some were reserved for communication purposes, extracting the chakra out of Jinchūriki and bijū, or as places of refuge and relaxation. The last of the three was the rarest with only two built on the large super continent. One was settled just beyond the Land of Rice Fields (Sound Country), the area ex-member Orochimaru led; and the other located in the Land of Rain's Hidden Village, Amegakure, the home of sir Leader himself.

The latter of the two was off limits to all those without permission from the Akatsuki Leader, one reason being the stringent guarding of the border and another because too many Akatsuki were sure to cause a problem in the small country of rain. So the one located beyond Orochimaru's territory was the only available place of refuge for Deidara and Tobi, Kakuzu and Hidan, and Zetsu.

At breakfast the morning of the fifth day Deidara's leg bounced restlessly up and down beneath the table, jarring the contents of Tobi's plate. He didn't have much of an appetite, consuming only two small cartons of orange juice.

Deidara stared out the window, his mind elsewhere. Immediately after Tobi made to stand Deidara shot up from his seat and stood by the door. Tobi strapped the special backpack to him. "I could do this myself, you know, un."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Tobi was used to Deidara's objections by now, and trained himself not to reply, "So then why don't you?" Such a question would surely earn him a broken shin. But though the blond dare not admit a fault, small hints now and then did help in making Tobi's partnership with the armless pyro easier.

Like always they set out early, just after the sun had risen. Tobi handled checking out; Deidara handled standing there looking pretty. Sometimes people took pity on the couple and gave them special discounts. Kakuzu was sure to be pleased they had at least tried to keep the money spending to a minimum. Especially since Tobi's souvenir shopping was quickly depleting them of ryou. Tobi promised to pay Deidara back.

The day was like any other: calm, sky dotted with clouds and morning mist, and a light breeze blowing from the north. Sooner than expected, they reached the boundary of the Sound Country. Before entering Deidara made an abrupt halt and held out his arm for Tobi to do the same. "What's the hold up?"

"You really don't know anything, do you?"

"Well I know two plus two equals four," Tobi held his chin in his hand, dramatizing the thought process. "And that water plus earth equals mud. And—"

"That's not what I meant, un." Tobi deserved to be kicked for the smart-ass answer.

"So then," Tobi shifted his weight and rested a gloved hand on his hip, "why we stopping?"

A blue eye shot ahead to the faded mountains sitting on the horizon, just above the sea of leaves. Towards the north the trees grew fainter in amount, and it became easier to see what lay ahead. The Land of Rice Fields was rightly named: the geography of the land made it perfect for growing the grain. Not many forests or gorges or rocky mountain ranges, just flat plains with the occasional sloping hills and rain. The air was cooler toward the north but not too cold. Pleasant.

"Because we're about to enter a lowly snake in the grass's nest, un." Deidara watched Tobi's response—a slow nod of the head.

"So you're afraid of snakes? Must be. I mean most of your clay creations in real life are simple meals for snakes. So I guess—OW!"

"Quiet!" Deidara hissed and removed his foot from atop Tobi's. "You want the whole country to hear you, shithead?"

Tobi clamped his jaw shut and covered the mask's mouth. Muffled shouts of agony escaped him, and he put a hand on the tree trunk for support. When the act ended and he turned to face his partner, Deidara was gone, sprinting twenty yards ahead. "Deidara-sempai! Wait!"

But the blond did not wait. In fact, he ran faster. Surrounded by the territory Sasori's former partner, the infamous Orochimaru, controlled kept the ninja on edge and alert. At any moment they could be attacked. Two shinobi—more like on and a half—against a whole country of well-trained ninja weren't good odds. Deidara had yet to see any of Tobi's skills as a ninja (besides his healing jutsu). And not to mention without arms, Deidara had little access to his clay or weapons. So—his stomach dropped—the odds were more like a whole country teeming of Sound ninja against the small skill of half a person.

A rustling of leaves behind. Deidara turned in mid-air, brow furrowed to whoever leapt to attack. He just barely managed to dodge the blur of orange and black flying past. Tobi had caught up. Deidara cursed himself, landed on a branch, and once again took lead.

Eventually the forest grew thin, and the two proceeded along the flat plains filled with rice fields. Though the country was controlled by a power-hungry snake there still existed an element of peace in the small homes dotting the landscape. These homes cared for the needy grain like loving parents to their children. A far different atmosphere than that plaguing the foreigners' lives.

Deidara could recall the first time he traveled through the Land of Rice Fields. It was after his (forced) initiation into the Akatsuki. Two times—that's how often he'd visited the country. Both with Sasori no Danna, the greatest protection one could ask for against surprise attacks.

As their cover faded, and they were forced to run the land, their speed decreased dramatically. They followed the dirt paths cutting through the overflowing fields, taking it slowly so as not to arouse alarm or draw undue attention.

Under different circumstances the blond may have allowed for Tobi to lead. But two factors prevented him: it was unlikely Tobi, being a newbie to the gang, had any knowledge of the whereabouts of the Akatsuki's home; and letting Tobi lead would be like admitting he could not defend himself. Still…

Dark eyebrows rose from behind the wall of orange. Deidara, who had been walking ahead a few feet, slowed his pace to match that of Tobi's, so they walked side-by-side. "Something wrong, Deidara-sempai?"

"I hope not, un." The answer did little to unnerve either of them.

As the day went on so did the sun. It set beyond the high, misty mountains settled on the horizon, and the moon rose in its place. Lucky for them it was full. Thick rays of moonlight lit up the area, and they were able to walk a distance before setting up camp in a small grove of trees off the side of the road. The light also helped to unnerve the Iwa nin. An enemy was less likely to attack with the air lit up.

Deidara waited patiently as Tobi collected wood, built a fire, laid out sleeping bags, and removed the blond's backpack which, strapped to him, he could not do on his own. All this time blue eyes darted right and left at any sound or hint of motion.

"You okay sempai?" Tobi sat on his haunches near the burning fire, cooking their meal.

Deidara cast a scowl at him, then looked away, not bothering with a sarcastic reply. A low groan escaped him as his arms moved to fold over his chest. Armless-ness was still taking some getting used to.

Tobi volunteered to take first watch, hoping to somehow calm the blond with a bit of sleep. At first Deidara disagreed, but soon succumbed to the taller man's insistence. "Wake me up if anything happens, un."

"Got it!" Tobi gave his partner a confident 'thumbs up.' Deidara turned away from the light and shut his eyes before they could soak up any more of the brunet's goofy nature.

Sleep did not come easy. Every time his mind started drifting away into an unconscious state, a doubt, worry, or short flash of an attack would wake him. It was unnerving being here. He'd heard of the things Orochimaru was capable of, most of which made his skin crawl just thinking about. A man who leapt from body to body every couple of years, regurgitated serpents and copies of himself, and wore other people's skin like a suit. Disgusting!

Tobi turned his head at the sound of a tired groan. "Can't sleep?"

Deidara sat up and glared. Light from the fire intensified the contours of his face, and the subtle glare took on a sadistic air. Tobi frowned beneath the mask and shrank, hugging his legs closer to his chest.

After a moment or two, Deidara stood, with some difficulty. Tobi moved to steady him. "Pack up. We're leaving, un!"

Tobi stood there, hand gripping the other's shoulder. The blond shrugged it off and went to kick dirt on the fire. "But why?" Tobi asked as thick wisps of smoke rose from the dying flames.

"Because the sooner we leave here the better, un," Deidara answered, kicking up more dirt. "And if that means an all-night run then so be it!"

Without any protest Tobi hurriedly picked up camp. The artist paced around anxiously as he did, barking for him to hurry. "I am, I am!"

Deidara started to walk before Tobi finished, having become fed up with the masked man's sluggish movement. With a shout Tobi quickly followed and caught up, carrying the artist's forgotten backpack. He remained a stride's length behind.

Crickets chirped excitedly, and soft breezes rolled across the flat ground and licked at their exposed skin. It would have been a nice walk in the moonlight if not for the noise rising above the insects. It resembled the buzz of a cricket, but different. More annoying, and piercing.

Deidara shook his head in an attempt to rid him of the buzz. If only he had some finger to plug up his ears. The cricket tormented him for the next half hour, dominating his concentration. They almost managed to miss a turn thanks to it.

Just when he was about to blow a fuse and go after the annoying insect, a quick yelp from behind made him whirl around and stumble back. Tobi landed with a deep thud on the ground, barely missing knocking over Deidara in the process. Blowing a strand of blond hair back into place, Deidara scoffed at his partner's clumsiness.

The masked nin crawled onto his knees and rubbed the top of his head and chuckled an apology. His foot rolled over a stone jutting out of the ground as he stood. The idiot! That's what he gets for wearing a mask with only one eyehole. "C'mon!" Deidara motioned for him to follow, and soundlessly warned the brunet to watch his step.

The shrill cry of the cricket continued to drill deep into his brain. It was so annoying! He tried to block it out, concentrating rather on the path ahead and the stars and moon above. The stars and moon which, strangely, didn't look right. Tiredness—that's all it could be. And the irritating chirp of the damn cricket! Somehow Deidara found himself forcing down a small laugh. The cricket was starting to sound worse than Tobi.

Speaking of which…

"Tobi," Deidara broke the silence of fifteen minutes, and peered at the taller man over his shoulder. "I want you to—AH!" The world dropped down from under him and flew toward his face. About to collide, Tobi reached out and grabbed the back of Deidara's shirt. The blond knelt to the ground and cursed. He turned to see what he had tripped on, and his eyes grew wide.

A rock protruding from the ground had caused him to stumble. Deidara scrambled to his feet and jerked his head every way around. The surrounding fields and clumps of trees looked oddly familiar. He towered over the rock, staring down with his brow furrowed. "Something wrong?" Tobi asked, leaning over the shorter man's shoulder, hands on his hips.

Deidara gave him a look, then turned about and bolted into a run. The masked man stood there, stunned. He followed with a shout to his sempai.

Minutes later the blond came to a dead halt. When Tobi caught up to him, he peered down at what Deidara was staring flabbergasted upon. It was a rock. The same rock both shinobi had tripped over, in the exact same spot in the road, in the exact same area of field. Confusion gave way to anger.

"Tobi!" Deidara spun around to his partner, his back to the bright moon. He flipped his long blond fringe over his shoulder, unveiling the scope underneath. "Take this off and hold onto it, un."

With a nod Tobi reached out and unclipped the eyepiece from Deidara's shadowed face. The artist scrunched his eyes closed as the machine tugged at his skin. Hesitating a second, Tobi tucked the long strands behind Deidara's ear before pulling away. The large pupil of Deidara's left eye grew and shrank as it adjusted to the dim light. Closing his right eye, the Iwa nin spun slowly around and scanned the area. Tobi stood by, holding the scope in his gloved hands. His weight shifted from foot to foot. Deidara's unease was starting to rub off.

Deidara's trained eye searched everything: the sky, the ground, the mountains, the sparse trees, and the rock. Everything was as it was before. He bit his lip.

This wasn't a genjutsu. This wasn't an illusion.

Were they just going around in circles? No, the path they'd been taking wasn't supposed to be circular. Then what the hell was going on? Deidara crumpled his brow and stared at the ground.

Thoughts and suppositions were interrupted by the same cricket as before. Its cry filled his mind with shrill screeches. He tried to ignore it, but like Tobi, there was no getting rid of it. Deidara forced his eyes tightly shut and lifted the stumps of his arms over his ears.

Now everything was muffled, except the sound of that insect. It violated the barrier. The artist growled. No way could he concentrate like this!

Something prodded him in the back, distracting him further. He shrugged Tobi's hand away and increased the pressure on his ears. He barely heard what the taller man said. The sound of the insect was driving him crazy!

At last Deidara snapped. "Tobi, find that damned cricket and kill—"

"Sempai!"

"—IT!" All the air within Deidara's lungs were forced out as Tobi tackled him to the ground. Maybe if he'd been paying a bit more attention to the surrounding world and not the buzz of insects, he may have noticed the quick zip of flying kunai and shuriken cutting the air where he and Tobi had just stood.

Author's Note: I am not a Naruto geography expert nor do I claim to know the locations of the Akatsuki hideouts. That part is mainly just supposition, so don't quote me on it. So...suspense...harder than I thought it'd be. Now I must go finish my homework.