Twenty Questions:

Hey, are you there?

Deidara jerked in surprise and nearly fell off the clay bird he was balanced on. Ino?

Yup! Guess what? I figured out how to do this without giving myself a concussion!

That's nice… Deidara replied, looking down to see if Sasori had noticed him nearly fall. Apparently he hadn't, as the puppet was still making his way through the sand at the same pace.

They had a long way to go before they reached Suna, so Deidara wasn't averse to having someone to talk to. So, what do you do? He asked. I mean, I'm pretty sure you must be a ninja, but…

I'm not sure I should be telling you that… Ino thought back. How do I know I can trust you?

Well, if he was going crazy, at least his subconscious wasn't stupid. Good point.

Why don't we just not talk about our occupations, Ino suggested. I'm in a really boring meeting right now, so I don't really want to think about it anyway. How about we play twenty questions? I ask you ten questions, you ask me ten questions, and that makes twenty questions! There was a girlish little giggle at the end of the statement, and Deidara could almost picture a teasing face.

Okay, sure, he agreed. What do you do when you're not doing stuff that you'd rather not tell me about?

I help my parents run their flower shop, Ino replied. What about you?

I, um, work with fireworks, Deidara replied. It was a bit ironic, he thought, that he didn't want the voice in his head to think he was crazy.

Okay, my turn, Ino said. What's your favorite color?

That's kind of a girly question, un, Deidara thought before he could stop himself.

Ino giggled. You're just complaining because you don't know the answer.

I do so know what my favorite color is! Deidara protested.

Oh really…

It's blue, un!

Okay, okay. My favorite color is lavender, Ino replied. Now it's your turn to ask a question.

Fine. What do you look like? Deidara asked.

Hmmm. Well, I'm devastatingly beautiful, of course—

Of course.

Now let me finish! But I'm also blond, and I wear my hair in a ponytail with bangs just on one side. They're really long, they actually cover one eye. And my eyes are blue. How about you?

Deidara was too surprised to reply.

Deidara? Ino thought after a little while. Are you still there?

I'm here, un, Deidara replied. It's just that…well, you just basically described me.

So you're devastatingly beautiful? I'm surprised, you sound awfully masculine to me.

No, I'm blond! Deidara retorted. And I do my hair like you said. And I have blue eyes.

That is too weird, Ino thought. Hey, maybe we're related!

I doubt it, Deidara replied. I don't have any family.

Oh…um, I'm sorry.

That's okay. Hey, Deidara added, as he noticed Sasori waving at him from the ground, Listen, I've got to go.

So soon?

I know, I'm sorry. Can you tell me how to do…whatever this is? Now that he had gotten another chance to talk to Ino, he didn't want to lose her again.

Oh, sure. Okay, it's rabbit, rabbit, horse, tiger, and you focus your chakra to the front of your brain, if that makes any sense, and think about whoever you want to talk to.

Rabbit, rabbit, horse, tiger. Okay, I'll see you around…sort of, un.

Mm-hmm. Bye-bye! Ino thought cheerfully, before her presence disappeared from Deidara's mind. He felt a little empty afterwards, and resolved to find time to talk to her again as soon as he and Sasori had fulfilled their objective.

How long could it take to take out one jinchuuriki, anyway?