Awaking to the sound of cicadas and twittering birds outside, Sasori's eyes slowly opened. The brown pupils were slightly faded, a minor side effect of last night's rendezvous. After a minute or two, he sat up, ignoring the dull pain in his lower back. Effortlessly, he pulled his wrists apart until the tattered piece of clothing binding them snapped off. He searched around for his robe; the sunlight shining from the small holes of the ramshackle ceiling above provided him with just enough vision.

"Finally up?"
Surprised by the sudden voice, Sasori lifted his head to see Deidara coming in through the door. He was wearing a new set of clothes that fit tightly around his body yet provided him with enough maneuverability. He probably managed to swipe them from one of the villagers; he had even gathered more clay.
"Yes. And I see that you have decided to rejoin me." Sasori responded.
"Yeah. So what about it?"

Honestly, Sasori found that kind of suspicious. Why would Deidara return after learning the truth about the Akatsuki and everything he had been put through. Surely, if he wanted revenge, he could have taken the opportunity last night to kill him and make his getaway. But given the current circumstances, especially involving Orochimaru and Pein, perhaps there was something else mulling over him.

"Why are you still here?"
"Hm?" Deidara gave the man a questionable look. "Didn't I already say I was going to make you pay me back? Surely you didn't think that would cover it!" He scoffed. "How about once we figure out our next plan of action, you work on getting me some money somehow!"

So that was it. Money. Sasori sighed, sliding his pants on and then proceeding to dress in his robe. Of course he wasn't buying that excuse, but it seemed to be the assassin's only motive for the time being. That and, yes, they needed to figure out what they were going to do now that Pein was involved. The man wouldn't rest until Deidara's body was in his hands. But something else was off about this situation. The look in Deidara's eyes had changed. What was he thinking?

"And I'm still curious about one thing..."
"What?"
"When Pein said that you owed him, was he talking about how you did experiments on the Akatsuki?"
"Yes. When I refused to carry on with Orochimaru's plans, I helped a group of people escape from his hideout. Those people, were what became known as the Akatsuki. Ever since, they have made it their goal to not only take down Orochimaru, but to gain immortality as well. Something that could only be done by my hands."
"Then why didn't you just make the same solution you used on me?"
"Because my research had become confiscated by Kabuto once I told him I was leaving." He stood up and continued to explain. "I wanted no part of Orochimaru and his experiments anymore. However, Pein decided that it wasn't enough. So he formed together the Akatsuki, and I was to be the one who could make them all 'perfect beings'."

Deidara's eyes narrowed and he asked his next question. "Do you regret doing what you did?"
Sasori's brown eyes connected to blue. There was a moment of silence between them and a small draft blew by their feet from the door. Sasori smiled. "Why would I regret it?"
Deidara eyed the man even more suspiciously as he walked past him. Something about that answer didn't feel right.
"Well, I suppose if I somehow get what I want in the end, I wouldn't regret anything."

'Got what he wanted?' Deidara pondered. Didn't he also seek the same goals as the Akatsuki? To gain power beyond what an average person could do and control people? Or was it simply, that he wanted the opposite of that? Did he want to just be free from the Akatsuki to pursue his own goals? Deidara looked at Sasori. The man was too hard to read, so he wasn't sure what the answer could be.

"But I will tell you one thing..." His head turned to the blonde, grinning with an unsettling look. "If you still intend to enact your revenge, then take all that hate, hostility and rage you have, and use it to kill me. Because the worst thing you could ever do, is keep me alive." Sasori's expression turned dark as he opened the door. He said nothing else and only stood there. His right hand balled into a fist while he fidgeted his fingers in the other.

"Heheheh." Someone chuckled bemusedly outside.
'What? I recognize that voice!' Deidara quickly ran up to the door, pushing Sasori out of the way. His eyes widened when he saw the person in front of them.

"Long time no see, Sasori." The man grinned as he adjusted his glasses. He wasn't alone, however. There was a large, white snake behind him; several times larger than a regular snake. Flickering its pink tongue, it easily stood about thirteen feet and maybe twenty feet long with piercing yellow eyes. It hissed threateningly revealing two long fangs in its mouth.

"Kabuto." As if his name were a signal, Sasori's puppet immediately positioned itself offensively on the side of him. Sasori hadn't expected the man to show up so nonchalantly. Then again, Kabuto was the type to take his work seriously and effortlessly when Orochimaru was involved.

Deidara quickly broke apart the silence. "What the fuck are you doing here?! Go sit back in your master's lap!" Deidara was never very fond of Kabuto to begin with, and seeing him again so suddenly, especially after all he had learned, didn't make the situation any better.

"My, I still see you pertain that big mouth of yours. Such ignorance, even after being captured and abused by the Akatsuki. Haven't you learned yet, Deidara?"
"Tch!" Deidara's frown just deepened at the man's words.
"No matter. As you can probably guess, I'm only here for one thing." Kabuto pointed his hand. "You."

The snake struck at the Akatsuki members, but just as efficiently, they dodged out of the way. "I see we'll have to do this the hard way." Kabuto held onto his glasses as he jumped atop the roof of the building. Following his instructions, the large scaly beast continued to strike at them.

While the two had no problem dodging, the snake's movements were too swift for them to attempt to make a comeback and counter it. "Dammit!" Sasori shakily ran around the snake. He wasn't up to speed as he normally was, and he certainly didn't mind putting all the blame on Deidara. And speaking of which... he jumped out of the way again. 'Why is it attacking me and not Deidara?' His eyes narrowed. 'Does he think that by taking me out first, getting Deidara will easier?' He looked at Kabuto, who just continued to smirk and order the creature around. 'No, he's up to something...'

"Hey, don't just run around! Do something!" Deidara yelled. He landed on a tree limb and put his fingers together. "Katsu!" In a blast of smoke, the snake screeched as an explosion blew on top of its head. Deidara grinned. 'That should have done it!'

Kabuto chuckled. "Is that your best shot?"
"What?!"

The snake struck at the assassin who managed to hop out of the way just in time. 'But how?!' Then he realized; this wasn't an ordinary snake. Its scales were hard and solid, like a steel sheet of armor. It would take more than just a blast from his clay to cut through it. He gritted his teeth in frustration. 'Damn it!'

While the snake was now preoccupied with Deidara, Sasori finally saw his chance and charged at Kabuto from behind. The silver haired man shook his head. "Now now, that wont do." The giant snake's tail came up and struck the red head, which not only blocked his attack, but sent him flying back into the ground.

"Sasori!" Deidara watched as the puppeteer hit the ground with such force that chunks of dirt flew up. 'That idiot! Whats he thinking trying to take on Kabuto with this big ass snake in the way!?' Just as he was about to run over to him, the snake lifted up and coiled around Sasori with its tail. It hissed and squeezed him which resulted in the man making a loud groan.

Kabuto smiled again. "Come with me, or he dies." As if to show his seriousness, the snake gave another tight squeeze and Sasori gasped painfully as he felt his insides forcibly pushed inward.
"Hmph!" Deidara stood up straight. "You think I give a damn about him? If anything, you're just doing me a favor!"
"Is that so?" Kabuto lowered his glasses to give a more direct look. "Because it doesn't seem that way. I know your secrets, and the bond you share with him. You claim to want revenge, yet find yourself clinging to the one person who's betrayed you to begin with."
The snake's coils tightened. "D-Dei..dera..."
"Forget about him, and come with me. Orochimaru-sama and I will take good care of you just like before. We'll offer you how ever much money you want. And unlike him, we will lead you into a path of promise instead of despair!"

Deidara knew better than to blindly accept that offer. Kabuto was lying through his teeth. And with the information he just recently learned, he was even more skeptical. No, he needed to think of something else to take care of Kabuto while at the same time getting Sasori out of the picture. 'Fine. I guess theres only one way to do this...'

"Well? What will it be?"
Sasori coughed. "D-Deidara! Don't l-listen to him! Forget about me and run!"
"Run? Ha!" He laughed. "You still don't know me very well, Sasori."
"So you still choose to fight?" Kabuto frowned.
"Quite the opposite. How about this?" He put one hand on his hip. "I'll except your offer, but in return let Sasori go."
"So, even after learning the truth, you still do not wish for his death?"
"Oh, I wish for his death alright! But the only way I'll allow him to die is by my hands!"
Sasori made a somewhat puzzled look. 'Whats he talking about? He's going to be the one who gets killed!'
"So you'll just take me back to Orochimaru, right?"
Kabuto nodded. "Of course. That has been our entire goal all along. We simply wish to know all the information you've gathered about the Akatsuki as well as anything else that will benefit our research. That is all."
"Deidara, no! H-he's lying! Ngh!" The snake coiled around Sasori tighter silencing anything further he had to say.

"Is that all you want?" Deidara seemed to be testing his answers.
Kabuto shrugged. "Nothing else." However, his suspicions were on the rise as well. Deidara seemed to be taking this offer far too smoothly. 'I can't help feeling there is something else he seeks...'
"Alright. Then let Sasori go and I'll tell you everything I know."
"As you wish." With a flick of his hand, the giant snake let Sasori go.

Sasori groaned as he fell to the ground, finally able to breathe again. He panted as pain pulsed through his body, too weak to even move. Deidara stood above him, a stark expression on his face. "Don't worry, I don't intend to let you live. I'll kill you with my own hands, but for now..." He turned around. 'Its time Orochimaru and I had a little chat...'

Super sorry that this chapter took so long! x_x Writer's block is a pain lol, but now I'm back on track! Thank you for reading and look forward to more!