A/N: Thanks for the positive feedback so far. I thought the phone call was hilarious too :P

Warning: Language, OOC, violence, and why don't I just copy & paste this thing... -_-u

^v^

Itachi sat at his kitchen table, legs folded beneath him as he glared holes into the phone he held. For some odd reason, he couldn't trace the call back to his father and mother's location. And according to several phone companies, the call had never even been made. Itachi felt his brows furrow. Just what does that mean…?

"You know- keep frowning like that and you'll end up with even more stress lines than you already have."

Itachi looked up from the phone and cross-eyed at the finger poking itself into the middle of his forehead. A vein popped. "How the hell did you get in here Shisui!" he shouted as his older cousin.

Shisui grinned, leaning back to watch Itachi on his haunches. "Who knows…"

"Shi…sui…." Itachi dangerously ground out.

Shisui laughed, jabbing a thumb behind him. "Kidding, kidding. Deidara let me in."

Deidara waved from the doorway with a cheerful grin.

Itachi's eye twitched before he threw the phone at the blonde. "You idiot!"

Deidara caught the phone with a hand, smiling innocently in Shisui's presence. "I just thought you could do with some company un."

Shisui squealed, jumping up to pull his new cousin in a tight hug. "You're so sweet! So much nicer than Mr. Grumpy Pants over there!"

Deidara wistfully. "I've tried to get him to change but…"

Itachi almost broke the table he was sitting at in half. "I can hear you morons perfectly clear!"

"Well good!" Deidara stuck on his tongue, moving away from Shisui and over to him. "I'd hate to think that you've gone deaf un!"

"I'll make you deaf in a minute if you don't leave right now…" Itachi darkly muttered.

Deidara merely laughed. "Oh relax. I just called Shisui here to make sure Sasu-kun and Naru-chan have someone to look after them."

Itachi suspiciously looked at him and then to his beaming cousin who was irking him more and more by the second. "Why would those bakas need someone to look after them?" he asked.

"Because Iruka-san needs us at the Academy for help teaching his class on basic fighting techniques," Deidara explained. "He wants us two to demonstrate."

Itachi didn't miss the way the blonde's face darkened at the mention of Iruka's name. Ever since the older teen had stolen Deidara's group of kids away at the Academy tour and treated them to ice cream in his place, Deidara had held some sort of a grudge towards the Academy teacher. Oh well. As long as he didn't try and kill the brunette he could do as he liked.

Which currently involved pranking him along with Naruto and hanging him from various places by his underwear.

Itachi inwardly rolled his eyes. And they dared to call him immature.

But back to the matter at hand…

"I guess that's alright," Itachi finally answered. "When do we need to be there?"

Deidara idly placed the phone on the table in front of the both of them, visible eye twinkling. "In about three minutes hmm."

"…"

"…"

Shisui grinned.

Itachi whacked Deidara over the head. "Just what are you playing at?" he angrily asked.

Deidara snickered, moving back while holding the welt on his head with a smirk. "Now, now, Itachi-kun," he drawled. "Let's not keep all the children waiting. I heard Neji and his two friends will be there to watch un."

Itachi felt like bashing his head through a wall.

Deidara happily pranced away. "Less than two minutes. See you there troll."

And then he vanished in a swirl of leaves- a giant boulder where he used to be standing.

Well at least it was better than flinging miniature stones everywhere and breaking everything in sight.

Itachi sighed in aggravation, getting ready to shunshin as well when he noticed his cousin just standing there. Watching him. "What…are you staring at?"

Shisui heaved his shoulders. "Just you suffering. It's quite fun."

"Oh really now?" Itachi asked, brow quirking. "MANGEKYO!"

"YOU REALLY DO LOVE ME~!" Shisui exclaimed as he sunk to the ground in a melted puddle.

Itachi deadpanned, choosing to leave at that moment. Sasuke and Naruto could always just mop up the mess.

And man-oh-man was he going to kill Deidara when he got his hands on him…

Day One: Academy Demonstration (what was supposed to be a basic fight)

Iruka and his class of young students were gathered outside, surrounding a ring in the center of one of the Academy's training yards. The ring spread to the far edges of the yard.

The brunette teacher motioned for his two demonstrators to step forward. "Alright," he said. "Are you two ready to begin?"

Itachi and Deidara faced one another, the former with a disgruntled expression and the latter grinning jovially.

After all, it wasn't everyday one got to witness an Uchiha getting pants in the middle of a schoolyard by an eleven year old Hyuuga.

Now Deidara might have held a grudge towards little Neji for throwing a tree at him, but watching Itachi get publicly humiliated and drop-kick the child was enough to make him smile.

Itachi glared at him. "Wipe that look off your face."

Deidara's grin grew. "What look?"

"You know what I'm talking about."

"No I don't un."

Iruka held up his hands. "Take it easy you two. We're just going for something easy-going and light, alright?"

Deidara felt an eye twitch, turning to look at the brunette. "Sure thing Iruka-san. Say- if I do good, will you treat me for some ice cream hmm?"

Iruka felt a vein pop. "Definitely not!" he shouted, tugging on the blonde's ear. "Next time you try and shove an iron down my pants I'll kill you!"

All the children gasped at the display of violence from such a sweet teacher.

Iruka noticed, flushing pink before releasing Deidara and coughing lightly. "Just kidding," he said with a laugh.

The kids sighed in relief.

"Now," Iruka cast Deidara a wary look and then glanced at Itachi. "You two are aware of the rules of this kind of fight I assume?"

"Of course," Itachi answered.

"Yeah right," Neji scoffed from behind Iruka. "This isn't a barbarian fight Uchiha."

Itachi resisted the urge to Mangekyo the brat into oblivion, knowing that the Hyuuga-Uchiha Alliance rested on his very unstable teenage shoulders. "I'm aware," Deidara said, almost too seriously.

Iruka looked at the blonde and nodded, taking a step back. "Then…"

Itachi and Deidara both formed half of a seal, looking into one another's eyes.

Iruka brought down a hand. "Hajime!"

Deidara blinked in surprise as the Uchiha vanished from sight. He felt a flicker of a chakra presence before the raven appeared in front of him.

Itachi knocked him flat to the ground, drawing back a fist.

Deidara put on a pitiful face. "You'd hit your own wife?"

Itachi paused, eye twitching violently. "Mention that one more time…"

Deidara smirked, kicking the older teen off of him and flipping back onto his feet. "Just kidding un. You get distracted way to easily." He beckoned with a hand. "Come on already."

Iruka sweatdropped, brow quirking. "Ano…you guys…"

Itachi didn't bother to answer, instead appearing behind Deidara. The blonde quickly shifted several steps forward before kicking his leg back. Itachi caught the leg easily, Sharingan activated out of annoyance more than anything else. Deidara twisted himself out of the iron grip, bringing up his other leg to kick the raven in the jaw. Itachi moved into a backbend to avoid the blow, using his hands to turn himself and catch Deidara in a spinning kick which the younger teen dodged. The two then engaged in a quick parry of fists and legs, moving close to the edges of the fighting ring but never out of it.

Iruka hung his head. "This is supposed to be a demonstration for the kids…not your own personal fight…" he deadpanned.

Naruto turned to Sasuke as they watched their two older brothers fight. "I'm gonna be just like Deidara-nii one day and kick your butt!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "It's obvious nii-san is going to win."

"Nu-uh!"

"Shut up and get out of my face Naru-chan," Sasuke said, trying to push the blonde out of his personal space.

Meanwhile in the ring, Deidara had moved back several yards and flung a round of shuriken at Itachi.

Itachi sidestepped, fingers already forming fast seals.

Deidara rolled in the opposite direction of the fireball headed his way, looking at the giant flames with large eyes.

All the kids clapped in awe at the perfectly controlled fire jutsu.

Itachi smirked.

Deidara rolled his eyes and formed a hand seal.

Iruka covered his face with his hands. "Oh my gosh…this isn't even taijutsu anymore…"

Itachi performed a substitution as the butterfly on his shoulder exploded, drawing a kunai as he slid up next to the blonde, kicking him in the side. Deidara blocked, stepping back before pulling out a kunai of his own and meeting Itachi's weapon with it. They were exchanging quite pointless swipes of slashes when Deidara flipped back and Itachi sliced the hem of a pant leg in half.

Deidara looked oblivious to the attack, merely rushing in again.

Itachi's eyes caught sight of his opponent's leg, inwardly raising a brow. It seemed as if Deidara was unaware of the problem the cut to his pants caused. He smirked, stepping on the loose hem of Deidara' pants. Deidara skidded backwards, loosing his balance momentarily and dropping his kunai as his eyes widened. Itachi pinned him to the ground, a knee in his stomach and kunai poised at the blonde's heart.

Deidara nudged his head up with a smirk.

Itachi narrowed his eyes at the feeling of a kunai grazing the back of his neck. "Another one hiding in your sleeve?"

"You couldn't tell with your Sharingan?" Deidara mockingly asked.

Itachi glared at him.

Iruka walked over, hands on his hips. "Alright you two- the match is over, you can put the kunai away now."

Deidara snickered at Iruka's aggravation, looking past Itachi's shoulder to grin at the brunette. "Sorry. Things got heated hmm."

Iruka held up a fist, eyes closed and vein throbbing. "I'll show you heated…"

Itachi rolled his eyes and climbed off of Deidara, pocketing his kunai. "Stop provoking people Deidara."

The blonde shrugged, rolling to his feet as he put away his own weapon. "It's a natural talent."

"That's not a natural talent," Itachi muttered with a glare in his direction.

Iruka, able to compose himself somewhat, motioned for the them to step closer to one another. "Alright, show your respect for one another."

"I'd much rather see them fight again," Kiba whispered to the kid next to him.

"The match is over- there's no need," Shino said, pushing his glasses up.

Kiba jumped away in fright. "When did you get there?"

Shino's dark glasses turned to look at him. "I was sitting beside you the entire time."

Kiba scrunched his nose up, suspiciously eyeing him.

Iruka clapped his hands. "Any day now guys."

"…" Itachi analyzed the blonde in front of him. He's not bad at all. But he always acts like such a baka…

Deidara grinned at him, tilting his head to the side as he held out two fingers. "That was fun. Let's do it again sometime un."

Itachi stared at him before sighing, grasping the fingers with two of his own and smiling a bit. "You're on."

Day Two: Watching (here comes the summer heat again…)

Sasuke snickered under his breath, watching as his older brother and Naruto got into an argument over respecting ones elders once again. He sat on a swing set in the middle of the park, idly pushing off the ground but not really aiming to go anywhere.

"What's so funny un?"

Sasuke looked over his shoulder with a grin as Deidara walked up to the swings, three popsicles in his gloved hands and an equally large grin on his face. "Naruto and nii-san are at it again."

Deidara rolled his eyes in amusement, sitting on the swing next to the younger Uchiha. He offered one of the treats which Sasuke gladly accepted in the blistering summer heat. "They'll probably still be at it several years from now," he said with a laugh.

Sasuke laughed along with him. "Yeah- probably."

"Ahahahahaha-"

"Hahahahahahaha-"

"Ahahahaunhahahunhahahaun-"

"What are you two doing?" a dry voice asked from in front of them.

Sasuke and Deidara paused in their laughing to look at the gruff Uchiha and equally gruff blonde in front of them.

Sasuke took an obnoxious bite out of his cool treat, eyeing his brother. "Nothing much. What were you doing?"

"No need to ask that Sasu-kun," Deidara jeered, jabbing a thumb at Itachi who popped a vein. "It's obvious this loser was being made fun of again."

"He is a loser," Sasuke idly commented.

Itachi whacked them both over the head.

Deidara chuckled, holding out one of the popsicles to Naruto who gladly took it before standing beside Sasuke.

"Hey- you wanna go on the jungle-gym?" Naruto excitedly asked.

Sasuke gave him a bright look, getting off his swing. "Fine. But if you fall off it's not my fault," he laughed, pushing playfully at his best friend as they raced for the jungle-gym.

Itachi let out an aggravated sigh, taking the swing Sasuke just abandoned. "Kami-sama they wear me out," he muttered.

"That's because you're a bore," Deidara sniggered, looking off to the side.

Itachi gave the blonde a sore look before taking note of the one popsicle left in his possession. "Hey…"

"What un?"

"Give me that."

Deidara looked at him. "Excuse me?"

Itachi pointed at the treat. "It's hot. You got one for everyone right?"

Deidara stuck out his tongue. "Yeah- everyone but you."

Itachi's eye twitched. "Baka… look- just hand it over."

"Why should I? It's mine!" Deidara argued, holding the popsicle close to his chest.

Itachi growled, standing up from his swing to stomp in front of the Iwa nin. "You should share! Caring is sharing!"

"Unless you don't care un!" Deidara rolled backwards off the swing, backing away several feet as Itachi stalked closer. "Stay away from me!"

"Give me the popsicle!"

"Waaahhh!"

Splat.

"…"

"…"

Both teens started at the melted glob in the mulch.

And then at each other.

"Why you-!" Deidara kicked Itachi in the shin. "You dropped it you moron!"

"Ow! Watch it you little blonde termite!" Itachi snarled, lunging at him with his Sharingan activated.

Sasuke and Naruto looked up at the sound of struggle and bickering coming from the swing set.

"Huh?" Sasuke's eyes were wide. "They were just sitting there a moment ago."

"Oh come on Sasuke," Naruto boisterously said. "You should have expected it. They'll probably still be at it several years from now," he wisely said.

Sasuke looked at him before they both started to laugh.

"Yeah…"

Day Three: Boredom (we all know what that leads to…)

Deidara sat in the living room, Sasuke and Naruto on either side of him.

"…"

"…"

"…un."

"Deidara-nii," Naruto said in a monotone.

"What do you want Naru-chan?" Deidara asked in an equally dull voice.

"I'm bored."

"Me too," Sasuke intoned.

"Oh…"

The three sat, unmoving, staring at the blank television screen in front of them. And then-

"You guys wanna see some fireworks yeah?"

"Sure," the two children unenthusiastically said.

Deidara smirked, forming a seal. "Katsu."

A large explosion came from one of the bedrooms down the hall.

"DAMMIT DEIDARA!" Itachi roared, his footsteps thundering down the hallway.

Deidara laughed as Naruto and Sasuke jumped to life, giggling amongst themselves as they searched for a place to hide. "Mission accomplished un."

Day Four: Meaningless Apologies (they both understand anyway)

Shisui annoyingly poked his cousin in the head as they walked down the hospital corridor. "Maybe you should take some anger management classes. You're crazy."

Itachi irritably swatted the finger prodding at him away, eyeing the number on the doors as they passed. "I don't need classes. People should just not bother me."

Shisui poked him again.

Itachi drop-kicked him.

"See what I mean!" Shisui cried from under his feet.

~X~

A few minutes later the two arrived in front of room 109, although one of them had a severe limp and bruising chin.

Shisui cast Itachi a poor look. "I'm just surprised you didn't Mangekyo me."

Itachi harrumphed importantly, pushing open the room door without knocking. "I didn't want to disturb the other patients with your annoying screams."

Shisui looked away, fake tears pouring down his face. "So mean…"

Deidara looked over from where he sat in the hospital bed, raising a brow when he saw who entered. "What are you guys doing here hmm?"

Itachi scowled as Shisui forcibly pushed him inside.

Shisui grinned, bounding over to the blonde but not embracing him. "We came to see you!" he happily exclaimed. "I would glomp you but I don't want to hurt you anymore than Itachi-no-baka did."

Itachi glared.

Deidara tilted his head to the side. "It's okay- I don't mind." I can't breathe in your hugs anyway… he thought with a slight sweatdrop.

Shisui stepped back, looking over his shoulder to his cousin who was just standing there. "Come on Itachi. This is your fault you know."

If anything, the glare on Itachi's face grew darker. "Why do I always have to deal with the aftermath when Deidara's the one who blows up my room?"

"Because it's more fun," Shisui replied, ignoring the thunderclouds gathering above his cousin's head.

Deidara slowly blinked in Itachi's direction. "Was there…something you wanted to say un?"

Itachi stared and then looked away. "…"

Shisui grinned, clapping Itachi on the shoulder. "Well I'll be waiting outside. Have fun!" he chirped.

Itachi looked at him with narrowed eyes before turning his attention back to the blonde expectantly watching him. "Well…what do you want?"

Deidara smiled a bit. "How sweet! You come to visit little 'ole me hmm?"

"Don't look so happy," Itachi muttered. "I was forced to."

"Then what's in your hand?"

Itachi glared at him. "What are you talking about?"

Deidara pointed at the stuffed animal the older Uchiha held.

Itachi felt a part of him die. I'm going to kill Shisui and use his soul to refuel me. He twitched violently, resisting the urge to set the little puppy on fire. "I didn't bring it for you."

"Well that's good to hear," Deidara suddenly laughed, getting out of the bed. "That'd be so weird."

Itachi's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Deidara looked at him. "Hm? What do you mean? We're going home, right un?"

Itachi gaped wordlessly before blurting out, "Your injuries baka! You're not supposed to be walking!"

"Oh those?" Deidara nonchalantly waved a hand. "I faked them. It was worth it hearing an apology from you though."

Itachi felt an eye twitch. "Is…that so…?"

Deidara blinked, glancing at him. "Well what's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with- I'll show you what's wrong with me!" Itachi shouted, beginning to strangle the younger blonde.

~X~

-The Next Day-

~X~

Itachi smirked, handing a bedridden Deidara a stuffed bird. "This should make you feel better."

Deidara, with a black eye, swollen cheeks, and glare, snatched the bird before turning onto his side. "Shut up you bastard."

Itachi snickered. "At least you don't have to fake it this time," he said.

Day Five: Dinner ( the benefits and the nonbenefits)

Itachi was walking down the streets of Konoha, grumbling under his breath about stupid younger siblings who couldn't cook to save their lives and complaining about his horrible cooking skills. As it was, he had been the one asked to pick up some takeout from Ichiraku.

Or it was more like-

"Oi! Itachi-nii!" Naruto called from the kitchen as Itachi walked by. "Your cooking sucks! Go pick up some food!"

Itachi felt his fingers clench and a vein pop. "What did you say…? You little-?"

Sasuke tugged on his elbow from behind. "He has a point. I don't wanna starve because you never went to those cooking classes kaa-san signed you up for."

Itachi was definitely popping several veins now. "Foolish little brother….she signed you up too."

"Yeah, but you're older so the responsibility falls on you," Sasuke flippantly said.

Itachi's neck snapped to the side as he envisioned bashing both Naruto and Sasuke's head through the wall. And suddenly- someone was pulling him by the back of his obnoxiously large collar, throwing him outside the house.

Deidara waved at him from inside the doorway. "Don't come back until you get something decent you bastard un~!"

Itachi stood to his feet, shaking a fist at him. "Don't sound so happy you idiot!"

Deidara's answer was to slam the door shut and lock it with several seals.

The oldest Uchiha slapped a palm to his head. "Dammit!"

-And thus his current predicament.

Sometimes he had the urge to stuff them all in a box and ship them off in the middle of nowhere just for kicks. But then he realized he'd be bored and have nothing and no one to pick on.

Yeah. That was definitely the reason why.

Itachi was just at the entrance of Ichiraku when a familiar silver-haired shinobi ran up to him, vengeance in his eyes. He inwardly groaned. Oh here we go…

"There you are Itachi-kun!" Kakashi shouted, pulling out a kunai. "I'll get you back for burning my collection of books last year!"

Itachi rolled his eyes. "That was Deidara, not me."

"I don't care!"

Itachi huffed in annoyance, punching the older teen before stomping on him several times. "Leave me alone!"

"Kakashi-kun!" Rin cried out, running to her frothing and twitching teammate in the middle of the street. She looked at Itachi. "How could you?"

Itachi placed a finger to his temple. "He attacked me first."

Obito walked up to his two teammates at a more leisurely pace, arms behind his neck. "Eh- hey Itachi."

"Hey Obito," Itachi greeted. The other Uchiha was the only one he could stand in this insane village. Although he rarely visited the Compound, he still kept in touch with Shisui and the others.

Rin raised a fist in Obito's direction. "Stop fraternizing with the enemy!" she roared.

Obito looked off to the side deadpanning. "He's my nephew or something though…"

"How the heck is he your nephew when you're only a few years older?" Rin asked with a throbbing vein.

"How should I know?" Obito exasperatedly asked, nudging an unconscious Kakashi with his toe.

"Because it's your family tree!" Rin shouted. "And stop kicking Kakashi-kun!"

"A screwed up family tree," Itachi muttered, heading into Ichiraku's over the bickering in the back. Those idiots at home better be grateful I wasted ten minutes of my life getting them food…

~X~

-Back at the main Uchiha household-

~X~

"ACHOO!"

"Ow un!" Deidara held his nose, taking the tissue Sasuke offered.

Naruto rubbed his nose as well. "Someone must talking about us…"

"Must be nii-san," Sasuke muttered.

Deidara narrowed his visible eye. "Well he's not getting in here after that hmm."

Itachi banged on the front door. "LET ME IN YOU MORONS!"

Day Six: Hanging Out (why…just…why?)

Deidara sat on Itachi's bed, a big smile on his face and bottle of nail polish in his hands.

Itachi walked into the room, looked at him, and then walked right back out.

Deidara scrambled off the bed, grabbing Itachi before he could get too far away. Pulling him back into the room and forcing him to sit down on his futon, Deidara said, "Let's paint our nails together un!"

"No." Itachi stood up, fully intent on leaving.

Deidara just pushed him down again, frowning although the light in his eye said otherwise. "It's not because I want to Itachi. But I got a letter in the mail from Pein and the others."

"They send us mail?" Itachi asked.

"Mmhmm," Deidara bobbed his head. "I just never let you see it."

Itachi kneed him in the gut. "Baka."

"Itai! What a jerk!" Deidara plopped down beside him, the nail polish in between them. "In the latest letter, Pein said he and everyone else decided to paint their nails for their Club! To show unity and all that stuff un."

Itachi put his face in his hands. "Figures Pein would think of something like this."

Deidara mischievously pulled his hands away, wagging the bottle of purple nail polish with a smirk. "I'll take care of you first guinea pig."

Itachi blanched. "You've never done this before!" he exclaimed.

Deidara grinned. "Nope! Now c'mere!"

~X~

-Thirty Painful Minutes Later-

~X~

"No! I refuse to leave!"

"Come on yeah!"

"You can't make me!"

Deidara finally tugged Itachi off of the ceiling, forcing him out the bedroom doorway.

Itachi glared fiercely. "If I have to put up with ridicule from Shisui or anyone else…"

"You won't un!" Deidara dragged Itachi out into the hall to where he could sense the chakra signatures of their younger siblings. "Sasu-kun! Naru-chan!" he loudly called.

Itachi glanced at him in annoyance. "They never come when I call, so what makes you think they'll show up when-"

"Hai!" Sasuke and Naruto chirped, suddenly in front of them.

"Of course," Itachi deadpanned. "Why am I not surprised?"

Deidara smirked at him before waving his hands at the two kids that appeared. "Check it out un!"

Sasuke immediately ran forward, grabbing a hand. "Wow Deidara-nii!" he exclaimed. "Your nails look great!"

Naruto grabbed the older blonde's other hand. "Yeah! There's fantastic!"

"Thanks un," Deidara said with a grin. "I did it all by myself hmm."

Itachi felt an eye twitch. "What about mine?"

"Well…" Sasuke pursed his lips. "They're okay I guess."

"Not as cool as Deidara-nii," Naruto agreed.

Itachi felt fire rise up behind him and a vein pop. "You little brats…"

Sasuke and Naruto laughed in unison before racing off towards their shared room.

Itachi growled under his breath, beginning to stomp in the direction of his own room.

"Hey Itachi un?"

Itachi paused, looking over his shoulder.

Deidara flashed him a thumbs up. "I think your nails look even better than mine."

Itachi blinked and then turned back around, waving a hand behind him. "Whatever."

He cursed his emotions for allowing the happy smile to spread across his face.

Day Seven: Surprise (he should have seen this coming)

Deidara absently walked down the halls of the main household, a feeling of foreboding falling over him. He had felt it approaching ever since he had first met Itachi and the others. But now it was stronger than ever. Something was going to happen.

And it was big.

Sasuke and Naruto were spending the night at Sakura's house, claiming it was for bonding purposes. Deidara didn't question it. He'd rather not face Sakura's mom's wrath.

Geez. What a mouthful… Deidara thought.

Itachi was supposed to be getting them soda and popcorn for a movie they had started watching in the living room, but he hadn't come back for the last ten minutes. And unless he got stuck in the fridge- which Deidara wouldn't doubt knowing the amount of sweets the Uchiha ate- he should have been back in less than three minutes.

So now the Iwa bomber was headed for the kitchen, a small frown on his face. He entered the doorway, knowing something was immediately wrong when he saw the lights off. Upon narrowing his visible eye, he noticed the limp figure of the missing Uchiha lying on the floor by the sink, completely unmoving.

Deidara's eyes widened, taking a step forward. "Ita…chi…?"

"Oh don't worry, I just gave him a little shot," Sasori said from beside him.

Deidara shrieked, jumping far into the other side of the kitchen. "What the- HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE!" he screamed with a hand over his heart.

The redhead smirked. "Through the front door."

"You know what I mean," Deidara muttered.

"Hey Sasori- where'd you put the gumballs?" Pein asked from where he knelt at the table, icing a cake with a flat spatula.

Deidara felt another panic attack come on. "WHEN DID YOU GET THERE?"

Pein looked up with a broad grin. "Since last night."

"WHAT?"

Sasori irritably cleaned out an ear. "Not so loud brat."

"You should really wake up Itachi," Kisame said from where he was raiding the fridge, stepping out with several water bottles in hand.

Deidara was too startled at this point to even scream again. Instead he merely stared.

And stared hard.

"Oh God- you guys scared the crap outta him," a voice grouched from behind him.

Deidara slowly looked over his shoulder, recognizing the masked nin from the Chuunin Exams as well. "Kakuzu un?"

"That's me kid," Kakuzu muttered. He walked past the blonde, sitting next to Pein before shoving the teen's head in the cake he was decorating with flowers.

"Waah! My eyes!"

Deidara brought a hand to his brow, rubbing it tiredly. "Okay you guys… what are you doing here? And why?"

The group of four exchanged a glance before looking at him.

"We know where Itachi's parents are," Sasori spoke up.

"But they're in kind of a pinch," Kisame mumbled.

Deidara blinked in surprise. "Itachi's…parents? Oh my Kami un. I'm gonna wake him up."

"Good idea," Sasori murmured. "He's going to want to hear this."

A/N: What's this? Sudden plot change?

Kidding. I'm not jumping the gun anytime soon so you guys can relax :)

But seriously- what's going on?