I see that the last time I updated was last year... I totally didn't expect that! This chapter has actually been done for a while but I stupidly misplaced the thumbdrive it was on and have only recently found it.
I promise I'll update sooner the next time! And that there are actually people who are still interested in this because I'm definitely going to complete this.
They didn't talk about the matter with Chiyo anymore after that. It wasn't that they were avoiding it or anything. It was, in fact, quite the opposite. They knew about it and they accepted it. They couldn't have done anything anyway and ironically, it was this brilliant plan of Chiyo's that brought them together in the first place so it wasn't like they had anything to complain about. Them being mere pawns was another matter altogether. Besides, they did manage to outwit her (without meaning to at that) so it was definitely a victory on their end.
"Maybe we should send her a fruit basket, un," Deidara had suggested the next morning and Sasori had rolled his eyes, wondering how he managed to put up with such a childish brat.
But he felt relieved hearing Deidara say that, because that meant that Deidara didn't bother about Chiyo and her plan anymore. He wouldn't admit it to anyone but he didn't really get a good night's sleep the previous night simply because he was so worried if things were going to change between them now that everything has come to light.
He, for one, didn't care so much since he wasn't the one being made use of. He also knew for a fact that being made use of wasn't the most important thing to Deidara. Of course the blonde would be angry and annoyed about it but Sasori knew that the thing that got to Deidara the most was something else – it was the fact that Chiyo didn't actually think that he had talent.
Sasori, honestly, didn't know how one would feel being told that. He was a genius after all and the only two things he had been engaged in – art and medicine – were both things that he had talent in. That was what he knew and that was what everybody said. He had meant it when he said that Deidara had talent in medicine but he also knew that his words didn't hold as much weight as Chiyo's.
It wasn't that he was less important than Chiyo to Deidara but Chiyo was the first person who had acknowledged him and that, that was the most important anyone could ever want. Sasori knew that very well because nothing made him happier than when his art was praised and admired. Surgery was another thing of course but all the same, being acknowledged mattered.
So he knew that while both he and Deidara weren't bothered with the issue per se, it had thrown another obstacle in their way and Sasori really hoped that they could overcome it sooner than later. He'd be damned if he had to watch Deidara struggle through his life doing surgeries just to prove that he had talent when it was so damn obvious that he did.
But the biggest problem was that he couldn't tell Deidara what to do. It was something that Deidara had to come to realise by himself. Sasori could talk to him, tell him that it was pointless but at the end of the day, Deidara was the one who had to tell himself that. Otherwise, he wouldn't really be free from the torment of thinking about it and it would just bother him for the rest of his life and Sasori didn't want that.
But Deidara.
Deidara was stubborn. If stubbornness was a skill, then Deidara would have polished and refined it perfectly, wielding it as his perfect sword. It could be a matter of years before Deidara even realised it but then that would be one year too many. Sasori could think of a thousand things that could happen when Deidara realised that he had spent so much of his life pursuing something that didn't matter and none of them was nice.
So he didn't think so much about it. Because that wasn't going to happen anyway. He had faith that Deidara would come around.
Deidara didn't really know what he was doing in med school anymore. Of course he knew that it was because of his mother and to prove that he had talent because Chiyo was wrong damn it but he didn't really know what for anymore. Not after Sasori has quit. Because the facts are these: he respected and admired Sasori as a medical student first and took him as the measure to do the best he can for med school and Sasori was no longer here. And Sasori was pursuing art. That was what he wanted to do too. And-
"Senpai!"
Yeah, and that. Uchiha Tobi.
For some reason (and it couldn't have been a logical one), Uchi Tobi was in med school. In this med school. If he had been in any other med school, Deidara would have been fine but no, he had to here. If Deidara could blow things up legally (or illegally) the first person/ thing that he would disintegrate would be that guy. Uchiha Itachi was a close second.
Argh, Uchihas.
"Senpai!" Tobi exclaimed loudly and way too happily for 7am in the morning and as he skipped over to Deidara, the blonde wondered if the other thought that he was in some sort of manga where flowers sprouted everywhere. Disturbing. "Good morning, Senpai!"
"…"
Mornings were never really kind to him and Deidara was never really appreciative of them either hence he didn't function well in the mornings. Deidara took one scathing look at Tobi and turned away. He didn't care about his reputation per se but being seen with Tobi was an entirely different matter.
"Senpai, good morning!" Tobi repeated at an even louder volume which activated every murderous intention in Deidara's mind because of the course the younger one thought that he simply didn't hear him the first time instead of ignoring him like any normal human being would.
"I'm ignoring you," Deidara informed him shortly, figuring it would be easier to just tell the kid straight out rather than let him figure it out for himself because naturally he would never get it.
"Ah but Senpai! You just talked to me! That means you're not ignoring me!"
Deidara decided then and there that he was going to skip university that day, never mind that it was the first day back and that he had only just arrived. He wasn't going to take anymore of this.
He walked away from the Uchiha as fast as possible, willing that the other did not follow him but there was no such luck. Tobi rambled on and on beside Deidara in a voice that was not humanly possible to tolerate and at a volume that should be considered illegal, especially so early in the morning. Deidara took some comfort in the fact that other students didn't look pleased with Tobi either.
"Senpai!" Tobi gasped when he realised that they were leaving the campus. "Where are you going?"
"Leaving, un," Deidara replied curtly, deciding to keep things as short as possible and that included the time he had to spend with Tobi.
"But why?! It's the first day of university!"
"No shit, Sherlock," Deidara mumbled to himself before speaking up, "I feel sick so I have to go home and rest, un."
"Senpai! Are you alright!"
"I will be," Deidara managed through gritted teeth, willing Tobi away with all his might. He wondered if Hidan would be able to sacrifice the Uchiha to Jashin. It was actually quite appealing and it had the added benefit of him not having to deal with Tobi himself.
"I shall accompany Senpai home then!" Tobi declared, sounding way too determined for Deidara's liking.
Few things horrify Deidara but this easily made it into the list.
"No!" Deidara snapped, whirling around and poking Tobi forcefully and angrily in the chest. "You. Will. Not. Un."
"Why not, Senpai?"
"Because if you really want to be a medical student, you do not want to miss your first lecture ever," Deidara told him simply. He didn't really believe in that but then again he didn't really want to become a medical student in the first place so what did he know?
Tobi gasped again, looking torn between returning to lecture and sticking with his resolution of seeing Deidara home. Deidara, meanwhile, wondered what he did to incur such torment. Surely he hadn't been that bad of a kid.
"Alright, Senpai," Tobi finally said dejectedly with his head hanging down like a kicked puppies. "Take care."
"Un," Deidara grunted before he took off, wondering why the hell he even waited for a reply though he supposed not waiting would just send Tobi into another fit and he didn't have the patience to deal with that.
"I'm home," he called out, feeling much better already as soon as he stepped into the living.
Sasori looked up from the newspaper with a quirked eyebrow.
"'Welcome home' would be the appropriate response, un," Deidara told him as he took a seat on the other couch.
"What are you doing here?" Sasori asked instead, folding his newspaper immaculately and setting it down beside him. Deidra rolled his eyes – Sasori and his neatness.
"Aren't you happy to see me?" Deidara demanded instead of answering, folding his arms and glaring at Sasori.
"I would be," Sasori started before a smirk played on his lips. "But you just left around an hour ago and I was looking forward to some peace and quiet."
"Implying that peace and quiet can only be attained when I'm not around?" Deidara asked, feeling more than mildly offended.
"Exactly as you phrased it," Sasori replied simply.
Deidara knew that Sasori was just saying it on purpose (somewhat anyway because he knew how much Sasori really valued peace and quiet and he admitted that he wasn't exactly the quietest person around). Oh.
"Oh," Deidara said eloquently before slouching in his seat. "Oh."
"What?" Sasori asked, looking more amused than anything.
"Karma," Deidara told him seriously. "It's karma."
"You really have to explain more."
"Tobi is my karma!" Deidara exclaimed as it all made perfect sense to him now. "I annoy you with my loudness and what not so Tobi is here to annoy me with his loudness. Karma." Then a look of realisation dawned on his face. "Danna, this is all your fault, un."
"Interesting theory," Sasori said, sounding patronising and Deidara felt like punching him.
"I'm being serious, you know?" Deidara snapped.
"Now isn't that amazing," Sasori deadpanned with a roll of his eyes before he smirked again. "So you do know you annoy me? This is brilliant. Since you know now, I guess you can stop doing it."
"Shut up," Deidara replied venomously but Sasori wasn't fazed in the slightest bit.
"Why not try it though?" Sasori suggested seriously as he turned to face Deidara completely. "It might help alleviate your karma and Tobi might not annoy you anymore."
Sasori expected the cushion to come flying before Deidara even moved so when it really did come all he did was catch it easily and put it aside. Also, he did expect Deidara to follow the cushion so he immediately moved off the couch, watching in disdain as his newspaper was ruined.
"Asshole, un," Deidara said, sounding defeated and spiteful at the same time. His hair was messier after that little scuffle and some strands were falling into his eyes. He made a frustrated sound and took his hair tie off altogether, wondering why he even bothered trying to look neat in the first place as he started tying it in his trademark half ponytail.
"My newspaper," Sasori said balefully. Deidara looked down and rolled his eyes because that was the last thing that he was concerned about.
"How did you know that I was coming?" Deidara asked instead.
"You're horribly predictable," Sasori informed him, sitting down on the couch that Deidara was occupying previously.
"Asshole," Deidara repeated, more to comfort himself than for Sasori to hear, not that the other would care even if he did hear. "Tobi's in med school, un." Deidara informed Sasori, slumping back against the couch and feeling like all energy have been drained out of him.
Sasori gave him a pointed look.
"What?"
"I'm friends with Itachi," Sasori said with a roll of his eyes before he nudged Deidara off and back onto his own couch before reclaiming his one.
"And you didn't warn me?" Deidara asked, appalled. "You know how much I loathe that kid, un!"
Sasori shrugged. Maybe he did it purpose because it would be terribly fun to imagine how Deidara would react to seeing Tobi at the university but he certainly didn't expect Deidara to come running back home. Well, that wasn't going to be a bother since he had already finished up the art pieces that he was working on. That meant that he was quite free for the entire week actually. He only had to drop off some of his work at the art store later in the afternoon.
He had contemplated heading over to the supermarket Chiyo usually shops at for a while later in the morning just to see how she was doing and stuff but he hadn't come to a decision and Deidara came home. He certainly wasn't going to discuss this matter with the other artist because firstly it really wasn't that big of a deal and he didn't need help deciding things like these and secondly he knew that Deidara was just going to bite his head off for even thinking about it.
In the end, he set the matter aside though he hadn't actually come to a decision yet; he just didn't want to think about it. Idly, at the back of his mind, he wondered if this was all that he was doing, at least with regards to Chiyo. Sure, he had chosen the life that he had always been craving for but despite it all, was avoiding Chiyo, treating her as nonexistent, what he was in fact doing?
Deidara was still talking.
"- and while we're talking about that, why? Why are you friends with Itachi?"
Sasori refused to deign that with an answer.
Deidara huffed in annoyance but let the matter rest.
"Konan wants dinner with us," Sasori told Deidara casually as he started placing his art works into a bag. He might as well head over to the art store now since he wasn't going to get his peace and quiet.
"Specifically us?" Sasori nodded and Deidara made a thoughtful face. "What happened to our weekly dinners?"
"Like hell I know. I'm too busy to go see her every week," Sasori said with a roll of his eyes.
"Come to think of it, I can't even remember the last time I went, un," Deidara muttered.
"My birthday. We ran away," Sasori informed him.
"No wonder she wants to see us," Deidara said with a scoff. He eyed the bag on the floor. "The art store?"
"Some of us have to work for a living," Sasori replied and Deidara shot him a dirty look.
"I'll go with you, un," Deidara said simply.
Sasori watched Deidara's face carefully, wondering what the blonde was thinking till Deidara snapped at him.
"What?"
"Nothing," Sasori said, shrugging. There was no point getting into it. "I'm leaving now."
It was a testimony to how well Deidara knew Sasori that they managed to leave the house at the same time. He remembered clearly the time when it took him a whole minute to realise that Sasori had already left the house because that man moved at an inhuman speed.
Deidara had thought that it would be weird being in the art store but it didn't feel like that at all. There was a sense of distance after having been away from so long but everything felt familiar and comforting and made Deidara feel like home. There was a pang of longing in his heart. It was always there but it was just more intensified now that he was actually in contact with art again after so long.
Sasori was chatting with the owner so Deidara left him there and wandered over to the clay section. A smile immediately formed on his face when he saw that there was a stack of clay that had just arrived. He picked one of it up and rolled it around in his palms, feeling that it was the most natural thing to do. He once again felt that this was what he was born to do and that sent a tingling ache to his heart because his mind just wouldn't – couldn't – agree. At least not yet.
But this was good clay, Deidara thought happily as he unconsciously started moulding the clay in his hands. When he looked down at it, he saw a little bunny in his hand. It was one of the first creatures that he had learnt to make since it was easy and he only needed one hand to do it as the years went back. He sighed whimsically as silly thoughts of returning to his roots came to mind. He squashed the bunny and placed the clay back onto the shelf. Sasori should be done by now.
He was wrong. And that kind of shocked Deidara a little because he had somehow grown in his confidence in being able to read Sasori. He had forgotten how it was like to be in the art store. They could spend hours there, lost in another realm.
He headed over to the wood section (it was relocated and no longer right next to the clay section) where he found Sasori examining some new arrivals critically. It didn't look like Sasori was going to be done soon. It didn't look like Sasori even remembered that he was there. Deidara suddenly felt so uncomfortable with the whole situation. It was almost suffocating.
When did he turn into this? How did he walk away from the clay so easily without even batting an eyelid? There Sasori was, exactly like he was the first time they walked into the art store, so confident, so sure, so at home and Deidara was supposed to feel like that too. He did feel at home just now but now he realised that there was just something different now.
It wasn't at home that he felt. It felt more like he was visiting a home that he had stayed at before but that wasn't home anymore. It was just familiar but everything was so different. He didn't belong there and it was this realisation that made him run from the art store as fast as he could but he didn't know to where because there wasn't anywhere he could go anymore.
He ended up at a park. There weren't many people around since it was still relatively early in the morning and a weekday at that so Deidara just laid down onto the patch of grass under the tree. Being like this without a care in the world felt good. Deidara didn't feel so suffocated anymore. He felt almost free. It was only an illusion but it would do for now. When he felt like he could breath properly again, Deidara sat up and almost died of shock.
Sasori rolled his eyes.
"When did you come here, un!" Deidara demanded because he could not have been lying down for more than ten minutes.
"Right after you threw yourself onto the ground," Sasori replied with a small smirk and Deidara felt like punching him.
"You followed me?" he asked, feeling more shock than anything when he realised that.
"Yeah," Sasori replied, frowning at Deidara. "Obviously?"
Deidara felt sheepish as he realised that Sasori must have abandoned looking for new materials.
"Sorry about that," Deidara said. "You were so engrossed in looking at the wood that I didn't think you'd notice, un."
"… I'm very aware of my surroundings."
"You were totally lost every time we went to the art store," Deidara pointed out indignantly.
"… I always know what is going on."
"Right."
Sasori scoffed.
"What?"
"Should have figured you'd be the type to drift off to wonderland," Sasori told him with a shake of his head.
"Should have figured you'd be the type to pay attention to every single little detail," Deidara shot back.
"Yeah you should have," Sasori said and Deidara glared at him but he couldn't take it any longer and burst out laughing.
"You're such an asshole, Danna, un."
Silence came over them and Deidara was enjoying the serenity of it all when Sasori broke it.
"What happened back there? It looked like you ran away," Sasori said, as straightforward as ever.
Deidara shifted uncomfortably, not exactly sure if he wanted to talk about it, more than sure what he would say would surely offend Sasori. But then what the hell. He was going to die if he suppressed it.
"I…" Deidara frowned, wondering just how he should phrase it but then decided that he should just say what he really thought. "I just didn't feel at home anymore. Back there. Where it should have been home."
Sasori nodded in what Deidara hoped was understanding because he couldn't read the expression on Sasori's face. But Sasori didn't say anything else and that made Deidara kind of panicky.
"Say something, un," Deidara urged, hoping he didn't sound quite as nervous as he felt.
Sasori gave him a look which he couldn't decipher before turning away.
"That's something you have to realise for yourself," Sasori stated simply and that was that. But Deidara still didn't really get it.
"What?"
"Home," Sasori said, looking as if he might stop there but then decided that he might as well elaborate. "You have to realise for yourself what home is and what home has and what it means to you. You have to realise what you want to do and make a choice from there."
"What if I regret it?" Deidara asked softly because he realised that in the end that was what he was most worried about, that he would regret leaving medicine, regret letting his mother down, regret not proving himself to Chiyo.
"I don't know," Sasori answered easily. "You won't know whether you'd regret something if you've never done it."
"That's why it's so hard," Deidara muttered bitterly, rather annoyed at the way Sasori was saying everything so easily. Just because he was able to do it doesn't mean that everyone could. Not everyone was Akasuna Sasori.
"I'm not saying it isn't hard," Sasori clarified, looking at Deidara pointedly. "I'm just saying that you have to realise what you want, go after it and live with your choice. You can't guarantee that there would be no regrets but I'm thinking that if you go after what you truly want, there wouldn't be much room for regret anyway."
"Is that how you chose too?" Deidara asked tentatively. He had kind of pieced everything together and knew that he was one of the reasons why Sasori chose to leave medicine but they had never really gone into details so Deidara had the full picture but it was a really blurry one.
"I guess so," Sasori said with a shrug. He wasn't exactly comfortable with talking about this issue, especially since Deidara knew that he was a factor as well. It was (Sasori hated to admit it) embarrassing. "I mean I realised what I wanted to do and then there was a push factor which catalysed everything."
He could see the smirk that was slowly growing on Deidara's face.
"It's not you," Sasori hurried to say but that only made Deidara's smirk grow wider.
"Do you know that you're only purposefully vague when you're talking about me to me?" Deidara asked innocently even though he was anything but. That brat.
Sasori just rolled his eyes and looked away. Whatever.
"I'm touched, Sasori, really," Deidara said so sincerely that Sasori had to look at him again. That and it was rare for Deidara to use his name.
"Welcome," he said simply and they shared a small smile. It didn't mean much but there was an underlying understanding which made everything seem that much better.
"I'll figure out my life, un," Deidara said softly after while. It didn't really mean much now because Deidara couldn't see where he was headed to but it was a promise at least. And he knew that he couldn't depend on Sasori forever which was basically what he had been doing ever since Sasori came into his life. He never wanted to be without Sasori for that matter but there comes a time when he had to step up and take charge of his own life and that time was now. He only hoped that he didn't take too long.
Pein was pacing back and forth in his living room, much to the amusement of everyone present. Most of the gang was there except Konan, Deidara who was flooded with work, Tobi who was also flooded with work and Hidan who had religious duties.
"What's so difficult?" Kisame asked and Pein shot him a dirty look.
"Because asking Itachi out was the easiest thing you've ever done," Pein snapped, now trying to incinerate Kisame with his eyes.
"… what have I missed?" Sasori asked because that was definitely news to him. Itachi was pointedly not looking at him.
"So I told you that you should hang out with us more," Kakuzu said with a roll of his eyes. "It's not like you're busy with med school anymore."
"I'm working," Sasori replied curtly.
Kakuzu rolled his eyes. "You still have more time than before."
"Fine," Sasori replied before pointing out that they were the ones who were too busy with school to make time for him.
"You win," Kakuzu said, throwing his hands up in the air in defeat.
"So are you and Hidan together too?" Sasori decided to ask instead and watched in sadistic amusement as Kakuzu spluttered and turned an alarming shade of red. It was the first time Sasori had seen his friend in such a flustered state.
"No," Kakuzu finally managed to get out, looking at Sasori with pure hatred in his eyes but Sasori simply laughed it off.
"Can we get back to me?" Pein asked in annoyance.
"What is this about again?" Kakuzu asked, frowning hard and Pein looked like he was just about ready to murder all of them.
"Pein having no balls to propose to Konan," Kisame supplied helpfully.
"Is that what this is about?" Sasori asked, wondering if he really did leave his half-finished art work at home to help Pein with something that he should be able to do himself.
"You'd think he would be able to manage this kind of things himself," Itachi said, taking the words right out of Sasori's mouth.
Pein let out a frustrated groan and sat down on the couch before levelling them all with a glare that would make Hades seem tiny and cute. "Get out."
"What's the problem here?" Sasori asked impatiently because he wasn't going to leave without doing anything. That would mean that this trip was a complete waste of time. Plus it was going to be pure fun torturing Pein about this for years to come.
"Do you not know how to do it or are you afraid Konan will say no?" Itachi asked, as calm as ever.
"Or do you already know what to do and want us to help?" Kisame added on.
Pein finally stopped looking like he wanted to kill them. Instead, he looked confused and it was almost pathetic except that Pein never looked pathetic.
"I don't know… everything?"
"Maybe you should think about it first," Zetsu suggested nicely.
"Well, Konan won't say no," Sasori pointed out and murmurs of agreement were echoed.
"Really?" Pein was the only one who looked sceptical.
"You should know the best," Kisame said with a scoff.
"Konan is sadistic," Pein pointed out as looks of understanding crossed everyone's face. "That's not very reassuring," Pein snapped at them.
"But she is sadistic," Sasori said, unable to help himself. This was much too fun to pass up.
"She might say no," Kakuzu continued, sounding sympathetic before he took on a darker tone. "You know, for the hell of it."
"It is Konan," Itachi put in and Pein glared at him, saying how he expected better from Itachi but the Uchiha only shrugged.
"Do you need plants?" Zetsu asked helpfully or at least it sounded like he thought he was being helpful. "I could totally help with that."
"I need flowers," Pein decided to clarify.
Zetsu frowned at him and gave him a confused look. "Yeah, plants."
"You," Pein said, pointing at Kisame. "You are helping Zetsu with the plants."
Kisame nodded because there was no saying no to Pein when the other man got like that. It was just best to listen to him and do as he said.
"Do it in private when there's just the two of you," Kakuzu advised wisely but Sasori could tell that the main reason was that Kakuzu did not want to be there when Pein actually proposed. Sasori himself didn't want to be there either; this kind of things were, to him, private affairs that should be done only in the presence of those directly involved. Pein seemed to be of the same mind as he nodded though he was still pacing up and down.
"Get a ring from Tiffany's," Kisame said while Kakuzu gasped and said that it was a waste of money.
"A simple ring would do," he insisted while Pein shot him a dark look and informed him that he had plenty of money to spare.
"Tiffany's it is," Kisame said with a grin. "Get Kakuzu to go pick the ring with you."
"No thanks," both Kakuzu and Pein said at the same time. Kakuzu would rather die than watch money being squandered like that while Pein would rather choose the ring peacefully without Kakuzu commenting on the price every single second like the money would be better utilised if given to him instead.
"If it's the proposal, then just say what you want to say," Sasori said because well, being honest and open was the best in that kind of situation.
"Do I write a speech?" Pein asked and Sasori really had to stop himself from laughing. Pein was always so calm and sure of himself; it was hilarious watching him confirm every single step of this. But then it just meant that this was really important to Pein and that even a slight chance of failure was not forgivable. Sasori could somehow relate, even though he was sure that he wouldn't have been able to even just a year ago.
"No," Itachi answered simply. "Speak your mind."
"You don't want to sound rehearsed, right?" Zetsu asked pointedly.
Pein nodded again before sitting down on the nearest couch, suddenly looking drained as if planning the proposal had sapped all of his energy. The others watched him wearily, wondering if he was going to somehow take it out on them.
"I feel stupid," Pein finally blurted out.
There was silence for a moment before laugher filled the room. They could all empathise after all. They weren't the type of people who would invest so much in something vague and uncertain like a relationship. At least that was how it was on the surface. But when it really came down to it, there was someone that they cared about deeply after all.
Sasori thought it strange, how calm he was at all this. He had imagined feeling cornered and suffocated because letting and wanting someone to be a part of your life at all times required an enormous amount of dedication and patience and he never thought that he actually had to capacity to do that. But having Deidara in his life was just different. Deidara didn't make him feels suffocated, not in the way that made him want to run away and definitely not in the way that Chiyo did. Having Deidara by his side was, quite possibly, the best thing that has happened to him. He felt content.
"That makes two of us," Sasori decided to say, not really sure if he actually meant it or whether he was just comforting Pein.
The returning smile from his friends told him that they echoed the same sentiments. Maybe not all of them have found someone they were willing to let into their life yet but the friendship that they had with one another was definitely something worth celebrating. Honestly, Sasori had never thought that it would be so.
Friends were just a necessary part of life because humans were innately social creatures – that was what Sasori thought. Even if he and Itachi were alike and shared the same opinions more often than not, that didn't change anything. In fact, even now, he still thought that feeling so happy about things like relationship and friends and having someone there for you was still sappy and overrated and frankly, even a little bit exaggerated. But that was how he currently felt so he didn't dwell too much about it. He guessed, at the end of the day, it was just that he became more human and he didn't think that that was too bad.
I struggled with that last part about Pein and all because it seemed a bit OOC but then I thought that if they weren't S-class criminals, it'd be normal for them (mostly Pein) to act this way so I just took a risk.
Hope you guys enjoyed it!