Oranges
"Free Will."
.
"You will be heading to the palace of Uesugi in the Land of Iron. This is an undercover assassination, your contract being the daimyo himself. The objective is to get in and out without revealing your identities as ninja. If there are witnesses, rid of them," Pein paused, looking down at a scroll on his desk. The man's bureau was tidy of unnecessary décor, a desk in the back - where the redhead was seated - and that was it. It was something Tobi appreciated, as he'd always loved to keep his space neat and clean. There was something about messy, unorganized, cluttered rooms that frustrated him. Deidara was annoyingly one of those unkempt sorts of people. Tobi always offered to clean up after him, and it wasn't just to uphold his goofy facade. He offered because he felt compelled to be rid of such disarray. On the other hand, what could he do? That was Deidara's personality, he thought, smirking. Charming.
Tobi took the opportunity to whine to Pein, "Ah, but Leader-sama, it's so cold there! Besides, haven't you heard the rumours? No shinobi should challenge their samurai! Not even Deidara would win against them."
"What did you say?! I'll beat you bloody, Tobi!"
"Be quiet!" their leader's entrancing eyes constricted in annoyance, "Both of you will have your chakra sealed and must act as regular civilians. Deidara will disguise himself as a mistress for the feudal lord. I will not hear any complaints from either of you. Uesugi is expecting both of your visits. Tobi will act as the escort."
Sneaking a glance towards Deidara, Tobi had to resist the urge from chuckling. The boy looked as though he was about to gauge out Pein's powerful eyes, make a delectable dish, and spoon feed him. It was admirable seeing the boy restrain himself from lashing out. He must have already faced punishments from their "leader". Pein was not one to take disrespect of any kind, a well-known factor in the organization. However, even this should have broken Deidara's self-restraint. He was to not only act, but also dress as a girl. Pein was essentially saying Deidara resembled one. It must have been a hurtful blow to his pride. The dark humour in Tobi was thrilled at this, but the softer side of him hated seeing the artist so down.
Pein did not give Deidara a chance to say anything, speaking with even more authority, "I will seal your chakra. Come here."
The two obeyed. Pein stood, first walking towards the youngest. A few hand signs later, and both of them had their chakra repressed. Tobi was impressed by the jutsu; a Hyuuga would only see the patterns of a civilian: chakra channels disordered and weak. The jutsu concealed their chakra paths more so than it sealed them. It would take a mildly forceful push for their regular chakra flow to return. Even now, he could feel his Sharingan still active. The jutsu must be ineffective to bloodline limits. Tobi wondered if Deidara's mouths were still active, seeing as how they were partially kekkei genkai.
"Should either of you fail, the Akatsuki will be in a dire situation. I'll repeat myself: they must not know you are shinobi. In, kill, out. No witnesses. You leave today. Dismissed."
Tobi was handed a scroll with the rest of their mission details before the two Akatsuki members were kicked out of the bureau. The moment the door shut behind them, Deidara had roared in outrage. The instinctual ear piercing sound echoed throughout the cavern halls, manifesting the artist's anger. Tobi closed his eyes, hating the horrible emotions rolling off the smaller body, yet unable to deny how absolutely entrancing Deidara looked. The tips of his ears were red, hair tussled, and eyes brimming with unshed tears. As much as he wanted to, there was no point in comforting Deidara because he would only see it as being babied; it wouldn't help the situation. Even so, he had to try.
After several hours of enduring with Deidara's rage, Tobi had successfully calmed down his senpai. It took a lot of reassuring words and compliments from his end, but eventually the man agreed to dress up. They were getting ready in Tobi's room, door shut from prying eyes. Deidara had refused to prepare himself, stating that he had no reason to know how girls got ready. Tobi had offered to help, which lead to the artist making fun of him. Not that he minded of course. Tobi could look down underneath his pants to check; he was positive he would find some dangly parts that defined masculinity somewhere under there.
Tobi proposed again, "I can help you if that's okay?"
"No one can know about this, hm," Deidara hissed, "So just this once."
Ah, Tobi would make certain that there would be more times than 'just this once'... plenty more. He'd assist Deidara at any chance given.
The raven gripped a brush in his hands, running it through those golden locks he loved so much. As the boy was an S-ranked missing nin, he would obviously have tussled, knotted, tangled hair. There was the occasional twig or shred of leaf Tobi had to pull out too. It was such a sweet moment, Tobi didn't ever want the tangles to go away. Trying to push away his igniting thoughts, Tobi found himself whispering hushed words to the bomber,
"Being feminine and beautiful isn't all that bad senpai! See, I wouldn't think I'd make a very pretty girl, definitely not as much as you. I don't have long, flowy hair. Yours reminds me of the sun! No, that's too corny. It reminds me of... oh! Canary birds! You like birds too, right senpai? You're just like a bird! My hair is ugly like coal. I'm so jealous."
Deidara snarled, baring his teeth like a dog, "Shut up, Tobi."
Konan had brought an extravagant set of kimono layers and walked away. Since then, Tobi had been helping Deidara get into them. She didn't bring the traditional dozen layers worn by high nobility, since that was overkill. Instead, there were six. Konan wasn't one to feel pity, but she did want the mission to succeed, so she explained to them, "Uesugi's previous partners were all blond and blue eyed. Don't take it personally, Deidara."
Said blond-haired member's shoulders loosened after this, even while he muttered, "That's why wigs exist, hm."
"Your carriage will be here in two hours," she had said, voice steady.
That was about an hour ago. Deidara was starting to complain about how heavy the fabric was, questioning why anyone sane would willingly wear this. Tobi had to agree. Clothing should be freeing and not hinder one in battle. There were always men and women who preferred to wear expensive, constricting clothing to flaunt. What good was that? The silks would be dirty, bloodied, and torn by the end of just one mission.
Deidara sighed in what must have been relief once Tobi pulled the strings of gold away from his face. He was cute. It was impossible to forget how lethal Deidara was, and this... pink didn't deter that. Rather, Tobi found it did the opposite. Honey for hair and caramel skin, both so sweet it made your being ache. All one had to do was look into the crystal clear eye to see the hostility and threat brewing under. It was the gaze of an experienced soldier.
Tobi exclaimed, "Hey, I think wearing so many layers for this mission is a good thing! It hides your larger muscles and chest, so it's less suspicious. Don't you think so?"
Tobi combed the smooth hair, watching Deidara smile cheekily at the discrete compliment. The quirk of lips didn't last long. The soon-to-be lady quickly grimaced, "Let's not forget how absolutely snobby royalty are. If Uesugi saw me dressed in cheap fabric, he'd stick his nose up and the mission would be a bust. Hm."
"So smart," Tobi gushed, putting the brush down.
Hands on his hips, he gave Deidara a once over. Now that Deidara was a bit more accepting to the mission, he unsure whether to laugh at the feminine dilemma, or ravish him right then and there. Dressed in the most lightest pinks, whites, and greens, Deidara looked ready to explode in humiliation. Mixed with the emotions so evident on the sharp, tanned face, the youth may as well have been begging to get claimed. This was... incredibly endearing. Tobi reached out and placed a gentle hand on the man's exasperated face,
"Will you marry me, senpai?"
Deidara smacked Tobi's hand away, growing redder by the minute, "I swear to the gods I don't believe in, Tobi – ."
Tobi shook his head, letting out a 'tsk-tsk', "You need to act girly too, it's not just about the looks. Ooh, and paint your lips for that extra touch."
He twirled, placing a finger on his mask where his lips would be.
Tobi saw a sly smirk forming on Deidara's face.
That was not the reaction he expected.
He gulped loudly, taking a few steps backwards. The blond began edging closer to him, white, opened robe, slipping off his shoulders to reveal the green silk underneath. His eye-scope was gone, safely tucked away, and replaced with a lacy eye-patch. The ice in Deidara's visible eye was dancing in mirth, mischievousness glowing through.
Okay, Deidara was far too attractive for his own good. Did he even notice he surpassed the deities of beauty?
Under all the makeup and pink, he was still stunningly handsome. The delicate appearance was just another type of mask, one hiding the remorseless lover of obliteration, demolition, and destruction. He was insane, hiding under a façade of splendor. Deidara's lust for artistic death? It only pulled Tobi in. One could say that sanity was just a cover for consensus. The ethics of this abhorrent world were nauseating; greed excused their crimes. The bomber was a breath of the freshest, cleanest, most true air one could obtain. His insanity was Tobi's definition of true caliber.
Deidara pressed a hand against his chest, pushing him roughly against the wall. Tobi let him. The man was leaning in closer, a deliberate smirk engraved finely into his face.
That expression was just too much for Tobi. Something hot and heavy coiled low in his stomach. Deidara always knew what he wanted, and was never openly indecisive. It was this aggressive confidence that left his knees shaking. If the boy knew the effect he had on him – all the damned time, might he add – Tobi let out a shaky breath, eye never leaving Deidara's.
Then a tanned hand was under his jaw, grasping his chin and rubbing against the dark material, "What about you? Don't you think wearing that mask is a little... suspicious? Hm."
Oh.
Oh.
Yes, of course. So, that was what Deidara wanted.
How sly.
Tobi couldn't show him his face, not yet anyways. It was too soon.
The question was not that surprising, Tobi expected it to pop up sometime before the mission started. But when did Deidara ever get this daring? Like this? Tobi's brain was too foggy to comprehend anything else, so he grabbed the smaller wrist before it got too close to the swirly, orange mask.
He exhaled, feigning resignation, "Ah... Okay, senpai."
Deidara stared up at him expectantly, eyes gleaming in anxiousness. Tobi was going to have to make his escape.
"Turn around first, please," he said.
His partner frowned, but complied. Tobi waited precisely three seconds, before jolting away. He sprinted out the door, screaming and laughing, "If you follow me, everyone will see you dressed like that!"
Goodness, his legs were still shaking. And not from the run. Tobi heard Deidara shout promises of death all the way down the hall, where he was still laughing.
Their mission was not one Tobi had given permission for Pein to deliver, so at first it came out as a surprise. However, after reading through the mission details, Tobi had decided it was acceptable and would not scold Nagato too harshly. The Uchiha grabbed the scroll from under his coat, reading through it once more:
Deidara's alias is now Satomi, her family name is Kouen.
The only information Uesugi is aware of is the following:
Satomi Kouen. Age 21. Daughter of a minor court from the Land of Earth.
Tobi is her personal guard and long-time friend.
His name is Yuudai and he is trained in close combat.
He will only let his sights off Satomi when she requests it.
Yuudai and Satomi hold little knowledge on shinobi.
No matter the cost, eleminate Uesugi.
Now, maybe this sounded rather simple, but it was far more complicated than first glance. If the Land of Iron were to feel threatened by shinobi, they would begin an investigation and tensions between nations would increase. As a result, several nations would inconspicuously increase their defences. Hunting down the jinchuuriki would therefore become more bothersome. It was too early to start an uproar.
Fighting without the use of chakra did not frighten him, but he was worried for Deidara. The man's taijutsu was exceptional, but it wasn't enough to fight against hundreds of trained samurai in their homeland, should it need be. Tobi's role as a body guard wouldn't be so fake, it seemed.
He disappeared into a storage room, where he knew several costumes was hung. Tobi was not afraid of anyone watching him, he could scan the perimeters around the room with the remaining chakra in his eyes. Zetsu was the only member who was completely undetectable, but he wasn't a problem.
On the floor, there were various plates of dark armour and black materials. Stripping out of his Akatsuki robes, Tobi dressed into a form-fitting body suit made of sheep's wool. The Land of Iron would be freezing. While his immunity to the elements were tough, the blizzards there would still prove to be somewhat of a mild annoyance.
On top of the hugging fabric, Tobi slipped on and tied a pair of hakama tightly around his waist. Printed, golden hexagons decorated the bottom hems, trailing up to the length of his knees. He did not care about the rest of the details.
Deidara's life was at risk, Tobi could sense it. This mission would not go as planned, that was certain. The structure of it was weak in itself, as if it was begging to fail. Surely the people of Iron Country would recognize signs of trespassers: secretive guests, little background information, and sudden notice, just to name a few. Then again, humans were foolish.
It would be an intriguing experience, but he'd be damned if he let some worthless samurai lay a hand on Deidara. Tobi would let Uesugi touch Deidara to an extent, until he got comfortable enough for Deidara to plunge his heart with a knife. If the pig dared to do anything inappropriate, he'd die. Tobi would not let things get too far and out of hand.
Fastening on the dark chest plate, single shoulder guard, and a grey sash around his waist, Tobi breathed in. He'd need to cover his mask, since taking it off was a definite no. Rather pathetically, he'd grown attached to the orange thing, so replacing it was improbable. Getting rid of it completely was inconceivable. No one should see his face. A black covering made of stretchy fabric sitting on the ground, next to his feet. Tobi picked it up, giving it a once over. There were no eye-holes. Tobi slipped it on top, so it stuck to his own swirly mask. The fabric clung so tightly to the orange clay, it was practically a second skin. He cut a small slit where his eye hole was, letting the pressure on the fabric stretch it open to just the perfect size. If Tobi were to look in a mirror, he was certain he'd still see the bumpy slopes from the swirls under the black fabric.
Gloved hands picked up the sheathed katana laying on the floor, tucking it into his sash. Tobi knew that when he went back to see Deidara, he would have to amp up his 'blockhead' act. This costume made him look threatening, so he'd have to ensure the blond was reminded of Tobi's idiotic attitude.
Slipping a pair of brown sandals and armband, Tobi burst out of the room.
He ran back down the halls, turned a corner, and was not surprised when he saw Kisami standing there with his arms crossed. Tobi twirled, ignoring the raised brow, "How do I look? Cool, no? I feel like a warrior! I bet I scared you, haha!"
Shark teeth revealed themselves when Kisami grinned, "Sure. You look fetching, Tobi."
"Duh," Tobi waved, skipping down the halls back to Deidara.
•
"I don't know why you get to dress like a strong mercenary," Deidara huffed, crossing his arms.
"It's because I'm not short like you," Tobi patted him on the back, "Kouen-sama, you're not a very polite lady."
Asshole. You're an asshole, Tobi, Deidara thought. He let out a strangled hiss, "Wanna say that ag – ! ...Nevermind."
He suddenly stopped, pausing to think. His height was a touchy subject to bring up. Damned right Tobi deserved a bomb up his ass. It was too bad both of their chakra's were sealed, figuratively and physically. This time the idiot was lucky. Deidara could always strangle him, like last time after the battle with Kakashi, the silver-haired Sharingan-user. Speaking of strangulation and explosives, Pein needed several of them. Why couldn't Konan take this role? Wasn't it more, you know, sensible? Deidara told himself she probably had other assignments, because if he continued thinking like this, he'd lose his cool.
Then he sighed.
Right. Right. Deidara had to act in character now. This mission would be the end of him! At least – and this made it all the better – Itachi also had to disguise himself once. Though not just as a female, but a waste of a whore to top it off. If Itachi suffered through this, then so could he. Deidara was more strong-willed than that manifestation of shame. Knowing this was the only thing keeping him sane.
They were nearing the border, riding in a carriage that was very warm and cozy. If Deidara screwed up his role before he got close enough to the feudal lord, the entire mission would be a bust.
The coachman could probably hear them the entire time. Great.
He exhaled out, raising his voice by several octaves and keeping it breathy, "Please forgive me, Yuudai-san."
Tobi nodded, whispering, "You sound like a girl, senpai."
Yes, Tobi, that was the point.
"Well, you don't sound like a trained guard, hm," Deidara frowned, "Try to deepen your voice a little, stop calling me senpai, and be mysterious. Don't screw up, hm."
The kid remained silent for a while, fidgeting with his katana. In the meanwhile, Deidara pulled out the puukko Tobi had given him a few days earlier. The blade glinted in his hands. It was beautiful. He could hide the knife in his kimono. If Uesugi caught it and asked why he was carrying a weapon, Deidara would brush it off and say it was in case someone attempted assault and 'Yuudai' wasn't there. It wasn't uncommon for civilians to carry around hidden weapons.
Opening his right palm, Deidara frowned at this sight of his closed, practically invisible mouth. The seal Pein had used made the both pairs of lips stitch tightly shut together. Memories of all the wonder battles he had flashed through his mind. These two hands of his were his babies! Deidara wanted to stuff a bomb down the bastards throat for shutting away his chakra and taking his abilities to make true art! It was like being trapped in a cage. He was pining to get out, yet all his struggles ended up being futile. The bars were too thick and the lock too secure. Damn the rules, Deidara was going to destroy the Akatsuki base when he got back! The sooner this mission was over, the better.
Realizing he needed to calm down, Deidara surveyed his partner.
To him, it felt as if Tobi was a stranger. Without his swirly, orange mask, the man looked alien. The armour he was wearing didn't suit him, the Akatsuki cloak did. That being said, Tobi pulled off black pretty good. Deidara's cheeks stained a bright hue – mostly in envy and anger, mind you – when he noticed his stare lingered on the man's arms for four seconds longer than necessary. The material clung tighter than his old sweater, unnecessarily making the toned muscles more prominent. Fuck, how come Deidara never noticed how built Tobi was? It was such a... such an eye sore!
Then he spoke, and Deidara could have fainted,
"Understood, Kouen-sama. I will do my best to please you," Tobi sat straighter, squaring his shoulders and lifting his chin.
Holy shit.
That voice.
Deidara stared wide-eyed at Tobi. Then he gracefully sputtered, "W-wh-wha..."
With a smile practically shining through his black mask, the armoured man gave Deidara a double thumbs up. Tobi lowered his voice by dozens of notches! And he made it sound so, so... so natural! If Deidara wasn't aware of the truth, he really would have thought this baritone was his real voice! Who knew Tobi was so good at voice acting?
Tobi deflated, slouching once more and talking as stupidly as he usually did, "How was that?! Amazing, right?!"
Deidara looked at his sealed, clammy palms, "It was fine, hm."
That was such a lie, it was more than fine. Because sweet clay it sounded like the wonderful, addictive, lucid white-noise that disoriented his opponents after a devastating explosion. Simply put, it soothed his nerves. Not that Tobi would ever know Deidara was thinking such horrifying thoughts. He even added,
"I think I prefer your fake voice over your shrill screams and girlish squeals anyways, hm."
"What a shame. It's disappointing to know you think that way," Tobi commented, dropping his tone again. His standard, everyday sarcasm slipped out, despite everything. Tongue still sonorous, he continued, "My inspiration is Zetsu, or even Pein, my lady."
If he was going for Black Zetsu, Tobi was totally off. That guy... that Black Zetsu was pure evil. If Tobi trusted someone like him, something was wrong.
"You're tense. Relax," Tobi leaned back against his seat, "My lady."
It was like hearing a completely different person. Only traces of Tobi's personality would occasionally spill out. Deidara couldn't ignore the unfamiliar shiver running down his back, gnawing at his lip in distress, "Keep it up, hm."
An hour or so passed, morning reaching its limit. The temperature was noticeably colder inside the carriage, if the snow outside the windows didn't say anything to prove otherwise. Beautiful spirals of frost clung to the corners of the thin glass plate. They had reached the Land of Iron.
Moving through the gates of the small village proved to be rather difficult, the samurai defending the doors questioning them mercilessly. Lucky for the disguised criminals, however, the guards were eventually fooled by 'Satomi's' charm and let them through. Deidara had to give himself a pat on the back for that one.
Deidara had been escorted into the daimyo's palace's court, through various halls, and into a guest room. Tobi had followed, saying nothing.
He was busy observing his surroundings, counting the soldiers in each room, scrutinizing their routines. The rooms were filled with samurai, servants, and nobles alike. There was an armed soldier behind him and one in front, leading the Akatsuki members to their ruler. Deidara had kept his temper in check, which astonished him. He'd do well not to underestimate the younger man from now on.
"Wait outside," a soldier had said gruffly behind him. Deidara cast him a glance, before returning his attention back to front. They were now about to take a seat inside of a clean room with minimal furniture. A bonsai stood near the opposite shojo screen from his position. It was the first plant life Tobi had seen in the frozen lands, excluding pines.
He could now speak as a man carrying intelligence without raising any suspicion. This was a nice change. Tobi turned to the samurai, "I follow orders from no one but Lady Kouen."
"I wish for him to stay, at least for the time being," Deidara breathed, "I apologize if it serves as a hindrance to you."
After a few moments of hesitance, the few soldiers nodded curtly, leaving with a sharp turn on their heel. Tobi, Deidara, and two servants were now the only occupants of the room. One of the ladies bowed her head to the disguised noblewoman, dark hair dishevelled and eyes tired.
She voiced, "Lord Uesugi will arrive shortly. Would you enjoy some tea?"
Deidara smiled, one so sickeningly sweet, "No, thank you."
That was when Tobi realized Deidara's mouths on his hands were exposed. Previously sealed closed, with only marks resembling scars running across his palms, had now begun to rip open. Both hands were rough, calloused, and his fingers were scarred. Some of the flesh was burned from previous missions and unstable experiments. They were not the hands of a spoiled noblewoman; they were the incredibly appealing ones of an explosive specialist. As much as Tobi found Deidara's hands to be the most enticing pair of things in world, he knew they could be a cause of this mission's failure. Uesugi would notice all of it, unless he was a complete blockhead.
Something disturbing settled in the pit of his stomach. Tobi knew they were not in any important village, only a minor one. It held average political power in the Land of Iron; however, their lack of safety measures were pathetic. Either Pein did an excellent job with the admission, Deidara and him were falling into a trap, or these samurai were naive fools with a pitiful security system.
The Uchiha would not be idiotic enough to just assume these famed warriors didn't question 'Yuudai' and 'Kouen Satomi' even the slightest; better safe than sorry, as they say. Not that Tobi felt threatened by the samurai and their dull swords. It would be a hindrance, nothing less and nothing more.
These samurai could not follow their own free will, forever trapped by the honour of serving their lord. Even if they did sense something fishy, they could not act on it before informing their ruler. Tobi despised them because of this. These samurai held more strength than their lords, the fat men who did nothing but drink sake and eat off a silver platter. Such strong warriors bowed down to the pigs of their nation. It was pathetic. Humans differed from animals because they were given the ability to choose. Animals did what they had to do to survive; humans were given the ability to reason, gifted with a superior conscience. Why not use it? Hogs, pigs, and dogs, they were everywhere he looked.
A true leader did not throw commands and expect his soldiers to follow blindly. A true leader morphed and meddled with their thoughts, changing their false beliefs to ones that abided by his rules. It was the way to ensure the warriors following weren't dragged out with a chain tied to their wrists. It was vital they took the willing steps themselves. Unlike those wretched fools who used status and money to attract followers, Tobi won over his soldiers by showing them reality for what it was: despair.
The world's hierarchy would be its downfall.
Tobi let out a soft breath. Should Lord Uesugi display signs of suspense, he'd encourage Deidara to kill him sooner. But, if Uesugi remained oblivious to Deidara's true intentions, then the assassination could be done quietly. From the looks of things, he'd have to use Kamui at some point or another. Nonetheless, the mission would get done, he'd make sure of it.
That was when the lord entered. The shouji door snapped open to reveal a man dressed in plum robes.
Behind the mask, an eye flashed red.
I'd like to apologize for the very late update! It will most likely happen again, as I'm participating in a lot of activities outside of school. This was going to take place in the Land of Water, but it's not as mysterious as the Land of Iron. I would also like to apologize for Uesugi. He'll be an extra character thrown in to keep the plot going. I'll find a way to get rid of him a.s.a.p. Good day!