Elderberries
"Mutable."
.
The report had reached him, Zetsu blunt to deliver how Kakuzu and Hidan had both been defeated by the Leaf. The news was disheartening. Hidan's body could still be saved, but it was not worth it. With Kakuzu dead, Hidan would be untameable, uncontrollable, and therefore unusable. Unable to perform his unsavoury rituals, the man would soon lose his immortality. It was better to let him die and rid the world of filth like him. Nonetheless, Tobi would admit the deaths of Kakuzu and Hidan were a huge loss; they were terrifying together, if not powerful.
They had been walking for hours, having been directed to hunt down the three-tails. Deidara's wounds were healing nicely, as expected. The man didn't have Senju DNA, but at times like these it felt like he did. He shook off wounds as though they would heal painlessly. Tobi remembered the day Sasori had been defeated. Somehow Deidara managed to evade Kakashi Hatake and his team, surrounded and armless. It had been impressive.
He picked up a sparkly, pink pebble from the ground and inspected the array of colours. It was pretty, something Tobi would enjoy. He didn't waste the opportunity, "Deidara-senpai! Look, look!"
Deidara didn't stop walking, though he did turn his head, "What? Hm."
He ran to catch up, gesturing madly, "I've never see one so pink before! Do you think I should start collecting rocks?"
Tobi could hear the deep inhale and slow exhale Deidara let out.
"What if we go to the Hidden Stone Village? I'll find hundreds of rocks there!" Tobi skipped ahead of Deidara, walking backwards as he spoke, "More pink ones, maybe blue ones, and green ones, and orange ones!"
"We have an assignment, Tobi."
"Hey, isn't that where you're from?" Tobi tapped the slashed Iwagakure forehead protector which was somewhat hidden under his golden hair. Deidara swatted him away.
Tobi looked into the sky-blue eye and something inside him jolted. He nearly tripped at the feeling. All of Deidara's focus was on him, and he looked contemplative, as if he was trying to figure him out. Kami, who knew one look could mold him into this klutz.
Tobi reassembled himself, rubbing his stomach to emphasize his next point, "Gosh, I'm starving!"
"When aren't you? Hm," Deidara muttered to himself.
Always. He didn't need to eat. Food only irritated his body, and it flushed right out of his system. Hence why he avoided intaking food as often as possible. Tobi asked, "Did you say something?"
"You definitely heard me," Deidara gestured vaguely, "You don't need to pretend all the time, hm."
"—Deidara. ...Senpai." Tobi warned. That was far too close for comfort. It was unlikely Deidara would reveal him, but there could be ears anywhere at any time.
"Yeah, yeah," Deidara said, "I'm not sure why you tell me all your secrets Tobi, hm. You shouldn't trust anyone with them, even your... senpai's."
Deidara looked a bit sick saying the last word. Was it really that hard for him to say senpai? Tobi smiled. How cute. Still, their topic of discussion was forbidden.
"Shh! I don't want anyone to know you're my favourite Akatsuki member! Zetsu will be heartbroken if he finds out!"
Be quiet. Zetsu is the Akatsuki spy for a reason. He can't know you know.
Zetsu was loyal to Madara, not him. If he ever found out Tobi had a weakness, that he found something to fill the nothingness in his heart, it would be the end for them.
The bomber seemed to understand. Recognizing warnings when they were given was a skill the man learned after having spent most of his years surrounded by S-Ranked rogue. Tobi remembered the younger Deidara, a foolish little brat with a wild temper. Despite it, the boy's potential had been apparent. At such an early age, Deidara had successfully stolen and merged a forbidden jutsu with his own kekkei genkai, then mastered the technique to create an acutely controlled destructive force, all within a short time-span. His reckless nature only improved since then. Now he was no longer an impudent boy at risk of eruption, but an audacious man who could use his explosive nature to his advantage, by respecting himself.
Deidara wouldn't out him. From his perspective, there were too many unknowns. He didn't know what the consequence of his actions would be, therefore he couldn't decide if it was worth the risk or not. Deidara was a strategist when he wasn't blowing things to pieces. He also did not care to invest time in secrecy. Even so, Tobi could work around being revealed. It wasn't just for shits and giggles that he was posing as Madara. The world would fear him enough to stay back. Temporarily.
Madara would have been equivalent to a god at his time. Bringing him back to life would mean the end of the world. The Moon's Eye Plan was nearly guaranteed to succeed, with or without him. Siding against a revived Madara Uchiha would be disastrous. Perhaps... perhaps if he didn't revive Madara, there would still be a chance to reverse what has been done, if he changed his mind. He could still stop the continuation of his plan, his life's work, if he so pleased.
"You make it sound like Zetsu's got the hots for you, hm," Deidara's voice distracted him.
Tobi's blood rushed in his veins, leaving his skin tingling and insides numb. Deidara meant the world to him. If he lost Deidara and the Moon's Eye Plan, he would be left with nothing again. He wanted it to stay like this forever, with them bantering and arguing with no real destination in mind. But he could have that, with the Moon's Eye Plan. He could have that and more. He could wake up from a dreamless sleep in the middle of the night and be greeted by the sight of golden hair next to him. He could look down into beautiful eyes as they made love under the pale moonlight.
"Jealous?" Tobi patted the bomber's head lovingly, "Don't worry. Zetsu's nice but he's not really my type. His leaves are too sharp. How do you kiss him? You'd just get thorns in your face. Oh and if you think those are sharp, wow you should see Kisame's teeth! I feel bad for anyone who's tried to smooch him."
He got pushed quite forcefully away, as Deidara replied, "Why are we even talking about this?!"
"Why are we talking about your jealousy?"
"No! Making out with the other Akatsuki members, hm," Deidara crossed his arms, "Besides, I don't get jealous. Jealousy implies you're afraid to lose something or lose to something, hm. I admit I have been envious, but jealous? It's been a long, long time."
That was an interesting way of putting it. Deidara was particularly resentful of the Sharingan, so he must be referring to his first encounter with Itachi. Tobi nodded thoughtfully, "Okay, I understand. Let's say I try to cut off your arm. You'll be jealous, right?!"
"That's – that's not how it works, hm."
"What if I was secretly better at making your clay bombs! Would you be jealous?" Tobi giggled.
Deidara laughed, "Haha! No one can make better explosives than I can! Hm!"
His skin chilled at the sound of Deidara's laugh. It was rare hearing it outside of battle. Tobi let it ring in his head for memory. The bomber's claim was likely correct; Tobi had never heard of another shinobi capable of creating such versatile, destructive, and polished firepower. Not only were his designs capable of precision, but there was a seemingly endless supply. A small chunk of clay could provide enough catastrophic damage to unearth acres of land.
"I'll work hard to be a worthy artist!" he tossed the pink pebble away, "But let's say I had the Sharingan, how would you feel? Jealous?"
Deidara would prove useful should he declare war. Be that as it may, Tobi didn't want him anywhere near it. The risks were too great. If he lost Deidara in a war he started...
"That's impossible, hm," Deidara said matter-of-factly.
Tobi pouted, "Eh, why would you say that?"
"The Uchiha are all dead. Besides, even if you managed to steal one, it'd reject your body to the point of the Sharingan being useless. Bloodline limits are called limits for a reason. Even you should know that. You'd have to consistently practice to get comfortable with it, and I've never seen you train in your life, hm."
"I wonder why you know so much about them. Maybe you've done your research so you could get yourself a pair?" Tobi accused, "You go on and on about how much you hate the eyes. I bet you secretly wish you had them."
Deidara waved a hand to the side in a careless gesture, "The Sharingan is overrated! Hm."
"Eh, that's not true! It'd be so much fun to use it! Imagine all the genjutsu you could do. I'd surround myself with lots of sexy – !"
"Okay! Fantastic! That's good to know, hm," having sensed where he was going, Deidara cut him off, face red.
How baffling. Deidara was a professional terrorist, arsonist, and eradicator. Yet somehow, any mention of anything intimate had him feeling shy, if not embarrassed. With a genuine grin, Tobi teased, "Did you think I was going to say 'girls'? Get your mind out of the gutter, Deidara-senpai! I was going to say lots of sexy senpais, before you so rudely cut me off."
"Wait, what?! That's never going to happen!" he shouted, mortified. The expression etched into his lovely features was glorious.
"So mean, senpai," Tobi whimpered, pretending to cry, "You're so good at destroying villages, I should have expected you'd be this good at destroying dreams too."
"I never took you for a perv, Tobi," Deidara glared at him.
"No fair! I never said you were going to be naked or anything like that! You can have clothes on, that's okay. As long as I have my precious senpai with me," Tobi quickly explained himself before Deidara decided to throw clay bombs at him, "And didn't you know? You have this sultry air around you, even with that hideous shirt of yours. I don't know how you do it. See, I go for a more adorable vibe, you know what I mean? I think girls are more into it now. Being cool and mysterious was so last year."
"What's wrong with my shirt? Hm," Deidara glanced down at his chest, probably blatantly ignoring the rest of Tobi's nonsense.
The navy-blue fabric was covered by the Akatsuki robes, unseen but not unforgotten. There was absolutely nothing wrong with his top. Tobi loved every bit of it. The subtle way Deidara avoided remarking on anything else he mentioned wasn't lost on him. Deidara was truly flustered. Tobi's heart started beating wildly in his chest. Getting a rise out of Deidara always did this to him.
Happy, Tobi replied, "I was just kidding! You always look dashing, Deidara-senpai."
"The aesthetic of my power is more important than my body's, hm," Deidara said seriously, then smirked, "You on the other hand, have nothing going for you."
"You can't mean that!"
"Oh, it's true," Deidara nodded his head, still smirking widely, "Orange clashes with everything."
Tobi cried out, "But Zetsu told me orange suits me!"
"He's right," Deidara nodded again, "You clash with everything too, hm."
"So you do hate me," he gasped, playing along.
Deidara shook his head, "I don't hate you, idiot. If I did, you'd be dead by now, you can be sure of it."
"So you love – !" Tobi began excitedly, but Deidara interrupted him,
"You're still really, really annoying," he said, "Don't get carried away, hm. The mask does suit you, though. I can't imagine you with a different one, hm."
"Senpai is so kind to me," Tobi clapped his hands. Those words warmed him up, seeing as they were sincere. He continued, "I hope I'm a good kohai."
Deidara closed his eye. He said simply, "You're... special, hm."
"I want the Rinnegan!" Tobi exclaimed, not lying one bit. The idea was thrown out there, of his Uchiha lineage and his plans. He hoped that one day in the future Deidara could look back at this conversation and remember that Tobi left him clues. Perhaps his senpai would be more forgiving. He finished, "Or maybe one of each! Imagine how powerful I'd be with the Sharingan and the Rinnegan! I'd be stronger than even Leader-sama!"
"I don't even know true capabilities of the Rinnegan, hm. How would you know about them?"
"Because I have it, duh!"
Deidara's brow twitched, "You just said you wanted to have it, not that you do have it! Hm."
"Oh, I did?" Tobi smiled under his mask, "No I didn't."
"Yeah, whatever, Tobi," Deidara sped up his pace, walking ahead of Tobi.
Then all of a sudden he stopped, and Tobi bumped into him. He latched onto Deidara's shoulders before he could fall over, "Senpai! Careful!"
Deidara asked firmly, "Do you have the Sharingan?"
"Eh, maybe, teehee! You tell me. Am I the supreme leader of the Akatsuki?" he countered.
He sort of, figuratively, mostly was. The Akatsuki wouldn't exist if it wasn't for Madara implanting the Rinnegan into Nagato; however, the organization wouldn't have thrived if it wasn't for Tobi. They would have fallen apart, one by one. They needed guidance. Nagato and, by extension, Konan, were at his fingertips. Deidara didn't have any sufficient information on Tobi, definitely not enough to consider how very capable he was of manipulating Pein. The more damaged the human mind, the better it could be exploited. As predicted, Deidara wasn't aware of his influence on their "leader".
"No," Deidara said after a minute, nodded, then looked hesitant, "So then, how can you see so well through your mask?"
Needing to change topics, Tobi whispered seductively, ""I'll tell you for a kiss."
He felt Deidara cringe under his fingertips, "No, hm! And how many times do I have to tell you to let go of me?"
"Wa! I'm sorry!" Tobi paused, "Oh and senpai?"
Deidara sighed, "What? Hm."
"I really, really like spending time with you."
There was a moment of hesitation, before, "...I know, hm. You always tell me that."
"It's the truth," Tobi shrugged, skipping ahead and leaving Deidara trailing after him.
They walked for a bit more, following a dirt path until a dango shop appeared in the distance. They had been hiking for a while, enough for Deidara to have gained an appetite. Dango wasn't as nourishing as some foods, and Deidara wasn't one for sweets, but it would give the man some sustenance. Deidara wasn't one to admit he was hungry until his stomach was protesting loudly.
They had passed an elderberry tree on the way, but they fruit wasn't ripe enough to be edible. The trees were rare in these parts of land. Not to mention the arcane implications of seeing one. The disturbed were reliant on its properties to ward off evil spirits, and the spiteful to lure darkness in. There was too much contradiction, too much inconsistency and risk; it was best to leave the tree be.
Tobi pointed, "Oh, senpai! Over there... There's a dango shop!"
He was at such an experienced stage in his Tobi act that he could pull off an excited tone of voice without smiling. Thank the gods, otherwise he'd have lean, hard muscles grown into his jaws from all the grinning Tobi required.
After yapping about some more he ran off to the shop, knowing Deidara would follow. The man needed to eat as well. He sat down and patiently waited for Deidara to arrive. His partner wasn't one to care about food, eating when his stomach demanded it and never sooner. It was Tobi's job to make sure the other didn't accidentally starve himself. He kicked his feet back and forth, asking the baker to make enough for two. She smiled at him warmly, likely familiar with strange looking travelers visiting her shop. Unlike the innkeeper, he didn't sense any horror radiating from her, so he could safely estimate she was unaware of the Akatsuki organization.
He became suddenly distracted by the sight of Deidara approaching him. He looked unusually enigmatic. Only one thought was crossing Tobi's mind at this point.
Gorgeous.
...
Really, really fucking gorgeous.
For some reason a hint of nervousness crept into him, though it had no reason to. He laughed off the feeling, beckoning Deidara over.
"Senpai!" he screeched.
The man gave him an annoyed look and sat down next to him. Their knees touched and Tobi held his breath. Tobi's leg was so tensed, he knew Deidara would physically feel him relax if he tried to. The only thing that could distract him from the contact was Deidara's signature scent. The smell of clay and denatured earth took over the sugary aroma wafting out of the shop. He couldn't handle this. Tobi pulled his leg away, pretending to stretch it. With the small space between them, he could breathe easier. Deidara willingly touching him was a lot different than when their roles were reversed.
Words came out of Tobi's mouth with every intention of agitating Deidara. He hardly paid attention to what he was saying. It not only prevented him from overthinking his lines, it also made the act seem more genuine. Not that it mattered with Deidara; Tobi didn't have to pretend to be someone else around him anymore. He was able to expect consideration of the words he shared, or what was said between the lines at least. Just that thought alone made him feel a tad weightless. It took some time but he was finally comfortable with himself, for having let Deidara know he had two personalities.
He was pulled back to reality when Deidara answered a question he must have asked without thinking, "The Three-Tails!"
And he always knew Deidara had a nice voice, but it was particularly attractive today. Tobi couldn't think of a special occasion, or any other reason why it would sound different.
The kind woman from earlier returned with a batch of hot mitarashi dango, the balls soaked well in sauce. They scooted away from each other so she could place the treat between them.
He picked up his serving and brought it close to his mask. Was he going to eat this or send it to the other dimension? He didn't really want to risk Deidara seeing the ripple effect, especially after he'd seen Hatake use it. Tobi also did not have any appetite what so ever.
Deciding quickly, Tobi put a hand to his mask. He heard Deidara's breath hitch and smirked, knowing the effect he had on Deidara. As seriously as he took his identity, Tobi found he was able to relax and have some fun with the artist. After turning away, he pulled off his mask, letting fresh air hit his face. The dango did taste delicious; he had taste buds, after all. It would be too cumbersome having to vomit the food out later. Instead, he would send it to the other dimension once it entered his body, since that method had no ripple effect.
It was even more cumbersome getting blown a mile away, but figured it was worth it. Nothing got Deidara's attention more than a snarky remark on his art—other than his art. That being said, Tobi had begun to notice that Deidara was a lot more fixated on him than a year ago. It wasn't even because of the incident in the cave, when he revealed himself. It was before that. Bonds grew stronger as time passed, yes; however, this was only true if you let bonds form in the first place. Kakashi was a prime example. Deidara had to have accepted Tobi some point along the way.
He wondered if it would ever be an opportune time to tell Deidara. Maybe once Tobi could trust himself, in his decisions and his future, to guarantee the best for the both of them. Deidara wanted to end with a bang, and Tobi wanted to have him forever. The plan would benefit them both. Except, Deidara would be dead. Genjutsu Deidara would be predictable and not Deidara. He would be a memory, never growing or changing. Deidara wouldn't be the artist anymore; he'd be the art and Tobi would be the one molding him.
It wasn't much later when Tobi and Deidara parted ways. He could sense commotion in the distance, strange chakras that had the air tremble in a subtle melody. Someone like Deidara, who was used to feeling the air shake, would have sensed it. If not for his one weakness in combat, his hot-temper when his art was questioned, he would have noticed the mild differences.
He figured it was best to check on the tailed-beast alone, to see what they were measuring up against. He did not expect to see Kakashi Hatake with the Sanbi. Whatever rag-tag group he was assigned to, it was clear they were attempting to tame the beast. Tobi's thoughts turned dark at the sight of him. Obito had given up his life, everything, in the hopes that Kakashi could pass on his beliefs and learn to put friendship before shinobi. He had entrusted that man with Rin's life. He failed.
A part of him, the small remainder of Obito that was left in his body and soul, craved for the closeness of his old team. It was a piece of his whole that was stuck in the past. He still missed Rin. After all, love never fades. Obito wanted to see her again, one last time. He needed to apologize for so many things. For letting her die the way she did. For replacing painful memories of her with ones that made him happy. For wanting to be with this person he was in love with as life blew up under them. For being Obito, but not really, not anymore.
He was lost.
Don't you looooove slow-burn?
Also, expect to find this story re-uploaded onto Archive of Our Own sometime soon. (After watching GoT for so long) I've grown quite comfortable with explicit content. More importantly, I imagine living in the Naruto world would be much darker and more violent than what the anime/manga is going for. I will be not be uploading any sexual scenes onto the FanFiction site (cough if Tobi and Deidara ever get their act together cough), seeing as how strict the site is. If you want to read the explicit version of FotV, it will eventually be on Archive of Our Own. I will upload T-rated chapters on FanFiction FIRST. I grew up with this site, and I will not abandon you wonderful readers. I cannot thank you enough! Not only for reading, but for remembering a pairing that many have forgotten about.
One more thing! The next chapter will be a LONG, bumpy ride. Buckle your seatbelts.