Guavas
"Foreign."
.
Itachi was dead.
Itachi was dead.
Itachi Uchiha died by the hands of his brother.
Deidara couldn't bring himself to feel rage, the events leading up to it having left him in a daze. He'd dedicated too much time into the man, struggling year after year for vengeance. It seemed Sasuke had beat him to a kill yet again, and took hold of his own justice, where Deidara was unable to. He died too soon. Disappointment crushed down on his chest. It was like sparking the rope, waiting for it to reach the end of the fuse, only for the heat to die and nothing to follow: no bang, no boom, and no fulfillment. Deidara had wanted to prove himself to Itachi for so long, but it was too late.
Itachi. Uchiha. Was. Dead.
Deidara had to take a shaky breath to calm his budding nerves.
Tobi had disappeared for several days after it happened, Zetsu crawling out of no where to tell him the news. With the unexplained loss of his own partner, Deidara wondered how Kisame felt.
Deidara didn't think there was any other person alive who cared about Itachi, beyond a desire for his powers anyways. Kisame had always respected his partner, more than Deidara did Tobi or Sasori, and Konan and Pein for each other. The shark was a bit dependant on, if not crazy about the Uchiha. Deidara hadn't enjoyed the thought of being ripped away from someone he hesitantly called a friend, so how was Kisame taking all this? Deidara pondered it for a while, but even that grew tiresome quickly.
He was bored. He'd recently lost a large semblance of purpose in his life, with Itachi's death. Because of this, his explosions lacked a certain artistic quality to them, and each flash of light became more lacklustre as time went on. It wasn't easy to shift his motivation from one subject to another. Sasuke was still ripe for the killing, but he wasn't Itachi. Sasuke would have been no taller than Deidara's legs around the time Itachi trapped him in a genjutsu. He had nothing to do with Deidara's capture. And killing Sasuke wouldn't piss off Itachi in the slightest, because corpses weren't known to feel emotions. He wanted revenge for Itachi's death, but it wasn't the same burning thirst he had for besting Itachi's mind and eyes. Nearly every piece of Deidara had been centred around surpassing the one who humiliated him.
Yet, a small, tiny, miniscule part of him was pleased the man was murdered, by his own brother no less. Finally, Itachi got what he deserved. How poetic was it that the kid brother he spared, the only one he couldn't bring himself to kill, came back and ruined him? It was beautiful, in its own way. For that, he could be more forgiving, but not by much. Itachi had been his prey.
What was he now?
.
Tobi still hadn't returned.
It was no coincidence Tobi disappeared right before Itachi's death. He'd seen neither Itachi's nor Sasuke's body at the wreckage, only black flames and enough ruin to spike his adrenaline. Zetsu had brought him to the battle site, hours after it ended, likely to see his reaction at the news. His hatred for Itachi was no secret. They hadn't said anything on Tobi's' whereabouts when they brought him there, but Deidara was quick to notice the lack of bodies, and by that point, had enough practice piecing together information. What Tobi was doing with Itachi's corpse, he could only guess. Presumably, he was stealing the pair of Sharingan. To keep or destroy, Deidara didn't know.
Sasuke might have found a way to escape, but he remembered the brat's frail stamina, and compared to how astute Tobi was, it was unlikely he managed to get away. Sasuke had tricks up his sleeve, but Tobi was a trick. There was no getting away. Maybe Sasuke sustained enough injuries and died along with his brother, and Tobi was securing his Sharingan. Deidara considered the possibility, but didn't hold onto it. Tobi didn't want Sasuke dead, otherwise he'd have finished him off himself during Deidara's battle with him. Either Tobi was holding him hostage and – hopefully – torturing him, or convincing him to join the Akatsuki, or both. They were short on members now.
Deidara may have found a home somewhere within the organization, but he wouldn't hesitate to disobey orders if Sasuke made any sort of appearance. He would kill him. Simple.
His scope was long destroyed and his chakra not yet fully replenished, but he learned a thing or two after their fight. He'd been so caught up in finding ways to counter genjutsu, he'd neglected to consider his chakra alignment. Lightning Release was Deidara's primary weakness, so he'd have to learn jutsu to counter it. He wasn't adept with Wind Release, but it looked like he'd have to give it a shot. If that training didn't work out, he'd just have to umph up the explosive nature in his clay. Or at the very least, he'd need to start carrying Wind Release jutsu scrolls.
He jumped off the branch he was sitting on, landing under the tall tree with grace.
Deidara wanted Tobi to come back. He hadn't agreed to stay just for Tobi to disappear on him. Yeah, the Akatsuki was a part of the reason why he refused his resignation – and as some messed up joke, also part of the reason why he wanted out – but primarily, his mind had been on Tobi. Deidara had staggered without him. The days just passed on. He hadn't realized how dull it could be when he was alone.
"My, my. Tobi's not finished yet?"
The voice had him jumping back a step, hands in his clay pouches. For once, he wasn't craving a good fight, but maybe that was what he needed.
He paused. Red clouds.
The initial surprise of an unexpected visitor deflated from him in an instant. Unfortunately, once again, it was Zetsu. Not an enemy, but not good company either. Golden eyes gleamed at him, each iris noticeably lacking a pupil. The gaze was chilling. Zetsu was one of the few things that managed to creep him out.
Then he took in what he said. Deidara scowled, "You know where he is?"
"He's sure taking his sweet time," White Zetsu smiled, skin stretching. Something crawled down Deidara's spine at the sight of it. Something was wrong with these guys, besides the obvious.
He asked, "He disappeared along with the Uchiha bodies, hm. Is he with Sasuke, or did you consume those corpses like the beasts you are? What do you know? Tell me."
Deidara didn't care if he was being careless, Tobi's identity be damned. He'd said Zetsu knew the truth, didn't he? Did it really matter if Zetsu knew Deidara was in on their "secret" as well? Even if it did, he couldn't be bothered. Deidara wanted answers.
The grin fell off White Zetsu, and it was Black Zetsu who spoke first, "That doesn't matter."
"You're certainly sharp," White Zetsu's teeth were back, "He's with Sasuke. Pein gave him a... personal mission."
Yeah, right. Deidara doubted Pein had anything to do with Tobi's actions. Zetsu was lying, trying to cover him. That was good. It meant they didn't know Deidara was privy to Tobi's other half. But they'd also confirmed Deidara's suspicions. Tobi was with Sasuke.
"Make sure the fool doesn't lay a hand on the Uchiha, hm. He's mine."
.
Deidara was one foul moment away from losing it.
Tobi still hadn't come back.
He'd never felt so expendable. To trust Tobi, Deidara had forced room into his overfilled heart. He had to push aside values he'd followed his whole life. He'd willingly shown weakness and vulnerability to his partner. And this was how he was repaid? Brushed aside for Sasuke Uchiha. The bastard who nearly killed him. Sasuke Uchiha, the spawn of some cretin who birthed two pedestrian slabs of ice, who took away the... the justice his soul needed. Thrice. He shouldn't feel betrayed, and he shouldn't care, but he did. He did, and it was fucking driving him insane. He felt green, and hot, and angry, and everything else in between. Deidara shouldn't have agreed to stay for Tobi. He should have just left the organization.
He breathed in deeply.
Before he knew it, Deidara was dropping a handful of spiders to the ground, and the world was set aflame.
.
He was being melodramatic, wasn't he? Deidara thought, rolling over on the cold dirt. Foliage hovered over him in a makeshift tent, giving him the shelter and camouflage he never needed before. He'd forgotten how different the survival strategies were when you were traveling solo. There was no one keeping watch, so he had to be extra cautious to hide while he was at his most vulnerable. This also meant he couldn't sleep. His body was in a constant state of fight-or-flight, and as exhausting as it was, it didn't allow for sleep.
Deidara tossed and turned for a minute, before letting out a sigh. Even in the dark, with just the stars and moon to light the shadow-infested forest, he could see his breath curl in the air. It was getting colder as the days went by. He curled in on himself, tucking his elbows in for more body heat. He was grateful it didn't snow in these parts.
He was alone. Wasn't that what he wanted? He'd been asking for this ever since he could remember. Finally, he wasn't going to be held back by a partner. This was just a temporary situation. He should enjoy it while it lasted.
Even if Tobi was with Sasuke Uchiha.
A tremor of chakra entered his body from the ring on his index finger, and Deidara stared down at in confusion. Pein hadn't summoned him in ages. What could he possibly want? Frowning, Deidara found somewhere safely hidden from view in the foliage, before forming the necessary hand sign and closing his eyes. It unnerved him sometimes – when he wasn't in awe – at how powerful the Rinnegan was. Breathing in deeply, he released his chakra into waves Pein could decipher.
When his copied image opened his eyes, Deidara was greeted by the sight of the founder of the Akatsuki, in the flesh. And the Rinnegan. Deidara swallowed, unable to tear his gaze away from the silver rings. He'd been expecting to be greeted by another image, as usual. They were in a dark room, but judging from the heavy sounds of rain pounding against the building, Deidara could safely assume they were in Amegakure. Pein was seated in a metal chair, hand under his chin, looking very much like he was sitting on a throne. Deidara shot that thought away; Pein was proud, but there wasn't a trace of disdain in him.
Pein was the one to break the silence, "How are you fairing?"
"It isn't like you to ask about anyone's wellbeing, hm. Get to the point. What do you want?" Deidara vaguely remembered he shouldn't be speaking so forthright to his leader, but Pein was more particular over obedience to the Akatsuki than to himself as a person.
It was why he could respect him for reasons other than his eyes. The Rinnegan gave Pein power, but the advantage didn't blind him. He didn't look down on any of his members. He carried respect for each of their prowess in battle. As long as they listened to his whole spiel, aimed for "true power", put an end to "the cycle of hatred", and "sought for peace", Pein was hardly concerned over the rest.
Deidara blinked.
Now that he thought about it, Pein's goals were eerily similar to Tobi's. Was Pein being manipulated? Were they even his ideas to begin with, or were they fed into him by Tobi? If what Tobi said was true, the Uchiha had the Rinnegan at his disposal. Deidara had always been led to believe Pein desired to destroy the world, not control it. This changed things. Destruction was okay – more than okay, even. Deidara understood and accepted the concept of time. Endings would always, continuously exist, and humanity was bound to reach its conclusion one way or another. But if Tobi and Pein had the same, common goal - to dominate and rule over free minds - Deidara wouldn't take it lightly.
Pein shifted, but his expression never did, "We've lost Itachi."
Itachi was dead.
Goddammit.
Pein and Konan had made the news official a few days ago. So then why was he bringing it up again? Deidara's eyes narrowed, and his image flickered, "What of it?"
"What will you do now?"
"That's what I'm trying to figure out, hm," if his voice had an edge to it, Deidara didn't notice.
He couldn't decipher whether Pein was asking if he would betray the Akatsuki, stay, or if Pein was offering him a way out. But that just reminded him of Tobi, who'd done the same, then disappeared to frolic around with a dead Uchiha and his dead-minded brother.
Still wanting a straight answer, Deidara snapped, "Where's Tobi?"
"He'll return soon enough," Pein's metal-hued eyes shut closed briefly, looking very tired, "When he does, you may or may not recognize him."
Huh.
It sounded sort of like Pein was trying to warn him that Tobi was dropping his persona. But that couldn't be right. Not even a month ago, Tobi had been hell-bent on protecting his identity against those Suna nin in their fight underground. Also, hadn't he said he was putting his world-domination plan to a halt? Itachi died, Sasuke and Tobi disappeared together, and then one week later, Tobi's planned to reveal himself? That didn't sound like he was trying to take a step back; it sounded like Tobi was taking several steps forward.
"He's not harmed," the dark voice was monotone, like he didn't care about a word he was saying. There was a moment of silence and Pein must have seen something in his expression, because then he said, "You've become attached."
Grateful the man couldn't see the heat in his cheeks, Deidara scoffed, looking away, "Che. Call it what you want, hm."
He didn't have to explain himself.
"Zetsu's watching over him," the Akatsuki leader added, "You needn't worry."
It wasn't like he was worried about Tobi; the idiot could handle himself just fine. What was the point in reminding him?
Oh, yeah. That was right... Pein wasn't aware he already knew who Tobi was. Deidara had forgotten this, too easily, even. It was like he and Tobi were in their own universe. Pein wasn't even privy to this information. He felt privileged, if not a bit devious, having an upper hand over someone like the leader of the Akatsuki. This must be how Tobi felt, all the time. Maybe, just maybe, Deidara could understand. It felt disturbingly good. He could see why this sort of power could become addictive, and why someone as misguided as Tobi would grow dependent on it. What he didn't understand was how anyone could escalate their desires to world domination.
That brought back the question. Was Pein trying to destroy the world, or also vying to control it?
That was an issue he'd address when Tobi returned.
Because most importantly, at the end of the day, he knew something concerning the Akatsuki that Pein didn't: Tobi trusted him. Deidara had more power over the organization than Pein realized, if Tobi valued him as much as he thought he did.
He let go of his thoughts. Thinking about Tobi and questioning Pein while he was using a jutsu that read minds probably wasn't a good idea. Deidara could direct what was read, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
Deidara smirked, though the movement was lost on Pein, because of how hazy the conjured duplicate was, "I'm not worried, hm. You couldn't have summoned me for a bit of heart-to-heart. What do you really want?"
"That was all. Tobi recommended I warn you of your reunion. He will be different, and you will not be happy about what you find."
Then, it was true. That was that. It looked like Tobi was finally outing himself. Deidara played along with whatever Tobi was going for, feigning ignorance, "He couldn't turn out worse than he already is, hm. Is that all you need from me?"
Pein didn't blink, "Yes, you're dismissed."
Attached...
Fuck it, if it wasn't true.
Thanks to my current state of mind, this chapter is chaos. Intentionally or not, this works.
Next chapter will be, heh, interesting. Thanks for reading!