Yuzu
"Dawn."
.
They had entered another town, this one shadier than the rest. Deidara didn't think much of it. They purchased fresh garments to wear, and the lack of strange looks from the people milling about was telling. Clearly, they've witnessed things more disturbing than travelling nin reeking of metal and drenched in dried blood.
Tobi was out searching for a place to sleep, which left Deidara on food-duty. They didn't have much money, not in their pockets anyways, but there was enough to relax for a day. Deidara inspected the food at the market before settling on some takeaway and snacks. He didn't think Tobi would want anything, but he grabbed extra just in case.
The inn wasn't perfect. The water was too cold or too hot and there were spiders crawling in the corners. But it was warm, and it was somewhere to sleep, so Deidara didn't complain. He turned on every lamp, and the lighting remained soft and dim. It was comfortable - but maybe that's why it bothered him. He had spent far too much time camping out in the woods or in severe weather in red territories. Those past months had been demanding on his mind and body. He had been training until he collapsed, fending off too many nin who recognized him even so far out of the way. And since Tobi came back and told him about the brewing war, the air had a surreal tension he had never experienced. It was like the universe had become this elastic band, taught and ready to snap. Despite it all, Deidara did his best to try and relax.
"I like it, hm," he said, "Good find, Tobi."
"Mm," Tobi sounded proud, "This is the best part."
Deidara followed him into the back, where Tobi slid open a door. When he saw what was in there, Deidara's eyes widened, "A private onsen?! You're kidding!"
"Enjoy," Tobi simply said, turning around.
Deidara took it back; this inn was fantastic, "Alright, hm. You win this round."
Cleaning up was no easy task. He rinsed off in the shower, and by the time all the grime and dirt washed away, his skin had already shriveled up. Deidara combed through his hair, thinking about nothing, hearing nothing but the thrum of the water. The water cleansed his soul.
A thought crossed his mind. His fingers traced over the stitches at his ribs, and he thought some more—
About dark eyes and a lost mind.
His devotion was dangerous. He would stop at nothing to get what he wanted, and nothing got in his way. He'd created himself into a honed weapon; a simple flick of the wrist that would split a man in two. He cleared his way with a path moving only forward and unyielding. This was the ferocity that drew Deidara to him like a moth to a flame. It was a sort of artistry that Deidara could never imitate; their styles were far too dissimilar. And he didn't want to - it was all Tobi's. Perhaps that was why he found it so striking, with how different his art was from his own.
And he wanted more of it. Deidara could watch him create all day.
Even now, his heart raced at the thought of Tobi eliminating the obstacles in his path. Deidara itched to see him fight, to witness his ambition come to fruition. Deidara's fingers twitched at the thought of it.
If only their goals were better aligned.
All this... and yet.
Tobi had a sensitive, delicate heart—nothing like his own. Where Deidara was unsympathetic, Tobi cared deeply. There was a childlike innocence to him that Deidara lost years ago. And maybe that was why he was compelled to protect it. Because once it was gone, it was gone.
He stepped out of the shower and took an extra few minutes in the onsen than he needed to. They'd spent the past two weeks using river water to bathe. It was about time.
Water dripped off his feet and splattered onto the floor as he stepped out of the bathroom, a towel around his waist. He dried his hair, aggressively rubbing a separate small towel against his head. His hair was all tangled because the inn didn't carry any conditioner, and Deidara's hair was becoming longer than he was used to. He'd have to start carrying some around. Or maybe he'd just chop some of it off.
Tobi was watching him from the corner of the room, broken mask on but strangely enough a mug of something hot in his hands. He put the cup down on the table in front of him, "Better?"
"Much better," Deidara grinned, "I'm all done if you want a turn. Hm."
He was unreadable, "After my tea."
"Since when have you starting liking tea?" Deidara gave him a weird look.
Tobi leaned back in his chair, voice light, "Since now."
"Suit yourself," he said out loud. But in his head, he was thinking that Tobi was definitely up to to something. Tobi hardly consumed anything. Tobi always went for sweets.
Tobi's large silhouette seemed unnatural with him relaxing in a little wooden chair with a cozy mug in his hands. It was weird, and yet at the same time, it suited him perfectly.
Something caught his eye and he realized, "You made me some too?"
There was another mug on the table, placed a little further from Tobi's own. It was right next to his takeout which didn't look cold now. Steam curled out of it in soft swirls. Tobi warmed up his food?
"Mm."
He attempted to get a read on him to no avail; Tobi was indecipherable. Well, maybe not so much. There was a tilt to his posture that was… lighter? He couldn't place his finger on what it was exactly, but he just had a feeling. Tobi was in a good mood. Deidara must have been spending too much time around him if he was able to tell.
He glanced at the cup again and felt its warmth even being so far away, "Thanks, Tobi."
Something inside him tightened, and he felt a pang beneath his ribs. Deidara turned away quickly before Tobi noticed the heat to his face. He got that same rush he did when he wasn't sure if he was going to get out of a fight alive, which didn't make any sense because he was perfectly fine and out of harm's way. What was the idiot doing? Being so nice all of a sudden... And what was up with him getting all shy about it? Deidara squashed down the feeling. It was foreign and new and for that reason alone, he wasn't in the mood to deal with it.
Deidara finished drying himself off, changing into a fresh set of clothes. He pulled out a chair and sat in front of Tobi, throwing himself down into the seat. He felt a little bit like mush, tired from training and muscles loose from the bath.
Going for a sip, he closed his eyes. The tea was the perfect temperature, and the hot liquid felt soothing running down his throat. There was a citrus flavour to it... yuzu? There had been some growing in the town. Deidara tried to picture Tobi picking one off the tree and squeezing it into the mugs.
"Good?" Tobi interrupted his thoughts.
Deidara nodded, "Good."
It was nice being cared for. And that's what all this was, wasn't it? It was warm and soft and like nothing Deidara thought he could ever want. Not even as a kid, no one would do something like this for him. And he wouldn't do the same for anyone; it just wasn't him. But Tobi wasn't just anyone... and Deidara wanted to help.
Not that he needed much of it, Deidara thought numbly. His gaze traced the man's gloved hand, up his arm and lingering at his thick shoulder. He had only the memory of the stark white skin underneath. It was a testament to his resilience. Tobi had been alone for too long, just like him. All these years of being self-sufficient had made it incredibly... annoying when he was put with a teammate. Deidara remembered how pissed off he'd been when he found out his partner was Tobi of all members. And now he was left to wonder how Tobi felt having to rely on the Akatsuki for his own schemes. He must have hated it.
Tobi was silent for a long moment. He was watching him, like he always did.
"I would protect you with my life," the man said suddenly, seriously, "You know that right?"
Deidara set down his mug.
He knew. He'd always known. But it was another thing hearing it. No one had ever said that to him before. And he never expected to hear it, not ever.
"Yeah, hm," Deidara peered up at him, and he wondered at what point in his life his own thoughts changed. He'd do a lot to keep him safe, "Same here."
Tobi slipped off his mask, and Deidara couldn't help but look. But could you blame him?
"I won't let that happen."
Neither will I, Deidara thought. But he didn't want to turn this into a fight so he kept his mouth shut. He didn't dare think about what it'd be like if the man died on him.
Tobi looked entirely comfortable taking a sip, like he was relaxed for the first time in a long time. No cloak, no armour, no mask. Just… just Tobi. He let out a soft sigh that Deidara would not have heard if he wasn't so acutely focused on the man. The lighting was warm too; it softened him. Or maybe it was just Tobi's expression - smooth, serene. If Deidara didn't know any better, he wouldn't be able to tell you that Tobi had killed thousands.
They ate in silence as no more words were needed.
Deidara recalled Tobi's laughter, the first time he'd ever heard something so - ...so free come out of him. He laughed in a way that felt like fingers gliding down his spine. It had been so joyful. Not even the old Tobi had ever sounded like that. It was safe to say that Deidara loved his laugh. He loved his smile. He wished they weren't so few and far between. He wondered if Tobi ever smiled like that when he'd been obsessing over his plans. He doubted it. Back then, he'd been in a dark, endless place with no love for the world. Deidara couldn't imagine living like that, with no hope or joy or... or feelings besides hate.
Deidara would never let him go back there. Not on his watch.
Tobi set down his mug, a finality to it.
Curious, Deidara watched him as he stood up and walked into the next room. Tobi suddenly paused at the doorway. Deidara was about to ask him if something was wrong, but he spoke first.
"There's only one bed?" Tobi muttered.
Shit.
"I'll sleep on the floor," Deidara hurriedly offered, "Hm."
"No, you're injured."
"C'mon Tobi," Deidara tried again, "You deserve good things too."
"You being comfortable makes me comfortable."
"Well I'm uncomfortable with you sleeping on the floor, hm."
Tobi turned around around, "You can't - "
"Yeah, I can!"
They bickered over it for a while before settling on sharing it - which was fine. They had done it before, given their jobs. But they hadn't done it since Deidara realized he was catching feelings for him. The thought of going to bed with Tobi's sleeping face right there... well. At least the bed was big enough.
Deidara might have been brushing his teeth a bit too aggressively, and if he was, it wasn't his fault. Anyone would be nervous. He grabbed the weapons and clay he had scattered about and set them next to the bed. He made sure his tools were close by, just in case. The metal glistened under the lamp's warmth, a small detail in life he normally would have appreciated. Unfortunately, he was having a hard time clearing his head.
Tobi had washed up as well, and now that asshole was walking around shirtless. The man was built like a tank, and as aesthetically pleasing as he was on the eyes, it was the reminder of the sheer power he knew Tobi held that had his heart racing. Deidara wanted to see Tobi fight. He wanted to see how far his abilities went, how good he was in battle, what sort of art the man could create. Deidara loved power. He loved the rush it gave him. And he wanted Tobi to let out his own.
Entirely unsuccessfully, Deidara did his best not to stare, instead fighting with his tangled hair as he tried to brush it through. He sat down on the edge of the bed with a huff, "Have you ever grown out your hair?"
Distract, distract, distract. He needed to distract himself. It worked before; it would work again.
Tobi didn't seem weirded out by the question, "A long time ago. It was almost as long as yours. My mask was different, then."
"Really?!"
Deidara tried to picture it. He decided that Tobi would look good no matter what. It shouldn't surprise him; he made the stupid orange mask look hot.
"Let me help," Tobi gestured to the brush, "That looks painful."
"No," Deidara gave his hair a good yank, and his eyes watered. Fuck that hurt. But there was no way he was going to let Tobi know he was right, "I'll get it, hm."
"Please."
Deidara exhaled. Damn it. He set down the brush. Tobi's own eye was black, dark, and most importantly, it wasn't the Sharingan. There he was, not hiding behind the orange and black and red. Tobi was comfortable. He felt safe.
How was he supposed to say no to that?
Deidara reluctantly agreed, and handed him the brush, "Fine, hm."
Tobi sat next to him on the bed, half-facing him, and he reached for a few strands of hair. Deidara watched him, muscles tense. Unlike him, Tobi's grip was light, and he brushed the ends in his palm first, carefully working his way up. Why was Tobi being so nice today anyways? This was annoyingly intimate. It was more annoying that Deidara liked it. It felt nice. He was already having a hard time dealing with all of this - you know, his feelings or whatever. And now he had to deal with Tobi being all warm and caring? It just wasn't fair.
He could smell Tobi this close. It didn't help that Tobi wasn't wearing his mask or a shirt. Deidara clenched his fist.
This wasn't the first time Tobi had brushed his hair. But it was before everything. Before... everything. This just wasn't the same.
The silence was deafening, and Deidara tried to break the mood, "I've been thinking about different counters for Lightning style, hm."
"What did you come up with?" Tobi gave his hair a long stroke, and he seemed satisfied with that section because he moved onto the next. He was delicate, so much more so than Deidara ever had been. He hardly felt it.
"So, lightning is unstable, right?"
"Quite."
"Well, my earth style is perfectly stable... until I release my work, hm. I was thinking," Deidara started, "If I can absorb the lightning at the right time, when the explosion release is unstable, then I might be able to use - "
Tobi ran a bare hand through his hair, and Deidara shivered, red in the face, "I - I might be able to use the energy from lightning release to boost my explosions, hm."
"That could work. You will have to be precise."
"Easy," Deidara smirked a little too smugly, "Hey, what's your preferred style?"
"Hm... Mokuton is versatile and objectively superior, yet," Tobi took a moment to think on it, "I prefer Fire style."
"Why?"
"I'm good at it. It was my first ninjutsu. Besides," Tobi added, "It's fun. It's mine."
"That's a good answer, hm."
Deidara could respect that.
Tobi was a devoted shinobi; he worked hard, harnessed his skills, and kept feeding that hunger to get stronger. He was the type of ninja that Deidara admired. What he respected even more was Tobi's passion for his abilities. Tobi didn't even try to hide it, his desire for power. Tobi was confident because he had every right to be. He earned everything he dished out. He didn't take no for an answer; he didn't even take maybe for an answer. The man had been in control for so long that Deidara didn't think he knew how to live without it. He was trying to, Deidara could see it, how he was letting the strings go.
Hanging around here without a care in the world wasn't going to benefit either of them in the long run. But Deidara was having a decent time, and he wondered if Tobi was too.
A soft sound told him that Tobi had just set the brush on a table. Guess he was done. Deidara ran a hand through his hair. He didn't want to admit it, but this was much better.
"Thanks, hm."
Tobi didn't reply, and suddenly Deidara felt bare hands grab at his the nape of his neck. It startled him, "What - ?"
The man gripped at his hair and pulled it back and up, tight. Tobi's hands grazed across his skin, up the back of his neck, and it seared hot.
Deidara bit his lip.
Fuck - that felt good.
When he went to twist it into a full tie, he tugged his head back - just a little, and Deidara couldn't stop the little noise that escaped him. That wasn't supposed to feel as nice as it did. That wasn't supposed to get his mind racing in the wrong direction.
Tobi set his hair into a bun, perfectly, exactly the same way Deidara did it a thousand times before. But Tobi didn't remove his hands when he was done. They rested on his shoulders, thumbs pressed up against the nape of his neck.
"Tobi?" his breath hitched.
The man stepped back with no excuse, "Sorry."
That was - ... Really nice.
Deidara decided not to pry, more so because he wasn't sure he could speak coherently right then, and instead he crawled into bed. With some fussing, he threw himself under the covers. The fabric was a little itchy but it wasn't horrible. He watched Tobi while leaning on his elbow.
Deidara managed to find his voice, and he cleared his throat, "You sleeping tonight?"
In other words, did he plan on disappearing? He sorta hoped tonight wasn't one of them. He sorta did. He didn't know.
Tobi's eyes landed on him, one black and one silver. The lamp next to them cast a warm light over his skin, enunciated the slops of his face. He looked good.
He almost missed Tobi's, "Yes."
Tobi had grabbed his broken mask, laying it on the table next to where he would sleep. He turned off the light before heading into bed himself. With the sudden darkness blanketing them, Deidara felt very aware. Aware of Tobi's breathing, the silent sound of his footsteps - the faint shift in air pressure with each step, the way the blanket glided across his skin as Tobi climbed into bed. When his head met the pillow, Deidara breathed in deeply. Tobi smelled like he always did, of wood and the warm smoke from a crackling fire on a dark night.
He heard Tobi exhale, light and soft.
Deidara sucked in a breath.
This was fine. He could relax. Deidara closed his eyes and tried to sleep.
.
.
.
It didn't go well. He was wide awake. He was pretty sure Tobi had drifted off, but it had never been easy to tell.
Tobi was as still as a rock, but Deidara kept fidgeting. He didn't mean to. But the more he tried to stop, the more restless he became.
"Stop it," Tobi murmured deeply. His voice sounded groggy with sleep. God. It sent a shiver up his spine and had his toes curling.
"Sorry."
Tobi threw an arm over Deidara, squeezing slightly, "I'm here."
Nothing was wrong, and he didn't need reassurances per se, but Deidara felt thankful for Tobi's thoughtfulness, even half asleep.
Deidara caved, turning over and curling himself into Tobi's arms. It was nice being held. Tobi always had his back, always put him first. Deidara clenched his eyes shut. He was grateful. For the first time since he left the village and sculpted his path, he felt like he could let his guard down. So he did. It hid away, not at the ready, but truly far away. His soul swooned at the new feeling.
He drank in Tobi's scent, let his warmth soak his skin, listened to the soft sounds of his breaths and the quiet universe as sleep gently took him.
.
.
.
Tobi woke up before Deidara.
Sun filtered through the windows, far too bright for his liking. He tried to make sense of his surroundings - Deidara asleep next to him, his mask on the table, the bare skin of his arm resting on his partner. He didn't know what to make of his feelings, but he knew they were warm and brilliant like the light seeping in.
He may not like being under the sun's glare, but it suited Deidara very well. His skin drank in the light. And Tobi could watch him for centuries without growing tired of it. He was breathtaking, even more so under the summer's sun. It was the crinkle beneath his eye that curved when he grinned. Or maybe it was how Tobi could look into them and never stop seeing. But mornings with him had always been particularly special. The daze he was in as he started to wake up, eyes cloudy and crystal clear at he same time. When he was too tired to properly react to things, and the couple second delay in response when Tobi would ask him questions bright and early. Or there was Tobi's favourite - that little clench in his jaw when Tobi asked one question too many.
Tobi watched him, admired the rare softness in his expression as he slept. But his mind was elsewhere.
What if?
What if Deidara grew to love him too? What if one day, he looked at Tobi like he always did and then suddenly wanted him? What if their friendship kindled into something more?
Would they be happy? Or would they burn?
Was Deidara happy right now?
Was he?
"G'morning," Deidara startled him from his thoughts, voice still low and tired. He sounded fucking hot.
Tobi's eyes met his, the blue even more stunning than he remembered them to be. His own voice was thick with sleep, "Good morning, Deidara."
Deidara's skin trembled under his fingers, and there was a moment before he asked, "Did you sleep?"
"I did," Tobi added, "I should be asking you the same."
"Eventually, yeah, hm."
Tobi gave his back a little squeeze and smiled, "Good."
Deidara mouthed something, and Tobi wasn't confident it wasn't fuck. But he wasn't convinced, and Tobi wasn't about to do anything he wasn't certain of.
"Any dreams?" Tobi asked.
Deidara never spoke of his dreams. At least, not the ones that came with sleep.
And Tobi wanted to pick him apart like how humans tried to decipher the world, to scour every last inch of it, to understand him, to memorize each line and curve and thought that made him him. He craved it like nothing else. Tobi wanted to know what Deidara liked, from his preferred foods - bakudan - to the way he trained - extensively. Tobi wanted to give him everything. He wanted to know his dreams, his fears, his pains and desires..., how he took his tea. It manifested itself as a hungry, aching void in his soul, one that coveted to be filled.
"Yeah, hm," Deidara's brows furrowed, "Barely remember it, but there was a fire... it was warm. We were sitting in front of a fire, hm. Like we always do."
Tobi pictured it, recalling all the nights they shared under the magnitude of stars. Mostly, he remembered not appreciating the time for what it was. His mind had been elsewhere back then. It was just another thing to regret.
"Did you?" Deidara's voice broke his train of thought.
"Dream? I have not dreamt in years."
Deidara gazed into his soul, "You haven't slept properly in years, hm."
They both knew he didn't need to. That said, Tobi had zero desire to get out of bed. This was almost perfect, just like this. But it wasn't real. And who would have thought - after all these years, that thought left a bitter taste in his mouth. None of this was real. And he despised the thought of playing pretend.
He rose, sitting up in bed. The blanket pulled off himself and Deidara, which he barely noticed. The same couldn't be said for his partner.
"Tobi!" he scrambled to get the sheets back on, "It's freezing!"
"Whoops," Tobi ran a hand through his hair and stretched.
"Don't whoops me, you -," Deidara paused, "...Tch, asshole."
He looked at the man. He was pretty red in the face. And he was pretty, too. He couldn't be that cold, Tobi thought. There was an itch, that nostalgic urge to piss him off, and he decided to scratch it. Tobi reached for the blanket. Fighting down an expression that would give him away, he yanked it off.
"W- what the hell?!" Deidara was instantly tugging on the blanket, "Tobi!"
Tobi kept his grip tight, suddenly feeling playful, "Learn to share."
"Me? You're hogging all of it, hm!"
Deidara yanked, but Tobi was ready for it. He tightened his hold, arms stiff; Deidara had one hell of a grip.
"No."
"Yes!"
"Fine."
Tobi pushed Deidara back down onto the bed, throwing the blanket over his face. He swaddled him so he couldn't escape and asked mockingly, "Better, senpai?"
Deidara shouted, but he was laughing, and the hits threw had no weight to them.
"I'm gunna kill you after this, Tobi!" his voice was muffled under the blanket, and the sheer explosiveness of it only encouraged him.
Tobi straddled the blanket cocoon, "You would have to escape first, then."
"I'll remember this, hm. You're dead, you piece of - "
Tobi reached out and slipped down the top of the blanket so Deidara could get some air. Angry eyes glared back at him, face red, hair a mess, and Tobi loved him. Deidara was still yelling at him, but Tobi could only focus on the bursts of affection hitting him in waves. He loved him. He loved him with every ounce of his being.
He shoved it down before he started thinking, "You did ask for the blanket back."
"Not in exchange for my lungs, yeah."
Tobi glanced at his lips, "You can breathe just fine."
He looked... sweet bundled up.
"Now I'm too hot," Deidara complained.
"Too hot, too cold. Make up your mind. Which is it?"
"Hot!"
Tobi scoffed, but pulled off the blanket anyways. The stitches on Deidara's chest were revealed. Against his will, his hand went to touch the threads. He didn't like to think about them. About what these little strings protected. Tobi ran a finger over spiral marks, tracing the swirl.
Deidara had inhaled sharply, the noise barely audible. Tobi only heard it because he'd been focusing on Deidara's sounds like any could be his last dying breath. He traced the lines, intentional. And Deidara's breathing slowly grew irregular.
Was he sensitive there?
If that wasn't fuel for thought...
"I won't use it," Deidara's hand quickly clamped onto his wrist.
Tobi couldn't read if there was any resentment in his words.
He'd sacrificed the plan to stay here with this man - and the word sacrifice did not seem so fitting anymore. It had certainly felt like a sacrifice when he came to the decision; so much work done just for it to be abandoned? But now, looking back on it, everything he did led him here. And he liked where he was. Deidara was more than a better trade off for the Moon's Eye.
Tobi delicately tugged on one of the stitches. This time, because he could.
"T-Tobi - ," Deidara trembled, but instead of pushing him away, he let go of his wrist.
He wondered - hoped - that Deidara felt the same way about these threads.
That somehow, Tobi reached him in the same way. That his promise to not resort to destroying himself was genuinely from the heart and not something that he would grow to become bitter over.
Tobi looked into the man's eyes. They were dark, the same look he always had when he was full of adrenaline. It was contagious.
Tobi leaned down, taking the man's hand with him, luring it far away from the delicate threads. His pupils were blown, and Deidara was trembling, without a doubt his instinctive urge to fight having kicked in. He tried to ignore it, but a sudden cold rage flowed through his veins. His adrenaline was infectious.
Deidara must have seen the change in his expression, "What - ?"
Tobi grabbed at his jaw, grip unyielding. He may no longer desire to mold his ideal world, but that didn't mean he was going to stand idly by and watch the most precious thing to him die. He would not lose Deidara. It was as simple as that.
"That's right," his grip tightened, and he murmured low, threatening, "You won't."
Deidara stared up at him, his own eyes ablaze. Tobi could see his red shining in their blues.
He visibly swallowed, and yet there was nothing hesitant about him, "I won't."
Tobi searched his face for any doubt, and when he found none, he stood up. He slipped into his shirt and clipped his armor back into place. It was only when his mask was settled onto his head that he turned to look back at Deidara.
Strangely, the man had a wide grin on his face, and the expression was akin to what he wore mid-battle. Tobi's skin chilled. His lust for destruction... It was unparalleled.
Deidara was already sitting up, moving to grab his supplies, "Let's get out of here, hm. I'm starving for a good fight."
Tobi watched Deidara from the ground, feet firmly planted into the soil of a large cliff of a mountain. Acres and acres of forestry were below him. It stretched to beyond what the eye could see. Deidara was soaring above the canopies, on the hunt for the Iwa squad tailing them. Tobi promised himself that he wouldn't get involved if he didn't have to. It was tempting. The urge to make sure everything went smoothly was without a doubt difficult to resist. But he'd pissed off Deidara too many times by stealing his audience.
It was Deidara's time to shine.
"Senpai!" he waved, "Yo!"
Deidara peered at him from above his bird, and he grinned, calling out, "Tobi! I'm busy, hm!"
"You look so cool!"
"Then shut up and watch, yeah!"
He really did look cool.
The wind blew his hair, and each strand whipped behind him as Deidara crouched, hunting for his targets. Deidara was getting stronger and stronger as the days went on. His stamina was nearly that of a jinchuuriki's, if not having already been outstanding as it was. His power was more devasting, and his new jutsus more perfected than the last. But what really impressed Tobi was Deidara's seemingly effortless mastery and control over such raw power. Deidara was more calculating than most shinobi he had met, which most enemies were quick to doubt. He thought things through thoroughly, and he was quick to do so. His chakra was not a wild wave overtaking his surroundings. But it was tight, pinpoint, and hungry. Until it wasn't.
Tobi was becoming so very entuned with his partner. Because Deidara's only move was to slightly turn an elbow in a certain way, and Tobi knew right then that the man had not only spotted everyone, but was beginning to form a plan.
And there it was, Tobi watched. Deidara reached into his pouches.
He was getting farther and farther away, but Tobi could still see everything. The mouths were chomping ravenously on the clay.
Deidara was shouting something at the trackers, something Tobi imagined had to do with art or his creations. He was leading them somewhere, from the looks of things. Tobi could tell the ANBU squad was good - they tried to surround him, lure him down with their own jutsu, tried to make him angry and therefore reckless - but Deidara was better.
Two fingers curled. The seal of confrontation.
Tobi felt his blood pressure climb in a unique thrill.
"Katsu," Tobi whispered to himself.
Tobi saw it first, the bright flash of red, orange, yellow. He watched it mold in the sky as the smoke itself caught flame. Deidara burst out of the fumes just as Tobi's world abruptly deafened. Tobi took a step back. He felt it even from here, miles and miles out.
He regained his footing.
Deidara whipped around the dark cloud, and the smoke still clung to him, trailing next to him in swirls. His gaze was honed in on his opponents, and nothing, absolutely nothing, would distract Deidara right then.
Watching Deidara fight had always been a gift.
Pride swelled up in him.
"Good work, senpai," he said to no one.