Marionette

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Sada-chan and this idea.

AN: What if Sasori's human puppets were still alive in a sense? After all, he never said anything about their souls moving on . . . This is my attempt to give voice to the puppet master's art. Hope you like it.

He calls me Sada-chan.

It doesn't matter to him that it isn't my real name. I am one of his tools now, so he has the right to call me whatever he wishes. Just like the others, I lost my rights once he turned me into another one of his weapons.

Once upon a time I was a human. Now I am nothing more than a puppet. Or at least that's what he believes. My soul never did pass on when I "died." The same went for Master Sasori's other human puppets. We're all here ... Sandaime, Hiruko, and me. I know the others are here as well but only we three are fully aware of what our bodies are going through at the puppet master's command. As for the others, Hiruko told me that their conversion into puppets had been slightly different from ours so their awareness—souls, for lack of a better word—were damaged. They live half-lives now.

I don't mind being Master Sasori's puppet as much as the others. Unlike Sandaime, I don't hate our puppeteer. Hiruko doesn't hate him either, but he can be a little resentful of our master from time to time. He always grumbles that I only accept my lost will because master calls me his little marionette. Sandaime only glares at me in disgust when I don't deny it. He believes I'm weak and foolish for obeying our murderer's will without protest.

The truth is that I like Master Sasori. I don't love him the way a woman loves a man, or the way friends hold affection for each other, but more in the strange way a servant gladly submits to a kind master rather than a harsh one. He's always taken excellent care of us—probably more than we've ever been cared for when we were alive—so I like him.

Hiruko once admitted to me when Sandaime wasn't around that he tries his best to never fail Master Sasori in battle because he respects him for his strength and cunning.

"While I find it disturbing that he uses my body for transportation and armor," Hiruko told me, "I do recognize the boy as a worthy shinobi. As long as he treats my body with respect and care, I will not let it fail him."

Hiruko is the oldest of us, having been turned into Master Sasori's carapace when he was in his late sixties, so he had accepted his fate easier than most. Especially when compared to Sandaime.

Before I belonged to Master Sasori, back when I was still living my human life as a kunoichi of distant lands, I heard stories of Sandaime's fate whispered amongst the lands. Of how Suna's prideful and ruthless Kazekage had fallen to a traitor in a long and fierce battle that had ended in a bloodbath. I had believed less than half of the rumors of Akasuna no Sasori because I knew people were prone to embellishing the truth. Besides, it made more sense for a shinobi of Sasori's caliber to kill swiftly and silently before disappearing into the night rather than making a big scene and risking capture. Then he could paint the sand red with his enemies' blood to earn his title and reputation.

Of course I had been right.

Master Sasori had poisoned Sandaime before killing him quickly, unwilling to give the Kazekage time to use his special Iron Sand technique inspired by the Ichibi no Tanuki.

Sandaime hated Master Sasori for that. Yet the only thing he can do to show his displeasure is restrict Master's control on his abilities when he's used in battle, forcing Master to use more chakra in order to control him. Despite Sandaime's rebellion, Master Sasori considers him his strongest human puppet and uses him only as a trump card.

He's only used Sandaime a few times, the most recent being when he faced the Akatsuki and became a member.

Master had even been forced to use me, a very rare occurrence that I had fully enjoyed.

Like Hiruko, I am one of Master Sasori's more reliable puppets. I can even say that I am the most reliable when it comes to control, since I have never fought against his chakra strings.

Yet even though I am his most willing puppet, Master Sasori refuses to use me in battles if he has another to spare.

Hiruko says it's because Master cherishes me above all others—except perhaps the puppets he made of his parents. I'm his marionette, his precious Sada-chan.

I don't pretend to understand Master's reasoning for placing so much value in me. For as long as I've been in his possession, he's always used logic to dictate his actions. Feelings have never held much standing in the shinobi life, and it holds even less in a nuke-nin's. It wouldn't make very much sense to factor in "feelings" now in order to figure out why I'm used so rarely in combat.

But . . . sometimes I find myself craving the rush of adrenaline expected of a good battle. I was a human once, and phantom emotions linger within my memories. Things such as anticipation for a fight, excitement as kunai clash together and shoot sparks into the air between foes, the warm splash of blood coating my face as I inflict wound upon wound on my opponent and receive a sharp sting of pain in return, and the relief and satisfaction felt when the battle ends in my favor without too many injuries.

I miss being alive sometimes.

Because despite still "living" in a sense as Master's eternal art, I find myself occasionally craving something more. Almost longing for something that I've forgotten over the years.

What can it be?

Sometimes I have dreams. At least I think they're dreams. Hiruko says the things I see are more likely memories of my human life.

Whatever they are, I don't like them. They make me notice the perpetual emptiness inside my chest cavity. I think if I still had my heart it would hurt every time I see these images.

Blood. There's so much blood—such a pretty shade painting this lovely white canvas.

"Mama, I drew you a pretty picture! Look, Mama! Don't you like it?"

Familiar faces staring at me, surrounding me in a circle. Why do they scream? Why do they say bad things? Am I … Mama, am I a bad girl?

"Shi-chan, I'm sorry, but … I don't think I can look after you anymore."

"Mama, what happens when people don't wake up? Are their dreams too good to leave?"

It always snows here and everyone tries to hide inside, staying close to their fires and each other. I don't understand, Mama. What does it mean to be cold? Is it … Does it hurt like being alone?

Other kids run away from me. Their voices chant through the dark streets, "Run before Shi catches you! Hide before Shi finds you! If you're caught, if you're found, you'll never make another sound!" Is this a game they play with me, Mama?

I like games.

"What have you done!?" a woman shrieks as she sees me playing with a cute little boy.

I smile the way I've seen the other children smile at me. "We played a game and I won." I play with the boy's hair, enjoying how soft it feels on my skin. "Now he's my doll, okay?"

Mama, I don't think people like to play with me. They stole my doll and called me a monster. What does that mean? Is a monster something bad?

"Oh, my … What a beautiful child," a pale man says as he stares at me oddly. He has very pretty gold eyes. And his long black hair looks very soft. I wonder if he'll let me touch it.

I look at him and his companion. "What does it mean to be beautiful?" I ask them. "Is that something bad? Is it like a monster?"

They don't seem to know the answer so I turn away from them and walk back into the streets. But I glance back at them and say, "If monsters are bad, then I'm bad. Does that mean I'm beautiful, too?"

Mama, I think I made a friend. Gold Eyes says he'll be my friend and play with me if I tell him about this place. But you told me nobody else is allowed here unless I say so … Is it okay if I let Gold Eyes and his friend inside?

"This was a waste of time," Gold Eyes' friend growls as they explore our secret place. "All the rumors were wrong. This place is just another graveyard."

"Oh, but that isn't entirely true, Sasori," Gold Eyes says as he turns to me. "Don't you see? This child is the key to unlocking its secrets." He smiles at me then and for some reason I shiver. Mama, am I cold? "You will help us, won't you, Shiori-chan?"

"I want a new doll first," I say and that seems to catch the attention of Gold Eyes' friend—Sasori.

"A doll?" he asks. "Do you like them?"

I start humming the chant the children from the village sing when they see me. "I don't know. What does it mean to like them? Is that good? People always hate it when I play with a new doll."

Gold Eyes and Sasori watch silently as I find my newest doll. This time it's a pretty girl. She wears a yellow dress and fluffy white coat over it. I take the coat off before I start playing with her—I don't want it to get dirty from the pretty red.

"It seems the two of you share an appreciation for art, Sasori," Gold Eyes says with an odd laugh.

Sasori says nothing as he watches me make my new doll dance along the streets, her face frozen in a permanent smile.

"I like dancing, Mama!" I giggle as I spin with my doll. "I wish we could dance together forever!"

Mama, I want to show my friends our secret. Can I?

"This is …" Sasori murmurs as I show them the secret place.

"Exactly what we're looking for," Gold Eyes says and smiles down at me. "Thank you for your assistance, Shi-chan."

I smile and hug my doll. "Remember to keep it a secret! Mama will get mad if you tell on us!"

My friends leave after a few days but they promise to come back for me. I'd like that, Mama. Gold Eyes and Sasori were the first to ever play with me.

Shi-chan … Shiori? Is that my name? And Master Sasori … He kept his promise to me. He came back for me and made me his doll. His Sada-chan.

Mama … Am I a good girl? Master says so. He always plays with me when we're alone, telling me that I'm his most beautiful creation.

Mama.

Why does it hurt when Master treats me like a doll?

The first time I meet Master Sasori's new partner is across a battlefield. It's been a long time since Master has used me, so he has me move around a bit before I fully face my opponent.

It's hard to see the man from this distance, but I catch the golden flash of his long hair before he vanishes in the clouds, his odd white bird blending in easily with the cloudy sky. No matter. Master can easily pinpoint our prey and he unleashes my ability in the man's direction.

Icy wind blasts the clouds, scattering most of them and freezing others so hail pelts the ground. With a flick of his wrists, Master raises my arms and I latch onto the ice pellets with a mixture of his and my chakra. A twitch of our fingers and the hail shoots into the clouds, causing our prey to flee the cover of the remaining clouds.

I suddenly sense foreign chakra heading straight for Master and for the first time since my creation, I send a pulse of my chakra to him in warning. He reacts instinctively and dodges what appears to be an oversized white grasshopper. Before the bug can touch Master, he catches it with his chakra strings and throws it into the sky before constricting it. The explosion it causes is very large and the sky is temporarily blotted out by the smoke and fire.

"You see, Master Sasori? That's true art, yeah!"

As one, we turn to face our prey and I'm certain if I still had control of my body I would've blinked at the sight of Master's new … partner.

The man—really more of a boy still—is taller than me by a few inches. His long hair hangs down his shoulders in a low ponytail, with thick strands hanging in front of the left side of his face. The only visible eye I can see is a pale blue and it's alight with something I only see when Master fights alongside his art.

Passion.

He'd make a very beautiful doll, Master Sasori, I think as they start an argument over the subject of art. But if you made him like us, he'd probably lose his luster in a few years.

Such a lively person like him—Deidara, is it?—wouldn't last long as one of us, no matter how careful Master would be with him.

I wonder how long I'll last under Master's care. Especially with his new bomb-enthusiast of a partner around.

AN: Found this sitting on my computer's hard drive so I thought I'd finish it. Revamped and now I suppose Sada-chan is an official OC of mine. She'll be making cameo appearances in some of the fics I have of Sasori, so tough luck if you hate her, I guess.

Anyway, thanks for reading.

~amkay