Finale: Part II

The orange-haired leader strode forebodingly across the room. He glanced at everyone as he went.

"Fools," he began simply. He looked up at Sasori. They all knew he would be addressed first.

"Only a foolish spirit will attempt to quench his grudges and his pride," he began. Sasori said nothing. Just blinked. "For you are already dead, there is nothing you can do to torment the living,"

Sasori opened his mouth to protest. Deidara's fury was clear enough, was it not? Sasori had done at least that. However, Pein's scowl silenced him.

"My absence in this lair does not mean I do not know what is going on," he continued. "When news of your death reached me, Sasori, I already knew it happened. You had it coming for you for four years, I am sorry to say. But Deidara bequeathed to you your fate. It was a fate no one could change,"

"Why?"

Pein turned his head. Itachi had spoken.

"Because," their leader said softly. "Sasori of the Red Sand….I only requested his presence in the Akatsuki to have him killed. Deidara was not the sole driving force. He was the secondary driving force,"

Now it was Deidara's turn to ask questions.

"What?"

"Why couldn't you just kill him? Like, you know, since you're so fucking powerful and all…," Hidan rattled on. Pein frowned at him.

"That would have been no fun at all. I wanted him to suffer,"

Sasori felt a dull thud inside him.

No…this could not be…he's not…

Pein turned to Deidara.

"We all know what Sasori has done to you. You were a test. For him, placed by me, to be graded by me,"

"And why?" Pein continued. "Because he wronged me once before. Once, a very long time ago,"

Sasori let out a low, odd hiss. "I never did anything to you,"

Pein's eyes softened. "You do not know who I really am, Sasori. And therefore…," he paused, choosing not to finish his sentence "I don't think you need names to remember,"

Sasori remembered.

"Don't be stupid," the puppeteer said.

Hidan looked at Deidara, who looked positively weak. He walked over—with great concern etched across his features, Itachi noted—and patted Deidara awkwardly. Deidara looked at him, annoyed. He wrenched Hidan's hand from his shoulder and held it, playing with his bandages.

Pein raised an eyebrow.

"Too late," he said. "You're dead,"

He turned to the rest of the members. Itachi Uchiha, who was ever the handsome, silent man. Hidan, a Jashinist, the first partner Kakuzu could not get rid of, mortally. Iwagakure's Deidara, who had helped Pein's plan unfold so perfectly.

"Don't underestimate him," Pein nodded at the blonde. His statement seemed to be directed at Itachi. "He is better than you think,"

Then, with that, he left.

His last statement is only a further confirmation of the growth I've seen in Deidara lately, Itachi thought. Deidara was staring up at Sasori again, eyes narrowed, this time with a touch of curiosity.

"What the fuck did you do now?" he demanded. His hand was gripping Hidan's arm. He seemed to be fiddling with the knot that was in the bandage.

Sasori felt humiliated. He had had such control over the situation—he was sure to be winning. He was sure after another little gem of a speech, Itachi would have the proper motivation to kill Deidara. Hidan, well, he wasn't part of the picture anymore. And all this time, it had really been like a chess match to fucking Pein who knew the outcome was a checkmate? The redhead had only caused one other memorable disaster in his past life. When he'd first felt the need for a powerful puppet, he paid a visit to an appropriately powerful clan. An ambush. He'd seen the potential in the youngest one. He had taken the child easily and that night he'd carved him out clean. But he was in bad luck, because there had been a witness. Halfway through carving the little thing, Sasori was attacked himself. He had barely escaped.

The witness had been—

"I know what he did,"

Three pairs of eyes turned to Itachi, who was looking at Sasori pitifully. "But I'll tell you later,"

Hidan shrugged, still pleased that Deidara had touched him voluntarily, in a completely non-sexual way. Deidara, on the other hand, refuted the proposition he was falling for the Jashinist, and let go of the bandage knot he was playing with when he finally got his bearings together. Sasori gave the blonde one last laser-like glare.

"Don't think this is over," he snarled. "We're not through,"

Then he disappeared.

"I think," Zetsu said quietly, from his perch on the ceiling. "He won't bother us again,"

"Huh?" Hidan craned his neck to look at the guy. "What the fuck are you saying, plant boy?"

"Did you idiots bother to dispose of his body?" black Zetsu growled.

"What he means to say is," white Zetsu placated. "When one does not properly dispose of a corpse—,"

"It's in his room," Hidan jerked a thumb down the hall, but otherwise no one made a move to go anywhere. Zetsu melted back into the wall.

Silence.

"That was so melo-fucking-dramatic," Hidan said. Then he turned to Deidara.

"Come on, blondie, we all saw that back there. I know you like me. Now can we just—,"

"In your dreams, un," Deidara punched Hidan's jaw, reddening in the face. Itachi allowed himself to smile, slightly amused. Kakuzu walked out from his room, looking spotless, like he hadn't just slept.

"What's going on?" he growled. "I thought I heard Pein and Zetsu,"

Itachi shrugged and brushed past him, heading back to his own room.

"Nothing, partner. But…," he winked at Deidara. "I think he's in love with me,"

Deidara rolled his eyes and walked away. Hidan went after him with a "hey!", his face all aching because he was smiling so wide, and Kakuzu grunted.

Disgusting.

The end.