1.

Anticipation

It wouldn't take much, he knew. It would be easy. After reading his file, it was obvious that the man had little talent as a shinobi in the first place; it was his outgoing nature and knack for the unexpected that made him such an asset to the organization. Yes, those explosives of his could be dangerous, but only if he allowed himself to be caught in their path. They weren't much of a threat - not with his superior skills and decades of experience - and they certainly weren't art.

Hidden deep within his puppet shell, unseen by all, Sasori of the Red Sands smiled in anticipation.

Deidara's visible eye widened in surprise as he was led through the halls of the Akatsuki base outside of Ame. This place is huge, he thought, his gaze constantly flitting from one thing to the next as he tried to take it all in, memorizing every detail of his new home. Home? He caught himself, and almost chuckled at the thought. This place isn't a home. It's a fortress.

And so it was, though an underground fortress with no doors or windows. While there were a few touches here and there to prove that the place was at the very least lived in, such as the pile of dirty dishes he spotted in the kitchen sink as they went past the open door, but there was nothing that showed warmth, or caring, or even a bit of feeling. No pictures on the walls, no little knick-knacks set out on shelves or tables, not even a decorative rug or throw pillow. The place was a blank, like a cheap motel room, with its perfectly off-white walls and stiff, functional, uncomfortable furniture. What did you expect, you moron? This is a criminal headquarters after all, home base for the infamous Akatsuki. Did you think there would be vases full of flowers on doily-covered coffee tables? Get real, Deidara.

His guide finally stopped and turned to look at him, his dark eyes flat and uncaring. "This is your room," he said softly, not a hint of emotion in his voice as he gestured to the closest door. "Once you've gotten yourself settled, then you will be introduced to the rest of the organization." Then he blinked once before disappearing without a sound.

What the hell? No smoke, not even a blur in the air when the man vanished. Shit, that guy was fast. He must one hell of a shinobi…Deidara sighed, then forced himself to laugh carelessly as he opened his door for the first time. "So what, un? I'm one hell of a shinobi myself, right?" he told himself as he took in the room. It was rather large, though understandably bare, the carpet and walls a drab tan color. There were two more doors leading off of opposite ends of the room, a full-size bed pushed against one wall, a built-in closet with sliding bamboo doors, and a modest desk in one corner, but there was nothing to make the place seem welcoming, or even more than vaguely comfortable. The bed's probably about as soft as a semi truck when it hits you in the face.

Sighing again, he dropped his two bags before he collapsed onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling, mildly surprised that the mattress wasn't completely solid. Well, at least this place isn't any worse than I was expecting.

The man - really, he could barely be called a boy with those young, feminine features - wasn't any worse than he was expecting. Sasori watched from deep within his Hiruko puppet, observing every move that his new "partner" made. So far, he wasn't a very promising prospect. After lying on the bed for a few minutes, the blonde man opened one of the two side doors, disappearing inside the newly-discovered bathroom. When he reappeared, his hair had been pulled out of its tie and brushed so that it fell freely down past his shoulders. Disgusting, Sasori sneered. This…boy…will be even less of a challenge than I thought.

Feeling refreshed and less tense after letting his hair down, Deidara quickly crossed the room and flung open the closet doors. Kami, that's a big closet, he thought, grinning. "Too bad I don't have enough clothes to fill it, un." He grabbed his bags and started to unpack, relaxing in the simple repetitiveness of the task. Before long, he had tossed his shoes and underclothes in the drawers stacked along the left wall and hung his clothes in no particular order. He shoved his now empty bags into a corner before sliding the door shut, then suddenly remembered what his dark-haired guide had said before he vanished. How will they know when I'm settled? He shrugged, going back over to the bed, then stopped short.

There was a cloth-wrapped package sitting on the mattress, right where he had been lying a few minutes before. "What the hell…how did that get there, un?" He glanced around the room, uneasy. He hadn't heard anyone come in, or sensed any chakra signatures, but the bundle was there. What have you gotten yourself into? What kind of people are these Akatsuki, anyway?

He held back a moment, somewhat leery of opening the unexplained package, but finally, curiosity got the better of him. He quickly unwrapped it, revealing a thick black overcoat with a red cloud pattern. Just like the one the guide earlier was wearing, he remembered. Grinning, he pulled the cloak out of its wrapping and slipped it over his slender shoulders in one swift motion. "I've gotta hand it to these people, un," he commented aloud. "They sure have good taste in uniforms."

Hidden inside his puppet shell, Sasori shook his head in disgust.

Before Deidara had even finished fastening his overcoat, there was an insistent knock on the door. "Wow, that was fast, un," he mumbled, moving to answer the now-incessant pounding. Standing there, fist still raised to beat the door again, was a…well, it seemed a bit too flat-chested to be a girl, but behind the odd orange mask, it was impossible to tell what this new person was. It seemed rather young to be an S-class criminal, whoever it was, but then again, it wasn't wearing an Akatsuki robe, so…

"Who are you, un?"

"I'm Tobi!" the masked person answered with a cloyingly sweet voice. "I'm being a good boy and getting the new Akatsuki member! Are you the new Akatsuki member? Tobi is a good boy, right?"

Blinking, Deidara managed to sort through the boy's random babbling and pick out the important question, running his fingers through his hair so that it fell down over his left eye. "Yeah, I'm Deidara, un."

Tobi nodded eagerly. "Good, good! Tobi is a good boy! Come on, Deidara-chan, I'll take you to Leader-sama!" Not noticing the dangerous glint in Deidara's visible eye, Tobi reached out to grab his hand…

"Katsu!"

…and Tobi found himself blown into the far wall, covered in ash from a miniature explosion in Deidara's palm. Coughing from the force of the blast, he peeled himself off the wall. "What was that for?" he whined.

"I am NOT a girl, un!" the blonde retorted, holding out one of his hands. Tobi watched in fascinated horror as the skin of his palm parted to reveal shiny white teeth and a tongue. "That was a warning. If you ever call me 'chan' again, I'll blow you all the way to Suna, un! Got it?"

"Whoooooaaaaaaaaaa…" Deidara could almost hear the boy's eyes widen. "Deidara-sempai is amazing! Tobi will never make Deidara-sempai angry again! Tobi will be a good boy for Deidara-sempai!"

Deidara sighed. What is with this kid? Going by his size, he's not too much younger than I am, but he's acting like a fucking three-year-old. And what the hell is he doing in the Akatsuki? "Fine, Tobi, just take me to whoever it was you're here to take me to."

Excitement flooding from his every pore, Tobi grabbed Deidara's hand - careful not to touch the weird palm-mouths - and pulled the blonde down the hall.

Sasori chuckled. Deidara, is it? So you're not a girl. And you're even more volatile than your file suggested. This might end up being interesting after all. He turned away from his viewpoint into the new member's room and shuffled, hidden inside of Hiruko, down to the conference room. It was time to meet his new "partner."

The room was the first the Deidara had seen with anything vaguely resembling character. There was no furniture other than a long conference table and set of matching chairs, but the woodwork…so artistic, he mused, running his hands along the carved black walnut surface. Intricate, flowing designs were etched into every spare inch of space, and he could sense chakra permeating the wood. There was only one other person present besides Tobi and himself, so he quickly chose an isolated seat and concentrated on the work of art before him. I wonder what it would look like if it went up in flames…

Someone cleared their throat, distracting him from his rumination, and he looked up to find his gaze drawn to a tall, muscular man with blue skin? And gills? "I take it you're the new member," the shark-man said, posing it as a statement rather than a question.

Deidara nodded. "Yeah, I'm Deidara, un."

"Deidara-sempai isn't a girl, Kisame-san, so don't call him 'chan' or he'll blow you up!" Tobi shouted before running out of the room.

Kisame chuckled, an oddly threatening sound. Are his teeth…points? Maybe he just files them… "So you're a man, are you? And just what is it that you're here for?"

Seething inwardly at both Tobi and Kisame for doubting his masculinity, the blonde replied, "I really don't know why I'm here, un. The guy with the black hair just randomly came up to me one day and told me that I was going to be joining the Akatsuki. Completely out of the blue. The bastard didn't even give me a minute to think about it before he practically dragged me here, un."

"The bastard made things easy on you," came a soft, emotionless voice from behind him. Deidara paled. Oh, shit. Without a sound, the black-haired man appeared on the other side of the table and sat down beside Kisame. This guy is seriously creepy…though he has nice eyes, I suppose. Suddenly, those eyes fixed on him, shifting from black to blood red in an instant. "I suggest you do not attempt to cross me. I am a dangerous enemy to make."

Who is this guy? I mean, I'm pretty sure of my abilities, but he takes self-confidence to a whole new level. Deidara gulped. And what's worse, he looks like he probably has the right to be confident. He looks like he could tear me apart.

The door opened, easing the tension that Deidara only just realized existed, and Tobi bounded in, followed by two men and a…well, whatever it was, it wasn't human. The two men were arguing over something, but Deidara couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from the hulking monstrosity that shuffled along behind them. It looked almost like it was made of wood…but it was wearing an Akatsuki cloak, so it had to be a shinobi…

The thing's head turned to look at him, and Deidara found himself confronted by soulless wooden eyes. "Stop staring at me, brat," the thing growled before shuffling to stand beside a two-colored man with some sort of plant attached to his shoulders…Wait, when did he get here? I'm so out of my league…

A vague shadow flickered into view at the head of the table, its swirling eyes the only visible features. Immediately, all talking ceased as the shadow spoke. "As you are all aware, it is drawing ever closer to the time when our ultimate plan will be put into motion. The Jinchuriki are all known to me, and soon, preparations will be completed for the extraction of the Biju from their hosts. To this end, we have recruited a new member to fill Orochimaru's place and wear his ring. Deidara," the swirling eyes latched onto the blonde, "you will be partnered with Sasori." The shadow nodded to the glowering wooden thing. Sasori turned and fixed his lifeless eyes on Deidara, chilling him to the bone, as the shadow continued, "He is your superior, and I expect you to act accordingly. I will be assigning missions to all partners within the week. Until then, no one is authorized to leave the base. Dismissed," and the shadow flickered and disappeared.

Hidden within his puppet shell, Sasori quickly ran his eyes over his new "partner." The blonde was obviously discomfited by the shadowy image of Leader-sama and his assignment of partners. He sat quietly in his seat as the others filed out, showing only the faintest glimmer of interest when Hidan punched him on the shoulder, saying "Welcome to the fuck-club, bitch." His eyes were locked onto Hiruko, probing the puppet's rough surface, desperate to find a sign of what he was.

"If you're done staring at me," he murmured and Hiruko growled, "then you can come with me to the training range. I want to see what you are capable of."

Deidara bent over, gasping for breath, as he hovered over the training field deep within the Akatsuki base. After an hour with Sasori, he had grudgingly come to respect the hulking abomination's abilities, even if he was fucking painful to look at. The puppet master, as it was now apparent that he was, had suffered barely a scratch, no matter what the blonde threw at him. Now, as he took a moment to come up with a new strategy while resting atop a giant clay falcon, he wondered what Sasori looked like inside of that monstrous shell.

And just like that, he knew what to do.

"Sasori-sama," he called down to where his partner stood amongst the shrubs and sand of the field below, "it doesn't matter how many times you dodge my attacks, un, my art is still more beautiful than your hideous puppet show."

Sasori growled, lashing out with his long tail to try to reach the bird hovering just out of reach. "Your foolish explosions are not art, boy," he snarled. "Art is eternal, like my puppets. Your little sculptures," within Hiruko, Sasori smiled as the bird overhead seemed to drop just slightly, as if the blonde was distracted or losing control, "are nothing," his tail shot out, piercing a clay wing, "compared to the everlasting beauty of my art." With a smug grunt, he pulled his tail back beneath his cloak as the bird plummeted to the ground and vanished in a burst of flame. "You cannot hope to defeat me, brat."

"Maybe you're right, Sasori-sama, un," came the blonde's voice from right behind him, "but I can at least help you out of your shell. Katsu!"

Sasori whirled, but not fast enough to prevent the chain of tiny explosions ripping through Hiruko's tail and up onto his back. The smooth, unmarked surface cracked straight across the spine. He must have planted his spiders on me when I downed his bird earlier…clever boy.

"Well done, brat." Rising from the wreckage of his puppet shell, Sasori of the Red Sands smiled in anticipation.

Deidara stumbled back, shocked at what he was seeing. Sasori was a puppet, but he was…beautiful. Not like Hiruko, or the few other puppets he had seen so far. His eyes were a soft green in sharp contrast with his red hair and pale skin. No, not skin. Wood. But still breathtaking. As he stepped out of the cracked shell and into the artificial sunlight of the training field, his every motion smooth and graceful, the blonde couldn't help but wonder if maybe this puppet could be a work of art, after all.

For the first time in his life, Deidara was speechless.

Sasori smiled, a soft, gentle expression. "You should be proud of yourself, Deidara. Very few have seen my true body and lived to tell the tale." He lifted a hand, beckoning.

The blonde suddenly found himself moving towards his partner. Glancing down, he could make out dozens of chakra strings attached to his body, forcing him to move against his will. A sudden burst of terror flooded through him, and he tried to break away, shouting. "No, I won't be controlled, un. I won't be your puppet!"

"Quiet, Deidara!"

The command cut through the air like a knife, and Deidara could not help but do as Sasori said. His eyes shaded with apprehension, the blonde found himself face-to-face with the beautiful puppet controlling his strings. With a flick of his fingers, Sasori forced him to his knees. "Allow me to make this clear," he said softly, no hint of malice in his smooth voice. "I am the master of puppets, both wooden and living. With my chakra strings, I can make you my toy without a second thought. I will not tolerate insolence or dissent." Brushing the hair off of his left eye, he forced the blonde to look directly at him as he added, "You are my puppet to do with as I please. I am your master now, Deidara."

The chakra strings vanished and Sasori took a step back, watching as the blonde fell forward, barely holding himself off of the ground with shaking arms. Trembling, Deidara lifted his face to his "partner," blonde hair falling to obscure his left eye once again. "I…I concede, un…" he panted. I know when I'm outmatched. Slowly, he pulled himself to his feet, stretching himself to his full height, then suddenly, almost abruptly, folded his hands together and bowed to the puppet before him. "I will follow your lead, danna, un."

Sasori of the Red Sands smiled in anticipation.