The Uchiha's Toy || FullbusterFic » vonlane

Chapter 7: Life or Death

Itachi Uchiha

Pein asked us to lower the level of training - actually he didn't, he demanded it very loudly! Though all this time I was thinking of Konan's words, when she said she doubted this had been done by training and to be honest, when I met with Deidara, he wasn't even capable of fighting. As hyperactive and stubborn as he was, he was no imbecile. He wouldn't train in a fight he had no chance of winning, especially if he knew how weak he was at the moment, it was impossible.

There was something going on here and I would end up discovering it. Kakuzu looked at me from the other end of the of the room with that stupid smile of his and I looked at him with a hateful glare because if he was ever going to get an emotion out of me, it'd be this one, hateful, angered, and cold. One of the many conditions I set on myself when I entered the Akatsuki was to no longer be the same Itachi known in Konoha. I couldn't be sweet or caring, I couldn't be protective. I had to be the same as them if I didn't want to be the weak link, that would mean I'd have to deal with their impertinences, knowing they could walk all over me and I would never permit that. I could be caring and sweet with whoever I wanted with but I could also be cold and fearsome. Here, between criminals, there was no room to be good of heart. You had to become someone worse than them.

That's what Deidara didn't understand. He had been the disciple of the third Tsuchikage with an eagerness to learn new abilities and even though he became a renegade to steal the secret technique Akatsuki had been looking for, he wasn't a bad kid. He had the curiosity to learn, he wanted to be the best, just like any other ninja. It could be that he was in other insurgent or terrorist groups, but they weren't even as half as cruel as the Akatsuki. He couldn't come here with his nice and friendly attitude because this is what would happen, it would land him on a table debating between life and death.

Kakuzu passed by me with his partner, Hidan, talking about how irresponsible and stubborn Deidara was and it infuriated me.

"It may be that Deidara is impetuous," I told him, "and he might get angry quickly or exaggerate his reactions, but he has always known where his place is and has a great respect for everyone else. He would never get himself in a battle with someone he felt superior than him." I explained in a serious tone.

"He tends to piss off Sasori." Kakuzu commented in a teasing tone though Sasori was there by our side and decided to intervene.

"Yes, he's a loudmouth." He told us. "Even though he argues with me because he doesn't understand my eternal art, he knows I'm much stronger than him and he has never fought against me. What's more, he calls me 'danna'. That means he respects me so in this case, I'm with the Uchiha. He wouldn't enter in any fight he had no chance of winning. Plus, if he had to fight someone, it'd be against Hidan. He hates him; he says he doesn't respect his art and ever since, Deidara doesn't respect him."

I decided to leave before this got worse and Sasori followed me down the hallway on his way to his room. We both walked in silence, our faces cold until he arrived at his bedroom where he dismissed himself and walked inside to sleep. I continued walking after saying goodbye, walking towards the room where Deidara was. I thought about Sasori's words because I hadn't known that Deidara and Hidan couldn't stand each other. 

When I arrived, I saw him laying there, sweating and trembling. It scared me to see him like that and although he didn't have his eyes open, it looked like he was suffering. He was probably in great pain now. Konan only observed.

"Can't you give him something for the pain?" I asked her.

"I have nothing to lower the pain. He'd have to bear with it." She told me. "Even so, he won't hold on for long; he's getting worse."