Whisper: A Deidara Love Story

♣ Chapter III: A Different Color

[f]

"We cannot let her go, or the other Hidden Villages will be able to probe her for information. After all, she knows everything about us and them."

"It would be to our advantage if we were able to obtain information on other Villages through her."

"Will it create a problem, though? If we are not supposed to find out this information, we shall not. We cannot destroy what we have yet to lay waste upon with our own hands."

"Hm. Whatever happens, it is crucial that we keep her under our jurisdiction. She may have abilities we are not aware of yet."

"Therefore, we cannot kill her, and we cannot let her escape."

"How will we control her? It is true that we don't know much about her. She might be able to escape without us knowing."

"Perhaps we should recognize her as a formal member of the Akatsuki? No... let's wait until we see what else she is capable of. In the meantime, we'll have Tobi and Deidara keep an eye on her."

"Deidara will surely object to that."

"This is a necessary assignment."

"But what if he kills her?"

"He won't. I'm sure if it. On another note, what if the other villages find out about and seek her?"

"The best way would be to make her an official eleventh member immediately. That way, we can send her on missions with Deidara and observe her over time."

"...So be it."

-----

I grunted, rubbing my closed eyes. Someone else's conversation was floating over to my ears. I furrowed my brows and slowly opened my eyes, squinting at the blinding light. After blinking a few times, everything came into focus. The door burst open and Tobi ran in.

"Aoi-chan! Aoi-chan!" he chanted, grabbing me and flinging me onto his back. "It's breakfast time~!"

"Wai—wha?" I stuttered groggily. "Tobi, where am I?"

"Aoi-chan doesn't remember? This is Tobi's room!" He raced out the door, speeding straight down the hall at inhuman speeds.

"Whoa," I breathed, the exhilarating whistling of air past my ears jerking me awake. "Tobi, you're fast."

"Because Tobi is a ninja!"

Soon, we arrived in a room with a long, rectangular table. Everyone else was seated around it.

"Ah, Aoi. You've arrived," Konan called warmly from the farthest end of the table. It felt extremely weird, but I didn't object. "Please, sit." She waved her hand toward the two empty seats next to a grumbling Deidara. I dismounted Tobi's back and walked over to the empty chair one seat away from Deidara, hoping to keep distance from him.

After all, he hated me.

Unfortunately, before I could take my seat, Tobi dashed over to the chair and plopped down. Letting out an obvious sigh, I shuffled over and sat down beside Deidara. He clicked his tongue and looked away from me with a distasteful look on his face.

"Aoi is going to become the official eleventh member of the Akatsuki," Konan announced, earning several wide eyes bored into my face. I nodded knowingly.

"I know," I murmured quietly. Konan's eyebrows rose in astonishment, eyes flickering over to momentarily meet with Pein's own lilac ones.

She pursed her lips for one silent moment of contemplation before speaking again. "What?"