Naruto 1. Chapter 1

This fan fiction took me too long to write! I do intend to make a sequel to it though ^-^

This story isn't entirely accurate in that it has a Naruto-ey twist thrown into it with the description of some of the characters, and I'm not 100% sure of culture and facts, but it is a fan _fiction _and I really did try. Thank you.

SasoDei

Wakashudo

Part One of Two

Deidara was kneeling on the hard wooden floor of the prestigious building, bent forward in a polite bow with head facing downwards, nose almost touching the ground. His kimono was long and the many folds clustered around him as he waited for the owner of the establishment to join the young child. The blonde's hair drooped downwards, making his nose irritatingly itchy, but Deidara restrained himself from brushing the stray lock away.

The blonde heard the door slide open and he paled with nervousness, trying to avoid the temptation to look upwards until he was given permission. He heard soft shoeless footsteps as the stranger traipsed calmly towards him, and Deidara was able to make out the sound of hard wood hitting the floor, most likely from a walking stick.

The sound stopped in front of him, and Deidara felt a bead of sweat run down the side of his face due to the nervousness that was welling up in his gut. The tension in the air only increased with the still seconds that went by, and the blonde could tell that the male was enjoying the suspense just as much as he hated it. Deidara gulped but was suddenly relieved once he felt two taps on his shoulder with what was most likely a wooden cane. "Speak."

The blonde slowly looked up at the male who was threateningly towering over the child, both of them taking in the other with critical eyes. Deidara was graced in a mild blue kimono that was far too big for him, with golden hair tied in a non-traditional style and his large forget-me-not eyes were staring up in awe. The blonde's kimono was decorated with silken patterns consisting of cranes and lotus flowers – it was a brilliant robe with enormous sleeves that covered his arms entirely, including his hands. The outfit was intended for someone much older, and it was supposed to last until his Coming of Age ceremony when he turned nineteen years old. It had once been his mother's and it was one of the few things that he had taken from his old life.

The male before him had an aura of harshness and staidness; he was even more intimidating than the blonde had expected him to be. He was graced in a kimono for older men that had rounded sleeves, a feature that the blonde's robe did not possess. The kimono was silky black with red and white glossy clouds drifting across the material lazily. There were hints that the inside of the robe was also crimson in colour. His hair was shaggy and in a less traditional style than Deidara's was, but he had a certain aura surrounding him that gave the male permission to ignore customs. He possessed red messy locks and had a full head of tresses, though the older male lacked any facial hair.

The man appeared to be in his early twenties, but Deidara already knew that the man was twenty-eight years old, and in his hand he held a decorative cane that was obviously not for practical use. There was a range of carvings up its wooden structure, and the handle was made of a silver sculpture of a scorpion clinging to the pole using its large claws, the tail curved to form the grip. His muddy brown eyes narrowed in irritation, and he tapped the butt of his cane twice on the wooden floorboards harshly, snapping the blonde away from his thoughts. "I said, 'speak'."

The young boy's eyes widened and he abruptly bowed his head once again, working up the courage to finally talk to the threatening figure. "My name is Deidara Iwa, and I have come seeking the possibility that you, the revered Sasori Akasuna, will accept me as your acolyte, un." Before the male could say anything, the blonde continued, "I have travelled extremely far, and I know that I am old compared to the usual ages of beginning apprenticeships, but please, I will have no other mentor."

"Stop talking," the blonde immediately followed orders, suppressing the nervous shaking that racked through his body. There was a low chance that Sasori would accept him. "Look at me." Deidara immediately did as he was ordered, moving his head upwards so that his countenance faced the tall red head. The great Sasori Akasuna, one of the most famous samurai of all time. The brown eyes carefully examined the young boys face, narrowing slightly in what could be disapproval, "How old are you?"

Deidara suppressed the urge to bow his head once more when speaking to the red head, knowing full well that it would most likely cause Sasori to get angry, thereby compromise the blonde's chances of being accepted. He struggled to retain eye contact, but Deidara managed to continue to stare the red head right in the eye. "…I'm twelve years old, un…"

Sasori's eyes physically softened to a reasonable degree, but the look inside his gaze was still harsh, as if he had already decided to deny the blonde. "Twelve years old? I was five when I became an acolyte, Brat. What makes you think that I will accept someone so old? Your Coming of Age Ceremony is only in seven years time - why would I waste my time with a runt like you?" Sasori moved the end of his cane up to the blonde's face, tilting Deidara's countenance firstly to the right, and then to the left before centring it once more. "…Get up."

The youngster clumsily got to his feet, almost tripping on the hem of his kimono, but managing to stand tall without falling. He was just below average height for his age, reaching halfway up the red head's torso, and Sasori moved his hands to press the kimono inwards to cling at the blonde's waist, working out how thin he was. The boy appeared to be skinnier than most others his age, but the red head didn't view that with any negative indications, removing his hands from the blonde's waist. He circled around the boy, examining him, the sound of the end of his staff hitting the floor once every pace. It was quite typical to assess a possible acolyte on looks, and an estimate of how they may appear in the future.

Sasori easily admitted that the blonde would most certainly blossom into quite a beauty, and he would be quite a treasure for the red head, though his Coming of Age Ceremony would be when he was nineteen years of age in seven years time. Even if the blonde agreed to a Brotherhood Contract with the red head, their relationship would have to become platonic after the blonde turned nineteen, and it usually took up to five years to decide you really wanted that kind of commitment. The red head circled around the blonde a second time, frowning in thought as he weighed up his options.

Even if it wouldn't be for long, if they did end up signing the Brotherhood Contract, the blonde would be an exceptionally beautiful lover and Wakashu…And aside from that, he had an intense look of determination in his azure eyes that was quite rare to find in an apprentice… "No, I won't accept an acolyte so old."

The blonde stared at him, his eyes widening, and Sasori could practically see the heartbroken look within the youthful sky-blue eyes. The child collapsed back onto the ground in a kneeling position, this time bowing so low that his nose _did _touch the floorboards, and his body shook with misery, "_Please_, make an exception. I _beg_ of you, un."

Sasori hit the end of his cane on the floor harshly, making the blonde jump, but he refrained from looking up at the red head. "I already told you the answer is no, I will not train you. Now get up and get out of my sight."

The blonde got to his feet, head bent low as he turned his back to the red head and exited the building, but Sasori was taken aback once the kid turned and slumped down on the dirty floor of the bamboo woods outside his dojo. The blonde kneeled facing the building, head bent but sitting up as opposed to bowing with his body. Sasori rolled his eyes and turned, exiting the entrance room of his home, leaving the blonde to kneel alone outside.

-x-

Three days had passed since the boy had come, and he had yet to move from his kneeling position just outside the dojo, despite the fact that it was now raining. The red head stood in the doorway of the entrance, frowning at the blonde, wondering if he was on some level of unconsciousness, but he didn't appear to be.

He was soaking wet and clearly the child was shivering from exposure to the cold.

Sasori narrowed his eyes, wondering why the blonde was so determined to become his apprentice. The famous samurai had sent plenty of other young males away, all of them younger and possessing much more potential than this runt…Though Sasori had to admit that the blonde was one of the more beautiful wannabe acolytes that had ever come to the red head.

But he was irrefutably the most stubborn and persistent of the lot.

Occasionally one would sit and wait in hopes that the red head would change his mind, but none had ever waited as long as the twelve year old, especially in such terrible weather conditions. "You can move into the entrance room to get out of the rain, but I am still not accepting you as my apprentice."

Recognition moved across the blonde's face, but he still did not move.

Sasori slowly blinked his eyes and then shook his head in annoyance, walking out into the pour of the rain. The kid still did not look up as the red head halted just in front of him, but Sasori knew that the blonde was aware of the fact that he was there. "Stand up." A few seconds went by, and the twelve year old stood, but after staying in such a position for three days straight, his legs crumpled and he fell back to the ground. "Stand up." The blonde frowned in frustration and struggled to his feet once more, this time managing to stand up straight with head still bent in respect. "…What was your name again?"

The blonde kept his head bowed low, forcing himself to not look at the red head's face or even at his feet. "My name is Deidara Iwa."

"'Deidara'?" The child gave a slight nod of appreciation and the red head turned around, walking through the rain, back into his dojo. He looked back at Deidara who still stood in the rain, unmoving, and he gave a signal for him to follow. "Come inside."

It was an order.

The blonde took several steps forward before his already weak legs tripped on the hem of his soaking kimono, forcing him to fall over. Sasori scoffed and waited for Deidara to get back up, watching as the blonde did so and he eventually reached the doorway. The red head walked completely inside and Deidara followed in suite, mechanically closing the sliding doorway behind him.

"Konan, come here." There were a few moments of silence before one of the sliding doors opened, revealing a woman of about nineteen or twenty wearing a teal kimono, her head full of long locks of sapphire hair. She bowed low, though remained standing, waiting patiently for orders from Sasori, her master. "Take care of Deidara here; dry him off and get him some fresh clothes. I have decided to accept him as my apprentice."

The blonde didn't really take in the information, but Konan seemed to be slightly taken aback by the statement, soon giving a smile at both of them, straightening up. "Very well, Master Sasori." With that the red head left the room, leaving the blonde alone with the woman. She traipsed forward to Deidara, both of them bowing politely in recognition before also straightening up. "It is nice to meet you, my name is Konan." The blonde gave a nod and the woman led him to another room which only held a cupboard and a mat made out of thin strips of bamboo. "I thought that Sasori would never take an acolyte, he has always been so stubborn; but I guess you proved me wrong."

She gave a soft laugh and moved to the cupboard, opening it up to reveal that it held a mass of neatly folded blankets. "I didn't know that Sasori had a wife, un." He wasn't fond of the idea of his idol sleeping with a woman, as it was quite often seen as an effeminate thing for a samurai to do as women were seen as such weak beings.

"Oh, I'm not his wife," the blonde was relieved that his idol would not degrade himself to something so feminine, giving a slight nod. Konan gave another laugh and pulled out some blankets, handing one to Deidara before setting to work on making a bed for the blonde. "When I was younger, about your age, I was forced to work in the red-light district, and one night one of my clients beat me for the fun of it. Master Sasori found me on the street and took care of me, eventually buying me from the brothel as well and he accepted me as his platonic companion…Of course this was before he was famous, so we travelled for two years, hunting bounties until Master Sasori earned his title as a true samurai; after defeating the feared rogue Orochimaru, where after we've been living in this dojo ever since…I know that Master Sasori might seem cold, but he is the most gentlest person that I have ever known. In the eight years that I have known him, he has never once hurt me or touched me in a sadistic way." Deidara gave a hazy nod, pulling his soaking kimono and underclothes off, covering himself with the warm blanket as he watched Konan finish forming a bed for him. "But I'm not the real news; Master Sasori mentioned to me this morning that you had been waiting outside for three days because he rejected you…Why so persistent?"

Deidara gave a slight shrug and held the blanket closer around his shoulders, shuddering slightly from the cold. "I first heard about Sasori Akasuna when I was seven years old. I worked in the red-light district as well, but not as a prostitute, un…"

A distant look formed in the blonde's eyes, and Konan knew that there was something that the blonde wasn't mentioning…

"I decided then that I wanted to become a samurai and become Sasori's acolyte…It took me several years to decide to leave, and one to work up the courage to leave the red-light district – when I was ten I left…But it took me two years to travel across the land on foot, un…" Konan opened the other side of the cupboard, pulling out a pair of fresh underclothes and a new kimono that was just black without any decorations or patterns, handing the clothing to Deidara. The blonde took the outfit and dropped the blanket onto the ground as he immodestly got dressed in front of the woman, afterwards slumping onto the comfortable new bed made of many different layers of blankets, some thin and some feather-filled. "I had nothing to lose by waiting out there, even if I had eventually starved to death. I came all this way and I risked too much - I wouldn't take no for an answer, un."

"I'll get you something to eat in that case." She smiled warmly at him and bowed at the blonde with respect before leaving the room. Deidara slumped further into the bed sheets and gave a sigh of relief, snuggling into the many blankets and the soft pillow with a small smile on his lips.

It had been a struggle, but he had finally managed to achieve his goal.

By the time Konan came back with a bowl of steaming rice, the blonde had already fallen fast asleep. The woman blinked at him before giving a small smile, placing the bowl of rice next to the bed and draping the blanket which the child had dropped earlier over his shivering figure before she left him alone to sleep.

Konan traipsed through the familiar hallways until she reached a room with a large sandpit in it, the grains carefully raked to form patterns with the odd large rock, bonsai trees and stepping stones. As per usual, Sasori sat upon a boulder which had a flat upper surface, meditating with his scorpion staff leaning against the side of the rock. Konan politely bowed and waited for the red head to acknowledge her existence, not having to wait long before he finally gave a sigh of what could have been annoyance. "There is no need to be so formal, Konan; you have known me too long to still retain such a need for courtesy."

"I'll never refrain from using manners, Master Sasori, especially to you." She straightened up, but the red head continued to have his back turned to the woman.

"Have you attended to the boy?" The question was not even needed; he knew full well that she would not currently be in his presence if she had not completed his will. "He's going to need a lot of training; he is already behind due to his age…"

"According to the boy he had been travelling here for two years." She gave a slight shrug, "But why did you accept him?"

Sasori gave a sigh and tilted his head to the side thoughtfully, "I don't know, I just didn't want him to die from starvation, or get sick from being out in the rain. Perhaps I'm getting too kind, but I'd hate to see such youthful beauty get squandered with his death." He shrugged and stood up off of his usual meditation rock, taking the handle of his cane in hand before walking across the various stepping stones to the small pond which sat in the very centre of the room. Two koi fish swam idly in the calm waters, both of them seeming completely content with their simple life. He then turned to look at Konan, giving a hum of deep thought, "It's too late now; I've already agreed to have Deidara as my new acolyte…"

-x-

Deidara awoke late the next day, finding a cold bowl of rice next to his bed and the realisation of just how hungry he was. The blonde sat up and grabbed the food, taking hold of the chopsticks and vigorously starting to shovel the cold staple food into his mouth.

Just as he was finishing it, the door opened to reveal Konan holding a bowl of fresh hot rice. The woman blinked and then smiled at the blonde, traipsing over to him and kneeling beside the bed, offering the child the warm food. Deidara quickly traded bowls and began to shovel the fresh white rice into his mouth, finding it far more appetising. "It's good to see that you are awake; you've been asleep for a while and I was starting to worry."

Deidara finished shovelling the rice down his throat, handing the bowl back to Konan with a soft smile. "Thank you, un." He bowed his head politely at her before taking another look around the room, squirming slightly in the bed sheets. "…So…When does my training begin?"

"Tomorrow; Sasori had to leave early this morning for a job, but I thought that you might like to explore the dojo today, just to get a rough idea of where everything is." She smiled at him and got to her feet, "If you would like, I could give you a tour." Deidara nodded and got to his feet, stretching his sore muscles as he did so, giving a short yawn. Konan led the blonde out of the room, down a long labyrinth-like hallway, soon coming to a stop outside a sliding door. She opened it to reveal a sort of kitchen, complete with a small coal grill in the centre of the room, a sack of uncooked rice, a tub of water and a table which had several washed bowls, dishes and chopsticks lying on top. "This is the kitchen."

Konan placed the two empty bowls into the basin of water, seeming to decide to wash them at some later point in time. She turned back to Deidara and gave him another soft smile as he looked around the room. Konan led him to another small door in the kitchen, opening it to reveal a small vegetable garden consisting of various root vegetables. "It's nice, un."

The bluenette turned and smiled sweetly at the blonde, giving a nod of approval, "Thank you. This is where I grow our vegetables for special treats. Usually we just have rice, but sometimes I will also travel down to the nearby markets and purchase some fish or Sasori will bring back some after a job." She closed the sliding door and then led Deidara out of the kitchen, back to the long hallway. They stopped at several other doors, revealing the dining room, Konan's bedroom and Sasori's bedroom. "And this here is the meditation room." He woman opened up the door to reveal a room with sand covering the flooring, "But please stick to the stepping stones; it takes ages to take out footprints without disturbing the patterns."

Deidara nodded and entered the room, keeping his walking limited to the various black stones that lined a broken up footpath. He reached the small koi pond in the middle of the pond, blinking down at the prestigious fish with a look of awe. It had been a while since he had seen koi, and he had almost forgotten how beautiful they were, "Pretty…"

"Yeah," Konan joined him in looking down at the pond, "I really like them. They were a present from the nearby Daimyo for a mission that Sasori did a few years ago."

Deidara nodded, continuing to watch the fish for a few more minutes before he looked back to Konan, smiling. "So what else is-" There was the sound of a distant sliding door being opened and Konan clapped her hands together.

"Oh, that must be Sasori!" She walked back along the stepping stones and Deidara followed behind her, being led into the entrance room where he had first met the red head, entering just as Sasori closed the sliding door to the outside world. The blonde's eyes widened in awe as he saw the great warrior Sasori Akasuna clad in the traditional armour of a samurai. He turned around to face the two younger tenants, and Deidara took in the sight with famished eyes.

The twenty-eight year old was dressed in the usual armour that was coloured a dark crimson in colour that was slightly darker than his hair. He wore a helmet that had a golden decoration, framing his stoic countenance, barely showing his fringe of blood red hair beneath, but emphasising his deep brown eyes. He wore baggy black pants with armour plating covering his shins, and a pair of white socks, wooden thongs having already been removed before he had entered the dojo. On his back was a quiver filled with a cluster of arrows, followed by the actual bow, while at his belt was only one other weapon. It was his walking stick.

Deidara blinked at it for a few seconds before realisation struck him. It wasn't actually a walking stick; it was a katana, while the koshirae entirely hid the blade to give the impression of harmlessness.

Sasori caught onto the blonde staring at him, and Deidara stifled a gasp, quickly bowing his head in both respect and to avoid eye contact. "Stop doing that, Brat. You're my acolyte; you are allowed to look at me." The blonde gave a slight nod but still didn't turn his gaze from the floorboards, hearing Sasori give a scoff and the sound of the red head removing his helmet. "Hopeless…Konan, I will get changed and then I shall show Deidara the training ground my self, unless you have already managed to finish your tour."

"No, he hasn't seen the training room yet. I'm sure you know far more information about it than I do, Master Sasori." Deidara heard the shuffling of armour and after a minute he knew that the red head had left the room, finally looking up at Konan. "I know that Sasori can be quite intimidating, but as I said yesterday, he is actually very sweet." She smiled and the blonde gave a slight nod, not entirely persuaded as Konan led him back to the hallway, and then to a door in the very centre which led to yet another hall, but this one was not as long as the previous walkway, possessing only one door at its very end. Konan took him to it before bowing to Deidara, the blonde quickly mimicking the action politely. "This is the training ground, Sasori's domain. You can go inside and take a look around while you wait for him."

"Thank you, un…" Konan opened the door for him and the blonde walked inside, looking around with intense awe. He jumped slightly when he heard the woman shut the sliding door behind him, but Deidara quickly regained his composure. The blonde turned back and began to look around the training room, gaping in wonder.

There were walls on all sides and the place lacked a roof, the ground being covered with a white coloured dust. Several training mannequins stood on the opposite side of the field with one of the walls being covered with various weapons such as bows, arrows, and swords.

Deidara moved over to one of the dummies, running his hands over the smooth wood, feeling the deep gashes, moving his fingers into the profound slices. Some were clearly made by blades, while others were obviously made by arrowheads. Deidara then moved to examine the craftsmen ship of the puppet, surprised to find that it was actually far more complex than any other mannequin he had ever seen. The blonde ran his fingers over the carefully crafted joints, closing his eyes in order to focus on the touch.

His fingertips reached another wound and he slowly traced over the cut, feeling the perfect slice. "Having fun?" Deidara jumped but was grateful that the new kimono he wore was shorter than his other one, or else he would have most likely tripped again. Sasori stood just behind the blonde, lacking the samurai armour and once more wearing the black robe with red and white clouds drifting across the silk, his usual staff in hand. He looked aloofly down at the blonde and then to the mannequin, giving a slight shrug at nothing in particular. "I see that you like my puppets, Brat."

Deidara blinked up at him, eyes widening further in awe, following Sasori's gaze to the large doll. "You made these? They're so good, un…I thought that maybe an expert craftsman had made them…"

"Well, the samurai who I was an apprentice to, Chikamatsu Monzaemon, taught me how to make them. Before he became a samurai he was an expert craftsman." Sasori gave a hum before looking back to the blonde who was still gawking at the mannequin, the red head giving a sight smirk. Deidara swiftly jumped back when he saw a quick flash, stunned to see the puppet suddenly split in two, the top half of its body landing on the ground with a loud crash.

The blonde looked to the red head, blinking when he immediately noticed the deadly katana which the samurai had drawn and was holding at his side, obviously having been the reason why the puppet had been sliced in half.

"The thing I love doing is practising on these so that I can make even more. It's my hobby…Though I wish I didn't have to destroy them, but I wouldn't have room for a hundred mannequins…"

Deidara looked between the red head and the diced puppet, awed and gaping. "Can you teach me, Master Sasori, un?"

"You're my acolyte," the red head straightened up and slid the katana back into its decorative sheath, once more giving it the impression of a simple walking stick, "it is my job to teach you all that I know." Deidara looked up at the red head, a wide smile curving his lips, but it quickly faded when he realised just what he was doing. He quickly bowed his head, an embarrassed flush dusting his cheeks, cringing in humiliation. The blonde felt a hand on his chin, moving his head upwards to look up at the irritated look on Sasori's face. "I told you to stop that."

The red head took his hand away and Deidara gave a quick nod, "Sorry, it's a habit…" Sasori slowly blinked his eyes, his features relaxing into their usual stoic quality.

"Well stop it…Now it is time that we discussed your training." Deidara nodded and the red head turned, signalling for the blonde to follow him. The duo exited the training room, and soon ended up in the meditation room, where Sasori sat upon the flat surfaced rock, calm. The blonde looked around the room, not knowing what to do until Sasori signalled to another black boulder, slightly smaller than the one which the red head was perched upon, and Deidara took the hint. The acolyte crawled up on top of the rock, facing the samurai and nervously waiting for his words. "Now, I'm going to tell you straight up that training isn't simply made up of swinging a katana around. A samurai's mind must be as sharp as his blade." Deidara nodded and Sasori returned the gesture. "Now, I can be a benevolent teacher, or I can be a malevolent teacher…I think we would both prefer the first option."

"I would very much rather you are benevolent…Master Sasori." Deidara bowed his head, but quickly remembered the older male's dislike for the respectable act, quickly moving to look at the red head once more. Sasori's look quickly softened when Deidara righted himself.

"Then we are both in agreement." There was a short silence which seemed slightly awkward, as if the red head didn't know what else to say. "…Well, I am going to be teaching you the Way of the Warrior and the seven Bushido code virtues will be penetrated into your mind. The seven virtues are the following: Rectitude, Courage, Respect, Benevolence, Honour, Honesty, and lastly, Loyalty. Understand?"

"Yes, Master Sasori." Deidara quickly nodded and went over the virtues in his head, trying to remember them for later though already he could only recall what four of them had been, which caused him to give a slight frown but Deidara made no comment.

"Good. Usually these virtues are taught from an extremely young age, but it is more difficult with you due to your lateness. I expect you to have memorised these by heart by the end of the week, and to follow these virtues exactly from now on." Deidara gave a nod, and Sasori was quiet in thought for a few moments before continuing, "And then there is the physical training…Come on," Sasori carefully slipped off of the boulder so his feet landed on stepping stones, "for this portion of the discussion it seems best to go to the training grounds to enable demonstration." Deidara got up, also careful to not touch the sand with its intricate patterns, following after the red head as they left the room.

They soon exited the long hallway, moving the way that they had come so that they backtracked to the training ground. Sasori showed the blonde the wall of weapons, and Deidara waited for the red head to select one from the wall, making a note not to grimace when the samurai took down a plain stick. It was carefully carved but held no decorations whatsoever, and Sasori held it out to the blonde.

"This is for you," Deidara took the stick, examining it to find that unfortunately it really was just an ordinary stick, "don't look so glum; even I started my training with a staff." The blonde looked up at the red head, giving a subtle nod as he did so, which was returned by Sasori placing a hand on his head, ruffling his blonde hair slightly. "Cheer up." Deidara managed a faint smile up at the red head and Sasori removed his hand, traipsing to the middle of the powdery training ground. "Now, go at me with all that you have." The samurai turned and waited for the twelve year old to realise what he had said.

Deidara gave a hesitant nod and waited a few seconds before holding the stick in a threatening position, lunging at the red head a few moments later. Sasori easily moved to the side, avoiding the effortful attack with swift grace. The blonde blinked and gave a short determined frown as once again he flung the stick at the older male, the latter once again dodging gracefully by moving to one side.

-x-

Several hours had flown by and the blonde was panting in utter exhaustion, though the red head seemed absolutely unfazed without a single hair out of place. The entire time the twelve year old had been unable to even touch the red head. Deidara gave a groan and used the last of his strength in one final attempt, though Sasori didn't even bother to dodge. He just lifted his own staff up to block the attack, not even having to use two hands to hold it and he didn't even lose his balance.

Deidara had not been expecting the sudden impact and his whole body shook due to the collision. His legs gave way, causing him to drop the staff and fall forward, overtaken with exhaustion. Sasori caught the blonde with one arm, rolling his eyes as he lifted the younger male up to hang over his shoulder. He carried the younger male back into the dojo and into the boy's bedroom.

Sasori dumped the unconscious blonde onto his bed unceremoniously before going to find Konan in the kitchen, "He is alright; though he has a long way to go until he is a fully fledged samurai." The girl gave him a smile and a nod before returning to her cooking. "He is a fine acolyte anyway, I just wish that he was a bit younger - he doesn't even have the basic training that he should have been taught...He would have been better to have just stayed working in the red light district."

"You shouldn't be so tough on him, Master; he will try his very best." Konan finished in preparing the rice that would be their dinner, and she began to divide it into three serves, "Have a little faith in him and I'm sure he will be a worthy acolyte." The female turned partly and smiled reassuringly at the man.

Sasori gave a sigh of defeat and shook his head, "Well...He did fairly well for his first day of sparring...But the kid has a lot to learn. I'll go wake him up so that he can join us for dinner." Konan nodded and Sasori left the kitchen, moving to the blonde's room where he still lay unconscious where Sasori had left him. The red head frowned lightly in distaste and sat down next to the young male, shaking him roughly, "Wake up; I didn't go that hard on you, Brat."

Deidara gave a groan and mumbled something incoherent, which just  
made the red head shake him ever harder. "I'm awake, un~!" The blonde's eyes slowly opened and he gave another groan, "You couldn't let me sleep for a few minutes?"

Sasori scoffed and got to his feet, "You can either sleep or go without food until breakfast. Make a decision." Deidara blinked in surprise and gave a weak flush, quickly moving his head into a bow, "That's more like it; now come on."

The blonde quickly nodded and got to his feet, managing to do so even though he was quite shaky. "Thank you, Danna..."

"…Whatever; just hurry up and don't keep me waiting." Sasori turned and left the room, Deidara quickly following after the red head to the dining room. There was a low table that was surrounded by four cushions, Sasori moving into a kneeling position. He placed his intricate staff down next to him and Deidara forebodingly moved forward, taking a seat on the red head's left hand side.

Konan soon came into the room, managing to carry three bowls of cooked rice, placing them down onto the table. Sasori began to quietly eat and the other two followed his example. They ate mostly in silence while Deidara was internally whining. After several hours of swinging a stick without stopping, it now hurt to move; but Sasori on the other hand looked totally unaffected!

That kind of stamina must have come from years of training in endurance; Sasori's Sensei must have been extremely skilled.

Chikamatsu Monzaemon had been his name, right? The name was familiar from rumours he had heard, but Deidara couldn't remember much about him. And yet the blonde had heard of the red head's exploits from all the way across the continent. Sasori had killed the dreaded Orochimaru; he had been the land's most notorious criminal. He kidnapped people and then did sickening things to them; never had anyone been kidnapped by the snake and then returned to tell the tale. "Danna...Can you tell me the story about how you defeated Orochimaru, un?"

Sasori gave the blonde a curious look, raising an eyebrow at him, "You don't know the story?"

"Of course I know it!" Deidara flushed lightly, "I just want to hear it from someone who was actually there; rumours are not very reliable, un..."

Sasori gave a slow nod, satisfied, "I was travelling with Konan around the land, when on one night we were separated by a fog. Orochimaru was in the area, and he captured Konan. I found a piece of material that had been ripped from her kimono and I immediately began to track her down. Soon I ran into Orochimaru and an unconscious Konan; I immediately recognized the appearance of the man and I drew my katana. The fight lasted for hours, but I persevered; I knew that if I was to give up, then not only would I meet my demise, but so would Konan. I had no other option but to keep fighting. It cost me an arm, but I succeeded in cutting off the snake's head. I killed Orochimaru and I had saved Konan." Sasori shrugged lightly, "Knowing that there was a high bounty for the snake, we brought his head in. Instead of just receiving the money, the Feudal Lord also gave me my very own dojo. His son had been killed by Orochimaru, you see, and he was exuberant that he had finally had his revenge carried out...And that's basically it..."

"Whoa; you're so cool." Deidara stared at the man in awe before he gave a suspicious frown, "But wait...Didn't you say you had your arm cut off by the snake?"

Sasori gave a subtle smirk and chuckled lightly, moving his right hand to his left sleeve, "Yes I did; it was cut off at my shoulder." The red head pulled up his sleeve, revealing that his left arm was not made of flesh. His arm was replaced with a wooden construct that appeared to be a puppet arm, "It's my own handiwork; it took several years to perfect the art of using it...But I've managed to rehabilitate." He demonstrated by flexing the arm and his fingers, showing that he had full capabilities of using it.

Deidara stared at it in absolute awe, "Whoa...You just get even cooler and cooler, un!" The blonde gave him a look of utter idolization, and Sasori couldn't help but give a soft smile.

"Tell me about your background; you worked in the red light district, right?" Deidara's face paled instantly and he became withdrawn – it must have been a tender subject.

"…I worked at a Geisha house…" The blonde frowned but continued, "My mother worked there as well; my father had been a samurai, but he died when I was still a baby and my mother had to support me. She was a harsh woman, but she had been through hard times. My mother died when I was five years old, but the man who owned the brothel next door to the Geisha house took me in, un…He was okay…For the first year…But…Ever since I was six and half…"

The blonde fell absolutely quiet and he stopped eating, pushing his food away from him.

"I'm sorry; I've lost my appetite…May I please be excused?" Sasori eyed him carefully before giving a nod, continuing to eat his own food. Deidara stood and left the room, subdued, leaving the red head alone with the bluenette.

"…You really have to feel sorry for the kid." Konan gave a frown of concern, shaking her head slowly, "Do you want me to talk to him, or-"

"No; he's my acolyte. I'll go have a talk with him." Sasori put his bowl down and he stood up, exiting the room to leave Konan to clean up.

The red head moved into the blonde's room, finding the twelve year old lying on his bed. He was shaking lightly and he was definitely crying.

Sasori gave a sigh and sat down on the blonde's bed, starting to reassuringly rub the boy's back. Deidara tensed up at the touch, but as soon as it registered that it was a friendly type of contact he relaxed and looked up at Sasori. The red head gazed down at the blonde with his normal aloof expression, blinking his dark eyes slowly, "He raped you?"

"…" Deidara gave a very slow nod, "…Ever since I was…Six and a half…" The blonde buried his face in the pillow again, "…It didn't matter what I told him…He would never stop, un…Whenever I wasn't at work helping the women of the Geisha house…Then I was there…With him…I heard about your story when I was seven years old, and I was inspired by your heroic exploit…When I was nine I finally had the idea to leave…But it took me a year to gain enough money to survive on and enough courage to escape, un. I decided to become your acolyte; firstly because my village was on the opposite side of the country than your Dojo, and if the man ever did come looking for me…Then I'd either have you to protect me, or by that point in time I would have become strong enough to beat him." Deidara had stopped crying by this point in time, but the red head continued to gently stroke his back. "It took me one year to decide, and I left the day after my tenth birthday, un…"

"Has he followed you?" Sasori's hand moved up to the boy's soft golden hair, and he began to gently stroke the delicate locks.

"…I don't know…I never told him that I was leaving, let alone where I was going, un…" The red head gave a slow nod, "But…I'm not sure…"

"News that I have taken you as my acolyte will spread quickly." Sasori pulled his hand away from the blonde's hair and ran it through his own. "Remember the seven virtues; Rectitude, Courage, Respect, Benevolence, Honour, Honesty, and lastly, Loyalty…If he does come, then I will protect you with my life."

Deidara looked up at him with wide forget-me-not eyes, and Sasori just gazed back at him with his usual stoic expression. "You will?"

Sasori gave a slow nod, "Of course." The red head looked away from the boy and got to his feet, "Enough; it's time for you to sleep."

Deidara nodded and crawled underneath the blankets, "Thank you, Danna…Good night…" The red head nodded and left the room, leaving the blonde to sleep. Deidara frowned lightly; he had told himself repeatedly that he wouldn't tell Sasori about the rape. He had feared that the red head would have thought that he was weak and then he would have disowned the blonde as his acolyte. Deidara wasn't proud about what had happened; it hadn't been just Kabuto either.

While the blonde had been travelling, he had had no way in which to protect himself. Several times he had been at the 'mercy' of a complete stranger. Deidara whimpered at the thought and snuggled deeper into the blankets.

It didn't matter now. None of it did.

He was finally safe…Or so he had hoped.

-x-

It had been a month since the blonde had become the red head's acolyte, and things couldn't have been better…Until one day…

Sasori was out on a mission, leaving the bluenette and the blonde alone. Konan was busy with cleaning up the dojo while Deidara was sparring in the training grounds with a stick and a puppet.

He was getting much better and soon he would be allowed to use an actual sword. The blonde looked over to the wall of weaponry, giving a sigh of content. This was the life that he had always wanted.

"DEIDARA!" The blonde blinked in surprise and spun around to the doorway, "RUN!" The bluenette was running out of the home, when suddenly something went flying through the air. It was a rope with a rock tied to each end. It wrapped around her legs and Konan went crashing to the ground with a cry.

"There you are~" The blonde paled once a familiar man exited the house, giving a smirk at the twelve year old. The man was in his late twenties, and he had grey hair along with circular glasses. Kabuto Yakushi. "We've been searching for you for all this time." Four people walked out of the house behind the man, obviously hired thugs.

One had a god-like appearance in that he had six arms instead of two, another was enormous in girth, another had two heads, and the fourth was – most shockingly of all – a girl. Deidara stared at the hired thugs, trembling with trauma as memories surfaced of the life that he had had but two years ago.

"We were about to give up, when we suddenly heard that you had become the apprentice of the revered Sasori Akasuna~" Kabuto gave a chuckle and so did his hired cronies, "You were a real good fuck, Babe~ The way you would scream out in utter agony, and how you would always beg me not to have my way with you~ It's those kinds of things that really turn me on, you know? You really drive me crazy~"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Deidara held the stick up in a position that was both offensive and defensive. The thugs just laughed at him. "DANNA WILL BE BACK ANY MINUTE NOW!"

"We know~" Kabuto gave a sadistic laugh, "We'll be waiting for him. And then we'll kill him to show you what will happen if you were to ever run away again~ You're my property and I don't like to share."

"Sir," one of the two heads that the third person bore spoke out, "what should we do with the lady?" Konan groaned lightly in her unconscious state and they all looked to her.

"After we kill Sasori we will take her with us; she seems familiar…I think she may have worked at my brothel a few years ago. We can always give the girl her old job back~" Kabuto chuckled and grinned dangerously back at Deidara. The blonde suddenly bolted for the wall of weaponry, but he wasn't fast enough. The six armed male appeared in front of him and caught the blonde, pinning his arms to his sides.

Deidara cried out and clenched his teeth. Dammit! He was still so utterly useless!

"Tie him up with the girl; after we kill the samurai then we will head back to the village." The thugs nodded and the blonde was suddenly knocked unconscious by the four armed man.

-x-

When the blonde came to he was tied up to a pillar in the training grounds. Konan was nearby, tied up as well but she was now conscious. She gave Deidara a sad expression, and the blonde felt guiltiness well up in his stomach; it was because of him that all of this was happening.

"Sir!" The girl came running over to Kabuto, who sat in the centre of the training grounds with the fat male and the six armed man next to him, "We have spotted Sasori Akasuna! He is on his way here!"

The grey haired male nodded, giving a smirk, "Get ready for an ambush; he won't suspect a thing~"


	2. Chapter 2

SasoDei

Wakashudo

Part Two of Two

Sasori walked into the entrance room quietly, giving a sigh as he stepped out of his shoes. The red head had just returned from a three day mission, and he had been looking forward to returning to the dojo. He stopped moving for a few seconds, waiting for the usual greeting from Konan and Deidara…

The male frowned in suspicion as no one came to greet him; something had to be wrong.

He kept his armour and weaponry on as he began to explore the house, immediately being drawn to the training grounds. Sasori drew his katana from the cane-like sheath as he walked through the doorway, shocked once he saw both Deidara and Konan tied up.

The blonde stared at him in astonishment, giving a cry, "DANNA! RUN!" Sasori caught sight of the four thugs that came bolting at him, as fast as lightning. The red head jumped into action, quickly ducking beneath the several blades, doing a quick roll along the ground, turning around. The four people paused and turned to face the red head, giving smirks.

"You're quite quick~" Kabuto gave a chuckle and Sasori shot him a quick look before returning his attention back to the four thugs. "I am Kabuto, and I'm here to collect what is rightfully mine."

The fat male and the one with two heads came lashing at the red head, and Sasori began to dodge and deflect their attacks using his katana. A few of their swings hit, but harmlessly nicked his armour instead of flesh. Sasori frowned, wearily keeping his eyes darting back and forth between the thugs who were currently attacking him, the Kabuto guy, and the two who were holding back.

The red head gave a growl and suddenly bounded high in the air, swinging his katana up high. He came crashing down, landing on the large male's shoulders. Sasori stuck his sword in the male's back, aiming for vital organs. He struck with a deadly move, succeeding in his quest. The male gurgled in pain as the red head pulled out his sword and Sasori leapt off of his shoulders, in turn pushing the man to topple forwards, planting face first into the ground.

Sasori's feet hit the dirt and he immediately turned, lashing out at the two headed man. He missed the heads, but the red head succeeded in slicing him right down the middle. The two heads just laughed at that, however, and the red head was stunned once knew limbs formed so that the person was now two with each head now having its own body. They lashed out at the red head with twin swords, and Sasori quickly jumped away from them, quickly sheathing his sword as he drew the bow from his back.

Sasori knocked up several arrows at once and began to quickly fire them in almost immediate succession. The two males dodged skilfully, but they were not used to controlling just one body each, and they accidentally bashed into one another. Sasori took the opportunity and fired the arrows, getting each male through the forehead. They dropped to the ground like flies, landing on top of one another.

The red head secured his bow back onto his back before unsheathing his katana once more. The man with six arms drew six swords, one for each limb. Sasori sneered and they both ran at each other, weapons beginning to slash in a blur. The red head was a much better swordsman, but he had never fought one who had six arms before.

Sasori saw an opening and he sliced one of the arms off, repeating the action until the male had none left. Before the man could even cry out, the red head cut his head off as well. The body fell to the ground, and Sasori immediately turned to the girl, "…I will not attack an inactive woman; leave now and I will not kill you." The female was staring in shock at her fallen comrades, and she knew that it was a fight that she could not win. She turned and ran, her honour harmed but life in tact.

Sasori then turned to Kabuto, who was giving a stoic expression. The grey haired male drew a sword before giving a smirk, "I guess no one is famous without reason." He shrugged before he gave a low chuckle, "You took my property, Samurai, and I am just here to collect. It should be within your code of honour to return my whore to me."

"He is my acolyte; you have no right to come here and to try and take him. You are on property that was bestowed upon me by the Feudal Lord; leave and I shall let you keep your life." Sasori narrowed his eyes at the man, lifting his sword up a little in a threat.

"…I take it that you have not even slept with him yet~" Kabuto's smirk widened, "He is a good little slut." Sasori gave a growl at the filthy talk about his apprentice, and the red head ran at the man. Kabuto dodged the blade and swung his own.

Sasori hissed as he felt the male's sword slice his cheek, not too deeply but enough to scar.

The red head pulled away before he ducked underneath another swing of the blade. Sasori sneered and stabbed the male right through his gut, before he quickly removed it and sliced him in half.

Blood splayed everywhere, dying the white ground of the training ground. Sasori relaxed and straightened up, looking around quickly before sheathing his tainted sword. The red head immediately walked over to the captives, undoing the bindings of Konan first. "Are you okay?"

Konan quickly gave a nod, "I am fine; just a little bruised." Sasori sighed in relief and finished untying the woman, moving over to the blonde.

"What about you, Deidara?" The red head began to undo his bindings, face stoic as per usual. "Did they harm you or do anything to you?" Sasori finished untying Deidara, but he was shocked when the blonde suddenly flung his arms around him. It was uncomfortable with the red head wearing armour, but it did not matter.

"Thank you, Danna…Thank you, un…" Tears of utter joy were rolling down the blonde's cheeks at the knowledge that the man who had made him suffer for so long was finally dead. The blonde had been the victim of so much agony due to his existence.

He was finally free.

"…I promised you that I would protect you, Brat. It is against my code to go back on a promise." Sasori pulled the blonde off of him before giving Deidara a surprising smile. "You have nothing to worry about when I'm around. I'll protect both of you."

The blonde stared up at the red head, giving a wide smile before noticing the blood on Sasori's left cheek. Deidara brought his hand up, running his fingers over the slice, smearing the crimson liquid.

The red head took the blonde's hand in his own reassuringly, giving a softer smile, "I'll bear the scar as a symbol that I will forever protect you."

-x-

Deidara swung the sharp blade at the red head, but his sword was deflected by the older male's katana. The thirty one year old leapt away from the blonde, moving to the side and making a move to stab Deidara. The fifteen year old quickly pivoted on his feet, swinging his body out of range.

Sasori turned his blade inwards until it was vertical with his forearm, and he spun his entire body, aiming his katana for the blonde's gut. Deidara – with all of his might – swung his sword against the blade. He hit so hard that the handle of the katana slid out of his hands.

Sasori recoiled partly, but managed to keep hold of his own sword, the blonde now defenceless. The red head gave a sigh and sheathed his katana back into the cane façade, frowning at the blonde. "That's the third time you have done that, Brat; if you're going to do a power attack then you have to make sure that you're capable of enduring it on your part."

"Sorry Danna." The blonde bowed his head, and he was about to retrieve his sword when suddenly Konan entered.

"Master Sasori," she bowed politely, "there is a boy here who wishes to see you."

The red head frowned in irritation and Deidara blinked in surprise; it was rare to get visitors aside from the Feudal Lord's men and clientele. Sasori ran a hand through his hair and turned to the blonde, "We'll continue after this." Deidara nodded and the red head left the training grounds, the fifteen year old trailing behind him.

They walked into the entrance room, finding a boy kneeling with his head bent low. Deidara stood to the side while the red head moved until he was in front of the male, tapping his cane against the ground, "Speak."

The male looked up at Sasori, and Deidara took in his appearance. He had long raven hair with a pair of matching black eyes. There were two lines on his face that made him appear older than he seemed to be. Even Deidara had to admit that the boy was quite handsome, and the blonde hated him already. "My name is Itachi Uchiha, and I wish to become your apprentice, Lord Sasori."

The red head raised an eyebrow at him, though his usual aloof expression remained, "I already have an acolyte, and he is hard enough to teach…Your name is familiar…"

"Yes," the raven bowed his head once more, "I am a son of the revered Uchiha Clan, and I do not wish to seem arrogant, but my teachers and relatives have often referred to me as a prodigy."

Sasori let his eyebrow drop, giving a soft hum, "The Uchiha Clan is familiar to me. The revered Madara Uchiha saved me from being killed by a group of rogues when I was a boy. He had not been able to rescue my parents, but I still owe the Uchiha Clan my life…How old are you?"

"I am eight…I apologize for how old I am." Deidara clenched his teeth in absolute hatred. The raven was mocking him since the blonde had been four years older when he had first seen the red head. The fifteen year old hated this kid already; Sasori couldn't possibly accept him!

Sure it was common for a samurai to have multiple acolytes, but Deidara couldn't help but feel the deadly bite of jealousy inside of him.

"…Fine then; I will repay my debt to the Uchiha Clan in accepting you as my apprentice." Sasori turned his back to the boy, looking to the bluenette woman, "Konan; go prepare a bed for Itachi and show him around."

The female nodded and the Uchiha got to his feet, bowing at the red head before he was led out of the room by the bluenette. Deidara gave him a hostile look while he walked, but Itachi either didn't notice or just ignored him.

Sasori took notice, however, and he shot the blonde a glare, "Brat; I expect you to be polite."

Deidara gave a subtle scowl and a begrudging nod, "…I'll be polite to him if he doesn't bother me, un…"

"You're sharing your room with him as well." The blonde flushed and stared at the male as if he were insane, "You have room to spare in there, Brat, and there are not many other places where he can stay. Remember the virtue of benevolence."

Deidara narrowed his eyes, "I'm remembering the virtue of honesty at this very moment in time."

Sasori moved over to the blonde, dominantly towering over him, "Do not forget respect, honour and loyalty – not of Itachi, but towards me. I have made my decision, and you would be best to hold your tongue, Brat." The red head stood strong, "You do show courage, but within the situation that is not an honourable virtue."

Deidara looked away from Sasori as he was scolded; he always hated getting lectures from the older male.

The blonde gave a slow bitter nod, and the red head gave a sigh, "I am your superior and you have to respect my wishes whether you want to or not." He gave another slow nod, still sneering at nothing in particular. "Look at me."

Deidara slowly turned his gaze towards the taller male, his eyes instantly slipping to the scar of his left cheek; the permanent mark that he had gained while he had been risking his life in protecting the blonde. "…I'm sorry, Danna; please forgive me for my regretful disrespect. In the future I shall hold my tongue, un."

Deidara submissively bowed his head, and he heard the older male give a sigh. "You are forgiven; just remember that my word is final and you have no right to doubt me." The blonde gave a slow nod and Sasori was finished with his lecture, "Good…Now go welcome Itachi."

Deidara gave a light sneer but nodded none the less, turning and moving to his bedroom. Konan had already set up another bed for the Uchiha, and the blonde sat down on his own, waiting for the stupid weasel to return from his tour so that he could 'make nice'.

-x-

Itachi soon entered the room, gazing at the blonde with little concern before moving to his own bed. Deidara gave him the most pleasant smile that he could muster – it still turned into a half sneer, "Welcome, un."

The raven slowly blinked at him, not falling for the nice act for even a second, "I hope that I do not cause Master Sasori as much grief as what you cause him."

Deidara's face flushed in utter ire and he barely managed to stifle his rage, "…What was that?"

"Master Sasori is peculiar, isn't he?" Itachi lay down on his bed, closing his eyes aloofly, "He dismissed so many _gifted_ possible-acolytes…And yet despite all of their rejected talent, he allowed _you_ to become his apprentice…A lowly prostitute from the red-light district of some far off village; a _whore_ with zero knowledge of the Warrior's Way."

Deidara gave a vicious snarl, "I was not a prostitute! I worked for a Geisha house, helping out the women and guiding the clientele to their rooms." He kept his voice harsh but hushed, not wanting to attract any attention from Sasori or Konan.

"But you lived in a brothel, yes?" Itachi continued to talk with his eyes irksomely closed, "And you slept with the owner of said establishment; I think that the rumours surrounding your past called him Kabuto…"

Deidara sneered in disgust, "That bastard raped me for four years, un! I hated him so much; I am forever in debt to Danna for ridding me of him."

"If you are so in debt," the raven opened his eyes at last, giving the blonde a dull look, "then why haven't you partaken in the Brotherhood Contract?"

Deidara fell silent at that.

…He had honestly thought about giving himself to the red head…

But truthfully, the blonde was terrified.

Kabuto had put him through so much unbearable pain. He feared that it would be the same with Sasori. Konan had once described the red head as 'the gentlest person' that she had ever known.

Deidara didn't know how someone who was a warrior could be dubbed as 'gentle'.

The blonde looked away from the raven, scowling lightly albeit a tad nervously, "Shut up, un. I've only been his acolyte for three years; usually it is five years until one can truly decide as to be a Wakashu…"

"But you have known of him for much longer than three years, correct?" Deidara gave an ever so slow nod, "Exactly; that should add up to at least five years. So why is it that you do not practice Wakashudo? I wouldn't be surprised if it was because you tried to whore yourself out to him already. Did he deny you?"

Deidara snapped back to Itachi, sending him a dark glare, "Why would Danna deny me? I might not be a prodigy with a sword, but I practice until my hands are raw and bleeding from merely clutching the handle of my blade."

"Then you have nothing to fear in becoming Lord Sasori's Wakashu." Itachi's eyes once again closed and he was finished talking. Deidara frowned and bit his lip, deep in thought after what the raven had said.

-x-

Sasori gave a sigh as he entered his bedroom, running a hand through his hair. He had been emotionally drained after scolding the blonde and the red head had spent the rest of the day in his meditation room. Tomorrow he would have to start the raven's education, and the red head just hoped that the blonde wouldn't get too jealous…

The thirty-one year old was utterly shocked when he finally took notice of his bed.

Deidara was currently kneeling on the sheets with his body bowed low. He was wearing the mild blue kimono that was still too big for him and his nose was touching the sheets. The brilliant robe still had enormous sleeves that covered his arms entirely and most of his hands. Sasori had an odd sense of Déjà vu at the sight of the blonde in the same pose that he had been when he had first met the red head.

It was obvious as to why the boy was there.

Deidara was blossoming far more beautifully than Sasori had initially thought possible.

The blonde could feel his heartbeat hammering against his chest, aching while his stomach churned. He feared both that he would be rejected and he also feared that he wouldn't be rejected.

He heard the footsteps of Sasori and the soft thud of the red head's cane as he approached Deidara, stopping just in front of him. "Speak."

The blonde blinked in surprise at the similarity between the scene and the time when he had first arrived at the dojo. Deidara slowly sat up and his kimono opened partly as he did so, revealing his bare pale chest from beneath, "I want to become your Wakashu, un…"

Sasori slowly blinked at the blonde and he gave an apparently apathetic sigh, "Are you sure about that?" Deidara frowned before giving a determined nod, looking upwards at the red head with his pair of forget-me-not eyes. "…Very well."

The blonde thought that his heart stopped at the sound of the agreement, and he swallowed heavily. Sasori closed the door behind him and moved to the side with his back to the blonde. Deidara watched as the red head placed his cane/katana leaning against the wall and he began to pull off his clothes, slowly and precisely.

The blonde blushed awkwardly, not knowing whether he should watch or if he should look away – which one would make the scene less uncomfortable? Deidara closed his eyes and lay back on the bed, waiting for the red head to finish undressing.

After what seemed to be an eternity, he felt the older male's presence above him. "Are you alright?"

Deidara opened his eyes, coming face to face with the red head. He was staring right into the dark never ending depths of the older male's muddy eyes, and the blonde felt entranced by them momentarily. "…Yes…I'm just a bit nervous, un…"

"I'll try my best not to hurt you." Deidara gave a slow nod and he felt the red head slowly open up his kimono to reveal his naked self from beneath.

The blonde wasn't sure of what to expect. He was the Wakashu, while the red head was his 'Nenja' – the main focus was on Sasori's pleasure, not Deidara's.

He felt the red head run a hand down his chest, and the blonde shuddered lightly at the touch. Sasori moved his mouth to the young male's neck and he slowly began to suck on the tender skin, causing Deidara to give a whimper of pleasure, and he clutched at the folds of the blue kimono that pooled around him. "You're allowed to touch me, Brat."

Sasori pulled away from the boy's neck, giving him a mildly irritated look. Deidara blinked before giving a slow nod, moving his hands to clutch loosely at the red head's back. The look of irritation faded and Sasori leaned down to continue to tease the boy's neck. The fifteen year old gave a gasp as the red head bit down on an extra sensitive portion of skin, and he clasped tighter at Sasori's back.

The red head's skin was absolutely covered with scars. They seemed to have different origins; some seemed to be made by blades, some by arrows. His left arm was prosthetic but even the puppet limb had some gashes in it.

Sasori leaned down and pressed their lips together in a soft kiss. Deidara closed his eyes and he let the older male have his way. The red head slid his tongue into the blonde's mouth, and he brought his hands up to press against his cheeks. Deidara moaned into the older male's mouth and he let the red head have full access to his facial orifice.

It felt…Nice…

The blonde had no idea if kissing was even allowed but it felt good.

Sasori soon pulled away and Deidara moaned when the red head began to play with his nipples using one mouth and his hand. Although he feared it, the blonde now desired the older male's presence _inside _of him.

He wasn't sure if the red head would grant him much pleasure after the foreplay; he knew from experience that it was extremely painful most times. Occasionally Kabuto had given him pleasure but Deidara hated those occasions the most.

Physical wounds healed, but inflictions to his ego hurt the worst.

Sasori seemed to grow tired of the foreplay and he pulled his lips away, looking to the blonde's lustful expression. The red head moved three fingers to Deidara's lips, his voice the same as always. "Suck." The blonde gave a slow blink in acknowledgement before he took the digits into his mouth, doing as the older male requested. Sasori took the blonde's hand in his free prosthetic limb, bringing it down to his length, "Stroke me."

Deidara gave a very slight nod and began to run his fingers along the red head's shaft, whimpering slightly against the fingers. Sasori was much larger than Kabuto had been, and the blonde honestly doubted that this was going to be pleasurable.

Not to mention the fact that the red head seemed just as apathetic as ever; maybe he really did view Deidara as just another common whore…

He had only accepted the blonde as his acolyte because he had not wanted to feel responsible for Deidara's death. Sasori had known for a fact that the boy would have continued to sit outside of the dojo until he dropped dead.

Deidara was just a nuisance to him…

Sasori pulled his fingers from the blonde's mouth and pulled Deidara's hand away from his length. He began to watch the blonde's expression with that same stoic expression as always, and Deidara felt quite uncomfortable with the indifferent condescending gaze. The blonde gasped slightly once he felt Sasori slide a finger inside of him.

His entire body tensed, a subconscious reaction, although Deidara tried to relax once again. Sasori gave a subtle frown and added in a second finger, which caused the blonde to give a louder gasp of quasi pain. The red head's expression softened and he slowly began to scissor his fingers, stretching the younger male. It had been several years since the blonde had been raped, and his body was no longer used to the feeling.

Deidara breathed, trying to ease the dull ache by telling himself that it was nothing, but that just made him even more worried. Soon Sasori grew impatient with the waiting and he added in his third finger, causing the blonde to give a high pitched whimper. "Tell me if you're in pain."

The boy gave a slow nod, deepening his breaths in order to ease the subtle ache, growing steadily used to it. The red head continued to stretch the blonde as much as possible, though it was becoming quite tedious for him. He found the location of his acolyte's sweet spot and Sasori ran his fingers across it. Deidara shuddered and gave a moan, burying one hand in the red head's hair.

Perhaps the red head thought that Deidara was just being a needy whore. Did he think that the blonde had been craving sex ever since he had left the red-light district? Did Sasori think that he was just a cheap prostitute? That was what everyone else seemed to believe…

Deidara was none of those things, which made him all the more worried.

"I think you're ready." Sasori removed his fingers and the blonde gave a slight whimper; he personally didn't think that he was ready. The red head parted the boy's thighs slightly more before moving between them. Sasori wrapped his arms around the blonde's waist and Deidara felt him position the tip of his length against his entrance.

The blonde's fear practically tripled and he took in a deep breath to prepare himself for the expected rough agony.

Much to Deidara's surprise, the red head was entering him at a slow bearable pace. Never the less, the blonde couldn't help but gasp lightly in pain, though it wasn't intolerable. His hands gripped tighter at the older male, though he didn't complain – Sasori was trying to be as gentle as possible.

The red head became fully sheathed inside of the blonde and he began to wait for the boy to adjust. Sasori seemed altogether unresponsive, however; he didn't moan, or shudder, or make any notion that he was experiencing pleasure. In truth, he was in a world of bliss. The blonde was incredibly hot and exceptionally tight… Sasori closed his eyes as he began to wait for the blonde's signal to move.

Deidara was breathing harshly – he was in pain, but it was a nice pain.

The ache ebbed as the blonde grew used to the feeling of the red head sheathed inside of him. After a minute, the blonde gave a slight whine and bucked his hips, signalling for the older male to continue.

Sasori opened his eyes, giving a soft aloof blink once his gaze fell on the boy's face. His eyes were open and staring lustfully at the older male, with his face dusted pink by a heavy blush. He was panting harshly, still trying to get used to the older male inside of him.

The red head began to slowly pull out of the younger male, and Deidara gave a low whimper but didn't complain. After a few moments he began to ease back in, and the blonde gave a harsh gasp, wrapping his legs around his waist. Sasori stopped and gave a low growl, "Down." Deidara flinched but obeyed, guessing that the older male wanted complete control within the situation. Sasori relaxed once the blonde moved his legs from around his waist, and he continued his steady pattern of moving in and out of the younger male's heat.

Deidara was soon accustomed to the feeling of the older male inside of him, but he didn't make any demands in fear that the red head would get mad again. He did, however, clench slightly tighter at the older male's back, and Sasori took that as a sign that he could go faster without hurting the blonde.

He began to move at a faster pace, and the blonde closed his eyes as he began to moan lightly. This continued for a few minutes until the red head suddenly struck something inside of Deidara. The blonde threw his head back and gave a cry of utter pleasure as the samurai struck his sweet spot, his vision going blindingly white for several seconds.

Sasori was still for a few aloof moments before he decidedly repeated the action, rewarded with a similar action. Deidara moaned in enjoyable bliss, rocking his hips in time with the older male's thrusts. Now that Deidara wasn't even thinking about pain, Sasori was able to pick up his speed to a pace that was highly pleasurable for him as well, aiming for the blonde's sweet spot continuously.

Deidara never thought that sex could be this good.

He cried out again and wrapped his arms around him even tighter, mewling in absolute pleasure. Sasori was still apparently apathetic, but Deidara no longer noticed. The red head continued to strike the blonde's sweet spot continuously, and he was moaning so loud that even Konan and Itachi could probably hear him. His body was coated in sweat and his face was covered by a hot blush.

The blonde cried out loudly and he knew that he was nearing his release. He was devastated once he felt the red head take hold of his length, cutting off his orgasm. Deidara whimpered and opened his eyes, giving Sasori a pleading submissive expression. The older male stared at him with the usual aloof gaze, but gave into the blonde's desire and let go of his length.

Deidara gave a loud whimper as the red head continued to hit his sweet spot, and after a few moments he couldn't take it anymore. He gave a loud cry as he released over his own chest, moaning breathlessly as the red head continued to take the blonde. After a few more moments, Sasori also finished.

He released inside of the younger male, shuddering very slightly and only giving a harsh sigh. The red head almost immediately pulled out of the blonde, moving the younger male's kimono to once again cover the boy's body. He stood up and turned his back to the blonde as he proceeded to pull his clothes back on, "You're free to go."

Deidara blinked in surprise, wondering if he had done something wrong.

He got to his feet, cringing at the ache though bearing it as he sauntered dejectedly out of the room, closing the door behind him. Deidara stopped in the hallway, giving a humiliated frown. Had he just been rejected?

The blonde frowned, though he couldn't help but gasp once he felt the red head's hot seed running down his leg. He shuddered and held his flowing kimono tighter as he moved through the hallway until Deidara reached his room. The blonde opened the door, finding the prodigy weasel sitting up in his own bed. His eyes were closed and he looked as if he were meditating.

"See, un?" Deidara picked up his confidence and he gave a smirk that was actually half real, "I told you that he wouldn't deny me." Itachi opened his eyes and gazed dully back at the blonde, watching him as Deidara moved to his own bed. He sat down, hissing slightly as he did so.

Itachi closed his eyes once more and slowly shook his head, "Of course he didn't deny you; but that doesn't mean that you are his Wakashu. I'm sure he just thinks of you as a common prostitute. Why else would you be here now instead of in his room?"

"I've already told you; I am not a prostitute and I never have been!" Deidara sneered at the younger male, "And maybe Danna just…Just…" The blonde stifled as he realised that he had no idea as to what would be a valid excuse, "…He just didn't want you to be alone since it is your first night; Danna was worried that you would get frightened by being alone, un!"

"…Sure." Itachi gave a yawn and lay back in his bed, the conversation ending. Deidara frowned, unsure, before he too lay down, pulling the covers over his head. He didn't sleep well that night.

-x-

It was the following day, and Deidara felt even more rejected than he had the previous night. Sasori had paid little attention to the blonde and Itachi was his sole focus. He was currently sparring with the raven using a wooden pole and the red head using his sheathed katana. Itachi was very skilled; Sasori was hitting more so than he was dodging.

When he and Deidara had first sparred, he had been able to easily dodge all of the blonde's swings. The blonde frowned and decided that since he had nothing better to do he should help out Konan.

Deidara found her cleaning the dishes from breakfast, and he sat down beside her, starting to pass her plates. She smiled at him initially kindly, but then it became teasing, "So you're Sasori's Wakashu?"

"…I thought I was…" Deidara frowned and decided to reveal his insecurities, "It was really great, but afterwards Sasori just brushed me off and made me leave…I don't wish to sound ungrateful, because I'm not…It's just…I don't want Danna to think of me as just some low-life whore, un…"

Konan gave the blonde a tender smile and took an offered bowl from him, "I know Master Sasori better than any one else does. He would never think of you as a whore - or anything like that." The woman began to wash the bowl in the basin, giving a confident exclamation, "I'm sure he had a perfectly acceptable reason."

Deidara gave a nod, albeit he was still unsure. "Please don't tell him about my insecurities; I don't want Danna to think that I am weak for being unsure, un."

She gave a nod as she finished cleaning the bowl, giving him a bright smile after she put it to the side, "I promise that I won't tell Master Sasori." Deidara nodded and got to his feet, deciding that he might as well practise his swordsmanship while he had nothing better to do.

-x-

It was Itachi who unintentionally brought the situation to light at dinnertime. They sat around the table eating rice and grilled fish, though there was little conversation. Deidara soon got up and moved to get another bowl of rice, however when he came back he accidentally tripped over his own feet – he was naturally clumsy outside of fighting.

When he dropped he had managed to keep a tight hold of the bowl – not spilling a single grain – but the upper half of his body landed in Sasori's lap. The red head had moved his own food and arms out of the way of the boy's decent, and he continued to eat with little hindrance, "Careful Brat." The older male had long since stopped caring about the blonde's ineptness, just as long as he kept his footing during battle.

Itachi, however, was not used to the boy's clumsiness, so he couldn't help but snicker and mumble in a low voice that was still loud enough to hear, "Flirtatious little tramp."

There was a sudden sharp crack.

Itachi's eyes widened and he instinctively went to grab at his burning cheek, wincing at the intense smouldering sensation. Deidara was just as shocked and he quickly scrambled off of the red head's lap, staring at him with his mouth ajar. Sasori was giving the raven the most intense glare that Deidara had ever seen - on not only him but on anyone. His hand was still in the air where it had moved to after he slapped the raven, and he bore his teeth irefully at the eight year old.

"Hold your tongue," his voice was not necessarily raised, but it was unusually harsh, "you dishonour all of us with your snide remark, boy. You dishonour me, you dishonour your clan, you dishonour yourself and you dishonour my Wakashu." He sneered and Deidara blinked in even more surprise at the use of the title. "In the future I expect you to hold your tongue, or if you cannot do that then bite it off instead. I accepted you as an acolyte due to your relative's hospitality, but I will not tolerate such disgusting dishonour once more – in or outside of my presence. Is that understood?"

Itachi instantly bowed his head in shame, "I apologize sincerely, Master Sasori – I did not intend disrespect towards you. Please forgive my insolence."

"I will not forgive without retribution." Sasori's gaze softened very slightly, but it was still set in a dark glare, "Firstly you will have no lessons tomorrow. Secondly you will take up Konan's duties of cleaning for the rest of tonight and for the entirety of tomorrow. This includes cleaning and cooking – Konan can instruct you but I forbid her to help in anyway." Itachi gave a nod but he was giving a slight scowl – it was demeaning for a man of any age to do a woman's job. "And thirdly, apologize to Deidara."

If the second task didn't harm Itachi's pride, the last one definitely did.

He hesitated and Sasori raised his hand once more in a threatening position, prepared to slap the impertinent boy again if he disobeyed. Itachi flinched very slightly and bowed his head lower, "I apologize sincerely, Deidara. Please dismiss my extremely rude remark and accept my request for forgiveness." Bitterness was thick in his voice, and he didn't fool anyone.

Sasori, however, let it slide and he looked towards the blonde to see if it was acceptable from his perspective. Deidara gave a quick nod and instinctively bowed his own head, "I forgive you, un…"

"Good." Sasori turned back to the raven, his initial rage disappearing into his usual apathetic attitude, placing his half empty bowl on the table. "We have finished with dinner; clean up the dishes." Itachi nodded solemnly and began to collect the bowls and chopsticks. Deidara frowned and placed his bowl on the table at the red head's words, despite the fact that it was still full of food. Itachi grabbed it nevertheless, keeping his gaze away from the blonde.

Itachi left the room and Konan followed quietly behind him in order to instruct him on how to clean the dishes. Sasori gave a sigh after they had gone, and Deidara swallowed deeply, his head still bowed. "Thank you, Danna…"

Sasori looked at him apathetically, "I thought you had rid yourself of that annoying habit." The blonde quickly brought his head back up, making eye contact with the older male, "And there is no need to thank me. I made a promise long ago that I would protect you, and I intend to keep that oath, even if it is your honour and not your life that is in danger."

Deidara's eyes turned to the scar on the red head's cheek, and he realised that he was being stupid.

Sasori had done so much for him; it wouldn't matter if he was just being used, because whatever the blonde gave him it would never be enough…But he had called him his Wakashu earlier; he didn't consider the younger male a simple slut. "I still thank you, Danna."

Sasori got to his feet and offered his hand to the blonde, "Shall we go?" Deidara didn't hesitate in taking the red head's hand in his own and he got to his feet, letting the older male lead him to his bedroom.

-x-

Sasori was getting dressed, but the blonde didn't think that he could get up even if he wanted to. Deidara guessed that they had just had three straight hours of sex, and his stamina was not even close to the red head's. "You're free to leave."

The blonde flinched at that, but he didn't even bother to try to stand up – he doubted he could anyway, he was exhausted beyond belief. "Why do you want me to leave, un?" Deidara frowned and gave a brave swallow, using all of his strength just to sit up a little, "If I'm doing something wrong then I'd rather you just tell me…"

Sasori finished getting dressed and he turned around, raising an eyebrow at the blonde in confusion, "I never asked you to leave; I simple said that you were free to leave, in that if you wanted to go then you could. Personally I would rather you stay, but the choice is yours."

Deidara blanched before he gave a groan of relief, slumping back onto the blankets, "Please can I stay, un?" Sasori gave a nod and walked over to the bed, lying down next to the blonde. He pulled the blankets up over them, pulling the younger male close against his chest. The blonde gave a sigh and buried his head in the red head's neck, falling asleep after a few minutes.

Sasori gave a sigh and gently stroked the blonde's hair, before he slowly brought his fingers to feel the scar on his cheek with his good arm. It had taken a lot of time to get to where he was in life – it had quite literally cost him an arm. He gazed at the sleeping face of his Wakashu, and he found that he couldn't regret the fact that he had accepted him as his acolyte.

He knew that there would be hardships in the future and he knew that this beautiful thing between them could not last forever – Deidara was only allowed to be his Wakashu until he was nineteen years old. After his Coming of Age ceremony he would be a fully fledged Samurai and no longer would he need the red head.

However, Sasori could say that in this moment in time he was, without a doubt…Content…

The End


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